It was early in the morning; the sun was barely reaching up past the horizon and the land of Lucis was showered in mist. King Regis was standing by the window in Noctis' room, ready to wake up his son who was still fast asleep, the sound of his slow breathing filling the room. Regis, looking out over the Citadel Gardens, pondering how proud his wife, Queen Aulea, would have been to witness the day that was ready to commence. Clutching Noctis' new schoolbag in his hand, Regis was thinking about how fast his son had grown, considering if it was the right choice to let Noctis attend public schooling, rather than private. However, insisting on the benefits of knowing what life is among normal citizens, as well as keeping his promise to his wife, Regis had decided to raise Noctis in a manner as close to normal as he possibly could.
Regis sat down, looking at the clock. It was 6:57, and in an hour's time, he and Noctis would enter the gates of Noctis' new school. Looking down at his hand, Regis looked at the Ring of the Lucii. One day, his son would have to carry this ring around his finger, along with the burden of being the King of Lucis. It was a great responsibility, and Regis feared it would wear out his son as much as it had torn away at himself. The power of the ring was great. It brought along incredible wisdom, the power to conjure weapons and tame magic, but all came at a great cost. The Ring sapped its bearer from their Life Force, but to Regis it was even more of a sacrifice. It was Regis' Life that was powering the Walls around Insomnia, just as his own father, King Mors, had. Those were the exact walls that kept the Crown City of Insomnia safe from the looming danger of the Empire of Niflheim, whom Lucis had been at war with for the better part of a century.
Standing up once again, Regis went over to Noctis' bed and sat down beside him. Carefully, he put a hand on Noctis' arm. His body was warm, and his hair was in a mess around his head. Just like everyone else in the Lucis Caelum family, Noctis had pitch black hair and the bluest of eyes.
"Noctis, it is time to get up. There is about an hour until your very first lesson!" Regis said quietly, trying not to startle his son too much. Noctis, slowly waking up, looked at his father groggily, and yawned. He sat up in his bed. Regis smiled and stood up.
"I will be awaiting downstairs, so we can have breakfast together. Then, I will accompany you on your drive to school." He smiled once again, and left the room. Noctis got out of bed and went over to the window and saw that the pillows in the seat by the window had been shuffled. He looked out of the window, just as his father had done, and looked at the Crownsguards patrolling in the Garden.
After having dressed, Noctis joined his father at the breakfast table in the dining room. It was a tall room, although not the biggest. It overlooked the Citadel's vast courtyard. From the Citadel's entrance was a large set of stairs, which had a red carpet laid out on it in the middle. All around, you could see the walls of the Citadel, separating it from the rest of Insomnia. Today, it was beautiful weather. The sky was blue with very few clouds, seemingly it would be warmer later. Looking back at the table, Noctis sat down in his chair in front of his father. Nervous, Noctis spoke a lot less than he usually did. His father noticed this.
"Not going to touch the food?" Regis asked, looking at Noctis with a hint of concern, once again returning to the thought of whether or not it was the right decision he had made about Noctis' schooling.
"It's awful." Noctis muttered.
"Ah, but you must not say so, lest the cook be sent away!" Regis put a spoonful of the food in his mouth and made a funny face, which Noctis copied. The two of them laughed together, and Regis returned to his concern, as Noctis started glaring out the window.
"Are you sure nothing is wrong today?" his father asked with the concern sounding clear in his voice. Sighing, Noctis looked at his dad with sudden sadness.
"What if nobody likes me at school? What if…" He hesitated, but his father cut him off before he could say much more.
"Of course, they will! You do not need to worry about that. Everyone is nervous about their first day of school, even I was. I am sure you will find some friends to be with!" Regis smiled at his son, reaching for Noctis' hand in a show of love, trying to hide his own concern. Reaching for his chin next, Regis lifted Noctis' face so he could look him in the eyes while he said:
"Just be yourself, and I am confident people will like you." Noctis smiled a half smile to his father, and the two continued to eat the food which neither of them liked.
"You know, I might need to have a word with the chef…" His father said in a faint voice. Noctis smiled again and the two ate the rest of their food in silence.
After having finished breakfast, Noctis and his father left the Citadel. Noctis, wearing his backpack, walked down the stairs a little further behind his father, who reached the Regalia first. The tinted windows reflected like a mirror, and Noctis could see himself approach. His father opened the car door for him, and Noctis climbed in. Next to him, sat Ignis. The sight of Ignis made Noctis' face light up, excited by the thought of his friend joining him on his first day of school.
"Good morning Noctis!" Ignis said and smiled at him. Noctis could hardly contain his happiness, and exploded.
"Will you be starting today as well?" Noctis asked, once again forgetting their age gap. Ignis shook his head and replied.
"Sadly, no. As you may recall, I am schooled here, at the Citadel. However, King Regis believed it would help cheer you up if I, too, accompanied you on your trip to school today," Disappointed, Noctis looked out the car window. Ignis' company did indeed make him feel better, however knowing that he would not be there during the school day made him sad, and once again the sense of impending loneliness struck him like a lightning bolt.
During the car ride, his father sat in the front seat of the car alongside the Crownsguard driver, while Ignis was reading a book. In the streets people could be seen going to work. Men and women in formal attire. The streets were lit up in a variety of colours by the incredible amounts of colourful billboards and signs, which promoted anything from Cup Noodles to clothing sales. Curious about what to expect from school, Noctis turned to Ignis.
"Ignis?" He asked, carefully. Ignis closed his book and looked at Noctis patiently.
"What is it?"
"What is it like to go to school?" Noctis asked, looking at his own hands. Ignis thought for a second as to how to respond to this question most appropriately.
"Well, my school will likely be different from yours. But I imagine the main difference is that there are more people where you will be. Thus, I am sure you will find some other students that you would like to be around." Ignis explained, thinking back to his own education. As a gifted student, he was enrolled in a special education which allowed him to become Noctis' advisor.
"How is it different?" Noctis wondered, but as he asked this, his father cut into the conversation, looking back at Noctis from the front seat.
"Ignis is studying so that he can be your advisor. Hence, while he learns the same things as you do, he also has other things to learn, which you do not." Regis explained without further detail. However, this information was enough to satisfy Noctis' curiosity and he let it go. Ignis, nodding to the King as a thank you, proceeded to read his book.
Standing in front of the gate at the school, Noctis' stomach was filled with butterflies. Holding his father's hand, he walked toward the gate, but his father had stopped. Puzzled, Noctis turned around. His father kneeled in front of Noctis, looking him in the eyes.
"Noctis, I cannot go in there with you. You can do this my son." Noctis, a tear in his eye, looked down in sadness and felt the helplessness shower over him. His father put a hand on his shoulder and put his face down in front of Noctis'.
"Noctis, you can do this. You can do more than you like to give yourself credit for." He said, and pulled Noctis close and hugged him. Noctis, at first reluctant to hug his father back, inhaled the smell of his father one last time and wiped his eyes.
"Walk tall my son." Regis said and stood up once again. Looking behind his father, Noctis saw Ignis sitting in the car looking out at the two. Noctis waved at Ignis, and in response Ignis gave him a smile and a thumbs-up for encouragement. For Ignis, and for his father, Noctis turned around, straightened his back and walked towards the entrance of the school, without looking back.
Once inside the classroom, Noctis sat down at a table which had a sign reading "Noctis" and looked around. Everywhere he looked he saw curious eyes, which made him feel insecure. His throat went dry and he started to be anxious, and most of all he wanted to walk out of the room again. Into the classroom came a woman with her hair tied up and glasses on the bridge of her nose. She presented herself, and wrote her name on the blackboard. Noctis rested his head in his hand and looked out the window, day-dreaming about someplace far away from this classroom.
"Noctis? Are you with us today?" The teacher asked suddenly, and Noctis fell out of his daydream and returned to class. A red-haired girl was up by the teacher introducing herself, but the teacher had interrupted her.
"Yes Miss. Sorry, Miss," Noctis apologised and shifted in his chair. Bewildered by being addressed not as Prince Noctis, but solely by his first name, he sat back in his chair and tried to remember the things his classmates had told about themselves. Finally, it was Noctis' own turn, and he slowly walked up besides the teacher.
"Now dear, just tell us your name, how old you are, and what you hope to be one day," the teacher told him as he took his place next to her. A few of the other students had already started whispering to each other, which gave Noctis a big lump in his throat. Stammering, he said:
"My name is Noctis… Ehm, Noctis Lucis Caelum. I'm 5, almost 6 years old, and one day I will become King of Lucis," he said as he looked down on his feet. He had never really considered what he wanted to be, if he was not to be the King of Lucis. Many of the other children wanted to be doctors or teachers, but he was certain to become King. When he had mentioned the last, more kids started talking in the corners, and it took a few minutes for the teacher to regain silence in the classroom, but once achieved, Noctis could sit down again. Now, even more students were staring at him from around the classroom, and more than ever, Noctis felt like going home.
At the end of the day Noctis was picked up by the gate where he was first dropped off in the morning. Waiting, Noctis looked at the children playing on the grounds. Despite the many curious looks, none of his classmates had approached him and asked if he wanted to play with them, so Noctis ended up sitting on a bench in the playground and look at the others. Disappointed, Noctis entered the car and sat beside his father, who was beyond excited to hear about his first day.
"So how did it go today? Regis asked.
"Fine," Noctis responded and looked out the window. Noting the lack of excitement in his voice, Regis bit his lip and thought as to whether to push for more information. Deciding not to, Regis leaned back in his car seat and looked straight ahead. The entire ride back to the Citadel was quiet, as neither Noctis nor Regis dared say anything. Eventually Noctis had laid down with his head on his father's thigh, and fell asleep.
While looking out the window, passing by one of the twelve statues of the Old Kings, Regis suddenly felt as though he was falling into an infinite pit. Screaming, he conjured his Sword and tried to warp out, but he had no luck.
"It is just a dream. Wake up!" He yelled at himself, irritated. However, he felt as though this falling was not just as that in a dream. After all, at this point he would usually have woken up. Finally, after what felt like years, he landed in some water below. Completely soaked, King Regis came to his feet and looked around. The space was dark and empty, derived from any sort of light or life. He took a few steps forward; the water was levelling with his knees. In the darkness, a blue luminescent fog started to come out, and carefully, he looked around. It was spreading. Hoping the fog was not toxic, Regis covered his mouth. From the dim light of the fog, Regis caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the water on the floor, and the sight startled him and made him drop his arm. His face was withered, his hair silver and the eyes were bloodshot. Scars were forming along his temples. Around him, the fog started to collect itself, creating tall shapes. Spinning around, he tried to count the amount of shapes, and reached a count of twelve. A deep voice spoke, so loud that it started ringing in Regis' ears.
"When darkness veils the world, the King of Light shall come," the twelve spoke in unison. Regis looked up at the twelfth King, his own father, King Mors Lucis Caelum. Perplexed by their words, Regis swung his arms out in desperation, asking what he had been summoned for.
"As prophesised by the Crystal, the Chosen, the King of Light, must sacrifice himself to save Lucis. Only he can save Lucis from darkness eternal. The fourteenth King must make the ultimate sacrifice to save the world, accepting the full power of the Crystal and banish the usurper from this world and Beyond." Not believing their words, Regis shook his head in disbelief. The water started to weigh down on him, and Regis fell to his knees in the water and looked up at his father's spirit.
"What kind of prophecy is this. Why are you telling me this?" he asked, pleading for it not to be true. His own son could not be the Chosen. He was just 5 years old, how could he save the world from eternal darkness? If anyone, it should not be Noctis, not his own son.
Once again, Regis pulled himself together and stood up, but in an instant, he was back in the car, holding Noctis' arm. Shaking his head, trying to convince himself it had merely been a dream. However, deep inside himself, Regis was fully aware, that this had not been a dream. The Old Kings had spoken to him, warned him of his son's fate, and the acknowledgment made Regis fall further down into the seat. He looked out, and a light rain had started to pour over the Regalia's tinted windows, drawing lines across the glass.
Once outside the Citadel, Regis took Noctis, still fast asleep, in his arms and brought him outside the car. Covered by his cape, Noctis kept sleeping in his father's arms. Regis, having been left alone by the Crownsguard driver, held his son closer than he had for many years. Not being able to hold back anymore, tears pushed their way down his cheeks. Regis, filled with a dangerous mixture of sorrow and anger, stood in the rain with his son, more determined than ever before, to protect his son from all harm in the world.
"Noctis, with all my might and power, I swear to protect you," Regis whispered in his ear. Still asleep, Noctis pushed his father's face away with his small hand. His father's beard had been itching his skin. Taking a deep breath, King Regis looked up into the sky, and thought about his wife. He wished he could have been with her, spoken to her, shared his grief. Slowly he walked towards the entrance of the Citadel, with a determination even he had no idea he possessed.
Having left Noctis in his room to continue his nap, King Regis proceeded towards the upper parts of the Citadel. The walk there felt endless, but determined to push on, Regis continued towards the Crystal. On his way, Regis attempted to plan out what to say to the Astrals once he reached the Crystal. However, despite the many different speeches he had prepared, none of them seemed to be good enough. Thus, he felt quite unprepared when he finally entered the room with the Crystal.
There it was, in all its might. The Crystal. Its dark surface which covered its bright inside. In all its might and glory, this was the very cornerstone of the Kingdom of Lucis. The light pulsating as though a heart, holding the very power that allowed himself to wield magic and conjure weapons, a power which was solely found among the Kings of Lucis. It was a power he could share, should he so desire, but it was a power so great, that he felt it too dangerous to lend it to others. What if it was to be used against him and his son?
King Regis approached the Crystal, and as though having expected him, the Crystal spoke to him. A deep voice which displayed true might, belonging to the leader of the Astrals, Bahamut was echoing in the big room.
"I see, that you have come to confer your son's fate," Bahamut said. The voice of a God it was indeed, and in all its might it lacked any sense of empathy. Bahamut, the God of War, and the leader of the Astrals was indeed a mighty being. However also a very selfish one. Thus, his words were always to be taken with a gran of salt, but at this point, Regis was desperate. He needed to know more of his son's fate, and preferably, find some way to alter it. He was prepared to do anything for his son.
"Why him? Take me instead," Regis pleaded. The chuckle of Bahamut rang deep in the room, almost sounding beastly. Regis got chills, and most of all wished he had not went here. But for his son, he would do anything. He pushed himself towards a more confident posture and mindset.
"He is the Chosen King. He must bring the Light back to Lucis when darkness falls. Only he can wield the power of the Crystal and unleash its true power," Bahamut argued in a monotone voice, "he has been Chosen by the Six; only he can fulfil the prophecy," Regis felt his heart fall heavy in his chest once again, and all hope completely vanished from his mind. All he had ever wanted was to protect his son from all harm, so that he could live the life he wanted to have as King. To marry and pass on the Throne, like he himself had attempted.
"But how long? Will he have enough time to live?" Regis pleaded, his voice weak from emotion. Once again, the tears started pushing away at him, and unable to contain it, they streamed down his face. He expressed a small grunt of annoyance with himself. How could he successfully debate politics concerning the lives of all of his citizens and not even flinch with a hard decision, but when it came to his own son's life, he could barely think.
"Adventure will present itself, you, King, have more imminent matters to worry about. When the time comes, he will be ready," Bahamut spoke, and the Crystal's light faded. Sinking to his knees, Regis felt powerless, and even more than previously, Regis was determined to ensure his son's life would bear resemblance to that of a normal one. Unsure if his son's fate could even be altered, King Regis was confident it would be worth the attempt.
Having sat in the Crystal room for a while, King Regis finally got on his feet. Determined to ensure his son's safety, and ultimately hoped to prove the Prophecy wrong, King Regis had decided to establish a new military division – the Kingsglaive. Composed of only the best military servants, he would call upon citizens from former Lucian areas, which had been left behind during the wars, and offer them a place in his Glaive. He would offer these soldiers the powers of the Crystal so that they could protect Insomnia, and ultimately, his son. No matter what it would take, he would be ready.
King Regis had been quick about spreading the message of the establishment of the Kingsglaive. Broadcast in both radio and newspapers, he attempted to recruit as many people as possible for his Glaive. Citizens from areas such as Galahd came to show their interest, as they were now offered a way back into their old Kingdom. Despite the countless arguments he had had with his advisors, King Regis decided this would be for the best. This way, his former territories could show their allegiance once again, and the more allies he had, the stronger he would stand against the threat of Niflheim. Thus, King Regis proceeded with his mission of establishing the Kingsglaive. However, what he had forgotten to take account of was, that establishing a military unit based around a power which only he could wield, would require many hours of teaching the art of wielding the Crystal's power. Hence, King Regis soon vanished from the daily life of the very son he tried to protect. It was only every so often when Noctis had sat in his father's office and looked out on the Training Grounds that he saw him. Putting his hand on the window, he missed the touch of his father, and the fun times they always had together when they played. Noctis sometimes also got caught up in watching them train. His father, despite being a bit stiff from his age, really impressed Noctis. Even so, Noctis started to every now and then to replicate his father's moves. Dreamily, he whispered to himself, that he wished he could become as good at fighting as his father was.
"Noctis?" Ignis asked. Noctis had fallen into a daydream during dinner. He came back to reality, and looked back at Ignis. While Noctis himself was hanging over the table, Ignis sat with his back straightened, and a napkin tucked in at the top of his shirt so that he would not spill on his clothes. Ignis, taking Noctis' look for an answer, proceeded with conversation.
"You need to eat your vegetables, they provide important nutrients," Ignis lectured. Despite him being only eight, he was very keen on keeping Noctis in his best shape. In school, he had learned of nutrition and health, and would soon also start to learn how to do basic cooking. Despite not being very fond of cooking, he saw it as a necessary evil that could come in handy someday. Rolling his eyes, Noctis put his fork into the pile of peas he had on his plate and shoved them in his mouth. Chewing it carefully, disapproving of their taste, he looked at Ignis who nodded approvingly. Noctis himself however, had a difficult time swallowing it, considering he did not find them to his liking. When Ignis looked away, Noctis carefully took his napkin and spat the peas out, folded the paper and carefully tucked it under the plate. The Crownsguard by the entrance chuckled slightly, attempting to cover it up with a cough.
"Noctis…" Ignis started, but when he looked at Noctis who went on to attack the meat on his plate, gave up and left the discussion for another day to come. Since Noctis' father had established the Kingsglaive, they rarely ate dinner together. Or any meal for that matter, since he was always busy training the recruits. Thus, he was either to be found in the Hall of the Throne, conferring with his advisors, or on the training grounds. Both were places where Noctis was not allowed to come unless having been specifically asked to.
Feeling abandoned by his father, Noctis spent more time with Ignis, whom he got along well with. However, their friendship seemed heavily affected by Ignis' role as an advisor, already from an early age, so their relationship did not quite develop the way that Noctis would have wanted. In school, Noctis also lacked that friendly, relaxed connection. Most of his classmates could only talk to him about how it was to be the Prince of Lucis, but by going to school, Noctis wanted to let go of things at home and just be Noctis.
There was one student in his class, who had never talked to Noctis before. He was blonde, and a bit on the heavy side, who always stuck to himself. Having observed the boy in the school grounds, Noctis noticed that he always walked around with a camera, taking pictures, of whatever caught his eyes. Noctis had also noticed this boy looking at him quite often. He was eager to talk to the boy, but he was equally scared that this boy had bad intentions. So Noctis kept to himself and stuck to observing the boy.
The following day in school, Noctis had gone outside during recess and stood for himself. He heard someone approaching from around the corner, but thought it was just a teacher, so he stuck to his daydream. Suddenly, he heard a loud thump, which shook him back to reality. Noctis saw, that the strange boy had fallen over on the ground, so he rushed over to help him up.
"Are you okay?" Noctis asked curiously, as the boy looked back up at Noctis. He extended a hand towards the boy, who was flabbergasted by the gesture.
"Yeah… Thank you…" the boy said hesitantly as he took Noctis' hand. Noctis pulled hard, but the weight of the boy was more than he could lift in one go.
"You are heavy…" Noctis whispered, though loud enough for the boy to hear, who seemed to feel ashamed by the fact. Noctis took a good look at the boy as he stood up, to see if he had any injuries. The two boys kept looking at each other awkwardly, none of them really knowing what to say. As a relief for them both, the bell rang to class.
"Well, I will see you around!" Noctis said as he ran back towards the classroom. The boy looked longingly after Noctis.
"Name's Prompto by the way!" He said, his voice slowly fading away as Noctis got further away. Noctis however, did hear this, and took note of the name. For once, he felt as though there was someone in the school who was not only interested in him as a Prince, and that felt good. A slight warmth spread in Noctis' body, and he felt happy. He hoped to see the boy again soon, hoping that they could exchange more than just a few words.
In the following few days, Noctis kept an eye out for the boy, but did not see him around the school. Noctis returned home disappointed every day. It was only a week later, that Noctis saw the boy again, while he was waiting for the car to pick him up after school. Ignis held the door for him, and as Noctis turned around and entered the car, he saw Prompto walk away, head hanging low. Noctis was urging to walk after the boy and talk to him, but unsure of what to say, he nodded for Ignis to close the door, so they could go back to the Citadel.
In the car, Noctis sat and looked out of the window, thinking about that boy, Prompto. About how he always seemed so lonely, taking pictures of the other children playing at school. About where he lived, and how he lived. If his parents were alive, and if he had any pets.
"Everything in order, Noctis?" Ignis asked from the other side of the car. Noctis turned his face towards him and nodded.
"Yeah, just thinking." Ignis nodded, despite being interested in Noctis' day, and that curious boy he had been looking after right as he entered the car, Ignis returned to his book and the silence was only disturbed by the occasional car horn from the cars surrounding them.
At dinner, King Regis had finally joined the table for the first time in weeks. Unsure of what else to say to his son, Regis could only ask about Noctis' day. Ignis was not joining for the occasion, so it was only Noctis and Regis, and the Crownsguard standing by the entrance.
"How have you been?" His father asked, slowly. Noctis looked at his father's face, which seemed a lot more slim and exhausted than it used to. Noctis shrugged as a response, not entirely sure what to say to his father. Despite being happy to finally spend some time with him, Noctis was sad to have been left behind by his father. He knew, that his father had a lot of duties as King, but he was not yet old enough to understand that the older Noctis grew, the less time the King could spend with his son.
"Noctis, I know I have not been there for you much lately. I have had responsibilities that took more of my time than I had expected. But I hope, that I can spend more time with you soon," Regis said in a soft voice. Noctis nodded and put some more food in his mouth, which he chewed carefully.
"Dad?" Noctis asked suddenly, raising his eyes from the food, eyes meeting his father's.
"Yes, son?" He responded curiously. Noctis swallowed a last bit of food, and put his fork down. A bit hesitantly, he proceeded.
"Why are you so sad?" Noctis asked carefully, scared that his father would be angry at him for asking. On the contrary, Regis chuckled and moved his head closer to Noctis's and spoke in a lowered voice.
"I am not sad, I just miss being with my favourite son," he said and tapped Noctis' hand. Deep down inside, Regis knew that he could not keep his son's fate secret from him forever, but a child this young should not have to worry. Especially not, when his father was doing everything he could, to protect him from whatever was to come. His fate was not sealed, things are likely to change.
"Can I come to see the new soldiers practice someday? I really want to!" Noctis said eagerly. His father chuckled again, and considered the proposition.
"Well, how about I bring you next time I will go observe? If you promise that you will not wander off. These men and women are doing dangerous things, and I do not want you to get hurt," Regis said while nodding slowly. In sheer excitement, Noctis jumped up in his chair and raised his arms above his head. Having been quick to forgive his father for his disappearance, Noctis was ready to spend more time with him.
"One day, I want to be just as good at fighting as you are," Noctis said dreamily. His father looked at him suspiciously.
"How do you know how good I am at fighting?" Blushing, Noctis explained his little trips into his father's office to look at them training. His father was not sure whether to scold him for trespassing or applaud him for his efforts, so he did neither. Instead he pushed out his chair and signalled for Noctis to come over and sit on his thigh. Noctis did so, and Regis hugged his son lovingly.
"You know, I am sorry I have been so much away. Let me make it up to you. I promise, I will be there more. No need to look at me from a window anymore," He said, and Noctis nodded happily.