'Don't worry, Ven. I'll just be a day or so behind you. You've got this covered until then, right?'

Ventus' bright blue eyes fluttered open, and he stared listlessly out of the passenger's side window. Lips pulled into a frown, he sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his wildly spiked blond hair. He shifted his gaze to stare at the back of the driver's headrest.

It was bad enough that he had to take on this assignment without Terra and Aqua. But now, even his partner was hemmed up in their own affairs, leaving him alone for the first few days.

But then again, he knew why his partner sent him ahead.

'I promise I'll be there as soon as I can. Besides, you're a first-class member of SOLDIER. You can handle the handshaking until I get there. After all, you're supposed to be the social one.'

Ventus cracked a smile as he thought of his partner and fished out his phone from the pocket of his darker-than-black suit pants.

'Don't know why I'm anxious,' Ven thought as he stared at his reflection through the phone screen. 'After all, it's not my first time staying in a castle.'

The driver cleared his throat, snapping Ventus out of his thoughts.

"Mr. Uchiyama," the driver called out, "we just entered the capital city. Once we reach the palace gates, the castle guards should be outside to greet you."

Ventus straightened up and slipped on his suit jacket, immediately shifting into work mode.

"We appreciate SOLDIER being here," the driver added quietly. "With everything that happened to the royal family over the last few years, it's good to have an extra set of eyes on the situation."

Ventus grinned from ear to ear. "Not a problem! We've always had a good relationship with the Lucian kingdom. I'm just glad we could help."

Ventus was very familiar with the troubles that plagued the small but powerful kingdom. The nation had been locked in a war for the past three years and had only just come out on top of it six months ago. However, since reclaiming power and pushing out the opposing forces, there had been two attempts on the prince's life, and it was up to Ventus and his partner to figure out who the culprit was.

And while this wasn't Ventus' first time working with kings and queens, this country was a bit different than the others.

The driver pulled up to a giant iron gate, and a guard in military attire ran up to the car. After the driver received the go-ahead, the guard radioed an associate and walked back to his booth to allow them inside the palace. As the gates slowly opened and Ventus was able to take in more of his surroundings, his eyes widened in awe and amazement.

The palace was enormous, with towers nearly touching the cloudy, crystal-like blue sky. The original architecture was gothic, but there was a modern twist on the stain-glass windows, courtyard, and sculptures (no doubt due to the remodel from when the palace was attacked years ago); it was grander than anything Ventus had ever seen before. All while sitting in the heart of the capital city, the palace had an almost untouchable presence surrounding it.

'Terra and Aqua would love this place,' Ventus thought as he sat with his mouth wide open. 'Hopefully, I can take them here one day.'

"It's surprising, though," the driver said distantly.

"What's surprising?" He asked curiously.

"As you can imagine, the people around here are a little leery of outsiders."

The blond's smile faltered a bit.

"Just a heads up. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. After all, you and your partner came highly recommended."

The driver pulled up to the steps where about a dozen men dressed in black suits stood waiting for them. When he pulled the car around, Ventus studied the men carefully. They didn't look like the traditional, old-school, armor-clad guards he'd seen in the past on other assignments. All the men were scruffy looking, with most of them covered in tattoos, and their overall energy was just…different.

But then again, as Ventus reminded himself, this kingdom was not like the typical run-of-the-mill nation.

Once the car came to a complete stop, the driver rushed out and opened Ventus' door. The blond psyched himself up, put on a cheerful front, and stepped outside to meet the guards.

A tall man with glasses was the first to greet Ventus.

He cleared his throat and reached out to shake Ventus' hand.

"You must be Ventus," the man greeted, his accent shining. "My name is Ignis Scientia, Second in Command of the Crownsguard. Welcome to Lucis."

Ventus, who returned Ignis' firm handshake, studied the man carefully. He was tall with fair skin, glasses covering his bright green eyes, fair, ash-brown hair that he wore pushed back. The man had a calm, confident, composed demeanor. He probably worked closely with the king and the prince, given his rank.

Ignis looked over Ven's shoulder, and his smile vanished.

"I was told that your partner would be arriving with you," Ignis stated plainly.

Ventus cringed inwardly. "Apologies. Something came up with SOLDIER - they should be here the day after tomorrow."

Ignis sighed. "What a pity. We were expecting him today. Oh well, please follow me."

Before Ventus could reach his luggage, two men accompanying Ignis hastily grabbed his belongings.

"Don't worry," Ignis called out as he turned on his heel to head up the steps to the palace entrance. "They will be taken to your room. In the meantime, I'll escort you to your room. After that, you can rest before dinner, and I'll introduce you to my team then."

Ventus glanced back at the driver, thanked him, and rushed to catch up with Ignis, making sure to keep space between himself and the Lucian official.

"Umm…Ignis," Ventus began, looking a bit confused. "I was under the impression that I would meet the king and prince today."

Ignis stared straight forward and paused when he and Ven reached the top of the steps. Two guards opened the giant stone doors that served as the main entrance. Once inside, Ignis led the way, with Ventus trailing close behind.

"Both His Majesty the King and the Crown Prince had an unexpected matter to attend to," Ignis informed him. "The king sends his regards and hopes to meet you tomorrow after breakfast."

Ventus did his best to hide his disappointment. He was really looking forward to meeting the king and the prince. After all the stories he'd heard of the pair, that was the thing he was most looking forward to doing today.

But more importantly, he had business to tend to.

"I'm sure once I meet the other members of your team," Ventus said as he stared at all the beautifully crafted yet strangely macabre paintings that hung on the walls, "I can get started on my investigation."

Ignis was impressed by Ventus' desire to get right to work. "I've heard great things about SOLDIER's 1st Class members - they're known to be the best of the best. In addition, we appreciate the assistance your organization provided in helping us rebuild the capital."

Ventus' smile returned. "We've heard great things about the Crownsguard and the prince. It's an honor to get to work with you."

After a brief pause, Ignis continued. "Once you meet Prompto and Gladiolus, my comrades, we'll more thoroughly go over best practices and the general rules of the palace."

The blond's ears perked up. "Any rules I should be aware of now?"

"Yes." Ignis took a hard left, and Ventus trailed him. "Outside the palace, there is a strict no firearms policy, but you can carry a concealed weapon here while you're guarding the prince. There is a mandatory meeting with the Crownsguard every morning before basic training. We ask that you participate and get more acquainted with the soldiers here."

"What time does that start?"

Ignis stopped when he came to a door at the end of the hall with two servants standing there with Ventus' luggage.

The blond's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, recognizing them as two of the men from before. 'How the heck did they get here before us?'

"Our meeting starts at 6:30 in the morning," Ignis announced while Ventus struggled to hold back a groan. He was not a morning person in the slightest. "I'll send for you when it's time for dinner. By the morning, I'll also have two attendants assigned to your room to serve you during your stay here."

Ventus smiled ruefully. "No need for that. I'm sure I'll be able to manage on my own."

Ignis took note of Ventus' hesitation but insisted. "You are a guest of the king. Besides, the palace is a bit of a maze, with some areas still under reconstruction. Trust me, you'll need to rely on them, especially in the first week."

Begrudgingly, Ventus obliged. After all, he didn't want to offend his hosts.

"Understood," Ventus bowed. "Thank you for taking good care of me."

"It is I who should be thanking you," Ignis said once Ventus rose to his feet. He lowered his voice as the servants opened the door to Ventus' room. "We can't have any more 'incidents' with the prince. I hope you and your partner can help us figure out what is going on and stop these... occurrences."

Feeling the severity and weight of Ignis' words, Ventus promised to do his best.

"I promise we won't let you down!"

"Good, good," Ignis said before he dismissed himself.

As soon as he was out of Ven's eyesight, his grin vanished and was quickly replaced by a frown. He'd done his best to be hospitable as instructed. 'I can't believe SOLDIER sent us a literal child. We didn't spend all those years fighting to let the prince get hurt again. Let's see how good their 1st Class ranks against our own. Let's hope they don't waste our time.'

"I'm telling you, Terra," Ventus said into his phone as he opened the doors to his balcony, "I've never seen a castle like this. I think it's even bigger than Hollow Bastion."

The young SOLDIER was winding down for the evening and decided to check in with his other teammate before bed. Given that they were both on different assignments, Ventus promised to check in with Terra, especially since he had to tough it out on the first day by himself.

"I've heard good things," his friend replied. "Are you out there by yourself for much longer?"

Ven spotted a chair near the railing and took a seat, gazing out over the enormous courtyard of the east wing. "Nah. But I could tell they weren't too happy I came alone."

Terra chuckled. "I heard they don't like surprises out there."

Ven crossed one leg over the other, leaned back, and yawned. "Definitely not. But can you blame him?"

"Fair," Terra conceded. "How's everyone else?"

"I met this guy named Gladiolus – he's the prince's official bodyguard. Seems cool – way more chill than Ignis, and his family has served the king's family since the beginning. And then there was this dude named Prompto. Don't think he's from here, but he's friendly. I think he and I will get along the best."

"What about the prince?"

Ventus sighed in disappointment. "Haven't met him yet - I think I'll meet him and the king tomorrow. I can't believe I have to protect THE Noctis Lucis Caelum – the guy who singlehandedly ended the war against his country."

"I still find it a bit strange that they contacted SOLDIER for additional assistance for an assassination attempt," Terra thought out loud. "Must be serious if they need outside contractors."

Ventus' eyes were glued to the stars up above. There was something strange about the sky here. It was almost as if it was darker than it was supposed to be, especially in contrast to how bright the stars were.

"I mean," Ventus lowered his voice to a whisper, "you know the stories about this group. They're not your typical royalty."

"Yeah…I've heard," Terra replied, taking Ventus' cue and lowering his voice. "They operate like the mafia. And while the citizens are happy with the royal family, I heard they don't mind getting their hands dirty."

"I know." Ventus looked over his shoulder even though he knew no one was within earshot. "Maybe that's why they called us."

"Even so, it's a great opportunity," Terra reminded him. "Most people never get the chance to see the kingdom, let alone stay in the palace and meet the king."

The blond sighed heavily. "Especially not a newbie like me."

"Hey, knock it off," Terra chided. "You've been 1st Class for three months. You're not exactly a 'newbie' anymore. Just show up, do what you do best, and try and solve this investigation quickly. Plus, it would be a good idea to try and learn from them while you're there. There's a reason why their army is one of the most powerful in the world."

Ven pursed his lips, trying to take his friend's words to heart and quell his insecurities. "You're right. I gotta stop talking like that."

"Good. And you know that if things get rough, me and Aqua are just a phone call away."

"Thanks, Terra," Ven smiled, grateful to have such amazing friends. "I think we'll be okay out here."

"You will be. I have faith in you guys. Just enjoy yourself. It's not every day that you guys get to stay in the palace and hang with royalty."

Ventus yawned, his eyes drifting to the crescent moon hanging heavy over the castle. "I will. Something tells me this place is gonna be…interesting."