"If you kids are done playing around, we'll cast off and get this heap underway!" Cid had to shout to be heard over the storm and even then his words were nearly drowned out by a rumbling of thunder.
Regis gave a nod. With a great lurch and a rumble of the engine—quieter than Regis remembered beneath the storm—they were set free into the ocean.
"The clouds only extend a few miles past the coast," Weskham said. "After that, we should be in clear waters."
"Unless Leviathan takes issue with our passing," Regis said.
The look on Weskham's face said he hadn't considered that before and wished he hadn't still. "You really pissed them off, didn't you?"
"The Draconian does not take kindly to being ignored," Regis said. And nothing else for it.
As the boat began to pick up speed, they left the rail and headed to the cockpit to seek shelter and Cid's company. Cor joined them a few moments later, shaking water from his head like a wet dog. It was drier beneath the cover, but only just. Weskham stowed his umbrella. It would do little good against the spray coming in from the sides.
"Gonna get real choppy here, so hold onto your hats," Cid warned as the docks of Insomnia fell away behind them.
Regis braced himself against the side of the cockpit, while Clarus and Weskham did likewise. Cor stood at parade rest beside Cid's seat, feet set on the rocking deck and hands tucked behind his back. There was little to hold onto; instead they wedged in as well as they could and hoped that the traction between their shoes and deck held. The waters only seemed to grow rougher. They skimmed over the top of the choppy sea, dropping down each time they crested a wave and were buffeted this way and that by incoming waters. The day was still so dark they couldn't tell if dawn had passed or not, but ahead in the distance they began to see the hint of light.
"What is that?" Cor asked.
"It's what we, outside the Crown City, call dawn," Weskham said.
Cor shot him a murderous look. But it was. Dawn as they had not seen in months, lightening the eastern sky. They watched it grow as the boat lurched beneath them. The clouds overhead grew paler. For the first time in months, the rains began to slow, great drops becoming a steady drizzle. Thunderous roars faded into distant rumbles behind them. And all at once they found themselves sailing in clear seas under a pale blue sky, with the sun shining in the east.
"I admit, even having heard your report, a part of me refused to believe the whole world was not covered in storms." Clarus lifted a hand to shield his eyes.
Regis stepped out onto the deck and into the watery sunlight. He blinked aching eyes in the unfamiliar brightness and stared off the side of the ship to the lit horizon. Behind them, Insomnia was hidden from view behind a wall of black storm clouds. The only light was the occasional burst of lightning.
The sudden calm called the others from below decks. The hatch swung open and what Kingsglaives had remained below and out of reach of the storm emerged, blinking, into the sunlight to gaze eastward. For a time no one spoke. It seemed a bright portent for their mission to come. But whatever it was, they basked in it, stepping out into the growing light and soaking in as much as they could now. For if all went well they would return to the storm before dawn tomorrow.
Once out of Ramuh's reach, the waters calmed, and though Regis remained tense and alert, standing at the rail of the boat and feeling for any indication that Leviathan would take up the call and prevent them from reaching their destination, the rest of the voyage proved to be smooth sailing.
It was mid morning before the coast of Niflheim could be seen. Cid took them around it, keeping to the horizon and out of sight as well as they could without even cloud cover to hide their passage. They swept north, hoping to land as near to Tenebrae as possible.
"Let's hope this visit to Tenebrae goes more smoothly than the last," Clarus said.
"This time we do not have an imperial spy in the Citadel," Regis said.
Cor scoffed. "Yes we do. You're just coddling him instead of throwing him in a cell."
He never had been one to mince words. Some day that would get him in trouble, but Regis had always found it endearing. Not many people would speak their mind so openly in front of the king, even when their mind held criticism.
"That is Prince Ravus of Tenebrae you speak of, Cor, and soon to be my daughter's betrothed. Someday he will be Prince-escort to your Princess, so have a care where you lay your words."
Cor shrugged, but added no further commentary. If Noctis or Reina turned out to be less tolerant of his rough and outspoken ways, he would struggle to fit under their rule, when the time came. But he would fit. He had a loyalty in him more deep-seated than his stubbornness. And with any luck they would not have to worry about any of that for many years yet.
It was several hours further before Cid gave the call they had been waiting for.
"Got the coast of Tenebrae in sight, Yer Highness. We'll have to swing in closer, but if you've got any magic tricks to make it easier, now'd be the time."
"It's 'Majesty', now, Cid," Clarus said, though he grinned.
"I'm merely surprised he recalled I had a title at all," Regis said. And with that in mind, 'Highness' was near enough. Never mind that he hadn't been a prince for several decades now.
"Captain Ulric." Regis turned to find Ulric standing at his shoulder already. "Have your people stir up a low fog. The more inconspicuous you can make us, the better."
Strictly speaking, the sea was not one of the royal family's domains, but with the right combination of magic and a little ingenuity, fog was a doable form of cover. Regis had some ideas of his own to that end, but this was a problem for the Glaive to pick apart. That was, after all, why he had brought them.
Ulric gave commands and the Glaive scrambled to obey. It was a treat to watch them; they lined the rails of the ship and magic surged around, drawing strength from Eos through Regis, but without taxing him. Fire and ice surged. The winds began to pick up, lifting mist from the surface of the water and casting it wide around them. The glaring light of the sun grew dimmer. The air grew cold and wet. And in but a few minutes more, they could not see the coast of Tenebrae at all anymore. They had merely to trust that Cid would take them there—visible or not.
They moved more slowly in the fog. It covered their passage in broad daylight, yes, but it also prevented them from seeing where they were going. While the waters were smooth and calm, for the most part, they were also unknown. As Cid explained, they had no way of guessing if there were shallow places, reefs, or rocks to be avoided along the way. They could only watch.
They held their breaths, tensions growing as time passed. But they passed by hazards without incident, guided by Cid's deft hands, and drew gradually closer to Tenebrae's coast without attracting attention. So far as they could tell. Soon enough they could see the land through the thick fog, though they were forced to follow it for some distance to find a suitable place to moor.
Tenebrae's coast was largely rocky cliffs, with every available patch of soil densely populated by trees. It was good for cover, if nothing else, but made docking a complicated matter. It took a full hour of scanning the coast to find a sheltered cove that was deep enough to pull into and tie off the boat. From there out it was all motion.
"A contingent should stay with the boat," Clarus said. "Cid, you'll need to be ready to leave at short notice. We may be pursued when we return."
"If you think I'm staying here, you got another thing coming, boy." Cid rose from his seat, arms crossed and a tense scowl on his features. "I didn't sail all the way out here to let you kids get into trouble on your own."
"Somehow has to stay with the boat," Clarus said.
"Then leave some of your fancy guards to do it."
There was little point to arguing with him that Regis could see. He would come whether they preferred him to stay or not; unless Regis meant to order him not to leave the boat—which he did not—they would have his company. And be all the better for it.
In the end a handful of Glaives were left aboard. They were no happier than Cid to be left out of the action, but had less say in what their part to play was. So they remained without complaint. At least not while Regis was within earshot.
Dry land was still a short wade away. They had no dock to tie up at and the cove quickly became too shallow for the boat to approach any closer. Short leaps, however, were a small matter for this crew. Regis stepped up onto the rail and leapt through the In-Between onto the rocky coastline. He landed neatly and turned back to glance at the boat. One by one the Glaives did the same, appearing in blue flashes around him, some tumbling and rolling to counteract the momentum they had inadvertently built up in their warp, until only Cor, Clarus, Cid, and Weskham remained aboard.
"Show off!" Clarus shouted.
Regis grinned, though the way Clarus' voice echoed off the rocks made his hair stand on end. The others, without such a strong grasp of Caelum magic, were forced to vault over the railing and wade through waist-deep water to reach the shore. It took the utmost control to keep from laughing at them. When they reached Regis and stood wringing out their clothes and dumping water from their boots, he did laugh.
"Just like old times, hum?" Weskham gave a good-natured smile in return.
"And don't think we won't get you back, just like old times," Clarus said.
"I look forward to it," Regis said. "In the meantime, we should be underway."
It was already nearing midday and they had only just arrived. At this rate they would be lucky to return to Lucis before dawn tomorrow. The portion of Tenebrae they had chosen to land in had no roads. Indeed, there was not nearly enough space between trees to drive the Regalia even if they could have gotten it ashore and fit two dozen Kingsglaives inside. They would have to go by foot and trust to Regis' memory of the place to find Fenestala. If he was correct in his estimates, it would take them some time yet to reach it.
So they walked. Tenebrae was shady and cool, despite the shining sun above the canopy, but bit by bit his sodden friends began to dry off. The Glaives fanned about them, ever alert and intense, even when the forest was silent save for birdsong. They were well-trained. And Ulric had them well in hand. Not for the first time, he uttered silent thanks to whatever fate had allowed Reina to uncover Drautos' true nature. He little liked to think what would have happened if he had been in this situation with Drautos and the traitor Glaives at his back.
The day drew on. Through deceptively peaceful forests they marched. It was difficult not to be lulled by the silver trees and enchanting birdsong. No one spoke, much, save to confer regarding directions and times. It was mid afternoon before the trees and terrain became more familiar, and the land began to widen into the dell that surrounded Tenebrae. They circled around, avoiding the southern side of Fenestala, where the forested city wrapped around the railroad, and instead came upon the manor from the north where they could crouch, sheltered among the trees, and see the capitol itself. It looked as peaceful as the forest. And not changed in the slightest from four years ago, when last Regis had seen it.
"How are we getting in?" Clarus asked.
Their vantage showed the rear of the manor, standing atop a spire of stone. The walkway that led up to the front gates would be well guarded, no doubt.
"There is a secondary path." Regis leaned closer to Clarus and pointed out the trailing line that climbed up the backside of the cliff. "If we can gain the level of the manor that way, we should be able to infiltrate from behind. With any luck, the Glaive can move unseen between balconies, but we can only guess where Sylva and Lunafreya are being held."
"I don't like it," Cor said. "You know that chancellor better than I do, but he seems like the sort who's always waiting for someone to sneak up behind him. He'll have a knife ready when we do."
"Chancellor Izunia is infamous in Accordo. Camelia thinks he has eyes on the back of his head and ears in every building," Weskham said.
"I do not believe that Ravus has passed further information to him," Regis said. "And I cannot imagine where else he would learn of our plans. But we will be cautious and assume that he knows more than he could. The more quickly we do this, the less time he will have to react."
And that was the best they could do, for now. They moved out, descending toward the base of the Fenestala spire to begin their climb to the manor.
It was not an easy climb. Twenty years ago he might have managed it without issue. Indeed, Cor seemed to have no trouble with the twisting pathway—if it could even be called that—that wound a way up from the forest floor to the backside of Fenestala Manor. Before his encounter with Drautos, Regis would have blamed his shortness of breath on the Ring, the Wall, and all other manner of excuses for his failing health and accelerated age. But Clarus and Weskham were not much better off. They had all grown complacent and out of shape in their quiet lives.
And yet there was no time to waste with resting. So they climbed. And the stone walls of Fenestala rose up before them. At the top of the rock formation they crouched among the bushes and long-hanging branches, which Tenebrae was thick with, and conversed in hushed voices.
"We can get in through those balconies." Ulric's whisper, as he pointed out the stacked balcony doors all along this side of the Manor, was nearly lost in the rustle of leaves.
"We cannot assume that they will leave doors open and unguarded, as they did during our brief stay here," Clarus whispered.
"They don't need to," Ulric responded. "If we can see it, we can warp to it."
And then some, as Drautos' experimentation had shown. But those were yet skills in the development for the Glaive as a whole. Better not to press their luck when they needed it most.
"And the rest of us?" Weskham asked. "I don't doubt Cor could monkey his way up there, but I'd rather not try my luck climbing only to find a locked door."
"Are you willing to try climbing if you have someone to unlock the door?" Regis asked.
"I go where you lead, Sire."
Cor and Clarus echoed his sentiment with a nod each.
Cid crossed his arms over his chest. "I ain't climbing. But this old frog ain't lost all his leap."
A mechanic and a dragoon to the core. Because no one so near the royal family was permitted to labor under their own ignorance. Everyone who stood beside the throne was capable of defending it.
"Then we have an accord," Regis whispered.
They remained crouched in the bushes for a few moments longer while Ulric divided his Glaives into groups and assigned them sections of the Manor to search. Regis and his retinue were left to the lowest level accessible by balcony, which prevented the old men in his crew from climbing so far.
Once all was organized, they broke.
In silent blue streams, the Kingsglaive leapt from the undergrowth and warped up the side of the manor. They moved in backwards cascades, pausing at each balcony before leaping higher and higher still, nearly disappearing from sight, save for the lingering glow of magic in the air.
Regis left the energetic show of acrobatics to the younger folk. His own warp was less leap and more step. The step began on the ground, transferred him through the In-Between, and ended on the lowest balcony above their heads.
It was not a wide balcony and gave scant cover from the inside. Nevertheless, he kept low and put his back to the outside wall, peering around the edge of the glass door into the room beyond. As Clarus had predicted, all the doors and windows were closed. But in one respect, at least, they were in luck. The room appeared deserted. Servants' quarters, perhaps, but unoccupied for the moment. No lights were lit, no fire was kindled inside. Regis tried the handle and found it, predictably, locked.
Cid landed heavily on the balcony beside him. He straightened and shook out his legs, shooting Regis a glare as if to threaten him off from any comments on a less than perfect landing. Regis bit his tongue to keep from rising to the bait. Instead he made a wordless motion and Cid mirrored him on the opposite side of the door, out of sight from within.
Over the side of the balcony, they watched the others climb. Thankfully, Fenestala resembled not at all the smooth metal-and-glass construction of the Citadel. The stone walls provided ample finger holds even for unfit climbers.
Cor took the lead easily and, in a few moments, Regis offered him a hand up onto the balcony. Clarus and Weskham followed a minute later, and all five of them crowded on the balcony. It was far from large enough to permit all of them to remain out of sight.
"No time like the present," Regis murmured. "Be on your guard."
Though the interior of the room was dimly lit, he could see it clearly through the glass balcony door. He stepped through the In-Between once more and found himself in the cool and dusty interior of an unused room, looking out at his friends from the opposite side of the door. He unlatched it with a flick and pulled the doors open for them.
"Sylva's rooms are several floors up from here. If she remains in her usual quarters under imperial rule, we have scant chance of finding her before the Glaive do. But it is still possible they have moved her and Lunafreya elsewhere in the manor," Regis said in hushed tones, once they were all inside.
"Any idea where they'd be taken?" Cor asked.
"I am merely guessing. But there are lower levels to Fenestala. Beneath the stone. That would be the most secure place to keep a prisoner."
"Well, we are the lowest search party. We may as well take a look while the Glaives search above," Clarus said.
And look they did. The halls beyond the disused quarters were silent and deserted. Eerily so. Their intelligence on Fenestala came mostly from outside; Magitek soldiers guarded the entrances and perimeter and no one was seen coming or going from the manor, but if no one had left, what had happened to the household? There should have been servants and guards if nothing else. Sylva kept a well-ordered household. This was a dusty ruin.
In spite of the silence and apparent abandonment of the manor, they crept along as quietly as they were able. Their footsteps seemed to echo painfully loudly, but nothing came bearing down on them. They risked not a single whisper as Regis led the way; the only thoughts they exchanged were via looks and gestures.
He remembered some little of the interior of Fenestala. It was a castle to rival his own, and not a home to know the layout of in a few short visits. Nevertheless, with some exploration they found the stairs descending lower, then lower still, past the ground-level windows into the dark cellars beyond. The air grew cooler and more damp. But no less quiet.
In the lack of natural light, Regis summoned a handful of crackling flames from Ifrit's gift and they proceeded in a line behind him with Cor bringing up the rear.
The cellars were extensive. The longer they searched the more vast they seemed to become. Indeed, they even found stairs leading deeper down, and descended another level. Across the radio came the regular reports from above: The Kingsglaive proceeded in a similar and doubtless more methodical manner above, but had thus far found nothing. Not a servant, not a guard, not even a Magitek soldier. With each further report, Regis exchanged a look with Clarus over his shoulder. Even without words, they were both in agreement.
Something was very wrong. The sooner they left this place, the better.
It seemed hours they wandered through the maze of doors and corridors in the cellar. Every time they turned a corner it stretched farther on, with more twists and turns, until Regis had little confidence that they would find their way out again. And then, quite suddenly, it ended. In a single, open door with a light on within.
The first light they had seen lit inside Fenestala. The first door they had found open.
Regis glanced over his shoulder at Clarus, squeezing his hand shut on the flames and leaving them standing in what pitiful light trickled out from the open door ahead. Clarus stepped in front of him and led the way in, making a motion that they should follow at a distance. He held his hand at his side, the magic humming around him in preparation for summoning his sword, but he did not draw his blade. Not yet. First he peered into one corner of the room, then the other. And when neither of those yielded dangers, he rounded the door, sword leaping to his call, and stood wide in the open doorway.
Nothing happened. From the shadows they watched him step inside, checking every corner before motioning them forward.
The room was all but empty. A pile of broken crates lay stacked in one corner, a tarp heaped beside them as if pulled off and cast aside. Beside the open door, back to the wall, was a chair as if someone had been sitting, watching over this door.
"Empty. Save for that." Clarus pointed with his sword to a trapdoor.
"Promising," Regis said, entering the room along with the others. "And eerie. Open it."
Clarus banished his sword and stooped to do as he was told. The door opened without so much as a creak; judging by the way Clarus heaved, it must have been heavy, but it was not barred or locked. He hauled it open and cast the room's light on a tiny space below.
And there, blinking in the sudden light, were two women huddled together. Well dressed but unkempt, the older holding the younger to her chest protectively. Fearfully.
"Sylva," Regis said. "It has been some while."
She was too astounded even to form words. But Lunafreya pulled her head away from her mother's protective grasp and looked up at them. Though the same shock crossed her face, she found her words more quickly than her mother.
"King Regis!"
"The very same."
"Is Ravus with you?"
"No. I left him safely in Lucis, which is where I hope to take both of you. Come along now. The sooner we leave this place the better. Haul them up, Cor."
At his word, Cor dropped down into the hole. It was shallow enough that his head and shoulders were above the level of the trap door while he was standing. With little trouble he managed to haul slight Lunafreya out, passing her off to Weskham. She seemed hardly larger than Reina, though she had been much taller a few years before. With the help of both Cor and Clarus, Sylva climbed out to stand beside her daughter. She shot Regis a look torn between gratitude and fear. There was a long chat to be had between them, but this was neither the time nor the place.
A slow clap sounded from behind them. Regis spun to find the empty chair by the door occupied—impossibly—by the imperial chancellor.
"Oh bravo! Well done. A daring rescue into the bowels of Fenestala Manor and here you are. I admit, you took a little longer than I had expected. And I even tried to make it easy for you, leaving the lights on and the door open, but still you bumbled through every single room in the palace. I must commend you for your thoroughness, I suppose, but you'll be making your escape by nightfall now that you've secured your prize and perhaps that was your intent all along but… it does seem a poor plan, doesn't it? The storm may be confined to Lucis, but the daemons are not."
Regis stepped in front of Sylva and Lunafreya. Clarus stepped in front of him.
Chancellor Izunia tsked. "Come now, you can't truly believe I mean to stop you, now that you've come so far. If I had wanted to prevent you from leaving this place, I certainly wouldn't have waited three hours while you opened every door and searched under every tarp."
He looked past Clarus as if he were invisible and locked eyes with Regis. "After all, I promised the princess that you would be quite safe. What sort of a man would I be to make promises to a twelve year old and then break them?"
The jibe was lost under the quiet revelation meant for Regis alone. Reina had said The Burgundy Man had told her it would be okay. Ardyn Izunia, tellingly, had a peculiar shade of hair that could only be described as burgundy.
"Do tell her I said 'hi,' won't you?"
His smile widened and the shadows around his eyes and mouth deepened until they seemed to overtake his whole face. He had sat in a darkened corner of the room before, but now the shadows seemed to reach out and wrap around him like a solid and living thing, cloaking him entirely and pulling him into darkness and obscurity. And then he was gone.