Divide And Conquer
Chapter 2-The Escape
A/N: For those who might be worried,Lucy and Erza are not a member of the royal family. But both will be key characters in the story. Laxus is the legitimate heir. But Jiemma is selected as King Regent until the war is over. Jellal is the Second Prince and the Prime Minister,commonly called The King's Hand. Natsu,Gray,Sting and Rogue are the other princes. The story will focus on Gray and Natsu for the first few chapters. READ&REVİEW!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its character and content.
"You and your brothers!" Yajima said before he dropped to his knees in pain.
"What are you talking about? What danger?" Gray asked,fearing about the sanity of the old man.
"Listen." Yajima grunted and coughed blood.
"No,I'll listen to you later. We need to get you to a physician." Gray said and tried to persuade him.
But Yajima caught his wrist and stopped him.
"Listen,my prince. Your father,my friend. The King!" Yajima talked slowly,one word pause then another word.
"Was murdered!" Yajima said before he coughed up more blood.
"I know that you senile old geezer,I was there!" Gray yelled. He remembered that scene very well. How his father struggled. How he pulled the table's mantle and how he grabbed his own throat and tried to spit out and nothing came.
Natsu's yelling,Yukino's screams and Laxus's rage. He remembered everything perfectly clear.
"No! The ambassadors didn't poison him." Yajima replied. Much to Gray's shock.
"It was your uncle,Jiemma." Yajima spat the final part.
"The one who holds the position of King." Yajima said,weary but still angry.
"Nonsense!" Gray reacted.
"It's the truth. He had your father poisoned so he could become King." Yajima said.
"No,h-he was outraged. He killed the ambassadors himself, he-" Gray stopped for a moment.
"Yes,indeed. But not because he was upset,he killed them so they wouldn't get a chance to defend themselves." Yajima continued.
"No,there's just no way." Gray protested,but was starting to wonder.
"Think,boy. Who was the one who most profited from his death? What was the reason for this senseless war? Why would Pergrande,who came in to discuss a cultural festival poison the King?" Yajima asked.
"B-But he denied. At first when the council decided to give him emergency powers,he d-denied." Gray said.
"Oh,please. That was just a show. He had us all fooled." Yajima spat,before he coughed up more blood.
Gray was absolutely shocked. He didn't respond to that last remark.
"The most of the council were actually working for him. I-" Yajima stopped himself,more information had would put him at a bigger risk.
Gray started to question what he knew.
"But why?" Gray asked. Yajima looked confused.
"Why would he kill his own brother for a temporary position as King Regent?" Gray asked.
"Temporary? For now." Yajima said.
"What are you implying?" Gray asked.
"I-I,ahhhh!" Yajima fell to the ground.
"Yajima-san!" Gray crouched and picked up the old man from the ground.
Upon pulling up the old man,Gray felt something wet and sticky at his right hand and something hard,lodged in the old man's back.
"An arrow? Who did this?" Gray asked before reaching the end of the arrow and readied himself to pull.
The old man stopped him.
"That will only increase the bleeding." Yajima explained.
"Fine,but let's take you to a physician." Gray replied."
"No. No physician in the world can save me now." Yajima said.
"Why?" Gray asked,the old man was acting weird.
"I have overheard one of their conversations. So I started to became suspicious of the King Regent. I have uncovered some information,from one of the council men. But he was actually working for Jiemma. So the Regent sent men after me. I managed to sneak in here,but it won't take long for them to find me." Yajima was fading.
"If what you say is true,then he will pay." Gray was getting angry.
"No child,you shouldn't get involved in this." Yajima slowly said.
"Then why did you come to me?" Gray thought.
Yajima took Gray's hand and squeezed it as hard as he could.
"But there is something I would like to ask from you. If I had any other choice,I wouldn't have come to you. If only Jellal or Laxus were here... I have loved and cared for you boys since the day you were born. You,Natsu,Sting,Rogue... I have dedicated my entire life to serve your family but in the end somebody from your family is the one who's sending me on death's way." Yajima explained.
With no bitterness and resentment in his voice only memories.
"Of course,you have been a friend and a mentor as long as I can remember. What is it that you would have me do?" Gray asked. He felt a tear roll from his eyes.
He reached and pulled out a letter from his pocket.
Half of the letter was covered in blood.
"What is this?" Gray asked.
"This letter has all the information I gathered about Jiemma and the ones working for him." Yajima explained.
Gray tried to open the seal but Yajima stopped him.
"NO! Don't read it. At least not until you bring it to him." Yajima coughed,his entire mouth was covered in blood.
"Bring it? To who?" Gray asked,he was dying to know.
"To Mabou. To-to your e-eldest u-uncle,Makarov." Yajima explained.
"Makarov? That crazy monk?" Gray asked.
"Y-yes,to him. But speak of this to n-no o-one." Yajima explained.
"A-and if you risk the t-threat of capture,burn the letter immediately. But most importantly do not read the letter until you get to Mabou,no matter what!" Yajima finished.
A sudden and constant knocking on the door was heard before Gray could react.
"Someone's here." Yajima spoke silently. He slowly dragged himself to a corner,not being visible from the door.
"A-answer it." Yajima said.
The door was still knocking when Gray reached the door.
"What!" Gray yelled as he opened the door.
"My prince,I'm terribly sorry to disturb you. But have you seen the council elder Yajima?" The guard asked. There were four more behind him.
"They're really after him." Gray thought.
"Huh? No. W-what happened?" Gray tried to sound sleepy.
"He has attempted to assassinate the King earlier tonight. He is being wanted for the highest treason and any who co-operate with him or even shelter him will be dealt in the same manner as him." The guard explained.
"Yajima-san? Why would he do that?" Gray tried to sound surprised.
"I was told he was still bitter after his excellency made him retire from the position of King's adviser." The guard explained.
"I haven't seen him,no. But I'll make sure to report if I see him." Gray said before he tried to shut the door.
"Sir,If you mind we would like to search the room?" The guard said after stopping the door from closing with his feet.
"Now your place,soldier. You would question my words?" Gray put on the spoiled prince act.
"N-No,sir. It's just that the culprit might be hiding here." The guard said after panicking.
"You think that if somebody were to break into my chambers,I wouldn't notice? Are you calling me an idiot?" Gray asked,pretending to look outraged.
"N-No sir,I would never d-dream of it. You have a good night,we'll patrol the other floors." The guard said and turned around. He and the others left the floor.
Gray closed the door. He walked back to the corner where Yajima was hiding.
"Yajima-san,they're gone. It's safe now." Gray said.
But no reply came from the shadow Yajima was hiding.
"Y-yajima-san?" Gray slowly walked towards the corner and hold the shadows shoulder.
It was cold,It was like Gray was touching marble.
"Y-Yajima-san..." Gray slowly whispered as a tear rolled out from his eyes.
He was dead.
Gray stood there in silence for a while. He then decided what to do.
"His last request to me... I will fulfill it. I will deliver the letter to my uncle." Gray decided and carried the body towards the other end of the room.
"But what should I do with the body? If his body is found in my chambers after I leave,that bastard of an uncle could make it seem like I was his accomplice and that I tried to assassinate him too. So the only other choice is..."Gray thought of his choices and the only other choice left for him seemed like a terrible thing to do.
"This isn't what he deserved. Doing it is... But I have no choice. And it's probably what he would've wanted me to do." Gray desperately decided. He carried the body to the other end of his room and lifted his body.
He carried him from his shoulders before they reached the window.
Then Gray did the unimaginable thing and threw the old man's cold,bleeding body out the window. It fell for a while and then a silent thud was heard.
Gray moaned in pain and leaned on a wall. He was upset but he knew this was not the time for mourning.
He changed his clothes and washed his face and took a short bath and thought of his options.
He exited the bathroom. And sat on his bed.
"I can either act like nothing happened and then say "I'm going on a hunting trip." and then take the letter to Makarov. But what about the others? Yajima said that all my brothers were in danger. What if when I leave,that bastard tries to do something? Laxus went to Bosco to draw off Pergrande's Legions. And Jellal is at the Alliance Summit,which is halfway across the continent." Gray thought.
So no,Gray had no way of contacting them without being noticed. So his only other choice... He would flee the city tonight. And gave the letter to Makarov. But disappearing without a sound,in the night of the supposed assassination...
This would have a negative effect on him,making him suspicious. But that way,only he would be called a traitor and his brothers and sisters would be safe. But traveling through so much road on his own,it seemed like a gamble. On a normal situation,Gray would claim that he doesn't need anyone's help but this mission to deliver the letter was too important that he didn't have time to think about his ego.
Then Gray thought of an idea.
"Hey,If I'm gonna be called a traitor from now on... Why not let that bastard join me?" Gray decided and he opened his window. He stepped up to see the whole capital before him as he was hanging onto the edge. He slowly started to crawl on the stone marble on the outskirt of his window.
"Don't look down... Don't look down... Don't look down." Gray muttered but his feet slipped and he almost fell down.
"Damn! I'm looking down!" Gray yelled before he pulled himself up.
After a while of crawling,he reached the destination he had in mind. He opened the window of a chamber and stepped in.
He approached the person sleeping on the bed.
He shook him awake.
The pink haired boy tried to yell but Gray silenced him by putting his hand on his mouth.
"Shhh! Be quiet." Gray warned him.
"What's wrong you bastard? It's the middle of the night!" Natsu said. Gray opened Natsu's wardrobe.
"Pack some clothes. We're getting out of here." Gray said before he found an old,dirty bag and tossed it over to Natsu.
"And try to pick something a little ordinary,you know not so flashy." Gray said.
"Is this a joke?" Natsu asked before falling back to his bed,burying his head in the pillow.
"Natsu,this is serious. We're escaping the castle,tonight. I'll explain everything on the way." Gray spoke serious,the last time he was this serious was after his father's death.
"F-Fine." Natsu finally agreed.
A/N: Favorite and Review guys! I need at least a few of those before I publish the next chapter. Lucy is about to appear,and after that Erza :D
NEXT TIME ON DIVIDE&CONQUER,CHAPTER 3: Out In The Wilderness
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