Hello again, lovely people.

It's only been two days, but I am so ready to post this chapter! It's one of my favorites because of all the ships moments and the emotional rollercoaster.

If you've wanted more Zervia and Gruvia angst, this is the chapter for you!

First, let's get to the shoutouts:

I12Bfree: I'm glad you think reading this story is exciting, because it was the same for me when I was writing it.

aprilcharm41: Lol I feel you about the Zervis because I've been liking them too. In fact, I almost turned this story into Zervia instead of Gruvia, but then decided to keep both ships. It makes for good drama. And don't worry, his plan will be revealed eventually and I don't think you're gonna have a hard time figuring it out.

Star197: lol someone's in for the angst. Well, worry not because it will be delivered in full this chapter.

Guest: I imagine most people thought he had a different reason, but didn't imagine he knew who Juliet really is. You'll learn his full plan eventually and there will be many hints to how he wants to weaponise her.

introvertedlover2: 1-great theory! Guess you'll see if it becomes true… and 2-this part was kinda funny, but I'm afraid Gray's confessions won't be enough persuasion.

MasterGildarts: That's a great theory you've got there…. I guess we'll see how everything plays out and how Zeref plans on using Juvia.

Lol your reactions to Gray's confessions were just hilarious and I thank you for sharing them in your comment. Yep, those lovebirds finally got everything they've been waiting for and there will be even more kisses in this chapter *wink wink*

gaby1919: You're so sweet and there's no need to apologize. You're not obligated to comment on every single chapter (though I won't complain if you do). I hope you did well on your exams!

You brought up a good point about Zeref maybe not remembering Juvia from Tenrou Island, but I doubt he would forget her so easily.

Omg I didn't even think about the parallel to chapter 499, but you're absolutely right.

You'll see an explanation to why Juvia's been sick lately very soon. I promise, the next chapter will explain almost everything.

Yep, the angst is here now because Gray and Juvia can't be together. She knows it, you guys know it and it hurts us all. (Even me)

Lastly, Gajuvia is life and I love the brother-sister relationship they have.

Guest 2: Juvia really thought the disguise would work since not even the wizard saints (SPOILER ALERT) could tell who she was. However, Zeref is on a whole other level, so there's no way he would be deceived.

Great theory about Juvia being poisoned. I guess you're right, in a way, and you'll only have to wait until chapter 10 to learn exactly what's been happening.

PS: I've watched plenty of Crime Shows too and I love them. Which ones are your favorites? Mine are Criminal Minds and Marcella.

Allie: I think it was the moment everyone was waiting for.

KassfromVenus: I loved writing Gray's confessions and it was specially fun having Juvia not hearing the first one. You'll see her course of action here and I doubt it's completely unexpected.

No, time for the FEEEELS! Happy reading!


Rainfall Village, October 9th

"The future?" Gray asked. The concept had always been so terrifying for him.

As she watched him frown, his emotions for once so clear, Juvia started questioning her decisions. Why had she come back to find him? What had she been expecting from this reunion?

Had this simply been about learning the truth and seeing him one last time, or had she unconsciously been hoping for this outcome?

Even if getting together with Gray was everything she had wanted for so long, she couldn't just abandon her plan. There were many people counting on this engagement and she couldn't let her feelings cloud her judgement.

"You okay?" Gray asked after she had been silent for too long.

She loved him and he loved her, but they couldn't be together. She had accepted that a long time ago, so why was it so hard to think about it now?

"Juvia?" The bluenette sighed.

Why did they have to get themselves into this mess? Why couldn't they just be happy like normal people?

Because you're not normal people. You are a princess and it's your duty to do what's best for your kingdom, even if it means sacrificing your own happiness.

That had been her mantra for the past few months and she had stood by it.

Although, her stay in Alvarez hadn't been absolutely unpleasant and she had actually enjoyed her time spent with Zeref.

Still, that didn't mean that she wanted to marry him. The only person she wished to ever marry was Gray, but that wouldn't be possible. This wasn't their future.

"It's not fair." He was confused when she shook her head, looking down sadly.

"What's not fair?" Life wasn't fair, but Juvia had always known that. Her past had been filled with loneliness and sadness; now it seemed her future wouldn't be much better.

However, there was also the present. The here and now; her only chance to truly be happy. As she looked back towards the man she loved, she realized that this was their time to be together.

"Whoa." Gray was caught by surprise when she approached the couch where he was sitting and straddled him, hands settling on his shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"Making new memories." Juvia told him. "Happy ones."

"I like the that idea." He wrapped one arm around her waist and brought the other to the back of her head before gently pushing her head forward. She was quick to catch on, leaning in to kiss his lips again.


Not much later

Juvia found herself lying on the couch beneath him while they continued to make out and just as she was thinking that this was a dream come true, there was an annoying voice in the back of her head.

Confused for a moment, she wondered if it was her conscience, then quickly realized it was Yukino.

"Juvia, can you hear me?" The water mage ignored her friend and continued to remove Gray's shirt while he unbuttoned her coat.

"Much better." She whispered once her fingers ran through his naked chest.

"Agreed." Gray smirked once the coat was finally open, revealing her green corset. He kissed her again and she briefly moved into a sitting position in order to take it off, before lying back down.

While her hands explored his back, his lips explored her neck and shoulder.

"Juvia?" Yukino called again and Juvia ignored her once more.

"Why did we…wait so long…to do this again?" She let out between heavy breaths.

"Because… I was an idiot." Gray replied, briefly looking up before continuing kissing down her cleavage.

Just as he reached the valley between her breasts, Yukino pleaded again. "Juvia, please, respond. This is urgent!"

The bluenette groaned and the ice mage pressed her further against the couch while beginning to untie the strings of her corset. "What's so urgent?" She finally replied.

"You have to come back." Yukino said, and the water mage groaned again.

"Why?" It was hard to concentrate when Gray was almost finished loosening her corset while kissing her lips.

"Zeref mentioned that you should've returned by now. He's going to send out Invel if you don't return soon." She froze and the ice mage frowned once her hands stopped ruffling his hair.

"What's wrong?" He asked, breathless.

"I have to go." Juvia regrettably said.

"Huh?" Gray was confused when she pushed him while sitting up. "Did I….do something wrong?"

It was clear the poor man was thinking she wasn't enjoying herself, which couldn't be further from the truth.

"Of course not. You did everything right." She offered him a reassuring smile. "I just…have something I need to take care of."

His frown deepened when she started to re-tie the strings of her corset. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you." She knew he wouldn't stop pressing. "Not yet, anyways."

"Okay, now you're scaring me." Juvia disentangled herself from him before picking her coat and putting it back on.

"Don't be." She said while telling Yukino that she'd leave soon. "I'll meet you in Magnolia in a few days and I'll explain everything, okay?"

She wished that she didn't have to lie to him once again, but this was the only way to keep him from asking more questions that she couldn't answer.

Gray considered her words for a few moments. "Do you promise?"

Juvia nodded. "I do."

Lies, secrets, never ending heartbreak. This was what they had become and she hated it. What happened to the happy people who used to live in this house?

"I promised that I would come back too." Gray seemed upset all of sudden.

"And you did." She told him.

"No, you were the one who found me. I broke my promise." Juvia didn't have time to deal with this.

"Stop beating yourself for it, okay?" Closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I forgive you. For everything."

"But why? How can you be so quick to forgive me?" Because what I'm going to do to you will be much worse.

"Because I love you." It was the only truth she could possibly say at the moment.

"I love you too." They kissed again, passionately, desperately, and Juvia tried to keep her emotions in check.

"I'll see you soon." She told him after they reluctantly pulled apart. He simply smiled at her; a carefree, blissful smile she had rarely seen. A smile which she was sure wouldn't be seen again for a long time. "Goodbye, Gray."


Alvarez

"So? Did she get your message?" Sting asked, impatient.

"She did." Yukino nodded. "Said she'll leave Fiore soon."

"Good." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, bringing her close once they continued their walk.

"I'm worried, Sting." She admitted after they took a few steps.

"About Juvia?" He clarified and she nodded.

"The wedding is in less than a month and we haven't gotten any info on Zeref." The celestial mage bit her lip.

"That sucks." Sting sighed. "He sure knows how to keep his secrets."

"We really thought that the library was the answer, but there is nothing." Yukino sighed in frustration.

"Maybe we haven't been searching the right books." He suggested and her eyes widened.

"You're right!" He raised a brow in confusion.

"I am?" Stopping, Yukino turned to face him.

"We read so many books about magic and history, but we forgot the original reason why we wanted to get into the library." When he remained silent, she clarified. "The book of E.N.D. We stopped looking for it weeks ago."

"So you're saying we should search for it again?" Sting didn't feel much confidence in this plan. He never had.

"It's our only way to get an advantage over Zeref." Yukino replied.

"Or we could just, you know, kill him in his sleep?" He suggested and she chuckled bitterly.

"He's immortal, so I doubt that would work." Sting shrugged.

"One can dream." She knew he had been growing impatient, eager for a fight. It seemed to be a trait most dragon slayers shared: the urge to kick someone's ass.

"Patience, darling." Yukino wrapped her arms around his neck. "We'll be back home soon enough, so you can try to defeat Natsu."

"I can't wait." He smirked while wrapping his arms around her waist, bringing her close. They leant in for a passionate kiss, excited with the prospect of finally leaving Alvarez.

Little did they know, their plan would prove futile since the book of E.N.D had already been moved from its hiding place in the library.


A few hours later

After leaving the house, Juvia put the concealment spell back on and tried on a new spell to change her dark blue coat and green corset into the light green gown that she had been wearing two days before.

Choosing to head to Marguerite, which was closest to where the ship had crashed, she was relieved to find the captain and the guards that had been sent to protect her waiting in a café close to Lamia Scale.

Apparently, they had searched for her in many towns nearby, but after contacting the Emperor, he had suggested they wait for her in Marguerite. She was grateful that convincing them that she had gotten lost in the woods was easy enough; there were only so many lies she could tell in just one day.

They arrived in Alvarez a few hours later; thanks to the rapid speed of the ship; and Zeref greeted her in the gardens.

He was rather cheerful, which caused her to be suspicious. When she asked why he was so happy, he mentioned a surprise before leading her inside the castle.

As they walked along the corridors, he asked her about the crash, clearly worried about her health. She assured him that there were no injuries to be concerned about, hoping that he would take her word for it since she had no idea how to explain the hidden wound in her stomach if he were to ask for a check up.

Quickly changing the subject, she asked about the Spriggan 12 and he told her about his latest conversation with Dimaria, whom he referred to as the "troublemaker" among them.

"So, what's the surprise?" Juvia asked after they had walked for a while.

"Just a little more." Zeref replied, keeping an arm around her shoulders as he led her along the empty corridors.

It took 10 minutes and three flights of stairs, but at last they arrived in front of an unknown room. He smiled while opening the door and Juvia followed him inside, anxious.

"What is all this?" Looking around the large room, she spotted a table filled with different plates, glasses and napkins. There were also various types of snacks and three cakes. On the corner of the room, there was a beautiful wedding gown.

"I decided to get started on wedding planning." Zeref explained to the frozen mage.

"It's beautiful." Her eyes didn't leave the gown. How had he picked the perfect wedding dress for her?

"I'm glad you like it." His smile was as bright as the sun. "I wasn't expecting it to be so fun, but I did enjoy dress hunting."

"Why didn't you wait for me?" For a moment, she forgot that this wedding was nothing but a scam and she had no interest in actually going through with it. For a moment, all she could see was the beautiful gown and delicious looking cakes.

"If I'm being honest, Juliet, I can't wait to marry you." Zeref replied, giving a charming smile. She hesitated, but eventually chose to take his extended hand as he led her to the the gown.

"It truly is gorgeous." The water mage carefully ran her fingers through the soft material.

"Would you like to try it?" Juvia had already accepted that there was no way out of this wedding, so why not try on the beautiful gown?


After she nodded, Zeref picked it up before leading her towards a large closet. He placed the dress on a hanger and gave her privacy while she put it on. Thankfully, it was easy enough so she didn't require any help.

Once she walked out of the closet and looked at herself in the large mirror on the other side of the room, Juvia froze. Heart beating fast, she recalled all the times she had thought about her wedding day and pictured this exact scenario.

For a few moments, she was lost in a fantasy, until Zeref spoke. "You look absolutely breathtaking." His eyes surveyed her figure and he smiled. "I'm certain our guests won't be able to take their eyes off you."

The illusion was broken. Her excitement faded away the moment she remembered this wasn't what she wanted. Sure, the gown was beautiful, but she didn't wish to wear it for him.

"I know I won't." He continued, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her middle.

"You're always so flattering, Emperor." Juvia faked a smile while turning around in his arms. "I wonder if you're this charming with all the ladies."

He chuckled. "I assure you, princess, that you're the only one deserving of my praise."

"Lucky me." She forced a laugh.

"No, I'm the lucky one." For a moment, his face was serious and he seemed to be contemplating something.

"Everything okay?" Juvia asked, but instead of replying, he leant in to kiss her.

She closed her eyes and tried to chase the memory of kissing Gray away. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

Thankfully, Zeref was actually a good kisser, so the experience was never unpleasant like she had originally imagined. However, once she started feeling sick again, she had to pull apart and he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Juvia put a hand over her mouth before coughing.

"I didn't want to hurt you." Before she could ask what he meant, he removed his arms from around her and stepped back. "I know this wedding isn't what you want."

"It doesn't matter what I want." Juvia told him, sincere.

"That's the consequence of being a royal." Zeref said. "You can't always choose your future. However, I assure you that I'll make sure yours is as happy as possible."

Now this was certainly unexpected. "What exactly do you mean?"

Instead of directly answering her question, he said something else. Something which confused her. "I'm committed to you, Juliet. Even if I didn't expect it, I can no longer hold back."

"Hold what back?" Did he mean what she thought he meant? Or was she reading between the lines?

"Nothing." Zeref shook his head. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Juvia asked, curious and a bit afraid.

"As I said, I can't wait to marry you." He offered another charming smile. "Which is why I decided to move up the wedding."

So this was it, then. Her time to research, to figure out a way to defeat him, was up.

Or maybe, she thought, it was just beginning.

Maybe, just maybe, this wedding was a blessing in disguise. A way to keep the world at peace while continuing to explore the enemy and getting him to open up.

If her heart wasn't so hung up on Gray, Juvia might've even believed that she could be happy in this unplanned future.


So, thoughts?

Did you enjoy the sexy Gruvia here? It might seem like things moved too fast between them, but just remember that they've been waiting months for this. Thus, if anything, it's been too slow.

Too bad she chose Zeref in the end, huh? Well, you can't always follow your heart; specially if you're a princess.

Also, did you like the Stingyu scene? I always try to add them in since they're also main characters in this story.

Lastly, what does the future hold in store for these characters? How do you think this story will end?

PS: Now that I started drawing, I decided to illustrate what I imagine Juvia's wedding gown will look like. I'm going you post it tomorrow on Tumblr, so take a look at my main page. The username is sweetmemories2606.

Next chapter: Worried. After Juvia doesn't return to Magnolia as promised, everyone begins to worry. Even Jellal and Crime Sorciére go looking for her and end up making a surprising discovery. Will they figure out the connection between Juvia and Juliet?

Shall we try 12 reviews again by March 16th?