Chapter 11

Gajeel searched for the cellar the dragon claimed was at the edge of the forest first. He knew that if any women were alive, he needed to prioritize their rescue. Not only that, but the fiend tavern owner might have been spooked when Gajeel and Levy did not return to the village after a few hours. He might have gone to check on his hideout, just in case, and Gajeel knew it was likely he'd encounter the fiend there.

It took him less time than he'd expected to find the hideout. It was hidden well, with dense bushes covering the opening. But there were fresh human footprints in the area, heading to and from the village, and Gajeel knew this was it. He pushed a dead bush off the cellar door and pulled it open, then climbed down the ladder into the cellar.

His feet landed on the ground with a heavy thud and a splash, and he noticed that water was accumulating here. There were puddles everywhere. He looked around, seeing that the cellar was lit by torches. A narrow tunnel opened up into a large room, and his eyes widened at what he found. It nearly made him physically sick.

All along the edges of the room, naked women were tied up with rope that was buried into the mud wall. There were six women of varying ages, but none older than thirty. Most of them had obvious bruises. Some were bleeding. There was one he feared had already perished, for she was extremely pale and he couldn't see her breathing. In the center of the room was a bed without sheets. And Gajeel knew then and there what the old man was doing to these poor women. What he would have done to Levy if Gajeel had left her in his care.

Gajeel had never hated another human as much as he did in that instant.

"W-what is your name, Mister Dragon?" Levy had gotten tired of all the silence. She sat in the grass a fair distance from the dragon, as she was still wary of him. He just stared off into space as if bored. He was trying not to needlessly frighten the girl, figuring Black Steel would be angry if he did such. Hearing her question, he turned curious eyes to her.

"I am called Belserion. And your name, little human?" he inquired calmly.

"Levy McGarden." She responded with a polite nod. The dragon hummed curiously at this, tilting his head as he looked at her.

"You are a princess." He stated knowingly. He knew of the McGardens. They were close relatives of the king, and therefore royalty. Levy blushed lightly at this but nodded. She never referred to herself as a princess, but it was her official title. "What is a princess doing in the middle of nowhere with a knight? It sounds rather scandalous." The dragon chuckled lightly at her. He recalled the knight had in fact given this girl several kisses, and he treated her fondly. Were they lovers?

"W-we are courting." Levy told him with a small blush. "He wished to take me to a festival, and we are traveling home now."

"I see. Are you to marry him? Black Steel? Or is he one of many potential suitors?" Belserion hummed at her. He knew humans, royalty especially, tended to have several potential suitors lined up for their daughters. Usually, the daughter was to wed the one that impressed her father the most, the one who helped her family climb the social ladder the most. But she was a princess. She was already about as high as she could be, without marrying a crown prince from another kingdom.

"T-the king has chosen me to be his wife, in return for his loyalty. We… we are to marry when I turn eighteen, in five months." She explained to the dragon with a small smile, feeling her heart flutter happily at the thought of marrying Gajeel. She almost couldn't believe she'd hated the idea of marrying Gajeel in the beginning… because now it was almost all she could think about.

"When you are married, how far from the throne will Black Steel be?" Belserion asked curiously.

"W-why do you wish to know this?" Levy asked the dragon with wide eyes. He leveled her with a calm stare.

"Fear not. I am merely curious." He told her. "But should Black Steel inherit the throne, the lives of all dragons might be a little better. He is understanding of our woes, whereas most humans are not."

"And why is that?" Levy asked curiously. Come to think of it, she'd never heard of a knight attempting to talk to dragons before, or trusting their word. But Gajeel, he seemed so certain that this dragon would keep his word. No other knight would do the same.

"He has not told you, then." The dragon hummed, looking at her curiously. "Little human, Black Steel was raised by a dragon. One of my dear friends, in fact. The Iron Dragon of the North."

"But… but that dragon is…"

"You are correct." Belserion nodded slowly. "That is the first dragon Black Steel Gajeel ever killed. He slew his own father."