Chapter 7

"Forgive my rudeness. But they call me the face hunter." I felt myself pulse towards the words from the masked man. I slowly turned my eyes towards him. Rogue's voice was faint. No, that wasn't Rogue's voice. It wasn't natural to hear someone so far away, there was no way I could hear Rogue telling me that this person was dangerous from here. I felt myself shiver attempting to back away even further. "It's only natural to automatically fear one with a killer instinct." the face-hunter smiled. "I'm not afraid; this is where Rogue sent me so it must be safe correct?" I whispered as the face-hunter smiled.

"Fine, let's try this. Since there's a normal girl here why not use magic?" The face-hunter laughed bringing their hand up. "Wind magic." He whispered as a sudden gush of wind started blowing towards me. "I wouldn't stand there too long, these winds can get up to as fast as a tornado in very quick paces." the face-hunter laughed as suddenly the wind picked up quickly throwing me against the garden wall of the castle. "Careful, you might wind up in smithereens." the face-hunter laughed. As suddenly I felt myself put my arms over my head attempting to block the wind unsure what that gesture was supposed to do as I slowly opened my eyes. The wind has stopped? And the bright orange glowing had returned. "Rogue? Is that you? Where are you?" I asked glancing around there was no way he would've known I needed him. But this was his magic wasn't it?

Suddenly I felt a huge gasp for breath as I fell to the ground. "You suffocated the poor thing!" A voice shouted as the face-hunter only scoffed, I glanced towards the two looming over my head. "I'm going to get killed after getting protected from so many...And I hadn't even finished what I was looking for." I felt myself think. "I don't...want..to..die..yet." I thought to myself glancing at the castle intruder. I must've gone delusional for when I looked at the intruder there were two identical one's of him standing there. "I don't want to die." I whispered glancing towards my hands. That must've been what it was like... just fading away . I couldn't even see my hands anymore, yet they felt like they were right there where I was looking. "Let this one be actually. I have taken interest in her magic." The face-hunter said, I felt like I could hear him smiling as he looked at my pitiful form that couldn't even fight off one magician from another land. That makes sense. This must be a is testing me in some way. And whose magic were they talking about? I didn't have any for certain and that bright orange glow only started happening when Rogue was around. It was obviously his magic. Like a barrier or a shield.

I felt my eyes open and close repeatedly for a long time until they just stayed shut. "Celestine, Celestine." A voice whispered growing wearier as time went on a hand shaking my shoulder. "Celestine, Celestine." The voice sighed as if they were in between a form of agitation and worry. I glanced open my eyes towards the glowing light. Oh right, I died? "I'm so sorry." I sat up from the cobblestone bench in which I had been laying upon. "I'm so sorry, after everyone tried to protect me..." I whispered getting a strange glance from Rogue. "I didn't mean to." I whispered. "You're alive let's go." He turned as I blinked towards him wondering how he could understand what context I was trying to say even though I hadn't even stated that I was apologizing for being dead.

I nodded glancing around the gardens. They were exactly how they were when I wondered in the night before, no broken pots, or blown around flowers, nothing of the sort. The garden was completely intact. "Celestine..." Rogue sighed trailing off as I glanced towards him. "What is it Rogue?" I asked glancing towards him as we walked further towards the kitchen corridor. "Where's Sting?" Rogue asked one of the guards. "Sorry, Prince Sting left early last night, before anyone had retired for the night, even. He should be somewhere near the kingdom of Caitshire by now." The guard instructed as Rogue nodded.

"Rogue?" I asked as Rogue continued to walk in the direction where breakfast was awaiting us. "Why is that brand new dress in tatters?" He sighed finally as I glanced down towards the dress. It appeared slightly decent to me at least. Well, decent to a maid who had grown up in the PhantomLord Kingdom. So of course, the thing was a mess the hems where all frayed, the sleeve was ripped, and it almost seemed like the fashion sense that befell the PhantomLord maids.

"I must have tripped last night." I lied unsure if I should tell him the truth, it was a test of how long I could keep a secret. That made sense we were in a castle now and he was the royal family, if I were to stay by his side I must know how to keep a secret. "Then, why are you not injured at all?" Rogue asked as I glanced at him. "I thought you knew, it was you wasn't it?" I asked as he gave me another peculiar look. "But wasn't it you, that bright orange barrier?" I asked falling behind slightly struggling to keep up. Quickly he gave me another peculiar look. "Whenever I'm in danger and you're there, there's always a bright orange shield that surrounds me." I explicated attempting to keep up as he glanced back towards me suddenly slowing. "No Celestine. It's time I explained it to you. This magic is not mine. This magic is your magic." He sighed as if he expected me to understand that the magic was my own over time. "That's not right, I-I, my family doesn't have magic." I attempted laughter as if he were telling some joke that only the upper-class would understand waving my hand away. "Who are your parents Celestine?" Rogue asked as I felt my feet suddenly come to a stop. "What do you mean? My parents? Of course, they were both simple maids of PhantomLord." I attempted a laugh waving my hand away. There was no way my parents or family members were mages or even possessed magic, we wouldn't have wound up maids or a line of butlers if we had magic. I would've never wound up in such an awful place. I glanced towards the bright sky full of birds. Wouldn't of had to suffer through so much death, fear, and being hunted at the same time. I bit my lip. It wasn't all bad, there was Juvia, she was there. I would go see her again, rescue her somehow. I glanced towards my hands. Somehow, even though I didn't have my own power.

"Celestine, have you ever considered the fact that you were kidnapped as a child? If this fact was ever discovered it could possibly cause a war, because when you were a child there were a mass amount of kidnappings." Rogue explicated as I shook my head. "I have not, but I shall listen to your musings." I said suddenly feeling the overwhelming urge to not disobey that was pounded into my head over several years. "Suddenly you just stopped trying to rebel because of my status didn't you?" Rogue asked making a sudden turn away from the breakfast hall and towards the library. "No, I-I just wanted to hear you out." I stuttered confused. "That's a lie isn't it?" He asked sending me a swift glance. "That's the perfect reason to kidnap children; they'll listen with information pounded into their heads over several years. Jose has been planning a war for several years." Rogue explained. "Prince Rogue, that's madness!" I shouted picking the hem of my skirt up trying not to trip over it as I ran attempting to catch up to him. "How else can you prove that you have magic?" He asked. "How else can you prove that it's not your's?" I shouted back as suddenly he whipped himself towards me flipping his hand as suddenly a shadow of flames emerged into his hands.

"My magic is only a catalyst for yours!"

"How do you know?"

Because, my magic only kills people! It doesn't protect anyone!" Prince Rogue shouted back towards me making another turn instead of going to the library. "But Prince Rogue, you used your magic to protect me! On the very first night that we met!" I shouted as he shook his head. "No, I didn't protect you. I had a reason to attack those men that's the difference." He sighed as I shook my head. "How do I see it? Have you thought of how I see it? Do you know how thankful I am for you being there that night?" I asked. "That's not the point here! What happened within that garden?" He asked. Stop. Wait. It's. It's a test.

"Nothing." I muttered turning away from him as suddenly he grabbed my elbow. "Don't go.. I realized it'd be unfit to bring a lady dressed like that to breakfast without offering her a change of clothes." He sighed reaching for the dressing room door and then skipping over it towards the door just next to it. "This room used to be my mother's when she was a teenager. I'm not sure why it was kept perfectly the same when she moved to another room when they declared her an adult. But, it was." Rogue sighed opening the door and pointing towards the door knob. "The breakfast hall is right up the hall when you're done getting changed." He said as I nodded, quickly he turned to shut the door as I looked over my shoulder. "And Rogue?" I whispered unsure if I would get his attention because it was lower than the average human could hear but just high enough for a dragon-slayer to pick up. His ruby eyes took a quick glance back towards me. "I like your magic, it's pretty. I feel like you don't entirely hate your magic. I feel like you treasure it because...your magic didn't come from your father. It came from your precious mother." I whispered quickly making that realization.

"There's no way you could tell that." Rogue sighed as I gave him a look that said somehow, just somehow, I knew I was exactly right. "Hurry up and get dressed, breakfast is getting cold." Rogue sighed shutting the door, no steps. Just shutting the door. He was still standing outside the door waiting for me. I glanced back towards the dresses wondering which one I should've chosen. Glancing towards the dresses which were already laid about on the bed already. They were all in soft colors with various decorations. I picked up the simplest dress it was elegant at the same time, a darker purple maybe? I reached for it preparing to change readying the different garments I would need because of the style of the dress. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement feeling myself wish to be invisible. Was there someone else in here? I thought quickly reaching for a towel and glancing towards the mirror. The towel was moving on it's own. I felt myself screech. I wasn't even there. I was invisible. Was I really alive? I glanced towards the mirror once again my heart pounding. That wasn't right, it shouldn't of been if that man had killed me in the garden. But if that's what I wanted, to be alive wouldn't I have been told I was alive anyway even if I had been killed by the face-hunter in the garden. I glanced towards the door which suddenly swung open. "Celestine? Celestine?" Rogue glanced around looking this way and that, afterwards quickly running to the window. "Celestine?" He shouted. "Her scents not far I'll be right back." He shouted slamming open the window quickly placing one leg upon the ledge of the window ready to pounce out of the gigantic window that was fit for a queen. "Rogue! I'm right here." I shouted keeping one hand around the cloth which seemed to have the same color as the bedding which I would have blended i nto. Suddenly I felt dizzy. Everything was becoming darker, I heard a *bang* suddenly as I felt myself hit the hard floor. I watched Rogue's figure swiftly turn around glancing at me in shock. "When'd-when...wait Celestine, what's wrong?" he shouted running closer as I felt my eyes shut slowly. Something seemed off. And different.

"Is-she ill?" A voice whispered as I slowly opened my eyes, it had only been a couple seconds, hadn't it? I felt myself attempt to glance around, my head was extremely heavy. Where was I? "Of course, she's fine, she's fine." A voice sighed as it sounded like Rogue was walking away. "Where are we?" I asked sitting up opening my eyes slowly as I realized I was only wearing the towel I had grabbed when I saw my own movement in the mirror. I thought it had been the face-hunter back to finish the job, so was it alright? I felt my hand tighten around the towel I was wearing looking towards the female nurse. "Don't worry, I sent him out to fetch your clothes." she smiled as I glanced away feeling heat run up my face. "That's embarrassing." I murmured. "It's only normal. apparently what had happened was a natural magic dissipation. It's common amongst children." She smiled as I nodded. "Is it common for people like, me? The one's who shouldn't have magic." I whispered glancing towards her. "Actually, the lacrima...it is detecting the faintest magic that could've been running through your blood hundreds and hundreds of years ago, maybe a cousin or something too. Do you know any?" she asked as I shook my head. "I'd like to meet my cousin Artemis one day but right now doesn't seem to be the time...If I meet her, only sorrow will befall her." I whispered as there was a light knocking upon the door.

"Oh, he's back with your clothes!" The nurse smiled running to the door as I felt myself blush. "Wait, can't you just ask him to hand in the clothes? Or at least give me a bathrobe or something." I whispered feeling my blush become furiously red as I glanced down towards the infinitesimal towel that just barely helped. Suddenly Yukino appeared shutting the door behind her. "Don't worry, he called me up here because he hates awkward things. He probably won't be able to look you straight in the face for a while." Yukino smiled slightly handing me my outfit. I nodded accepting the outfit.

Quickly I got changed heading back out in the silver outfit that came to my knees that I had picked out earlier. "Here." I gave a frail smile. "Okay, did anything happen to you? Like did something freak you at, or attack you while you were wondering around Queen Skiadrum's room?" The nurse asked as I glanced towards her. "No...wait, actually I saw my own reflection in the mirror.." I whispered feeling myself fluster from embarrassment tugging on the dress wondering if was actually the slightest bit longer than the towel. Well at least it covered up more. I glanced down towards the dress it was Queen Skiadrum's it must've been precious to Rogue even subconsciously to actually bother sending me this dress that I had my eye on amongst all of the other dresses amongst the bed. I felt myself glance towards the dress, it was magnificent and full of so many emotions that the naked eye would never see.

"Celestine, Celestine. Keep focused we're still asking you questions." Yukino sighed at me as I nodded turning to the other woman. "Did anything unusual happen?" she asked as I shook my head. "It was just a slight feeling of panic." I whispered. "So the feeling to hide." I felt myself blush at her statement that made me look so weak. So helpless, to go running quickly to hide from my own reflection. "Don't become so flustered, it's part of being aware of who you are." Yukino sighed placing my hair up and handing me a shall. "Are we going to the school today?" I asked looking at Lady Yukino as she shook her head 'no'. "You're going out with Rogue today, actually. There's been a parade so I decided to let all the students roam...between you and me. That's what they were going to do anyway, so I just helped their attendance records a little tiny bit." Yukino smiled as I nodded understanding the sediment. No one wanted to stand in an empty room all alone anyway. I blinked casting away images of when I was told to stand in the same spot for a painful amount of hours on end. Wait..a parade? Like one of those things that had happened when I first arrived? I glanced towards Yukino, she was bubbling with excitement. Even though she was a teenager too, she was struggling to keep a job. Of course, she also wanted to escape the school to see the parade. "I can't wait to see it!" Yukino smiled. "It'll be a pity that Prince Sting is missing out." One of the maids whispered to another. "Sush, we both know this is a distraction so no one will notice his dire mission to the Caitshelter kingdom." the second maid whispered back.

Okay so step one, no talking about Prince Sting's disappearance. Step two, adjust to actually calling Rogue Prince Rogue. That shouldn't be so hard, he was a prince after all and I had always addressed Prince Gajeel as Prince Gajeel. "Than what should I act like?" I wondered allowed leaving the room as Yukino and the nurse waved goodbye somehow in sudden deep conversation. I walked further down the hallway. "Should I be someone else? Maybe like those girls who visit the castle for Gajeel's hand-in-marriage? Giddy and after his position? Or maybe more depressed, those girls always got killed leaving the borders." I whispered sighing as I shook my head. "How should an upperclass teenage girl act?" I murmured glancing out the balcony window to several girls my age waving hand fans about laughing obnoxiously waving their fans to certain gestures that they all seemed to know. "I don't think this is going to work." I sighed glancing down at my hands. Not only did I not know what was going on, I couldn't gossip, I couldn't do those fancy hand gestures, and bluntly? Their laughter plain out sent me into an annoyed pack of emotions. Suddenly a hand grasped my shoulder.

"Then just be yourself."