"Sorry. I didn't expect anyone to be here." A man with midnight hair said as he took a seat beside the woman on the marble staircase.

Seemingly withdrawn, the woman held a survival knife in her hand. She flipped it open, and then closed it again. Open. Close. "Why's that?"

The man made certain to keep his distance, but he was tempted to check if the woman had a fever. "Well, most people would be sleeping at this time of night."

The woman nodded, never looking away from her knife. "It's that late?"

"Close to midnight."

"How often do you come here?"

With his head tilted slightly, the man pondered the woman's interrogation of him. "Almost everyday. I like to think that I'm staying on the Goddess's good side."

So I haven't been here for too long, thought the woman.

Finally tucking her knife away, the woman shifted her icy blue gaze towards the man. "So, this is some kind of shrine?"

Sighing, the man rose and stared down at the woman with dark eyes. "Did you hit your head or something?" The man stretched out his arms to their surroundings. "Everyone in the kingdom knows that this is a shrine to the Goddess Etro."

"Etro, huh… What's your name?"

The man gallantly bowed. "Noctis, at your service. And your name?"

The woman thought for a moment. She remembered being wrapped in supernatural warmth. She remembered falling, physically or from consciousness, she couldn't quite recall. Most of all she remembered a kind voice ringing through her mind.

"My dear Lightning, your service to me… is complete." It said.

"Lightning."

"Well, Lightning," he put a bit too much emphasis on her name for her tastes. "It is getting very late, would you like a ride home?"

Lightning stood up and crossed her arms. She huffed in annoyance. "I don't trust you."

Noctis was dumbfounded. She really did not know who he was. "I can assure you I have no ill intent. As the prince, it is my duty to ensure the safety of each citizen."

A prince? Lightning thought. I really don't have much of a choice, though.

"I don't have a home." Her voice was cold and each word was enunciated with great care.

"Well," Noctis scratched the back of his head. "You could stay at the castle until you find your own place to live. There is plenty of extra rooms and enough servants to cater to your every need, at the same time."

Noctis began to descend down the marble stairway. With the tap of her footsteps echoing through the building, Lightning followed him. She knew she didn't have any other choice for shelter. Any other pleasant choice, anyway. She removed her knife from the pouch on her thigh and kept a firm grip on it. Maybe living in a castle won't be so bad.

ʁʁʁʁʁʁʁʁ

Three years after Lightning met Noctis on the marble stairs, she still lived at the castle. Everyday, she learned a bit more about the kingdom. She knew she wasn't from this place, but from somewhere far different.

Through the garden, Lightning strolled. Flowers of every color were budding; a few were starting to bloom. The air smelt full of life.

She stopped in front of a rose bush and lifted her fingers to caress its pale, velvet petals. Flashing through her mind was an image of a smiling face. It was a familiar face; it brought a strong feeling of nostalgia over Lightning.

A gentle breeze wafted through the garden, it carried words spoken by a soft voice. They didn't cease to echo in Lightning's ears.

"You. Are. Mine."