Jewel of Lucis | FFXV

Chapter VI

A cold chill woke the young princess from her blissful rest. She awoke beside Noctis, who slept soundly beside her. She lifted her head, and was greeted with a spinning hotel room. She groaned and looked down at the her middle finger. The silver ring flashed red, indicating she would soon need help. Refusing to awaken any of her roommates, she stood up slowly, bracing herself on the glass night table. A thick handprint rippled from her slender hand as a result of the intense heat leaving her body. She nearly collapsed, however, Jinora stood by her side and assisted her in regaining her balance. She sighed heavily, but quickly silenced herself the moment her older brother shifted in his sleep.

"Mia...?" Noctis whispered. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Euphemia hissed as she continued to grip the walls along the path to the bathroom.

"No you're not." Noctis stood up and grasped her wrist gently. "Let me help you."

Euphemia closed her eyes as she began to feel faint. Her head bobbed downward while she swayed left and right. "Noct, I need to get in the tub..." She breathed. "Just get me in the tub."

"Lift your arms up, I'm gonna take off your shirt." Noctis slowly lifted his sister's shirt above her head, unfazed by her exposed breasts. He'd done this many times before, and nothing would bother him at this point in the sibling's lives. He gently removed Euphemia's shorts and left them on the floor. He dodged the extremities protruding from her back and stepped behind her. "Fold them in." He nodded as the feathery limbs closed and tucked far against her skin. "Hold on." Gingerly, he lifted her up and placed her in the bathtub, of which had been filled preemptively in anticipation of an incident like this. He lowered her into the bathtub, and immediately, steam rose from the icy cold bathwater. Noctis closed the curtain and sat down on the toilet seat. "I'm sitting right here, okay?"

"Mmhmm..." Was all the young girl could utter in her feverish state.

Noctis looked up as Ignis appeared in the door, adjusting his glasses. "Everything alright?"

"Mmhmm..." A small voice sounded from behind the curtain.

"She's fine, she was just hot. Get some rest, Iggy." Noctis smiled gently and turned back toward the curtain. "I'm here for her, now. I couldn't be there for her most of the time, so... I'm making up for it now."

"You can't still be blaming yourself for that day, Noct." Ignis sighed heavily. "It'll eat you alive." He spun around and disappeared into the darkness of the hotel room.

Noctis clenched the edges of the toilet tightly, thinking only of Euphemia on the day she'd been shot, and nearly killed. Words couldn't express the guilt he'd felt, even two years after the fact.

Noctis burst through the Princess's bedroom doors. Beside her covered bed, he found his father seated, facing her tall, stained glass windows. "What the hell happened?!" Noctis stormed toward the King, his ears practically steaming with anger.

"Calm yourself, son. I didn't raise you to lose your composure." King Regis pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Tell me what the hell is going on!" Noctis boomed.

"Enough, Noctis!" King Regis turned around sharply, his eyes narrowed and firmly planted on his son. "You are the Crown Prince of Lucis. I expect you to act like it!" He sighed, then lowered his voice. "Your sister has been shot. She is resting comfortably now, just behind her canopy."

Noctis, disregarding Euphemia's large, blackout canopy, rushed to her bed and cracked it open, just enough to peer inside. She was undressed, the only covering on her body being clean, white bandages wrapped all the way up to her neck. Jinora rested peacefully at her feet, not even turning an eye toward the intruder. Euphemia's tear stained cheeks and pinched expression were enough to send the older brother spiraling where he stood. "She's in pain..." Noctis whispered. He shook his head and turned to his father, stifling his tears. "How could you let this happen to her?"