Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, its characters and in no way associated to the franchise. Any circumstances found in thi story are fictional. Fairy Tail rights reserved to Hiro Mashima, creator amd illustrator. The Vampire Tales reserved to K.T. Adams, fiction writer.

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Chapter 3: The Banquet of Champions

I held my breath as long as I could. The Selection. The marriage. The banquet. I clenched my fist hard and sank my body even deeper. I could hear the muffled sound of the steady flow of the waterfalls. My mind started to panic. My lungs burned. I was losing oxygen but still refused to breath. My whole body protested but I ignored it. Suddenly, a feeling of sleepiness washed over me. I let it take over. Then, I lost consciousness.

I pushed myself upward and inhaled a large amount of air. I wasn't suicidal or anything. I knew I would spring back to life after a momentary death. I was a vampire, remember? I just wanted to forget. I cleared the hair on my face and brushed it backwards. If I could only brush away my problems that easily. I sat up straight and leaned my back against a big rock. A few of them surrounded the pool at the end of the waterfall.

This time they should have discovered my absence. I could only imagine the Queen's reaction. She was probably smoking mad right now. You see, there was somewhere else I should be. The banquet. Tradition dictates that the twelve champions be assembled together in a gathering before the presentation of champions the next morning and I, the betrothed princess, should be present to entertain them.

The maids hurried across the ballroom to refill the dishes skillfully prepared for the night. The guards were dispersed to man all the entrances and exits of the palace. This was one of the rare circumstances where all the important people in Magnolia were gathered in one room. Also, one of the best opportunities for an assassination order and for that reason the security had tightened and my father, himself, took in-charge of it.

Queen Victoria looked around, pleased. The guests seemed to be enjoying the party. There was no trouble that occurred that night aside from a lunatic who insisted he be allowed to enter the palace. It was easily taken care of. The Queen's rule: no room for mistakes. Mother made sure everything went according to plan.

"Is the princess ready?"

One of the maids came inside my room to check. The dress I was to wear still hanged on the mannequin. I was on my bed, soundly asleep. Or so she thought. She gently shook my body to wake me up but I was still as a rock. She pulled the blanket that covered me fully and to her horror, I became a set of pillows arranged to form a human figure. She rushed to the ballroom to inform the queen as she weighed what she valued more, her job or her life. She knew there was no other path to take. I felt bad for her. She had to face the dragon bearing bad news. And trust me; you didn't wanna be that person. The servant didn't waste time and told mother I was gone in a low voice. The enraged Queen disappeared from her sight.

Lucy saw my mother left hurriedly. She sensed trouble so she did what every sane person would do – stay the hell out of the Queen's way. She roamed around the ballroom to avoid the dragon when she bumped into someone familiar. The pink-haired man, Natsu, greeted the blonde witch with a mouthful.

"Oh. Hi, Natsu."

She was happy to see a friend. She really was but the royal guards were looking her way. They exchanged whispers before nodding in agreement. They started towards her direction.

"Look, I gotta go. Enjoy the party!"

She gathered the hem of her dress to speed up her pace but as she turned to the opposite direction, three royal guards blocked her way.

"Ms. Heartifilia, the Queen wants to see you." Ruhroh.

Lucy swallowed – she swallowed hard.

Magnolia was protected with an ancient spell. It kept the cursed demons from entering. However, this magic defense could not reach the dark grounds of the infamous Todesfall forest. It was said to be home of unknown forces that lurked in the shadows. A few ill-fated humans who challenged the reputation of the Todesfall were never found again. After the disappearance of a young married couple in 1851, a team of scientists in 1933 and a few more unresolved missing-person cases, the Imperial Court had decided to close the property and prohibit anyone to set-foot in it. As if the creepy look of it wasn't good enough.

I was fifteen when I first discovered this little paradise. True enough, its outer façade could scare the hell out of the humans but I was different. I wasn't afraid. I could not help but feel special that the beauty hiding behind the eerie crooked trees at the entrance was all for me. In the heart of the forest was a tall mountain with water flowing down from the side of it that gathered in a pool at the end. I found my haven.

The sinister atmosphere and the danger it promised made me feel alive. Courting death was one of my guilty pleasures. I wanted to know how it feels to be on the brink of demise, to see it up close. I prowled the virgin land, day and night, hoping to catch a cursed demon and have him at my mercy. If Erza did it, so could I. My attacks were accurate. I didn't even break a sweat. The Dehors were a good practice.

I listened to the serene fall of the water from the top of the mountain. The song of the night calmed my nerves. I sighed. Only Lucy knew about my sudden departure but even my best friend was never been here, not even Mira, Gajeel or Knight. This place was my solitude, my own escape.

I heard movement from the bushes. I flung my eyes open and searched around. My trained pupils gathered even the smallest streak of light and adjusted themselves for a better view. Someone was here. My whole body was alerted, ready to or for an attack. I sensed the minimal shake of the poisonous shrub. In a nick of time, I had a warm human body pinned against the tall oak tree where I sometimes rest in the burning time of the day. His onyx eyes stared at me. Then, he quickly looked away.

"Who are you?" He didn't respond.

He left me no choice. I read the thoughts lingering in his mind. It was one of the many things a vampire could do and the mundane could not. He was ordering himself not to look? Look at what? Me? Then I remembered. I hurled at the intruder so fast I forgot where I came from. I ripped my glare away from the boy and lowered my gaze on my own body to confirm my suspicion. I was completely naked!

I searched for my clothes and reappeared in front of him in a blur of movement. It was hard to conceal the growing redness on my cheeks.

"I know who you are." His onyx eyes once again stared at me.

I examined the boy. His short raven-hair was spiky and unkempt. His long lashes glistened with beads of sweat. His dark blue eyes bore deep in to mine. It was so mesmerizing. I shook my head to get hold of myself. He had expensive clothing on that emphasized his muscular and toned body. I felt a sudden urge to touch him and feel his warm skin underneath my palms. His warm skin. Underneath him. I nearly slapped myself for these inappropriate thoughts. Get a grip, girl.

I studied him once more, completely ignoring my hundred year old hormones. He stood before me, head held high. A gallant atmosphere surrounded him; the same air that followed the royal prince of the North and the West. His stance was no different from Knight and Gajeel. If he stood beside the two royalties he would have fitted in perfectly. But in the forest, he was out of place. Just like me. So what was he doing here, in this hour? I tried to dig deeper into his mind. There was nothing.

The smell of the boy's blood tickled my nostrils. My attention focused on the throbbing artery on his neck. Suddenly, I felt hungry. No! I jerked back to keep away from him but the smell was too strong. I couldn't control myself anymore. Juvia no! Stop it. When I heard him stirred, my body acted on instinct. I pounced at him, once again restraining him against the tree. I saw my transformation in his eyes: teeth turned to daggers, blue eyes turned black with only a cruel dot in the middle, warmth and color escaped me. Then a panicked thought popped in his mind. Behind you!

Dark figures appeared behind the trees. Their glowing orbs were filled with hunger, hatred and vengeance. It became clear that I was their target. They slowly approached before assailing simultaneously.

There were many ways to kill a vampire. A cursed demon tried to throw me on the ground but as he neared me, I launched forward and ripped his head off. I moved to the side sensing another one hurling towards me. His head bounced off the ground towards the boy. I saw the other two figures closing in him. Before they knew it, I was standing behind them, their dead hearts in both my hands.

His dark blue eyes locked with mine. He wasn't surprised of what I was capable of, nor was he afraid. He pulled out a shiny metal behind his coat and threw it towards me. I froze. The dagger's sharp end was darting towards me. I didn't even blink. He wanted to kill me? Then I heard a groan coming from behind me. I turned around and saw one of the attackers – his veins came to prominence before his whole body turned into a grayish particle.

The boy was now standing beside me. I felt his breath on my shoulders.

"I didn't need your help." I was simply stating facts.

I turned around and his stoic expression filled my vision. His lips parted and I watched as they moved to form the words 'I know'.

My eyes never left his lips. Only if this human could hear my thoughts. I was so preoccupied that I didn't sense the other trouble that was coming my way. The sudden ring pulled me out of my trance. I spotted my phone on the stacked rocks near the river where I discarded it earlier. Lucy's photo and number was on the screen. The Todesfall had no reception so the witch used a spell to put signal on my phone, like she always did when I gone missing.

"Hey Luce, what's up?"

But a different voice greeted me.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!"

More like, screamed at me. The palace wasn't that far from where I was. I thought it was her real voice that I heard and not the one coming from the phone speakers.

"Juvia Margarette Lockser, if you won't come back to the palace this instant I will..."

"Yes, mom, I'm on my way."

I didn't need to hear her threats. They weren't just empty words. If the Queen had to turn entire Magnolia upside down to find me, believe me she would.

I slid the phone in my pants' pockets and turned back to the human.

"You should be careful human. These are not the grounds you want to explore."

I wasn't concerned about him or anything. He obviously knew how to defend himself. I witnessed it. My etiquette lessons dictated that I had to say thank you. He saved my life, after all. But as I said, I didn't need his help. Besides, what I said just now was much way cooler than 'thank you'.

He smiled. For the first time, in the whole night, he smiled. A strange feeling crept to my heart. Suddenly, this weird warmth expanded across where my heart was caged.

"Goodnight Princess."

I was already in front of the iron gates when Lucy rushed to me.

"I'm really sorry, Princess. Your mom could really be scary sometimes."

Lucy was one of my most loyal friends. But she was right; mother could really persuade – force out – information from anyone. I gave the young blonde a reassuring smile. She was still shaken up from my mother's methods of extracting information.

"No need to worry, Luce." Besides, I knew she did her best to stall for me and her best efforts gave me enough time for myself.

Lucy led me inside the palace and towards my room, where I knew the Queen was waiting - impatiently. I could hear from the hallways how mother was judging my behavior. She was lecturing the King on how irresponsible I became and how embarrassing it was to make the guests wait. I laughed. The blonde glanced at me, her brows met in a questioning frown. I responded with a shrug.

My family took the young witch in when both her parents died in a fatal accident. She was with them, baby Lucy, but when the police cleared out the crime scene they found her, alive. I knew her parents did everything to protect her. They even gave up their life for her. The police investigations all said the same thing: that the crash was an accident. The imperial court disagreed. They were not sure who was behind it but they had an idea.

Lucy Heartifilia came from one of the oldest, strongest and most influential family of witches. Fearing that her powers might be used for the wrong reasons, my parents decided to keep her. The Eldest thought it was the right thing to do. And I was never alone then. I always had Lucy.

"What's so funny?" Lucy asked in a hushed voice, avoiding getting caught. I couldn't tell her it was because mother found it embarrassing to make the humans wait. The Queen would hear me. So, I just decided to drop the topic.

"Nothing."

"You're laughing now, wait 'til Queen Victoria sees you."

We stopped in front of my room. My doors were the same with the ones in the ballroom. Actually, all doors in the palace were the same: tall, heavy, and white with a blue and silver accent. It was easy to get lost but on top of each door, names were carved. Mine says 'Juvia Lockser'. I felt the cold door handle when I wrapped my hands around it. It's almost the same as my mother's hand.

What could be behind this door? A parallel universe where I was normal and everything was perfect? A coven of vampires who will take me away from all these shenanigans or just plain right hell? Probably the last. I heaved out an audible sigh before finally turning the knob. Yes, definitely the last.

I stood before the mirror and scanned my reflection. The iced blue dress did bring out my ocean blue hair and my dark welkin eyes. The bodice hugged my body like a second skin, gathering tight at my waist. Tiny silver gems gathered at the beginning of the upper garment – following the curve of my breasts – and thinned down in a V-shape that stopped at the midriff. The skirt poured down into wavy folds that reached the floor. The same shiny material was spread on the lower garment like a fairy dust, shimmering as it caught light.

All the dresses I wore for any ceremonial rights were approved by my mother's expert eyes. The Queen had a good taste, I must say. I would have danced around with the pretty gown on if I weren't annoyed by the fact that I had to parade myself to lowly human eyes.

I was standing behind the ballroom's doors. The Queen checked herself one last time, her back straight. The Victorian ball gown that she wore had a classic feel to it. It brought out her undeniable ethereal beauty. She turned to the King and smiled. I stood between them, all annoyed. The doors then became more interesting.

Tonight I might just brushed shoulders with this year's Selection champion. I might have a little conversation with the future King of East Magnolia. Tonight, I was sure. In the ballroom, behind these doors, was my future husband mixed among this noble populace. I didn't know who he was and neither did he. We would all find out once the Selection came to a conclusion. But tonight, I would try my luck, if I had any, and wish with all my might that he was, at least, equal with the intruder I met earlier tonight.

I prayed to Drac that I would find him in that crowd. If I was to enter hell, I could at least bring a hot demon down with me. With his expensive attire, his honestly gorgeous physique and the elegant atmosphere that surrounded him, he could have blended-in in this kind of crowd. The doors were pushed open. The whole ballroom fell silent. They waited with anticipation as the King introduced me to the world.

"Lords and ladies of this great country of Magnolia, I present to you my only daughter - Princess Juvia Margarette Lockser, heiress of the East!"

The crowd's loud applause was almost deafening. I stepped in towards the crowd, curtsied and smiled. Knight, ever so charming, asked me of my first dance.

"You look lovely, as always."

"Stop flirting. You're engaged."

We could playfully make this remark with no malice or anything. I love this blonde Northern prince as much as I loved Gajeel and Mira. They were family.

I looked around and noticed the dark-haired Gajeel near the long table, eyeing the assorted Magnolian cuisine. I bet he never left that spot.

"He's been standing there since he arrived." I shook my head in disbelief.

I roamed my eyes around for a certain silver hair and found her at the end of the room. She was beautiful in her off-shoulder burgundy ball gown and her fishtail tied hair. I noted the gentleman in the red coat with a long green hair freely flowing behind. She lightly touched him when he made a funny remark. Watch closely everyone. Mira was making her move.

How did I end up with this kind of friends? Oh, I didn't choose them. Destiny picked for me. Speaking of destiny…

"Where's your fiancée?" Knight dodged my question and avoided my eyes.

My left hand rested on Knight's manly shoulders while the right was enclosed in his left hand. I twisted my head to search for Erza's scarlet hair and found her abandoned at the Royal round table with the old souls. I pitied her.

Total boredom could only describe the look on her face right now. Erza was mindlessly playing with her food. I guess Knight was still pissed off it was her who won the Selection instead of that girl Minerva. So he made her suffer like this.

"Go dance with her."

"Why?"

Knight – the man who Her Magazine tagged as the immortal Casanova. I glared at him. Did he even have to ask why? But that didn't work for the blonde pride. He didn't heed my suggestion and decided to brush me off. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Fine." He gave up. I learned a thing or two from Mira.

He released me and started towards Erza's table.

"You can never argue with these women." I heard him say as he made his way to the Scarlet princess.

My ears perked up to listen to the invitation but I heard nothing. I adjusted my pupils too see clearly from a far. Knight just stood beside her, all stiff.

"Stand up." I then heard him demand.

In a matter of seconds, the golden boy was standing in the middle of the ballroom, waiting for his Scarlet fiancée. I mentally slapped myself. Where was this guy's manners?

I felt a finger tapped my shoulders. I spun to see the Western prince in his best royal garb, smiling at me.

"My turn."

I placed my free hand on his left shoulder. He held my left hand in his right and led the dance. We graced the floor with perfect harmony.

"I can't believe I'm in this mess instead of you."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"My luck. But don't worry princess. I will break every bone in your husband's body so he'd divorce you." It sounded like a joke but I knew Gajeel. He never turned from his words.

"Promise?"

We both chuckled.

I heard someone cleared his throat behind me. It was my father, King Julian.

"I would appreciate if you wouldn't Gajeel."

My dance partner and I bowed before him to acknowledge the presence of the King. He dismissed the formalities and the three of us laughed at the quip.

"May I?"

Gajeel gracefully stepped aside. I was sure he was heading to the long table again but before he finally disappeared from my sight, he winked at me. He would surely break my future husband's bones. It was a done deal.

Knight slammed Erza against him, intentionally hard. Only now that he noticed her look for tonight. He was sure it was Queen Lysandra who picked out the Scarlet's dress. Like the other female members of the royal family, his mother had great taste in fashion. She knew it well. She put the red-hair in a red chiffon dress; the fit was same to mine. The dress covered most of her body but left her shoulders and arms bear.

The golden boy of North Magnolia placed his right hand at the small of her back. He felt her warmth exuding even through the fabric. His eyes landed on her big pair compressed by the tight clothing. Suddenly, some feeling stirred inside him, but he quickly dismissed it. He focused in guiding her in their proper dance position as he held her free hand.

Considering how they bickered every time they saw each other, how he promised to rip her head off the next time he sees her while she offered to tear him apart – limb by limb, he was surprised how they moved in harmony and peace.

His mother made sure these champions were auditioned meticulously, only the best for her son, and etiquette was one of the areas her mother would look into. He learned it when he was seven: social dance, public speaking, proper dressing, table-manners and whatnot. So Erza had to learn if she hasn't yet.

On the dance floor they didn't speak, nor looked at each other. Apparently, the faceless crowd was more interesting than themselves. Erza tried to distance herself as much as possible but he wouldn't let her. This was an intimate dance and it would be just wrong to be so withdrawn. And what would people say?

They both realized this just might be the longest they were this close without causing such a ruckus. On his birthday, right after Erza was announced the victor; they got into a brawl which ended up with the Scarlet getting all wet, not in a good way. Knight just poured cold ice water on her and she retaliated by pouring one on him too. He got mad that the Queen favored the Selection's victor instead of her own son. After the party the queen pulled him in a room and he came out a changed man. Well, changed in front of the Queen. He treated her better when people were around. Even more when her mother was in a close distance that she might hear or see them but behind her back, Knight and Erza, were on each other's throat – all the time.

"I can't believe my little princess is all grown-up."

"Dad, it's been a hundred years."

The King smiled weakly. He might fool others with the warm curve on his lips but his eyes told a different story. I knew that deep inside he was rather sad.

There was a heavy silence between us before father finally spoke again. He told me I was beautiful in the most loving way.

"I know. I'm your daughter, remember?"

My smart comeback earned a chuckle from my father but the realization of my impending marriage cut it short. He looked at me again, a rush of different emotions glistened in his dark sad eyes.

"Soon, you will be someone's wife."

The unsettling feeling in my stomach worked its way up my throat. My jaw hardened just hearing about the idea of marriage.

"Well, it was your entire fault. I asked you to convince mother about not going through with this."

"Princess, soon you will understand."

I knew it wasn't the right place but right there where many distinguished people were present, right then when my father took the lead in our father-daughter dance, I wanted to scream. I wanted to burst out. But I knew better. I opened my mouth to answer but mother came out from nowhere and interrupted us.

"Honey, you shouldn't keep Juvia to yourself. She should be dancing with some of these fine gentlemen."

Father lowered his head to kiss the top of mine before he let go. He turned to my mother and asked for her hand. She gladly accepted.

I felt abandoned in the middle of the room but not too long. A red-head filled my vision. He laid out his hand in front of me and I placed my own in his as a response. He raised his bowed head and smiled.

Trevor Scarlet, champion of the strongest clan, asked me for a dance.

I crashed my pliant body on the soft mattress of my bed. My blue hair spread around me. The area on my left dipped as Lucy lay down beside me. Our chests heaved up and down as we drew our breaths. She gave me the blood pack without looking. I emptied it in an instant. Gosh! Events like this could really exhaust one to the bones.

The whole party was a blur. I danced my shoes to death. My feet almost fell off. I couldn't count how many young gentlemen I met that night. How could I possibly keep track?

"So, liked someone?" My eyes were still on the ceiling. I couldn't keep my mind off the intruder in the forest.

"Actually, I did."

Lucy squealed. I saw her stir at the corner of my eye. She was now staring at me, her excitement radiating all throughout the room.

"So? Are you gonna tell me or what?"

I wanted to tell her about the raven-haired boy, about what happened in the Forest, but he was not present in the gathering so there was no point. My hopes vanished in an instant as the party came to an end and not even a sight of the intruder. I came to a conclusion: he wasn't in my options. So, I decided not to dwell on something impossible. It was useless.

I sighed hopelessly.

"I know that sound. What's wrong?" There was a sudden change in Lucy. Her voice was now laced with concern.

I looked at her worried eyes and managed a weak smile.

"Nothing. I'm just really tired."

I knew I wasn't convincing. Who was I kidding? This girl was my best friend. She grew up close to me and she was one of the only few people who could see through my lies. But she knew better not to push it. Then, an awkward silence hanged in the air. Lucy started the conversation.

"So, did you find someone you like?" She asked again.

"Well, your pink-haired friend was interesting." Lucy guffawed. My bed shook as she rolled on the sheets laughing hard. The gloomy atmosphere was now replaced with her uncontrolled cackles.

I remembered seeing Natsu in one of the tables. He was surrounded by all sorts of dishes. My eyes left him for a moment and when I turned to him again; his plates were all cleared up. He reminded me of my friend, Gajeel.

He talked animatedly with the people sitting in his table but when he came up to me, he was all stiff and formal. Lucy and I laughed even harder while I relay to her how he was so nervous when he took my hand. He was literally shaking.

"But I think mother preferred Trevor. The guy from her clan." I was referring to the Scarlet champion. He was unmistakably the male version of Erza but his hair was a shade darker than hers.

"Well, who do you like?"

"Does it matter?"

Lucy's silence was her agreement. My opinion did not matter. The winner of the Selection was to be pronounced the future king and, ultimately, my husband. Again, silence and melancholy engulfed us.

"This is too depressing."

I agreed.

Lucy rose from her position and, instead, sat on the bed, her legs crossed in an Indian position. I did the same.

"I'm sure there was something about them that you liked." I thought for a while. The witch was right.

I recalled each man I danced with tonight. They were all gentleman. The champions had great figure, probably, from the training. Each was even better-looking than the other.

Lucy perked up as she saw the change in my mood. She held her hands near her chest and started to ask with energy I didn't know she had.

"Okay! The red-head? What do you like about him?"

"You mean, Trevor?"

How could I forget this guy when mother was shoving his name down my throat?

"Well, he has the biggest chance to win the challenges." Lucy nodded in agreement.

Erza Scarlet's win last year solidified the clan's position in the social rank. I heard they even improved all their facilities and trained their candidates painstakingly.

"And he is gorgeous!" I would lie if I said he didn't get my attention.

Trevor had a good build. My head only reached his shoulders. His dark green eyes could weaken your knees and his red lips were just so inviting. His skin was milky, like a woman's.

"But he reminds me so much of Erza." I didn't hate the Scarlet girl, don't get me wrong. It just felt a little bit weird.

"How about the guy from the Vista clan?"

"Lyon is a sweet talker. But he is too..." I searched for the right word.

"Clingy?" Lucy offered.

The picture of Lyon kissing the back of my palm and pulling me close – too close – to him came to my mind. Even after the song ended he didn't let go of me. He enclosed my body in a tight embrace and declared his love.

"He's too fast." I rolled my eyes.

"How about..." Lucy stared at the ceiling, trying to recall the men I met at the party. She had a name in mind but she kept pushing it back.

"Natsu? He's too funny."

"He's stupid!" She blurted out.

"But you told me he was nice and sweet. He was the first friend you had in the Academy."

I swore I saw the blonde witch blushed.

"Well, yeah. But he's too loud and for a lord's son he is too uncivilized."

My mood finally lightened up. I couldn't help but laugh at how Lucy described the Dragneel champion. We moved on to the rest of the candidates and pointed out their flaws. We got too deep in our conversation that time passed without us realizing and any thoughts about the intruder slowly drifting away from my mind. By the end of the night, the raven-haired boy became a distant memory.

Author's Note

Man, there are a lot of divisions, a lot. How did that happen? Well, excuse my weird form structure. lol. There it is guys! The fateful meeting. Well, let me know what you think about, alright? ALSO. Please check out the prologue. I updated it with the characters 'cause man I just kept dropping names here. Even I forget. hahaha. How did that happen?

THANK YOU TO:

NeverInUrWildestDreams, P. FullbusterBelieve my good friends who never missed a single post. Thank you guys so much for leaving reviews every single time. I appreciate it so much. And thank you so much for the friendship. Let's keep doing what we're doing, alright?

susiebeth, mgaa for your kind words. Here is the meeting we've all been waiting for. I hope it's worth it. And yes, I'm glad as well that Gruvia is still in-tact. Thanks to NeverInUrWildestDreams for drugging me sweet information about them - keeping me on board.

XXinsidemymindXX for showing me new perspective. I haven't really thought a lot about the concept of marriage and how it actually is the main theme of this story. I will surely look into it. Please keep showering me with your reviews.

So if you have any questions, suggestions, clarifications and violent reactions, I welcome them all. Just leave them in the reviews.

QUESTIONS CORNER:

To XXinsidemymindXX well, the whole story is written in Juvia's perspective, sometimes shifting to third person which I don't know how and why. Anyways, Juvia thinks she's mature but actually she's not. Hahaha. That's her character. I ought to answer this thru a message but maybe others also find this confusing so it's better to put it out there. And I hope that clarifies it. :)