Chapter 1: Happily Ever After

Insomnia

Iris stared down into her glass of champagne. She always loved its tart flavor and fizziness, but she had no desire for it tonight. Since the dawn had returned, and Insomnia had started to rebuild, there had been quite a few celebrations and lots of champagne. It was impossible for Iris to forget the sacrifices that victory took and champagne always seemed like the wrong drink. She twirled the long stem of the glass.

"Lady Scientia," an older gentleman said, "you look stunning tonight." Iris was still unused to the formal title. Ignis was from a noble line, as was she, but titles, ranks and classes held little meaning for the last ten years. She did, however, look stunning. She wore a just off the shoulder garnet red evening gown. The skirt flared slightly and reached all the way to the floor. Her hair was carefully pinned into an updo with some loose strands framing her face.

"You are too kind," she responded politely. It was one of the many Ignis-isms she had picked up from living with him for nearly two years. Has it been two years? She thought as she stared at the ring on her finger. They were married just months after their engagement. It was a very difficult time. The loss of Noctis weighed heavily on all of their hearts. It was hard for any of them to carry on for some time afterward. But as refugees returned from Lestallum, and Insomnia began to rebuild, Prompto, Gladio, Ignis and Iris all found more than enough work to occupy themselves.

She smiled a little at the memory of their wedding. It was very small in scale, but beautiful nonetheless. They almost felt guilty for being so happy during such a somber time, but they never had a proper honeymoon. They were still planning to have one of those when things calmed down. Recently, though, it seemed like things might never calm down. With the loss of Noctis, Lucis was without a royal house and therefore without a real government. Ignis, for all intents and purposes, was the world's leading expert on Lucian government. His knowledge and experience were invaluable in developing a new constitution. His past service to the king and his role in the final battle had elevated him to a nearly legendary status. It meant many long hours working in the Citadel—and many formal events with unfamiliar people.

Iris was having trouble finding a role for herself. She'd spent the last ten years of her life fighting daemons. She'd trained to become a skilled hunter under the guidance of the brilliant Cor Leonis. With no daemons to fight, she'd had to adjust. She'd always been a gifted healer so she spent a lot of time helping returning Insomnian citizens rebuild the once state of the art hospital. Occasionally, she'd join her brother and the rest of the "Crownsguard" (they hadn't yet come up with a new title) to deal with very aggressive wild animals who'd grown accustomed to a lack of human presence. But she had no taste for combat anymore, or at least she thought. One thing was for certain, though. She did not want to spend any more time at lavish parties with people she didn't know.

Iris sighed in response to the troubling thoughts. It was going to be a long night.

"Enjoying yourself that much?" Ignis said lightly as he approached his wife.

"I'd enjoy it more if it was just you and I," Iris said warmly. She turned to face him. He was wearing formal evening attire and looked positively royal.

"As would I, my love." He said it sincerely, but Iris had a gnawing suspicion that it didn't bother him nearly as much as it bothered her. He had worked at court most of his life, after all. She slipped her arm through his and leaned in a little.

"We should probably be glad handing more of these guests," she admitted. Ignis had to smile at her expression. Sometimes she really did remind him of her older brother.

Iris awoke groggily the next morning with a nasty headache and feeling just a little sick. Perhaps a mild hangover from the champagne. But I barely touched the champagne… The dawn was just beginning to break over the city—it was a beautiful sight from the opulent bank of windows in their apartment. It was a little too opulent for Iris' taste. Each of Noctis' Crownsguard had been awarded penthouses in The Citadel for their service. Ignis and Gladio had accepted theirs—both planning to stay and work in the city, but Prompto had declined his. He didn't spend much time in Insomnia these days.

"Iggy?" She asked sleepily when she noticed that his side of the bed was empty. When he didn't reply she called his name again—just a little more urgently.

"Is everything alright?" Ignis asked, as he returned to the room, concern in his voice. He'd been getting dressed by the looks of it. "Another nightmare?" he asked. One of the things they discovered about each other after marriage was that they both had very unpleasant nightmares on occasion. Iris often dreamed of the night Insomnia fell. She'd lost her home and her father that night and occasionally the dreams were so vivid she'd wake up screaming—terrified she wouldn't make it out of the city. Ignis was always able to comfort her, however. Wrapped in his strong, affectionate arms she felt safe and able to sleep.

Ignis himself was no stranger to disturbed sleep. There was a lot of nightmare fuel in his past. Years ago, he couldn't stop reliving the moment he'd lost his sight, but now—now that Noctis was gone—he had the misfortune of reliving the final battle. He was tortured by the thought that he could have come up with some way to save Noctis-if only he'd been smart enough and dedicated enough to find a solution. Some nights he felt the loss of Noctis so powerfully he was overwhelmed and moved to tears. Iris was incredibly understanding and her loving support made it all much easier to bear, but it still made him feel weak. Iris, for her part, felt like she was never able to help him as much as he comforted her. Both of them, however, had gradually had fewer and fewer nightmares.

"No—I'm fine," she replied, feeling a bit silly now that she was more awake, "I guess I'm just not used to waking up alone anymore." He smiled at that. He too had grown quite accustomed to waking up next to her. He could barely remember what it was like before marriage.

"I'm sorry for that. I have early meetings today and I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful." He went back to buttoning his cuffs. In her semi-conscious state, Iris found it a somewhat fascinating process. It was both wonderful and infuriating that he could look so nice that early in the morning. "Coffee?"

"Yes—I might not stay conscious without it." She replied. He disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a hot cup of coffee. He sat on the edge of the bed and handed her the cup. She took a sip. It was perfect as usual. "This is wonderful, thanks."

"It's the least I can do for waking you at this hour."

"I'm glad you woke me," Iris said with a yawn, "I should have been up already." She sat up a little—she knew if her head touched the pillow again she'd be asleep in seconds. "I'm supposed to meet Prompto soon."

"Prompto?" Ignis said with surprise, and a little suspicion.

"Yeah—we're heading to Hammerhead. They've been having some trouble with Voretooth packs. They've gotten out of control with no humans around for so long."

"You're going hunting?" It was subtle, but there was a touch of disapproval in his voice. Why shouldn't I go hunting? Iris thought to herself.

"More or less, I suppose, but we're also going to see friends and drop off some supplies Cindy asked for." She'd said it a little more defensively than she'd intended. Ignis stood up and went to get himself a tie. He had to take a little more time than he did before his injury, but not much. He quickly pulled it through his collar and started to tie it.

"And then you'll return?" He responded as he pulled the knot into place

"Yes, it shouldn't take more than a day." Iris responded. She climbed out of bed and headed over to Ignis. She straightened out his tie a little.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," Ignis requested. Iris reached out and squeezed his muscular forearm. He'd kept in shape despite the fact that he hadn't seen active combat in some time.

"I will, but you really don't have to worry. The daemons are gone".

"There are other evils in this world," Ignis said ominously.

"Prompto and I can handle ourselves," she was starting to become a little indignant. His concern was charming but it was also aggravating at times. She had a great deal of battle experience and had trained with "Cor the Immortal" after all.

"Yes, of course." Ignis replied, deciding not to press the issue further. It is only a trip to Hammerhead after all, he told himself.

"I'll call you and let you know how we're doing—you really won't have to worry." The restoration of cell service was one of the many benefits of the Insomnia reconstruction.

"You'll be back tomorrow, then?"

"Yes, likely by the afternoon."

"Good—we have another state dinner to attend." Iris was not pleased to hear this news. It seemed like they were attending one of these events every night.

"I'll be back in time for that…unfortunately." Ignis smiled at her reaction. He knew she didn't enjoy the formal occasions much, but it was a necessary part of politics. Ignis had been dealing with such events practically from birth so they didn't bother him. Iris' resistance to them reminded him a little of Noctis. He found himself thinking about Noct more and more these days. Developing a new constitution for Lucis necessarily involved thinking about Noct's death. He tried to push it out of his mind.

"Once this constitutional convention is over, maybe you and I can go somewhere—without Prompto," Ignis suggested.

"I'd love that," Iris said sincerely. "We never did get a honeymoon," she said as she put her arms around his neck.

"We really must do something about that," he leaned down and kissed her.

"Yes, I insist that we do," she said. He was about to kiss her again when his phone rang. He answered the call; her arms were still around his neck.

"I'll be there shortly, yes." He ended the call. Iris sighed in disappointment. "I'm sorry, dear, but I really must be going now."

"Yes, of course," she said as she released him from her embrace. "Have a good day."

"You do the same—and don't let Prompto drive like a madman," with that he quickly left the apartment. Iris was left alone staring out over the city. She loved her home city dearly, but in that moment she found herself eager to leave it. She finished her cup of coffee and packed an overnight bag. She put on some hunting appropriate attire—dark skinny jeans, a dark purple sleeveless tee and a pair of well-worn combat boots. She completed the look with a useful, light leather jacket. She expected it to be hot, but nights in the desert were quite chilly. Gladio had recently joked that she was starting to look like a "female version of Prompto" but she didn't take offense. She braided her long brown hair into two pigtails-it was a practical and comfortable look. Now it was time for the armory.

Prompto was waiting for her in the Citadel courtyard. He was proudly standing next to his "new" truck. He'd finally got his own set of wheels. Iris smiled at him as she descended the steps.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Prompto gushed. It was a crew cab pickup with some serious wear and tear, but nonetheless a useful vehicle.

"It's really nice," Iris said as she tossed her overnight bag in the bed. She slipped the bolt action rifle from her shoulder and tossed it in too. The katana strapped to her back would ride with her. It had been given to her by Cor and was a prized possession.

Another duffle bag filled with extra magazines made a loud *clank* when Gladio tossed it into the bed of Prompto's truck. He had politely carried it for his sister.

"Thanks, Gladdy. "

"That's a lot of ordinance, sis, are you planning an invasion?"

"You never can be too careful," she responded.

"Iggy's cautiousness has rubbed off on you in the weirdest possible way." Prompto said as he observed the impressive arsenal. Iris shrugged accepting the truth of Prompto's remark. Prompto taught her how to shoot, but clearly she'd developed into a bit of an enthusiast.

"I've gotta go," Gladio announced, "don't start any wars, guys."

"No problem, big guy." Gladio charged off towards the Citadel. Cor was not very tolerant of tardiness. Iris moved to the passenger side door and failed to get it open.

"Can you unlock it?" She asked. Prompto quickly approached the door.

It's not locked, you just have to encourage it a bit," he whacked it a few times and the latch released. Iris was beginning to get a bit skeptical about the new wheels. She climbed in and Prompto quickly got into the driver's seat. Iris nestled the katana next her. She liked to have it near. Old habits die hard.

"Ready?" Prompto asked as he fired up the engine. Iris nodded. Prompto practically floored it. Maybe Ignis' warning about Prompto's driving wasn't an overreaction after all...

Author's note: I've got a bit of a busy week ahead so I'm not sure when the next update will be but the story is going to head in the action direction next. I hope you enjoy and thanks for the reviews!