Iris didn't fully understand- sort of still doesn't- what was going on until she drove out the Citadel. The city was in more chaos than when she left school. She doesn't know what's going on but she does know it started at the Citadel and moved out wards. Also knows it has to do with the crownsguard and kingsglaive. She has spotted many fighting.
Also, in the chaos of everything people are looting, shooting each other and causing car accidents. She had to be careful. Like her father had said, she can not trust anyone. She drove relatively slow as to think about where to go. She knows her father said that he believes in her but she doesn't know what to do. She was never trained for this. She doesn't know what instincts to trust so she's second guessing herself.
Where should she go? Where would be safe? They are in danger, she knows that much, but how much in danger are they? Who is coming after them? She's scarred. For many reasons too. She's never protected anyone before, let alone a baby. What if she makes a mistake? She's protecting the future kings baby. That's a lot of pressure. What if something does happen to Astrum? She wouldn't be able to face Prompto, she didn't want the blonde to be disappointed in her. Iris doesn't want anyone to be disappointed in her.
Iris takes a quick peak at Astrum seeing he's awake. The noise from outside must have woken him up. She bites her lips trying to think about something to do. She needs some sort of plan to follow. At least the start of one.
A horn honking catches her attention. Seems everyone is leaving the capital so traffic is bad. Luckily the windows are tinted since it's a royal car.
Oh, wait, maybe... yes, the start of a plan. She remembers Gladio talking to their father about a secret hideout near the edge of the city. Hidden and unknown. That might be the best bet, safer to, she wouldn't know if they can make it out the city without being caught. Trust no one. Iris turns out of traffic, moving through to the other side of the road but so many cars are going the same it's spilling.
Her plan broke immediately, she didn't know exactly where to go, just the idea about where to go.
She drove around for a while trying to remember the house but they all looked the same and it doesn't help that the street is empty, the area near the walls are already evacuated. She couldn't keep driving though so she stopped. She pulled over to the side, turning off the ignition, not wanting to run out of gas. Iris turns to check on Astrum, she crawls to sit in the seat next to him. She sees that the young prince is waking up slightly. Not wanting to disturb him and actually wake him up, she pulls the bag her father put in and she sees it's full of his clothes, formula, diapers and wipes. Also, packed safely, is a very good quality knife and fire starter. Iris puts away the bag, then looks around, trying to find out what the next step is. Can she stay here? Is it safe?
Probably not but she doesn't know where to go. Then she spots a familiar face. He looks around then goes back inside the house. Talcott was there. Iris sits there wondering what to do. Her father told her not to trust anyone, does that include Talcott and Jared? But she's known them all her life, Jared has been there since she was born, and she's known Talcott since he was crawling. They were kinda raised together.
She decides to take a chance. She crawls back to the driver seat, turning it on and drives to the house Talcott went into. She drives close to the garage, stopping when she is parked in front of the closed garage door. She looked over to see Jared walking out of the house and instantly she noticed a shift in his character, he looked stiff and cautious. She thought about what to do, trying to rationally thinking about it as Jared walking around the car to the driver side window. She is in a random car, maybe he's suspicious of her?
She rolls down the window a little, still cautious. "Jared." She calls him. His old eyes open wide in shock.
"Lady Iris." He smiles and calms down, it seems she was right, he was just suspicious of the random, tinted car suddenly pulling up.
"Can I go in?" She asks pointing to the garage door. At that moment Astrum wines, Jared eyes the back tinted window shocked.
"Of course." Jared says, he quickly moves to the keypad on the side of the garage. He puts the code in and the garage door slowly opens. Once it's open enough she drives forward, Jared follows the car, closing the garage door behind Iris. Jared puts on the lights as Iris turns the car off. She gets out then quickly goes to the back passenger side and takes out Astrum from the car seat, comforting him as she grabbed the baby bag. Jared stare shocked, curious about this baby Iris is holding. Of course they didn't know about Astrum, those who only know are Regis, Cor, her father, her brother, Ignis, Noctis of course and Luna she guesses, what she doesn't know is that Slyva, Ravus and Solara also know but no one outside their circle know.
"Do you know what's happening?" She asks the older man as they walk in. Talcott running towards them with a smile on his face, he stops in his tracks when he spots the baby in her arms.
"The Kingsglaive. It seems most of them are rebelling against the crown." He says, Iris widens her eyes, her hold on Astrum getting tighter. "The crownsguard are of course protecting what they can of the Citadel, but we were all told to evacuate. The fight is getting messy and large." Just then they hear a large explosion, not like it was close but like it was getting recorded. All three move into the living room where the t.v is on playing a recording of the Citadel. Smoke coming out of the side. The front is destroyed beyond recognition. One of the defining towers is no longer there.
No one was talking but there was text going across the screen on the bottom. It just informed people about evacuating Insomnia and that there will be an Amber alert when it's safe to come back but for everyone's safety it's best to leave the city. "It's not going to get this far is it?" Iris wonders. Honestly she wants someone to tell her what to do, she's not use to making the calls, and right now what she decides may impact the live of the young prince, may even put him in danger.
"Maybe it is. For now let's leave the city." Jared says looking at the other two. "They are setting up some tents to wait for the fighting to stop. Ironically, at the moment outside of the wall is safe. We can set up there. We were going to go out and look for you Lady Iris." Jared says, eyes landing on Astrum, still curious about the baby. "Now that you are here we can leave." he says still staring at Astrum. "Who is the child?" He asks. Iris looks town at Astrum who is staring around the place, confused to where is he is. It's no where he's ever been to before and these people are new.
Iris holds him tight, "my charge. Dad, gave me the mission." She tells the older man. Understandably he's stunned by the revelation for many reasons. The Amicita household serve the crown as their shields, he's served the family for many generations, he knows Gladio is out serving the Prince, while at the moment Clarus is serving the king, so how is this child related to the crown that her father told her to protect the child as a shield. She was of course still going to train and maybe be apart of the crownguard instead but this was new. "I don't know what I'm doing?" Iris says choked up, tears threatening to fall. She looks at Jared for help. He gives her a reassuring grin.
"You aren't alone. Let's go get the car filled with our things and the essentials. The fight might last for the rest of the day or a week." He says going to the kitchen. He pulls out some coolers and bags to fill them with their essentials. Iris stands there watching, holding onto Astrum. Talcott helping his grandfather.
Jared turns to look at her and sees her holding him. He smiles at her, glad she's taking the job seriously. "You can put him down for a second." Jared says with a little chuckle. Gladio took his job to seriously, especially after he got over his hate of the prince. Took him a while to slowly let loose. Iris just shakes her head.
"I don't want Prompto to be disappointed in me." She says, face frowning, she doesn't want to not be cautious.
"Prompto?" Jared wonders.
"The blonde lady that was really nice?" Talcott asked, one day he went to the Citadel to hand Clarus an import letter that came in the mail, his grandfather sent him as the messenger knowing he is safe.
"Blonde, blue eyes with purple mixed in, freckles?" Iris asked, when Talcott nods, Iris nods back. "She is close with Noct, Gladio and Ignis." She explains then turns her head, biting her lips not clear to tell them the rest but it's safe with them right? "Astrum is Noct's son. He got Prompto pregnant. It's a secret, especially since Prompto wanted it to be and now it's a good thing he is." Iris explains. Jared and Talcott look at the baby shocked. No one expected the prince to be a father already. Though, no one expected Luna to marry someone else.
"Alright. Talcott hurry and get the suitcase and put them in the car. It might be best we hurry and get out the city. If what I heard is true, the Kingsglaive are going to come after him too. Prince Noctis should be safe considering he's not even in Lucis." Jared says shaking his head. Not knowing why Noct is still away. He was expecting Gladio and Ignis to be back by now. He is worried since he hasn't heard any word from anyone.
"Yeah, he's still searching for Prompto who was kidnapped by some MTs." Iris informs them. Again the two look at Iris dumbfounded.
"Is she okay?" Talcott wonders. She was nice to him, very much so. He hurries to put away the food in a bag then got to Iris to take the younger prince out of her arms.
"I don't know. All we know is she was taken by a bunch of MTs. Noct loves her though so he won't stop until he finds her. I just hope he hurries. It feels like she doesn't have the time." Iris says handing the baby over for Talcott who smiles. He's never held a baby before. Technically he's the baby, being the youngest.
They all pause when the door bells rings. Iris eyes widen. She looks over at the door then at Jared. Who is ringing the doorbell when everyone should be focused on getting out of the city? Jared gives both kids a look, saying to stay calm and that he'll handle it. He walks to the door slowly. Iris looks at Talcott bad feeling settling in her gut. She leans in.
"Get to car and put him in his seat." She whisper to Talcott who nods. She moves to the kitchen as Jared looks through the peephole to see who it is. He turns around to see Iris moving in the kitchen to grab food quickly.
"Hello? Can I help you?" Iris can hear Jared ask. She grabs the bag she filled as much as she can and goes to the garage. She puts it in the passenger seat as Talcott sat in the middle buckling Astrum to the car seat. They both can hear some sort of fight happening but focus on their tasks. Iris closes the door, biting her lip. What now?
She turns and goes back to get Jared. Kind of glad but kind of regretting it, to see the old man fighting for them both. "Where is he!" One of the men asks.
"Where's the baby!" Another shouts as they gang on the old man. She freezes as her eyes connect with Jared, and his eyes tell her everything. To run and get out. Her job isn't him but the prince. She clenched her teeth, fisting her hands but she follows them. Her dad gave her a job. That should be important, Jared knows that the most.
She turns back out as the old man fights them off. Iris rushes back to the car, quickly going to the driver's seat and getting in, slamming the car door, cringing when she does because they must have heard it. Fleetingly she starts the car. "Hold on." She tells Talcott who puts some of his body over Astrum. She turns to see the back, with the car in reverse, she takes a breath. She sees a man stand at the door connecting to the garage and hits the petal, backing out of the garage. Breaking the door, seeing the cars parked in front of the space for cars she promptly swerves into the lawn and sidewalk next to the truck, shifting back to drive she goes forward as the men (two of them missing) come running out of the car staring at the car going away then getting into their trucks post haste.
Iris rapidly goes back to the busy streets, joining in traffic to get out of the city. They will have to go by themselves.
