He stood in the doorway examining the damage. Her room was in shambles to put gently .The fur rug next to her bed was smeared with blood, her bed sheets had been slashed the by the man's dagger. They had kicked the dresser and knocked over the wash basin. He could almost see the fight happening in from of his eyes. How hard she must've had to work to get on top of him and knock the weapon away. After he knocked the little shit around he'd used his own shirt to stop the bleeding, not that it did much. Blood droplets and small smears trailed out the door way from she dripped after he'd picked her up. For a single moment he was thankful that she could fight, at least a little bit. Mostly he was thankful that she was alive.
He chastised himself for the hundredth time for not being there any sooner. That's why their rooms were so close after all. It wasn't until her heard the basin break against the wood floor that he knew the intruder was in her room. He'd been outside her door as soon he heard the bell, he hadn't even thought to actually check on her, but he knew she kept her door locked, and getting in through the window was impossible, but now that he was in the room in the daylight he could see that she hadn't locked her door last night. He shook his head. Why hadn't she locked her door? He knew that she stood in the hallway for several minutes after he went inside, what the hell was she thinking?
He got on his knees and looked under her bed like she'd told him to, sure enough there was the blade. Once he'd pulled it into the sunlight he could see it in detail. It was a black blade. Perfect for late night killing he figured. It was smudged with bloody fingerprints and strands of Levy's blue hair. The sight incited a boiling anger inside him. He flipped it over to examine the other side. His eyes fell onto the base of the handle, his gut clenched, carved into the base, a droplet of blood partially obscuring the gold paint badger and royal crest of the Black family.
His mind flooded with questions and grim thoughts. The Silvers and Blacks had been at peace for hundreds of years. Why attempt the bloodshed of the Queen? Was this a silent declaration of war? He needed to get down to the prison and get answers out of that freak, but first he had to show her this.
He wrapped the blade in the shred of the queen's sheets so that he could make his way to the medical chamber without inciting panic fro passing servents. He practically ran through the halls, bursting into the room where Levy, Lily, and Erza were talking. Levy's laugh was hoarse from being choked half to death but it was still just as intoxicating. It lit up the room, adding comfort and warmth to those around her.
All heads turned in his direction at his violent entrance.
"Iron knight?" Erza questioned.
"Gajeel? What's wrong you're white as sheet," Levy's voice was laced with concern.
He walked to her bedside and laid the wrapped weapon on her lap,
"Unwrap it," his voice was grim and fearful.
Levy looked from him to the cotton wrapped package in her lap, then with shaking hands she unwrapped the dagger and looked it over slowly her eyes lingered on the blood stains across the blade. She sucked in a audible breath when her eyes focus the insignia . She looked up at him, a pained, fearful look in her eyes. Without thinking Gajeel reached out and put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. The motion was not lost on Pantherlily who nodded at him approvingly.
"I don't understand," she stared at the cotton sheet, clearly going over her list of enemies. Which was a short one.
Silently she handed the blade to Lily so that he and Erza could examine it. Their bodies stiffened, fear, and anger radiating off of them. For several long minutes the room was silent. Gajeel counted Levy's breaths which slowed dangerously when she was deep in thought. His hand never moved from her slender shoulder.
Pantherlily was the first to speak, "My queen, you know what this means we will-"
Levy held up her hand, cutting him off. She breathed deeply before speaking, "This means nothing. We have no idea who sent that man,"
"But your majesty the crest," Erza pointed out .
"That man was a criminal he could have stolen it. We cannot make quick assumptions, not on such a delicate matter," she looked at Gajeel, " I need you to get answers out of that man."
.
.
.
Gajeel cracked his knuckles menacingly as he entered the dungeon with Pantherlily. The man inside the cell looked at him unimpressed. He gave the two a slow once over, sizing up the potential threat. He must have decided there wasn't much of one because he clicked his tongue and turned away from them. Gajeel raised an eyebrow at Lily. Without any words passing between them they sat the small table in the corner, a few feet from the cell the would-be assassin was in.
The two men made themselves comfortable, Gajeel propped his feet on the table and put his hands behind his head.
"Whattdya you think Lil?" Gajeel asked rising his voice to make sure his words were heard.
"He doesn't look like much does he?" Lily said following his lead.
"Tch, you can say that again. How long do you think he'd last in a real fight?"
"Can't be long considering how fast you took him out," Lily goaded.
"And he attacked the queen at night, that's pretty cowardly,"
The man in the cell turned towards them, "You can't possible think that will work do you,"
Gajeel smirked, it already was, "All I'm saying is in a real fight you wouldn't last ten seconds,"
"You have no idea who you're talking to," the man gripped the bars of the cell.
Gajeel walked up to him, so their noses were nearly touching, "Why don't you tell me,"
"Why don't I show you," the man countered.
He turned to Pantherlily, "Whaddya think should I let him have a go?"
Pantherlily looked the man up and down, "He's not worth the time it would take us to find the keys,"
"You're right,". He turned on his heel, meeting Lily at the doorway, they walked away, but half way up the stairs. The man yelled at them,
"My name is Natsu Drangneel, I'm an assassin for the Black family! Now come back here and fight me!"
The two men smiled at each other, and left the screaming man and the dungeon behind.