Not long after I met Gladio I met Ignis, a man who would become my best friend and boyfriend. I was just turning seven while he was thirteen years old.

It was early in the morning and I had just been waking up. I set up in bed and smiled as realization hit me, after jumping up, I rushed to my closet to change. I put a simple blue dress on and waited for Noct to arrive.

"Noctis! Please slow down!" A voice yelled.

"I can't! I have to wish Mari a happy birthday before anyone else can!" Noct yelled.

I let out a laugh and opened the door. Noct quickly rushed in and tackled me in a hug.

"Happy birthday!" He exclaimed.

"Sorry Princess." The boy behind him said as he pulled Noct off of me.

"Iggy! It's my sister's birthday! Do I really have to go to tutoring?" Noct asked with a whine.

"Of course not." Iggy said with a sigh.

Noct sent me a smile and grabbed my hand. He quickly dragged me out of the room and then I grabbed a hold of Iggy's hand and dragged him a long with us. I turned to look back at him and sent him a smile.

We made it to the kitchen and I let go of his hand and turned to see Noct asking the cook to get the supplies for my birthday special, which was a small cake, if you could call it that.

"Noct, the Princess shouldn't eat sweets so-"

"I don't ever actually eat it." I whispered to Iggy.

He looked at me shocked and I sent him a smile.

"He works so hard on it that I pretend to eat it. Sweets make me sick if I try and eat them so early." I explained.

He nodded his head and sent me a small smile. I snuck and grabbed an orange and set down beside Iggy on a chair. He took it from my hands and peeled it and handed it to me. I took a piece off and handed it to him.

"Thank you." He said as he took a bite of it.

"I don't like him." Somnus said as he glared at Iggy.

I ignored Somnus and waited for Noct to be done. It wasn't long before Noctis was done and he handed the cake, that was poorly decorated, to me.

"Thank you Noct." I said as I sent him a smile.

"My brother use to do the same thing... he was a horrible cook." Somnus said with a laugh.

"Sounds like my brother." I thought as I held back a giggle.

Noct nodded his head and I took a bite of it.

"You out did yourself." I said as he sent me a smile.

"Oh I have to go get you your gift!" Noct yelled as he ran off.

I quickly spit the cake out and threw it away.

"I take it he loves your birthday more than his own." Iggy said softly.

"He likes doing things for me. I don't know why, but he does."

"He loves you... you're his baby sister." He said softly.

"I'm pretty sure it's cause dad never is around to celebrate my birthday." I said softly.

He looked at me shocked and before he could say anything else, Noct came rushing into the room. I saw a small box in his hands and smiled softly.

"Happy birthday!" He exclaimed as he handed it to me.

I opened the box and smiled as I saw a handmade bracelet.

"Thank you. I love it." I said as I handed it to him to clip onto my wrist.

"I knew you would." He said with a smile.

We spent the rest of my birthday outside or in my room reading. Soon it was time for Iggy to leave and he sent me a smile.

"Happy birthday." He said before turning and walking out of the castle.

"Wait! Can I get a picture with you?" I asked with a smile.

He nodded his head and crouched down so he could be at the same height as me. His father took the picture and I smiled softly.

"Could you send a copy to me?" Iggy asked softly.

I nodded my head and then went back inside. I sent the picture to him and then spent the remainder of the day with Noct.

The next day a box arrived for me and I opened it to see a beautiful locket. My eyes went wide and I opened it to see the picture of me and Iggy standing beside each other. I quickly rushed to ask Glady to put it on me.

"This is pretty. Your dad get it for you."

"No, dad doesn't get me gifts. This is from Iggy." I said with a smile.

I saw Glady's eyes go wide and he looked at me shocked.

"You never get a gift from your dad?"

I shook my head no and turned to look at him.

"It's okay though, Noct always gets me something." I said happily.

From then on I would mysteriously receive two gifts each year on my birthday.