Meredy returned to the castle on foot quickly heading to the kitchen to make the king his morning tea.

"Meredy?" he called her as she arrived with the tea platter in her hands.

"Yes your highness?" she asked walking up to his desk.

"Please prepare the ballroom for tonight" the king ordered as she set down the cup.

"What is tonight?" she questioned retreating to her normal positions.

"Tonight I will invite all the wealthy and famous men and women from all the cities. Many will consist of princesses, looking to woe the heart of my son" he said in approval.

Meredy was disturbed, she didn't understand why the king would ask for such a thing ever after he told Jellal otherwise.

"What about the prince?" she asked.

"What about him?" he laughed. "There is no say for him. I'm not forcing him to marry. I'm just bringing him options for now"

"But your highness"

"I'm the king, his father, I am rightfully responsible for any choices my son has" he enclosed. "Now hurry and tell him to prepare" he instructed. Meredy couldn't argue. He was the king after all, a bitter but ruling king. She departed from her position and closed the large doors behind her.

"Prince Jellal!" she shouted while opening the doors. Jellal's room was completely empty. She scanned the tall walls but couldn't see a thing.

"Is he out hunting again?" she thought. Her mind slipped as she stared deeply out his bedroom window. It over looked the entire kingdom.

"He probably knows about tonight...that idiot thinks he can run away from everything" she whispered.

Jellal pulled a hood over his head, disguising his appearance as he rode his white horse into the forest. Before he reached the outside gates he came across a flyer. It read "tonight's dinner in the castle". He rolled his eyes, continuing past the villagers and finally out into the forest.

"My father is just dying to send me off into the throne" he said in discussed. At times, Jellal would go out into the woods and hunt. On his back was a sword, and a supply of arrows strapped to a bow against his back. When he couldn't find game, he'd just sit under a tree and sleep for the times sake. He loved escaping reality for a moment before entering his original life once more in defeat.

"Hold on boy" he instructed, pulling onto the leash wrapped around his horses neck. The animal came to a complete halt and changed its position.

"Do you hear that?" he whispered looking around the silent forest. The horse moved its neck, enough to make a small nod. Quickly he mounted down, lowering his stance to the floor. Behind a near tree, he could spot a rabbit in the distance. Silently he grabbed the bow and positioned the arrow into place. His eyes singled out the figure before releasing the arrow.

However, just as he released it, a soft hush of leaves rustled loudly, causing the rabbit to steer away.

"Dammit" he whispered under his breath. He stood once more alongside the horse as he searched for the sound that caused his game to run.

His eyes widened as he saw the figure running across the leaves. "Meredy?" he questioned to himself. The young women had came with a coat on herself, since it was drafty. She looked around to make sure she wasn't followed before she continued running down the narrow path.

"What is she doing out here?" he asked putting his bow and arrow away. He gestured his horse to follow his footsteps as he went down the same direction she was headed.

"Wait" he whispered, stopping the horse again. He watched as the pink haired women approached a set of trees. They were all aligned with one another, facing inside.

"But there is nothing there" he thought. Jellal stared blankly at the dead end. Suddenly she motioned over one of the trees before walking into the tree itself. He stared with disbelief. "An illusion?"

Slowly he followed, pushing through the barrier of illusions. Meredy was no where to be seen. "Where did she go?" he asked. His footsteps became weaker in the darkened narrow path. Just before he convinced himself he was lost, a path of white light opened in front of his body. Stepping through into the light, a tower was in sight. It was large, widened, and quite tall.

"How have I never seen this before?" he whispered.

"Why are you here again?" Erza questioned, staring at Meredy.

"You must feel special" she laughed. "Two trips in one day? Seems like you just got a little less lonely"

Erza nodded. "That is true. So, what did you have to bring back to me so soon?" the red haired female questioned. Meredy glanced upward, realizing the reason why she had come.

"I brought your favorite" she dug deep into her satchel, pulling out a container.

"Ta-dah~!" she cheered, holding the slice of strawberry cake to the women. Erza's eyes glowed brightly as she hugged her friend.

"You're so sweet Meredy! Thank you" Erza smiled before taking the desert to consume.

"It's some failed cakes from the kitchen. I thought I'd bring them since the king said to throw it out"

"What's wrong with this cake?" Erza asked while chewing into the cake.

"Nothing. But he said that it wasn't shaped well enough" Meredy rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder why I even agreed to take a job under such a demanding person"

"What are you saying Meredy? If you weren't here...I'd just be given a ruthless watch man. The last one I had treated me as if I was a prisoner" Erza pouted, she had finished her piece whole.

"That is true. I think visiting you is the only good thing about the job" she replied.

"Make sure to bring me back more cake as soon as you can" Erza cheered.

"Oh there will be plenty of left overs after tonight's party" she assured.

"Party? Tonight?" Erza questioned. Meredy had forgotten that the news was so sudden.

"Oh yes. There is a party tonight, thrown by the king himself"

"I always wanted to attend a party" she said staring out the window. "Are they fun to go to Meredy?" she asked, daydreaming about what it would be like to go to one. She had always imagined herself, dressed in the fanciest of dresses, and dancing the night away with actual people. Not with the dolls she was given when she was seven.

"It's amazing...though it is very difficult when you have to tend to everyone's needs" Meredy whispered.

"Please work your hardest Meredy" she pleaded.

"I will. Don't worry. And I'll come bring you dinner before the party" she said standing in front of the window.

"Thank you" Erza smiled. "Wait! Before I forget..." she ran over to a box in the corner. "The king tells me to bring a sample of my hair once in a while"

"Really? That's weird" Meredy said accepting the locket of hair.

"It's so he can see that I'm healthy and alive" she assured.

"With your hair?!"

"Yes. I am the only women, he said, who has such a complex shade of red"

"Whatever. If that weirdo king wants this then okay" Meredy shrugged before climbing down the tower.

Jellal sat against a tree, after amazed by the towers presence. His horse was constantly pushing his shoulder.

"I'm sorry boy. I know you're hungry, but I don't have food right now" he pouted. The horse lowered its head, like it was depressed. Just then a sound filled the air and the horse shot up immediately to see. Jellal was curious himself as he stood up to see the women moving again.

"What was she doing up there?" he asked himself while bringing his eyes higher. Meredy was sprinting back empty handed after leaving the mysterious tower he had just discovered in the woods.

"Stay here and I'll investigate okay?" he asked the horse, leaving its side to explore.

He had no idea how he would scale the sides of the tower, it was literally a 90 degree angle, and a death trap if he would slip.

"How is the world did Meredy get up there?" he asked blocking his eyes from the shadowing sun overhead. "Is there some kind of magic word? Or a spell?"

Jellal was hopeless as he tried to figure out what to do. It hadn't crossed his mind that he had ran away in the first place to go hunting. "That's it!" he shouted in celebration. Quickly he grabbed his bow and arrow strapped to his back, and tied a firm piece of rope, wrapped around his horses neck. Then he aimed closely to the top of the tower, where he could see a window. Without hesitation he let go, watching the arrow fly straight above the window.

"Perfect" his words whispered.

By the time Jellal reached the top of the tower he was out of breath. "Living in the castle sure does get you out of shape"

The inside of the strange room was small and cramped. It was oddly darkened showing only the sunlight from out the window. As he neared closer inside the room he realized that there was furniture sprawled in the corner of the room, and dark drapes hanging against the walls.

"Does someone live here?" he called out. Nothing answered, nothing approached him.

"Why would a castle so mysterious be in the middle of the forest?" he thought. Suddenly a sound caught his attention at the corner of his ear. Turning slowly he caught sight of the figures shadow before falling to the floor.

"Hello? Who are you? Answer me!" a women's cry could be heard. Jellals eyes slowly began to open. He had no recollection of the event that occurred recently.

"Are you an intruder?!" she demanded. Jellal sat up from his position, holding the back of his head in pain. "What the hell?" he whispered.

"Answer!" she shouted more scared than furious. He hadn't noticed, but she was holding a frying pan in her hands, shaking from the shock.

"Please don't hit me again" he pleaded raising his hand up. She retreated, more careful of his movements.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a person, not an animal you can just attack!" he said rubbing his head in bitter defeat.

"Are you one of Meredy's friends?" she asked smiling. He reacted to the name, now he remembered. He had followed Meredy to the mysterious tower, with the mysterious women living in it.

"I am. May I ask if you are as well?"

She nodded. "Are you her substitute for the day?" she asked. Jellal was confused, surely she knew who he was?

"No. I am her friend though. Some say we could be siblings"

"Oh. She does talk about wanting a brother from time to time" she smiled once more. Jellal stared at the women. She was young, caring, and had a sweet heart. Though she had nearly killed him with a frying pan, she had a positive personality. He also noticed that she had darkened red hair, almost scarlet.

"What are you staring at creepo?" she giggled. His face turned red once he realized why she was laughing. "So anyways, why are you out here? And how'd you find this tower?" she asked curiously.

"Um...I was actually hunting..."

"Wow, hunting? I've heard so much about it, but I've never gotten the chance to do it...or um go outside the tower anyway" she said hesitant on her words.

Jellal was amazed how clueless she was of the real world, she was innocent, pure, and unaware.

"I assume that you are a great hunter?" she asked laughing. He didn't respond.

"The trust is...is that I was running away"

Her eye brows raised. "Run away? From where?" she asked.

"The kingdom..."

"The Kingdom?! I've always wanted to go there!" she shouted clapping her hands. "Meredy is always telling me stories about it, the people there, the life style, and the cake!" she shouted.

"I guess we should switch places then?" he joked.

"You wouldn't want to be stuck in this tower like I am" she whispered, sitting up and heading for the window. She didn't look back, but continued staring off elsewhere.

"Outside these walls is a whole 'nother world...being cooped in here...gets lonely"

"At this time, I'd really prefer to live alone then deal with my family"

"Family...that is something I've longed for as well" she said nodding.

"I'm sorry if I upset you" he said realizing what an idiot he was. Here he was being ungrateful of everything he has, and this strange girl he had just met has not experienced any of it.

"It's no problem. I don't envy you. But tell me, is the city that bad? That you'd have to run away from it?" she asked. He cleared his throat.

"It isn't necessarily the city I'm running from...it's the people"

"What?" she asked surprised.

"I don't want to lead this city, be married, and help people when I can't even help myself" he began. "If I was to lead this kingdom, I'd only bring shame upon my family"

Her eyes widened. What could he possibly mean by taking care of the people, inheriting the kingdom? She had put the thoughts together before realizing.

"Prince?!" she asked. He looked at her with surprised eyes before nodding.

"yes?"

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" she began while freaking out. "I shouldn't have said anything!" she hit her head multiple times. She was embarrassed that she had hit the royal prince, made him feel less superior, and even called him a creepo.

"There's nothing to apologizes for...I'm grateful that you didn't know me. Most people who I talk to only see me as the prince, the rich, wealthy, prince. Not even as a young man, hoping to be anything but royalty"

Her eyes grew kinder. "Seems like we both don't wanna be where we are right now"

"I should say..." his mouth formed a smile. "And if you like, I can take you outside these walls for a change"

"Really?!" she asked standing up.

"Of course. Follow me" he instructed, heading to the window. She stopped him realizing that she couldn't.

"Wait! I can't. It's not you but...I was ordered to stay here by all means, and was told not to go outside this tower" she said.

"But..." he whispered.

"It's the kings orders" she said before sitting herself back onto the floor. "Just when I thought I'd find freedom from this miserable place" she whispered.

A/N: This was like the only time I could update. So stressed from school -_-" Anyways I hope it's okay so far. I'm trying to make it slowish in order to get more updates and such. I don't want to not write anything...so sorry if this ends up being a total mess. Starting tomorrow, I will be completely busy to the point of no return :(