Gajeel gritted his teeth as he slammed the door, making Levy jump slightly. He leaned against it, growling frustratedly, another dead end, the maid they had just spoken too had only started three weeks ago and hardly knew anyone, let alone any assassination plans. They had been at this for over a week and he was at his wits end. The staff in the castle were either all stupid or knew how to keep a secret, even threats of violence hadn't brought out any answers. Beyond that Lucy had all but disappeared, he had only seen glimpses of her since that morning at breakfast. Every time Gajeel wanted to stop her and ask her some questions, the woman seemed to disappear, he couldn't help but feel like the woman was avoiding them. When he pointed it out to Levy she just said something about it being unfair for them to expect Lucy to put her responsibilities aside, and she would sit down with them when she had time. He glared down at Levy, her cheeks were puffed out and her brow furrowed, the skin under her eyes wasn't as dark as it was, and her fingernails were staring to grow back finally, but that was only because he said something her every time he saw her start chewing them again.
She was still having nightmares every night. The first time it happened he woke to the sound of her small whimpers, and the way she trashed about on the bed, it took him a solid minute to realize she wasn't awake. He watched her trying to decide if he should wake her or not, finally she settled down a bit, her small hands still outstretched, and muttering, he realized that she was asking for her father. Hoping it would keep her calm he reached over the gap between his cot and her bed and grabbed her hand. The change had been almost instant, her face relaxed and her breathing steadied. Every night since then when she started having nightmares and asking for her father he would grab her hand and wait for her to go back to sleep, Gajeel was sure that she didn't remember the nightmares, or asking for the late king. Until last night.
They went through the same routine they always did. Levy attempted to brush her, which never worked, and then they both did some meditation and stretching to help them sleep, that chatted a little about the weather, then crawled into their beds without another word. He waited for her nightmares to start and like clock work they did just moments after she fell reached his hand out like he always did, and she began muttering like usual, but not her father's name, his name. Gajeel stopped cold, and waited, her small hands reached for him and his name fell from her lips again. He reached out tentatively and took her hand, which calmed her like it always did, but why would she say his name? The question had been rattling around his head all day, messing with his focus, and furthering his frustration.
Levy shook his arm lightly, "Gajeel? Are you listening to me?"
He looked back down at her, "What?"
"Are you okay? You've been acting strange all morning. Are you sleeping all right?" worry clouded her eyes.
Her hand lingered on his arm, something that would've made his skin crawl just a month ago was now something of a regular occurrence. Casual touches like this were becoming more and more common, which if he was being honest about made him happy, her touch seemed to anchor him to reality and kept his emotions in check. In fact just being around her cleared his mind and pushed his inner demons back behind a wall of light.
"Are you?" He countered gently
She looked at the floor as she ran her fingers through her tangled hair.
"Not really. I've been having nightmares"
He leaned over so their eyes were level, "I know,"
"I know, you do," she wouldn't meet his eyes
"Then you remember asking for your dad?"
She nodded.
"Do you remember asking for me last night?"
She nodded.
"I think I did that because even when I'm asleep, I know you're there." She whispered finally, "You're always there,"
He stood up, she was holding something back, but he decided it best not to push her. She needed him and that was part of his job, so it was best to leave it at that.
"So what do we do now? Obviously no one in this castle is going to tell us anything," he grumbled as they made their way down the corridor in search of lunch.
"Or they may not know anything. Who ever is behind this is good at covering their tracks," she laid a hand across her sternum, drumming her fingers against her collar bone.
Gajeel's gut told him that there were people in the castle that knew something and he needed to get to those people, but there was only one way he could think to get them to come out of the wood work.
"I have an idea," he blurted
"And what would that be?" She stopped walking to face him.
He hesitated. He had had his suspicions since their first night in Ashren, but saying it out loud was harder then he thought it would be. Levy wasn't going to like this plan, but it was their last resort, or they would have to go home without any answers, and they still might.
"Gajeel," Levy pushed
"Do you trust me?" He said finally.
It was her turn to hesitate and for a moment he was afraid she didn't trust enough to go along with him.
Thankfully she said, "With my life,"
"Good, now here's the plan,"
"It's not just your parent's fault! It's yours! It's your whole bloodline!" Gajeel screamed
Levy's broken gaze met his, tears streaming down her cheeks freely, "If your father had been a better knight, or even a better person, my parents would still be alive!"
Their voices echoed through the halls, the staff we coming out of different rooms to watch the argument or to run and get help.
Gajeel took a bold step toward his queen, "If it hadn't been for your kings," he spat, "my father, and all my ancestors could've lived full, happy lives in Ashren! Not protecting brats like you from harmless nightmares!"
Levy's eyes widened in shock at insubordination, "How dare you!" She screamed leaping at him in anger her whole weight charging into his chest.
Gajeel was prepared and brushed the blow off as if a child had hit him.
"Did I strike a nerve, your Majesty," he jeered loudly.
Down the hall he could the heavy footsteps of the castle guard coming to break them up. He grabbed Levy by the waist and shoved her roughly into the wall, she cried out as her back slammed against the cold plaster. There was a large intake of breath as the small crowd watched on.
"You're a monster," Levy choked out loud enough for everyone to hear.
"There's one thing we agree on," he squeezed her waist hard with one hand and screwed his fist up for a punch with the other.
Just then eight guards turned the corner, along with Queen Lucy. As a final show of power Gajeel punched the wall inches from Levy's face leaving a hole in the beige walls, Levy screamed out fearfully.
"Seize him!" Lucy shouted.
The guards lunged forward and tackled Gajeel, forcing him to drop Levy into a sobbing heap, before shackling his writs and shoving him forward. Gajeel smiled at Levy menacingly.
"Next time, I won't miss,"
He watched Levy's crumpled form on the floor, she covered her face with her hands, loud sobs filling the hall.
"Take him away," Lucy barked angrily.
As he was lead down the hall he heard Lucy tell one of the maids to escort Levy to her room, to let her calm down. As they walked he made sure to draw a mental map of their route in case he needed to escape. To his surprise they didn't take him to a dungeon or a cell but instead to the throne room. They pushed him inside and closed the door firmly behind him. The room felt like the exact opposite of the one he and Levy sat in on a regular basis. Levy's was beautiful and warm with long windows so the sunlight could shine freely throughout the room and warmed all those who entered it.
Lucy's on the other hand was grand, the black marble floor was flecked with white and made him feel like he was walking on the stars. There were no windows he noticed, just long burgundy curtains adorning the black walls. A single golden throne sat on a pedestal behind it was a painting of the Black family, each proudly wearing their ceremonial clothes of black and gold and red silk. The sheer power radiating around the room was enough to make Gajeel's skin tingle. He heard a door open and shut and the faint click of heels against the floor, Lucy appeared from behind the throne. She wore her hair down so the it spilled over her brown silk dress, just like the room she too radiated power.
"That was something," she stated simply.
He was silent, watching her with cautious eyes. She circled him slowly like mountain cat eyeing prey.
"What stared such an altercation?"
Her voice was calm and did not carry any of the anger it should have. She should be furious beyond all belief that he attacked Levy. Aren't the two close friends?
"Ashren is more my home than Uline could ever be. Being here reminds me of how things could have been I suppose,"
"You mean if the knight hadn't taken the Oath? Wouldn't the Silver king have just killed him then? Ending your bloodline?" She stopped in front of him again
"My ancestor was not as weak as the Silver family likes to believe. He would've struck the king down," he allowed his anger to lace his words carefully forming each syllable, to hide his Ulinan accent.
"Do you hate the Silver family?" She asked bluntly
He nodded, "All of them. It's their fault my father is dead,"
"I remember when that happened. I'm so sorry for you loss Gajeel," her words were soft and surprisingly sincere.
"I promised myself I'd avenge him," he glared down at the woman in front of him.
"Of course, but how do intend to do that?"
"By any means necessary,"
She nodded and then turned towards the painting of her family studying it. She was weighing her next words, determining if she could trust him. Gajeel waited patiently.
"What if I told you I have a way to avenge you father and to free you of this," she paused, "cursed Oath,"
He scoffed openly, "How do you plan to do that? Kill the Queen?"
She turned on him, smiling devilishly, "Not me. You,"
She gave him a moment to let the words settle, to allow him to decide if he wanted to commit treason. To start a war.
He smirked down at her, "I'm in,"
After Lucy had filled Gajeel in on the plan, he was sent to a room on the opposite wing of the castle, so that Levy would assume he was locked up somewhere. She explained to him that Levy planned to leave the following morning so that she could have his punishment handed out according to the laws of Uline. Once back home that's when her plan would go into action, he'd been given a vial of poison to sprinkle on her pillow so that when she inhaled it Levy would die in her sleep. No blood, no evidence of foul play, it would simple to tell people that the Queen smothered herself during one of her nightmares. It was perfect simple plan, he would put the poison on her pillow three days after they returned home, three days after that Lucy would arrive and give the royal council the option to annex to Ashren and avoid a war. The plan was simple, and almost perfect.
The next day he was shackled again and escorted to the front of the castle where Levy and Lucy were waiting for two women stood side by side, Levy dressed again in her travel clothes, he cloak pulled tightly around her, under her eyes the skin was dark again, and he knew she hadn't slept the previous night. He shot her a look of pure poison, allowing Lucy to see his open hate of the Silvers.
"Do you want to send a guard with you. It would be no trouble," Lucy asked eyeing Gajeel tentatively.
"No, he won't be a problem," she lifted her shirt to show a dagger at each hip. At Lucy's arched eyebrow she said, "you know how the saying goes, fool me once,"
Lucy pulled her into a warm hug, " I'm so sorry we couldn't find the person behind your attack, Levy. I will continue investigations here in your stead,"
"Thank you, Lucy. I'm sure the person's true colors will show eventually. They always do," she glanced at Gajeel, before smiling happily at her friend, "I must be going I have a heap of things I have do when I get back,"
"Of course, safe travels my dear!" She waved at Levy as Gajeel was shoved into the carriage and Levy climbed in after him.
The two were silent as they were pulled out of sight of the castle. Once Levy was sure no one were following them, Levy pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the shackles. Before Gajeel could even move, she threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.
"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried!"
He wrapped his arms around her small frame, breathing her in, finding comfort in her presence. It wasn't until he was alone in his room last that night that he realized how much fighting with her, allowing his demons to do the talking for him when he was with Lucy, had tore open wounds that had been healing up since they arrived in Ashren. it was all a part of his plan but there had been more than one time he thought he'd lose control again. Now just being near her again he could feel her light seeping into him, mending him again, sewing up the holes his anger and hatred left behind, making him whole.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be with you last night. I know you didn't sleep," he mumbled into her hair, without thinking.
She pulled away, "It wasn't anything a brat like me couldn't handle." She winked at him, "I can live with a little lack of sleep. Did the plan work?"
He flinched inwardly at the hope in her eyes, she still wanted to believe that Lucy was her friend. He nodded. "It worked,"
Levy slumped visibly, before flinched slightly. Her hand subconsciously going to her waist.
"What's wrong," he reached for her
She chuckled darkly, "You may have gotten just a little carried away yesterday," she hiked up her shirt to show him the bruise on her side. It was a perfect purple print of his hand across her waist and rib cage. He brushed his fingers over it gently, regretting how forceful he had been, he should've known better.
"Damn it," he whispered.
"It's not big deal. I've had worse sparring with Lily." She put her shirt down again, "Now, tell me everything that happened,"
So this chapter went a lot of places, up, and down, and to the side, and somehow I think it ended okay! Anyway I hope you liked it, I'm rather pleased with this chapter in particular. i hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween and stayed safe :)