Chapter 1

Ever since being accepted into university I can't believe how lucky I've been. I'm not sure I deserve it and it definitely could be the result of being close with the prince however I can't contain my excitement that we're at the same university. I smile slightly as I flick absentmindedly through some selfies from High-School and some memories of our first year here.

The brisk late autumn air breaks me out of my nostalgia trip and I try to remind myself that it's better to live in the present than to dwell on the past.

Suddenly as if my thoughts had triggered an event in a video game my phone rings, the screen flashes on and I'm compelled to answer by the caller ID.

"You do know it's polite to say hello first when someone calls you, right Prompto?" The familiar tones of slight annoyance greet me. I'm used to this treatment from most people, but when it's from a friend it always seems to worry me.

"Yeah... Was kinda just lost in thought." I respond quickly in an effort to not bore the prince. "Anyway what's happening buddy? Anything urgent?" I hear a sigh on the other side of the line which must have been followed by an eye roll, its typical behaviour for Noct really. Even though he's had to grow up a lot his default attitude is still that life is a drag. Either way if something is important to him then it probably should be to me too.

"So you have forgotten then." Noctis states in a mumble of disappointment. I draw a blank and my lack of response is taken as an affirmative. "You were meant to help me move my stuff in. Remember?"

"Oh, sorry Noct, totally forgot."

A short silence crackled amongst the static before he responded again, perhaps he was legitimately annoyed. "It's okay. Just make sure you're over here soon. It's hard enough moving all these bags with no help anyway."

He seemed alright, but no help? That's odd for Noctis, usually someone from the Crownsguard would be helping him. "Gladio and Ignis aren't with you?" I questioned worriedly. Usually our two older friends would help us with anything. It was strange that they weren't there for the prospective king. I increased my pace and wrapped my scarf closer around my neck as the wind picked up. As Noctis started to explain I was cut off by someone bumping into me and pushing me off my feet.

I unintentionally shout in surprise and drop my phone as my ass gets acquainted with the concrete. I look to the antagonistic party but find myself lost for words despite being pissed and late. This steel haired girl looks surprised too, probably by the fact that she managed to knock me over. She takes the initiative and speaks first.

"Jeez kid, you almost flew." She joked with what she probably thought was a jovial tone of voice but it came off as snarky. She reached out her hand hesitantly in an attempt to make up for her blunder. "Sorry, I'm just in a hurry you know." She explained vaguely.

I nod in response. Not because I'm dumbfounded but because she knocked the wind out of me. She stands there awkwardly for a second waiting for a response but quickly decides to move on. "I'll see you around I guess." She adds as she strides away from my awkwardness.

Still a little bit dazed I snatch my phone from the ground and notice that the call has ended. Fuck, Noctis is going to be pissed. I guess I'll deal with that when the time comes.

The apartment building we were renting this year was of modern design and utilised a lot of glass to make it seem fancier than it actually was on the inside. Despite this deception I found the flat and my room quite comfortable and certainly up to my standards. Noctis surprisingly wasn't fussed about the apartment although he never was one to care much about high class society. It was obvious that he wished the television was bigger, though he tried to hide his displeasure. "Prompto!" He shouted to get my attention. "You came here to help me didn't you? So stop unpacking and help me move this sofa." I convince myself that he's definitely a little bit annoyed at my lack of awareness but I still try to soften his attitude by being casual and friendly.

"Ah okay, I'll be there in a minute." I reply absentmindedly as I try to find a safe spot to place my camera gear.

"How are we meant to play King's Knight if we don't have a sofa to relax on?" He moaned from the stairwell.

"We could always lie on the ground like when we were younger." I joke as I make my way out of the flat and to the stairs.

"Pfft I'm more high class than that." Noctis remarks sarcastically his voice echoing slightly through the corridors. He smiles when he sees me though, obviously not too annoyed about my lateness.

I grab the end of the sofa and begin lifting it as Noctis pushes it up the stairs. We make good progress and are almost in the door before I try to start a conversation again. "You know if Gladio was here he'd probably tell us we're doing it wrong."

Noctis smirks at the accuracy of my observation. "I know right." He replies as he slips a bit. He grits his teeth in pain for a second. "Hey, can you pull a little more dude." He requests.

I was already pulling as much as I could so I couldn't see any problem. I try giving it a tug but the sofa remains immovable.

"You need some more help?" An unexpected third person interjects. I look up to see a young man with bright silver hair sipping coffee in our flat.

"Yeah we'd appreciate it." Noctis replies quickly as he begins slipping again. I'm not sure whether they've already met or not but by the casual request I assume Noctis has already introduced himself to our new flatmate. After a few more minutes struggling with the sofa we finally get to sit down and rest. The sofa carries the familiar smell of the palace with it, but to someone who never set foot in the place they'd probably just describe the smell as old and musty. Still I do wonder how Noctis smuggled this out of there.

"I'm Hope by the way." Our new flat mate's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Noctis."

"Only good things I hope." I reply smiling as I shake his hand firmly. "I'm Prompto. But I guess you already knew that."

As we all sit on the sofa ready to chill and relax a question pops into my head. "Hey, Noct?"

"What?" He replies sluggishly.

"So where are Iggy and Gladiolus?"

"This is why you should listen to me rather than ending the call whenever you bump into some random girl."

"I didn't do it on purpose." I protest. However my protests fall on deaf ears.

Noctis looks at me sceptically but continues anyway. "Either way, Iggy couldn't make it because he's preparing his modules for this semester and Gladio was checking out all the sports clubs. I wouldn't be surprised if he joins them all again."

We laugh because we know it's true however it's clear Hope doesn't really get it having not met the guy yet.

"So, Gladio is our final flat member, right?" Hope asks.

Noctis and I nod as we're focusing on beating each other's high scores. The door to the flat makes a distinctive click as it's opened and then quite a loud slam as it is closed. I can hear two muffled voices coming from the hallway.

"Who is it?" Noctis and I inquire at the same time.

"Who else is it going to be?" A gruff manly voice replies matter of factly. As he and his sister join us in the living room. Noctis high fives him and everything is starting to seem normal again. I'm sure this year is going to be one to remember I think as I quickly prepare my camera for the first photo of the year.

"Let me get in the shot." I say excitedly as I jump in beside Iris. I can't help smiling when I'm surrounded by my friends.