Untold Omens
Chapter Seven: Heartstopping
Late Summer M.E. 749
Stance locked straight and eyes held forward, Gladio stood attention by the ornate walls of the spacious training hall. His hands clasped tightly, hidden behind his back. Prince Noctis undertook his quarterly training assessment against another Crownsguard. Among the audience for the evaluation were King Regis, his shield Clarus Amicitia and numerous members of the royal court, all stone-faced and unimpressed.
The Amicitia heir fought back a grimace watching the proceedings. As the prince's personal trainer, he could tell the younger boy was beginning to tire. His stamina was far from ideal. In a moment of desperation and exhaustion, Noctis chucked his weapon at his opponent. A flash of blue light streaked through the air followed by a soft explosion.
The boy reappeared, letting out a tired battle cry as he drove his sword down at the Crownsguard. The man saw through the clumsy attack and diverted the teen's weapon, parrying easily with a flick of his wrist. The prince's blue eyes grew wide in alarm when he found himself stumbling forward at the momentum. The opponent took the chance to close the distance and slid behind him to deliver a firm blow to the back of his head with the blunt hilt of the sword.
A choked scream escaped Noctis' lips. Losing his grip on his weapon, he crumpled to the ground wheezing in pain. With the prince felled, the Crownsguard paused to glance up to the king for further instruction. King Regis closed his eyes then waved a hand to signal the end of the assessment. The guard dutifully raised a hand to his chest and snapped his feet together, facing the king with a stiff salute. He bowed before turning his heel to take an empty position by the wall, much like Gladio.
With the exception of Noctis' heavy breathing, no other individual dared to utter a sound. As part of the tradition for the assessment, no one was to interject until the royal of interest recomposed themselves from the test. Regardless of the resulting performance, all were required to wait for the prince to regain his footing.
This wasn't the first time Noctis has failed, clear in the prince's body language. Despite the tension in the room, the prince remained indifferent to them. Noctis took his time catching his breath, leisurely dragging himself back onto his feet. By the time the aloof younger boy managed to stand attention to his audience, both he and his shield knew the assessment had ended in failure. There was nothing they could say that Noctis hadn't already heard so he no longer cared. Even so, Gladio waited with trepidation for Regis to finally make his statement.
…Except the reprimandation never came. Much to their surprise, King Regis stood from his seat and wordlessly left the room, leaving only the sound of his receding footsteps echoing the vast hall. In all the times Noctis took his assessments, there was always a routine to the proceedings. The prince would fight, fail and then get reprimanded for his performance before getting suggestions on needed improvements.
Never once had the king walked out without a word. Noctis, who had shown nothing but disinterest up to this point, stood stunned watching as slowly, one after another, the rest of the audience in attendance emptied the room. The only ones remaining were the prince and his shield.
The two glanced at one another as if silently trying to make sense of what's happened. The expansive room suddenly felt all the larger with their uncertainty. A dark sullen gaze met a perplexed watery one, neither had the answer. Instead, they found a mutual silent agreement.
Something was different about this assessment. The two were far from friends, but for the first time they were akin to comrades, locked in the same dread. It didn't feel right for Gladio to move, so he waited. They stood in a heavy silence before the prince finally worked up the nerve to leave. The shield followed silently, his steady footsteps mirror after his charge as they exited the chamber. What waited for them on the other side of the door was the king's shield, Clarus Amicitia.
"Your highness," greeted the older Amicitia. "I need to have a word with Gladiolus."
At the request, Noctis glanced at his shield. Frozen in indecision, a myriad of emotions assaulted the prince as he tried to ascertain how to proceed. When the older teen averted his gaze, the avoidant response ultimately led him to disperse. Clarus waited until the prince was out of sight before he returned his attention back to his son.
"Gladiolus, you're relieved of your Crownsguard duties effective immediately," informed Clarus coldly.
"WHAT?" exclaimed Gladio in disbelief.
"This is the prince's eighth failed assessment." Clarus began to explain.
"What does that have to do with me?" snapped the teen.
"Do not raise your voice at me!" boomed the older Amicitia. "The prince's training was your responsibility. His failing is your failing."
"But the little shit kept skipping training!"
SLAP!
The resounding backhand thundered within the hall. Stunned, the younger Amicitia froze, face stinging from the slap. Clarus slowly lowered his hand, an indignant exhale escaped his lips as he did so.
"I'm disappointed in you Gladiolus. I know I raised you better than to give excuses." The man turned from him to walk away. "Get out of my sight."
Fist clenched, he stomped down the other hall with every intent to flee. When turning the corner, he was unexpectedly met with a wide-eyed Noctis. Unknown to the Amicitia father and son, the prince remained within earshot, only out of sight, listening through their exchange. Too upset to speak, Gladio stormed past the younger boy, unaware of Noctis' loss for words.
Ever since the unexpected encounter between Ignis and Selene, Aracelis found a decorative box of freshly made pastries shoved into her arms every single morning. Her mother insisted she share a box of "diabetic goodness" with the quiet teen at school. Though, it was more likely her mother was enamored by the fact that a sweet boy like Ignis was friends with her.
Annoyance over her mother's doting nature aside, Selene's involvement turned out beneficial towards building a stronger relationship with Ignis. There wasn't much they could talk about during their lunch break as Aracelis lacked mutual interests with Ignis or her fellow classmates. Having her mother's cooking as a common point of conversation was an immense relief.
For Ignis to go uninvolved in cooking was more or less unessential. Yet Aracelis couldn't shake the feeling that it wouldn't be right for Ignis to be stripped of his iconic declarations after obtaining a new recipe. Surely, the prince's destined advisor could be lured in by the prospect of learning new dishes. After all, who was Ignis without his recipes?
All in all, she was having an easy day.
Content, Aracelis was nearly humming as she pulled her car into the garage on the Amicitia property, parking it in her usual spot. Aracelis shouldered her messenger bag, making her way across the short stone path towards the side door of the Amicitia household until the sound of something being violently swung whistled through the air. A familiar grunting held her attention as she changed direction to make her way towards the backyard.
Once there, she caught sight of her childhood friend shirtless, sweat glistening off his sculpted form, accentuated by the glow of the afternoon sun. Confusion crossed her face as she checked her watch. It was far too early for Gladio to be home. It was unlike him to skip out on his duties, despite how much he despised Noctis.
Something was wrong.
There was no rhyme or reason to the older teen's swordplay, as if swinging mindlessly at an invisible enemy. Aracelis processed his furrowed brows and gritted teeth, his lack of control grew disconcerting. She inched closer until he took notice of her.
At her presence he halted his aimless swinging.
"Hey." He greeted evenly, stabbing the training blade into the ground. Without a second look at her, he moved to grab the towel hanging off the patio chair.
"…You okay?" asked Aracelis, crossing the grassy lawn.
Breath heavy Gladio fell silent, burying his face into the towel. Aracelis grabbed the bottle sitting on the patio table to hand it to him, halting when she took notice of the swelling on his partially concealed face.
"…What happened there?" She reached up to touch the wound, but the taller teen pulled away.
"It's nothing," he dismissed sharply, narrowing his eyes at her. Gladio plucked the bottle from her hand then popped the cap off. He lowered his head before he flipped the bottle over allowing the cool water to wash over him.
"That doesn't look like nothing," Aracelis pressed. "...Did Noctis manage to land a blow on you or something?"
"As if," scoffed Gladio. He capped the bottle and swept his wet hair back. "I could stand still all day and he still wouldn't be able to hit me. This—" He paused to gesture to his face. "—is from dad."
"What!?" shouted Aracelis in disbelief. "Why would he hit you?"
"…Can't say I didn't deserve it." He muttered, glancing away to dismiss her solicitous gaze. "It's my fault the brat failed his assessment eight times in a row. I should've been stricter. This is nothing compared to being taken off Crownsguard duty."
Aracelis began to pale as she digested his words.
Failed? Eight times…?
From what she could remember in old random conversations with Gladio, tests were done quarterly throughout the year. For the prince to have failed eight times meant that he has been doing poorly for the good part of two years.
In the six months' time that she's known him, Noctis could have only taken the assessment twice, which meant her initial assumption of the discord between the prince and his shield was not only incomplete but dreadfully wrong. Gladio was not merely upset at Noctis because of his own high expectations, but unknown to her the prince wasn't even up to normal standards.
With the older teen off Crownsguard, he was no longer the prince's shield. Not only did her interference exacerbate the problem by encouraging him to skip out on his training sessions, she inadvertently took away the prince's strongest fighter.
"No…" Aracelis barely whispered, shaking her head as if refusing to accept this fact.
"…Arie?" Gladio stared at her.
Aracelis blinked, a steely resolve crossed her face when she met his.
"No." She repeated once more, this time with grim determination. She turned her heel to make her way back to the garage.
Addled by the shorter girl's temperament, the distress the older teen felt previously was temporarily dissuaded. He didn't expect Aracelis to react as she had. Even so, he made no move to stop her. Partially because he trusted her to not do anything rash, but mostly because he really wasn't in the mind to chase after her with the news he's endured.
Unbeknownst to him, brash action was exactly what she intended to do. The moment she got into her car, Aracelis pulled up the chart she created to keep track of the prince on her phone. She had hoped that getting the prince and his retinue back together again was all she needed to do to steer the world's narrative back into place. How wrong she was to humor such a naive notion.
Her presence alone was creating a rippling effect. There was no way she could have foresaw this disastrous outcome. Nevertheless, she wasn't any less angry with herself for not proactively forcing these bastards back to their rightful places. She was done being complacent. Subtly be damned, she will fix this.
From the Amicitia estates to the arcade, it took Aracelis no more than twenty minutes to arrive. An exorbitant amount was paid at the closest parking lot before she stormed into the arcade like an angry wraith. It didn't take long for her to find Noctis. The prince usually partook in the zombie shooter games on the chance that she might show up to join him.
When he spotted her, a faint half smile tugged at his lips as per usual. However, when he noticed the livid expression on her face, the smile quickly dropped. He took a step back when she invaded his personal space.
"I am this close to slapping you senseless," threatened Aracelis in a near growl. Each enunciated word was filled with more venom than the prince had ever heard come from her. "Talk to your father and get—Gladio's—job—back."
Noctis paused, frowning as he readied himself to respond to her demands. Contrary to his laid back demeanor, Noctis wasn't one to shy away from confrontation.
"Why should I?" challenged the prince. "He's probably happy that he doesn't have to deal with me anyway…"
"Happy?" sneered Aracelis. "You think that lug of muscle is happy that he got axed from a job that he trained his whole life for? Gladio is an Amicitia. His family has served the Crown for generations without fail. For him to be fired from his position, do you know what that means to him?"
"So what?" snapped Noctis. "It's just an old nonsense tradition anyway. He could do something else now."
"Listen here you little shit!" growled Aracelis. "If not for you skipping out on your training with him and failing your assessments, none of this would have happened!"
His eyes harden at her words. He takes a willful step forward, reclaiming his invaded space. "Oh please. You're no better than me. In fact, you encouraged me to skip out on training!" The gun from the zombie shooter game still in his hand, the incredulous teen rocked the controller to emphasize his point.
Aracelis opened her mouth to retort, only to snap it shut in frustration. He wasn't wrong. In fact, she was at fault for not only encouraging him, but also advising him on how to best avoid Gladio. She took in a hissing breath through her teeth and clenched her fists at her sides to keep from punching the royal brat in the face.
"This is my fault, I will attest to that," admitted the girl forcefully. "However, unlike you I am trying to correct my mistakes. I am taking responsibility for my actions. What about you, prince?"
"As if I haven't noticed my own failing!" He spat. "Do you think I enjoy the fact that every little action I take has huge consequences?"
Aracelis became tight-lipped at his words. This was actually a sentiment she was beginning to understand perfectly. She and the prince shared more in common than she would care to admit at the moment.
Noctis continued, looking her straight in the eye. "I was there! I hate that others get punished over my stupid mistakes. It's not all fun and games being a prince!"
"Yet, a prince is what you are," interjected Aracelis.
"I never asked for any of this!" exclaimed Noctis.
Aracelis frowned, this argument was quickly getting nowhere. She needed to take the reins and force it… No, force everything back in the right direction.
Aloof demeanor aside, the prince was obviously guilt ridden over his failings. The older girl narrowed her eyes in thought. If he felt bad that his shield was punished on his behalf, the situation wasn't unsalvageable. She simply needed to convince the prince to resolve the matter, instead of opting for his usual habit of avoiding all of his problems.
"Whether you like it or not, all actions have consequences." She began evenly, her voice sounded almost understanding. The wheels in her mind were in motion as she thought of what to say next. "But what do you think will happen now that Gladio is no longer your shield? Someone else will have to take his place. Chances are, that someone will have to be within the Amicitia family. And guess what? That only leaves one other person. The only available option would be his ten-year-old sister, Iris."
Despite his previous agitation at their heated exchange, Nocits listened attentively to her words. At the mention of Iris' age he looked away, folding his arms uncomfortably. It was one thing for him to be angry at his long-lived tormentor, but Iris was faultless. He's never even met her.
At his physical reaction, Aracelis could see she had the upper hand. Who's to say that guilt couldn't be a good motivator?
"Being a king's shield is a life commitment." Aracelis expounded. "Iris will have to throw away the life she knows now. Instead of being a carefree little girl, she will have to completely devote herself to making sure she can protect you. Not only will she have to endure the training Gladio received at half her age, but she will get even less time to do so. You said you never asked for any of this, but what about Gladio and Iris? Did they?"
The prince remained silent. Gaze averted and arms tightly crossed, he showed every sign of being closed off from further discussion. Aracelis cautiously hoped that each word was having the desired effect. "Can you honestly tell me that you are okay with this outcome?"
When Noctis refused to speak, she was certain there was no point in continuing. His guilty reticence was clear. Aracelis stayed for a moment longer only to cement her disappointment in him before making her exit from the lively arcade. Gone from the sky was the orange hue of the afternoon sun. A soft hum came from the streetlights before they slowly flickered to life.
Aracelis rarely stayed out late enough to see the city transition to its nightlife and it wasn't likely she would do so tonight either, not after all that's happened. When she got to the parking lot to retrieve her car, she opted to go straight home rather than to her grandfather's office. The transcribing busywork could wait until the following morning. Any time she lost could be made up before she goes to school.
Against Selene's worried protests, the frustrated girl skipped out on dinner to lock herself in her room for the rest of the night. Door locked, she tossed her bag viciously on the ground. Her hands buried into her hair, ruffling it into a disarrayed mess. She paced in place, chest tight with the threat of a blood curdling scream. Not wanting to be heard, her hands reached for the giant teddy bear.
All she could do to muffle her barely contained scream was to shove her face into the bear's plush body. She shrieked and cried until her voice became hoarse. Her fists smashed against its cotton body until she fell into fitful exhausted slumber. Even with the worst of her hostility released, it did little else to comfort her stress-filled mind.
What began as a comfortable day became a heart stopping nightmare.