#honestly even after fem!Ardyn is outed as an LC the assumption is still that she's related to Aulea

[a-world-in-grey]

In Nox verse, do you think Regis and the rest would be quicker to realise that Ardyn is a Lucis Caelum if it was female Ardyn verse? After all if Sola already resembles Ardyn strongly when he's a male, it might be more pronounced for female version.

@secret-engima

*grins*

Well, the resemblance between Ardyn and Sola that Sola picks up on is mostly the coloring. That same red-violet hair - which is downright rare - those same sky-blue eyes. From there, Sola notes the other familial features, features that she doesn't have or are softer or slimmer or more feminine, features that she's seen in the Hall of Kings in so many portraits.

Noctis is too young yet to really know about bastards and politics. Too enamoured with his new older brother and uncle. Still coming to terms with the attack, even if the injuries don't linger.

Regis, Cor, and Clarus are blinded by their perception of Ardyn. To them, Ardyn is Niflheim's Chancellor first, Nox's uncle second. They see the similar coloring to Sola, of course, they'd have to be literally blind to miss that. But that shade of red hair isn't unique for all that it's uncommon. Aulea had brown hair, but her grandfather had that shade of red and it's popped up in other families of Lucis' nobility.

(It's been two thousand years since Ardyn and Somnus' time. One of Somnus' children inherited Ardyn's red hair, and it's had over a hundred generations to spread throughout Lucis' population.)

It's not been said since Aulea's death, but underneath her coloring, Sola looks very much like her mother. That Sola still has Lucis Caelum features is due to Aulea (and many other Lucian nobles) having Lucis Caelum blood from a distant branch LC ancestor.

So a female Ardyn? With softer, feminine features?

Before Ardyn uses her magic, everyone, including Sola, assumes Ardyn is Aulea's relative.