Chapter X: Veiled in Black

"If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me. Without my stir."

-William Shakespeare.

I slowly put my hands up behind my head. My pulse was racing. I was almost doomed if this was an MT or some Niflheim kiss-up.

"Turn around," the woman ordered. I obeyed.

The woman had brown hair piled up in a messy ponytail, and she wore the black gear of a Kingsglaive agent. Well shit.

Her gun was pointed at me. She continued her glare until she recognized my face in the dim lighting. "Prince Noctis?"

"Uh yeah?" I played off casually. "And you are? Besides wearing the uniform of the band of people who betrayed my old man."

She rolled her eyes. "Believe me, Niflheim is a much worse group to fall in league to. The name is Crowe Altius, Kingsglaive agent. Cor is expecting you."

I lowered my hands. "Okay, Cor sent you to retrieve me?"

"No, my job is to lead refugees who have caught wind to come here so we may escort them out of the city through the underground network."

"Why is that?"

"In the main city at least, Niflheim is cracking down on supporters of the Lucian Royal Family. Big names. Also the Priestesses of Etro have been locked up. Niflheim allowed Lucis their one day of mourning for your death but after that they're either making public humiliations and executions or quietly silencing those who dare speak out against the Empire. It wasn't this bad before but with your death demoralizing many, the Niffs see their opportunity. The high school has been shut down for quite some time. Educating the masses with pro-Lucian views? Bad PR for the Niffs automatically."

"They're taking over, and eventually they'll replace the monarch on the throne with a non-Lucian, like Ravus Nox Fleuret," I added.

"The Prince of Tenebrae? Whose crown doesn't even sit on his head?"

"He's their lapdog at least. What better irony than a worshipper of Lindzei on the Lucian throne?"

"We cannot allow that to happen. Our faith in Etro must remain strong. Come, the Marshal needs to speak to you," she gestured down the tunnel.

Crowe left the doorway of the tomb, and I followed. She stowed her gun on her belt.

"Why are you using Niflheim's technology?" I questioned. "Seems suspicious."

"Because we have very little options on our side. Ever since your father died the remaining loyal Kingsglaive were rendered powerless. Even Cor."

"Even Cor?"

"He's relied on his sword, a non-magical katana, to fight. But now that you're here, we can turn the tide to our favor."

"Of course. Crowe…you said you're a glaive. Where are you from?" I asked. All of the Kingsglaive were refugees from outside of Insomnia.

"Galahad. It's been over a decade since I was orphaned."

"Why didn't you betray my father like the rest of the glaive?"

"What would I gain to do that? Pride in knowing that I lied to a man who trusted me? Who, despite having some shady dealings, was just trying to protect his country? I may have fought and yes, I was angry when it seemingly was all our hard work fighting the Niffs was thrown down the drain for nothing. But really, what my comrades did…giving into the Niffs out of anger. Do they forget that the Niffs destroyed their home? Galahad is in ruins because of Niflheim, not the late King Regis." She sighed. "Of course I know why now the King wasn't entirely all there when Galahad was sieged over a decade ago."

"Why?" I asked.

"His son was attacked."

I stopped in my tracks. "You mean…Oh. I am sorry."

Crowe shook her head. "It was a devised tactic. Distract the king so much that he won't have the focus to prevent an entire province of his from being destroyed."

How much else was hidden from me? "I never knew…"

"You're quite sheltered for a new King," she quipped, turning to look at me. "Pardon my curtness Your Highness but I feel like as if you were told next to nothing of the past 21 years."

I crossed my arms. "I would try to debate you on that but yes, I was kept in the dark, and I am still kept in the dark about most things during my dad's reign." My eyes moved to stare at the ceiling. "The war started before I was born. Tenebrae had signed a treaty of an alliance, my dad declaring them an enemy. I was raised among the common people; therefore I earned the nickname of Commoner Prince. When I was 8 I was attacked and earned my brand." Rolling up my sleeve to show off my brand, Crowe gaped at the black arrows neatly arranged like a star, each arrow representing an hour on a clock. Only 3 more stages before I became a Cie'th. "The Kingsglaive were made because refugees had a gift in magic on loan from the King and the Crystal. But I knew they were angry and bitter, and sad to say their betrayal didn't shock me as much as it should have."

Crowe nodded. "Do you know of your father's influence?"

"Only a little. I know now he was a different man when I was around. Fear, intimidation, was the influence of the Royal Family."

She looked forward. "So no. You don't know."

"Know what?"

"It's not my place to say. You will have to ask the Marshall. We're almost there."

A steel door sealed with a tiny lock in the rocky walls greeted us. Crowe knocked 3 times on the door, and a tiny window slid open.

"Password?"

"The King who sees Etro."

Curious choice of a password. The door opened into a large room akin to a military barrack. Many bunk beds were occupied by civilians; some had some Crownsguard and Kingsglaive sitting or resting on them. At the center of it all was a large table covered by a map of the city. Cor was leaning over it, studying and moving markers around the map. Another glaive, the one who warned my father of the impending siege on the Citadel no doubt, Nyx Ulric was also looking over the map.

"Sir," Crowe said. "I bring the King to you."

Cor looked up. "Noct, you're alright," he said with a smile. "You look like you've been better though."

"Tell me about it," I said. What a hell of a day. "What is this place? Since when was it here?"

Cor stood up straight. "The Royal Tomb has been here since before the high school was established. This bunker though, was built 22 years ago on order of King Regis CXII, in secret. Only I, Regis, Clarus, and Drautos knew about it."

"Wait, where is Drautos? I haven't seen him since the siege months ago."

"He's the leader of the Kingsglaive traitors," he simply said.

"What?" My fist clenched up. "My father trusted him with his life and he just stabs him in the back?"

"We haven't seen him since the attack," he stated. "His whereabouts and what information he gave to Niflheim are unknown. We are limited on time before the Niffs find us. For now, our only options are making sure these loyal supporters are escorted out of the city and we prepare to siege the Citadel."

I leaned on my hand on the table. "Cor, please tell me as your king, what my father refused to tell me, what he hid away from me every day I saw him."

Cor looked down on the table. He reached under a stack of files to the one on the very bottom and pulled out one with a black tab. He presented it to me. "These are records of newspaper headlines and various reports on criminal activity in Insomnia."

I opened up the file to the first sheet.

Name: Grimi Nalis.

Age: 30

Economic Status: Unemployed.

Crime: Grand theft auto, kidnapping of Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, bribery of Crownsguard agents.

Execution: Beheading – King's Hand.

I flipped to the next page. It was a headline from a newspaper.

ACCUSED RAPIST TURNS UP DEAD IN HOME BEFORE JUDGEMENT

The next paper had several reports of how punishment and loyalty was given to the King's most inner circle, by branding them a l'Cie where the focus was determined by the King and if the King thought a person failed they were turned into a Cie'th. I shoved the paper away in disgust. The next one was another headline from a much older newspaper.

CEO OF LUCII BANK ASSASSINATED AFTER BUBBLE BURST

A magazine had my father, much younger aged, on the front page.

"Wealthiest Man in Lucis is Our King: Reveals Secrets to Making Great Financial Decisions."

"Let's just say Noct, he got his wealth through less than legitimate means," Cor said.

A paper written by a scholar had the title: "Gambling and Loan-Sharking: Does the Crown Turn a Blind Eye?"

"The scholar was silenced through bribes," Cor added.

My stomach churned at all this. The image I had held so long of my father was shattered. "How long has this been going on?"

"Generation after generation of Kings and Queens of Lucis."

I shoved the papers back into the folder. "I suppose this would be another reason the glaives were willing to go with Niflheim?"

"Precisely."

I sighed. I could imagine the face of the man executed for kidnapping me. The fear...I don't even want to think about the method my dad used. "Why did he hide it from me?"

"Let me ask you Noct, would you execute a man on the spot for a crime?"

"No."

"Would you charge protection fees from loan sharks and other suspicious people just to keep the money rolling in?"

"No."

"That's why your father hid it away from you. He was desensitized to it all, he wanted to atone for it after you were born, and you were his life and light."

"He wanted me to be the change…?" I looked at my covered brand. There was little time left for me to enact the change people needed. "Then let's get started."

"Your Majesty, we are planning an assault on the Citadel to recapture it from enemy hands." Nyx Ulric stepped forward, holding an intelligence report. "We stole this from the Niffs."

"Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt returns at 1600 hours on the full moon. Method of transportation is airship, the Ceasar Duncan. Accompanied by Chancellor Ardyn Izunia. Received and greeted by Lord Ravus Nox Fleuret and Lady Stella Nox Fleuret."

"We need you on the throne to enact change. Will you lead the charge, King Noctis?" Cor said, bowing to me. Everyone in the room, including the bystanders, bowed.

I nodded. "What's the plan then?"

"We strike at 1800 hours," Nyx pointed to the map. "Now that you're here we have an advantage against the Niffs and their technology."

Crowe stepped closer to the table. "You are our enabler for magic. With the Crystal's power on our side we have an opportunity to catch them by surprise. The higher ups in Niflheim know you live but the lower ranked ones do not. I have created massive storms before, but I had other glaives with me. Most of the glaive is dead or a traitor. A smaller storm will have to do."

"What about just plain heavy rainfall? I can conjure up lightning storms easily to add to the distraction. Well…You gotta teach me first. I can usually only use power from a source."

"It's quite hard and will take some mastering, Your Majesty."

"That's a risk I am willing to take. What else?"

Cor pointed to various red circles drawn on the map all around the Citadel and the inner city of Insomnia. "These points are where the airships usually hover and patrol. If we can disable enough of them we can move forward. We'll enter from the basement up into the main floors. Ulric and Noct, you two are the most proficient with warping so you'll be in charge of taking the ships out. Khara?"

A glaive stepped forward, a big grin on his face. His hair was the messiest rat's nest I had ever seen, and I'm sure my own hair at that point was a complete mess. "Your Majesty," he bowed. "Name's Pelna Khara. I developed a small piece of tech that can disable an airship just by being plugged straight into their systems. We were able to finish these when we hijacked one of their airships during the siege."

Nyx crossed his arms. "You can thank Pelna for having the balls to go into one of those death traps."

Pelna shrugged. "I only saw the Prince at the time warping out of a collapsing building like a ballsy daredevil and thought 'I should do it'."

"And you almost died," said Nyx.

"Well…yeah but that's a risk I decided to take when I joined the glaive." Pelna placed the device in my hand. "You can look it over, Your Majesty."

On the device, which was nothing more than a flash drive, was the Lucian Skull. "Why did you guys remain, when all your comrades didn't? Why stay loyal, knowing that my father and his father and so on operated underneath a table?" I asked, rubbing my thumb over the skull.

Nyx Ulric chuckled. "To be honest with you, while I was loyal to your father...Bumping into you right before the siege made me think 'This guy is the road to change.' I thought, if we had any chance after kicking Niflheim, that chance would be with the new king. Galahad fell 12 years ago, when the King couldn't react because he was so torn between his grief for his son nearly dying and the city. I came from there, as did most of the glaive. You came from Insomnia, a city that fell. I lost a mother and a sister, you lost your father. You know how it feels to be in our shoes."

Crowe nodded. "We wanted to help the people of Insomnia, including their Commoner King."

"King?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Commoner King."

Pelna placed his arms on the shoulders of both Nyx and Crowe. "We're here to serve you Your Majesty. We knew, we just knew, you would return and help your people in a different way than your father. We were given Niflheim's offer but saw no good outcome from that."

I smiled. "Thank you."

The three bowed. Cor placed a hand on my shoulder. "Your father would be proud of you already," he said.

"I miss him still, even knowing the truth," I said, seeing an illusion of him standing in the back, with my mother.

"Now Noct, we must finish planning then you need rest. The full moon is coming upon us in three days."

The illusions vanished.

Dread seeped into my slumber. The words from Stella stung still.

The potion too, was a part of the plan. It's like an addiction. The second you stop taking it, you get chronic nightmares for however long you take the potion.

Take the potion to remove the painful nightmares. I had taken it for an extensive amount of time, almost everyday for months. How long would the nightmares occur? I was a fool for not noticing it sooner.

Stella knew the entire time too, calling it a worthy sacrifice to get to me. She filled my head with false hope. My brand's focus was unknown, no matter what I did would result in me becoming a Cie'th.

Was being a Cie'th a fate worse than death? Or was death a worse curse?

The question plagued me as I lied on the metal bunk bed, eventually exhausting myself out.

Nyx Ulric patrolled the outer wall of Insomnia. Night was falling soon, and still no sign of Libertus Ostium. That little stunt the two pulled in the last battle landed them in hot water with Drautos, and thus assigned to guarding the wall. He remembered the words of his commander.

"The disobedience of you two cannot be tolerated. As much as we are grateful for your rescue of Crowe Altius you two are hereby assigned to wall duty as punishment. Etro guide you, and we shall strike back again soon. For hearth and home."

"Libertus I am going to kick your ass when you get here," Nyx grumbled, looking at his watch. He looked over the edge on the other side to expect some trees.

A giant airship was parked in the forest. Niflheim. Nyx's eyes widened as he ran down the section. Sure enough, there was more airships behind the trees. Too many to count. Nyx clicked down on his ear piece. "Libertus you son of a bitch you better answer." No response. "Luche, is the commander on air?"

"No Nyx. Why?"

"Let's just say we've got a problem. Try to patch me in to the commander."

"Alrighty Nyx. What's the situation?"

"The Niffs are planning a mass siege. Over and out."

Nyx had to warn the King of the impending attack. Without Drautos the glaive could only be deployed by His Majesty.

He needed to get to the Citadel fast, but how? Baring his dagger, Nyx had one, rather very stupid option. He tossed his blade as far as he could, then warped to it. Landing on the roof of a house, he stumbled a little. He had never warped that far before, not even in battle. And he had to do it over and over.

Good thing his stomach was able to withstand warping.

Eventually reaching the Citadel Gate, Nyx began to run on the ground, weaving through the crowd that gathered out front of the front doors. He had to slip into the fortress through the garage. Pelna, who was patrolling the front entrance, noticed Nyx. Leaving his post, he caught up with his friend.

"What's going on? What's this about a siege?" Pelna asked.

"Niflheim has many airships parked outside of the wall. An attack is imminent. Where in Etro's name is Libertus?" Nyx asked.

"No clue, haven't seen him since the treaty announcement. Maybe he's just blowing off steam?"

"He could have blown off steam by patrolling the outer wall. Is Crowe still in the infirmary?"

"Yeah. They are removing her sling today. Might wanna tell her of the situation when you get inside the Citadel. I'll keep an eye out on the Niffs."

"Thanks man," Nyx salute to Pelna before going into the side door of the garage. No cars in sight, not even the King's. Odd. Very odd. Where was Drautos? Cor was no doubt with the King…or was he?

Nyx pulled out his phone and dialed Cor's number as he continued rushing down the large empty garage.

"Hello, Cor speaking."

"Sir, this is Nyx Ulric of the Kingsglaive. Drautos is missing, are you with His Majesty?"

"Drautos is missing? Hmm, no I am not with the King. Why? What's wrong?"

"We need to deploy the glaive. Niflheim is double crossing us."

"Do you know where Prince Noctis is? It's very important."

"No Sir, I haven't seen him. I'm on my way to the King right now."

"Get to him then. If you know of any glaive agents near the Citadel tell them to find Prince Noctis."

"Yes sir."

"The King is more than likely in his office. May Etro guide you."

Hanging up, Nyx hastened his pace. Ascending the elevator to the main floor of the Citadel, he rushed out at full speed while staring at his watch. The treaty signing was to start soon.

Panic hit him as he ran right into the Prince himself. Noctis stumbled backwards from the force, while Nyx rubbed his forehead from slamming into him.

"Your Highness forgive me," he apologized. "I was in a rush." Oh sweet Etro what exactly was the Prince going to do? Chop a finger off? Be rude and brush off his apology? He did not need this right now, not with Insomnia and the King on the line. Nyx stared right into Noctis' eyes, which were blue at the moment.

"No sweat man it's fine. I was rushing too. You're a glaive yes?" Noctis said, looking over Nyx's black uniform.

"Yes, Your Highness. Nyx Ulric. I have important news to deliver to your father."

"Glaive business?"

"You could say that."

"You're the first Glaive in the palace that I have seen all day."

Nyx raised an eyebrow at that information. The first glaive he has seen all day? First Libertus, then Drautos, now all of the glaive? "Really? That's telling."

"I would go with you to see what all this is about but I have very important business to attend to."

"Understandable Your Highness. Good evening," he bowed then continued down to the throne room, where the signing was taking place. Wherever the Prince was heading to was surely none of his business. But Cor needed to know.

Once Noctis was out of earshot, Nyx pinged Pelna.

"Pelna, the prince is leaving the garage. Keep an eye on him and let Cor know."

"Got it. Don't get killed you hear?"

Nyx rolled his eyes. "I won't." He continued on towards the King's office.

King Regis was leaving towards the signing room, right on time, with two Crownsguard as his escort.

"Your Majesty!" Nyx exclaimed, out of breath. "We need to deploy the glaive. Commander Drautos is missing and the Niffs have tons of airships parked outside the wall."

Regis' eyes turned red. "Gather the glaives, whoever you can find. Strike at the airships. If what you say is true…Then Niflheim's treaty was a trap all along. The New Wall is possibly our only line of defense for now…Unless I can get a chance after keeping up appearances."

"Yes Your Majesty," Nyx bowed, taking his leave. "Luche, can you gather the glaives? Or find them? We must strike at the airships," he spoke into his earpiece.

"Of course Nyx, I'll find the other glaives…but we won't strike."

He nearly stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"Long live the Emperor."

"Luche?! Luche you son of a…"

The line went dead. He began sprinting towards the infirmary where Crowe was. On his way there he passed by the Prince's attendant, Shield, and a blonde guy who Nyx presumed was his friend or bodyguard.

"Pardon me, glaive, have you seen Prince Noctis? It's very urgent," the attendant asked politely, adjusting his glasses.

Nyx pointed behind him. "He was heading out of the garage last time I saw him."

"Thanks for the tip," the bodyguard said. The three bowed then ran off after their Prince. Nyx continued onward to Crowe, hoping she was okay.

"Nyx! Run!" his mother cried out to him from behind the crackling flames.

Not again. Not with Insomnia. Not like Galahad.

No communication with the other glaives, all he had so far was Pelna and hopefully Crowe. She wouldn't betray the king…Wouldn't she?

"All that fighting…for nothing," she spat, looking away from the television screen. The news anchor continued reporting the terms of the treaty, but she didn't want to hear anymore. Libertus was livid, his face bright red.

"Our homes, our people, and the King is just going to throw all that away?" he said, bitterness laced in his voice.

Nyx stayed quiet. Libertus was still clinging to what he had, thinking he could go back to it once the war was over. But Nyx knew better. There was no Galahad anymore; there hasn't been so for over a decade.

It was clear to him that the King felt he was out of options. Risk all the lives of the glaive or surrender peacefully?

Crowe hadn't said much since the day it was announced.

Nurses and servants were frightened by the rushing glaive. Bursting through the door to the infirmary, he finds Crowe sitting on a bed with a doctor inspecting her arm.

"Crowe?" Nyx called out to her, breathing ragged. "You alright?"

"Yes I am Nyx, what's gotten you all tuckered out?"

The doc finished his check up of her arm wrapped in a cast. "You can fight now but be wary of using excessive force on that arm."

"Thank you, doc," Crowe said, inspecting her arm. "So Nyx, what's up?"

"Niflheim is double-crossing us."

"What?" She was taken aback.

"They have a lot of airships ready to go to siege the city. The King ordered me to gather the glaive. Drautos is missing. Unfortunately, Luche and Etro knows who else is aligned with the Niffs."

"Why betray their own country? Niflheim was the one who destroyed Galahad."

"That's what I want to know. Only glaives so far that are loyal are Pelna and you. Libertus is MIA."

"You cannot be suggesting he's a traitor, are you?" she glared at him. "Libertus can't be a traitor."

"Crowe, he still hasn't accepted that home is gone. Galahad is gone…All gone. All we have left is each other. I wished Libertus knew that." He placed his hands on her arms. "I'm sorry Crowe. I don't want to believe it either, since he is my best friend. Let's hope we can get down to the truth. Where's your ear piece?"

She pulled it out of her bag. "I took it off because I didn't know if I could stand sitting around not being able to do anything." Clipping it onto her ear, the piece flickered blue. Only static greeted her on the glaive channel. "Luche shut down the channel didn't he?"

"He did."

"Attention all Kingsglaive," Cor's voice spoke in everyone's earpieces. "Or at least, the loyal ones. I know it hurts that you lost Galahad, and that it hurts that what you've been fighting for feels like a wasted effort. But believe me, it is not. The King wishes for a brighter future for all of you. His Majesty implores you, those who remain loyal, to aid him tonight in protecting his citizens, and in the future, protect his son. He is our hope, our road for the future. If there are any glaives inside the Citadel as we speak, please get to the signing room as soon as possible, we need every last line of defense to get the King out of there. Cor out."

Nyx and Crowe stared at each other. Recalling the Prince's attitude to him, Nyx felt…relief and hope for the first time in a long time. Whatever happens tonight will determine the future, with Prince Noctis at the center of it all.

"Let's get going," Crowe said.

"What about your arm?"

She lifted it up. "What about it? I have a duty to my king, do I not?"

"I won't be able to stop you won't I?"

"Nope. I know that Libertus will kick your ass if I got hurt again though."

"Hey uh, Nyx?"

"Yes Pelna?" he answered.

"I just saw an airship crash right into the 13th Tower, where Prince Noctis is. His bodyguards are here though."

"Make sure everyone is out safely then head towards the Citadel."

"On my way."

The ground shook beneath them. The nurses and doctors ran for cover under the metal beds.

Crowe grabbed Nyx's hand. "Come on Nyx we have our orders."

"Right." The siege had begun.

The two ran down the massive hallways, servants fleeing in fear in the opposite direction. Upon reaching the Council Hall, dozens of Magitek soldiers blocked the way. The King was trapped inside.

Nyx summoned his twin blades, Crowe her daggers. Flickering lightning in her palm, the two poised to fight.

"For King," she said.

"And for Goddess," he finished.

A man in gold and silver armor, his face covered by a flat helm, busted through the windows of the Council Hall, breaking the deadlock between the Emperor and the King.

"General Glauca!" Clarus shouted, slicing down more MT soldiers.

Regis glared his red eyes at the Emperor and Chancellor as they climbed up a ladder through the windows into their airship.

"Oh Your Majesty, where do you keep your Crystal?" Ardyn asked, hanging from the ladder. "It would be so useful to know."

"I will die before you get your hands on it, thief!" Regis declared.

Glauca bared his giant blade, trails of golden sparks flying off of it. Regis activated his Armiger to duel.

"A King who hides behind his underhanded practices to keep his citizens placated doesn't deserve the title," Glauca said, his voice booming and monstrous.

"Is that what you think?" Regis sent multiple illusionary weapons soaring at the general. "So be it."

"Noct!" the cheery voice of Prompto snapped me out of my latest nightmare.

"Prompto?" I groaned, sitting up in my metal bed.

"Morning sleeping beauty," greeted Gladio.

"It's good to see you again, Noct," said Ignis.

"You guys…are okay," I said in a sleepy haze. "Since when did you get here?"

"About five minutes ago," answered Prompto. "Nyx escorted us here through the tunnels that lead to outside of the wall."

"We went to Altissia only to find the Empire declaring you were dead. We knew it had to be a lie but we had to be sure. Then we got Cor's phone call," Ignis informed me.

A smile crossed my lips. "I am here now; ready to fight alongside you guys."

"We should go over the strategy beforehand." Ignis gestured to the map. "Of course, after a quick meal."

"What time is it?" I scratched my head. How long was I actually asleep?

"The siege starts in three hours," said Crowe.

Examining the room, I see there are no refugees left. "Wait, where did everyone go?"

"While you slept we escorted the remaining citizens out. Monica and some glaives are taking them to Cape Caem for now," Cor explained. "To talk strategy, Noct, you and Crowe will start up a very heavy rain around the Citadel. Once that is done, Noctis and Nyx will disable the airships. Once they're almost done we move in from the underground networking tunnels. Ignis, Prompto, Gladiolus, you are with us on the ground."

"Yes sir." All three of them saluted.

Cor turned to me. "Your Majesty, we move on your command."

"Thank you Marshall," I said.

Stella Nox Fleuret stood next to her brother, Ravus, as the Chancellor and Emperor departed their car before the Citadel.

"Ah, Ravus and Stella Nox Fleuret, so nice to see you two doing well," greeted Ardyn. "I trust you've been taking care of the beautiful city of Insomnia?"

The way he spoke of Insomnia, as if it was a pesky fly in one's face, made Stella's hair stand on end. If only she could have completed her task before he got here. Oh well, it's probably nothing yet. She would have to slip out of sight once Ravus and the Emperor started talking.

"Indeed we have, Chancellor," Stella responded.

"Your speech was a delight to hear. I'm sure the people of Insomnia are at ease, wouldn't you say?"

The two stared at each other, Ardyn smirking at forcing the woman's hand.

"Yes, I'm sure they're at ease, knowing their monarch is at rest and the Empire is doing well to take care of them," she lied. Ravus looked at her.

Her heart thudded in fear. Did Ravus see through her lies so easily?

"Ravus, Stella," Iedolas spoke. "Get me to the throne room. How is my crystal doing?"

Ravus bowed. "No farther on breaking the enchantment yet, Your Majesty."

Stella swallowed. The enchantment would soon be broken, if Noctis was already returning to Insomnia. Hopefully he had a plan.

Standing next to Crowe and Nyx on a rooftop in the darkest of night, I ignited lightning in my palm.

"Ready?" Crowe asked; lightning crackling in her palms as well. "Unleash your heaviest and most fiery of emotions to give the storm power."

An image of Stella Nox Fleuret appeared in my mind. "Got it." I raised up my hands and felt the natural course of the weather change. Clouds began to form around the Citadel, almost black, and very large. Sparks of electricity flashed within the clouds. I poured more energy into making it rain, the image of Stella fueling my power.

"I can take over from here, Your Majesty." Crowe snapped me out of my concentration. "You've got the devices?"

I reached into my pocket. The airship disablers were there. "Yep."

"Let's go then." Nyx gestured up to the sky. Airships were circling about, at least 20 of them.

The two of us warp strike towards the nearest one. I dig my blade into the metal hull as Nyx climbed up and into a window. As the airship continued flying on, it got closer to another ship which I warped to. Scampering up the side, I ripped the door off with my great sword and leapt inside. MTs pointed their guns at me but I used my lance to knock them off their feet. Using my gun, I fired at all five of them to subdue them. Once the last one stopped struggling, I went over to their main computer system. I took out one of the flash drives and plugged it in. The light turned on. The screen glitched out as it was replaced with the Kingsglaive symbol.

"Systems offline. Please evacuate immediately," said the overhead voice.

"And is my cue," I said, opening the cargo ramp, and leaping out. I spotted another airship in the distance, warping to it without another thought.

1 then 2 then 5 then 15 then I was out of airship disablers. One more airship remained. I could just manually disable it like I did in Altissia.

I leapt right onto the top of the flying airship. This one was huge, larger than the ones I disabled.

The ship stopped suddenly. I fell forward from the force. It was heading right for the Citadel. Niflheim finally caught on.

"Deploy the Dragoon!" a voice, Ravus, sounded on the intercom system. "Traitors to the Empire are sabotaging our airships."

Up above, a smaller airship was incoming. The cargo ramp opened up, and a person dressed in white cloth and black metal armor leapt out. Latching onto their giant lance, they shot down towards me like a spinning tornado. I lifted up my blade to block the impact. The so called Dragoon was surprised at my move. Flipping backwards and pointing the lance at me, I could see it was a woman. Her face was obscured by a black bladed helm.

"So the Prince is alive after all," she remarked. "Show me what you've got pretty boy."

She leapt at me with her lance. I blocked it again. I warped to the side, and then warped immediately back to her and unleashed a flurry of sword strikes. She used the smaller part of her massive lance to block with precision. Forcing me back, she leapt back into the air, using her lance to propel herself. I warped into the air after her, slicing up with my sword to knock her off balance before she could spin back down to the roof of the airship.

The two of us briefly floated in the air, before I attempted to strike at her again, only for her to parry my attack. As we fell, I swirled around to attempt another jab at her but she blocked. She lifted her leg up to kick my leg, but my blade collided with her armor instead. She was about to slam her lance into me again and I warped back to the airship. Her spin began again, heading straight for me. Sprinting over to her position, I parried her lance successfully, slamming her to the side.

Recovering her balance from being forced back, she skidded across the roof to a screeching halt. A smirk grew on her lips. "I can see you've got things covered on your end. Quittin' time. Sorry, this girl doesn't work after hours. I could but there wouldn't be a single gil in it for me. Aww, we should play again sometime pretty boy." She jumped back up into her airship. "Tell that Emperor for me that my men and I resign and I'm going back to doing what I do best," she shouted to me.

Crash! The airship had collided into the side of the Citadel. I fell on my butt from the impact. My phone began to ring. "Hello?" I answered amidst the airship falling. I ran off the tilting airship to warp to the nearest building's roof.

"Noct, we're moving up into the building. We heard a crash," said Ignis.

"Yep, nothing like an airship slamming into the side of a building." I peered over the wall of the Citadel, trying to see through the thick curtain of rain. A figure, the same person in heavy golden MT armor emerged from the shadows. And suddenly I was reminded of what had happened months earlier.

This was Dad's killer.

My eyes turned red at the thought of him still walking around.

"I'm coming in through the front door, once I clear out the Niffs."

"Noct-"

I hung up.

Nyx caught up to me. "Is that General Glauca?"

"Yes…He murdered the King. As the new King I decree that General Glauca of Niflheim dies…By my hand," I said before warping straight towards the general. Landing in front of him, I brandish my blade and pointed it at him. "Recognize me? The child of the King that which you assassinated?"

"A fool in the grander scheme," he retorted.

"You're a fool. You took my father from me, now pay penance for your deed!" I yelled, throwing my sword at him. His giant mechanical greatsword blocked it with ease.

"Your Majesty!" Nyx shouted behind me, warping over to throw his dagger at Glauca's head. The blade dented his armor and obscured his vision.

I flicked a flame to life in my hands. It wasn't as potent as gathering raw elements from outside resources but it would do enough damage. My anger was aflame, boosting my magic. I created a ball of fire and launched it right at Glauca. Nyx and I rolled away, looking away as the blast shook the ground.

"You honestly think one little bomb of your precious magic is going to hold us back?" Glauca. "The revolution has already won, pathetic King. You've lost your title, and we have reclaimed our hearth and home at least."

"Nothing could ever be good going with how one of your so called commanders just resigned five minutes ago!" I shouted, launching myself at the general with my Greatsword of the Tall in my grip. I stabbed the blade into the ground to twirl myself around and kick him in the face.

"Wait…Noct get his helm off!" Nyx shouted behind me. He warped behind Glauca as I landed a kick to his head, my greatsword swiping at his legs. Nyx stabbed in his dagger into the general's pauldrons. Enraged, he knocked me away with his greatsword. I rolled down the steps, my jaw slammed into the stone. My arms and legs numb, I raised my hand and summoned a lightning strike from the rainstorm above. Glauca flung Nyx off right before lightning struck his armor, shattering most of it. Pieces of metal went flying everywhere, including the helm.

The face of Drautos, covered in blood and black powder, glared me down.

"You…" I struggled to force the right words out. "You…bastard! You murdered my father, your own king! You betrayed your own kingdom!"

"Because of a king hiding behind his walls and illegal activity just to save his son. Galahad would be around still if it wasn't for the king worrying about his precious son. Now that one King is gone, I can remove the other," he said, hunched over in pain from the lightning strike.

"Nyx! Noct!" exclaimed Crowe.

I forced myself to get up. "You…You were there, you served my father since I was a child. You are the reason most of the Glaive had hope…And you turned their hope against them. That, on top of everything else you've done, is worse than stabbing my father in the back. And now Etro will guide you beyond right here, right now." I limped backwards; my legs in so much pain after the numbness wore off. Falling down again, I cried out in immense agony.

"Crowe help the King!" Nyx ordered, throwing fire at Drautos' back before knocking him into the air to duel.

Crowe sprinted over to me and helped me stand up. My knees shook and buckled. I stumbled to the side of the stairs instead, leaning on the railing to maintain some balance. She rose her arm up to channel up another lightning strike. I aided her, pouring more power into the heavy storm. Wind blew at us, almost trying to knock me over.

Drautos noticed us trying to summon another lightning strike. He moved down with his crackling greatsword to swipe at Crowe and I. Crowe moved herself to be in front of me.

"And now the line of Lucis ends, and the Crystal's protection shall fail," he declared.

He didn't hit me or Crowe. He hit Nyx instead.

"Nyx!" she cried out. Nyx stood before us, twin blades out trying to block the swipe, but missed by a mere few inches. The greatsword sliced his gut, blood pouring out onto the steps and mixing with the draining rain.

"No…" I whispered underneath my breath. Crowe and I released the lightning strike, and the rain added fuel to the fire. It struck Drautos directly in the chest, shattering what was left of his armor. Both Nyx and Drautos collapsed.

"No, no, no Nyx you're gonna be fine," Crowe said as she caught him. I pulled out a potion to heal his open wounds, but it still wasn't enough. He had lost a lot of blood. The blade had cut too deep

He coughed. "Crowe, it was going to happen one way or another. I was willing to die if it meant a brighter future under our new king. Crowe, tell Libertus that Galahad will only return if Noctis is on his throne."

She grabbed his hand. "I will…"

"No you can tell me yourself you son of a bitch," a bulky man said, walking out of the Citadel. "don't you dare die on me now, Nyx."

"Libertus…I don't blame you for what you've done. All…All I ask is you give Noctis a chance," Nyx coughed up more blood. "Drautos was wrong to use hope against us, against the king. Now, I know you guys can restore our faith…"

I swallowed, a lump in my throat. "May Etro guide you safely, Nyx Ulric. Loyal to the end."

Stella Nox Fleuret was to greet the Commodore at the front doors of the Citadel, just hours before the Kingsglaive sieged the Citadel. As she stood there overlooking the giant courtyard, the Commodore, dressed in black armor, stepped out of her car. Removing her black bladed helm, she shook out her grey hair.

Stella bowed. "Commodore Highwind, nice to see you here. I assume the Emperor sent you ahead for security?" The two began walking side by side into the main halls of the Citadel.

"Yeah. Him and his Chancellor are arriving in 6 hours. To be honest I don't think I'll stick around though. The Emperor keeps going on and on about his precious Crystal and how the fal'Cie is standing in his way, and the Chancellor, I just can't stand that guy."

Stella smiled briefly. "Perhaps…I share the same sentiment."

"Who could blame you? The Empire has always treated you like garbage from Day 1. While I am only here for the money, there's just something not right about the current leadership. Maybe it's time I left…But only after they get here and I can gracefully bow out. Maybe even go out with a bang."

"I wish you luck, Aranea."

"You too Fleuret. Be watchful of your brother though, who knows what's going on inside his head."

Aranea made a turn down a hallway, leaving Stella to her thoughts. If she had the choice, like Aranea Highwind, she would have left the Empire a long time ago. But she was here, on the inside, staying out of obligation and the fact they can kill her anytime they pleased.

Kill the fal'Cie.

She nearly jumped out of her skin. What was that voice? Where was it coming from?

Kill me.

The fal'Cie? No, this had to be a trick. Was it attacking the fal'Cie? Lucii? That wasn't possible; the fal'Cie had a spell protecting her, one created by the late king. And yet curiosity was a plague on her mind. She had to go look.

Kill me. Kill the fal'Cie.

Stella walked over to the elevator, and pressed the sub basement button. She remembered this place vaguely from when she was taken captive 12 years ago, when she met Noctis. Her heart leapt at the thought of him. No, it was over. Any hope to recover what she lost with him was diminished.

The elevator descended. Stella entered a trance-like state of mind. What was going on…? Why was she so compelled to go see the fal'Cie?

Why…

Libertus, Crowe, and I silently walked into the antechamber of the Citadel. My legs stopped hurting once I used an elixir. My phone rang, shattering the silence.

"Hello?" I answered as I picked up.

"Noct we're inside the main parts of the Citadel. The MTs are everywhere, especially the throne room," Cor responded, out of breath.

"That has to be where the Emperor and Chancellor are hiding. Eliminate the MTs, we're coming." I hung up.

"So now what, Your Majesty?" Libertus asked. "I take it from Nyx's word that you're different from the rest of the kings?"

I turned to face him. "I…Now that I…" Murdered. "Got rid of Drautos for treason…I feel like I might be becoming the king my father didn't want me to be."

Libertus was surprised. "If you're that aware then no, you're not."

Crowe crossed her arms. "When you saw what your father did behind your back, you were disgusted. That is you. That's who you are. If you didn't stop Drautos, I would have been dead along with Nyx."

I nodded. "There's only one thing left to do, remove the Emperor from my rightful throne." Turning to face forward, I summoned my blade and opened the door to the main grand hall.

MTs by the dozens began to shoot at us. My Armiger blocked all their shots. "Ready?" I asked the two glaives.

"Yes Your Majesty!"

Young Prompto stopped shaking when he heard the king's request. "I'm sorry your Majesty you want to do what, exactly?"

"Befriend my son, Prince Noctis," Regis said as if it was the easiest task ever. "We know about your origins, Prompto Argentum. Your parents are always busy fighting in the war they're rarely home to take care of you. That is to change. I want you to be friends with Noctis. He's always alone, always brushing kids his age off. He is no fool. But you Prompto, you're just as closed off as he is."

"But Your Majesty…" Prompto wanted so much to tell the truth. A Prince like Noctis was cool and level headed. Prompt was a chubby, shy kid. Who would want to hang out with a social outcast like him? "I accept. I promise, I won't let you down!" he bowed.

Regis nodded. "Do whatever you believe it will take." He and his men began walking out of the front door of Prompto's house, leaving the kid to think about what he just accepted himself into.

The blonde looked down at his stomach. His shirt barely covered his belly, always having to pull it down. Noctis was a skinny kid. He had to be, with the combat training required within the Citadel no doubt. And his eyesight was perfect, unlike Prompto's. The kid took his glasses off. Contacts wouldn't be so bad, right?

Do whatever you believe it will take, the king said. But how could he approach the prince in his current state? He wasn't worthy…At all.

He had to try.

Waking up in the morning, Prompto looked at his wrist. Noctis shall never know, he could never know. Pulling on his bracelet and sweats, he was prepared to go jogging.

But jogging was so hard. His feet hurt, and he began sweating instantly in the cool morning air. His breath was short within a minute.

A buff man in green workout shirt and shorts jogged by at a steady rate. "Hello!" he greeted with a genuine smile, as if to say "You're doing great!"

"Hello!" Prompto managed to gasp out.

This was going to take a while.

"Noct! You alright buddy?" Prompto greeted me as I sliced down another MT in front of the throne room.

"Yeah I'm fine. Glad you guys made through the mess in one piece," I said.

"Where is Nyx?" Gladio asked.

"He…Sacrificed himself to prevent Drautos from killing me," I answered, looking down. "Drautos was the one who…killed my father."

"Noct…" Ignis put a hand on my shoulder. "You have my sympathies."

"Thank you Specs."

"Your Majesty," Cor greeted. "Inside is Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt of Niflheim. He sits on your throne."

"Then Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio will join me. Everyone else I want you to clear out the Niffs from the rest of the main floors of the Citadel. It is crucial we are able to bring in my own citizens because I know Niflheim will retaliate very quickly."

Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio saluted to me.

"Don't worry; the Emperor won't be able to best us!" Prompto said, pulling out his gun. "Ready to go."

Cor and all of the Kingsglaive bowed to me. "Good luck, Your Majesty."

I smiled. "And to you as well, Marshall."

Turning away from them, I faced the door to the throne. Lifting my hand up, the Sword of the Father appeared in my grip. Prompto and Gladio pushed open the doors, and I stepped inside, my royal retinue following close behind me.

Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt sat upon my throne in the dim blue light seeping in through the walls. My red eyes scanned the room. No MTs or Niflheim officials in sight.

"So the king returns. He could not cut his losses while he could, could he?" Iedolas commented.

"This is not your kingdom. As the ruler I declare you and your associates unwelcome in my country any longer," I said. "That throne is mine, and only mine. I suggest you take your business elsewhere."

"Not until I get my crystal!" he snapped, pulling a gun out of his white robes. "Lost because of a foolish l'Cie sent by a fal'Cie to destroy what was mine! Your magic doesn't belong in a world that all can't have." He raised his hand. Your goddess is blasphemy. Death is a curse upon all! How you Lucians can even dare worship a curse is smearing the real gods, Lindzei and Pulse!" His eyes turned red and black. His gun was twirling in his hand. "So now go meet your precious goddess, son of a blasphemer!" he threatened in a twisted, borderline demonic voice.

The entire room fell into darkness. I turned on my light only to see a malfunctioning MT with half a helm on in front of me. On reflex I cut them down.

"Noct! Be aware, we're surrounded on all sides," Ignis explained as he slashed at the MTs with his daggers.

"Let's shed a little light on the subject, shall we?" Iedolas laughed as the lights came back on, but red. "I shall rule Lucis as the one True King. Niflheim will reclaim its former glory!"

The gun in his hand clicked, and he began to shoot at us. "Look out!" I cried out, dodging back and tackling Prompto to the side. I activated my Armiger to deflect the bullets. Iedolas changed targets and went for Ignis and Gladio, who scattered about the room trying to dodge the bullets as the gun continuously shot off. How much could one magazine carry?

I stepped in front of Ignis. Gladio had his shield out to block.

"This guy's gone off the deep end," Prompto said, moving behind Gladio. Once the magazine ran out in Iedolas' gun he pulled out another magazine, and another gun. Oh great.

"He's just one guy against four of us, he doesn't have endless shots," I said over the double barrage of bullets.

"One experienced inheritor to an empire against a young and clueless king," Iedolas mocked. He stopped shooting at us. In a demonic voice again, he continued. "I have seen true suffering unlike which you will never know; power beyond your imagination." His guns unfolded and became laser pointers. Deadly laser pointers.

My Armiger ended when I didn't want it to. "Damn it! Everyone scatter he can't get all of us at once."

"Running is certainly something I can do," Prompto said, stumbling to the sides, hiding behind a pillar.

"I swear this guy has gone insane like a Cie'th!" Gladio commented, summoning a larger body shield to deflect the lasers. It hit the crystal chandelier above me.

"Noct look out!" cried out Prompto. Ignis pulled me out of the way in time as the chandelier fell.

"Prompto, I need you to get your gun out again. You and I are gonna try getting a good shot at him."

"But he has deadly lasers!"

"So? I can't warp to him with those lasers. Last thing I need is to be intercepted by red beams of death," I commented, summoning my gun to my hand. I stood behind Gladio.

Prompt scampered around behind the pillars while Ignis drew Iedolas' fire. I would try to aim at him but he would remember I was watching and turn his fire back on Gladio.

There was one more thing I could do. I stepped out from behind Gladio.

"What are you doing Noct?" Gladio grunted, having been stuck in his shield stance.

"What a King must do," I said. My Armiger wasn't recharged yet, but I had a plan. I took out my great sword and deflected the laser right at Iedolas' feet. He screamed in agony, and Prompto shot straight at his hand. The bullet landed right in the back of his hand, causing him to drop both guns as he grasped his wounded one.

I warped straight to Iedolas. He looked up to see my red eyes. I summoned all my weapons before me, all pointing at him.

"Whoa Noct, where did that blue symbol behind you come from?" Prompto asked.

"Yeah that's new," Gladio commented. I looked behind me and sure enough there was a symbol, wide and glowing blue right behind me. I had to focus though. I turned back around to focus on the shocked Emperor of Niflheim.

My voice was devoid of any emotion or feeling as I delivered the last words he would hear. "May Etro have mercy on your soul."

I never got a chance to deal the final blow.

"The champion of the goddess shouldn't be so naughty, lest she decides not to have mercy on you," the voice of Ardyn spoke.

"What?" I gasped. A forceful gale of wind pushed me backwards off the throne's platform.

Ardyn walked out from behind the throne. "Oh how the greedy have fallen so far. I think I'll spare you the agony of having to kill another again." He smirked and snapped his fingers. Iedolas screamed in agony as his body became twisted into a horrific Cie'th. Flesh and bone was all he was left, splotches of black trailed down his limbs as wings sprouted out of his arms and ankles.

Ardyn leaned on the throne. "Too bad for him, he'll never know that the l'Cie that destroyed his own crystal…was his own advisor." He reached into his coat and pulled out a razor sharp dagger and stabbed straight into Aldercapt's chest.

The Cie'th of Iedolas twitched and screamed in agony, black blood pouring out from his wounds. Eventually he stopped twitching, slumping down onto the floor.

"Oh dear such a mess, I shall clean it up for you," Ardyn said, snapping his fingers once again. A portal made of a black mass formed beneath the body, absorbing it into the abyss. It was like it was never there to be begin with.

"You…" I said in disbelief. "What in Etro's name are you, you sick bastard?!"

Ardyn laughed. "They call me Izunia for so long I had forgotten where I had gotten where I got it from. My real name is Ardyn Lucis Caelum."

"And I should believe you why?" I said through gritted teeth. "All you've done is mock me and my family. What's once more?"

"You can choose to believe, or not believe all you want Your Majesty. I would never tell a lie."

"What did you do to the Emperor?!" I asked. I knew the guy was a power-hungry jerk but he didn't deserve that fate of being cursed for all eternity. No one does.

"Tried out the new powers I got thanks to the assistance of Stella Nox Fleuret. Perhaps you should go ask her."

"Liar!" I shouted. Stella would never help Ardyn…Would she?

"Ah ah ah, I said I would never tell a lie now did I? I fear there's nothing left for me here…for now."

And just like that he was gone. The red lights returned to blue, illuminating the room much better now.

I looked to my throne, empty, unscathed despite all the chaos. "Guys, please go check on everyone outside."

"You sure?" Gladio asked.

"I am sure. I need a moment."

The three nodded and turned to leave the throne room.

A sickening feeling, one of confusion and rage towards Ardyn and Stella, stirred in my gut. Why was this happening? What was causing all this? My head was spinning with questions. My goal was there for me to reclaim, but was it enough? It felt nothing more than a hollow victory. The Empire will crumble once word gets out that their emperor is dead, but Ardyn…Ardyn was the one pulling the strings the entire time. A headache started just thinking about it. I needed rest, even if for a brief moment.

I slowly walked up to the throne. I brushed my fingers along the intricate armrests. Never had I thought I would be here, where my father once sat, where his father sat, and so on. I sat down, placing my elbow on the armrest, and leaned on my fist, my eyes closed.

Oh boy the next chapter is gonna really be a doozy. It is basically the chapter that motivated me to write this entire fic in the first place.

Kitani: Glad to deliver on the intenseness :D And thank you for your constant encouragement the whole time. I really appreciate it 3

Anon: Yes Noct did scare his shining star away...but I think Stella would have figured out his feelings anyways XD And more gnarly intense stuff is going down next chapter as well. Thank you for your review haha.

Feel free to leave a review if you wish, see ya in December! Got a lot of stuff to unpack next two chapters. The very last two chapters of this story are going out a week apart.