Chapter 28
A smile began to form on her lips, and when she turned around she saw Noctis leaning against the wall, returning her smile.
He looked proud of her, but he also had some cuts and bruises, Snow noticed.
"Snow!" Someone yelled, and when Snow turned around, it was none other than Cid, the guardian core's leader.
"Hey Cid, what are you doing here?" "What do you mean, what am I doing here? Have you been oblivious to the whole attack on the palace? Cid asked, Snow just smiled at her and shook her head.
"Cid, you're here, is the others with you?" Noctis spoke while walking in their direction, "yes sir, everyone is out here to check the perimeter and make sure whatever attacked the kingdom is gone," Cid answered, bowing to the prince, "the kingdom?" Noctis' brows shot up, so it wasn't just them that got attacked, it was the whole kingdom. "Are the people safe?" Noctis asked Cid, "yes sire, there was no injuries as far as I know," Cid replied.
Snow saw how they talked to each other like she wasn't there, and at one point they walked off to discuss further details, ignoring her completely.
The workers smiled as Snow pa.s.sed them, thanking her for her hard work. She went back to her room feeling exhausted, but only after one of the maids got her a new set of crutches.
Snow thought that after the fight her body would not need something to lean on, but it must've been the adrenaline that kept the pain away.
When Snow's head hit the pillows, she was thrust into a deep sleep, where dreams become reality.
...
Noctis sat in the study with his father and Cid, they were discussing what had occured today in the kingdom.
"Where could the monsters have gotten in?" the king asked, more to himself than to the others, "we don't know yet your majesty, the
"They are the ones that is called demons right, but aren't they supposed to be more like a shadow?" prince Noctis asked, the stories he heard about these things was nothing like the ones he saw today.
"There are different kinds of demons, some are like we have seen today, others are like the stories you've heard from travelers," the king answered.
After a few minutes of silence, the king spoke, "they must be getting stronger."
Noctis looked at his father in puzzlement, "what do you mean?"
"The demons never got in before, but now they didn't just get in, in one place, but all over the kingdom," Cid explained, the king just nodded, still thinking to himself.
"So if they get stronger, shouldn't we do the same?" Noctis asked looking at both of them, "it's not that easy son, the barrier isn't like a weapon, it can't be upgraded, that's why I can't figure out how they got in, because even though they get stronger, the barrier should withstand any attack."
"What if someone let them in?" Cid suggested, "an inside job, that's a bit risky isn't it?" the prince said in-matter-of-fact tone, "not when he can get away with it," the king stated.
"Yeah, but still, we would have known if it was someone on the inside," Noctis argued, "you can never be too careful son," with that the king silenced his son.
"Okay, let's say it was someone on the inside, who? The borders are patrolled everyday, and all the other kingdoms know not to mess with us," Cid stated clearly, she couldn't think of anyone that wants to do them harm.
"What about the empire, they've had it out for us for a while now," Noctis asked, "not possible, we're going into a truce together, they wouldn't risk it over an old feud," the king reasoned, "you just said we can never be too careful, dad," Noctis said.
"I agree with the king, but you also make valid points Noctis, it wouldn't be the first time that they would try something like this, but I don't think that they would give up on the chance to finally have peace between the two lands," Cid stated.
"If they ever wanted peace in the first place," Noctis said, earning both, his father and Cid's full attention.
"Noctis, I thought you were on board with the truce?" The king asked, "I was, and still am, but that doesn't mean I trust them fully, until the day that they sign the peace treaty with no trouble, I might consider giving them a chance," Noctis stated, making them understand him clearly.
"Alright, if that's how you feel, I'll respect that," the king said in a soft tone.
Noctis, Cid and the king were still talking for a few more minutes before they started to head off in different directions, Noctis feeling tired of fighting and then arguing with his father, went to his room.
He cleaned his cuts and bruises and let a maid bring him some wine, after that he went to lie down and fell asleep.
Cid went to help the investigation as it was their top priority now.
The king sat in his armchair and gazed out the window at the smoke that was coming out of the buildings, it made it evident to one what has happend there that day, and the king knows that it will not be the last time that someone will see buildings on fire.