This is where the newer plot direction takes hold. Some areas remained the same with only some minor tweaks, while others are completely rewritten to help move the story into the new storyline.

Hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 2,329
Uploaded: 06/16/18
Edited and Reuploaded: 05/22/21

I'm Alone – Joon Sung Oh

The stained glass shattered from the impact of gunfire and magitek units smashing through the windows, landing on the outskirts of the throne room in unison. The court erupted into chaotic screaming as the units opened fire on the crowd, blindly gunning down anyone in their path.

I scanned to crowd frantically, looking for Myung-Hee on the steps to the throne. I caught a glimpse of her face between panicking nobles, taking a step towards her only to be yanked back against a hard chest.

I fought wildly to free myself from the strong grip, my eyes losing sight of my mother as I was forcibly turned away from the scene. Ravus holds me tight against his chest, keeping us tight against the wall as I fought against his vice-like grip.

The screaming didn't stop for a long time, slowly dwindling in strength as more and more people fell to the onslaught of gunfire.

By the time the last of the screaming had stopped, I had ceased my struggling, crying into the front of the blonde's coat as silence fell over the throne room.

Ravus' grip slackened at the sound of heavy footfalls to our right. I pulled my head away, my blurry vision focusing on the dead littering the throne room floor in horror.

The footsteps stopped just short of a foot away, the chancellor's voice the only sound in the room aside from the whirring mechanics of the magitek.

"Phenomenal job at protecting your bride, high commander. The guards will take it from here." Ardyn's voice called out mockingly as he picked his way through the corpses towards the throne.

"Was any of this truly necessary, Izunia?" Ravus ground out, curling himself around me in defense. I only watched as the older man crouched down to examine a body, tilting his head slightly.

"But of course. His excellency wanted control of Goryeo, which is why the council and nobility had to be taken care of. We only needed one princess as hostage to ensure the behaviour of the people, and your bride fits the bill." he answered, turning his golden gaze onto me.

My eyes locked onto his in fear, body trembling from shock as the chancellor slowly approached us.

The older man stopped inches away from me, grasping my chin between his fingers so our gazes would remain locked, the chains of my headpiece brushing delicately against my face.

"The well-being of the sole remaining princess guaranteed by the good behaviour of the people, and vice-versa; a much more convenient arrangement than the pitiful treaty, if I do say so myself."

My heart skipped a beat as Ardyn sneered out the words, my body automatically removing itself from his grasp as if it had been burned.

The chancellor's eyes narrowed, glaring down at me before gesturing to the few human soldiers off to the side.

"Gentlemen, please escort the princess to her chambers. It's been such a long day for her." he commanded, flippant tone contrasting with his dark expression.

The soldiers pulled me from Ravus' grasp, neither of us fighting it after the massacre that had occurred out of greed and ill-will.

"Oh," Ardyn called out just before I had exited the throne room, "And congratulations on your marriage, I'm sure all of Eos will speak of the Red Wedding for years to come." he said mockingly as the thick oak doors closed behind me.

I sat silently in the dining area of the princess' apartments, wearing a simple white ruqun with my long black hair free from any sort of style. My hand tightly clasped the hairpin Orion had given me, the last reminder of what my world had been before everything had fallen apart.

The guards had been bringing me minimal food, rationing the supplies that remained in the palace as they established control throughout the island nation. I was truly alone for the first time in years; no court ladies moved between the rooms, and there were no eunuchs walking through the halls. Just the foreign accents of the Nifelheim soldiers and the whirring sounds of Magitek filled the palace's silence.

I remained sitting as the door to the apartments opened and closed, heralding either food or a visitor. My heart sank at the sight of the chancellor, the man accompanied by both soldiers and the high commander.

"Well my dear, shall we discuss your fate now that the finer details have been dealt with?" Ardyn questioned as he took a seat at the table.

"We've been apprehending small rebel groups that believed they could defy the will of the empire, including that little court lady your counsel sent to Lucis. We wouldn't want her to call on the Lucian armies to mount a rescue attempt, now would we?"

That statement jolted a reaction out of me, my head whipping up to stare at the chancellor in horror.

"You will continue to reside in your apartments until the region has been brought under control. Then you will travel to Tenebrae with the high commander while the brigadier general governs the region. I'm sure you'll find Tenebrae to your liking, your highness. It is very beautiful this time of year." The vile man explained, taking pleasure in the pain he was inflicting upon me with his words.

"I do suggest beginning to pack your belongings as your departure may be sooner than you think." The chancellor announced in leu of a proper goodbye, sweeping into a mocking bow before departing from the room.

I twitched at the sound of the door as it closed, eyes locking onto the remaining figure of my husband. Ravus refused to meet my gaze as he slowly made his way into my rooms.

"I'm sure I'm one of the last people you want to see right now but I swear to you, I meant every word of my vows and I did not know Izunia was planning this." he whispered from across the room, his pale gaze firmly locked on the floor.

I offered silence as my only response, remaining impassive in his presence.

The man who was only my husband by name, sighed heavily before moving to sit in the chair opposite of mine.

"The common folk are fleeing the island as fast they can, fighting for space on fishing and trade vessels to take them out of Goryeo. The violence was mostly contained to the palace, but a few noble families who were absent from the wedding were hunted down." Ravus informed me, his words causing my heart to ache even more so than before as I mourned the innocents killed in the conflict.

I was pleased that the people were fleeing the island rather than face the iron hand of the imperial regime. They hadn't chosen to entrust their fate to a foreign power as I had.

"Both the first and second princesses were among the dead, as well as all their court ladies, yours included." These next words shocked me.

Mother. Grandmother. Se-Hyeon. Chae-Ryung. All of them dead. And I couldn't shed a single tear in mourning for them. I couldn't even perform their burial rights so they could find their way to the ancestors.

I closed my eyes, signaling my continued indifference to the blonde's presence, willing him to leave me to mourn privately.

Fabric rustled as Ravus shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Both the noise and his continued presence irritated me. My eyes opened and met his own for the first time since the massacre. I willed that every ounce of my hatred and anger be conveyed through my eyes.

A fleeting look of shame passed over his face before Ravus schooled his expression into a mask of indifference.

Standing from his chair, he settled into a military parade rest.

"We will be leaving for Tenebrae in two days. Pack what belongings you wish to bring with you. I doubt you will see Goreyo again for many years." He informed me, taking my continued silence as his cue to leave.

As the door slid shut behind him, all my anger rushed forward. I hurled a tea pot at the wall in rage, storming from one room to the next.

I stopped in front of my open wardrobe, pulling random clothes out and tossing them towards the bed. They were all meaningless to me, every piece belonging to the now dead Third Princess. I would not have packed any of it if not for the fact that such an act would raise the suspicions of the Empire.

The only thing I wished to take with me was the small box of jewellery that I had inherited from my mother and the First Princess; my letters from Noctis hidden away among the gold and jewels.

It would be a risk to bring them with me, but I could not find it in myself to part with the only remaining piece of my identity.

Noctis POV

The prince was bored to say the least, stuck reading reports after completing homework. Soo's last letter lay on the coffee table, the portrait of his childhood companion staring up at Noctis with serene features captured in ink. He caught himself daydreaming as he stared at it, only snapping out of it when he heard Ignis exiting the kitchen to check on his progress.

The dark-haired teen was startled out of his zoning at the knocking at the door, Ignis hesitantly stepping out of the kitchen to answer it.

Noctis rose from his place on the couch, making his way down the hall just as a royal courier handed a blank envelope to his friend and retainer. As the door closed, the older boy merely looked at the envelope before handing it to the prince.

Opening it curiously, he pulled out a sheet of parchment that only one person ever used.

"Another letter from the Lady Soo? She usually waits for a response before writing, does she not?" Ignis questioned, adjusting his glasses while gauging his charge's reaction.

"Yeah.." Noctis replied, sapphire eyes focusing on the cursive letters on the page.

My Dearest Noctis,

I know my last letter may have only just reached you, but here I am writing another.

Goryeo has fallen on hard times, and each and every one of us are making sacrifices to keep our country thriving. We have been able to reach a formal peace with Nifelheim, however it deeply impacts our friendship.

Please know I'm completely heartbroken when I say that from this point on, I can no longer receive or send letters to and from you. My duty to my country has grown exponentially in the past few weeks and I can't jeopardize the progress made by continuing our correspondence. I'm so deeply sorry, if I could avoid this, I would. But this peace is too new and fragile to risk it.

Do know that I love you and I'm so proud of who you're becoming. Keep your friends close and treasure them. You need someone to watch your back since I am no longer able.

Goodbye.

Yours,

Soo

The hand holding the parchment clenched hard, crumpling the paper as he trembled. Tears welled in Noctis' eyes as his arm dropped to his side, gritting his teeth to choke back his cries.

"What did she say?" his friend inquired, not expecting the page to be shoved in his face as the prince stormed off to his room, slamming the door closed.

Noctis laid curled up in the center of his bed, staring at the photo on his night table.

Among the various photos taken by Prompto over the past two years, there was one that dated back eight years. It was a picture taken by a palace official many years ago that depicted two dark haired children running across the beach in Galdin.

It was his only photo of Soo aside from the drawing she had sent. They had been so carefree then, but now he could never speak to his friend again.

The prince shed silent tears in his solitude, closing his eyes in hopes of escaping through sleep.

It was not meant to be as Ignis entered the bedroom quietly.

"My apologies, Noct, but the citadel has called with information pertaining to Goryeo. Niflheim entered a delicate peace treaty with the kingdom, and has slaughtered nearly all of the aristocracy and ruling class and their households. Their envoy was on standby in Galdin to alert the Crown if the empire planned on breaking the treaty."

Ignis paused for a moment, taking in the tense, trembling form of his prince.

"She was found murdered in her hotel room after she had received information on the invasion and massacre. All that remains apart from the working and lower-class citizens is the Third Princess. The empire is keeping her as a political hostage in her marriage to Ravus nox Fleuret." He continued, avoiding any mention of the one person Noctis cared about in this situation.

"And what of Soo? Any news on her? Is she okay?" The Prince questioned his retainer, his breath hitching as he tried to keep his emotions under control.

"No, your highness. It is likely that she perished during the initial invasion, as the entirety of the palace household was wiped out."

It was then, that the last but of control slipped. Tears slipped freely down his cheeks, sobs wracking his body as he folded into himself.

Ignis was at a loss of what to do. How did one comfort their friend after delivering news of the death of a close friend?

Soo's POV

The smoke was still rising from the island as my personal items were being prepared for transport to Tenebrae. It was hard to tell if it was from mass funeral pyres or the burning of villages and estates.

In the end, it was pointless to wonder as I was being led into the awful airship and removed from my home for the last time.

How'd you like that new direction? It's gonna be a much longer wait for the Soo-Noct reunion in this new plotline, sorry to disappoint there. But boy, do I got some drama planned out here. Just you guys wait.

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