Chapter 6 : Home Sweet Home

"So let me get this straight," Captain Drautos said.

Crowe had managed to find her way back to Insomnia. When she arrived before noon by foot, with her backpack, the gate keepers gave her and her Kingsglaive badge a funny look. She hadn't slept for the whole night, she was tired and pissed off, so she said that if they didn't believe her that's fine, they just needed to call for any Kingsglaive to prove her identity. Meanwhile she had settled against the wall of their cabin, enjoying a short nap under the sun. Half an hour later, Pelna and Luche came in a truck to fetch her and bombed her with so many questions she just fell asleep in the middle of the trip.

Strangely enough, when she got to the barracks, she couldn't find the strength to fall asleep (if you can believe that). She was fine with Pelna and Luche, though she was so tired she didn't have the luxury to question their loyalty. But as soon as she passed through the dining hall, she felt them. The looks. She knew then instantly that what Freya and herself feared was true : the Kingsglaive was full of traitors. One could consider that it was just paranoia. However, Crowe had learnt to trust her instincts during battles. And this was closer to a battlefield than coming back home. Her senses were in high alert.

So now there she was in Drautos' office, hands clasped in her back, giving her report. The commander was taking his forehead in his hand. He was pissed off too.

Freya had arrived earlier in the morning. The Imperial delegation had been waiting for authorization and inspection of their ships to enter the Crown City. Drautos was supposed to leave now to pick up the Princess, who would be traveling alone with the Nifflheim ambassador.

So he was relieved that Crowe was well. But now he was going to vent.

"You manage to get out of Lucis, enter Tebebrae, go as far as entering the capital, getting out the same day with the Princess, thanks to her spy, mission successes, and then you get caught by the Empire in one night, and you lose the Princess, without having given her the goddamn hair pin, wasting every damn resources used for this mission... Though I don't think we will need the damn thing because we very well know where the Princess is : in Insomnia, where she's supposed to be the furthest away from!! So can you tell me exactly how one can mess up a mission that badly?!"

"I can tell you why," Crowe said without crumbling in front of her boss' wrath. "But not here."

The calmness and determination in his subordinate's voice got his attention. He frowned and then she rolled her eyes and used their sign language :

"Room compromised. Won't talk unless safe."

Drautos stared at her with perplex eyes but got up and made a gesture for her to follow him on the balcony of his office. It was hovering over a big crossroad with plenty of cars, making plenty of noise. No one would be able to listen anything from afar.

As soon as he closed the window behind her, she checked if it was noisy enough then told him about the attack from Sonitus and his friends :

"I don't think the man came back, did he?" she asked with a tired look.

"No he didn't." Drautos confirmed, frowning. "It's as you say. We haven't seen those three in more than two days."

"See? Titus, I don't think they're doing this on their own." She showed him the Nifflheim gun. "They shot me with this!"

While he looked at the bullets, she went on:

"I don't know how else they would've known about my mission without bugging your office. Remember, two years ago? When we discovered those little machines under the war table when we were in the Southern front? I think they put that in your room. I don't see any other way they could've pulled that off."

"Right. I see your point."

"That means there are traitors among us, Titus! And the Empire just got in Insomnia! They're probably aren't the only ones... What the hell am I saying. This isn't just all of them! There are more Niff agents in the Kingsglaive than the three that attacked me..."

She was debating whether or not she should tell him about Lunafreya's contact and abilities. But those where hers. It was not her place to talk to her boss about something that she didn't understand one bit. She wouldn't even know where to start...

"Look, I still have the hair pin," she sighed. "I can't get close to the delegation, Ravus Nox Fleuret saw my face. Nyx is still assigned to the Citadel, right?"

Drautos nodded.

"I warned Fr... Lady Lunafreya about the traitors, when we heard the Niff airship coming our way. I told her I'd give it to someone in Insomnia she could trust. Let me give it to Nyx."

"Nyx could be a traitor too, Altius."

She just looked at him as if he just told the dumbest and most absurd joke she ever heard. He snorted.

"Right. Good point, I suppose."

Drautos scratched his chin, thinking about it, then looked at her again and nodded.

"Very well. I will meet with him later in the morning so I will tell him you came back. You will fill him in on the rest of the situation tonight. I understand why you failed part of your mission, but if I don't reassign you, it will be suspicious."

"Okay. Just so you know, I won't be coming back to my place, this is way too dangerous. Can we... Titus, can we do something at all? Do we even have the time to stop them?"

The grim expression on his face showed that he had little hope.

"... Thought so... Fuck!"

"The priority is to protect the King and the Crystal."

"And the Princess."

"And the Princess, of course. Go rest for now, Altius. I'll try to come up with something in the mean time. I'll put you on patrol duty with Khara tomorrow."

"Fair enough," she sighed. "You have to warn the people around the King in the Citadel. Not the Kingsglaives. The others."

"Are you telling me how to do my job, Altius?" he deadpanned.

She snorted and dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand.

"I'm sorry, let me worry a bit, okay? This never happened before, I don't know how all of this works."

"I know. I'll tell you if anything changes."

He patted her shoulder.

"Right. Okay. By the way any news from Libertus? How is he doing?"

He stared at her, at loss for words. Then he sighed.

"Okay, what kind of face was that?" Crowe groaned. "What kind of bullshit did he pull up now?"

"Libertus left the Kingsglaive, Crowe. After you left."

She opened her mouth out of dismay and confusion.

What?

"If this is your idea of a joke, I will smack your face," she threatened, half joking, half serious.

He frowned at her.

"Then again I never knew what was your idea of a joke," she sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. "What reason did he give?"

"Lucis betrayed his trust. And he also said he didn't want to be here for the worst days of the Kingsglaive. "

"Do you think... he knows something?"

"The coincidence is too big to my taste but I highly doubt it. He sounded more tired than angry. That is not the mindset of someone planning to betray us."

"True. Look, I'll try to look into this today, after my rest. Right now, I'm too exhausted to think straight."

Drautos nodded and opened the window for her to go back inside. After a last nod she took her backpack and left the room.

She stood there for a while in front of the captain's door, trying to think. Now that she was back and not dead as they wished she was, the enemies in the room were going to try something against her. She basically became the perfect bait. But bait for what? For whom? How was she going to use all of this attention on her? Will that leave more room to breath for Freya? For Nyx? And what could they possibly do to stop this madness?

She shook her head. She was literally sleeping standing. She had to go. Throwing her bag on her back, she armed her face with a disgusted expression and left the barracks with anger in her steps. This way, she could probably make the people in the lobby believe that her chat with Drautos didn't go well.

She took a bus to her flat, dropped her stuff, took a change of clothes and a shower, resisted the temptation to sleep on her bed, and went off. She didn't leave through the main door though.

She opened the window, and stepped on the emergency stairs, putting her sunglasses and jacket back on, along with her backpack. She climbed them up, and once she was on the roof, took a few step backs for momentum, she ran and jumped to the nearby building. It was a distance of two meters or so but a Kingsglaive could make it easily.

Crowe, as a safety measure, had memorized many different routes in Insomnia passing through its roofs, back alleys, cat walks and other flanking itineraries and shortcuts. When she had some free time, this was her own kind of fun and training. She always managed to arrive before any of her friends at their meetings thanks to all of those hidden paths. They always tried to make her confess her secret but she never revealed it.

Although because of the many construction sites popping here and there in the City, Crowe had to update those routes many times in order for them to be efficient.

Not that they were needed for where she wanted to go. Nyx's flat wasn't really far from hers, using her flanking paths she could be there in two minutes.

She landed and rolled on the building's roof, ran back up along the border, jumped down, caught the edge of the building to break her fall, then let go again and fell on her feet on the air vent circling the block. She followed it to the next back alley, and jumped to a small balcony, avoiding easily the many flower pots on it, as she usually did. She jumped from platform to platform, climbing up more and more, finally gaining Nyx's home. Again, bless the emergency evacuation stairs, she managed to reach his window. She took out her small teleporting blade and picked the very old and pathetic lock of the window to the main room with it. As she slipped in, she checked if she smelt the odor of incense sticks. It was how she figured out if he was around or not. Usually when he was home, it was always lit up. Which was not the case right now, though it was fresh. Probably missed him by a few minutes.

She closed the window behind her, and proceeded to sit on his amazing chair, the only cool furniture in the cheap apartment, to take off her boots and jacket.

She looked up to his board on the table under the TV, full of photos and newspaper articles neatly cut. On the left was a photo of two familiar women. She smiled and got up to open the drawer under the table. She took out a lighter out of it and lit up the small incense sticks. She then blew away the flame and they started to fume in this nice strong and warm smell. Putting back the lighter in the drawer and closing it, she knelt in front of the table and said while looking at the girl on the photo smiling and hugging her mother, who was also Nyx's :

"Hey Selly. I'm going to keep you company while Nyx's away, if you don't mind... It's been a rough day, really..."

She stared at the bright young woman's face for a while, then her glance drifted off to the articles and the drawings, Nyx's Kingsglaive diploma, signed by King Regis Lucis Caelum himself...

She had a kind of similar thing to that board, except it was this old white notebook she always had been carrying with her, what used to be her diary, back when she was a small, young, naïve and angry thing. Now she printed the photos from her phone and stuck them neatly on the old yellow and corned pages, she didn't really have the time to write much in it in the last few years, so she did crappy scrap booking instead. It was a good replacement though. She liked going through all the pictures and photos she gathered over time.

When she went back to her apartment, she took it with her in her backpack because it was the only material thing she truly cared about. She couldn't afford having the traitors mess with her things and find her old diary tore to pieces in the middle of it.

She had a photo of Selena Ulric in her diary as well. Nyx's little sister. Sweet, strong, beautiful Selena... With smooth black hair, almond-shape blue eyes, heart-shape face, with a thread of nacre coins circling her head.

She looked up on the table and saw some old enveloppes lying there. She took a pen and scribbled a note on the back of one of them, left it on the table then went straight to the bed, let herself fall on the hard mattress and just started to sleep, finally giving in to slumber. The incense guided her to it.

After a long wait at Insomnia's gates during the morning, the Imperial delegation finally entered the Crown City. Among the few officials that came, was Princess Lunafreya, her brother Ravus, the Minister of Foreign affairs, the new Nifflheim ambassador in Insomnia, and last but not least, Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt. Chancellor Izunia waited on the other side of the gate to welcome his ruler and his suite with an extravagant bow. He tipped his hat at Lunafreya and Ravus with a wry smile before walking up to the Emperor and exchanging a few whispers with him.

If one of the soldier escorting the Emperor and the Chancellor turned around towards the Nox Fleuret siblings, they would've seen the same expression of both suspicion and annoyance on their faces. One of the rare things they had in common was their utter dislike of the Chancellor and his hypocritical behavior. Among other things.

As an Oracle, Lunafreya could perceive things others couldn't, much like Hyacinth, but at a whole different level. While Hyacinth felt a great uneasiness from Ardyn Izunia, Lunafreya could see, when he wasn't paying too much attention, a thick dark aura coming out of him. Last time she saw this, it lasted only a couple of seconds before he felt her stare on him and winked at her with a wicked smile :

"My, my," he'd chuckled. "Your mother never taught you not to stare at people so intently, my dear Oracle? People will talk."

"Indeed? Does that worry you, Chancellor? I wasn't aware you had enough shame to care about such things," she had answered with cold sarcasm, looking forward again.

"Such harsh words wound my heart," he complained dramatically. "I see you didn't loose your wit, my dear. But by all means please," he bowed deeply in front of her. "Do go on. I love to be the subject of the attention for such beautiful eyes."

She gave him a an indifferent look. But the aura around him was gone. He saluted her with a tip of his hat before leaving for the Imperial capital.

That was two years ago. She never saw that aura coming from him again. She gathered he got more careful around her. As much as he assured the opposite, he didn't seem to enjoy the fact that she could see things he didn't want others to see.

Lunafreya had yet to know what was the Chancellor's agenda, knowing well that it was probably very different from the Emperor's, but she knew he was trouble. She would have to be careful around him.

Something she didn't expect however, was to be happy to see Insomnia again. How long had it been since she saw the glorious Crown City? Fourteen? Fifteen years? Even with the war going on, the capital remained as dynamic as ever, its people had gathered in front of the gate to see their arrival and acclaim their coming, for they brought with them peace. From afar, she could see the silhouette of the gigantic twin towers of the Citadel, and at its center, the beam of the cristal, producing the war-proof wall that protected the city for now decades. In those towers was the man she considered as a fatherly figure. King Regis. She was worried sick about him, and even though the circumstances were dire, she wanted to see him badly.

She was trying to see how she could possibly warn him about the traitors among them and how she could help with the situation. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that as usual, there wasn't much she could do.

As she entered in one of the cars the Lucians prepared for the delegation with the ambassador, her expression was grim. She sighed then leant back in her seat. This kind of thinking was only good to wear her down. She must trust the gods to show her the way to the best possible income. She just hoped that the cost for it wasn't going to be too high. For now she had to relax. Or try, at least. And prayed that Crowe found a way back to the city and that she could meet with her at some point. She prayed that Bahamut gave her the strength to fight the spies and survive this ordeal.

When the car passed near the town center, it was stopped.

"What now?" the ambassador groaned. "We are already late! Please wait here, Your Highness, I'll see what's going on with those peasants."

A fine Ambassador, indeed, Lunafreya thought with a sarcastic raise of her eyebrow.

She merely nodded as he got out of the car. When he started to fret with the Crownsguard blocking the way, another car arrived and two men wearing Kingsglaive uniforms stepped out and walked towards them. The tallest one, dressed in red and wearing a cape and sword, brown hair cut short and square jaw, seemed to be the man in charge. Behind him was a smaller man, thinner and sharper, with black hair shaved on the sides and clear blue eyes.

"Do you even know who I am escorting?" the Ambassador continued to rant. "Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Princess of the former Kingdom of Tenebrae! And..."

"... and our Kindom''s beloved bride to be." the Kingsglaive interrupted.

The Ambassador started when he heard the voice and turned to see them come up to their car :

"Commander Drautos, I..."

"Welcome into our sovereign jurisdiction, Ambassador," said-Drautos declared. "We'll take care of things from here."

"But... I wasn't aware of... I mean you can't... I have to tell my superiors..."

As the Ambassador was rambling in front of the Commander's stern gaze, his subordinate opened the door for the driver to step out of the car and took his place, but not before greeting Lunafreya with a hurried bow.

"Your Highness."

When the car left the Ambassador behind, she started to worry whether this man was trust-worthy or not.

"Excuse me but where are we going?" she inquired, trying to hide the panic in her.

"To the Citadel, Your Highness," his voice was warm, reassuring, he was looking at her through the rear-view mirror, almost nodding. "The King wishes to speak with you before the delegation arrives."

She felt that he was telling the truth. His aura was confident, his speech sounded familiar... He seemed to be aware of her concern... Did that mean...?

"I'm sorry if I'm indiscreet but... Would you by any chance be a friend of Crowe Altius?"

"I am. Don't worry about her, Your Highness," he confirmed softly. "She arrived earlier this morning."

"Oh, bless the stars..." she sighed with relief, settling back on her seat, bringing her hand to her heart. "Thank you for telling me this, Mister..."

"Ulric. Nyx Ulric, Your Highness. But let's not talk about that right now. We've arrived."

She nodded and waited for him to come out and open the door for her and let him escort her to the Citadel. Once in the elevator, she started to realize she was going to see the King and her heart suddenly felt warm and happy.

She remembered the sweet memories of breakfasts in Lucis, of holidays Noctis and King Regis used to spend in Tenebrae, the stories of his travels...

The moment when she let go of his hand as they ran away from Nifflheim when the Empire came back in Tenebrae. The distress and sorrow on his face before he turned back and went further and further away from her, the strained smile she managed to give Noctis as he cried her name, still in his father's arms... Behind her, Ravus was begging the King to help them, kneeling in front of their mother's body... But Lunafreya knew better. The King couldn't help them. He had to get Noctis away from here. She smiled because she understood. But the small girl in her was crying and calling their names with fright and despair. She shut down those cries deep inside her and put her smile on. It was for the best. As the soldiers passed by her, she knotted her fingers together, closed her eyes and prayed for their safety, prayed that one day she may see them again...

Back then she wasn't as good at running as she was now... Had she run that fast, many things would've been different...

There was a shudder in her breathing as she waited for the elevator to go up. She gathered some composure and raised her head high. If she was to see King Regis again, she had to show him how much she'd grown, she wanted him to see that she wasn't afraid.

Whatever the Empire had planned for Insomnia, the will of the Gods was stronger. She had faith in Noctis and that he would fulfill his destiny, because she knew she was ready for hers. She was but a tool in their hands and she would serve them till the end of her days. She had accepted her fate long ago. And now she was here as the Princess of Tenebrae, but also as an Oracle, she would offer hope and guidance to the King of Lucis.

This fear is a burden that I must get rid of.

Finally the lift arrived at the throne room floor. She exhaled and stepped into the hallway, Nyx Ulric following her closely, hands clasped in his back. She waited for the announcer to call for her before the guards opened the door and she could see the throne room, light coming through high windows.

One who would enter the Lucian throne room for the first time would pause as entering the room just to awe in front of the profusion of golden details, sculptures, black marble floor and pillars, along with a ceiling going frighteningly high up, all of this brought out by the day light coming through the windows. But it wasn't because of the impressive beauty of the room that Lunafreya was breathless for a moment.

At the very end of this hall, standing alone in front of his throne, was King Regis. The toll of the Ring's and the Cristal's power on him was showing on his face, his hair grey, wrinkles, and a cane to help him stand up. Seeing him like this, weakened, strained, but still determined and dignified, after all this time wounded her deeply... But suddenly, she could see his expression even from this distance and the happiness in his look was worth all the trouble she had in the previous days.

Twelve years.

"It has been a long time, Your Majesty," she said finally, smiling broadly.

"Oh yes," Regis confirmed with a moved smile. "Far too long."

As she came closer to the throne, Regis asked simple questions about her trip, how the Empire had been treating her during all those years... She answered politely, not wanting him to worry about her. When she finished climbing the stairs, now closer to him, but not close enough to her taste, she ended the small talk.

"I gather Prince Noctis is not here, is he...?"

She asked something she already knew, but she needed confirmation.

"No, my dear, he is not."

He said those words almost as an apology. Though she sighed of relief, part of her was slightly disappointed. She had wanted to see him again for so long... Even a mere glimpse would've made her content.

"I am too old for this war," the King went on. "I had to accept this treaty... However, I'm afraid the Empire will take this opportunity to strike, and we are not ready..."

He linked his fingers together.

"Lunafreya, it's not too late, I can still ready an escort," the King pressed. "I wanted to send you both away from trouble, marry Noctis another place, somewhere safe... But that also failed, it seems. Even though my heart leap at the sight of you, Insomnia is the last place for you to be. Please, go to my son."

The begging and distress in his voice almost made her reconsider. She thought about it for but a second.

"No."

The King frowned.

"Wherever I go, the Empire follows, I fairly confirmed it yesterday. This will simply endanger the Prince's life. If I can protect him by doing this, then I consider it my duty. His destiny must be fulfilled. For now, I will help him more by being here than being with him."

She glanced at the Kingsglaive standing below, then looked back at the King.

"If you are aware of the actual situation, then know that I decided to stand by your side during this ordeal. I will help you in anyway I can, and support you as best as my skills allow me. At least you can count on me, Your Majesty."

The King shook his head, but with a small smile. He disapproved of her decision but her words pleased him more than he cared to admit. When he looked back at her, she saw something in his eyes that made her happy beyond measure : pride.

"I appreciate the thought, my dear, I truly do, but at this point, I doubt there's much we can do... I'm afraid we can just gain some time... and that this will put your life in danger as well."

"I do not fear for my life, Your Majesty, but I do not wish to despair either. I live to serve. I don't want to sit here and do nothing. If it is time that is needed, we shall keep them here longer than they wish for."

The King sighed, a strained smile lingering on his face.

"I wish you were with me sooner, Luna," he confessed. "I needed this spirit, a few days ago. But you must be tired from your trip. We will see each other later. Go rest. Now I must welcome the rest of the Imperial delegation."

"But when will you rest?" Luna asked, worried.

"Tonight probably," Regis gave her a sheepish shrug.

Lunafreya frowned disapprovingly and the King let out a laugh.

"I can take care of myself, Luna. I will be fine."

"... Very well. Please do not overdo it..."

"Of course. The same goes for you, my dear."

She gave him a small curtsey and left the throne room. Nyx parted with her when she arrived in her new quarters and switched the duty with a Crownsguard, bowing to the Princess before leaving.

Her luggage was already here. The room was smaller than what she was used to in Tenebrae, but it felt comfy. There was a large bed, windows with a view over the City, a couch and low table in front of them. On the side table, there was a small vase full of sylleblossoms. Lunafreya smiled and closed in to smell them, and during one fleeting moment, she was back in her field in Tenebrae, with her mother and brother, the sun setting behind them.

The King was full of these small attentions that warmed her heart. She wondered how he managed to get those flowers that only grew in Tenebrae.

She took off her fancy dress and changed into more comfortable clothes and slumped into the bed. At least, she will try to get some sleep while it was still possible. She didn't know if she would ever get the chance after this.

Right now, she knew that all hells would probably get loose tomorrow or during the following days. War was never that close to her as it was back in Tenebrae. However, as she fell asleep with her eyes on the bouquet of sylleblossoms, she never felt more at home than here.

Aaah, dear folks, I was so tempted to make a Nyx POV in this chapter (or in any chapter, actually), but even though this man is my favorite character in the whole friggin opus, we already got it in the movie and this is Crowe and Luna's story for now.