It was only midday, but the thick, black smoke that boiled upwards, filling the once-pristine air and obliterating the skyline, had plunged Insomnia into a premature nightfall. From her vantage point, safe in the hills outside the Crown City, Iris watched, fallen to her knees, tears streaking through the soot and dirt that caked her face. How had this happened? What could have led to this point, and was there anything she could have done to prevent it? Her mind was overwhelmed by those questions and many others as she witnessed the destruction of her beloved kingdom's Capital. Gripping the weapons that she had let fall from her grasp, Iris swore that she would find her answers and wring vengeance from every enemy that crossed her path from that day until her last day.
Daughter of Clarus Amicitia, shield of king Regis Caelum, and sister to Gladiolus Amicitia, shield of prince Noctis Caelum, Iris came from a family who's men had a duty, and who's women waited patiently; thus, she was used to being left to her own devices. Iris had come to Insomnia several weeks prior to its fall, to spend time with her brother and his companions for the last days of their stay in the Capitol; they'd soon be leaving, Gladiolus (or "Gladdy" as she affectionately called him) and Noctis, along with Ignis Scientia and Prompto Argentum, to take the prince to meet his future bride, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae, and witness the ceremony that would bring their two nations together for peace. Iris couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought: not only was her childhood friend, perhaps even her very first friend, leaving to start his new life far away from her, but he was taking her brother with him. She knew that Gladio's life was pledged to the protection of the future king of Lucis; she'd known for many years, and didn't resent that fact. She also knew that this wouldn't be the last she would ever see of them, that wasn't what saddened her; it was the fact that they were now to be separated by the duty that they had all accepted as their destiny. Noctis would be king, Lunafreya his queen, and Gladio their protector; the camaraderie they all once shared would give place to rare, formal audiences and appointments; they weren't kids anymore, and Iris was sorry for it.
After having made sure that her things were brought to her proper living quarters, and making quick work of getting unpacked and settled, Iris surveyed her handiwork with a satisfied smile. "Lady Amicitia" she turned and greeted the attendant at her door with a quick smile and nod "Prince Noctis and his retinue will not be arriving for several hours yet, please inform me if there is anything you require to make your stay more comfortable." Iris smiled again and shook her head "Thank you so much, but I'll be fine until my brother returns with his highness; until then, I think I'll occupy my time reacquainting myself with the grounds, it's been a while since my last visit." "As you wish. my lady" the woman gave her a polite nod and disappeared from the doorway.
Iris spun in a slow circle, giving the room one last look and admiring the order and organization of it all. She knew it wouldn't last long, as much as she wanted to be neat and organized, she wasn't a tidy person by nature, and soon her things would be strewn around the room as she settled in. Not to mention that the guys would most assuredly make themselves as soon as they heard she had arrived, and would no doubt be excited to go through the going away gifts she had brought for them. "Oh well" she thought to herself "At least I got everything unpacked and put away nicely, that's gotta count for something." With a shrug and happy giggle she skipped out of the room and off to poke around the royal gardens.
Several flights of stairs, three long hallways and two courtyards later, Iris stood in the archway entrance of a lush green oasis amidst the vast urban desert that was the Crown City. She loved the Capital with all its bustle and excitement, but her heart belonged in the quiet peacefulness of a garden. The royal garden wasn't what one might expect in a city like Insomnia; instead of closely trimmed hedges, carefully designed terraces, and ostentatious fountains, there rose tall gnarled trees with long drooping bows that formed dense emerald curtains with their hanging vines. Patches of flowers grew in abundant patterns around the trees, providing splashes of vibrant color against the deep verdant backdrop. The site, with its air of mystery and quiet magnificence, was reminiscent of an ancient forest temple where one would go to appeal to the gods of spring, harvest, and the elements; it was as if a piece of another world had been plucked out and placed there in the palace solely for the Lucian king's enjoyment. The most striking sight lay in a far corner of the garden, tucked away behind one of the biggest trees; a small waterfall bubbled out of the top of a tall boulder and cascaded over the smaller rocks below, forming a wide pool at the bottom before flowing out to other areas of the garden. Iris thought about how wonderful it would be to sit under the ancient tree, hidden by its vines and get lost in a favorite book while trailing her toes through the current of the stream. It dawned on her that this would be the perfect way to while away her time until her friends showed up, and she dashed off to her room to choose a book and fulfill her daydream.
Once back in her quarters, Iris tore through the books on her shelf that she had brought along to keep her company. None of her usual novels caught her eye; she didn't feel the need to pursue any fantasy adventures at this point. She remembered the last few times she had gotten caught up in some mystery thriller, and had been so engrossed that she missed dinner and Gladio had come looking for her, worried that she had gotten herself into some kind of scrape. No, she needed something that would hold her attention, but wouldn't make her completely forget about the guys' imminent arrival. Her eyes fell on the survival guide that her older brother had given her the last time they had parted ways; Gladio had been very earnest in his desire for her to study it and learn all she could "You know I'm not going to be around much to teach you these things anymore, Iris" he told her. "There's still a lot you have to learn until you even get close to my level" he teased, lifting his hand to ruffle her hair. At the time she had protested, twisting away and yelling that she knew how to take care of herself in the wild just fine thank you, in fact she probably even had an edge on him because she was much lighter and smaller, and therefore could go where she pleased unnoticed, while he was a damned giant and no doubt created a terrible ruckus, stomping through the woods like a freaking Catoblepas. He had yelled something about her daring to call him fat and his intention to stomp on her like a "freaking Catoblepas" if she didn't apologize immediately; and she'd taken off as fast as she could trying not to choke on her shrieks of laugher. The memory brought a huge grin to her face and she snatched up the thick volume; "He'll want to quiz me on this stuff and I'm screwed if he finds out I haven't even cracked it yet" she thought to herself. "Well, better get in as much cramming as I can and pray they don't show up for a good few hours."
She quickly made her way back to the garden and to the giant tree that flanked the waterfall, kicking off her boots and settling in among the roots, close enough to the edge of the stream for her to dip her toes in from time to time. While thumbing through her book to find a section on Bandersnatches (because really, why didn't they have proper faces?), Iris was struck with her situation right in that moment: curled up in the roots of a comforting old tree, its umbrella of vines hiding her from the rest of the world, with a book, a bubbling stream lapping at her feet, and the anticipation of soon seeing her brother and some of her most adored friends. The images brought a rush of joy flooding through her being and was too strong to contain, so she let it out with squeal of laughter as she sprawled on her back, pulling her knees to her chest and kicking her feet in the air frantically while wildly flailing her arms, her hands balled into tight, excited little fists. Iris' little tantrum of happiness was brought to an abrupt halt when she heard a noise that sounded like a desperately suppressed combination of a cough and a stifled snort of laughter. She froze for half an instant before sitting bolt upright, looking around wildly for the source of the sound; not seeing anyone in her immediate vicinity, she peered through the thick screen of hanging vines surrounding her, slowly scanning the area. She swept her line of sight from left to right, not finding anything of note until her gaze encountered that of a pair of silvery grey eyes that stared back at her with cool indifference. Her second shock came when she recognized the face those eyes belonged to; there was no mistaking the chiseled jaw line, ashen hair and thin lips that always seemed ready to curl up into a disdainful sneer: Ravus Nos Fleuret, High Commander of Niflheim's forces, and brother to Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Prince Noctis' intended bride. Iris scrambled to her feet, shoes and book forgotten as they stood there staring at each other, her uncertain with an underlying sense of distrust, and he, aloof and only mildly interested.
Ravus seemed to sense her unease, and, after a moment, relaxed his gaze and assumed what Iris surmised to be an attempt at a friendly smile, but turned out more like a sarcastic smirk. "You must be of the Amicitia clan" he spoke, with no attempt to hide the amusement in his voice "Dark hair, equally dark eyes: passionate with a tendency for impulsiveness. You're a carbon copy of your older brother, but with fewer scars, and more...compact. Lady Iris, come to the Citadel to see your brother and his charges off on their adventure." Iris had felt her nose start to wrinkle up in annoyance at his presumptuous, but when he made the remark about Gladiolus' "charges" she laughed outright. "Charges?! You say it like Gladio is their babysitter or something, they're ALL Noct's bodyguards, and they're all very capable. Noct can take care of himself pretty well even without them, you know." she retorted, feeling the heat of her offended feelings rising up her back and around her collar. His facial expression shifted instantly as the prince's name left her lips. "Ah yes, our dear prince Noctis, the future king of Lucis: chosen one, favored by the gods and savior of all human kind." He spat the words out, a look of contempt overshadowing his handsome and previously apathetic visage. "If he possessed the slightest awareness of what it truly means to be king, he would not even think of allowing others to risk their lives for the sake of his throne." Iris stared at him, taken aback at the ire that had so suddenly flashed out of him; she knew that Ravus held great resentment toward Noctis, and his father king Regis especially, because of the death of Ravus' mother and his and Luna's subsequent imprisonment in Niflheim. It was true that Regis had abandoned the Nox Fleurets to their fate in order to save Noctis from capture, and Iris had always sympathized with the family since she heard the story from a young age; it couldn't have been easy getting torn from one's naive land and growing up parentless as hostages to a foreign country.
Ravus held Iris' gaze for several moments before turning abruptly on his heel and striding out of the garden without another word. Iris picked up her survival guide from where it lay on the grass and dusted it off, her appetite for learning greatly reduced from when she first entered the garden moments before. She had always assumed that the reason Ravus had become an officer of the Nifleheim empire was because he'd had no other choice; after spending a large portion of his life as their prisoner, what other options did he have? But now, after having spoken to him, Iris was worried. It was clear that he bore serious resentment toward the Caelum family, and the intensity in his words had left her with a sense of unease. Could it be that Ravus had actively pursued his position with a motive of revenge for the misfortunes that had befallen his family? The idea was so unpleasant that Iris pushed it to the back of her mind, she didn't want to think about that possibility, she wanted to think about the fact that she would be seeing the guys soon and how much they all had to catch up on.
Strolling back to her room, lost in thought, Iris was taken by surprise when a hand landed on her shoulder and a rambunctious Prompto burst through her bubble of concentration, like an adolescent golden retriever romping through a meadow of dandelions. "Iris!" he yelled "You're here! What time did you arrive? Have you been waiting on us very long?" A mischievous grin cracked Iris' face as she grabbed the hand that Prompto had laid on her shoulder; in a smooth and lightning fast maneuver, she spun and ducked beneath it, then pulled hard, the added momentum with just the kick she needed to spring herself up and onto his back, clutching her legs around his middle, and arms encircled his neck as her shout of "Little big bro!" rang out. It was now Prompto's turn to be taken completely off guard, and he almost let it take him out as he staggered, almost making an additional casualty of Ignis who was standing too close by to effectively duck out of the way; fortunately, Prompto rallied with a few quick compensatory steps, and then a wide grin replaced his shocked expression as the potential of their new position of power dawned on him. Tucking his arms tightly around Iris' legs, he planted his feet and dropped into a slight crouch before yelling "We can totally take Gladio out like this!" at which point he took off straight for Gladiolus. Iris let out a peal of laughter and held on tight as they charged at her brother, sticking her feet out in front in preparation to aim a sweeping kick at him when she got a clear opportunity. Gladio's eyes widened and he lifted an arm defensively, shouting "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" as he started to hop-step backward, formulating a plan of defense for the coming onslaught. Prompto bobbed and wove as he came at Gladio, jumping into a spin upon arrival, enabling Iris to lash her foot out at Gladio's stomach, while Prompto would reach out a back handed fist at his sternum at the same time, in hope of stunning Gladio or making him fall on his ass trying to avoid it. Their ambush would have worked out beautifully had they pitted themselves against anyone other than Gladiolus Amicitia; there was a reason that Gladio had been chosen to be Noctis' shield, and it was not because he could be taken down by his kid sister and a novice bodyguard. At the last second he neatly stepped aside and turned his body in the opposite direction, hooking an arm around his sister's waist, the force behind her and Prompto effectively yanking her off his back, while with the other hand, Gladio grabbed the boy by the back of his collar and hauled him into the air, expertly incapacitating them both.
"You little punks think you can take me down that easily?" he roared, tucking Iris under one arm and Prompto under the other and beginning to spin them around in circles, making as if to launch them into the air; "Time to bring the pain!" he yelled. Prompto and Iris had immediately set about kicking and wriggling, trying to escape Gladio's clutches; "Put me down, Gladdy!" Iris hollered, "Everyone knows we weren't actually trying to hurt you!". Prompto had started to take on a sickly shade of green as Gladio continued to spin them around his body, "C'mon big guy!" he groaned, "Give us a rest, will ya? We're sorry! I'm gonna puke any second!". Gladio didn't seem inclined to comply with their pleas, and continued to spin them until Ignis intervened. "Come now, Gladio, I think you made your point, they seem to have suffered enough. Wouldn't you say, Noct?" he asked, turning to the prince. "Oh I don't know" Noctis replied, doing his best to hide the smirk that threatened to break is normally stoic demeanor; "I'm sure he's teaching them some kind of valuable lesson; Gladio has a good reason for everything he does, probably toughening them up or something". Noctis almost lost it upon seeing the deeply offended look Prompto threw his way as he sailed by, "Nooooct!" both he and Iris wailed despairingly.
Noctis finally broke into a chuckle, shaking his head in amusement; "Alright, fine. Put em down, Gladio, let's get inside, I just realized I'm starving, anyway." "Ah. I suppose that leaves lady Iris and myself to fulfill that demand." Ignis remarked amusedly. "Oh yes, absolutely!" Iris chirped, staggering to her feet after Gladio had very ungently released them "What do feel like eating, Noct?" "Yeah, go ahead and ask his highness what he wants first, don't even take a thought for what your brother might like." Gladio grumbled under his breath. "Hush, Gladdy, I haven't forgotten about you throwing me around like a sack of potatoes, so you'll be happy with whatever Iggy and I make for you!" She retorted before turning her gaze to Noctis and beaming at him expectantly. "U-um, well, I'm not sure" Noctis replied, sheepishly noting Gladio's pouting. "Whatever you made the other day Iggy, that was great". "Whatever I made the other day"" Ignis repeated back with a raised eyebrow. "Very specific, that; must have left an enormous impression to be remembered as "whatever I made the other day". "Oh come on, Iggy." Noctis pleaded. "It was really good, you made it with some of the fish I caught when we went out last week. You made it on the camp grill and decorated it with some green stuff." Ignis threw his hands in the air in exaggerated frustration "A truly cultured future king we have here" he groaned "Such a talent for eloquent description. "Green stuff" indeed! Fortunately for you, I do remember that dish, it was the wild Barramundi, and it is quite easy to replicate. Iris will make an excellent sous chef, so you all run along and bring in the rest of our luggage. It will be wonderful to actually have competent culinary help for once." He stared pointedly at all of them as he uttered his last statement before turning on his heel and heading for the kitchens, motioning for Iris to accompany him. She had been silently giggling behind her hand as Ignis was scolding the guys, and she finally let out her laughter as he walked off, and quickly took off after him.