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After his afternoon lessons, Ignis walked quickly down the corridor towards the training center. While he wasn’t allowed to start on weapons yet, this year Cor had permitted the precocious ten-year-old to begin practicing hand-to-hand combat via a beginners fitness class taught by one of the Glaives as an offering for any of the Citadel administrative staff who wanted a good workout that also taught practical skills. Ignis peeked at his watch and frowned, moving his short legs faster. He’d have to change into this gym clothes really fast, and hope the teacher didn’t mind if he slipped in just a little late, and—
Wait. Was that… crying?
Ignis stopped dead in the middle of the hallways, ears straining to catch the noise again, so he could try and ascertain from which direction it was sounding. He heard sniffling coming from a door to his right, and cautiously moved in that direction, peering in through the cracked doorway to see who was there.
The young advisor-in-training saw his charge, the Crown Prince of Insomnia, curled up in one corner of the room, his face buried in arms folded around spindly legs.
Ignis wasted no time in entering the room, prudently thinking to shut the door behind him. If he had heard the sounds, someone else could, too… and he knew Noctis wouldn’t wish to be discovered. He hoped the Prince - his friend - wouldn’t mind Ignis’s own intrusion.
“Noct…?” Ignis called out softly, alerting the other boy to his presence. “Noct, what’s the matter?”
Noctis lifted his head to reveal a place face painted splotchy with red from his crying. Brilliant azure eyes were swollen and still shone with tears. When he responded, it was with a quavering voice. “I-Ignis. Ignis, I fell.”
As Noctis started to cry in earnest once more, Ignis moved closer, coming to squat before the younger child, reaching out and clasping a hand warmly on his skinny shoulder. “Are you hurt?”
“My l-leg,” Noct stammered between sobs.
Ignis crouched down lower, examining the indicated limb. It appeared that when Noct took his tumble, he’d earned scratches and scrapes from his knee to his ankle. A few of them were bleeding a little, which concerned Ignis. He adjusted his glasses, as if by pushing the spectacles higher on the bridge of his nose, it would enable him to see even better
“It doesn’t look so bad, Highness,” Ignis said reassuringly. “But we should get those cleaned up.”
“Okay…”
Ignis stood, holding out a hand to help Noct to his feet. When both youths were standing, Ignis gave Noctis a warm smile. “Maybe once we are through at the infirmary, we can sneak into the kitchens.” He leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially, childish glee brightening his words. “I heard they’re making molasses cookies today!”
Noct seemed to completely forget about his horrible injury after hearing those words, and chattered happily with Ignis until the ordeal of getting the scrapes tended was completed. They stealthily obtained a pile of cookies and absconded to one of the gardens with their bounty, and were well on their way to a sugar coma.
Noctis had made a game of quizzing Ignis on the various flora and fauna in the garden. Ignis was pleased that, so far, he had been able to (he hoped) correctly name all the plants the Prince had selected.
“What about that one?” Noct asked, bouncing on his heels moreso from the sugar rush than excitement about flowers.
“Hm,” Ignis looked at the bright red blossoms, admiring the way they seemed to be standing one on top of the other, almost, amidst tall dark green stalks and leaves. The same flower seemed to be repeated in various colors throughout the garden quite prominently.
With a snap of his fingers, Ignis said triumphantly, “That’s it!” He grinned. “It’s a gladiolus flower.”
Noct seemed to mull that over a couple minutes before he burst out laughing, cookie crumbs spraying unheeded from his mouth from the force of his mirth. “Like my Shield?” He giggled. “My Shield’s a flower?” The young Prince fell backward onto the grassy garden yard, completely lost in his laughter.
Ignis couldn’t help but laugh, too, but he tried to turn it around, glancing around until he saw the plant he was seeking. “There’s his sister,” Ignis grinned, pointing at a stand of deep blue irises. “We must be in the Amicitia portion of the garden.”
Noct was positively howling by this point, probably not even hearing what Ignis was saying. Ignis was glad. The Prince was held to such high expectations so much of the time, even at such a young age. It was nice to see him acting like a child.
Ignis smiled, leaning back to brace his palms against the ground. He wasn’t often he himself got to act like a child. It was… nice, he decided. Ignis made a promise to himself to make sure Noct was able to have more fun - and to join him in that fun as often as his duties would permit.