Chapter 6

The old king of Lucis closed his eyes and attempted to rest his sore bones as night entered its darkest hours, there was only stubborn stillness inside his grand chamber – the whole palace was fast asleep, his only son was asleep inside his apartment and the bed felt empty without his wife, the late Queen Aulea. How funny, even though it's been more than a decade since she passed away; the king at times still found himself mourning and missing her presence. He remembered the day he held Noctis inside his arms and stood in front of her marble coffin, on both sides the emblem of Lucis was engraved and inside her body was laid to rest – her hair as black as ink was kept in place with her tiara. She wore a white gown; a bouquet of forget-me-nots was placed inside her cold hands. Remember me, even if I'm no longer here.

The king, lying on his bed then shook his head and the memories stopped playing inside his head.

It's almost time, Regis mentally sighed, as if he was tired. Just a little bit more, and I can rest these old and sore bones. He remembered the conversation he had with the soul of the Crystal; he remembered that the Crystal was looking forward to one last life, and then it could rest. Regis understood that the Crystal demanded his life and that Noctis was chosen by the Crystal as the True King, the King of Light – one that would cast the terrible Starscourge away. And after all of this ended, Eos would return to what it was; a peaceful world, where people lived happily and prosperously. Regis knew the sacrifice – and by extension, the extinction of the Lucian bloodline would worth the whole world. Sacrificing the centuries running bloodline; rich in history and power, would worth the prosperity and the peace Eos would retrieve back.

Regis didn't mind, at all.

However, he felt ambivalent whenever Noctis came into his thoughts.

On one hand, he knew it very well that he must not avoid the path the fate had dictated, lest the world be plunged into eternal nights no light could illuminate. He had come to terms with his fate and had made peace with it. Noctis, however, did not know. Would he be able to make peace and come to terms with what to befall him as the chosen king?

On the other hand, would he, as his father, be able to come to terms with his son's fate?

For the first time in his life, Regis felt the desire to revolt against his fate. The desire to cast away the world, not to give a damn, to live with his family happily and peacefully, away from the eyes of the world and the gods. Even if he couldn't, he wanted Noctis, his son, and his companions to live a fulfilling life; a life of peace and of happiness, something he could not give. Out of all the presents and the gifts Noctis asked – or demanded when he was in his turbulent years, Regis could not give Noctis a sense of total security. No matter how peaceful it was, with the empire nudging at the edge of the kingdom there has never been a 'true peace' and Noctis as the Crown Prince fully understood that. Regis even believed that rather than him, the situation raised his son into the man he has become. The young crown prince had to grow up with constant tension and being on edge, unable to sleep peacefully at night nor able to roam the once vast kingdom freely. Noctis had never known what a true peace is, for the peace he had known was merely a façade.

However, the feeling expired quickly – leaving Regis feeling, strangely, empty. Years of resignation as the Crystal led him had a bigger impact than Regis expected – the young Regis who was driven by his passion and the desire to revolt, to free his kingdom from the grip of the evil empire had died, leaving the Regis who resigned to his fate, a fate the Crystal had laid before him. Regis did not know whether to pity himself or to feel proud – he only knew he did what was of the utmost necessity.

The king then closed his eyes as he drifted into his sleep. All of these endeavors would be fruitful in the end, that much he believed.


A/N: I feel that a narrative on Regis's thoughts and feelings would be ideal since the king isn't someone who would make his feelings known in public. I'm sorry for the sporadic updates and this being terribly short, another chapter is on the way! Thank you for bearing with me!