In a few hours, I will be Queen.

As a child I dreamt fondly of this day, waiting impatiently for it and yet now as the time of my coronation draws ever nearer, the nerves have well and truly kicked in.

I don't even know why I'm writing this down. I guess after I've had years on the throne it'll be nice to be look back on as I remember sitting where I am now, out on one of the Citadel's window ledges overlooking the whole of Insomnia and enjoying my last moments of peace. It's been my favourite spot for escaping from the world although if Iggy knew I was here he'd have a heart attack. Saying that, him, Prompto and my dad are probably running around the Citadel like idiots right now, looking for me in barely contained panic as Iggy fusses over how my disappearance will have messed up his perfectly timed schedule.

Gods I've been lucky to have them in my life.

There hasn't been a day where I've not felt loved or cared for and I owe it all to them. Sure I've been told off by Iggy more times than I can count but he would always come and find me afterwards with some form of cake and apologise for snapping even if I didn't deserve it. Prompto on the other hand never fails to make me laugh, even on the days it seems impossible. He's also someone I confide in a lot. It took him a long while to be able to believe in himself and with his help, slowly so am I.

And then there's my dad. When I was a child we were inseparable and if anything we're even closer now, if that's possible. As much as we love each other, we can have the most spectacular rows. During my teenage years we fought mostly over his complete aversion to me dating, something I learnt the hard way. For someone who's 'always been a hit with the ladies', his words, not mine, he's utterly unable to cope with a guy even looking in my direction. Ok it was very touching to begin with to hear him say 'no one's good enough for my Princess' but it quickly became incredibly infuriating when it appeared he actually meant it. Suffice to say, I'm currently still single.

Boy troubles aside, being royalty isn't as wonderful as they make out in the fairy tales. While my friends are off partying, I am usually stuck in meetings or buried in a mountain of reports that I must give some useful comments on the following morning. It gets put into perspective though when I consider what my mom was doing at my age. She is my biggest inspiration. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like trying to fight off the Empire while knowing that evil was quite literally living in her veins.

All things considered, the Crystal granted us more time with her than we had feared but it still wasn't enough. Then again, it never would have been.

Things started slowly at first. She would get tired more easily and completely lose her appetite some days, something which stressed my dad out like mad. She refused to make a fuss about it though and would fiercely berate anyone who did. As soon as I was old enough to understand that the Crystal was the only thing keeping her alive and with each use of its power it died a little more, I never went to see Noctis again. Of course it broke my heart to have to say goodbye to him but naturally he understood. I'd been blessed to get to know him, even if it wasn't the Noctis my parents had known, but I had to spend what time was left with my mom. The worst part was, none of us knew how long that was.

Shortly after my twenty first birthday, her legs gave way beneath her and she never got up again.

She deteriorated quickly after that and on the last evening she lay in bed with us sat around her, chatting and laughing as if nothing was wrong. In a weird sort of way, it was really nice. I got to hear loads of stories about their adventures together, plenty of which I'd already heard but there were some it seemed even they'd forgotten until now.

As it looked like her time was drawing close, Iggy and Prompto each sat on the edge of the bed in turn to say their goodbyes and then my dad sat down and held her hand, softly kissing her and murmuring words of love in her ear until she closed her eyes for the final time.

I'd never thought my dad looked old, even with all the grey through his dark hair and the crinkles around his eyes that stayed even when he wasn't smiling, but as he raised his head to look at me, I suddenly realised the toll my mom's death was going to have on him.

I gave him the only piece of comfort that I could.

"I'll stay with her. To the end."

My dad nodded solemnly and then turned back to my mom, gently stroking her cheek as I took her hand and closed my eyes, letting my mind float away to a place I hadn't been to in years.

Even though my mom's body had finally given up, her mind would linger on for a little longer and I couldn't bear for her to be alone in that time. It seemed obvious where her consciousness would go as it drifted from this life to the next and as I touched down in the field of blue flowers, I saw her standing a little way ahead and gazing out into the distance.

"Mom?" I called and as she turned, she smiled at me.

Even with the damage the darkness had done to her she was still so beautiful it made my already fragile heart ache.

"Come here, Aurora."

She held out her arms and I buried myself in them, enveloping my senses in her as I tried to fix it all in my mind. I hadn't shed one tear in the time we'd been by her bedside, unlike the others, but now I couldn't help it as silent sobs wracked my chest.

"Shush, darling, it's ok…" my mom said soothingly, breaking our embrace slightly so she could wipe the tears from my face. "Gods I've been truly blessed to have you. It may seem scary now but you're gonna make an incredible Queen. Just make sure you keep those three boys out of trouble."

I couldn't help but laugh through my sobs.

"I'll try."

My mom smiled and then looked to the sky, her eyes closing as she sighed deeply.

"It's time."

My heart began pounding in my chest and I buried myself in her arms once more.

"I'm gonna miss you. I love you so much."

She gently stroked my hair and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"I love you too, Aurora and always will. That is something the darkness can never take."

And with that, she was gone.

Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to see what the emptiness in my arms already told me, although I could still feel the heat from her touch and the tingle on my skin from her kiss.

Moments later I heard a voice, one that only after a few seconds I was missing more than I could ever say. It immediately brought me such joy and yet intense sadness for there was only one reason why I was hearing it once more.

"Hello?"

I turned to see my mom stood a little way in front of me, a curious expression on her face as she gazed at me. She looked younger and there was no sign of the damage of the StarScourge, her skin bright and her eyes full of life.

"Hey mom," I replied, willing myself to smile even though I could feel tears threatening again. "I'm Aurora."

Recognition flew across her face and she looked in shock for a moment, before seeming overcome with emotion.

"You have his eyes," she choked, taking a step forward before stopping herself, clearly remembering she would not be able to touch me. "I've always wondered what a child of Gladio's would look like…" Reality suddenly clicked into place in her mind. "Oh you poor thing, is the only reason we can see each other because…?"

She broke off but I nodded; she didn't need to finish her question for me to know what she was asking.

"Yeah, just. The StarScourge may have taken her from us but by the looks of it you survived it, or never had it at all? Although you talk like Dad didn't make it."

She closed her eyes briefly, her brow furrowing as she sighed.

"Gladio is the reason I survived, although at the cost of his own life. Ardyn stabbed Lunafreya as she was trying to forge a covenant with Leviathan and she was my last hope of being cured of the infection. Gladio carried me down to her and with the last of her strength she saved me although amidst the chaos the both of them were sucked into the sea and we never saw them again."

Silence fell upon the field, heavy with grief.

"Gods I miss him," she whispered fervently and I hastily wiped away a few tears that had escaped.

"Is there anything you'd like me to tell him?" I asked. "It would mean the world to him, especially now."

She considered my question for a moment, a sad smile pulling at her lips as she answered.

"Tell him that although his Cara may be gone, there are millions of Caras out there who still love him and are thinking about him always, especially ones like me who lost him. Looking at you, he must be getting pretty old now. Does he have grey hair?"

"A lot of grey," I replied and she chuckled.

"And yet I bet he's still got the ladies falling at his feet. Always did."

I rolled my eyes. "Like you wouldn't believe. Still won't let me have a boyfriend though."

"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest."

Our fond laughter burst through the air although I could see her smile fading as I felt an odd, tingling sensation spreading across my face and body.

"It's time for me to go," I sighed reluctantly.

"Can I see you again?" There was an urgency to her voice.

I shook my head, feeling my connection with her and the field around me fading quickly. The Crystal was finally dying, with just enough power left to get me home.

I would never be able to return.

"No, but I'm glad I got to meet you, even if it was for such a short time."

She took a deep breath and nodded, blinking back tears.

"Me too, you seem like an incredible woman. Make sure you tell Gladio what I said. I hope it brings him some solace despite the space and time between us. Most importantly though, walk tall, Aurora."

I could feel a pull dragging me back to consciousness but I fought again it just long enough to reply.

"Walk tall, mom."

And then I was back in my parent's bedroom, my dad looking expectantly at me as I finally came around. It seemed Iggy and Prompto had gone, perhaps my dad had just wanted some time alone with my mom until I returned. I told him all that she had said, from both the Cara we had known and the other and he just wordlessly pulled me into a crushing hug, desperately needing my comfort as much as I needed his.

That day made me realise a lot of things.

We can spend our lives wondering if there's something better out there, a reality where fate has been kinder and we've known less sorrow but it would be foolish to do so. I always imagined a reality where Noct didn't die or my mom didn't suffer from the StarScourge would be so much better than the life I know here but the truth is those realities still suffered grief, just in different ways.

I guess we'll never know is this version of our lives is the one with happiest ending and perhaps that's for the best. If we did, we'd probably spend it trying to preserve our own happiness at all costs or neglect to cherish the simple joys life can bring by always striving for something greater.

My grandfather probably saw thousands of realities where he was still the Chosen King and wasn't rejected by the Crystal and I wonder if that is partly what turned him mad. Now I think about it, I was lucky to not encounter him when I went to visit Noct but maybe I never saw him because there is no reality where he survives. I guess we'll never know.

Without the Crystal, a new era begins for Lucis and I will be the one to lead it.

I am ready, I have to be.

My parents, Noct, Iggy and Prompto, they stepped up when they had to, even if at the time they didn't know if they could.

My ascension awaits and I know they will stand by me through it all, be it in this life or from the next.

Above all else, I just hope I make them proud.

Aurora Noctis Lucis Caelum, Regina CXVI