Prologue
Tolls and Tidings
"Your Highness."
The length of shimmering blond hair swayed aside as the figure upon which they flowed glanced over her shoulder.
"The car will be here soon, Your Highness," the servant stated. "We had best make ready for our departure."
"Very well." The young woman turned about, already clad in the jacket and dress she would wear for the coming journey. "I presume Ravus has a few words to impart before my departure?"
"Your brother awaits you in the study, Your Highness."
The princess nodded. "I will be along shortly, once I have seen to him."
"Very good Your Highness."
As the princess left her room the heels of her boots clicked against the marble floor of the corridor. Unlike the private chambers with their lush carpets, the castle's halls tended to feel colder. The young woman paid the change in ambiance no mind however, working purposefully to her destination. It was with equal lack of hesitation that she opened the door to the study, pausing only long enough at the threshold to greet the person waiting within.
"Brother."
Despite being four years her elder, Ravus Nox Fleuret was the one that dipped his head in deference.
"Sister. The preparations have been completed to your satisfaction for the journey to Altissia?"
"Hardly a journey at all, seeing as I shall be accompanied by a considerable retinue," was the sister's response.
Ravus gave a wry smile. "As befitting of the Princess of Tenebrae. It is a shame Mother's ill-health precludes her accompanying you, she would have loved to bear witness to your union."
"A shame indeed," the young woman agreed with a certain solemn air.
A still silence descended upon the two, though the princess made no move to break it. She simply waited for her brother to find his bearing, and perhaps even the courage to give voice to his worries.
"Sister," Ravus finally began again. "Are you certain?"
The young woman graced her dotting brother with a tolerant smile.
"Have we not already had this discussion, brother?"
Ravus grimaced. "Be that as it may, that is not an answer, as you know full well, sister."
The young woman's expression flickered for one brief moment before a serene stoicism asserted itself on her face. Clasping her hands behind her, she walked over to the window and gazed out at the lands below. Fenestala Castle was situated high atop the mountains, allowing its denizens a magnificent view of the lands they nominally governed. On some days, that view felt more like a cruel joke than a display of natural majesty. After spending several long moments contemplating which it was today, the princess turned about to face her brother.
"The decision has been made. I will go to Altissia, to be wed to Prince Noctis of Lucis and bind his kingdom as ours is now to Niflheim."
There was no attempt to hide the bitterness in the princess' tone, though which of the aforementioned events was the cause of her disappointment was less clear. Ravus however needed no such hints.
"You and the young prince have exchanged many a letter since parting ways some ten years past," he said. "You have never expressed any particular dissatisfaction with such contact."
The princess flashed a smirk as she circled the room. "You know as well as I, brother, that this and that are far from the same. What we speak of is no mere dalliance or passing encounter, but that which should serve as a foundation for the rest of our lives." She came to a halt at the sofa, but did not sit. "Nonetheless, you are correct. Dear Noctis himself, I have no complaint therein. He reveals no signs of indolence or capriciousness, and his letters reveal an earnest character." A chuckle sounded, one of genuine amusement. "Did you know, he is a rather avid fisher. He boasted once in a letter about catching something called a Cygillan Grouper."
Ravus cocked his head aside quizzically. "Is that a, rare fish?"
"I have absolutely no idea," the princess said, offering an earnest smile. "And yet it speaks volumes of his person, does it not? In fact I would not put it past Noctis to take advantage of our union in Altissia to find someplace to cast a line in the city."
Despite himself Ravus could not help but crack a wry smile of his own. How easily his sister seemed able to shift the mood of the topic, and how deftly she managed his own. The smile disappeared from her expression, and immediately Ravus too adopted a more somber demeanor.
"And yet," the princess said, meeting Ravus' eyes. "And yet, will I have a groom to exchange vows with once I reach Altissia?"
To that Ravus inhaled sharply, failing otherwise to muster a response. After a few more moments of tense stillness he finally answered.
"The Empire has ordered increased readiness for all its legions," he stated. "The rationale included in the dispatches is to ensure Lucis does not attempt to use the treaty signing as an opportunity to launch some sort of surprise offensive."
There was no humor on the princess' expression now. Stepping away from the sofa, she walked over to the window once more.
"I see."
Ravus said nothing, waiting for his sister to arrive at whatever conclusion she deigned necessary.
"How many legions are actually being positioned close to Lucis' borders?" she asked.
"Just three," Ravus answered, "as far as our sources have been able to ascertain."
Though both siblings knew it would not take the Empire long to transfer more troops in if the need arose.
"The Third will be in Accordo to provide additional security for the ceremony, while the Sixth will receive reinforcements here in Tenebrae." Ravus' lips thinned. "The Fourth will also be positioned in Accordo, albeit not near Altissia itself."
At that the princess spun about, her eyes widened in visible alarm. Her voice took on a distinctively hushed tone.
"The Fourth?"
Ravus nodded, causing his sister's expression to tighten.
"I see."
The princess turned about again to gaze out the window. A mockery indeed, their home transformed into a prison, much as their lands were for their people.
"We are not ready," she stated, a hint of irritation creeping into her tone.
"It was a good plan," Ravus said, stepping to her side and placing a hand on her shoulder. "With Lucis' help, we might well have been able to match the Empire's might."
The young woman's fists tightened. "With Lucis' help, the scales tipped in our favor. Without it, we are still far from defeated."
Ravus sighed, but did not argue the point.
"What do you intend?" he asked instead.
Again the princess fell into silent contemplation, for a few moments at least.
"Have our contacts been able to ascertain the exact timing of the invasion?" she asked bluntly.
"Not precisely," Ravus answered with equal frankness, "but all agree that it will be either during or after the actual signing ceremony."
To that the young woman gave an unladylike grunt. "With the likely excuse that Lucis struck first. How very like the chancellor to find some way to further profane the kingdom's honor and dignity."
"Lucis' defiance of Niflheim's imperial ambitions has always rankled the Empire," Ravus remarked almost offhandedly.
"And served as a beacon of hope for all whom suffers under the Empire's heel." The princess took a deep breath, turning about to face her brother. "Prince Noctis will have left for Altissia before the signing ceremony, and may well escape the Empire's strike upon Insomnia."
"Assuming Lucis keeps to the agreed upon itinerary, yes," Ravus agreed.
"Then a chance yet remains. If Noctis can evade capture or assassination at the Empire's hands, his power would serve as a significant impediment to Niflheim's occupation of Lucis. And Insomnia's defenses are formidable, the Empire is going to take substantial losses even if they achieve complete surprise. Lucis' leaders are not fools however, they will suspect betrayal and will have prepared accordingly."
"What of the rumors that the Empire has found some way to defeat Lucis' magic?" Ravus reminded his sister by way of a question.
The princess raised a hand, letting a flicker of light flash before clutching at empty air. "If these rumors carry any truth in their telling, then it is even more imperative we not waste the opportunity set before us." The young woman met her brother's gaze with steely resolve. "The Empire has transgressed against not just their fellow man but against the gods themselves with their blasphemous worship of cold steel. We cannot, I will not stand idly by any longer as they rent our very world asunder. Whatever it takes, whatever the cost, I, Stella Nox Fleuret, will see our people safely through the storm that will be Niflheim's reckoning."
Regis Lucis Caelum, 113th monarch of the Kingdom of Lucis, was seated alone inside his private study. The king was not one to mind solitude, but under normal circumstances was not one to seek it out. Today however was not just any day, and while he awaited news he found no better company than his own thoughts. As the sound of footsteps neared his door however, the king straightened, recognizing the sign that his wait was over.
Two men entered the room, bowing curtly to present the barest of courtesies necessary. Regis was equally terse with his response, dipping his head in a slight nod and uttered a single word.
"Report."
"We've received as good confirmation as we are likely to get," Cor Leonis, commanding officer of the Kingsglaive, said by way of preamble. "Niflheim has indeed stationed the Fourth Legion in Accordan territory, though they have issued no notice to the Protectorate's government as required by the terms of annexation."
Regis' eyes narrowed before he glanced over at the nearly bald man accompanying Cor. Clarus Amicitia grimaced unhappy but nodded.
"I can think of only one reason for the Empire to do this, Your Majesty," Clarus stated frankly. "The Nifs have no intention of honoring the treaty and are planning an attack."
"So," Regis said with a heavy sigh. "All that effort to preserve the peace, for nothing."
"You had to try, Your Majesty," Cor said. "If, when, another full-fledged war breaks out between Lucis and Niflheim, it will be our people that pays the price."
"An easy enough sentiment to hold," Clarus said brusquely, "but it offers no answers to the predicament we now face."
"No, it does not," Cor conceded. "But our options seem scant enough."
It was those scant options that Regis now contemplated.
"The imperial embassy has made no mention of these deployments?" he queried. "Nor any requests for changes to the signing ceremony?"
"They have not," Clarus answered. "In fact prior to our arrival we received a confirmation from them that Emperor Iedolas will be arriving as scheduled in three day's time." The contempt was not quite dripping off the man's tone as he uttered that name, but his feelings were evident enough. "Loathe though I am to admit it, Iedolas is demonstrating some degree of audacity to use his own person as part of this mad ploy."
"Audacious and mad does seem to describe this scheme aptly," Cor remarked. "The emperor is either extremely confident whatever plan is in the works will assure his safety despite being in Insomnia, or he is prepared to sacrifice his own life to see Lucis fall to the Empire."
"If Iedolas wishes to martyr himself, then I will gladly see it granted," Clarus declared.
"While I will shed no tears for the man that seeks my kingdom's downfall, take heed not to let your anger and frustration serve as cause for Niflheim's planned aggression," Regis chided. "The Empire might well be counting on a misstep on our part to serve as justification for any action they take."
"Apologies, Your Majesty," Clarus said earnestly. "Nonetheless, does it truly matter if a cause can be found? The Empire's own subjects will hardly care one way or another, all they would see is another glorious example of their martial might. The peoples of Accordo and Tenebrae are also in no position to help even in the most blatant violations carried out by Niflheim."
"Our people would know," Regis replied. "And that is reason enough to not stoop to such base conduct."
To that Clarus offered no repost, not when the man himself agreed with the sentiment, at least not when the forewarned anger and frustration distracted him. It was hard however, to know that nothing you did could avert the catastrophe headed your way. A man could be forgiven for any slip of temperament under such strain.
"If the Empire's invasion is inevitable, what do we do?" Cor asked, ever the practical one.
"We could just call off the ceremony," Clarus suggested. "Mobilize our forces and attempt to stop the Empire at our borders."
"No," Regis said immediately. "Niflheim is too strong to face in an open war, hence our pursuit of a diplomatic solution in the first place. And any fighting away from Insomnia would be without benefit of the Crown City's defenses, placing our forces at a severe disadvantage."
The two men standing exchanged looks before turning back to their liege.
"Does Your Majesty propose then to permit Niflheim to assault the capital?" Clarus asked.
"I would permit them to learn the price of trying," Regis declared.
To that his retainers grimaced, but otherwise their faces matched Regis' own determined expression.
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?" Cor asked.
"We cannot prevent Niflheim's invasion, therefore we must focus our preparations on its aftermath," Regis responded, and his face hardened, "including the very real possibility of defeat. Have the crystal moved to the Citadel's secure vault and seal it inside."
A pair of nods there. The crystal was obviously the Empire's primary objective, and while the Citadel's vault would not keep it out of their hands forever, it would still buy some time.
"Disperse the Territorials' personnel and as much of their equipment away from the bases as is practicable in the time we have left," the king continued. "And I want all of Akademeia's students evacuated from Insomnia."
"Evacuated, Your Majesty?" Clarus repeated by way of clarification.
"Evacuated," Regis emphasized. "And all records regarding Class Zero destroyed. We cannot allow the Empire to learn the details of the Agito Project, but most especially we cannot allow the students to fall into imperial hands. I want them far from the capital when the hammer falls."
"Understood, Your Majesty," Clarus assured his liege.
"And what of the prince?" Cor asked.
"Bring Noctis to me," Regis replied. "There is much I must impart upon my son before his departure, and there is not a moment to waste." Once more the king grimaced. "I had hoped to spare him from the severity of such decision for a bit longer, but it seems we are all out of time."
"Your Majesty, you can be certain that Prince Noctis has grown into a fine young man," Clarus assured the king. "In just the last year alone he has achieved much, and while there is still much for him to learn and grow, I for one do not for a moment doubt that he will carry the Caelum name with all the dignity and honor it demands."
Regis gave his longtime retainer a warm, grateful smile. "And with such friends at his side, I know that any temptation to stray will be held in check."
Clarus bowed his head in acknowledgment of the praise offered of his own son.
Regis took a deep breath, feeling the aches in his body more acutely than ever. He should not have been an old man yet, not physically at least. Yet the demands of his duty sapped away at his life with every passing day, bringing him ever closer to the finality of death. Not yet though, he was not there yet. And until time called him forth for a final accounting, he would fight until the last breath to defend his kingdom, his people, and his son.
By the customs of courtesy and protocol when one entered the presence of His Radiance the Emperor one should remove any headdress that was not purely ceremonial. A crown was a rather obvious exception, and if one were to follow the dapper middle-aged man it might be easy to mistake the fedora for another. It would also be all too easy to infer that humming while strolling into His Majesty's presence was also acceptable, assuming one was completing lacking in any sense. It was a matter of some speculation just how much of his senses were still with the newly arrived personage after all.
"Your Majesty, I bring good tidings," the man said with a flourish of a bow. "The Lucians have acquiesced to our terms and final preparations are underway for the ceremony to seal the deal." A very telling smirk crossed his face. "They have even agreed to allow an, extended, entourage to accompany you to Insomnia."
Iedolas Aldercapt, Emperor of Niflheim, gave a satisfied nod. "Excellent Ardyn, that is well done. The hour of our final victory draws near. I trust, Marshal Roth, that my armies stand ready?"
Safay Roth shot a single glower at the newcomer as Ardyn seated himself at the table without waiting for the emperor's permission. He did not however let the seeming discourtesy distract him from answering his liege's question.
"The legions stand ready to advance upon Insomnia when the time comes, Your Majesty. Should these new weapons perform as well in the field as they have in the laboratories, the Lucians stand no chance."
"My weapons are ready," a gravelly voice sounded. "If there be any imperfections, it would be in the hand that seeks to wield them."
"You know as well as I how unpredictable the battlefield can be, Verstael," Safay chided his old comrade. "While your magitek have certainly proven themselves over the last ten years, our victory this time is reliant on new methods and means that have yet to accrue such, history."
Verstael Besithia, arguably the greatest scientific genius Eos had ever seen, made a grimace but did not argue the point. Prior to his appointment as director of the magitek program he had been a field officer in the Niflheim Army after all, and while his tactical acumen might have been dulled after all these years in labs and manufactories, he still could recall from memory the chaos of battle quite vividly. His mind after all remained a finely honed edge.
"Nonetheless, I remain confident that victory will ultimately be ours," Safay continued. And of course the marshal would, seeing as failure would be tantamount to leaving their emperor at the mercy of the Lucians. "I remain concerned however that our projections for the final accounting of victory remains, optimistic. The Lucians have not held at bay our forces these ten years past with mere luck and chance."
"We have compatriots within the Lucian ranks ready to join our cause," Ardyn pointed out. "Surely that should assuage at least some of your concerns?"
"Collaborators, Chancellor," Safay said with just a hint of distaste. "And traitors can never be fully trusted."
"No, I suppose not," Ardyn said, offering an unsettling smirk.
Safay grunted, accepting the closest thing to agreement he was likely to get from the imperial chancellor.
"Even if these traitors deliver to us their king and their fellow Kingsglaive," Safay went on, "that would not be the sum of Lucis' strength. Insomnia's barrier extends no further than the Crown City's walls, and their Territorial Army has been fighting to hold the line without benefit of that shield or their king's magic this entire time. Then there is the Crownsguard, which maintains detachments across the entire kingdom. How many of them will go to ground when we take Insomnia, and proceed to bedevil us as we attempt to extend our control to the regions beyond?"
"And how would you address this, optimism?" Iedolas asked, or rather required, of his marshal.
Safay picked up on the undertone clearly enough. It was all well and good to point out a problem, but if that was all he was capable of the emperor might find reason to appoint another, more capable person to such an august station as Marshal of the Empire.
"We need more manpower, Your Majesty," Safay answered frankly. "Not cold steel, but flesh and blood. The magitek are perfectly adequate as tools of conquest, but occupation, pacification requires a more deft touch than they are capable of, even now. If we are to actually occupy Lucis, we should reinstitute the conscription rolls to ensure we have sufficient men and women in the army's ranks to meet the expected requirements, especially with our existing commitments."
A clucking of the tongue sounded to Safay's left, giving an early indicator of Ardyn's opinion on that particular topic.
"I'm afraid that it will be a tad difficult to convince the Senate to acquiesce to such a request," the chancellor said, placing a hand over his chest, "even with my winning charm."
Safay scowled at the man again but before he could muster a response Ardyn went on.
"The Senate originally agreed to fund the magitek program in the belief that the fruits would obviate the need for our people to lay down their lives in future conflicts, after all," the chancellor pointed out. "If we were to go back to them and say otherwise, well, they might feel deceived."
The scowl on the marshal's face deepened, causing his otherwise neatly trimmed beard to twist into a disheveled scrunch.
"We should have never allowed the Senate to delude themselves like so," he said acidly. "Do the fools really think that victory comes without sacrifice."
"But they have sacrificed, in money if not in blood," Ardyn replied with a sardonic grin.
The lack of change in Safay's expression made clear the marshal's opinion of that.
"It is not as if your precious army is not without some flesh and blood, as you call it," Ardyn said lightly. "Is that not why you have increased the Sixth Legion's readiness?"
If that was meant to improve the marshal's mood the chancellor could have hardly done worse. Then again Ardyn did have a habit of pushing other's buttons as a seeming pastime.
"The Sixth, the reliability of some of its elements remains suspect," Safay stated unhappily. "Many of its battalions are auxiliaries from Tenebrae itself, and they may well hesitate to raise arms against Lucis."
"Conversely, they should be well aware of what could happen to their own homeland should their reliability stop being merely suspect," Ardyn said, "and to their families." A most unpleasant grin crossed his face. "I'm sure that should serve as, sufficient motivation to be on their best behavior for any mission that requires their deployment to Lucis."
Safay opened his mouth, obviously intent on giving the chancellor a piece of his mind. Despite the man's belief in Niflheim's greater glory, he was in many ways a straightforward person and preferred a straightforward environment in which to conduct his battles and wars. While the need for subterfuge and ethnically dubious tactics was an unhappy reality, the marshal still had some lines he seemed unwilling to cross. The people and lands of Tenebrae were after all subject to Niflheim's protection while their homes remained part of the Empire.
"Enough."
The single word cut off Safay's outburst before it could begin and all gazes shifted back to Iedolas.
"Your concerns are noted, Marshal," the emperor said, "but Ardyn is correct in the constraints we face. Until the crystal is in our possession, we must conduct ourselves bearing them in mind." The smirk that appeared could well be a mirror to that of the chancellor's. "After is when the petty restraints that bind us will be cast off."
Safay closed his mouth, recognizing that the emperor had made his decision. And with that decision made, as His Majesty's loyal servant, it was the marshal's duty to see it executed regardless of his own misgivings. And that was exactly what Safay would do, as his oath to throne and country demanded.
End Prologue
Umm, yeah. No promises whatsoever. I needed to get this out of my head so that I could focus on other things I'm working on. This obviously is going to be a different take to the FFXV story than what we got in the game proper. That much all of you could probably tell already from the story summary and Stella's presence (the foreshadowing of which was pretty transparent). A bit more politics and military, a bit less prophecy and spirituality. That is not to say I won't incorporate the latter, but those of you whom have read my other works will know that I possess a certain, aesthetic in my storytelling. And for the sort of story that I want to tell Lunafreya from the game, was not a good fit in a lot of ways. That is not to say I think she is a bad character or anything, but her personality does not suit the type of actions I need the Princess of Tenebrae to carry out. I could in theory have altered her like I did with Euphemia in A Cold Calculus, but Lunafreya did not have the qualities I needed to serve as a basis like the former did. But since Stella already existed, even if she was removed from the game, and she did exhibit some of the necessary qualities, little though we may have seen of her, I settled on using Stella instead.
Incidentally the prose that was originally going to be the prologue was actually of Noctis starting out his journey from Insomnia. It would have served to help show how my version of Eos was different in a lot of ways even while it retained the core essence. But then I crossed the 2500 word count and I was only about 20% of the way to where I wanted the original prologue to end, at which point I went screw it, this is all going into the first chapter. So you guys should all get at least chapter one before I go off and work on other things for a while. Though I suppose I could be, convinced, to dedicate more time and effort for this story based on the volume and type of reactions. HintHintNudgeNudge.
I more or less have the key events of this story mapped out in my head, in broad strokes at least. I know who the bad guys are and what they're after, and I know how I intend the heroes to defeat them. Mostly. I even have worked out what motivates the big bad, abstractly at least. Optimistically speaking, I should be able to pack all of that material into about 50 or 60 or so chapters. Hopefully.
One thing I will note is that my version of the story will not be a lighthearted road trip. There will be shades and moments of levity, but overall it is intended to be a tale of military and political intrigue. The strain upon Noctis and company will be much more evident, and there will be a much larger visible body count. The intention is not to make the story more depressing, but ultimately to add greater weight to Noctis and co's actions. The things they do have consequences, and their opponent is the largest military power on Eos. Picking a fight with Niflheim is going to have serious consequences.
Mandatory I don't own the Final Fantasy franchise (I wish).