In a magical timeline, where Lucis never fell because there is no war…

Noctis:

He’s actually really chill with the idea, knowing since he was a child it might happen.

He is also very aware that most engagements with royalty happen when they’re children, so it’s a bit of a shocker it took so long.

It bothers him a little that it’s his crush, only because he feels like he wasn’t careful enough. That someone must have found out that he liked them. He feels like he took away their right to choose. 

But he of course, does not argue, and marries them. Because the last thing he’d want was for them to fell like he was rejecting them if he dissented to the marriage. 

They never really exchange how they feel about the arrangement, because they don’t want to know what the other thinks of them. Like what if they hated them for agreeing to this?

However, they’re both idiots because it’s clear to everyone on the outside that they both have a crush on each other. And it’s painful to watch. Because BY THE SIX THEY’RE MARRIED. 

Eventually, it takes Ignis stepping in and accidentally, leaving the spouse’s favorite necklace out. And Noctis’ favorite book.

Things they both gave one another as children. 

They finally realize how daft they’re being, and start to talk more. It’s not perfect, and the situation they’re in isn’t ideal, but they still feel like they could truly love each other. 

(Much to Ignis’ annoyance, they BOTH like to sleep.)

Prompto:

As a crownsguard, Prompto earned the right to a noble title. Something he’s have no intention of claiming. He wouldn’t feel worth the effort that would take.(Not to mention he wouldn’t want to seem like he was trying to elevate himself.)

So the council steps in and basically arranges everything. They decide a marriage to a noble house was the solution. It’s only by chance that they arrange it with his crush. They just figured they were doing him a favor by arranging his marriage to a friend of his. 

He feels anxious about it, but keeps it together for the most part. 

The other three try to comfort him, but he actually at one point in time faints from how nervous he is. 

As it turns out, his crush is also a nervous wreak about it. 

They both end up dancing around each other, both feeling not worth the other’s time. 

Eventually, they both work up the nerve to just TALK about it, and it results in Prompto causing his spouse to faint from a kiss on the cheek.

After that, they take the time to actually spend time together, now that both their feelings were in the open. 

No, they’re not in love. But they could be. And after sometime, they would be.

Gladiolus:

This one was tricky. Because as the shield he was expected to protect Noctis. But finding out that he’d be marrying his crush would throw a wrench into things. 

It’d be sort of an odd day. Where he’d be walking with Ignis and run into his crush, who’d mention offhandedly that his presence was required when the council reconvened this afternoon. 

Ignis choke on his coffee. Because he knows why the council asked for Gladio to attend. 

He’s made it known only to Ignis that he liked them, a while ago. And Ignis would have been trying to find the right time to tell him what was planned, but is so thrown off by the speed of the council, he blurts it out to Gladio the second they’re alone.

He takes it in stride and is surprisingly calm until he realizes that his crush may not know. 

He goes to the council meeting, agrees to the match, because no one goes against the council, not to mention his father, for something like this. 

He married them, and they seem like they don’t hate it. 

That night, they just sit and talk, trying to figure the other out. They want this to be a good partnership above all else. (Both hope that love will come later.)

Ignis:

He is the one that gets out of it. He’s had practice after all, it’s not the first time they’ve tried engaging him to someone after all. (At this point, it more like a game to him and the council. “Is he clever enough to get out of this one?”)

He is. He heads it off before they even mention it to his crush. (It’s tradition to tell the lower house first before the higher house.)

But when he finds out just who they had planned for him, he can’t help the small flutter in his chest. 

He’s not nearly so selfish as to sabotage himself because he likes them though. They both deserve a chance to choose.

But he does approach them, and let them know what had almost happened.

They offer him a small smile and just say that being matched with him wouldn’t have been so bad. But then they change the subject and offer him a deal.

“Lets pretend to date and that might stave off the council’s meddling for a while.” And he agrees. 

Both hide that they do have feelings for one another. And soon, their pretending starts to blur with whats real. It almost feels like they really are in love.

And the next time him getting married comes up? He mentions that they’re ‘dating’ and would like to see where it leads.