Noctis summoned his sword, fully expecting to hear his friends get ready to fight behind him. Instead, he heard absolutely nothing. Chancellor Izunia smirked "Is there something wrong, Your Highness?" not moving an inch from where he was.
Noctis desperately wanted to glance over his shoulder to check on his friends, but doing so would have been dangerous considering who stands in front of him. "Why are you here?" He demands instead.
Chancellor Izunia finally moved, the movement odd among the stillness of the world around them. "I'm afraid I cannot answer that, Your Highness." He stepped closer to Noctis, who barely refrained from stepping back. "Of course, if you were to answer my question first, I might find it in me to answer yours." His figure blurred suddenly and Noctis was left looking at a half opened door.
"I'm rather curious as to why Your Highness would be coming to this room, bearing what appears to be a rather traditional Niflheim supper with him." The Chancellor's voice came from behind him. Noctis twisted as quickly as he could without falling. His heart seized as he saw Chancellor Izunia beside Ignis, sampling a piece of chicken.
Ignis was looking straight ahead; unblinking, unmoving and unaware of the man beside him. Gladio and Prompto were the same, looking straight ahead at the door as though still waiting for Noctis to knock on it. They looked unharmed, even Prompto (despite his closeness to the Chancellor), which was a great relief to Noct.
"Now are you willing to answer my question, Your Highness?" Chancellor Izunia licked his finger before taking a single step away from Ignis. It was enough for Noctis to calm down and gather his thoughts.
"I'm unsure as to which you are referring to, Chancellor. You have asked me so many questions that I'm afraid I do not know which one you wish me to answer." Noctis replied, as he made his way to stand between his friends and the Chancellor, sword still in hand. He gave a proper bow from a prince to a Chancellor; one that would have made Ignis proud, but it was more to ensure the Chancellor didn't have any reason to hurt them than any real gesture of respect.
Chancellor Izunia smiled peacefully as he took a few more steps away from Noctis and his friends. "Of course, Your Highness." He returned the bow with his own, just as perfectly polite if slightly more mocking. "I was wondering what brings Your Highness to this small inconspicuous room with such a delightful Niflheim meal in hand?"
Noctis replied in as even a tone as he could manage, "Helping out some hunters in need of a meal. Or so I was told by the hunters we meet several hours ago." He shrugged unapologetically. "Seeing you here, it would appear that we were lied to. Unfortunate, but it does happen when you are a prince with a bounty on your head. Wouldn't you agree, Chancellor?"
The Chancellor's smile widened. "Is that so?" He seemed amused by Noctis' reply. Chancellor Izunia turned away from Noct for a moment before turning back. He snapped his fingers almost gleefully, "Then since you have been brought here on false pretenses, shall we have a change of scenery?"
Before Noctis could respond, the colorless world around them spun head over heel. Noctis stumbled as he tried to keep his balance as the ground disappeared, and then seemed to slip back into place. He shook his head as he tried to clear away the dizziness that threatened to make him hurl.
"A bit too much for you, Your Highness?" Chancellor Izunia asked in a bored tone. Noctis straightened and glared at the man. The Chancellor looked completely unfrazzled by the sudden change in scenery, even to the point of looking slightly bored.
Noctis turned away from the Chancellor and looked around him. From the far side of the Three Z`s Motel to a still colorless mountainous land covered by… was that snow? Noctis frowned; it was hard to say when everything was in tones of grey, white or black but he wasn't feeling cold.
"Enjoying the view? I must admit this is one of my favorite views within Niflheim's original territory." The wistful tone in the Chancellor's voice took Noctis by surprise; it seemed almost… sad?
Noctis stopped looking around and turned his attention to the Chancellor. Said Chancellor wasn't looking at him at all; rather he seemed to be gazing downwards into the valley. Noctis frowned; for a moment he could have sworn the person in front of him wasn't the Chancellor of Nilfheim, but rather Ardyn Lucis Caelum.
Maybe they were twins? Noctis tilted his head slightly as he considered the disturbing possibility. Such a thing would imply that the Chancellor of Niflheim could also access the Lucis Caelum's magic and the Royal Arms. It would make the man that much more dangerous. He was already using some kind of odd magic, probably the same kind that Ardyn had used during their last meeting though much more visible and obvious.
Noctis sighed; all of this was giving him a migraine. He much preferred being straightforward about things. "What do you want, Chancellor?" He dismissed his sword. He doubted it would be useful if the Chancellor actually wanted to harm him.
The Chancellor looked utterly amused by Noctis' question. He turned away from the view, crossed his arms and seemed to contemplate whether he should laugh at Noctis or not. "What I want?" Suddenly the muscles of his jaw seemed to clench together tightly. Noctis was almost hearing his teeth grinding together.
"What I want?" The Chancellor dropped his arms by his side, hands clenched tightly into fists that trembled. Noctis suddenly considered summoning his sword back just to have something in his hands in face of the sudden, almost overwhelming anger that faced him. "What I want, dear Chosen King, is for you to do what you're supposed to be doing!" Noctis flinched back as the Chancellor carefully but forcefully enunciated his reply to Noctis' question.
The Chancellor stepped closer. "What I want is for you to explain why you seem so willing to throw away the lives of your friends, your subjects and even your father for your own stubbornness! Why have you turned your back on seeking the Tidemother's, or any of the other Astral's blessing?" This time Noctis did step back.
The Chancellor stopped a bit in front of Noctis, glared at the prince as he waited for a reply. Noctis was stunned, of all the responses he had expected from the Chancellor, this had not been one at all. "Well? I answered your question, Your Highness. It is courtesy to answer mine," demanded Chancellor Izunia, crossing his arms.
Noctis quickly tried to come up with a reply that wouldn't get him killed. "I'm not?" He winced at the poor attempt to word his thoughts. "I mean, I'm not throwing anyone's life away. Or at least, I'm trying not to. That's why I'm not going to Altissia yet." He really wasn't sure that explaining his plans to the Chancellor of Niflheim was much of a great idea.
Scratch that - he knew it was a horrible idea but it seemed as though the man already knew a good part of it already. He certainly was aware of their decision to not awaken any of the remaining Astrals. Noctis hoped that by adding the yet into his words, he could placate the Chancellor long enough to figure out how to get out of the situation.
"Go on." Chancellor Izunia said, unmoving from his position.
Noctis took it as a good sign. He needed to choose his next words carefully, "I may be the Chosen King, but that doesn't give me the right to leave my people to suffer under Niflheim's unjust rule. Daemons being unleashed on city streets at night while soldiers loot during the day; how can I stand by and do nothing?" He had to clench his own fists to stop himself from succumbing to the sudden desire to punch a certain someone in the face.
"If I could, I would go rescue my father in a heartbeat but I cannot! So I must do what I can and that is to save Lucis and its people." Noctis raised his head to stare straight at the Chancellor, trying and slightly failing to hide the fury he felt when he thought of the outrageous conditions his people had to suffer through. "I didn't ask to be the Chosen King of Light. Eos can wait until I'm done ensuring the safety of my people. That's what the Cure made possible and I'm not throwing that precious gift away. Not even for the Astrals!"
Chancellor Izunia gazed at Noctis thoughtfully. He seemed much less angry than before, a good thing - or so Noctis hoped. "You said you would go save your father if you could. What prevents you from doing so? I gave you the location and even allowed that foolish man to overhear the security details on more than one occasion."
Noctis felt his jaw drop. "What in Ifrit's name are you talking about?" he demanded.
The Chancellor pursed his lips. "Clarus Amicitia of course! I even went out of my way to drop him off where he would be found by his dear, darling son." He looked genuinely put off by Noctis' ignorance.
Noctis shook his head. "Lord Amicitia suffered a serious concussion and partial memory loss. He remembers only small parts and pieces of what happened between the time Insomnia fell into Niflheim's hands and his rescue by his son." The Chancellor clicked his tongue, looking disappointed.
"Such careful planning! All to waste over such a small thing as a concussion!" The Chancellor threw his hands in the air, his upper lip curling as he started pacing. "I really should have just carved it into him. I wanted to, but no! Ardyn just had to interfere and complain about the chances of infection if I did that." Noctis watched, stunned, as the Chancellor seemed to forget his presence.
"And now look where we are! A perfectly good plan thrown out because of how weak humans are." He grumbled. "Improvisation was never my strong point either, more like his…" The Chancellor turned and looked at Noctis. A wide smile suddenly gracing his face in a way that made Noctis recoil.
Noctis swallowed dryly and forced himself to ask, "What are you planning?" Could he warp down the mountain and somehow escape whatever illusion or technique the Chancellor was using? Doubtful, but at this point he was getting desperate.
Chancellor Izunia grinned. "Another change of scenery." Noctis barely had the time to brace himself before everything shifted again. The same nauseating loss of balance as before, made no different by Noctis' expectation of it, settled down to show Noctis metal halls that seemed eerily familiar.
Noctis tensed; the Chancellor was within arm's reach, leaning against the bars of a cell and staring expectantly at him. His stomach churned under the unrelenting gaze. Noctis had a small idea of where he was and what he might find if he did what the Chancellor was expecting of him.
He refrained from moving, keeping his own gaze fixed to the Chancellor's with as much strength and stubbornness as he could summon. The Chancellor remained unmoved, waiting; but two could play at that game and Noctis had no intention of giving the Chancellor anymore satisfaction.
He also knew that if he was right, if he turned around and looked at the cell right behind him and found who he thought he would, then Noctis wouldn't be able to contain his anger and worry. Without caring about what might happen, Noctis would, without a doubt, try to kill Chancellor Izunia. And if this wasn't some kind of illusion, then Noctis would be in the middle of a highly-classified Niflheim prison with no way to truly help anyone.
Noctis took a deep breath, shifted slightly to be more comfortable and settled to wait. He wasn't going to give the Chancellor any more ammunition to use against them. Noctis' intentions were clear as he gave in to the urge to cross his arms.
The Chancellor sighed dramatically. "And here I thought I was doing you a favor after your fervent declaration of filial piety." He straightened smiling and said, "Your father is right there behind you. I can even tell show you where this place is within Eos if you'd like." He lost his smile as Noctis stayed silent and apathetic to his words.
"I tell you your father is right there and you don't even flinch? I had no idea you were so cold, Your Highness," Chancellor Izunia said, eyes darting over Noctis in search of any reaction. Nothing. The Chancellor's eyes started turning red as he took a step closer to Noctis. "What are you trying to accomplish here, Noctis? To prove something? To whom?"
The Chancellor shook his head, tiny blue sparks flying through the air before fading into an otherwise-colorless world. "How pitiful you are. Chosen by the Crystal of the Lucii and for what?" The Chancellor leaned closer as he whispered into Noctis' ear. "Do you know what is expected of you? Do you know what it means to be chosen by the Astrals? I'm trying to help you, Noctis. Let me."
The Chancellor slowly lifted a hand up to Noctis' shoulder. He could see how tense the prince became as he moved. Noctis gritted his teeth together and shoved the Chancellor away, hard.
"I know what is expected of me," Noctis said through gritted teeth, fighting his fury and fear. "Now I would appreciate it if you would bring me back to my friends, Chancellor. I have things to do, and no time to waste listening to your delusions." Noctis swallowed the words; angry bitter words that wouldn't help the situation one bit.
Instead, he channeled the years of etiquette and diplomacy training and said, "If you do wish to help, then please empty Lucis of all Niflheim soldiers within the next week. I would be delighted to speak further once that is done." Noctis squared his shoulders, dropping his arms and tangling his hands together behind his back.
Noctis wasn't sure how the Chancellor would react. For all he knew, the man could decide to kill him right here and now. He certainly didn't expect the man to go still, eyes widening in surprise at Noctis' words.
"You know, and yet you..." Chancellor Izunia seemed lost for words, something Noctis was sure was a rare occurrence. Noctis shifted slightly as the Chancellor's gaze seemed to become more calculating than before. The world shifted around them once more. Noctis almost stumbled as he found himself standing in front of room 106 of the Three Z's Motel.
He was alone. The moment he realized this, the world burst to life. "Noctis, are you alright?" Ignis' voice made him jump up.
Ignis glanced between Noct and the open container in his hand, looking utterly confounded by the sudden appearance of a torn piece of chicken. Gladio stared at Noctis; and Prompto... "Prom!" Noctis shouted, scrambling over to the kneeling man.
Prompto was as pale as a ghost, his whole body trembling like a leaf. He looked two seconds from passing out. Noctis' exclamation had Ignis and Gladio also moving to help, concern about suddenly-open containers put aside in favor of more immediate problems.
Prompto weakly waved everyone's worry away, whispering, "I'm okay, I'm okay." No one believed him. There were plenty of things to discuss; and Noctis really needs to talk with them, but they do have a room full of Resistance people who should have been drawn by the noise.
Noct glanced at the half-open door, biting his lower lip as he made his decision. He turned to his boyfriends. "I know what's wrong with Prom, but it's not the right place to talk. Gladio and I are going to check out the room. Someone should have heard us and come to check by now."
Gladio glanced to the door and frowned, agreement and suspicion written plainly on his face. "I should go in don't know what happened and in such cramped space, it's too dangerous if it's a trap."
Noctis frowned and finally said, "Fine, but I'll be right behind you." He doubted that there would be anything dangerous in there but he didn't want to waste time arguing. Noctis left Prompto with Ignis and followed Gladio towards Room 106.
Gladio walked over to the door, carefully listening for any sounds coming from within. Nothing. The room was quiet, as though empty. It didn't bode well at all. Gladio glanced back at Noctis, motioning him to stay back as he pushed the half opened door wider and took a good look inside.
The room was immaculate, with no sign of anyone having been there recently. Gladio stepped inside the room, looking around carefully before letting Noctis step inside. Noctis glanced around the room, frowning at how utterly empty and normal it looked.
"I'll go help Ignis with Prom." Gladio said as he finished checking the bathroom and headed out. Noctis nodded, still looking around. He was feeling utterly confused by his conversation with the Chancellor. Had it really happened?
Noctis walked over to the closest of the large twin beds, and started to strip off the first layer of bedding for Prompto when he saw it. The piece of paper tucked out of sight under the pillow. Noctis grabbed it.
Was it a message from the people Dino had sent them to meet? Or was it from the Chancellor?
The offer has been made. What you most desire awaits you at the Tidemother's Mercy. I would not dawdle if I were you, for the tides wait for no man.
A/N:So this chapter is a bit iffy for me. I wrote the beginning then what turns into part of the ended, took a break, reread it then realized that I couldn't just make the conversation between Evil Chancellor and Noctis be less than a thousand words. I ends up being a lot longer than I expected and I'm not sure how I like the final product tbh but here it is. Reviews are always appreciated! Thank you for reading.
