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The king could feel the aching, soreness in his legs as he knelt before the chamber of the goddess. He desperately wanted to relieve the pain but there was something far more important at hand. His brown eyes gazed at the baby, swaddled lovingly in a blue blanket, as he slept peacefully on the altar. Tears stung the father’s eyes as he took in his son’s innocent beauty. The baby boy had dark, obsidian locks and skin so pale as though it were kissed by the starlight. And under those closed lids were the darkest, yet purest blue eyes the king had ever seen…
So beautiful. So precious…
How could this child, HIS son, be a source of darkness? Or worse a bringer of death and destruction…
—
The darkness had claimed him as it’s own while his wife Aulea was still pregnant. It snuck up on them like a thief in the night, right in the middle of a celebration; the day of Etro’s purported birth. Lucians took pride in worshipping the goddess of death and as such, no one was surprised when a Reaper appeared before the crowd in the throne room. They were simply messengers of the dead…
But they had no idea of what the ghastly being would say..
Lifting a crooked finger towards her swollen belly, it’s dark and raspy vocals resonated throughout the room, sending chills down the queen’s spine. At the very tip of its finger, shone a crimson red light; an illumination that gave no warmth, only fear as it resembled the night that occurred once a year…
The eve of the bloodied moon.
"You, maiden, shall give birth to a child who will bring forth the end of days and the fields shall turn red with the blood of mortals… His heart will grow cold, the ice of a winter’s evening freezing every emotion and his power will surpass that of even the mightiest god. The veil of black will mask his every thought and soon, the world will be at his beck and call. No person will be allowed mercy, man or woman…”
People in the room began to whisper frantically, eyes darting around with questions and a need for answers.
The queen’s gentle blue eyes filled with an uncharacteristic rage and panic, as she began to lose it.
“Lies demon! LIES! Stay away! Stay away! STAY AWAY!” Aulea screamed, clutching her stomach as she sat upon the throne, tears slipping down her cheeks and dark locks obscuring her lovely face.
The king unsheathed his holy blade and glared at the skeletal being, his normally warm brown eyes cold.
"Do not think that you frighten us, demon. You are telling lies on such a day of death, are you not?”
The Reaper simply shook its head in the negative, seemingly unaware that it caused a fuss.
"King of Lucis, you best protect your wife well…for soon she will be blotted out by the black plague that is your child.” And as quickly as it came, the cloaked demon left without another word as the other people in the palace began to aid their distraught queen. Regis was sure that it was lying…
Until a weeks later, when Aulea lost her life giving birth to their child; a son and he unintentionally took his mother’s life just as the prophecy foretold.
Broken beyond belief, the king mourned his wife but felt warmth enter his life at the sight of his son. The infant was an incredibly lovely being and was given a name that melded well with his beauty; Noctis, the night sky…
Now he feared for Noctis and decided to take matters in his own hands… it was time to speak to the goddess of death herself.
—
“Good King Regis, I am surprised to see you at your knees before me now. Why are you here, your majesty?” It was HER. There was no mistaking it…
Her voice had the oddest sound to it; cold and almost devoid of all and any emotion but at the same time, seemed incredibly lonely and rather kind. It was such a strange mixture, Regis was unnerved by her tone, noting that it was something that sounded not of this world.
“I…my lady. I must ask something of you, as your humble servant…” He spoke hesitantly.
Regis was startled when she suddenly materialized in front of the altar. Even her beauty was eerie and disturbing..
She had long, flowing ink black hair with pale white skin and pink lips. She was ever so petite but had long graceful limbs, as perfectly depicted in paintings. The goddess looked like a girl no older than twenty to his genuine surprise.
The personification of death took a few tiny steps closer to the altar, her long black dress flowing like water as amethyst eyes narrowed to inspect the sleeping Noctis at her feet. Kneeling down to gaze the infant, she glanced back at Regis, a tiny chilled smile on those lips.
“You’ve come to save the boy, correct?”
"Yes, milady. He is the calamity, the darkness reborn as foretold.”
The maiden remained silent, seemingly entranced by the baby who cooed softly in his sleep.
"Then give him to me.” She said simply.
He became rather alarmed.
“Lady Etro, I ask that you help, not that you keep him to yourself! I want him to be with me!”
Regis could feel his heart pound in his chest as she turned her cruel eyes onto him.
“Do not be foolish, old man. I meant for him to be in my service. I want him. I desire a champion…” She whispered rather brokenly as her slender white fingers gently prodded at Noctis’ chubby cheek.
The king couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her actions with his son and it was a bit of a stretch to ask of that…
“A champion? Noctis will become your champion as prince and leader of this land who worships you.” He stated matter of factly.
"I mean my own personal champion… as I had before…”
Regis closed his eyes and thought about the legends of Caius Ballad and Claire “Lightning” Farron, those were two of Etro’s best champions. One lost his life to darkness and Claire went on to live with her sister and friends.
Even another legend that spoke about the land of Orience rang in his mind; Machina Kunagiri and Rem Tokimiya were also of Etro’s favor and they too, eventually left but she was a bit more cautious with those two.
Was the goddess lonely and his son could appease her broken soul?
The king was worried but knew that Etro possessed a form of the great light and would forever guard Noctis. Perhaps, she could guide him to a brighter future at the cost of being her knight.
"Very well, my lady. Noctis is yours…I just ask that you protect him. He is yours in this life and the next.”
She smiled rather widely, a vicious upturn of her mouth.
“In this life and the next, your majesty?” The goddess seemed almost excited.
With a shaky breath, the king nodded.
“Very well, good king. I shall protect the small lamb that is your son… Noctis…” She closed her eyes at his name.
Regis bowed graciously to her and gathered the sleeping baby in his arms, and bid her goodbye…
But anxiety began to gnaw at his insides as he kept his gaze on Noctis. Did he make the right choice?
Or did he doom his son further?