The imperial procession must have made quite the spectacle on their way up to the roof, but Cor wasn't sorry to have missed them. While Regis and Clarus had gone on ahead, Cor had stayed behind with Reina, Noctis, and Noctis' retinue.
Reina had changed clothes again, though Cor couldn't have said what was wrong with the last dress. It had looked fine. Though perhaps that was exactly the point and 'fine' wouldn't do for the princess. Lucis would fall if she didn't make a stunning entrance.
Actually. It might. Cor wasn't prepared to call anything that Reina did frivolous anymore. Not after witnessing the cold calculation with which she had dismantled the empire's plans thus far.
The others looked fine as well. Reina had even ordered Cor to put on a suit.
It was itchy.
After all the other guests, imperial and Lucian alike, had ascended—and not a moment before—Cor stepped out of the car and pulled Reina's door open for her. He had driven her in her own aubergine sportscar. It didn't have quite the same timeless class that the Regalia boasted, but it was a smooth drive. Could have done with some extra leg room. And head room. Noctis' car—identical in every way, save that it was black and silver instead of purple and gold—pulled up to the curb behind them. Ignis stepped out of the driver's seat.
Reina took Cor's hand when he offered, but she took Noctis' arm when he caught up with them, which left Cor to join Noctis' retinue as the boys trailed after.
The resort was more lavish than the Citadel and less austere. Even the royal family's living quarters were more a home than a vacation destination. They walked through gilded halls, their footsteps deadened by plush velvet carpets, as resort staff along the way bowed low. As soon as Noctis and Reina had passed by, the serving staff straightened and exchanged excited looks and curious whispers. The prince and princess weren't supposed to be in Insomnia at all tonight.
The royal retinue stopped in the main atrium to await the lift. Two attendants stood on either side of the elevator and a guest or two drifted in from the hall behind them, but stopped—stunned—at the sight of the company. Otherwise, there were few people about. Just as well. It was going to be enough of a hassle watching for hidden blades throughout this dinner. He didn't need passersby giving Reina the side-eye as well. Why anyone thought it was a good idea to break bread with imperials, he would never know.
He wouldn't have even noticed the architecture if Prompto hadn't been gawking. Even then, he spared only a cursory look around; marble arches framed doorways in three directions and gold—probably brass—statues occupied alcoves all around the octagonal room. A chandelier like a thousand glowing strands of crystals hung overhead.
Who paid to stay in a resort in their own city just because it was pretty? Some people had more money than sense.
The lift chimed. They stepped in, performing a silent dance so the doors would open to Noctis and Reina in front of their group. Cor wanted to object that this would be an excellent opportunity for someone to execute a surprise attack, but he held his tongue. Who was going to ambush the prince and princess in Insomnia on the night before the signing ceremony? An imperial probably.
He stood behind Reina, anyway. But close behind her. Just in case.
"Who else knows we're here?" Noct asked.
"Father, Clarus, Luna, the Kingsglaive, and Ardyn."
"Huh?" Noctis turned to make a face at her. "Who's Ardyn?"
Reina opened her mouth, then seemed to think better of whatever she had been going to say. She smiled, shaking her head.
"A more complicated question than you realize. I fear it would take longer than this elevator ride to answer it. For now, suffice it to say, that Ardyn Izunia is the imperial chancellor."
Noctis stared at her until the lift chimed again. Then he faced forward.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"Smile, brother-dearest. Nothing unnerves our antagonists more."
Cor hoped that instruction didn't apply to him. Even if it did, he wasn't going to. Though he couldn't see her face when the doors finally slid open, he knew she was smiling. It wasn't only the imperials who were unnerved by that.
No sooner had they caught sight of the world outside—the pale blue sky over Insomnia as the last dusk light faded, a few dozen tables laid out immaculately, and a hundred courtiers, imperials, and guards—than fireworks burst overhead. Perfect serendipity. Then again, she could see the future, couldn't she? Perhaps it wasn't luck.
Heads turned. As his eyes swept the crowd, Cor couldn't see a single person not looking at them. Even the live music stuttered and quieted as the musicians allowed themselves to be distracted. Mostly they were shocked. Even those Crownsguards dotted across the venue, incognito as guests, appeared caught unaware. So the secret had been kept better than he had expected. The only ones who appeared unsurprised were those few Reina had already listed.
Reina and Noctis stepped out; Cor and the others kept close at their heels, providing what was—hopefully—a menacing honor guard for the twins with their unnerving smiles.
The guests—already standing with drinks in hand—bowed or curtsied hastily when the prince and princess swept past. Apparently they had interrupted the toast. Even Cor, who had little taste for the dramatic, was forced to appreciate Reina's flare.
Stairs curved up to the top level, and Reina and Noctis climbed them without giving note to the excited whispers their sudden appearance provoked. Reina nodded to a few courtiers and fixed her eyes ahead, where Regis was waiting for them. He looked pleased. He always did, when his children arrived.
"Father." Reina paused to curtsy before him. After a beat, Noctis bowed. Only after Regis motioned did they approach.
"My dear, you look lovely—" Regis took her hand. "—and Noctis—"
"Please don't say I look lovely."
Regis smiled. "I intended to remark upon your dignity, but have since changed my mind. Cor, you look terrible."
Cor bowed stiffly, as if this were a compliment, and took up a stance behind them where he could keep his back to the (unnecessarily elaborate) fish tank and see everyone who was looking at Reina. The music resumed. The guests exchanged looks and asked each other if they were meant to sit back down or if the toast was going to be finished.
"A surprise, indeed, King Regis!" Emperor Aldercapt approached, flanked by two imperial cronies. Flunkies. Whatever the official imperial word was. "We had no idea that the prince and princess were even in Insomnia!"
"A surprise for all of us," Regis said. Cor couldn't see his face, but his voice sounded like his smile was fake. "And, as we have so far been remiss—will you allow me to present my son, Crown Prince Noctis, and my daughter, Princess Reina?"
"An honor, Prince Noctis!" Everything the emperor said was just enthusiastic enough to make it clear that he meant none of it.
"Uh… yeah. Pleased to meet you," Noctis said.
"And Princess Reina—" Aldercapt went so far as to kiss her hand. Cor hoped they had individually packaged sanitary napkins at the tables. "—as lovely as all accounts."
"Your flatter me, Emperor Aldercapt. Accounts are most often overblown," she said.
Cor tuned out the remainder of the polite—and strained—conversation. Eventually, after approximately half the guests had given up and sat back down, they did have a proper toast. Cor did not partake. Nor, he noted, did Noctis' retinue, though Noctis himself had joined Lunafreya on the opposite side of the landing and both had been served tall glasses of champagne. Reina, predictably, kept to Regis' side. By extension, so did Cor.
Dinner was served not long after. And, though Regis shot him a glance that said very clearly 'will you please stop hovering?' Cor continued to hover throughout. Dinner was for people whose stomachs were not full of worms. He would never understand how politicians did it.
He was resigned to a night of tense posturing and little else, though he kept the expectation of trouble foremost in his mind, rather than grow complacent. The political dance had only begun.
As the third course was being cleared away, the imperial chancellor sauntered over to the royal table. Cor's posture stiffened. He didn't need to understand the why to know Izunia was trouble.
"Well, well, well, Your Royal Highness." He may have been the only person in the city—including the emperor himself—who would walk up to the king's table and completely disregard Regis. His eyes were fixed only on Reina. "It's been too long. I do hope you haven't been losing sleep over this treaty. Pleasant dreams?"
"How kind of you to inquire, Chancellor; do you know, I did spend many nights tossing and turning over this decision and then, quite suddenly, it all became very clear." Reina leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table. Cor could only see her profile from where he stood. She was smiling but he couldn't decide if it was fake or not. It must have been.
"How lovely! And here I was thinking you might be adrift. But if you were, I would—of course—be willing to have a heart-to-heart. One dreamer to another." The chancellor, meanwhile, was smiling with the same self-satisfied smirk he had been wearing all night. Right at home, already.
Insomnia isn't yours, yet, you son of a—
"That is ever so generous of you, but I believe I have gotten the hang of it. An uncle of mine showed me the roads to walk—so to speak—and once you know how to open your eyes—well. Then dreams aren't so terrifying anymore, are they?"
The chancellor considered her for a moment, his eyes narrowing as intrigue twisted across his face. What the hell were they talking about?
And then, quite suddenly, he held out his hand. "Dance with me, Princess. Go on. Say you will."
Cor couldn't have been the only person holding his breath. Regis' eyebrows snapped together, Noctis and Luna's conversation ceased, and, off to the other side of their table, Ignis took a step and ran into Gladio's arm. Gladio at least had the good sense to keep Ignis restrained, but he was staring at Reina, as well.
Reina's eyes never left the chancellor and that almost-smile never left her face.
"I would be delighted." She took his hand.
And he—still smirking, still smug—led her away.
This time Cor stepped forward.
Regis lifted a hand. Any and all complaints were stifled. He shot Cor a warning glance over his shoulder—though he wasn't any happier with the arrangement, himself—and pretended to settle into polite conversation with Noctis. In reality, both of them were still watching Reina.
Then again, so was the rest of the party.