“...[Y/N]...what you're suggesting right now...it's...”

“I know.”

Treason.

Usually you would never even dare to think this way. When you had first met Noctis you had never even fathomed that you would. At first he had seemed so fitting for it. A true fellow of royal blood...he would surely be a noble ruler, no?

Now though...the thought of him being in charge of Insomnia, or anything really, was terrifying. Because all you could think about was how cruel he was capable of being, and how that had gradually become clear to you over time.

Noctis had shown it to you himself.

…

“You're not going to betray me, are you, [Y/N]?”

He'd pressed a blade to your stomach, stretching his arm out from his half collapsed position on the floor of his grand Insomnian bedroom, where you had found him in such a state.

Something had triggered this change in him. In hindsight, you realized that you had done so, by allowing Ignis to give you a chaste kiss on the cheek after you had saved him during battle. Sure, it was a little more than a peck on the hand, but you had still considered that it was surely just some form of kindness on his part.

However...

Three days later you had found Noctis like this. He had sealed himself away, refusing to see anyone after that mission, but you had finally mustered up the courage to go and see him.

It was a mistake. His pallid, tired face showed an ire you would have never expected, and before you even knew it, he was threatening you like that.

“Wh-what makes you say that?” you shuddered, too scared to move. Even though he was arguably in the more vulnerable position right now, you didn't doubt the speed with which he might shoot up and grab ahold of you.

“You know why...you're so beloved by everyone else...and now you don't have any time for me. You're breaking my heart...I feel like I'm going to die from it-”

“I-it was just a kiss on the cheek, Noct! It doesn't mean anything!” you insisted, but he just pressed the blade harder into you, almost threatening to pierce through.

“Doesn't mean anything? That's bullshit...that's BULLSHIT!”

Suddenly, he dropped the blade. Suddenly, he was right up in your face and grabbing your cheeks and screaming:

“I LOVE YOU! DON'T YOU GET THAT!? NOBODY ELSE IS ALLOWED TO, THAT'S A FUCKING ORDER!!”

...You'd never seen him like this.

Noctis was calm. Noctis was collected. Noctis didn't wear his emotions so openly.

Now he was this raging, almost sobbing creature, digging his nails into your skin and refusing to let you go. You squeaked and cried as he shook you repeatedly.

“DON'T DISOBEY ME! I'M YOUR KING!!”

…

Those words had never left you.

Now that him truly taking the throne was a reality, due to happen in only a handful of days...you had to refuse it. He was unstable, frightening, a monster.

Ignis looked at you cautiously. To be fair to him, you had thrown this up pretty much out of the blue. He hadn't expected you to come along and start talking about how you didn't want Noctis to become king after all. Especially because up until very recently you had seemed all for it. Hell, you had been helping the guy get to this point.

“If Noctis hears of this, you'll be banished from Insomnia...” he warned you, but you shook your head glumly.

“No...I won't be. I'll be killed. Tortured and killed. By him...”

“[Y/N] this is madness! What are you talking about!?”

Ignis was clearly baffled, but you just continued showing him a grim expression, and took a step back.

“If you won't side with me then I really will have to do something rash. All I know is that Noctis needs to be stopped. The people can't suffer that...”

You were serious. You were clearly serious. But Ignis didn't really know how to process this. He rubbed his temple stressfully and groaned.

“...[Y/N]...this is a lot to bring up all of a sudden.”

“Trust me, I wanted to say it sooner...” you hesitated, and clenched your fists, looking down, “But I was scared...I was so scared of--”

“Scared of what?”

That voice sent a horrible chill right through you.

Please...tell me it isn't him.

“Prince Noctis.” Ignis stood ready in an instant, and you shut your eyes while your back was still to him, swallowing nervously.

“Soon to be King.” Noctis uttered proudly. He certainly looked more chipper than before, and he came right up behind you, placing his hand on your shoulder and overlooking how you jumped in response.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Ignis bowed politely, then glanced at you again. You looked so petrified...something was surely off. But...to suggest that Noctis be usurped...he wasn't so sure what to think. Perhaps it was better not to act too rashly. So many things had been arranged already...to cast it all aside...

“I will see you in the throne room later.” He assured Noctis, and quickly turned to leave. You immediately gasped and reached out a little, wanting to say something, but choking up before you could. He vanished down the corridor in no time.

Noctis's once gentle touch turned firm and painful, as he clenched his hand around your shoulder. Yelping, you tried to pull away, but his arm switched positions to lock right around your waist, his other hand pulling your head back by the hair and forcing the crown of it against his shoulder.

“Noct--!!”

His voice was in your ear, right there and providing you no escape.

“Treason...treason, treason, treason...”

“Ah-!!” you squealed as he bit down on the shell of your ear, hard enough to leave it throbbing, and then started to talk again,

“I warned you not to disobey me. I thought I made that clear...” he spoke in a low tone, his gloved hand tugging even more tautly on your fragile strands of hair, “And yet here you are...crossing me yet again. I shouldn't have to warn you twice, should I?”

There was a glimmer.

Completely alone with him in this corridor, you watched with steadily increasing horror as he produced the short blade he had been keeping on his hip and held it up against the tender skin at the front of your neck.

You shut your eyes tightly, and whimpered. If these were your final moments, did you really want to go out begging?

...Actually, you didn't care.

You just didn't want to die.

“Please! PLEASE DON'T!”

“...'Please'? You don't think I should punish the people who betray me? What sort of a king will I be if I don't stick to my values?”

He dug it in a little deeper, bringing with it a stinging pain, and you wailed:

“No...no!!”

There was a tense pause.

“...Alright then.”

Noctis gradually removed the knife. He let go of your hair, and you collapsed to the floor. Falling at his feet, you panted and wiped the sweat from your brow, eyes bulging.

He nearly killed me.

He almost killed me.

“A king...can also be merciful when he wants to be. A king can do what he likes.”

He crouched down beside you, and reached out with one hand to grasp your jawline. Jerking your head up, Noctis gazed into your tearful eyes with sapphire eyes that didn't care how much he hurt you.

No...he only cared that he got what he wanted. What other point was there to being royalty, after all?

“So obey me. From now on. In return...I'll forgive you. Just this once.”

After seeing you nod your head so feverishly, clearly desperate to keep him happy now, he smirked. What a victory to have.

Drawing closer, he leaned right in, and pressed a cold kiss to your cheek.

Nobody else would have you. You'd never betray him again.

And always...always...you and everyone else would be sure to do one thing.

Obey.