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Veni Vidi Vici	By : Saber007 Category: Final Fantasy Games > Final Fantasy XV Views: 1504 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XV, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Some translation.
French
Loyaulte me lie- Loyalty binds me. Motto of Richard III of England.
XV
"Dearest Princess, you're going to wear a hole into the floor with all that pacing. Do sit and rest your nerves." Ardyn gestured Imperatrix over to the spot next to him on the couch.
She spared him a glance and went back to pacing.
Meditation would serve her better, but the situation at hand weighed too heavily on her mind to attempt tranquillity.
After reaching Saxham, Imperatrix immediately escorted Lunafreya to the medics, leaving Nyx to monitor her condition and be a familiar face when the oracle awakened. The princess couldn't afford to wait by her bedside with her station demanding attention.
Ardyn introduced the princess to the mayor and the man recounted the town's fortunes up til recently.
Saxham did well in the initial months. The senator was pleased with the fertility of the land for crops and the citizens that volunteered to move didn't have any issues settling down.
Truly, the town was meant to be a beacon for future enterprises in Lucis territory. The people would come to see that the empire restored the land and provided for all its people.
The horrors began after the destruction of the military base.
With limited soldiers to parole and defend the lighthouses, somehow daemons found a way into the town and sabotaged the light. Saxham became vulnerable to the Imps and Bussemands, both types known for their disposition of violence.
No wonder Ortho was taking the coward's route and cutting ties. No one, not even the princess, had been able to reach the man.
Fear, however, wasn't a proper excuse for disregarding his duty to Saxham. Imperatrix would have words for Gauis Ortho.
"How did daemons get into the town? The lighthouse formation has proved to be an effective method for repelling them." The princess came to a stop in her pacing. "Something is not right about this…"
"Some mysteries can't be solved. No use berating yourself over it, when you weren't present."
She jumped in fright at the chancellor's voice.
"Did you get so wrapped up in your head as to forget I was present?" He frowned sulkily.
"I am as surprised as you are! Silence is not a specialty of yours." Imperatrix crossed her arms, eyeing the relaxed man with both envy and irritation.
Had Ardyn been sipping tea the whole time? As her mind ran marathons?!
"Oh, I spoke to you multiple times and was ignored." He sighed theatrically, waving his empty teacup around without a care. "How you wound me, Impera."
"I...wound you?!"
Ardyn halted the princess's aggressive approach by way of a peace offering, a second cup of the brew.
"Tea, my dear, clears the mind and yours is ever so chaotic."
She accepted the drink, but denied the offer to sit beside the man, opting instead to sit in the singular chair off to the side.
"Refrain from addressing me intimately, Chancellor Izunia."
"The wound deepens..." He poured himself another cup, loading it with so much sugar that Imperatrix wondered how he could stomach it.
"Explain to me how your meeting with Senator Ortho went. I would like to know more than the flippant news you gave Tummelt." The princess steamrolled over his antics with an eyeroll. "'Senator Ortho will be of no assistance' was far too brief."
She raised the cup to her lips and grimaced from how cold it'd become.
Didn't Ardyn realize the tea was cold?
How could he stand to drink cold and overly sweetened tea?
"You're being so expressive! The new company is to thank, I suppose." The chancellor observed the princess with a keen eye. "I almost thought the recent years had snuffed the light out of you..."
First aggression, followed by tears, afterwords indifference, and now irritation.
At court Imperatrix handled herself in a more controlled fashion, polite mask overshadowing her negative feelings towards a person. The persona had become so consistent with the climax of the war that the re-emergence of her many faces intrigued Ardyn.
"Chancellor, please focus. There are more important matters at hand." Imperatrix straightened in her seat, adopting a refined position in light of the observation.
He wasn't entirely wrong...
Having only Nyx and Lunafreya for company had slackened her courtly mannerisms. The sass, the temper flares, and…punching…weren't appropriate mannerisms for a princess.
The initial hostility shown towards her had colored much of Imperatrix's behavior, but that was no excuse. Even to enemies she was to show respect, that had been a lesson passed down to her.
"The senator was aggravating as usual, throwing barbs the minute I and your retainers stepped foot in his manor. The sheer murderous rage that rolled off Nebula and Tempesta gave me chills!" Ardyn sniggered wickedly, shivering in an exaggerated fashion. "Gauis was lucky those masks hid their feelings. I'm not sure our rotund friend could've withstood the intensity."
Imperatrix's smile was hidden behind her cup.
He continued with increased vigor at spotting her amusement. "As deplorable as his company was, I'm not one to turn down a good wine tasting. Over drinks, Gauis told me one excuse after another for why his household guard was unsuitable for sieges."
"He views Saxham as under siege from daemons? Fitting, I suppose…but highly unkind of him to say." The princess scoffed, coming to dislike the senator more and more with each explanation.
Gauis Ortho was recently appointed to the title of senator on a majority vote and the princess hadn't interacted much with the man before the failed treaty.
She had no previous measure of him and could only go off present reports.
"I am not fond of what I am hearing..."
It was one thing to spit at a brigadier general. There wasn't much Tummelt could do in retaliation for being snubbed.
Turning down the chancellor, however, was akin to turning down the emperor. He'd also ignored her hails on the radio.
Who did this man assume he was to rebuff his superiors? To rebuff royalty?
"Then you'll be less fond of what information Nebula gained from the servants."
Imperatrix set her tea down on the table. "Tell me."
"It appears Ortho has a strong dislike of the royal family and he isn't alone in that sentiment. Others of like mind have been known to pay him visits ." Ardyn tilted his head, smile taking on an acidic quality that made the amber in his eyes stand out. "Treason against the crown might be presumptuous…but he is...certainly conspiring for his own benefit."
"I knew your appearance here was too irregular. How long have these doubts been circulating in your mind?"
"For Gauis? The moment he gave a false report at the monthly council meeting." The chancellor rested his cheek on his knuckles. "An epidemic striking a group of citizens given clean bills of health before they emigrated? Anyone would be suspicious. The man is either too full of himself or a buffoon."
"Which are you leaning towards?"
"Buffoon. He's from a rich, old, noble family. His rank hasn't been earned, but bought and manipulated by a different player. One not so open in their motives."
Imperatrix's foot began its circular movements .
The senate consisted of fifteen lord that answered to the current ruler, and if in appointment, the chancellor. The assembly had been established after the empire grew too large for the monarch to fully govern all the territories with equal attention.
The senators' jobs were to maintain order, stability, and peace in the region they were assigned. Usually, a commander and his legion were allocated to the area as well to provide support and protection when they weren't deployed on the field.
The separation of military and senate was necessary. The ruler should never fear a mere lord raising a private army against them.
The empire was governed by an absolute monarchy and for years her father complained how some among the council wished to limit the crown's authority as the Lucian's government had.
The emperor would dismantle the senate before Niflheim became a constitutional monarchy and the Tellus Aldercapts reduced to figure-heads like the Lucis Caelums.
Her father was especially bitter of the council's machinations while his mother held the regency.
Iedolas Tellus Aldercapt became the rightful emperor at the tender age of two and many were fearful of the crown being shouldered by a toddler and a woman married into the royal family.
A few senators had come very close to stripping the Aldercapts of the throne and naming themselves as de-facto leaders.
The entire senate was both ally and enemy, carefully balanced and scrutinized at all times by the royal family.
"Fret not, Princess. I will do my duty as chancellor and safeguard the white empire."
Imperatrix shifted to the side and shuddered from his sudden closeness. Ardyn leaned over the side of the chair, smirking down at her.
Wasn't he just sitting across from her? How did he…
"That is a vague answer, concealing multiple interpretations." The princess refused to back away from the approach, despite knowing she should.
"Is that so? I like to think my stance is obvious."
"Enlighten me, Chancellor."
He invaded more of her personal space, nose almost brushing hers. "An Aldercapt is the empire, therefore you are synonymous with Niflheim. My actions are always to your benefit."
Imperatrix spun away from the intensity of amber and reminded herself to breathe. "I...thank you for your loyalty..."
"It is given freely."
The princess's hand being lifted and a kiss pressed to the glove made her whirl back around.
"Loyaulte me lie."
She outright laughed at Ardyn and he had the gall to pout. "Don't go quoting your chosen motto to me! Loyalty looks like treachery most days from you."
"Wounding me again! It's agony being out of favor with you, my dear." The chancellor caressed her knuckles with another soft kiss.
She snatched her hand back, stealing her nerves against the overt pandering and calculated affections meant to soften her fury. Her body moved and before she knew it, Imperatrix was back to pacing throughout the hotel room.
"Here you go again! I'd best sit before your pacing makes me dizzy." Ardyn returned to his place on the couch, sluggishly leaning on his knuckles to watch the princess.
Imperatrix had lost more weight and her skin darkened from the increased sunlight. As he noticed earlier, her hair had grown past her shoulders, returning the lost elegance to the princess that was forced to dress and behave boyishly to appease others. Sadly, that saving grace was ruined by how worn and dirty her spare clothing became from a life on the road.
The current look wasn't a presentable appearance for royalty.
"Ah, Princess?" The chancellor called, sighing at her penchant for rampant worrying and inability to be idle.
He took ahold of her and tugged when she instantly tried to draw away from him.
"Stop pestering me!" Imperatrix snapped.
A barbed response would've been given to anyone that tested his patience, but Ardyn held a special sort of leniency for her.
"Instead of walking in circles and giving me a headaches, why don't you freshen up?" Some vitriol still slipped out, despite his affable air.
"I don't have time for a bath! I need to be ready the minute Nebula and Tempesta return."
Or ready for anything. Imperatrix needed something to do!
The soldiers had more or less told her to bugger off when she offered her assistance. There wasn't much the princess could help them with in terms of construction since she had no knowledge of the lighthouse's schematics, and honestly, magitek made little sense to her.
Getting the towers up and functioning was the main priority. Imperatrix would do nothing to impede them.
Helping at the temporary clinic was also a complete no. The princess had basic training in first-aid, not enough to be of assistance, and the place was filled with injured people. The privates didn't need an extra body loitering in their domain. They were busy enough.
The only option left to her was to await the arrival of her attendants and plan around their intelligence.
The waiting was driving Imperatrix up the wall!
"Don't get offended, my dear..." Ardyn patted her hand, delivering his bad news with a tight-lipped smile. "But you're not looking your best. It's a bit jarring…"
Her eyes travelled down to her clothing.
The white coat could barely be considered white anymore, the red blouse had holes, the combat boots were coming apart at the soles. Her leggings were the only article still in good shape.
Imperatrix dreaded to know how tangled and dirty her hair was.
"Princess?"
She sharply inhaled.
"Dearest, it's not that bad. We all understand that you've had to rough it for a month." The chancellor's reassurances and soothing rubs on her hand did nothing for Imperatrix.
The princess continued to hyperventilate, yanking her hand away to cover her deeply reddening face.
To have the chancellor tell her she looked wretched meant that her subjects saw her in an unseemly fashion!
It was one matter for her to look atrocious in her armor after coming from a battle. It was entirely different for her to appear and smell barbaric from running.
How could she have made such a monumental blunder?! Image was everything for royalty!
Six!
Her father would be livid! Presenting a bad impression like this to the soldiers and mayor was a horrible reflection of him.
The shame!
"This is quite the fit." Ardyn chuckled, removing the hands from her face and looking her in the eye. "I'm sure they were too stunned by your presence to notice the attire."
"Don't patronize me!" Imperatrix shied away from him, going redder by the minute. "In fact, get out since I'm unsuitable to look upon!"
"You're throwing out words I didn't use." He chuckled some more at her expense.
There was never a dull moment with the imperial princess.
"Just get out of my room, Ardyn!" She spun him around and began shoving the man towards the door.
"There's no need to be so forceful! That ex-glaive is a terrible influence on you." The chancellor whined, slightly slumping backwards to make things more difficult for her.
"Get out!" The princess huffed, practically being overwhelmed by the taller man slumping into her. "Cut it out, Ardyn!"
"But we were having such a nice tea time! It's been ages since we chatted over tea."
"Why are you so heavy? Stop fooling around!" She would fall to the floor if he slumped in her arms any more.
"I'm getting on in my years. You can't be so rough with me, Dearest."
"Just get out already!" Imperatrix gave a final heave once they were at the door.
The door was slammed shut just as Ardyn twirled around with more flowery speech on his tongue. The whining became muffled and she ignored him, heading for the bathroom.
A fedora on the floor stopped her, mocking her in place of its owner.
The urge to stomp on it was strong, but pushed down. Based on how infrequently he was seen without it, Imperatrix knew the chancellor would be incensed if she damaged it.
Rarely had the princess been the target of his cold anger and she wasn't going to provoke it over something trivial.
"Princess Imperatrix?"
She nearly dropped the fedora from the man's musical knocking on the door in place of the whining.
"I'll have a change of clothes brought to your room…and perhaps a meal. Do take care of my hat and try not to wear a hole into the ground."
The fluttering of knocks stopped.
Imperatrix breathed, loosening her tight grasp on the fedora. Ardyn infuriated her like no other...
For the next two hours the princess groomed herself in the bathroom, exiting in a renewed mood and collapsing on the bed in a robe.
A variation of her commander's uniform laid beside her.
This one differed in style, less utilitarian and more ornate with the violet and gold diamond patterning and the red trim on the white coat. The shoulder pads were sharpened. Around the waist and chest area the material was designed to fit the form.
The pants weren't baggy and followed the style of the coat. Black leather gloves and heeled boots had been provided.
Most startling was the red cape with a chain attachment of twin dragons from her house sigil clasped at the top.
This uniform…was fit for a princess. All that was missing was a tiara befitting her rank.
"I have not worn anything effeminate in so long…" Imperatrix whispered, hands hovering with a tremble over the beautiful clothing. "Why would Ardyn give me these? Father...would not approve…"
The issue of the heir's gender became such a heated discussion among the council that her father enforced clothing restrictions on the crown princess.
Dresses and skirts were allowed for state affairs only. Any other time she was expected to be dressed either in her uniform or boyish attire.
The decrepit senators denied Imperatrix the simple joy of being a woman.
"There are no coincidences with that man. He has given me these for a reason. But for what?" She sighed and left the clothes alone, moving to the table where a covered tray and fresh pot of tea were left for her.
Funnily enough, Ardyn arranged for her to be served breakfast without the meat components. The staff were sure to have given him incredulous looks for ordering breakfast in the evening.
"I wonder if Nyx has eaten. I shall have to take him something."
Not one to waste food, Imperatrix ate everything in spite of the nerves still ratting in her stomach. After consuming the last of her tea, the princess shed the robe in favor of her new clothes.
"I feel revitalized. More at peace in these…" She hummed contentedly, running her hands down the coat.
If the sword at her hip were Borealis and Australis strapped on her arm, she'd be complete.
Her eyes lowered to the fedora sitting innocently on the table.
"He is making it very difficult to stay displeased…" The princess muttered mutinously before she grabbed the cherished item of the chancellor.
Imperatrix went downstairs to the front desk to place an order of sandwiches for Nyx.
The staff were unaware of the whereabouts of Ardyn, merely that he stepped out with a message for the princess to rest. She wasn't going to follow that directive and took the sandwiches once they were given to her, leaving for the hotel.
Some of the townsfolk lingered outside, watching the ongoing construction. Some of them gaped at her.
The princess smiled at the stares. She didn't spot many children outside, and the ones she did, were closely guarded by their parents.
The children brought up uncomfortable thoughts of the bloody Saxham incident...
The young were the first to be kidnapped by the daemons and caused the people to spiral into depression, leading to more daemons and more disappearances.
It would not happen again!
On her honor as both a princess and a mortal, Imperatrix would not let her people suffer the same misfortune as the previous residents.
"Princess Imperatrix!" Nyx stood up from his chair, eyes popping open wide at the newly dressed woman.
A passing private shushed him out of consideration for the others bedridden and resting. He waved apologetically to them.
"This is the first time you have given me the proper address." She teased him.
The glaive had called her princess and stood at her arrival. Even if the actions were caused by shock and not respect, she'd rub it in his face.
Nyx leered at her, remaining speechless.
"And you have no words. This is the greatest compliment you could give me." Imperatrix sat on the bed, laying her hand over Lunafreya's forehead and finding it a normal temperature.
The poison had been cured. Her arm was stitched back together and a healthy pallor.
The oracle was out of danger.
"They're being careful with the potion usage. My cut wasn't life-threatening so they used stitches." Nyx at last spoke when the princess traced the around the mentioned area.
"This will scar…" Imperatrix mussed.
"Scars suddenly bother you?" The glaive sat back down.
He'd seen a fair few on her back and those hands of hers featured a lot of callouses and faded cuts. She wasn't a stranger to scarring.
Neither was he for that matter, the entire right half of his body was proof of that. The flame-licked skin was on the mend, but he wouldn't be retaining his old dashing looks.
"No, the implication does. This will be the first of many." Her hand moved back to Lunafreya's forehead, combing through the shiny locks.
Strange, how the oracle could literally embody light...
When her life hung in the balance, all color appeared to drain from the girl, reminiscent of an unsaturated photo. Now the radiance was returning to her being, outshining most the other patients lying dull and unresponsive in cots.
"That's pretty pessimistic. Haven't you been saying how you'll keep her safe?" Nyx smirked. "And didn't you assign me as her retainer? She's safe under my watch."
"The reality is, she will get hurt. It becomes a matter of lessening those occurrences for us."
"Are you feeling bad about the poison?" He blurted over her, fixing her with a "are you stupid" glare.
"I brought food if you want it." She held out the bag, avoiding an answer.
"Sooooo?" Nyx swiped the sandwiches, persisted with his unimpressed stare.
"How can I not feel guilty?" The princess admitted.
"I know I got mad, sorry about that... I don't blame you and I don't think you tried to kill her." He shrugged between bites. "Who knows, maybe the queen's venom worked differently. Quit blaming yourself."
"Hmm, that is a good guess." Imperatrix looked at her own arm, where she'd been struck, but suffered no drawbacks. "The poison would be different between a worker and a queen. The sting I received did nothing."
"Did you hear me? Cause that's not the take-away."
She sighed. "Yes, Nyx. Heeding your words is not so simple."
"I know you're used to being in sibling-mode and it's hard to come out of it…" The glaive sat up, saddening as Selena's face popped into his mind. "You've gotta chill. You're not responsible for everything. And don't try to be, otherwise they'll hate your guts."
The princess gave him a tender smile that definitively got some fluttering from Nyx.
Next to the one she gave him while leaving Insomnia, this was the second genuine smile he got from her.
"Hey, don't go looking at me like that. I might get the wrong idea." He leaned forward in the chair, back to suggestively regarding her.
"You loved your sister and she loved you. We are not so different, Nyx."
They shared the experience of sibling love.
"Maybe, Princess. My sister beats all of yours in cuteness though."
Imperatrix's hand froze in Lunafreya's hair.
"What did you say?" She hissed.
"Selena was cuter than all your sisters combined." The glaive repeated challengingly, getting right in her face.
"Those are fighting words, Nyx Ulric. Do you wish to finally have our match?" She pushed him back to his chair and he laughed. "I have been trying to spare you the taste of dirt from when I beat you into the ground. But you continue to try me!"
"Bring it on, Princess!" He grinned at her looming over him, tempted to kick her leg and make the woman fall into his lap. "When I win, I'll finally get that kiss you owe me."
"Relentless swine."
"Uptight control-freak."
The moaning of the oracle halted further blustering.
"Will you two stop it…" Lunafreya mumbled drowsily.
The glaive and princess immediately hovered over the girl, all relieved smiles for her recovery. The oracle was warmed by their presence and apparent joy.
"Where are Pryna and Umbra?"
Imperatrix giggled softly and swiped the distracting strands out of Lunafreya's eyes. "Moping outside."
When the princess saw them, they were too sad to interact with the children wanting to play with them. Umbra at least made an effort by licking the kid's hands, while Pryna turned her nose up at anyone that touched her.
"What the hell? The first thing she asks is where's her dogs?" Nyx brushed his arm against Imperatrix's. "What're we going to do with our child?"
"Good question." She nudged him off.
Lunafreya blinked in confusion. "When did you two have a child?"
The two snorted at her.
"Princess Imperatrix?"
The laughter ended.
Lunafreya and Nyx looked around for the speaker but found no one. Imperatrix lifted her overcoat to remove the walkie talkie strapped to her thigh.
"Go ahead." She spoke into the object.
"Your retainers are a few miles away. The second lieutenant requests yours and the retainers presence for the meeting in the hotel."
"Thank you, I will be there after retrieving them."
The line went dead and the princess re-attached the device to her thigh.
"What is going on? Where are we?" Lunafreya regained some of her wits and her eyes darted about from glaive and princess.
"Now she asks the right questions." He shook his head.
"I have not the time to explain. All you need do is rest, Lunafreya." Imperatrix gave a final stroke to the girl's face, fixing the blanket over her and standing to face Nyx.
"You gonna ask me to stay?"
"Yes, you are her retainer. Your place is by her side." The princess crossed her arms. "Are you going to fight me on it?"
"Not if you come get me before the sun sets. I won't sit here doing nothing."
"Very well, take this time to inform your liege of the situation. I will return for you later."
"Wait, don't I get a sweet goodbye, too?"
Imperatrix contemplated his cocky air for a moment. She inched closer and he scooted to the edge of the bed to meet her.
"Stop being so insolent, Nyx!" The princess whispered warningly into his ear and pulled away before he could whisper back.
His chuckles and Lunafreya's bewildered sighs stayed in Imperatrix's mind as she left the clinic.
The sun had gone lower and night would be upon them in a few hours.
Less people were outside and the soldiers were in more of a rush in their work on a singular lighthouse. That pillar of light needed to be protected at all costs.
How to go about it with so little men? Construction needed to continue and that would require many hands, leaving few for defense.
What to do?
"Princess, come to meet your dear attendants?" Ardyn smiled at Imperatrix as she approached him.
"Where on Eos did you get opera glasses?" She stood before him with her arms crossed, skeptically blinking her eyes at the red-head lounging on the hood of his equally red car. "Why are you even out here?"
"From my pocket of course and I just love reunions." He tilted his head, delighting in the magnified and clear view of the imperial princess through his binoculars. "Don't you look exquisite?"
"Why have you given me these clothes? You are aware of the restriction?" To her credit, only a slight blush belied her bashfulness at his study of her.
"That ghastly decree!" The chancellor flipped his binoculars closed and stored them away.
He shifted to make room on the hood and beckoned Imperatrix to sit.
"What are you playing at now?" She arranged the cape over her arm and sat, ignoring his pleased grin for obliging him.
"We're entering a new phase and it's high time we renew your image. No more parading you as a man, when we should be celebrating you as a woman, who will one day rule."
"Pretty worlds that will not hold in council. They will reject your campaign, as the five have been against my right to rule since birth." The princess exhaled tiredly. "They control the majority vote on the decree. Why are you stirring up old trouble?"
The five families that stood behind the Aldercapts when the empire first came into prominence. They often view themselves as highly as the royal family since their spots in the senate were always guaranteed.
Ancient, power-hungry fools those patriarchs were.
"Your father is old and a male heir isn't likely to come. It's time for those fossils to open their eyes." Ardyn threw his arms out wide, hands framing the lowering sun. "Change is afoot."
The princess uneasily surveyed the malicious glee in his expression.
Her country had seen unimaginable change from Ardyn's duration as chancellor, especially after Shiva's attack. The entire nation's way of life had to be altered to suit the dramatic climate change.
From his progressive views in medicine and technology, the nation saw a change in the economy. His disdainful contempt of nobility saw their influence slowly diminished and the common citizen's increased.
The emperor, princess, and chancellor worked so well together due to the shared core-values. Equality of opportunities, guaranteed aid, and an emphasis on education and arts were held close to three's hearts.
Imperatrix wanted her nation to be heralded as Solheim reborn. All her hard work was to realize the family's long dream of a kingdom of sophistication, spirituality, culture, and understanding.
"Here they come." Ardyn slid off his car to bend in front of Imperatrix. "If you would be so kind, my dear."
He flicked his hand over the top his head. The princess returned the fedora to its perch and stood with the chancellor's assistance. She took slow, measured steps as a motorcycle drew closer.
This was the longest she'd ever been separated from both her retainers.
"They're coming in very fast." Ardyn frowned, shaking his head in exasperation. "Is Tempesta really going to run us over?"
"I would not put it past her."
"Perhaps we should move, Your Highness." He reached out to pull her to safety. Imperatrix merely raised her hand for him to stop. "Dearest, that girl will run you over. How shall I explain that to your father?"
"She will not." The princess walked toward the speeding motorcycle, shoulders set and chin up.
"Imperaaaaaa!" Tempesta screamed over the roar of the bike.
Moments before they could collide, the bike braked hard, forcing it into the air for precious seconds that Nebula spent latched onto his seat, until it fell back to the ground and he sprawled out as much as he could in the cramped sidecar.
The princess stared into the driver's visor as the dust settled.
The younger Besithia leaped off her seat to stomp up to Imperatrix. Nebula wearily called out for his sister.
She was deaf to his warnings, drawing her arm back for a rapid punch that the princess caught in her fist and winced from the impact.
"Think fast, Shitty Princess!" Tempesta's livid voice came out distorted from her mask.
A powerful kick sent the woman flying into the chancellor's frantic arms and the two went crashing to the ground.
"Tempy, you pest! That's not how you treat the princess and chancellor." Nebula scolded her.
"Shut the hell up, you lazy bastard! Impera deserved it for all the stress she's caused us."
He got out the sidecar and seized his sister's shoulders to stop her from dishing out more physical assaults to the downed individuals.
"If you're worried just say so. Stop using your fist to communicate."
She knocked him off by hitting the side of his mask. "I said shut up!"
"Reunions. Marvelous, aren't they?" Ardyn sighed wistfully from the ground as the princess's mind came back to reality. "Are you alright, my dear?"
She rolled off him and started dry-heaving from the blow to her stomach.
"That's a no." He rubbed her back. "At least you're not coughing out blood like the other times…"
Imperatrix clenched his coat after the coughs calmed, rising with his help and scowling at the shorter retainer.
"Is that how you greet the crown princess, Tempesta Besithia?" She wheezed out.
"Absolutely not, Your Highness! I take responsibility for her unruly behavior and will punish her accordingly." Nebula sank to his knees with a fist enclosed over his heart, head bowed respectfully.
His sister scoffed at the threat.
"I am eternally grateful to be kneeling before you. I feared you lost in Insomnia."
Imperatrix approached him and laid her hand on his helmet. "Thank you, Nebula. At least one of you still has manners."
Tempesta huffed petulantly before dropping into submission like her brother. "Never had'em in the first place, Princess."
"And probably never will." She placed her hand on the younger retainer next, smile overtaking her reprimand. "Are you going soft? That hit only winded me."
"I went easy out of pity."
"Ahhh."
The princess was then almost barreled over by Tempesta's fierce hug. Imperatrix eagerly returned the embrace.
"Nobody gets to kill you except me, Shitty Princess!" She lifted her head from the woman's chest. "Aren't you gonna hug her, Mr. Communication?"
Nebula groaned, rose from his bow and hugged the shorter two girls.
"Yes, simply marvelous..." Ardyn chuckled to himself, reminded of a faraway memory.
The idyllic reunion was foreshadowed by the coming dangers of the setting sun.
Tonight, Saxham would either fall or be saved.
XV
"Allow me to introduce my retainers…" Imperatrix trailed off as Tempesta promptly put Nyx in a chokehold and forced him onto the ground.
In tune with his sister, Nebula leveled a rifle at the glaive's forehead.
"What the hell?! I blinked and this?!" He struggled against his female captor.
"A blink's all it takes, Hero." Tempesta cackled meanly. "C'mon, Neb. Put a hole in him!"
The gun's safety clicked off.
"Nyx Ulric. You're the one who took the princess hostage. A bullet to the head is a generous death." He pressed his weapon right against Nyx's forehead, finger caressing the trigger.
"Woah, woah! Control your masked killers, Imperatrix!" The glaive yelled, receiving another painful nudge from the gun in return.
"A plebeian doesn't give orders to the crown."
"Kill the bastard already! Nobody messes with Impera, but us." Tempesta tightened her grip on Nyx, shoving him face-first to the ground and pounding on his back with her boot.
"With pleasure."
The gun went off.
Nyx howled from the surging pain in his shoulder and cursed up a storm while glaring fiercely at Imperatrix when she kneeled to help him.
"Are you kidding me?! You get your lackeys to kill me because you don't have the balls to do it?!"
The princess reached behind him, pulling out the customized dart Nebula used and showing it to the pissed man. "If I desired your death, I would kill you in single combat. A warrior's death, you have earned that from me, at least."
"What is that?! It felt like I got shot!" He sat up, feeling all around his shoulder for a bullet hole and finding none.
"Custom-made to simulate the pain of getting shot. Effective, without the mess of a real one." Nebula retrieved the dart and reloaded it into the gun. "Nothing beats watching someone bleed out though."
"Or having their nuts crushed." Tempesta added.
"Enough, you two. I will not tolerate further harm to him." Imperatrix scolded the snickering siblings and held out her hand for Nyx, which he took grudgingly and let her pull him up. "How do you both even know that it was Nyx who took me into custody?"
"The Red Fop told us and said you were still being harassed by the punk. Don't know why you're covering his ass." Tempesta adopted a haughty pose of nonchalance with her arms holed up behind her head and foot scratching at the back of her other leg. "Let us kill him for much trouble he's caused us on the field!"
"Wait, is she talking about the chancellor?" Nyx interrupted Imperatrix from responding, breaking into a fit of laughter. "Red fop?! Good one!"
The princess tuned him out, proceeding with the original train of conversation. "How would Ardyn have known? He was not with me in the city."
"Reports from General Glauca." Nebula answered.
The princess and glaive stiffened.
"Has there…been any word from the general since The Fall?" She already knew, but still felt like asking.
"No, Your Highness."
Tempesta ended the heavy atmosphere by loudly growling and stomping her foot. "Can we get to kicking ass already?! Where the hell are the daemons?!"
The group had been waiting at the edge of the town as the first defense for too long in her opinion.
"That's my cue. Look after the princess, Tempy." Nebula waved lethargically and left to take up position on a roof with his sniper rifle.
"Don't worry, I'll kill the savage if he tries anything."
Nyx scoffed at the semi-playful lunge, cracking his knuckles in preparation. "I let you win that round. Try it again and see if I don't knock you down, kid."
"Who the hell are you callin' kid?!"
"You, pipsqueak! That getup might hide your face and voice, but I can tell you're a bigger brat than Lunafreya."
"I'm gonna kill you!"
Imperatrix grabbed the back of Tempesta's uniform, holding her back from Nyx. "Stop fooling around. We need to get into position."
"Impera saved your life, Savage Shit!" The enraged female stomped off, yelling intelligible curses.
Nyx blankly scrutinized the princess. "Interesting attendants. Makes sense that your retinue would be so colorful."
Appearance-wise, the glaive couldn't say much. He had no clue what they looked like under the masks, but their outfits spoke volumes.
Both retainers wore the traditional colors of white in their uniforms.
Tempesta's clothing was a patterned skintight-bodysuit with grey gauntlet gloves that Nyx swore he glimpsed lighting cackle off. Similarly armored boots covered her long legs. The girl's mask was more of a biker helmet...in the shape of a cat.
Clearly, she had no issue with baring her body to the world. The brat had all the confidence and deadliness of a coeurl.
Where Tempesta's outfit was sensual, Nebula's was conservative.
He wore a plain coat with matching pants. The boots and gloves were black. Every inch of his skin was covered. Varying guns were attached to his figure. His mask was actually the simple headgear of a biker.
A cold killer.
The one to look out for was Nebula.
The only thing their uniforms had in common was the twin dragon livery emblazoned on their chests. A symbol of their connection to the royal family. It stirred up feelings nostalgia for Nyx.
The livery of the kingsglaive had been destroyed on his patched-up uniform.
He belonged to no one...
"Gods! How damn long is this gonna take?!" Tempesta fell onto her butt. "I'm freaky tired and hungry!"
"Are you always this loud? Reminds me of Libertus..." Nyx turned his flashlight onto her, not that he needed to.
The white uniforms made the loudmouth and Imperatrix fairly easy to spot in the darkness of the night. Niflheim's fixation with white made a lot of sense in this case...
"Shuddup! You weren't running around looking for missing children, were you?" She threw a pebble at the glaive and he hissed at the impact. "I'm already annoyed we didn't find them. Your Lucian mug is pissing me off by the minute."
"I'm Galahdian by birth, moved to Insomnia after it was attacked by Niffs."
"At this point, everything outside of imperial control is basically Lucian territory. You're all western shits to me."
Nyx sharply exhaled and mumbled to himself. "Don't hit this girl just because she's got a smart mouth."
Imperatrix left Tempesta and Nyx to their vicious bickering. She alternated her attention between the walkie connecting her to Loqi and the soldiers, and her ear piece connecting her to Nebula and Tempesta.
Despite his injuries, Loqi arrived with the rest of the garrison and insisted on coordinating his troops in person since he couldn't participate in battle.
The princess spent a good thirty minutes shutting down his protests before he settled for even that.
Defensive maneuvers were being handled by the brigadier general. His medical officer was handling relief efforts for the inevitable casualties.
The soldiers were distributed between working on the lighthouse and guard positions throughout the town. The citizens barricaded themselves in their homes after the warning alarm rang.
The most important objectives were making sure no more children were taken and the core remain undamaged in the lighthouse.
All they needed to do was get the crystal running and the town would be safe.
Imperatrix, her retainers, and Nyx would be the offensive force, meeting the daemons before they reached the town.
The natural lighting of the buildings prevented the creatures from materializing directly in the Saxham. Nebula would pinpoint them with his lens, inform the team on the ground, and eliminate the daemons that slipped through.
Really, Nebula and Tempesta would be doing most the daemon slaying. Their magitek equipment was designed to combat the night creatures.
The princess and Nyx were more suited for support. They should've been in the safety of the hotel meeting room with the other officials, or in the clinic with Lunafreya, but both were fighters and intensely disliked being sidelined.
"Impera, Tempy, you've got a group of Imps incoming." Nebula announced over the comm.
"YYYYeah! Let's get this started!" Tempesta flipped to her feet, slamming her fist together and creating electricity from the action.
"Holy crap! I really did see lighting..." Nyx took a few steps back from her electric display.
"Prepare yourself, Nyx. The enemy is upon us." The princess drew her sword and clicked a button on the headpiece.
A visor extended across her eyes, distorting her vision into the green focus of night vision. She preferred the one in her own helmet, but Imperatrix would have to make do with Nebula's spare.
"Woah, are those like…night-vision goggles? That's high-tech. Why don't I get one?!" The glaive complained, clipping his flashlight onto the strap provided by the military.
He nocked his bow with an arrow, inwardly deflating at the limited amount he was able to scavenge from the bees.
What Nyx wouldn't give for the convenience of magic...
"Could you afford it with your crappy paycheck, Savage?" Tempesta taunted the glaive, hunching into an offensive stance.
"Normally, I'd get mad, but the kingsglaive did get awful pay compared to the crownsguard. Compared to all the other native workers. Freaking xenophobes!"
"Focus." Imperatrix ordered as the Imps came within range. "Tempesta, charge them."
"Don't even gotta ask!" She roared, zipping forward with lighting crackling all around her.
The Imps were scattered by the explosive attack, creating an opening for the princess to mow down the crippled creatures.
Nyx shot the ones that kept disappearing and re-appearing, slowing down their movements for them to be taken down by one of the females.
Beams of light from Nebula's rifle hit enemies that escaped their range.
It seemed like they were making progress, but more Imps materialized and they weren't as inclined to fight as their fallen comrades. A group peeled off, heading for the town.
"Nebula, shoot them!" Imperatrix instructed.
"I can't get them all, they're too sporadic and my gun's overheating."
A carefully aimed shot destroyed two at once.
"Tempesta, I'll leave the outer perimeter to you! Go crazy."
She cackled and pounded into the Imps with more vigor, losing herself in the thrill of battle.
The daemons had quantity but not quality. The low-level monsters would pose no real threat to the younger Besithia.
"Are you coming with me, Nyx?"
"I'm glad you asked instead of barking at me." He replied with a grin. "Lead the way, Princess."
"You are just so easy to yell orders at..." She rolled her eyes, claiming the walkie to turn to the channel for Loqi and warn him of the incoming attack.
The glaive and princess rushed after the Imps. The monsters constant teleporting made it difficult for Nebula to get clean hits as his rifle's core overheated.
Too many made it to Saxham.
Guns went off in the streets and were accompanied by screams and ghastly laughter. The Imp's vindictive nature was challenging for the soldiers to counter. The low visibility and their overall inexperience wasn't helping.
The men were becoming too reliant on machinery to fight properly...
Between Loqi's Cuirass and the magitek soldiers, the soldiers probably thought they were safe from this kind of combat.
More proof that the empire need to be weaned off their technological superiority.
"On your feet, soldier!" Imperatrix commanded as she defended the young man from an Imp.
Without Nebula or Tempesta's gear it was harder to take them down with a regular sword. Fatal blows hardly phased them, unless they were dealt consistently.
"P-Pr-Princess!" He stayed shuddering on the ground.
"Get up!" She yanked him to his feet.
"Look out!" The soldier fired on the Imp thought to be downed, finally sending it back to the abyss. "I-It's g-gone…"
"The battle isn't over! Gather your wits and re-group with the others."
"Y-Yes, Your Highness..."
He ran.
"Impera!"
She swung around and was almost knocked over by Nyx. The glaive steadied her with a death grip on her arms.
"Lunafreya's gone!" He gushed out in one breath.
"What?! The clinic was barricaded!"
"Somehow the idiot snuck out. We've gotta find her!"
"It's one thing after another with this girl! I must stop this behavior." Imperatrix huffed impatiently, going for the walkie, but Nebula's voice over the comm took precedence.
"The lighthouse will come under attack by a Bussemand that slipped through. Tempy is engaging the others."
"They've shown themselves?!" The princess looked to the sky, watching it illuminate with flashes of lighting. "Take them out by whatever means. They are not to enter Saxham!"
Bussemands were the downfall of the previous inhabitants.
"Are you authorizing for us to go all out?"
"Yes, as long as your fighting is contained to the outside of the town."
"Understood. Did you catch that, Tempy?"
"Alright, alright, alright! The Thundercat is going to light this shit up!" Tempesta screamed over the line, making Imperatrix wince and almost tear out the earpiece.
"You alright?" Nyx touched her shoulder.
"Fine, thank you." She shrugged him off and relayed Nebula's message.
"Those things are tough to take down with magic. How the heck are we supposed to do it with these?!" The glaive scowled at his bow. He'd run out of arrows too, making it more obsolete.
For the thousandth time Nyx wished for his magic...
"We will have to manage. Come on, to the lighthouse!"
They took off again, helping the soldiers when possible and taking out Imps.
Loqi called the princess on the walkie.
"Your Highness, I have a girl claiming to be the oracle attempting to barge her way into the lighthouse. Is Lady Lunafreya truly in your company?!"
Imperatrix gave Nyx her most exasperated frown.
"Hey, don't go giving me the stink-eye. I told her to stay put, even told the guy in charge to strap her down if she tried escaping!" She dodged him attempting to poke at her cheek. "Princesses do their own thing as you know."
"Yes, Brigadier General. The girl is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Why is she trying to access the lighthouse?" The princess spoke into the walkie instead of engaging Nyx further.
"The oracle believes she can get the light on. The men still haven't repaired the core. Any meddling from her could cause setbacks."
Imperatrix held off responding.
The brigadier general had a point...
Then again, Lunafreya had innate magic. If anyone could create light it would be her...
"Give her access, Tummelt." She placed her faith in the girl.
"Pardon?! Forgive me, but I don't agree with this, Your Highness! Lady Lunafreya is known to loathe all things imperial. What if she intentionally sabotages the core?!"
"No, he didn't. Gimme that!" Nyx made a grab for the walkie and the princess repelled him.
"Stop it, Nyx! These are valid concerns!"
"Valid, my ass! Lunafreya wouldn't hurt a fly!"
"Control yourself, Glaive!" Imperatrix advised him, pushing against his chest for space.
She wouldn't bother correcting his hyperbole.
Lunafreya could and had hurt more than flies in her time with them.
"Brigadier General, this is a critical situation. If the oracle believes she can bring forth the light then I am willing to give her chance. I will take full responsibility for her actions."
Loqi was silent on the other line. "Princess…"
"Is your pride more important than the safety of this town?! Are you willing to risk numerous lives for something so inconsequential?!"
She understood his adamant desire to correct his mistakes, but there was more on the line.
"No." Loqi's embarrassment could be felt through the radio. "I will order the troops to stand down for her."
The line went dead and Nyx stared at her.
"Decease with your roving eyes." Imperatrix said, hiding the hitch in her voice with a low scoff.
"Seeing…well, hearing someone else catch your temper is frankly, a turn-on."
"Do not start, Nyx." The princess took off with him lagging behind.
When they arrived to the lighthouse, Lunafreya leaned over the railing to wave at the two, receiving cold glowers from them.
The princess pointed her sword at the girl.
"We will be having a discussion after this!" She promised the oracle.
Lunafreya ducked back inside, returning to channeling her magic into the crystal.
Imperatrix whirled on the other soldiers gaping at her. "Get into position! A bussemand is en route."
"Yes, Your Highness!" They shouted in unison, scrambling into a defensive line around the lighthouse.
"This take-charge thing on others is really doing something for me, Impera." Nyx brandished his daggers in place of the bow.
"Oh? Are we so close?" She pointed the blade at him. "Who is suffering split personalities now?"
Using her nickname so freely...
"You decking me makes us buddies." The glaive shoved the blade away from his person and whistled. "Crowe and Libertus knocked my lights out when we got into it. Your punch was more of a...love tap."
"A love tap, eh? I will be sure to hit harder."
"Take me out first before we get to the kinky stuff, Impera."
"Don't be vulg-"
A roar cut her off.
"It's here!" Some of the men yelled.
Guns fired without delay.
The Bussemand pulverized the soldiers like it was nothing, sending them flying. The daemon growled in triumph for every injury it caused.
The princess blocked the enemy from hitting a man bleeding out. She quaked in place at the daemon's sheer strength, slowly losing ground.
Nyx saved her from an ambush from an Imp. He then attracted the attention of the Bussemand by lobbing his dagger at it.
The daemon slammed its fist on Imperatrix's sword. The force of the attack broke the blade, leaving her open for it to punch her.
She landed against the lighthouse and briefly blacked out.
With one down, the Bussemand jumped at the glaive.
The glaive couldn't put up the same fight as the princess and the daemon got the upper hand. Still, Nyx didn't give up, utilizing the dagger as best he could.
"Nyx!" Lunafreya shrieked as she caught sight of him getting hit right on his bad leg and falling to the ground.
She turned back to the core and pushed herself harder, feeling the magic burn through her.
"By the Six's grace, I implore you to shine!"
A surge of light burst from her hands and was absorbed into the crystal, causing it to rattle. More of her energy continued to be sucked in, until the dull core came to life in a flood of gold.
The daemons screeched in pain, shrinking from the light as their bodies dissolved into miasma. The Bussemand was the only daemon to remain in existence and it escaped back into the darkness.
"Nyx, are you alright?" Imperatrix had to stop herself from falling on top of him from disorientation as she checked him over.
Her insides had taken one too many hits.
"I'm alive, but I'm far from alright." He clenched at his leg, inhaling unsteadily through the pain.
How had the creature known to aim at his weakness? Daemons were supposed to be dumb.
The princess touched his back in silent support and pressed the button on her earpiece."Nebula, report."
"The daemons…are retreating. Do we pursue them?"
"Yes. Only they can lead us to the missing children. I will be behind you momentarily."
"Understood."
"Can you stand?" Imperatrix asked of the glaive.
"You kidding me? I could run circles around you." He took a deep breath and pushed himself to his foot, hopping in place for a bit and then limping around to test his leg.
"Another time for that." She dryly retorted.
The princess shouted orders for a jeep to be brought for them and a sword to be fetched for her. Two soldiers rushed to obey, while the rest tended to the wounded.
Lunafreya descended from the lighthouse, proud of her accomplishment, but dreading the scolding Imperatrix had promised. Surprisingly, it was Nyx that rounded on her first.
"Didn't I tell you to stay in the clinic?!" There was no humor in the glaive's expression.
The oracle felt small when the princess's displeasure was added.
"You just recovered from severe poisoning. You shouldn't be endangering yourself!" Imperatrix touched Lunafreya's forehead, inspecting the temperature.
"I am fine and it is due to me the daemons were pushed back." The girl removed the hand and maintained her resolve. "I heard your plan. Take me with you."
"Take you directly towards a den of daemons? Have you lost your mind, kid?!" Nyx shook the oracle.
"My light is their greatest weakness. Your weapons hardly stood a chance against them." She fought off the exhaustion in her body from the expulsion of a large quantity of magic. "My presence is necessary."
"Are you giving me attitude? I'm trying to protect you, Lunafreya!"
"And I am trying to do my duty as oracle, Nyx."
The jeep pulled up with a honk. The medical officer stationed with Loqi hopped out, saluting Imperatrix and holding out a sheathed saber.
"Your Highness, the brigadier general has asked that you use his weapon in the coming battle. He wishes you luck in your endeavor."
The princess accepted the item, pulling out the blade.
She recognized the gem embedded in the scabbard. The sword was a basic model of the weaponry designed to combat daemons.
The gem gave the blade light properties.
"Give Tummelt my thanks. I will return his blade once the night is over." Imperatrix moved to the passenger side wile Nyx took the driver's seat.
"Imperatrix, you must take me with you." Lunafreya pressed her case to the other companion.
"No, Lunafreya. I can see that you are weakened and in no condition for this."
"You have to take me with you or I'll go on my own. I will not be stopped from doing my duty!"
"How childish, giving me an ultimatum..."
The princess's hand flew out faster than Lunafreya could interpret and she found herself being held in place by the hand enclosed around her mouth. She froze, reminded of the times where Ravus lost his temper with her.
The hit, however, didn't come.
"I am not your brother. But I must stress the importance of our positions." Imperatrix softened a bit at the flicker of fear in the girl. "I am the crown princess and it is by my leave that you possess autonomy on Niflheim territory. You do not threaten me in any form and I am to be obeyed! Do you understand?"
The chancellor had been right. She became far too lax in the presence of the glaive and oracle.
They consistently showed immense disrespect and disobedience to her. They needed to be reminded that she was a princess by birth. She was the one in control.
Her authority wasn't to be questioned, especially in front of her subjects!
"Am I understood, Lunafreya?!" She repeated when the girl didn't move.
The oracle at last nodded, chastened by the eruption of emotion from the placid Imperatrix.
This wasn't Tenebrae and the woman before her wasn't Ravus. Lunafreya could only step so far out of line without consequence.
"You may accompany us as support. No engaging any enemies. And If Nyx or I instruct you to run, then you will, with no objections." Imperatrix let go of the girl, opening the backdoor for her. "Agreed?"
Lunafreya swallowed and lowly answered. "Yes..."
She slipped in, with the dogs jumping in before the door could be closed.
"That got intense, Mama." Nyx quipped once the princess was in the front.
"Wayward children have to be reigned in, Papa. Now drive before my temper goes for you next."
"I like that you can play along, Impera." He put the car in drive.
"Two fools insisting on addressing me intimately..." Imperatrix rubbed her forehead, lamenting the nuisances that were Nyx and Ardyn.
The jeep drove off.
The long night had just begun.
- 7
- 8
- 9
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