#*lightis

She had read her father's last will before he got killed, and one of them was having assigned a royal guard - like a bodyguard - for her, which she knew, and her father knew, she didn't need.

The advisor fidgeted in his place and cleared his throat. What a sore to look at! 

She huffed but stayed silent as she was taught to listen. She waited, tapping her black heel against the black marbled floor.

"A-as I was saying, your highness…"

"Cut to the chase," she cut him off, clicking her tongue. 

"H-His late majesty wanted you to have someone to look after your back."

Just as she thought.

She scoffed which echoed coldly across the wide hall making everyone silent and their breathings shallow. 

"I told you I don't need a bodyguard. I'm afraid I’ll end up saving their asses instead." 

"I-I know, Your Highness. But they've come a long way, so if you would kindly let me bring him before your presence and meet him." The advisor bowed gallantly.

The princess tapped her fingers against her seat as she thought for a moment. Then she said, "All right."

With that, the advisor bowed again before he walked away.

She sighed, pissed.

A minute had passed, but for Lightning - the name she began to call herself since her mother died from the same war her father had been killed - it was forever. 

The huge double doors pushed open and a sound of footsteps clad against the floor, echoing through the stillness. Slowly, the advisor appeared from the shadows along another stranger, who was also wearing black. Their face hidden in the dark as the only light serving the throne was the one coming from the huge windows, but it still wasn't enough to brighten the place for its high ceilings.

"Here he is, Your Highness. Let me present to you Sergeant Noctis Lucis Caelum." Her advisor stepped aside to make way for the Caelum guy who stepped forward, revealing his face through the light. His hair black and spiky but it reflected blue as light touched it.

He bowed with grace and authority before her. "Your Highness."

"Leave us be, Sazh," Lightning said, referring to her advisor, who, then, silently took his leave.

"What made you come here, Sergeant?" She asked, her voice flat. She straightened in her seat.

Noctis slowly raised his body, lifting his gaze to her. His dark blue eyes shone yet his face, unreadable. But the princess admitted that she didn't expect for her would-be bodyguard to look so well and young. She, maybe, was expecting something rougher and older.

She smirked to herself. He looked like a total weakling. Her father never really knew her and what she wanted or needed.

"I was trained to look after Your Highness. The King had chosen me."

Now she wanted to laugh. Her father never mentioned anything about him or someone he would train to look after her. 

"You do know, rather, must know, that I don't need anyone to look after me," she leaned on her seat, crossing her legs.

"I understand. But it is my duty--"

"Thanks for your service, Sergeant. And for your loyalty, but I am sorry to send you back this instance…" she trailed off as an idea hit her. The corner of her lips pulled up into a slight curve. "Or maybe you can go look after my sister for me, since I don't trust the man assigned to guard her. Then report it to me the next morning. Your choice."

The sergeant paused and looked at her carefully. After a moment, he sighed, "All right."

"All right, what? You're going to leave?"

"I'll look after you and your sister," he said slowly, stressing each word.

"What? I didn't mention-"

"I told you, Your Highness, that I was ordered by the late king to look after you. And as you commanded, I'm going to look after your sister as well."

Lightning huffed, glancing down as she thought for a moment. She had to do this for Serah. She couldn't brush the idea of her sister developing feelings towards her bodyguard whose name was Snow Villiers, as what the rumors said. Though, her sister disputed that it wasn't true, however she didn't trust her this time. I'm sorry, Serah.

She lifted her gaze back to the sergeant and said, "All right." 

* * *

The smell of roses wafted in the air. Closing her eyes, Lightning basked in its scent and let it embrace her. The rose garden was the only thing her late mother left as her remembrance. So, she made sure to look after and took care of it herself. It had become her favourite place to go to in the palace. It felt like her mother was there, and never really left.

Reaching for a rose, she heard a faint rustle among the bushes. She stopped. Her senses told her she wasn't alone.

"Who's there?" She called, turning her body slowly. "Show yourself. I know you're there," she said  when, whoever was behind the bushes, didn't come out. 

Then a pair of black boots appeared, the Sergeant revealing himself. 

She crossed her arms, shifting her weight on her other leg. “What are you doing here?”

The sergeant shrugged.  "Watching you?"

Lightning squinted at him and drawled, "Watching, huh… Well, it looks like you're stalking, by hiding in the bushes." 

"Since you said that you didn't like me to watch over you. But I shan't fail the late King of what he ordered me to do as a promise, so I decided to do it in secret."

She scoffed, shaking her head once. "You have a weird sense of humor, aren't you? Besides, we all know he's dead so whether you keep your promise or not wouldn't matter."

"No. A promise is a promise."

"Are you going against me, Sergeant?"

The sergeant straightened his back and bowed slightly. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I do not intend to."

"I am, as you call it, Your Highness. So whose orders are you going to follow?"

"Whoever rules the Kingdom."

"And that's me."

"And your father…"

Lightning gave him a sharp look. This man's testing my patience.

"May I ask a personal question, princess?"

She regarded him a moment before she nodded her head.

"Why is it like you're going up against what the late king wishes for you? It's for your own good."

Her hand balled into fists. Her jaw rigid. "He never knew what's good for me. All he cared about was the Kingdom. And now he thought he knew what I needed? Where was he when I needed him the most?" She then sighed sharply, closing her eyes. Her heart hammering wildly inside her chest. And she thought she revealed too much.

Shooting a glare at Sergeant Caelum, she waited for him to say more or for him to scold her that she got her father all wrong. She wanted to know if her father really cared about her, but all she got from him was a nod of understanding. How disappointing.

They turned silent and still. None made a move. Yet the silence was disturbing, when a gentle rush of wind blew past them, making the rose rustle, as if her mother was urging her to say something. But she’s lost for a moment. What shall I do, mother?

The sergeant cleared his throat, stealing her attention. "Then... will you just let me do what your father wishes this time and watch over you?" 

She sized him up for a moment. Her mother raised a queen that could defend the kingdom, not to be looked after. "On one condition. Defeat me in a spar."

* * *

Lightning took him to the training grounds. In her hand was the Blazefire Saber, her personal weapon which the gods had given her on her 18th birthday.

"Where's your weapon?" She asked when she saw Sergeant Caelum holding nothing.

Without uttering a word, Noctis held his hand, palm open in front of him and then a sword materialized into thin air.

How--

Her grip tightened on her gun-blade, her brows furrowed. She looked at him grimly.

The sergeant swung his sword and placed his body in a stance. 

With a faint huff, and stillness surrounding them, Lightning charged first, swinging her weapon to him which he countered with his sword. 

His sword, Lightning thought, was not unexceptional. Surely, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to gain it. Her eyes flicked to his dark blue ones, feeling an unexpected force. She broke out from the contact and was thrown backwards, the sole of her boots glided against the smooth wooden floor. Good thing she had her balance in check, or she might be thrown off.

"Who are you?" she uttered, almost like a whisper, looking at the man with disbelief. Where did her father meet him?

The sergeant stood straight, his sword disappeared as he placed a hand on his chest and bowed. "I do not wish to fight you, Your Highness. As I told you, I'm here to watch over you."

"Yaah!!!!" Not giving him the chance to utter another word, she launched at him. And in a blink of an eye he vanished into thin air and appeared right behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his body before she could make the fall; her sword fell from her grip. She grunted, and gritted her teeth, trying to hide the pang of embarrassment and humiliation. She's the queen, she must be better. Do better.

"Let go of me," she grunted between her teeth, and the sergeant did so, gently.

"I told you, I do not wish to fight you," he said.

She turned at him, frowning. Her pride refused to speak to him, but the way he held himself only humiliated her more, and was telling her to act how a royalty should.

She held her chin high despite being shorter just a few inches than him. "All right. I can see you’re fit to watch my sister. But not me. I can handle myself."

"I've sworn my life to you."

Lightning paused. Sworn his life. Normally, all of her soldiers had sworn their lives to her, but he, this sergeant, the way he said those words carried such weight as if he’d been preparing all his life for this. To serve their kingdom. Or worse, to serve her, solely.

Not wanting to give up to him yet, she sighed. "Yes, I know. And that means watching over my sister. She needed you more than I do."

The sergeant, intently, stared at her. She shifted on her weight and about to glance away when he spoke, "I know. But how am I going to look after you?"

She chuckled, which sounded like a scoff. She couldn't believe this guy. "You don't need to look after me. I thought we had an agreement that you'll look after my sister."

"Yes, but you are my priority. Don't make me stop now."

"You're stubborn, are you?"

"Maybe."

Then the words, she had been wanting to ask, just slipped off her tongue. "How could you have the ability to materialize a sword and teleport? What are you?"

A faintest smile touched the sergeant's lips. "You are curious it seems, Your Highness."

She didn't like the way he’s looking at her. And that smirk.

"No. I'm not," she tilted the corner of her lips then she spun around, turning her back on him and started to walk away. However, she felt his presence behind. Urgh! She wasn't going to live like this with someone following behind her.

"Stop doing that, you're creeping me out!" she said, sharp.

She heard him smirk. "My apologies. If you want we could talk."

"All right. Tell me how you got the power then I'll let you look after me. Don't leave one bit of information." 

"Certainly, Your Highness. I got it from a near death-experience when I was young. We have been attacked from the war ten years ago…."

Lightning could still remember it, she was eleven and that’s when her mother died. 

Bodhum had been at war against Niflheim, wanting to get their hands on the crystal, which they won. But the enemy kingdom attempted again,  two years ago, which her father had sacrificed his life for. And in her reign, she vowed she would not let what her parents sacrificed to go to waste. She would protect the Kingdom and the crystal as her life. But this sergeant, listening to his story… Etro had blessed him and gave him a prophecy of protecting it - the crystal - thus, her father had chosen him. 

But why him? And not… me? 

Was it also the reason her father tasked him to look after her?

"It was a curse. I know that someday, I'm going to pay its price and sacrifice my life for it… But I'm ready," he said, finishing his story.

She stopped walking, and looked at him. If that was so, and he was called to protect the crystal… she had made her decision.

"No, you're not cursed," she said, "because I need you. And you're not going to die… because who will protect me, then?"

Her face turned soft and then... she smiled. 

Now she’s angry. How Odin also wished that Etro would grant him the skill to understand human language and to communicate with her, but all he could get off was whines and huffs or whatever horse noise he could make.

* * *

“And she agreed on having a date with me, Ignis.”

Ignis remained calm as he stopped himself from taking a sip of his afternoon tea. “Oh?... uhm… I think that’s ...great.”

“WHAT?!” The bigger man, Gladio, pulled the drapes, which divided the apartment’s division, aside and peeked from the other room. His eyes were so wide it might pop out of its sockets.

But someone laughed out loud, coming from where Gladio was and later appearing from the room, his other friend with blond hair, Prompto. He kept on laughing with his hands on his belly.

“That’s… the… hahahaha! F—fucking funniest joke—pfft… hahahaha... Ha! Oh Noct!” He wiped his teary eyes from laughing so much. But the latter stared at him grimly. Gladio chuckled along though. Noctis turned to his last resort of having someone believe in him - his advisor and also his friend, Ignis, who just went to continue sipping his tea, avoiding his gaze.

“Seriously guys?” Noctis looked at each of them. 

“Well… it’s okay, Noct. Any man can dreahihi… hahahahahaha!!!...” Prompto went laughing again and Gladio joined in this time. 

“Hah!... Oh! Sorry, couldn’t help it.” Prompto sighed heavily, but still smiling from ear to ear.

That’s it! Noctis huffed and at once, rushed outside stomping on his feet. Shutting the door behind a little louder, as he did.

* * *

He continued marching outside with nowhere to go. He’s just so mad and disappointed.

He couldn’t believe his friends! Why wouldn’t anyone believe in him?! Were they even his friends?! They’ve been together since they’re still practically in their diapers. Their fates to serve his royalty was told by the gods itself.

And now they’re not acting like one or doing what a royal advisors and guardians should be to a royalty like him, especially since he so badly needed their help!!!

Noctis’ jaw tightened and his hands balled into fists. 

Calm down, Noctis! Calm the fuck down! Ugh!

He was turning the corner when he got collided with someone and he fell backwards with his ass meeting the solid ground. He groaned a little loud. He rubbed his hands on his sides to soothe the pain. Then he heard a whimper of a… woman? With a pink hair color. She was in the same position as him but her legs were wide spread and she was even wearing a short skirt. He accidentally saw her undies, so with flustered face he looked away at once, and hastily, stood up. Well, she’s wearing shorts underneath but it felt not so gentlemanly to look.

He held out his hand towards her without  looking at her, but the way she gripped his hand was surprisingly strong.

“Thanks!” she grunted. 

And now Noctis took the liberty to look at her. 

Oooh! But those pale aqua ones struck him and it took him a moment to speak. 

“I’m sorry— whoa!” Noctis backed away when suddenly a white horse was marching towards him.

“Hush! Odin.” The lady said. And the horse just huffed and stood behind her but it was still glaring at him.

Noctis chest was heaving out from the slight panic attack. This lady was filled with weirdness in her.

“I’m sorry too. Are you alright?” she said as her eyes trailed down his body.

Noctis just nodded. Speak you dumb fuck! “Uhm, yes… Are you hurt?”

The lady waved her hands. “No, I’m perfectly fine.”

But Noctis saw a marks of red and gray on her thighs. 

“Hey!” The lady protested as she saw him looking at her milky white thighs. 

The prince blushed and looked away. “Sorry. It’s just that y-you got some scratches.”

“Oh, ‘tis just a little scratch. Nothing to worry about.”

Noctis looked at her in disbelief then to the horse. “So… are you taking him on a walk?” He decided to move on.

She glanced to the horse. “Oh uhm.. you can say that. I mean, partly, yeah.”

Noctis only hummed along.

“How about you? You heading somewhere?” she asked. And Noctis almost forgot why he was here.

“N-not really! Just walking.”

She just nodded.

They just stood there and none of them moved or even attempted to walk away and leave, like there’s an awkwardness hanging in the air and he wasn’t sure if it’s only him who felt it. 

“So…”

“Maybe…”

They said all at once, and they stared at each other, blinking at the same time. 

But Noctis was the first to break off the uncomfortable thing embracing them as he let out a chuckle.

“You go on first…” The lady said.

“Erm...Ladies first.” 

“Sorry to say, but I’m no lady!”

Noctis looked back at her with utter confusion What?!  She couldn’t fool him, she looked beautiful in every way to not be a lady.

“Oh, dear!” she rubbed her face with her palm. “Just messing with you!” She nudged him by the arm and he wasn’t used to such kind of contact so he pulled his arm slightly away.

“Ooh, he’s sensitive.” she smirked.

“So are you going somewhere?” Noctis hesitantly asked, but he really felt the need to confide in someone. So he was kind of hoping that she would be available.

“No. Not really. How about you?”

“Great! I mean, No. Nowhere. I was just thinking, if it’s not too much, for us to go on a walk together, because I need your help.”

“I was actually about to say the same thing.” She sheepishly said. “I-I also need your help.

Noctis blinked. “Oh what is it?”

“You see, I have this teeny weeny problem. And… I need some advice from a man like you. ”

Noctis flustered, and his eyes widened. “Well, I also need an advice from a woman like you.” He chuckled.

“Really?” She chuckled but soon her face faltered. Then she started to pace away.

Panic surged inside Noctis and he hurriedly followed her. “Hey! I’m sorry. Have I said anything wrong?”

“No. I… Well…” then she stopped walking and blew another sigh. Then she sat on the bench along the sidewalk. She seemed bothered, he noticed.

 “Can I tell you something personal?” 

“Sure.” Noctis sat beside her. It’s weird how willingly he was to listen to her.

“I know we’re both strangers from each other but I don’t have anyone to talk this thing with. I mean… I don’t trust myself enough…” She really looked disturbed and Noctis wondered how serious the issue was.

“O...kay?” Noctis said slowly.

She cleared her throat. “Okay… here it goes. But first promise me you won’t laugh.” She raised her pinky finger.

Noctis took it and laced his pinky finger together with hers.

“Good. So… here…There’s this guy. And I… I agreed to see him. L-like a date… because he offered me to a restaurant that cooks a good steak. And I love steak. And now I’m freaking out as I don’t know what a date is like!”

Noctis tried to keep himself from smiling but he found, watching her freaking out …kind of cute.

But soon his worries and anxiety came rushing back.

“Yeah,” he sighed.

“What?”

“It’s funny how we’re experiencing the same thing.”

“You haven’t been on a date?”

He glanced to her. “ I have, but it’s not… the real date date! Just a let’s walk the garden date. Have some tea date. You know, just simple things that can be a date but not really a date.”

“Oh, like this?”

Noctis blushed and his heart started beating. “I-if you want to consider it like that.” He chuckled in embarrassment. 

“Okay. So what happened?” She scooted a little closer.

“So… This girl who I’ve been casually dating, agreed to go on a real date with me. Some candlelight dinner date.”

“That’s tough.”

“I know.” Then they became silent. 

His eyes trailed on the white horse eating the little grass underneath a tree. “So, by the way, what’s your horse’s name?”

“He’s still a pony. I call him Odin.” She smiled.

He looked at it gently. Then he looked back to her. “I’ve always wanted a horse.”

“If you want, we can go on a  ride together.” She, at once, stood up without even waiting for his answer.

She pulled and positioned Odin, and hopped onto him at once like a pro. It amazed Noctis.

“Hey, you ridin’ or what?” She asked.

“I thought… Okay.” Then he hopped in, but he was actually hoping that he’d be the one to take control of him.

They ride Odin through the city until they made it to the fields where she made him run faster. It felt so nice and Noctis somehow forget the pressure he was in earlier and just basked in the cool air that brushed against them, smelling the fresh scent of the greens around them.

 * * *

By the way, when’s your date?” Noctis asked. They decided to laze in the meadow in the  middle of the forest. He plucked a wildflower surrounding them and played it in his fingers.

“Oh. Tomorrow evening. Yours?”

“In two days.”

She hummed. “...Do you think I should go?”

“Yes. Unless you don’t really like him.”

“I’m just all for the steak.”

He chuckled. “You can’t always go on a date with someone just because of the steak.”

“I know. But… I can eat it for free and in the best restaurant there is.”

“If that’s the case, then, you will go on a date with me, if there’s a steak?”

“Well, we're on some kind of a date already, right? And there’s no steak.”

It sounded different to Noctis. He felt his heart skipped a beat. He suddenly couldn’t take his eyes from her. Whoever her date will be, would be lucky.

“What? Is something wrong?” She brought her hands to her face and he looked away, flustered.

“Well, it’s just that… I haven’t gotten to know your name.” He cleared his throat.

“Oh, right…. It’s Lightning” She held out her hand.

He rolled his eyes this time. “Please be serious!”

“Yes, I’m serious.”

“Okay, I’m thunder.” He shook her hand, but she pulled it away at once.

“Oh etro!” She sighed, brushing her face with her palm.

“You can’t call yourself Lightning!”

“Why not? Then call me Light.”

Noctis looked at her incredulously. No way did her parents give her that name?

“You’re more like a cherry to me than Lightning.”

“Cherry? Please, you’re much worse.” she chuckled. “And I’m serious, I’m Lightning. So what’s yours?”

“You… don’t know me?”

She blinked and raised her brows in confusion. “Do… I have to know you?”

“You’re not from here.”

“Nope.” 

Then that’s better.

“It’s Noctis.”

“Noctis… Where have I heard - wait,don’t tell me you’re... Prince Noctis?”

Noctis brought a hand on his chest and bowed his head. “At your service.”

“I’m sorry, where are my manners?” Lightning was about to stand but Noctis held her wrist.

“Please.” Then he shook his head.

“So, you’re the prince, huh. Where are your guards then? They’re supposed to look after you, right?”

The prince chuckled. “That’s too cliché. No, I’m not that type of prince. I can go out with my friends. See? Lucis is a safe place to live in.”

“I can see that, proud prince.”

“So, what made you visit here? And what’s your name? I’m sure it isn’t Lightning.”

“What if I’m a spy? Or a serial killer? Haven’t you thought of that? And yet you’re walking all alone.” She said, ignoring his question.

“Well, then I can just turn you in, and you gotta do some explaining, you know the drill.” Then he looked at his hand that’s still holding her wrist. 

Her eyes moved to his hand on her wrist and she chuckled. “Cocky, are we?”

And suddenly something seemed to surround them. A complete stillness. It felt strange. But a  nice feeling of strange. They stared back at each other, and Noctis know it was different. He’s sure it wasn’t only him who was feeling it, but also her.

“I just wanna know your name.” He stated silently as he gently let her wrist go.

“Why bother? You might turn me into the police.”

“You’re not serious, right?”

She chuckled and shook her head. “What do you think?”

“You’re a good person. That’s how I feel.”

She looked at him and he did just the same. “How could you say that? And what will happen if you knew my name? It’s not like we’re going to see each other again, right?”

“You know where I live. I’m the prince.” He shrugged.

“Give me one good reason why should I give you my name, then?”

He stayed silent and shifted his eyes on a wildflower being blown softly by the wind. “Then I think I should’ve just protected my identity from you, if you think I couldn’t be trusted.”

“I just don’t like attachments, prince.”

He looked back to her… intently. Holding her gaze. Then, slowly, he inched his face closer. He didn’t know what he was thinking but he dared himself. As she didn’t make any move, he went on until their lips were just mere inches away and he could feel the warmth of her breath against his, drawing him much closer. His breath hitched as he felt her lips brushed against his. Then he slowly and gently took them in, colliding hers in his mouth, kissing her passionately. His hand grabbed her face softly. Her lips were so soft that he couldn’t help but grazed his tongue along its softness and wanting to taste more of her. But just before their kisses became heated, she broke away.

“What’s … I’m sorry.” she said breathlessly.

And Noctis couldn’t speak, as he tried to process what’s going on.