Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail is the intellectual property of Hiro Mashima, and I assert no claim to said intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this, nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Synopsis: Murder. As the kingdom of Fiore basks in the peaceful reign of King Makarov, its citizens have no idea that their kingdom will soon fall into chaos. As the king grows increasingly more ill, Natsu must prepare himself to fulfill his destiny as the Crown Prince. However, there are forces at work in the shadows; forces that will do whatever it takes to prevent Natsu from becoming king; forces that threaten to engulf the kingdom of Fiore and forever enslave it to the Pergrande Empire.
Pairings: Gray x Natsu. Other pairings may appear throughout.
Rated T as a precaution.
"…perative that… pay attention…"
"…listening?"
Suddenly, stars swam across the back of Natsu's eyelids as pain exploded and arced across his skull. He shook his head to clear his vision and, once coherent, encountered what seemed to be a little man wielding a frying pan.
"Natsu! You fell asleep again!" Happy chided as he floated into view.
"Your Royal Highness, you must pay attention," Yajima said, having set his frying pan on the table next to him for further use.
"This is all so boring though. I don't get it at all," Natsu complained as he crossed his arms and shifted uncomfortably in his chair across from Yajima.
The old man sighed heavily, though his face did not portray his frustration with the young, incorrigible prince.
"I've already told you of the importance of learning Sinian etiquette. The caravan will arrive in a few days, and you must be capable of carrying out diplomatic exchanges with the Sinian Prince. Your father, His Majesty Makarov, personally asked me to school you in their etiquette, and that's what I intend to do."
Natsu had known about the emissary caravan from the Kingdom of Sin, but he had little interest in dealing with people outside of Fiore's kingdom.
"We've done fine without them for all these years, why is the old man suddenly concerned with making friends?" Natsu said, his voice ladened with tired annoyance.
Yajima ignored the prince's brash address of the king before continuing.
"The Pergrande Empire is showing signs of aggressive expansion, and with our king being ill, it's vital that we begin to establish strategic alliances with countries outside our king-" Yajima stopped and sighed as Natsu's eyes began to glaze over in total disinterest.
"Nah! If Pergoat Emirate gives us any problems, I'll just beat their king into the ground until he gives!" Natsu said, jumping out of his chair, as his fists ignited into brilliant flames.
"But, Natsu! We should just be friends with Pergrande and Sin so that we can increase fish imports!" Happy said.
Yajima watched the two with an impenetrable mask of patience on his face. He cleared his throat to bring their attention back.
"We cannot depend solely on force, Natsu. It pains me to say that your father may not survive his illness. That being said, Fiore's stability and safety will come to rest squarely on your shoulders."
Natsu took his seat at the mention of his father's illness; his flames flickering out. It had started about a year ago. His father had suffered what seemed to be a mild heart affliction. The court physician, Porlyusica, had done her best to treat him. However, over time, his condition worsened, and Natsu feared what his future held.
He didn't want to think about it; how his ascension to the throne meant the loss of his father. He would do whatever it took to make Makarov proud. Natsu squared his shoulders.
"Alright. Let's do this."
Yajima's immutable expression shifted slightly in the semblance of a grin.
"Ok. Let's review formal Sinian introduction rituals. The form is dependent upon gender and status but, given that you are a prince, you will only need to learn one."
Yajima stood. "To begin, when introducing yourself to Sinian royalty you must give a small bow. After that has been completed, bring your right fist to your heart with your palm facing your chest. Then draw your fist from your chest and hold it in front of you, palm up, while changing it to an open hand."
Yajima demonstrated while Natsu watched, a look of intense concentration on his face.
"Honesty, loyalty, and respect are the foundation of the Kingdom of Sin. Sinian customs are rigid and must be completed properly, or you risk insult. Remember this well, Natsu."
Two cloaked figures moved swiftly through the night. The taller of the two pulled a small communications lacrima from inside his cloak.
The man held the lacrima close to his face and spoke. "Base. Reporting in. Juvia and I are in position. Waiting for confirmation to move in,"
The lacrima remained dark as a telepathic response came through.
"Base here. All units in position. Proceed to next phase."
Gray tucked the lacrima back into his cloak and turned to his partner.
"Sir Gray. I have a bad feeling about this," Juvia whispered. Gray could not easily see her face in the dark, but the slight quaver in her voice said it all.
"Relax, Juvia. He's the fifth of six. No one will miss him. Why do you think he was the one sent to begin with? Now, let's get moving."
Gray turned and surveyed the terrain in front of him. They had a good view of the camp from their position on a hillock across from their target's tent. Thankfully there was just enough space between the main tent and the surrounding ones; they wouldn't have a hard time dispatching the guards that stood at the entrance to the tent. Campfires were interspersed between the rows of tents; their flames coruscated like beacons in the night, casting moving shadows over the tents. Laughter and banter echoed through the camp as the company's soldiers enjoy a brief respite from the day's long journey.
Gray and Juvia moved silently down the hill, before they separated to flank each side of the tent's entrance. The two of them had worked together so often that they no longer needed to signal each other; they worked in clockwork unison.
Gray placed his fist on his palm and allowed magic to surge through him. He shaped and molded the magic in his mind, manifesting it into its physical form. A hand of solid ice shot out from his position beside the tent and grabbed one of the guards, coiling around his body and covering his mouth so that he couldn't scream. In a split second, Gray snatched the guard to the side of the tent and froze him solid.
At the same time, Juvia had taken down her own target; a water whip to the head rendering him unconscious before being placed in a Water Lock to die.
Juvia and Gray slipped silently into the tent. Heavy curtains created partitions in the tent. They stood in the front entrance, as light from a lantern flickered from overhead. Their target was just ahead in one of the rooms in the tent, his shadow giving away his location as it moved across the blue-velvet walls. An adjoining room lay empty and dark, being used solely for storage of supplies. Gray nodded to Juvia, and they once again split up, as he headed toward the storage room.
Juvia took her cue and walked through the threshold into the target's room.
The man didn't move from his position at his map-strewn desk as she approached. He spoke.
"What is it now? I thought I told those idiot guards that I didn't want to be disturbed," Lyon said, now turning his head to address his unwanted company.
He fell short at the sight of Juvia.
"Your Royal Highness, Prince Lyon."
Juvia bowed deeply before covering her heart with her hands. She completed the greeting by bringing her hands forward and holding them in front of her as if offering an object.
Lyon abruptly stood from his chair, nearly knocking it over in the process.
"My apologies, my lady. I was not expecting such entrancing company as yourself." Lyon's face flushed slightly as he offered a slight nod in apology.
Juvia had not moved since the end of her greeting; his words seemed utterly lost on her. Her eyes fixed briefly on something behind Lyon before she bowed her head slightly and whispered.
"You're too kind. Please accept my apologies."
Lyon didn't have long to be baffled by those words. Before he realized what was happening, Juvia trapped him in a Water Lock as Gray froze him instantaneously from behind. Lyon, now a block of ice, fell to the ground with a dull thud, followed by a crack.
Gray stood over his body, examining their handiwork.
"Thanks for the distraction, Juvia. Took me a minute to get through those damned curtains," Gray said, jerking his thumb toward a newly formed hole in the curtain partition.
Juvia's face brightened at Gray's appreciative words. However, the brightness wavered when her gaze returned to Lyon. A long crack had formed along his body from the impact with the ground.
Their attention was drawn elsewhere as chaos suddenly erupted within the camp outside the tent.
"Sounds like everyone else has moved in. Let's join," Gray said, walking back toward the entrance of the tent.
It didn't take long to overrun and exterminate the small company. The caravan had set up camp in a remote region of Minstrel; there was no way that anyone had witnessed the massacre.
With the dirty work out of the way, Gray and Juvia were currently discussing the group's next move with a man named Jose. Gray had never particularly cared for Jose; he had always thought the man was creepy beyond measure.
"The others have already started collecting equipment from the bodies," Gray said.
"Good. From here the success of the operation rests in your hands, Gray," Jose drawled, a permanent sneer gracing his face.
He continued, "Juvia, myself, and those not joining the caravan will return to Pergrande to await further orders. Don't mess this up," Jose said as he turned and walked away.
Gray's eyes came to rest on Juvia. She had been brooding since the operation began. She met his eyes.
"Sir Gray, please be careful."
Gray smirked, "Who's Gray? I am Prince Lyon of the Kingdom of Sin."
Juvia's eyes dropped to the ground, her features etched with worry.
"Relax, Juvia. I will complete this mission. Natsu Dragneel, Crown Prince of Fiore, will soon be dead."
A/N: Ok! So that's the end of the first chapter. Please let me know how you like it. I welcome both positive feedback and constructive criticism; definitely let me know if you find any errors. I am going to try to have the next chapter up in a couple days. Thanks for reading!