"Dawn, you're awfully quiet." Clarus pointed out as Regis explained to us the treaty signing.

"Dawn. All will be well. Noctis and Lady Lunafreya will come to an agreement of peace with out marriage." Regis said. He limped over and took my hand.

"Our sons will be able to be together." He said.

"I know, Reg. I know Lady Lunafreya won't separate them. But... that's not what I'm worried about." I said. He looked to me.

"If you are right - which I don't doubt- you'll die, Reg." I said.

"You will still carry out your duty, Dawn?" Regis asked. I scoffed.

"Doubting me after thirty years, aye?" I asked.

"No." He said.

"Then you know I am not one of the traitors. I still carry the oath I took with pride. For Hearth and Home." I said. I turned and looked at Regis.

"If my King asks me to lay down my life, I will do it." I said. Regis grabbed my hand.

"Walk tall, my friend." He said. I bowed.

I soon returned home, reading over the plans for the treaty signing. I was pulled from my intense reading as the front door was thrown open and shut. I stood as I heard Prompto's bedroom door slam shut.

I knocked gently on the door.

"Prompto?" I called. I heard him sniffle. I opened the door and saw him curled up on his bed, crying in to his pillow. I knelt beside the bed and touched his shoulder gently. He gasped and looked up at me. I frowned.

"I take it Noctis told you the news?" I asked. He wiped his tears away.

"Y-you knew?" He asked.

"His majesty told me this morning." I said.

"Mom... what if Niflheim rejects Noctis and Luna's peace proposal? What if they demand they marry? What if I'm forced away from him?" He cried. I pulled myself up on to his bed and pulled him in to my arms. He closed his eyes and rested his head on my shoulder. I stroked his cheek gently.

"You need to have faith, baby. Believe in Noctis, just as I believe in Regis. I have no doubt that Noctis will be just as stubborn as his father and refuse to bow his head. Have faith." I said.

"I'm so scared, Mama... I love him... I want to marry him." He sniffled in to my shoulder. I ran my fingers through his hair.

"I know, honey. I know." I said. I pulled away and wiped away his tears.

"You'll go with them. To Altissia." I said. His eyes widened.

"What?" He asked.

"Go with Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis and Alice to Altissia. If by the off chance Niflheim will not relinquish their demand, spend as much time as you can with him as possible. Show him that you'll always love him." I said.

"Do you really think I can do that?" He asked.

"Of course I do. Of course you can. You're my son. I trained you myself. If you're that insecure about it, I can talk the Marshal in to giving you extra training." I said. He nodded.

"I'd like that, Mom." He said. I kissed his head.

"Get some rest, honey. It's late. I love you." I said. He hugged me.

"I love you, too, mom." He said. He laid down to sleep and I tucked him in to bed the way I did when he was little. I stepped out of his room and dialed Cor's number.

A few weeks later

I watched as Prompto ran down the track with the heavy machinery in his hands. He blasted down the targets easily.

"Again!" Crowe called.

Prompto ran the track again.

"Don't you think she's pushing him a little hard?" Gladiolus asked me as he watched by my side.

"No." I said.

"He's practically a fountain of sweat, Mercy." Gladiolus said.

"So were you when you insisted I push you past your limits. Yet you never once complained." I said.

"Prompto is different from me." He said.

"And you think I don't know that? Forget who raised him, aye?" I asked. Gladiolus sighed.

"I just want to know he can handle himself while he's out there with you." I said.

"You think he can't?" He asked.

"I know he can. But I'm his mother and I never stop worrying. He may be twenty years old, but he's still my baby. I just need to know that he won't get hurt." I said.

"He'll be safe with us, Mercy. I promise." He said. I sighed.

"Keep an eye on him, aye? I need to go meet Alice." I said and turned.

"Again!" Crowe called as I walked out of the room.

—

"Ta-daaaa! I'm an official member of the crownsguard!" Prompto said, standing in front of me, dressed in his official crownsguard retinue uniform.

"Look at you. All grown up with your own personal retinue uniform." I said with a chuckle.

"Do you still have your uniform, Mom?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Unfortunately, my original one was trashed when I took an assassin's blade to my ribs. The one I got after got ripped to shreds shortly after the war ended." I said. Prompto frowned.

"Aww..." He said.

"Eh, I'm sure Regis has got a picture of all of us way back when. Speaking of which, I should give old Weskham a ring. Haven't heard from him in a while. I wonder if that old injury ever healed..." I said.

"Didn't you replace Weskham?" Gladiolus asked. I nodded.

"I did. But I still knew him for the end of my training as I was being trained to replace him. Who do you think did most of the training?" I asked.

"Man, we'll be leaving any day now. I'm nervous, but excited at the same time." Prompto said. I smiled at him.

"You'll be just fine, Chocoboy. I believe in that with my whole heart." I said. He grinned at me.

"I promise I'll do you proud, mom!" He said with a bright grin. I smiled at him.

"You already have, Prompto. Every day since I brought you home." I said. He smiled at me with a soft blush on his face. He laughed softly while Gladiolus gave him a smack on the back.

"You always make me proud." I thought.

The morning of departure.

Regis ran up to Noctis as best he could to say his final good bye. It was a sting to my heart, watching my king and dear friend say goodbye to his son.

I turned to my son and took his hands in mine.

"You'll do just fine, baby boy." I said. He smiled at me.

"Of course I'll be fine... I'm you're son." He said with a smile and tears filling his blue eyes. I smiled up at him.

"I love you, Prompto. More than you'll ever know." He said.

"I love you, too, Mom." He said. I hugged my son tightly and kissed his cheek.

"I'll be back soon." He said.

"I'll be here when you come home. I promise." I said and kissed his cheek again.

"Be safe." I whispered to him.

"I will." He said and kissed my cheek. I released my son and he went to join his love and friends. I returned to Regis's side.

"Mom! Your Majesty!" Prompto called. We turned and saw him raise his camera. I quickly struck a dorky pose and Regis laughed at me as Prompto snapped the picture.

That's good. The last picture of the king is one of him smiling and laughing.

I watched as they drove off and out of the city by Regis's side.

"Time sure flies." Regis sighed. I sighed with him.

"It does. It seems like only yesterday they were both little babies in our arms. Blink and twenty years went by and now they're all grown up." I said.

"I can only pray my son will be a good king." He said. I grabbed his shoulder.

"If he's anything like his father- which he is everything like his father- he'll do just fine." I said. Regis chuckled at me.

"Dawn... thank you." He said.

"For what?" I asked.

"Everything you have done for me these past thirty years. I'm honored to have you as not only a guard, but as my friend." He said. I lightly punched his shoulder.

"Hey, don't start with that mushy stuff with me. Don't forget, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here, aye?" I said with a laugh. He smiled at me.

"In all seriousness, Reg. Thank you. For pulling me off the streets when you did. I became a better person because of you. Thanks for being my friend." I said. He patted my back.

"Thank you, my friend." He said.

—

I pulled the paper I always carried with me from it's place. I normally had it on me at all times, in case I ever needed the contents on the paper.

But I just had a feeling that today... today it was better to not have it on me.

I placed it in the back of the journal I was writing for Prompto. I sat down and began to write what I didn't know would be my last entry.

Today, I saw you off. You left Insomnia with Noctis Lucis Caelum, Alice Marie Schwartz, Ignis Scientia and Gladiolus Amicitia. I only pray the peace talks will go well on your end and that you and Noctis will be able to marry. I look forward to your wedding day, my son. I know I was never around much as you grew up, but I want you to know that I have loved you from the day you were born. I love you more than anything else in this world, Prompto. You mean everything to me and I want you to know that.

I will see you when you return home. I can already see the smile on your face as you show me the pictures you take on your journey. I can see you and Noctis waking down the isle, exchanging vows and being married. I love you, so much, my son. My darling baby. My little Chocoboy.

I set my pen down and closed the journal, then turned to sleep for the night.

I didn't know what was in store for me tomorrow, but all I knew is that I would lose someone important.