The first-time NH-01987 laid eyes on the grand Crown City of Insomnia, it had been absolutely and utterly breath-taking. Bright lights shimmered and danced across the mystical barrier that protected the land within from both the Empire and Daemons alike. Towering white skyscrapers were visible just over the height of the wall, reflecting the sunlight and cascading it off in a spray of colour. The heat of that very sun bore down on him, heating the metal that lined his armour, decorated with grand reds and golds that the Chancellor had so kindly bestowed upon him. It had been modelled off a Griffon, with the colours mixing together to resemble the creature's feathers. A single plate sat on his shoulder, shaped in the depiction of the mythical being's face, and from this plate draped a long cloak that covered his arm and spread around to his back; possibly the most pleasant looking part of the armour, metallic feather-shaped plates were woven together in fiery designs that glinted in the sunlight, casting dazzling shapes across the ground around him. His helmet was far from the standard military issue, a golden guard that hid his face entirely from the world around him. Metallic wings spread back and covered his ears, tinged silver on the tips.

He sucked a small breath in of appreciation for the architecture before returning his gaze to the man in question; who currently stood just ahead of him. Ardyn Izunia's arms were raised rather loosely in the air as the Crownsguard approached; having been called by the border control they'd just rattled. A sickly smile spread across his cheeks, his amber gaze settling on the soldiers that were now surrounding the pair.

"Now now, is that any way to treat an unarmed traveller and his companion?" The Chancellor droned before glancing straight back at him.

"Doesn't look unarmed to me." Stated one of the guards bluntly, turning their gaze also to him.

NH-01987 refused the urge to shift awkwardly on his footing, rather glad that his helmet hid the way he tried to glance away under the scrutinising gaze. To the others; he merely appeared to be standing motionlessly. A stance befitting of the parts of him that whirred and grinded, metal on metal. The guard's words were indeed true: a gun was holstered against his side. The Quicksilver MK III, a sturdy weapon in its own right but even more so as it had been modified by the Empire, loading bullets that were particularly nasty and could onset a number of unpleasant conditions. The gun itself was white, with one sharp and stark crimson streak running down the barrel.

"Oh my, you're right. NH, be a sweet boy and hand these lovely men your gun, would you?" The way Ardyn feigned innocence at the knowledge only further irritated the guards, yet NH-01987 was quick to oblige with the request. Slipping a plated hand to the weapon, he unclasped it before leaning to place it against the dusty ground. With one small kick, it spun across the dirt and stopped just short of the Crownsguard.

He retrieved it without hesitation.

"Now, if you'd be as kind as to tell his Highness that Ardyn Izunia, Envoy of Niflheim is here to seek an audience, I'd be oh-so grateful."

It was those very words that had the two of them finally accepted access to the City; though not without a rather hefty group of Crownsguard as an escort. The Chancellor walked ahead with a sway in his step, tipping his hat back to glance up at the imposing buildings with an unidentifiable expression plastered on his lips. NH-01987 would have studied this look further, had he not been immediately distracted by the sights around him. People bustled with a sense of duty at the Wall, running from one station to the next with piles of reports, weapons, and much more; not even sparing a glance for the out-of-place escort that had just entered. There was no fear in their eyes, no suppression that he'd become used to seeing on the streets of Gralea, nothing but determination and loyalty. It was odd to see, and he could barely tear his gaze away from it. Alas, he was ushered forward – although, not physically as no one seemed keen to approach the unit – and he soon found himself sat in the back of a car alongside Ardyn.

The ride in the car felt far too quick for his liking. Buildings, shops, people, everything zoomed by in the space of seconds as the car drove further into the heart of Insomnia. The shop signs shone brightly, lit up with large bulbs and advertising some of the most appetising foods NH-01987 had ever seen.

"NH." The words snapped him out of his thoughts, as he mechanically turned his head towards the Chancellor in response. Words weren't needed.

That same smirk sat on the man's lips. "Enjoying the view?" It was almost as if he had read his mind- if that was even possible. Still, NH-01987 didn't let even the slightest movement give himself away. Returning his gaze forward, he let his mind fall back into the state it should have been; a blank slate ready for orders.

Because that's all he was. A Magitek Unit in service of the Empire.

A low chuckle left his companions lips, the man shaking his head as he adjusted his hat. "I thought as much. Are you excited to meet the King of Lucis? I'm sure you are. After all, who wouldn't want to meet royalty?"

The car trip ended far more abruptly than he would have liked, and the two were finally stood outside their destination. The Citadel towered above them, the gleam of the crystal shining through the centre of the building; causing a rather uneasy and sickening feeling in his programming. Was he malfunctioning? Could the Crystal make an MT malfunction? He hoped not. The two were led through more gates before up the large steps and into the main foyer of the building, and he took a moment to glance his sights over a poster that illustrated the main floors. They were heading up to the audience chamber, which was situated roughly half way up; accessible by the elevator they were herded in to. It was cramped, but allowed for himself, the chancellor and two of the Crownsguard to fit. No one said a word as it began its ascension up the building, but NH-01987 could see the smirk still plastered on the Chancellors face. As if sensing he was being watched, amber eyes glanced over at him; and if NH-01987 had been even the slightest bit human he was sure he'd have flinched under that gaze.

Soon enough, they were stood beyond two great doors.

"The envoy from Niflheim awaits without, your Majesty." The words were muffled from the other room, yet NH-01987 could hear them well enough.

The doors swung open, and the Chancellors previous smirk seemed to relax; into something that almost resembled a friendly smile. It didn't suit him, but it was convincing. With the two guards in front, he strode into the following chamber as if he owned the place; with NH-01987 following just behind.

"Hello there! Hello! Good day to you!" He swung his hands as he walked, not a care in the world for how informal his approach was. Lazily, he waved one hand over at the seated Council around the chamber, in the direction of one of the women. "And you. Well met, my dear Lucians." It was like watching a well-rehearsed performance, one polished by age and practice. Ardyn ended his greeting by swinging both arms aside, barely a moment passing before someone knew spoke.

"Has Niflheim grown so bold?" A voice of authority rung out across the chamber, and NH-01987 finally mustered enough will to look up at the throne. Two sets of steps ascended up to it, and the chair was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Lines of gold etched into a black and silver base, with a deep red velvet as a centre cushion. And in that chair sat a man, who's very presence made NH-01987 want to shrink under its weight. This was the King of Lucis, the man who currently maintained the Wall and held the might of the Crystal in his grasp. King Regis. At Ardyn's entrance he had leaned himself forward in the chair, and even now disbelief seemed to line his aged features. "That they send the Chancellor himself as envoy? And under but one guard, at that." His gaze briefly drifted to NH-01987, though it lasted a mere second; something the Unit was glad for.

"It is an honour to be recognized by the great King Regis, yet, permit me to stand on ceremony and introduce myself nonetheless." The Chancellor finally paused in his stride at the base of the steps. "Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim." He cast his gaze around the room before removing his hat and dropping into a deep bow; his left winged arm tucked behind him. "At your humble service. Behind me is my Unit, pay him no heed."

"And I come to you on this most auspicious of days to offer terms of peace."

"Peace?" King Regis echoed, his brow furrowing at the concept.

Ardyn barely have him a moment to get the word out, already continuing his speech. His act. "As you've no doubt surmised, that recent manoeuvre of ours was no strategic retreat. Call it…" He paused, before stepping his foot hard down on the stairs. "A gesture of Imperial good will." And with that, he began to climb those stairs one by one, slowly and dramatically. "Like you, we wish nothing more than to bring a swift end to this.." He glanced aside. "Senseless war."

NH-01987 hadn't been briefed by the Chancellor on what they'd be accomplishing today, so the news was just as surprising to him as it was to those in chamber. However, King Regis didn't seem to be buying the offer so easily; his gaze still set sternly on Ardyn.

"Is that so?" He queried, his tone even and lacking belief.

"It is indeed, and we require but a singular compliance." Ardyn continued to approach the King. "To save your grand Insomnia here, Lucis must forfeit all territories to Niflheim rule." As if expecting a protest to break out from the Council members, Regis raised a hand, his gaze ever-watching as Ardyn spun on his heel.

"Ah, Insomnia, jewel in the crown of the Lucian Kingdom. How foolish of me to forget, there is just one more trivial thing." He returned to face the King, face a mask of diplomacy. NH-01987 could see that was exactly what it was; nothing but a mask. No different to the one he wore right now, watching the two. "It concerns your son."

"The fetching Prince Noctis of Lucis, and the fair Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae…" He began to saunter his way across the steps, turning his attention to the King once more. Bringing two fingers together, he finished what he had started. "They are to be wed."

That certainly brought King Regis to lean forward in his chair, his gaze hardening.

"You seem vexed, your Highness. I assure you, the Princess still holds you in the highest regard, as she has done all these twelve long years." Ardyn concluded his speech, and silence fell across the chamber once more. King Regis took a moment to recover his expression before leaning back in the throne.

"The Council shall discuss this… offer. You will be required to reside within the Citadel over the coming days until we reach a decision." Came the eventual reply from the King. His gaze was stern, and expression no longer contained the brimming emotions from before; however, it did flicker across to NH-01987 and seemed to regard him for a moment. He did his best to keep still under the Kings stare, refusing the urge to look away or to squirm awkwardly- again, was this a glitch in his programming? The actions were those that would get him de-commissioned if noticed. It was a stark difference: what the King likely saw versus what he actually was.

To an outsider, a Magitek Unit stood in the centre of that chamber a few short paces behind the Chancellor. Dressed in fine armour that was more befitting of a Commander than a machine, his stance was emotionless and attentive – ready to receive orders at any given moment. Not once had he moved during Ardyn's act, nor had he spoken out. He was here to observe.

But to NH-01987, things couldn't have been more different. The fine armour that he wore only weighed him down and ached his limbs, the stance was by no means emotionless; holding hidden out-of-place feelings. He wasn't ready for orders, he could barely get his mind to grasp what had just been said. He wasn't sure why he was here.

"Oh, but of course. I would expect nothing less." Ardyn purred, glancing back at NH-01987 briefly, before returning his gaze to the King. "Shall we discuss in further detail then?"

And with that, NH-01987 was finally ushered out of the room by a rather timid looking Crownsguard.

The hall outside the chamber was grand indeed. Large paintings covered the walls, and NH-01987 slowly made his way across the marble floor to examine one of them. If his knowledge bank served him well, then the painting depicted the Astrals; in all their might. He could name most of them, though perhaps other areas of his memory were faulty- as it was difficult to recall all. Even as he stepped forward to study the art, he could see each and every tiny detail where eons ago brush had struck canvas, shaping paint into the wonderful sight that now stood before him. Asides from the company of the paintings, the room was empty; that alone surprised him – surely they weren't about to leave an MT unit unattended in the middle of the Citadel? Which, led him to believe he was likely being watched after all. Not that he minded, he didn't have any orders that threatened the Lucians; and was more than happy to spend his time gracing his eye with the artwork in front of him.

He couldn't recall the day he had been activated. There were bits of memory about when he'd been smaller- perhaps these memories had been implanted in him to give him that extra humanistic feel? He wasn't sure. He definitely wasn't human. He could still bring up memories of the lab, the training, the constant battle to be the top of the class. How his eyes shone with an unnatural crimson light, how his-…

A movement caught his attention as two others stepped into the room; startling him. He turned on his heel and resumed the usual mechanical stance.

"An envoy of Niflheim?" The younger male questioned. His hair was dark and unkempt, with a tired gaze peeking out from underneath it. Judging by height, NH-01987 guessed he was around twenty years old, and was followed by a slightly taller male with glasses; who responded to the question.

"It would appear they're seeking to strike a deal. As such, I wouldn't suggest disturbing your Father now."

Father? Then that meant the younger one was Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. NH-01987 let his gaze wander to the Prince from beneath his helmet, watching as the raven-haired male paused just outside of the large two doors and sighed.

"Guess I'll just have to wait then." Noctis groaned, rather abruptly leaning back against the wall; before his gaze finally fell on the Unit. There was a pause. "Is that a…" He started.

"Indeed, one of Niflheim's Magitek Units- though I daresay I haven't quite seen such an... ornamented model before." A hand rose to push glasses up the bridge of his nose, and the tall male let his gaze bear down on NH-01987 for a moment.

Involuntarily, NH-01987 glanced away for a moment. The mechanical sound his movement made was more than audible in such a quiet room. Keep it cool, keep it cool. Don't attract too much attention.

"Nothing but a fancy bucket of bolts." Came the rather bored sounding reply of the Prince, shrugging it off. His gaze however didn't leave NH-01978, as if searching for something. Rather abruptly, he stood before crossing the distance between them, and it took all of NH-01987's programming to avoid stepping back in surprise. Why was the Prince of Lucis so interested in him? Was it the armour? Even he had deduced that it was too flashy. Noctis stopped just short of him, despite Glasses' sudden protests.

"Noctis! For Six sake, what are you doing?"

"Chill, it's not like it's going to attack me in the middle of the Citadel."

Well, that was probably the stupidest thing NH-01978 had ever recorded. He could quite easily break the Prince's neck if he'd been ordered to do so.

"Honestly, your recklessness is going to get you killed one day. Be glad that it clearly doesn't have orders." Glasses frowned.

Well, it was nice to see one of the two had sense.

"It's pretty short for an MT, isn't it?" Noctis entirely disregarded what Glasses had said, already off on a new train of thought.

"What?"

"It's short."

"Noct I don't think its height is really-"

"What? I just think it's odd. Envoy of Niflheim brings a half-size MT along with them?"

Suddenly NH-01987 was wishing he had orders to hit the Prince. He was a standard size. Still, the Prince continued to stare at him; an action that was making him feel increasingly more and more uncomfortable. Despite all his better judgements, NH-01987 swiftly moved, turning to face the painting behind him rather than the irritating Prince ahead.

"Did it just-.." Noctis started, sounding more than a bit confused.

"I.." Glasses paused. "I believe it just turned its back on you, yes."

Disbelief seemed to hang in the air for a moment; though NH-01987 refused to turn around and fixed his sights firmly on the artwork in front of him. Besides, if Ardyn returned and saw him stood with the Prince; he didn't want to think of the consequences for that. His orders had been-.. Well, he wasn't sure what his orders were. But they definitely didn't involve talking with the enemy.

"Perhaps you hurt its feelings." Glasses commented, though there was amusement behind his tone.

"Yeah, right, 'cause those things can think." Noctis remarked sarcastically, before both of them left the room; lost in chatter then eventually died out altogether.

Little did NH-01987 know, he was going to be bumping into that obnoxious Prince a lot more over the coming days.