Author's Note: I am alive! After sitting on the shelf because of lack of inspiration, covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, kids remote schooling, I'm remote learning, a full-blown LAW class for the fall semester (wrote my first APA paper), and the madhouse that is my job... I HAVE RETURNED! Granted we still have the new year, my kids going back to their learning schedule next week (January 4th) and I go back to school on January 19th but I am optimistic to try and pump out another chapter. Getting that Dawn of the Future book really helped kick my ass into gear to finish this story, which to be honest, I REALLY WANNA FINISH BEFORE CHAPTER 20! Anything longer feels like I am dragging it out. But I wanna thank anyone and everyone who is still here reading this madness after so many years and delays. Thank you for staying here through it all.
Chocobro Hotel Room
Ignis walked through the door, shoulders slightly slumped in exhaustion. His mind was running wild about the next couple of days. The wedding. The rite. Telling Noctis the truth about his destiny. So many things were running across his mind that he feared freaking out on one of his friends. Gladiolus was sitting on the sofa, a book in hand, a great intensity written clear across his features. Without looking up, he spoke up, "Are you stressed about something? Aside from the usual stressors?"
Ignis sighed and removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of this nose calmly, and walked over to the other man. He took a seat next to him and tossed his head back, letting out a deep breath. He was feeling the tension slowly leave his body but he said nothing, waiting for the other to stop reading and focus on him. Gladio understood that Ignis was waiting for him to put the book down so he placed his bookmark in the book and set it on the table.
"Talk to me Iggy," was all he had to say.
"I am worried about the wedding. How Ravus agreed to it all too willingly. He was all but ready to kick Noct in the face in Lucis but now he has one conversation with him in Altissia and the High Commander is now on board with his sister getting married to the man he loathes? I also worry about how Lady Lunafreya is going to take being told the truth about Noct's past and what she will do in retaliation if she does feel that way." Ignis released his breath as he continued talking, not giving Gladio a second to respond to his words.
"Then there is the whole keeping secrets thing that Noct has continued to do at every turn since we arrived in Altissia. I have been at his side since he first came back from Tenebrae as a child and in all my years of service, he has never been able to keep a secret from me for so long. His nightlife from his teen years. The secret girlfriend. Having a glaive assist him in sneaking out of the Citadel. Hidden bank accounts that he never spoke to me about. I am honestly fearing that I am losing my mind a bit." Ignis took a deep breath before turning to Gladio.
"What has frightened me the most is that I have never told him the truth of his destiny. I have been lying to him my entire life. How do I tell someone that I see as a little brother that he was basically born to die? When is the right time to tell him the truth? That his father knew his fate from the time he was a small child?" Tears were forming in Ignis' eyes, the anguish written clear across his features. This caused Gladio to lean in and grab his hand, giving it a tight squeeze but waiting to see if the other man had anything else to say. He knew better than to interrupt the advisor when he was mid-rant and practically in panic mode. Instead, he chose to stay silent and wait for the other to give him the chance to respond.
"I'm probably stressing and worrying about it too much but I cannot help this feeling that screams at me to be more prepared than we are now. We have an extra amount of supplies for battle, the weapons are upgraded as far as we can take them, we spent a long time in the wilds of Lucis, hunted down as many of the royal arms as we could, and even raided all the bases too. So what more can we do to be prepared? Should I come up with a battle plan for the Hydrean? One cannot really prepare themselves for combat with a goddess." This last line caused both of them to chuckle.
What they weren't expecting was a third voice, "How about tell him now? Before the wedding? Maybe Luna can help with him processing it all?"
They looked up to see Prompto looking at them with his camera and an amused look on his face. Gladio pulled his hands out of Ignis's hands and got up. "Prompto," he began, slowly inching towards the younger member of their group. "You wouldn't have taken any photos just now, did you?"
This line had caused the blond to tilt his head to the side, "No, I was looking at some of the shots I got today and wanted to show you guys this one." He turned his camera up to show him the screen. On the screen was a photo of Noctis and Lunafreya, walking together hand-in-hand. They appeared to be talking in the shot.
Gladio looking at it stated, "What am I looking for?"
Prompto giggled, "Look at the expression on Noct's face."
Hearing these words caused Ignis to get up, wiping his face before putting his glasses on and joining the other two. They both leaned in and observed what they were told to observe, an eyebrow-raising in confusion for Gladio and Ignis letting a smile come across his face.
"Well now," Ignis stated quietly. "I have never seen that facial expression in all my years of service. She really does bring out emotions in him that we have never seen." Gladio whistled, "Iggy are you saying that he is actually Prince Charming?" This caused Prompto to smile, "I have observed and documented four whole years of facial expressions that Noct has, this is by far, the most expressive I have ever seen him. His eyes are lit up with emotion and his smile? Dude, that is one of his smiles you see when he talks about his mom or when he thinks of times with his father. I feel like I have captured his emotions in their purest and rawest form."
Ignis let out a dry laugh, "True, this one is very rare. I wonder what he would say if he were to ever see it."
"See what?"
This caused the trio to turn around and see their king, standing in the doorway and smirking at them. He was alone and Umbra was by his side, tail wagging and all. Prompto turned off his camera, "N-N-Nothing important!" was all he could shout before running back into his room and hiding his camera.
Noctis felt the smirk fall off his face as he looked at the remaining duo before him, "Specs, you're upset. I can see all the tension in your body." Hearing the words come out of Noctis' mouth seemed like a surreal moment for Gladio but Ignis could no longer suppress the frustration.
"I can't take it anymore!" Ignis shouted at the top of his lungs, scaring Gladio in one swift motion. Prompto bolted out of the room, eyes wide and clear confusion on his face. Umbra growled slightly at Ignis before calming at Noctis's hand on his head. He let out a gentle whine and went to lie down. Noctis looked at Gladio and Prompto then back to Ignis who clearly was beyond agitated. 'I better choose my next course of action carefully. One wrong word and Ignis just might hit me and I highly doubt that Gladio is gonna stop him,' Noctis thought to himself.
He raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, you win." He made his way to the couch and sat down, taking his shoes off and lying back onto the couch completely. He knew that Ignis needed to vent and rant about gods knew how many things so he prepared himself for the entire brunt of it all. "Gladio. Prompto," he stated calmly. "I suggest you guys find something to do, we will be here for a while."
Noctis turned his attention back to Ignis, "I'm ready."
Ignis felt his restraint come undone as he stormed over to Noctis and sat on the table right in front of him. He took off his glasses and looked directly into his friend's deep blue eyes, knowing that the entire week's frustrations were coming out. "I will begin with this, I am not speaking to my king, I am speaking to you as your friend and your brother, you are not allowed to get offended or use your royal title as leverage on getting out of the conversation or to silence my issues that I am taking up with you."
These words caused both Gladio and Prompto to let out a shocked gasp. They understood that anytime they used those words on Noctis meant it was an unfiltered and raw conversation that needed to be had. The last one they had was when Prompto jokingly hit on Iris as a dare by one of the glaives who said Prompto couldn't talk to a woman to save his life.
"Noctis, I have been more than patient with you and the endless surprises you have kept from me. The secrets from your teen years, secret bank accounts that you failed to disclose to me as your advisor, the incessant need to want to get married to Lady Lunafreya before the rite, the actual rite with the Hydrean, and how we are supposed to continue forward when it comes to our journey. There are a great many things that need to be discussed and I refuse to keep dealing with this snarky, somewhat manipulative, and secretive version of you. I refuse to keep going on with this demented game you want to play."
"Alrighty then," Noctis replied calmly. "Ask me anything you want. I promise to be 100% honest with you." He refused to look at Ignis because he knew the frustration could cause Ignis to punch him right there and then.
"Stella." was all Ignis said in return. "And do not lie to me."
"She was my girlfriend. For one whole year. She met dad under false pretenses. She had no idea I was the crown prince. She was a college freshman when we met. In a bar, while I was out with Ulric. I had sex with her. What else do you wanna know?" Noctis asked.
"The secret bank accounts," Ignis replied blankly.
Noctis felt himself smirk a bit, "You really are mad about those aren't you?"
The smirk was wiped off immediately when Ignis slapped Noctis in the stomach, "I didn't ask for the sarcasm. I want answers." Noctis groaned, 'Damn it, I misread his frustration. This is more of boiling rage.' "Dad made me sign the paperwork for it when I turned eighteen. There was a nondisclosure agreement attached to it as well. I was not allowed to discuss the accounts with anyone who was not on the list at the time. Your name was never on any of the documents. I could only ask the treasurer via a special document or speak to the listed officials on the list which was not much. Dad, Camelia, Weskham, the treasurer, and Clarus. When I asked Dad why I couldn't add you or speak to you about it, he specifically said that it would be best to have the information protected by not having you know. If you didn't know then you wouldn't have to worry about it."
Ignis furrowed his brow, "Master knows?" Noctis nodded, "He would have to as he is the co-signer on the account mom made here in Altissia 20 years ago. Dad couldn't do it because he would be thought of taking money from the crown city's coffers and embezzling it into a foreign account."
"Lady Lunafreya," Ignis moved the conversation forward again. This time Noctis asked, "What would you like me to answer?" 'I am not telling him about that date, well more like what happened at the end of the evening. I am a gentleman about that subject.'
"Why are you rushing to the alter?" Ignis asked composedly. "I understand you both haven't seen each other in over 10 years and I can understand wanting to hold up the treaty for peace but why not wait till after our journey? After we get back the crystal? After we all return to rebuild Insomnia? I find this to be a reckless choice of action when you have to worry about the rite of the Hydrean. Don't you think-"
Noctis had felt his eyes close, his body sits up on its own, and face Ignis. "Do you really think I will still be alive to marry her? Do you think she will live past this weekend to even walk down the aisle?"
Ignis felt the blood in his body run cold. 'Does he know?' was all he could think. Gladio had frozen at the questions Noctis returned. It was one thing to know of the fate of the Oracle but for him to know his own fate would be something entirely new, and Gladio knew it wouldn't end well if they broke that truth to him now. There was a tension in the room that hadn't been felt since the day they found out that King Regis had died. A tension that the two older members knew well enough.
"Noct, what are you implying?" Ignis asked in a strangely calm manner. He did not dare allow himself to make eye contact with the younger man. He knew that if he did look at the young king in his eyes he would be met with a truth he was not prepared for. 'Or does he have yet ANOTHER secret he has been keeping from us?'
Noctis let out a sigh before beginning, "Well remember how I had negotiated with Camilla regarding the rite? There was a condition she had given me on her end in order to secure everything I had requested of her when it came to Luna. I think it is time I fill you boys in on it. Especially if we are to be wed tomorrow night and the rite will be the day after that."
Upon hearing these words, Prompto came to sit down on the couch Gladio was sitting on. "So tell us, buddy, what is the game plan?" Gladio felt himself lean onto his knees while Ignis felt the tension in his back get tighter than it was before the king had shown up.
"Well, you guys are not going to be there fighting the Hydrean. Camilla has requested that the three of you assist in the evacuation of the Altissian people, leaving Luna and I completely unguarded and taking the sea goddess on directly. Alone." Noctis started shakily, knowing the reaction that his friends would give him but also preparing his body for the worst of it. The trio had a hard time allowing him to fight on his own but he had trained under two of the three for years and even got private lessons from Nyx and Cor. He knew how to defend himself well enough but his deepest fears lied in the fact that he would have to help protect Luna, who for all anyone knew, did not have any kind of formal training in the art of defense.
Gladio lost it before Ignis could process the words, "Like fucking hell! You are not facing that Astral alone! You barely managed to survive your battle against the Archean! How in the hell are you gonna fight against the Astral that hates all of humanity?"
Prompto remained silent, unsure of how to process any of what was told to him, 'I joined the Crownsguard to be there to protect him. How the hell am I supposed to do that if I have him unable to be protected by me? What good am I protecting people I did not swear an oath to?' Noctis noticed the internal battle going on in Prompto's eyes but said nothing as he looked over to the only one of them who had not said a word the whole time since he revealed to them the plan for the rite. "Ignis, I-" Noctis began but was cut off when the advisor put up his hand.
"No," was all he said. He put his hand down and got up, heading to the bathroom and quietly closing the door behind him, ignoring the three men sitting in the room. This caused two of them to turn their attention to Noctis, glares firmly planted on their faces. Noctis felt a cold chill of fear run down his spine as the two other members of their party stared holes into his face. 'If looks could kill, they would have committed regicide already. Several times over. Holy Six, give me the strength to survive this night. I honestly don't think I am going to make it.' was all Noctis could think as he waited for one of them to say something.