The view that signalled his arrival into his new reality was every bit puzzling as the means that delivered him to this stage.
He was looking up from his laid position on a soft cushiony surface, likely a bed he reckoned, towards a ceiling adorned with rich craftsmanship, gilded with beautiful gems and carvings in dusty blue that gave the room a peaceful ambience.
He couldn't spend too much time appreciating the motifs or the murals and paintings on the other walls of the room he had found himself in, however, as he was surrounded with multiple unrecognised faces.
For a minute he thought all that he was experiencing had to do with the collapse and that he was in a facility to recoup from his injuries but the atmosphere of the room was far too bizarre for him to keep going down that line.
The room was far too opulent to be any sort of public facility he had ever been to, and most likely, ever will be, the people were neither doctors nor relief personnel, that much was clear form their non-uniform get up as to what they were however, gave even more absurd answers.
Apart from the rich craftsmanship the room was peculiarly also filled with… forest? That could be the only thing he could glean from the sheer amount of it all. The air felt humid and damp with a musky smell as if he'd slept in an open forest.
He was just trying to comprehend his visual cues when his auditory faculties also started blaring a gibberish that he had no way of deciphering.
He half heartedly tried to convince himself that all of it was just an avant dream and that he would be back to his normal life eventually, but the time went on, his conscious crept back, his reason exhausted it's limits and he had to face that the event that he remembered after the collapse just might be real.
A few minutes had passed since he had opened his eyes. He was still lying down, he could understand just a few words of what the people in the room said, which was weird since it wasn't Duestch, Dutch, English or French, or Spanish, it felt unlike any language he had so far encountered.
He was being inspected by an old man in ocean blue robes sitting beside him, another middle aged woman was sitting at the other side since he had woken up, she was now talking to two other women, likely in their mid to late twenties, or instructing, if their actions were of any indication.
After a few more minutes of inspecting and another few of talking/advising the middle aged woman, the old man, and every man present in the room left. The middle aged woman also left after a moment.
And all that was left in the room were him and two of the women in their mid-twenties.
"#£;"( young lord, #;"+ bathe and (!_+" for today. "(!£+". ;_(#; !£+£+! important, so it is +£!"( that you !_!"(" at the earliest."
'huh????'
His body still got up however. Almost at a reflex. Clearly he understood some things.. but how? What language was this?
***
Rae, now Noctis, as he was named in this world, stood before a mirror now fully taking in just how different this "new" supposed world was going to be from his previous one.
First things first, he himself had changed in an utmost fascinating manner. He could not be more than 3 ft in height and 3-4 years in age, his body that is, if that made any sense, and secondly he had a strikingly similar visage of that of an exotic fantastical creature. Beautiful face, ashen ivory hair and deep blue eyes. Most telling however of his change in matter of race was his ears. It was "elven" ears.
He had turned into an elven child.
"..."
"We should be going young master" Came his nursemaid Elle's voice waking him up form his reverie.
How did he know their name and their relation to his? Well, memories, that were coming to him out of nowhere at irregular intervals. It helped him in understanding what they were saying to an extent, so that much was welcomed.
"Yes" he replied softly with a last cursory glance at his attire.
He was wearing a tunic the same colour as his eyes that had a beautiful songket-like pattern woven at the edges near his knees and armpits.
A sash at his waist secured the tunic as well as a clean pure white cloth draped over his left shoulder. It felt good to him.
***
Knock, knock..
Head steward Eberhard knocked on the office of Sir Jofré Llançol i Escrive. The head of the House Borgia was a man in his 50s with a head full of white and a commanding presence. He stood at 6ft that added to his already tall stature as the head of one of the most influential clans of the Silfuyer archipelago.
Sir Jofré without looking up from the reports on his desks towards Eberhard waiting for his approval to enter signalled him to do so with his head and said, "How is he doing?".
"Young lord Noctis is doing quite alright my lord. Archeit Jayengrat has thoroughly inspected him, and apart from his physical change had found nothing too worrisome.
Although… his appearance has adopted all features of those paonnuex folks. Should we proceed with what we had planned for today?"
"Why wouldn't we?" Asked Sir Jofré softly without really looking up from his papers that he was already busy with.
"Ye-yes indeed my lord. Please excuse my transgression."
"You still want to call them that term after knowing my grandson has fully inherited it"
This time the old master's tone was stern and to add to the steward's anxiety for the first time he made a direct eye contact with the old steward.
Steward Eberhard's heartbeat immediately sped up, his iris expanded to the max and his burly physique instantly a knee to the ground and added hastily,
"I have committed a great sin, your highness. Please punish this foolish soul for this folly."
His head was down but he could feel Sir Jofré's eyes burning on his scalp.
After a few greuling seconds he heard his lord's words,
"At ease. Make sure it never ever happens again. Now that it has been made clear that he's indeed one of the Eldalië's we are bound by blood no matter how we feel about it.
The ceremony is to be held as intended. Adjouned."
"I will your holiness. Please excuse me."
Steward Eberhard sighed and quickly but quietly scurried out of the Master chamber.