The balcony door opened. Ignis was back. Noct glanced over his shoulder and caught Ignis straightening his shirt and smoothing his hands over his hair.
"So…. how's Rei doing?" Noct turned back around to look through his binoculars.
"Fine, to all appearances. I have—" It took him a sentence and a half to notice. "How did you know it was Reina?"
"Didn't think you'd fix your hair for Cor or my dad."
He turned to look at Ignis just so he could see the indignant look on his face. It was better than anticipated. Was he blushing? Man, if they survived two days, he was never letting Ignis live this down.
"Quite," Ignis said. That was what he always said when he couldn't think of anything else but wanted to pretend like he was still in charge.
Prompto laughed. Gladio grinned and nudged Noct so hard he was pushed into Prompto on his other side.
They stood around for a while longer after making fun of Specs stopped being so funny. Just when Noct was beginning to think nothing interesting was going to happen, it did. That was how things went.
A black car pulled up through the narrowed street and stopped in front of the Citadel steps. It was too plain and came with too little pomp and ceremony, too quickly to be any of the imperials.
Cor stepped out.
"Huh. Cor's here," Noct said.
"The Marshal?" Ignis asked.
"Thought he was on city duty for this," Gladio said. "My dad said he was pissed about it."
"Gods spare us from ever witnessing that," said Ignis.
"Eh," Noct said. It would probably have been fine—provided he was allowed to stand no less than ten feet away at all times.
Cor disappeared through the main doors. A few minutes later, the elevator down the hall chimed again. Ignis disappeared and returned to report that Reina and Cor had left together.
And just in time.
Down below, fanfare played. Noctis leveled his binoculars down the street. A line of foreign cars formed a procession all the way at the end.
"Finally. Some action."
And, if he had any luck at all, Luna would be with them.