It'd been some time since Ignis had come into his own as a were. The transition hadn't been easy but once he'd adjusted, things just seemed to fall into place. He'd grown content in the knowledge that his life was as it should be. In time, Noctis had come into his own as leader of their pack and had taken his place when Regis deemed him ready and as they'd always been, Gladio and Ignis stood by him as advisors, protectors, friends, and family. Assisting his liege in the daily chore of running the pack was something else Ignis had grown used to, but there were times that it wasn't easy. Weres were a passionate bunch and tempers could flare easily, which meant that calmer heads would have to step in. Add on dealing with outside influences and dealing with other packs and it could drive the usually calm Ignis into a temper of his own.

Thankfully, Gladio was always there to snap him out of it.

Of course, Ignis was still Ignis despite no longer being human. He still worked himself ragged most of the time, only allowing real time off when he or his mate needed some distance while working with their heats. At least those usually ended up lining up pretty closely, or else neither of them would get anything done. Usually, Ignis wouldn't spare a thought to feeling hot or worn down if he hadn't just gone through his most recent heat, but that had ended over a week earlier. There should be no reason that he was so warm... or testy.

Right?

Insomnia was white under the newly fallen snow. The soft blanket of white covered the still ruined parts of the city, lending it a peaceful air, but around the Citadel, life was teeming once again. The Citadel proper had been repaired and the buildings around it were well on their way as well. Once the people had heard the the Chosen King had won and returned to them, they started to flock back to the city, bringing life and joy with them, as well as calloused hands and the willingness to help rebuild.

For Ignis, it'd been difficult. For the first month, he'd hold his breath each night, watching until the sun rose again as if he expected it to just vanish. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in his beloved King. It was simply too many years spent in the dark. Too many memories better left in that same dark. Too much pain.

Now that there was life in the city again and he knew it was good and permanent and safe, he settled into a routine as was his nature. Up before dawn and while he'd claim it was still to do things for his liege, anyone that really knew him knew that he would be looking for the dawn, even a year later. Now was no different. He'd risen before the sun and once it was up, he'd gone about his day. Meetings with the council that he now headed in Noct's absence, or working on helping the rebuilding efforts with Cor and the like. Each night, he returned to his new rooms in the Citadel, looking to curl up in Gladio's arms and sleep, praying there would be no nightmares to plague them in their sleep.

Tonight, while the snow fell silent around the city, Ignis found himself getting back home earlier than expected. Everyone was in fine spirits thanks to the weather and once he realized that there would be no real work for any of them, he called off the late council meeting and made his way back home, sure that Gladio wouldn't be there for a while since he knew his love liked to train in the evening. That left him plenty of time to cook something nice for both of them instead of the quick meals he'd grown used to whipping up for the last few months.

Noctis was the last thing he saw. Noctis was the last thing he would ever see. In the beginning, Ignis had resigned himself to that, but now that his world had gone dark and that darkness was a reality, it wasn't what he'd prepared himself for. No, he'd imagined following his liege into death and was more than glad to, but this... oh, this wasn't what he'd been expecting. Not the ever present throb of scorched skin or the phantom pain of that damned ring he'd slipped onto his finger to try and protect the young man that he'd served and protected and loved like a brother.

They'd won the day, but the price had been a high one. The covenant had been sealed, but the Oracle was dead and Noct was...

He kept telling himself that Noctis was just sleeping it off. After all, he loved to sleep. He had all his life. Now would be no different, right? At least, that was what he tried to remember when he silently readied himself into going to visit him only to be thwarted by doctors telling him he wasn't well enough yet. He wasn't steady enough yet. He needed time to adjust.

As if there was enough time to get used such a thing.

Instead, he just sat there, perched in his bed and mired in his head while he tried to adjust.

It was a well known fact that Ignis Scientia hated boats. While he admired the proud naval traditions of the Empire he served, he simply hated boats. To him, they were slow and cumbersome and no, it hadn't nothing to do with seasickness. That had passed three days into their trip. Now, two weeks later, he was bored. Oh, he'd seen many beautiful vistas while on the open seas but there were only so many beautiful sunrises and sunsets that a man could take before they became commonplace and therefore boring.

Nights were no better. He'd grown used to the swaying by now, and while his cramped but well appointed quarters helped to ease that constant motion a bit, he still felt it keenly while trying to go to sleep. In the back of his mind, he idly wondered if his young royal charge was as chipper about the whole thing as he let on, or was it simply a matter of being polite and kind.

The days passed slowly with little to change them until the skies started to grow dark one day. Storms were uncommon this time of year so the threatening skies heralded a bad blow and sure enough, the winds cut around just as the sun started to go down. Once Ignis was sure that Prompto was safe in his own cabin, he retreated to his own, secure in the fact that the ship was manned by the best sailors the Empire had to offer and that they would be safe once everything blew over.

The storm was a fierce one, knocking the ship about as if it were a child's toy and Ignis found himself on the floor instead of tucked up in his bed and after the third time, he decided it would be best to just settle there once he checked in on Prompto and advised him to do the same.

He never made it to the prince's room. Not with the seas conspiring against him. A jerk of the ship sent him reeling into a wall and before he realized that he wasn't upright, a sickening crack split the air, followed by the scent of something burning. He knew then that he didn't have much time. He had to get Prompto to safety.

Everything happened too quickly to think after that. The last thing he remembered was running to find his charge when the ship pitched heavily to one side and then, darkness. There were snatches of consciousness then, flickers of vision and memories of images that he never imagined he'd see in his life. A burning ship splintering to pieces, the sounds of people screaming as they jumped for their lives and the glaring lack of his prince anywhere in those sights.

He never even realized he'd washed ashore on a beach. He'd barely been conscious enough to keep his grip on the debris that had carried him far enough... but hadn't he slipped off?

The prince's shadow. The babysitter. The nanny. Priggy Iggy. Killjoy. The royal asskisser.

Ignis was used to the nicknames. He was so used to them that by now, he didn't even hear them. At least, he never let on that he did. It was just easier that way. In some ways, some of them were true. He really was the prince's shadow. Ever since he'd been brought to the Citadel, he'd lived to serve the young royal as best he could. He was quick witted and had the uncanny ability to learn damn near everything put before him, be it history or complex battle strategies or how to mend clothing. Cooking was something else he was gifted with, though in the beginning, he had no desire to learn. Once the chefs that served the royal family threw up their hands in frustration at Noctis' picky eating did he step in and in the end, it was a good thing for everyone.

As they grew, he moved up in the court, attending meetings for the future monarch while he attended school, then tutoring him as best he could. Some of his contemporaries joked about that, commenting that there were bets over whether Ignis was alien or robot since they were sure he couldn't be a mere human.

In response, Ignis would merely push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and politely excuse himself. Where he went was anyone's guess.

When Noctis started learning the more martial aspect of his training, there was no doubt that Ignis would be in attendance. Every day, he dropped Noctis off and settled himself in a nearby corner, his nose in a book and patient to a fault while he waited for the overly loud meathead to finish chasing his young charge around the room.