The Return of The King (FFXV Cast/Invite Only)

Oh what a day! A glorious day! The damned birds were chirping, the sun shining so bright, so cheerfully, and ever so merry were the folk of the town. Thankful they must have been, for being survivors of such a woeful assault at the hands of would be villains against their precious, quaint little town. There was a smug stride in his step as Izunia traversed the cracked cobblestone paths of this decadent world, admiring the filth, the poverty, and the wretched that permeated among all the renewed fervor of happiness and joy. Disheveled adults and children alike could be found wherever one looked, some not so keen to revel in the celebrations that the darkness was driven back, if only for a day or two. Those that could not bring themselves to enjoy the moment, found their smiles on Ardyn’s face as he passed them in the streets, the alleys, the marketplace, and eventually a garden of water fountains. This world held many curiosities, though none quite like the fascinating sight of a certain youth clad in umbrage attire.

How long had it been since he let the dog off the leash? The hapless Prince had been none the wiser to his presence in this town, as always Ardyn took whatever levities he could, whatever privileges he believed himself entitled to while he continued to wait patiently. For days- maybe now weeks, Noctis had remained unaware to the other Lucian king living among these strange foreigners. Only by Izunia’s carefully practiced mannerisms of observation had allowed the once Chosen King to keep a watchful eye on the means of his salvation. It pained Ardyn to endure witness to such pointless meandering, though in another light he felt poor Noct could probably use the R&R. Fortunately spying on the dearest 114th to the throne wasn’t the only thing occupying his time, though that didn’t go without saying it was nowhere near as thrilling. Izunia watched on from an undisclosed location, silently accounting for how delicate Noctis would treat the flowers he knelt to greet. It was truly fascinating, to watch a heart so full of anguish and rage like his own, be capable of such gentleness, such kindness to the simplest of creations. As Ardyn watched the petals be caressed by the other Caelum’s hand, there was the faintest fleeting sense of nostalgic sadness that leapt through his blackened heart.

Izunia thought back briefly to the time before his curse, before the days had lost count, before the light shunned his existence. There was a time long ago when he could fully appreciate the frailty of a flower’s petals in earnest, when sitting in a garden surrounded by life would bring him the simplest of comforts. How foreign a feeling such things had become over the course of this unnatural, apparent unending purgatory. He briefly wondered if it were even possible to remember just how such fickle emotions felt. Ardyn imagined that it would feel strangely similar to the anguish that now cocooned his heart, that carried himself forward to see destiny made real once again. Perhaps when Providence had once more been realized, when Noctis had truly fulfilled his purpose this time, Ardyn could realize the ever eluding euphoria of a heart at peace. Though so long as they still stood here among strange bastions and foreign abodes, Izunia knew that such a state of nirvana would remain out of reach.

It was time to seize the hour of destiny once more. It was time to guide Noctis back to his intended purpose.

There were no noises nor sounds to prelude the arrival of the Immortal Accursed; a man of his stature rarely needed an introduction in these simple scenarios. Izunia stood naught but a stone throw from his favorite great nephew, leaning against the small stone wall that lined the exterior of the garden in a nonchalant manner. How rare it was to find Noct without the company of his retinue, yet with so much disarray throughout this world and the next, it was no wonder they were nowhere to be found. Whatever was stopping him from simply knocking out the clueless teen to drag him back to The Citadel? It would be so easy to simply reach out and take it, like it had always been time, and time again. Though where was the fun in it? With so many worlds and places to see now, why it was almost too tempting to drag the hapless Prince though each of them, simply to see how well Noct could swim in these waters. If he was lucky enough, perhaps he would find his dear missing friends in the meantime. A Chosen King could only hope for the best, yes?

”Stopping to smell the flowers are we? Alas, poor Prompto will have missed quite the photo op.” A smug chuckle would emit from the depths of his throat, the former Niflheim Chancellor tipping his fedora to the onyx clad Caelum, making a stride to the other end of the garden. Turning to look on Noctis with a wide smile, Ardyn would spread his arms wide, as though daring the son of Regis to strike him down. ”Aren’t family reunions touching?” Truthfully he wasn’t sure Noctis would share the sentiment, but at least he could relish in the fact he was no longer alone.