"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Prompto turned from the sunset to see Queen Susan standing behind him. She stared out over the sea, watching the golden light glint off the waves as the sky turned red and orange.

"It is, Your Majesty," he replied, bowing awkwardly. She smiled kindly at him.

"You've been out here a long time," she observed. He'd found his way here after fleeing from the scene at lunch; there were few guards posted along this stretch of wall, not with hundreds of feet of sheer cliff below.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be in the way; I'll..." he babbled.

"It's fine," she said. "May I join you?"

"It's your castle," he said, "Your Majesty," he added quickly. She laughed, and it was a musical sound. She was probably the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and yet, she didn't make him as nervous as he would have expected. She seated herself on the edge of the wall a few feet away from him, seemingly content to sit quietly.

"I wish I had my camera," Prompto blurted as the silence grew long. "I would take some amazing shots."

"We don't have proper cameras in Narnia," she said, "but I remember cameras from England. We didn't own one ourselves, but we went to be photographed as a family before my father went away to war." She sighed. "I haven't thought about England in years."

"My camera was a gift from Noct, His Majesty, I mean," said Prompto. "I used to take pictures all day, and then every night we'd sit together around the campfire and I'd show everyone the pictures I'd taken." He frowned wistfully. "My camera was stolen when I got captured."

"How long were you a captive?" she asked.

"Hah, you know, I'm not even sure?" chuckled Prompto, though it wasn't funny at all. "I lost track of time. At least a few weeks though. Maybe over a month."

"That's awful, I'm sorry," she said. "Your friends must've missed you terribly."

"I guess," he said. "I'm glad it was me, and not somebody else. I mean, can you imagine if it had been Gladio, or Iggy? Like, I'm just, uh...I'm just one of millions. I'm replaceable."

"Surely you exaggerate," remarked Queen Susan teasingly. Her innocent words bit into the very core of Prompto's fears and insecurities. His eyes filled with tears and, horribly embarrassed, he turned away and wiped them away as he began stuttering apologies.

"Prompto Argentum," the Gentle Queen interrupted. "I am not offended by emotion. I am sorry that my words caused you pain."

"Nah, it's alright, Your Majesty," he said.

"I would offer you relief from the weight you carry," she said. "An unburdening. I have often found that speaking to an outsider can ease what is otherwise an almost unbearable load." She smiled compassionately. "Sometimes the closeness of brotherhood can preclude one from sharing the most intimate worries, simply because one does not wish to weigh down one's family unnecessarily."

When Prompto untangled the complicated, overly formal speech in his head and realized what she was suggesting, he paused for one long moment. She was royalty, and he was no expert, but he was pretty sure that all protocol forbade using a queen as a therapist. On the other hand, she was offering, and he really did want to talk to somebody other than Noct or Iggy or Gladio, someone who would just listen and not get their feelings hurt or feel guilty and make him feel obligated to comfort them. Back in Lucis, he would've found a dog or cat to talk to, but here in Narnia he risked having the animals talk back to him! That would be bad...oh, right. The queen. She was still waiting for his answer.

"I wouldn't wanna..." he trailed off, gesturing awkwardly.

"T'would be no imposition," she said. "Rather, I would be honored to hold your words in confidence if you felt comfortable entrusting them to me."

"If you're sure," he said. She nodded. He took a deep breath.

"I wasn't...born; I was created in a laboratory by the enemies of Lucis," he blurted, hands shaking. He watched her face closely, ready to bolt, no matter how rude, if she seemed horrified at his confession. But he saw no judgement in Queen Susan's expression; earnestness, yes, lack of understanding, perhaps even sorrow-but not disgust. Not fear. "I really am one of millions. I was supposed to become a soldier, but I was rescued when I was really young and raised in Lucis just like anybody else." He licked his lips nervously.

"When I got captured, Ardyn, the man behind everything-he thought it would be funny to show me what I was supposed to be. He knew what I was; he recognized me because all of us MTs-Magitek Troopers-were clones, I mean, copies of the same guy." He paused, trying his best to simplify what he was trying to explain.

"So you didn't know your heritage until then?" she asked.

"Well, I knew I was different," he offered. "I mean, I look totally different from Lucians and I knew I was adopted; I just always assumed that I was some refugee kid from Niflheim!" He scoffed again. "I didn't know what I was until Ardyn started messing with me." Queen Susan watched silently, deep blue eyes sad but still not pitying. Come on, Prompto, just spit it out. Say the words. Take the shot.

"I don't know if I'm really even human."

"What makes you think that?" the queen said quietly when it became clear Prompto was finished speaking.

"Just, everything!" Prompto blurted. "I have this magic tattoo brand thing that opens doors in Niflheim," he said, brandishing his wrist at her. "And...Ardyn... made it clear I was just a broken clone."

"Was this while you were captured?" she asked. He nodded. "And what makes you think he was telling the truth?"

"I...I killed a lot of MTs and, and clones that were gonna be made into MTs," said Prompto instead of answering the question right away. "Ardyn made me fight them. I didn't want to, but I had to; it was me or them, and I didn't want to die."

"Of course not," the queen agreed solemnly.

"They were all the same. They fought the same, they moved the same," said the blond in a small voice. "They looked like me, they sounded like me-they were me, even the little kids."

"No, they weren't." She disagreed with a firmness that shocked him. "Perhaps they shared physical characteristics, appearance, or blood, but in the ways that matter, in life and thought and experience, they were nothing like you."

"Huh?"

"These other copies may have shared your face, your outer shell, but you are not the same person," explained the Queen patiently. "Do you have twins in your world?"

"Yeah..."

"Twins are identical in appearance, but they are not the same person, even if their parents give them the same experiences and opportunities and treatment. There is something that differs between them that is innate." She smiled. "We call it the soul."

"We don't have souls in Eos," said Prompto, unfamiliar with the term.

"Yes you do," she laughed easily. "You just don't call it that. Your soul is that spark inside of you that gives you breath and understanding. It is given to all living things by Aslan. Each soul is unique; your soul is different from that of your copied brothers. You are unique. You are not the same."

"I guess we call that life," said Prompto, pondering the idea.

"As for not being human," said Queen Susan, "you forget that you're in Narnia. I see nothing wrong with being something other than human. But that's not a very comforting thought to you, is it?" The blond shook his head, trying to smile at her attempt at humor. He wasn't very successful.

"Mr Argentum, do you appear human physically?"

"Yeah."

"Do you need to breathe?" she asked. "Can you suffer injury and bleed or break a bone? Do you heal?"

"Yes."

"Can you cry? Do you eat? Do you expel waste in the usual manner?" Jolting upright, he blushed crimson, shocked and embarrassed that a Queen would be asking about that.

"Do you think, Prompto?" asked Queen Susan. "Can you remember? Can you make choices?"

"Yes," said Prompto.

"Do you love?"

"I..." He was crying again, dammit! That's all he did these days! She offered him a handkerchief, and he took it, tiredly mopping his face and nose.

"Fear and vulnerability are human emotions, Mr. Argentum," she assured him. "I've watched you help Mr Scientia today; you are kind and selfless and thoughtful. You love your friends, and they love you. You are not just a copy, and they don't think of you that way."

"I'd die for them," said Prompto. He almost didn't recognize his own voice.

"I believe you," she smiled. "You are strong and brave to endure captivity and torture and yet still stay true to your friend. It's obvious to me and my royal siblings that you belong with them. You're not only human, you're a good human," she said. "You are loyal, and King Noctis is fortunate to have you ever at his side."

"Thank you," he whispered.