Chapter 22

Disturbance in the Night

Ignis had joined Titus in insomnia.

Both of them stared at the ceiling now, it seemed, minds heavy and whirring and unable to sleep. Ignis no doubt fretted for Noctis, as Titus fretted for Ignis. It was coming down to the wire, now, and the plan had been made. Noctis would leave the city for the wedding, and Ignis and Gladiolus would accompany. Ardyn would accost Noctis at his leisure, as Titus tended to Insomnia. Titus didn't know what Ardyn's plans beyond the wall entailed, and so Titus was coming up with his own little scheme.

Noctis would go to Galdin to catch the ferry; Ignis would not.

Titus would send out Luche to intercept, and with a good enough excuse Ignis would go with him.

The problem, really, was just coming up with an excuse good enough that would not only part Ignis from Noctis' side, but also that would be good enough for Ignis to risk missing the ferry to Altissia.

That was what was keeping Titus awake, as he ran over scenarios. The only thing that would sway Ignis in such a manner would be the insinuation of an impromptu wedding, and Titus was loathe to go that low but simply couldn't foresee any other way. He would do what he had to, to see that Ignis didn't set foot on that ferry.

Whatever Ardyn was planning would not end well for Ignis, and Titus would never stand idly by.

The day was fast approaching. In two weeks time, Ignis would leave the city with Noctis, and two days later the treaty signing would come.

But Titus really should have known that he couldn't ever put anything past Ardyn.

That night, long hours after staring at the ceiling, Ignis finally drifted into a sleep of exhaustion. Before long, Titus followed him into the dark.

Deep and dreamless.

For him, at any rate, but clearly not for Ignis, for in the midst of that restless sleep, Titus was awoken by an awful sound.

Shrieking.

Honest to the gods shrieking, shrill and piercing and terrifying, and right next to him. He bolted upright at the waist in a fright, wide awake suddenly as adrenaline rushed and the hot daze of terror lurched, snapping his head this way and that in a sleep-shocked panic. When his brain cranked up and he regained some semblance of consciousness, he realized that it was Ignis, kicking and shrieking there next to him, in the depth of some very potent nightmare.

Never had he seen Ignis have a nightmare at all, let alone one so vivid and powerful that it elicited such a reaction.

Ignis was shrieking, thrashing, Titus had never seen anything like it, and in his daze Titus reached out and tried to grab Ignis only to get a fist to the nose. That woke him up a bit more, and with more care Titus grabbed Ignis' flailing arms and started calling his name.

That awful sound.

Had never wanted to hear Ignis screaming like that.

It took a frighteningly long while before his calling and shaking and jostling broke through, and Ignis very suddenly opened his eyes and gasped for air and sat up. As dazed and startled as Titus had been, Ignis just looked around, whipping his head back and forth, and then he suddenly lurched sideways and tried to jump out of bed. Titus grabbed him, halted him, yet calling his name, trying to bring him back to reality, and Ignis struggled against him and cried, "Noct! Where are you—"

Titus shook Ignis furiously, dragged him back, and yet however much Titus called to Ignis, it seemed that Ignis either didn't hear him or didn't understand him. Just kept trying to break free, and apparently because he believed that he desperately needed to get to Noctis.

Must have been having a very real night terror about Noctis coming to harm, for Ignis to be reacting in such a manner.

Ignis struggled to escape his arms, so distraught and panicked, and no matter how hard Titus tried to calm him down, Ignis only kept repeating, in an increasingly frantic tone, "I have to get to Noct!"

"Please—! Calm down! Look at me! Ignis, stop it—"

Could barely contain him, as determined as Ignis was, and once more Titus took a fist to the nose by mistake.

As Titus tried so hard to wrangle thrashing and frenzied Ignis, there was a very abrupt and sudden stillness, that came about as unpredictably and frighteningly as the shrieking had. All of a sudden Ignis just went entirely still in Titus' arms, froze up like a board, and stopped breathing. Titus pulled back enough to look at him, afraid to unlock his vice grip, and saw that Ignis was staring wide-eyed over Titus' shoulder. Didn't breathe, didn't twitch, didn't say a word—just locked up there, so still, and Titus was certain that the expression on Ignis' face was horror.

Terror.

Ignis was never afraid, never, and seeing that expression upon the face of Ignis of all people had the hairs on the back of Titus' neck standing upright.

He took a deep breath for courage, and then turned his head ever so slowly to follow Ignis' gaze.

Ignis was staring at the corner of the room.

An empty corner, with nothing in it but shadows.

Titus furrowed his brow and snapped his head back to Ignis, who was still staring and had yet to move, and Titus shook him a bit, called to him, tried to stir him, but Ignis didn't budge. Staring and staring into that shadowy corner.

Titus looked back again into the shadows, and this time thought he saw a shift in the darkness, a stir, but that could likely have been his mind playing tricks on him, feeding off of Ignis' fear.

Or—

A very thin, breaking whisper.

"Do you see him?"

Titus looked back once more, the hairs on his arms still standing on end.

"No. I don't see anything."

Ignis' wide eyes stared into the corner yet, and Titus knew that it was Ardyn Ignis was seeing, likely in his daemonic form. For no good reason at all, other than to frighten Ignis and throw Titus off. Ardyn must have known that Titus was planning ways to separate Ignis from the group, and was likely sending Ignis nightmares of Noctis coming to harm, to glue Ignis more firmly to Noctis' side.

Helpless Titus could do little then except maneuver himself so that he was blocking that dark corner from Ignis' sight, and whisper, "There's nothing there. Look at me. You were having a nightmare. That's all. Nothing more. Calm down. Everything is alright. Look at me."

At last, Ignis did, and Titus felt his chest ache when he realized that Ignis was starting to cry.

Couldn't stand the sight of it, for Ignis was impervious, and Titus grabbed Ignis by the back of his neck and forced Ignis' face into his shoulder when Ignis very abruptly dissolved into tears.

Titus had never seen Ignis afraid, and had certainly never seen Ignis cry. Hadn't really thought it was possible, but Ignis cried into his shoulder for what felt like hours, as Titus had once done to him. Titus ran a hand down Ignis' back, and like Ignis before him he didn't say a word. Not to spare Ignis' pride, but because Titus just didn't know what to say.

What could he say?

When exhausted Ignis had expended all tears, he pulled back ever so slightly, and Titus took hold of his face, running his thumbs over Ignis' cheeks as Ignis so often did to him. Trying to calm him, and when Ignis seemed to have settled down just a bit, Titus uttered, "Everything is alright. You were having a nightmare, that's all. It's just all this stress, that's all."

It wasn't stress, it wasn't exhaustion, it wasn't worry, wasn't the treaty that had brought on that awful nightmare; it was Ardyn, playing around again and tormenting Ignis because Titus had stepped out of line, if only in thought.

Ignis stared at Titus, unable to look at that corner for Titus blocking it from sight, and in Ignis' expression Titus could see how much Ignis truly loved Noctis, and began to realize then that parting Ignis from him wouldn't be so easy.

Perhaps Ardyn had given Ignis a premonition of Noctis' fate.

By the gods above, Titus wouldn't let Ignis join him.

Whatever he had to do, if he had to let Insomnia burn and then go straight to Altissia himself to intercept them, then he would do so. If he needed to use brute force and violence, then when the need was dire he would do so. Anything he needed to do to see Ignis safe from harm, even if it meant defying Ardyn and striking Noctis down himself, he would do it.

Ignis buried his face in Titus' breast, and there was no more sleep that night.

Dawn came, and Titus knew that it was now time to let the pendulum swing.

Titus lifted Ignis' chin in a bid for courage, Ignis smiled weakly and tried to put whatever he had seen behind him, and Titus marched off to Glaive headquarters with a very grim goal in mind.

The time had come.

Things were now set into motion, and it was time, at long last, for Titus to grab that thread and pull. The web would fall, and decisions had to be made.

Titus looked over his Glaives, and although it hurt to do so, it was a necessary evil.

Time to decide who he would send out on the false mission to escort Lady Lunafreya.

In all wars, sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. Titus didn't like to create martyrs, but some were always necessary. But, as always, not Ignis, not on Titus' watch. Titus was just like any other man, more dutiful and stern than most, yes, but in the end Titus would always put his own keep above others, and everyone other than Ignis and Cor were expendable. At some level, though he hoped ever to avoid it, so was Nyx.

He studied them all, as he went about any other normal day on the surface, and every time Titus' eyes wandered, they seemed to wander right back over to Crowe and Libertus, leaning together in the corner. Libertus was on leave, injured as he was, and yet came into HQ every single day just to see that Crowe was well. As he did every time Crowe was sent on a mission.

Libertus had been willing to take Crowe's place, and Titus' razor eyes dissected them the entire day through without them being the wiser.

Libertus and Crowe. Nyx and Luche.

The ones he needed, and all for very different purposes.

Days passed, as Titus pondered it and tested it out in his head, over and over again, and Ignis slept without having another nightmare. Titus lied awake, and with every minute that passed he was more and more certain that he was on the right path.

The Glaives were agitated, so angry and volatile, and when Titus walked in that next morning, he honed in and prepared his web.

"Attention!"

They lined up, and Titus watched as Libertus instantly fell into Crowe's side, as she fell into Luche's and Nyx fell into Libertus'. Perfectly aligned, and Titus was positive then that he was right.

So he began.

Libertus' constant fear of Crowe coming to harm played against him, then, and Titus knew what he had to do. What the catalyst would be, but it gave him no pleasure when he called Crowe forth. Libertus' look of panic.

All going to plan.

Crowe stepped forward, and her footstep was the first tug in the web, the ripple that opened the trap door, and Titus sprung out.

"My office."

Crowe followed him blindly, as any of them would have, and didn't feel herself being wrapped up tightly when Titus sat down and she closed the door.

"I'm sending you to Tenebrae. The Empire intends to send Princess Lunafreya here. We're going to intercept her convey, and take her to safety outside this city. In the event they have hostilities planned, both the Prince and the Princess will be safe outside the wall. Can you complete this task?"

With no hesitation, ever eager to prove herself, Crowe clicked her boots and affirmed, "Yes, sir!"

Good.

"Very well. I will brief you completely this evening. You'll set out in three days time."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate the opportunity."

Titus looked up at Crowe, and said, as she meant to leave, "You've been a good soldier. I wouldn't entrust this task to you if you weren't."

She looked over her shoulder, smiled, and said, "Thank you, Captain. I'll make you proud."

"You've already done so," Titus said, and meant it.

He regretted that it had come to this, but one life, in the end, was only that. One life, for the sake of many.

She smiled more brightly at him, and then was gone.

Titus then walked back out, and singled out Luche.

Luche met his gaze, as Titus inclined his head. Luche took the hint and crept over, and Titus merely said, so randomly, "Come walk with me."

They marched down the hall, and Titus took Luche up to the roof. They walked about the edge, as Luche stared at Titus and awaited orders.

Titus ambled along the flat roof, very close to the ledge, and lifted his chin as he asked, "Is Galahd still the most important thing to you?"

"Yes, sir," Luche replied, with no hesitation.

"But you understand why this decision was made?"

Luche's voice was taut then, but he dutifully replied, "Of course, sir. For the sake of Insomnia."

To any regular citizen, that response would have elicited no suspicion whatsoever, for it was true, and to them it was good enough. Titus knew just a bit better than that, for when Luche said 'for Insomnia', the implication was that it had not been for the good of anyone else.

Luche hadn't said, 'For the sake of the greater good.'

Titus stopped walking, and turned to face Luche fully.

"And knowing now that your home will be signed away, will you continue to protect Insomnia?"

Luche seemed to suppress a scoff, and uttered, "I don't see why Insomnia will continue to need protection, for the war will end, will it not?"

Titus took a pointed step towards Luche.

"Will you go home if you have to call yourself Imperial to do so?"

Luche held Titus' gaze, and affirmed, "Eventually, yes. If it comes to that."

"Would you fight for Galahd always, even if doing so meant fighting against the kingdom that once claimed it? In your heart, will home always come before King?"

At that, Luche did hesitate, and when Luche spoke up, his voice was much cooler, much more monotone, much more cautious.

"Forgive me, sir, but I'm beginning to worry that you're attempting to goad me into committing verbal treason. This is a test."

Astute as ever. Luche just misunderstood Titus' intentions.

"You always were just a bit smarter than the rest, Luche."

Titus studied him, as stiff Luche stood at perfect attention and was far too smart to say a word.

So Titus asked, "Do you know where the abandoned residential complex on the south side of the city stands?"

Luche nodded, once.

"Meet me there tonight. Midnight. Fifteenth floor. There's a padlock on the door that leads to the basement. You'll find a key beneath the bottom step. Pull out the third brick from the left. It will be there. In the basement, you'll gain access to the stairwell. I'll see you there."

With that, as Luche stared away at him, Titus took his leave.

Luche was suspicious, but would do as Titus said, because neither of them had uttered aloud anything that was concrete treason, therefore Luche had no cause to refuse to come for he could not be punished for doing so.

As the sun set, Titus gave Crowe her full briefing, and texted Ignis afterwards that he would be home late. Ignis thought nothing of it, because they had all been out of sorts lately.

Titus set out, and waited for Luche.

He stared out at the city as he did so, gleaming in the moonlight. This city that Ignis loved, and in the windowless, dark, empty concrete room, Titus waited.

Titus had seen the weapon that the Empire had carefully crafted, that Diamond, and couldn't foresee now how he would ever keep this city intact. It hadn't been said aloud, but Titus was very certain now that the Emperor intended to raze Insomnia into ashes. Nothing for it. As long as Ignis was safe.

The door behind him creaked open. Titus didn't bother looking back, staring out at the city, and before long Luche came over and stood beside him, hair and eyes lit up in the moon.

A long silence, and Titus didn't take his eyes from the city when he very abruptly and arbitrarily asked, "Luche. Who am I?"

Luche was staring at him, Titus could feel it, and he could practically hear the gears grinding away in Luche's mind.

Titus lifted his chin, as the wind blew their clothes about, and whispered, "Two men have led the armies of two nations. Long have they fought against each other, and yet never face to face. One fights to protect the King, and the other fights to free his homeland. For fifteen years one has sought to kill the King of Lucis, and yet the man who guards the King of Lucis has somehow never been in the right place at the right time to defend the King against him. How, I wonder, is this possible?"

Luche was very, very quiet. Didn't seem to be breathing.

He turned to the side then, at long last, met Luche's wide eyes, and asked, again, "Who am I?"

Luche's pale eyes ran over his face, Luche swallowed, and then he so very softly replied, in a wispy voice lost to the wind, "The General."

As if Luche were afraid to say it any louder than that, lest there be some mistake.

Luche was sharp, clever, missed little, and put the pieces easily together as Titus had expected him to.

Luche very abruptly took a long step backward, looked around, and Titus could see the little flicker of panic, as if Luche were suddenly convinced he had walked into some trap, that Titus was still trying to uncover some unspoken treason.

And so Titus did then what he had to, to convince Luche with finality :

He summoned up his Magitek armor.

A flash of steel and red in the moonlight.

Luche fell utterly still, breathless and lips parted, as he looked up and down the man that he until one minute ago had called 'Captain'.

Titus took a step towards Luche, the metal boots heavy on the concrete, and already Titus could see the twitching of Luche's lips, the incredulous smile spreading, the look of a man facing defeat who had suddenly found a lifeline.

At Luche's smile, Titus did away with the armor, and as it melted away Titus said to Luche, "Be smart. Be careful. Gather up those you know for certain will turn. Leave the rest in the dark. And do not, under any circumstance, distance yourself from Nyx. He mustn't know anyone has turned. He has a greater use, and so does Crowe. You said Galahd was the most important thing to you. I seek the Ring of the Lucii. Once I present it to the Empire, they will free all of our homelands, and allow us sovereignty. They have sworn it. Would you do whatever is necessary, to see Galahd become its own nation?"

With absolutely no hesitation, Luche took his own step forward, and said, "Yes. Just tell me what to do. Captain."

And that was that.

Luche was ambitious, ruthless, had always done anything necessary to advance himself, and it was even more so then, when Luche was tempted with the prospect of having his home become a sovereign entity, free of both Lucis and the Empire. Luche really would have done anything for Galahd, and Luche didn't even flinch or think twice when Titus gave him the order to intercept and dispose of Crowe. Long had she been one of Luche's very few friends, and the bastard didn't even bat an eye.

Titus always had liked Luche.

Titus may have admired Nyx's pointless nobility and loyalty, but Luche's ability to see things for what they were was far more practical and useful.

Still...

Titus would do all he could to see Nyx through, and he did give Luche the order not to harm Nyx in any manner unless the order came from Titus himself or if the loss of the Ring would hang on Nyx's life.

When Titus went home that night, Ignis was in the kitchen, mopping. Titus scoffed, and came up to him and grabbed the mop, teasing, "You are aware it is two in the morning?"

Ignis glanced up, eyes red and so tired, and was too exhausted then to even bother teasing Titus back.

He just said, voice rough and low, "I needed to keep busy."

Ignis glanced briefly at a corner, and Titus realized how very brightly lit the house was. Not a single shadow in any corner of the room, and Titus' face fell a bit when he realized that Ignis had been scared to be home alone at night, after Ardyn had stared at him from darkness.

It would all be over soon.

Titus set the mop aside, pulled Ignis in, and led him over to the couch. Ignis seemed very relieved to have him there, and when Titus lied them down on the couch with all of the lights still on, Ignis fell asleep in just a few minutes.

Titus joined him.

Three days passed far too quickly, and before he knew it Titus was once more standing in his office with Crowe, handing her a box.

"What's this?"

She opened it, giggled a bit at the hairpin, as Titus uttered, with false embarrassment, "A gift for the Princess. Pretend it's from you, won't you?"

Crowe smiled, prettily, closed the box, and elbowed Titus gently because they were alone, crooning, "Captain! That's so sweet! I knew you had a gentleman somewhere in there!"

Titus lidded his eyes, and grumbled, "That's between us. Get going. Be careful. See she's safe."

"I will."

It was for the world. Had to be done, yes, but Titus watched her go and did regret it. Regretted it, yes, but wouldn't stop it, wouldn't change it, and wouldn't falter.

And neither would Luche.

Crowe set out, for the last time, and so soon it would be time for the Prince to leave.

He would be taking Ignis with him, and Titus was both relieved and horrified. Ignis had to be outside the city, this he of course knew, but having Ignis out of sight at all during such an uncertain time was quite harrowing.

Titus clung to Ignis every night, and Ignis must have known why Titus did so, for one night, as Titus buried his face in Ignis' neck, Ignis uttered to the ceiling, "I won't be gone for long."

Titus only clung tighter, and muttered, "Any moment you are out of my sight is a moment too long. To think that I would send you out, with no guard, into foreign lands, as I remain here. Anything could go wrong, and I won't be there."

Ignis twisted in his arms until they were chest to chest, and a palm fell atop his cheek.

"It's beyond our power. All I can do is tell you that I'll do my very best."

Titus stared at Ignis, and didn't say that it may have been out of his power, but he fully intended to meddle. Couldn't say that, and so instead Titus said, in one of those exceedingly rare moments, "I love you."

The crinkle in Ignis' brow, and his breaking murmur in turn.

"And I love you."

The nights were long, but never long enough.

And then it was their final night.

As it seemed to be most nights before some uncertain event, they spent it slowly, gently, their fingers ever locked into each other's and noses always bumping. Come dawn, Ignis would be sent out, and Titus tried to delay it, tried to prevent it, and always felt that if he moved slowly then time would move slowly as well, but naturally that was never the case.

Ignis shared his melancholy, and whispered in Titus' ear.

Their last night; for how long? Titus had little control of what happened outside of these walls.

Ignis kissed his forehead when he fell still above him, as Titus' listened to Ignis' heartbeat.

As their fingers intertwined, Titus murmured, "Forgive me, that I could not give you a wedding before the Prince."

Trying to lift his mood, trying to keep the encroaching shadows at bay, trying ever to be optimistic, Ignis merely uttered, "It will give us something to look forward to when I return."

Titus was silent, resting his head above Ignis' heart and staring at the wall as Ignis' hands ran down his back.

Dawn came.

They were quiet, and Titus watched Ignis packing up his little bag of essentials, but didn't have the heart to speak, and the drive to the Citadel was very somber. Ignis kept his hand atop Titus' thigh the entire time, as Titus' gripped it.

Ignis' journey began.

For five years now Ignis had stood ever by him, however difficult he had been to handle, and so when Ignis stood before him shortly after in the throne room, Titus vowed up in his head that he would be worth it. One way or another, he would be worth all the hassle he caused Ignis, and when Insomnia was gone and so were Ignis' burdens, Titus would go to the moon and back had Ignis asked it of him in order to keep him smiling.

It was the end of the current world order, but not of their world.

Had to keep believing it.

Too soon, Regis had said his farewell, and Ignis' eyes locked onto Titus' before he turned heel and left.

The boys walked out, and when there was silence and emptiness, Regis and Titus shared a look. They seemed to be in perfect agreement for once, for as Regis began hobbling as quickly down the steps as he could, he said, "Titus, catch them."

Titus darted ahead to the door, and made it to the steps just in time.

"Your Highness!"

Testy Noctis stopped and turned around, but Titus stared only at Ignis.

Regis limped down to Noctis, and Titus took the chance to go to Ignis, as desperation rose there in his chest.

The kids looked at them in exasperation, as two old men fretted there on the brink.

Couldn't help it.

As Regis repeatedly interrupted and halted Noctis, Titus suddenly found himself doing the same with Ignis. They each clung at the very last breath to the things they held most dear, and oh, seeing Ignis leaving out into the great unknown was too much, as Ardyn ever lurked. Titus hadn't yet come up with a surefire way to get Ignis away from Noctis, and it was killing him.

Noctis tried to walk away, Ignis took a step down to follow Noctis, and it was Titus who took one forward and called, "Ignis!" Ignis paused and looked over his shoulder, and Titus could feel Regis watching him as he said, in a lower voice, "Be careful."

Ignis smiled, inclined his head, and replied, easily, "Yes, sir."

Regis halted Noctis again, and Titus took one more step down, too. Another step, another pang of unease, and Titus called again, "Ignis!"

Again, Ignis paused, this time with a snort, and he turned fully around.

Behind, Titus could see Gladiolus smirking, and Prompto scuffed his shoe awkwardly. Cor, waiting down at the car, averted his eyes.

Titus came down another step, and then another, and his voice was ever lower when he said, "Remember to always be on guard. And remember, too, that there's no shame in running. Do not engage daemons unless there is no choice. Keep your head. Don't let them get carried away."

Ignis bowed his head, and replied again, "Yes, sir."

Titus couldn't explain that awful clench of his chest when Ignis turned away again and tried to walk down the steps as Noctis did. Just couldn't seem to let him go.

Once more, he called, "Ignis!" at the same moment that Regis called out to Noctis.

Ignis turned around fully again, and this time, perhaps realizing he wasn't going to get away any quicker than Noctis, he came back up the steps until he was chest to chest with Titus. Ignis reached out, in front of everyone, and took Titus' face in his hands. His way of saying, 'Calm down', of soothing, and Titus closed his eyes and slumped a little but this time it just wasn't working.

Regis clapped Noctis on the shoulder, as Ignis ran thumbs over Titus' cheeks.

When he opened his eyes again, Ignis' stoic expression had vanished, and Titus could see concern in the crinkle of his brow.

A long stare, and it was Titus who spoke first by whispering, "You know everything I want to say."

Ignis tried to smile, failed, and whispered in turn, "And you know everything with which I would respond."

He knew it.

He took Ignis' hands within his own, and looked down at the ring on Ignis' finger, running his thumb briefly across it. Gods willing, Ignis would never happen across knowledge that would cause him to remove it.

Once more Titus whispered, in Ignis' ear, "Be careful. Trust no one. Stay together, the lot of you. Don't stray from each other. Get in, and get out."

Ignis nodded, and replied, "Please, Captain. Be alert. Keep me out of your mind, and remain clearheaded. His Majesty needs you. Be safe. I'll see you soon. And then you can give me that wedding you keep promising."

Hurt.

Soon. Right. Just not in Insomnia, and likely not even in Lucis. Or what would be left of Lucis in a few day's time.

It was one of the harder things he had done in his life, letting Ignis go then, but there was nothing for it, and Titus followed the car with his eyes until it was out of sight.

Regis turned to him when they were alone, and said, mournfully, "It's hard letting them go."

Titus was silent, staring off after the vanished car, and he only turned his head when Cor came marching up the Citadel steps. Their eyes met, as Cor passed. Had a million things he wanted to say to Cor, and tried very hard to express that with his eyes, and perhaps Cor knew because his own pale eyes flitted away, there was a hesitation, and then Cor carried on.

Titus exhaled, and finally turned around, escorting Regis back inside.

Ignis was gone.

Five years, and now suddenly with one short goodbye Ignis was out of his hands.

He passed Regis off into Clarus' guard, as Cor came back into the throne room, and Titus immediately honed in on him, and inclined his head to the door. Cor took the hint, and followed Titus out into the hall.

Time to secure his last loose end, as the dominoes began falling so neatly along.

Cor fell into step with him, and Titus' voice was very hard, very stern, when he said, "Marshal. You've been put in charge of overseeing civilian safety. You and Monica are to report to the West and South gates respectively. Oversee the official plan for evacuation should hostilities occur. Coordinate all police and rescue vehicles as you see fit. You are not to leave that gate, nor Monica hers. Everything can be overseen from your posts. Should hostile events occur, you and Monica are forbidden henceforth from returning into the city. Get outside the walls, for you'll be needed there to lead our military in the event that I and the Shield both fall. Brief the Crownsguard, and then report to your post at 15:00. Remain there until I call you back. Prepare to be there several days."

Cor furrowed his brow, pursed his lips, clearly felt wronged, but Cor also knew why Titus did it, and in the end Titus outranked Cor.

So Cor nodded his head, and then, far too soon, they stood face to face.

Staring at each other, as the day began. In two more days, the world would change, though so few people in this city yet knew it.

Titus' eyes ran over Cor's face, and all he could say then, so softly, was, "Do not forget your oath to me."

A rapid blink from Cor, a crinkle of his brow, but ever dutiful Cor gave one stiff nod, and replied, "I will not. But you've made oaths of your own, and not to me. So keep in that in mind, if it comes to it."

Titus nodded in turn, and they looked each other over for the final time in this tranquil Insomnia.

Saying a hundred things to each other then without ever uttering a word, as they had for three decades past. Titus loved Cor, and hoped, above all else, that Cor would live up to his name and escape this city unscathed, as Cor had escaped so many impossible scenarios before.

With a perfect outcome, and all luck, Titus could go home and have a house and a life and gods willing perhaps one day he would have a knock on his door and open it to see Cor there, paying a visit, and Ignis could walk Cor along the cliffs and show him the cold sea beyond.

His dream.

If he was careful, and smart, it could be so.

For home. For Ignis.

For them.

One day, Ignis would understand that it had all been for the best.

And one day, Ignis would understand how much Titus really loved him.

Be it in this life or the next, Titus would soon go home.