Ready? Okay! One, two, three- it's the fourteenth chapter! Yay! Cheer it out lovelies, do some splits, shake those poms!
S/O to mooney-996 for the epic review. Seriously, it bled epicness.
Again, the PM's worked and I now reply. Review, comment, criticize, question- do it. I dare you. Poke.
For those who review, I am trying something new. Whoever reviews will get a sneak peak of the next chapter, chapter fifteen to be exact. Don't worry, it will be an important part- I promise.
Now, let us venture into the forest and on to the story.
Disclaimer: Did not own then, do not own now, will not ever own. :(
Erza huffed again. "You disgust me. As if I would do that, with you in the room, watching me!"
"What was I supposed to think?"
"Something else, anything else!"
"You would have thought the exact same thing if I had done that!"
"I most certainly would not-" She cut off when Jellal pointed and hissed at her.
"Don't even try to lie about that. We both know you would have."
The sheets rustled when she crossed her arms. "Fine, I would have. But-" She pointed at him in turn, "That wasn't what I was doing!"
He sighed and rubbed his neck. "Well I know that now, but you still should have explained sooner. I mean, seriously, it's been almost two days and you just let me sit here thinking you were into public masturbation. What. The. Hell?"
"I needed to make sure it was safe to tell you." She climbed out of her bed and into his, shoving him aside to make room.
"Tell me what?" This was ridiculous, what else hadn't she told him?
"Keep your voice down. I don't want them hearing."
Jellal rolled his eyes but dutifully lowered his voice. "Don't want who hearing?"
"The guards outside our door." At his sharp look she jerked her chin towards the aforementioned door. "I've been watching them, how they move. Whenever they come in, they look to the left of the door, and I've even seen them nod sometimes. When Oliver and Cana come to visit, there's shuffling if you listen carefully. I think they're there all the time, and it's not those two goons that Cana brought in either."
"Alright, so they have people guarding us. We were just poisoned Erza, that's not exactly a ridiculous precaution." He could admit it seemed a little heavy-handed, but Lady Heartfilia had been kidnapped. Perhaps they feared the same fate for Erza and him.
"Fine, but explain away the fact that the doors are locked and we're not allowed out. We can't do anything for ourselves unless it's approved by someone else. We can't even be allowed a separate room to bathe in. They won't let us have contact outside Oliver, Cana, and the idiots who bring things in. Oliver can't say anything to us that hasn't been censored beforehand, I can see it in the way he words things during the visits." She stared at him pleadingly.
"Don't be stupid Jellal, piece it together." He felt something press into his hand and looked down. There was a glint of cloth and glass before she curled his fingers around it, and then pushed his hand down beneath the sheets quickly. "I had this bottle for months, I used it at least once a week, more since we'd been fighting. I kept it in a drawer inside one of my training gloves, to keep it warm. The gloves were at the back of the drawer, because I hadn't used them in months. I remember digging through paperwork and training shit to find them. There was no way some stranger just came in and found it by chance."
The glass felt cold against his skin, made worse by the sweat that was starting to form on the insides of his palms. "You think it was an inside job." It wasn't posed as a question, and it wasn't meant to be. Jellal could see it in her face, Erza thought there was a mole.
"I know it was an inside job." She stared at him, strong and sure.
"Do you know who it was?" He hoped he sounded half as confident as she did.
She bit her lip, the first sign of indecision he'd seen from her since he'd arrived, and nodded. "I have some idea of who could have done it, but no evidence."
"So the bottle…" He didn't understand what it was supposed to prove.
"The bottle still has some of the poison in it. Whoever made it should have an exact match to it." Erza's hand drifted over where Jellal's was under the sheets, and she leaned ever closer. "There's an inked fingerprint on the instruction tag attached to the bottle."
He looked at her sharply. "Are you sure it isn't-"
"Mine?" She finished for him. "No. I had my sword gloves on most of the time I used it, and the ink that shows the fingerprint isn't black like the splotches around it."
"Whoever diluted the bottle got it on him- or herself, and then touched the tag." The culprit could have dumped the original poison batch, but fingerprints? Those didn't lie.
Erza could see when Jellal realized it, and she smiled at him. "We've got him."
"Or her," Erza corrected smugly.
Jellal laughed and nodded his head. "Or her."
"What is going on here?" Levy couldn't believe it, she really couldn't. First this- this thug accosted her near the campsite, and now he was molesting Cana, who was not only a doctor but unconscious to boot! Oh, this man was scum- no, scratch that, he was lower than scum. If scum had a boot and there was stuff on the bottom of it, that was what this man was.
"Oi!" He snapped at her, in a seemingly irritated manner. The nerve! If anyone here had a right to be irritated it was her!
"Stop screeching and calm yer shit down." A sneer stole over his face as he talked to her, and she felt herself respond in like.
"Well," She took on an exaggerated tone, "Ex- cuse me! I'm sorry if I came in to one of my best friend's house," The emphasis on best friend was clearly evident, "And then was just a teeny-tiny bit upset to find her unconscious and being assailed by some ruffian!" The word was spat out of her mouth like bile.
He sputtered and choked before retorting, "I ain't assailing her!" It came out as a yell, and then she heard him mutter, "Whatever the hell that means."
"It means to attack vigorously with words or actions, or to overwhelm the mind or senses. Sexually and perversely, in your case." Her nose could not get higher in the air at this point. "Hooligan." She added for effect.
"Then you're wrong, 'cause I ain't attacking her." He paused for a moment and looked down at his position. "Alright, so it looks like I am, but I ain't."
"Swear on your boy scout honor?" She held up her hand and batted her eyelashes.
A growl was aimed at her and she rolled her eyes. Such juvenile tactics didn't scare her. She'd been Erza's prey before: little terrified her now.
"We were out drinking and she fell asleep on me, dammit! What the hell was I supposed to do, leave her at the bar?" His voice was rapidly growing louder and more agitated as the conversation went on.
"That still doesn't explain your current positions!" It was a plausible enough explanation, but the ending still seemed shaky.
"You're right, I lied. We were horny and decided to come here and fuck each other until we both collapsed from sheer exhaustion." Levy squawked in outrage and he rolled his eyes. "Relax, I was just screwing with you." He chuckled and smirked. "Metaphorically, that is."
Levy clenched her fists and snarled at him, "I do not find you funny. You're crass and abhorrent and I want the truth now!" She stamped her foot and let out an unintelligible screech.
"Woah, better watch out there Shorty. That kinda temper might melt yer chastity belt." He snorted and shifted his weight above Cana, fiddling with his shirt. "Her hand got caught in my shirt and she pulled me down with her when I let her down here. I was in the process of separating myself when this little blue imp came in and started nagging me about raping helpless women. It was very annoying."
"Blue imp-! I am five foot, one inch and a half, for your information!" She frowned and glared at him. "Not all of us can be dark hulking behemoths like a certain someone."
The floor screamed as he finally disentangled himself and thumped onto the floor. "Wow, almost five two- consider me impressed." His voice deadpanned, if slightly breathless from the fall.
"I'll have you know that in some areas and cultures I'm considered to be a tall person." She didn't know any specific areas or cultures, but there had to be at least one.
"Where have you been traipsing? Munchkin Land? Dwarf Mountain, maybe? Oh no, let's go with door number three, you must have visited the magical world of Leprechaun Isle." His hands made a rainbow arc and he stared at her sarcastically.
She huffed and followed him as he brushed himself off and walked out of the house. "No! And you shouldn't make fun of other creatures- some people actually believe in them, you know."
"You one of 'em?" The door clicked shut and he looked at the doorframe, wincing. Upon a closer inspection, Levy realized it was damaged. She idly wondered what happened and then remembered his question.
"Not really, but I find them fascinating to read about. People have constructed entire civilizations based off what they believe to be clues left behind for humans to find. It's very interesting."
The manor seemed to be his destination, though she wasn't sure, and so she continued following him. It was also her destination, after all.
"It ain't interesting, it's pathetic." This time when he spoke his voice was gruff and harsh. "People like that bury themselves in an imaginary world, they delude themselves into believing in something that doesn't exist." His footsteps faltered for a moment before straightening out into a more confident stride. "Fanatics like that refuse to acknowledge reality, sometimes despite what it may cost them later on. They're dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs."
It sounded like her little admission had prodded a sore point. Interesting. "Yes, but not all of them are like that- fanatical, I mean. Some of them realize it's a bit illogical, and that they'll probably never find discover whatever it is they've been searching for."
"…Maybe." He said it grudgingly, and didn't elaborate beyond that.
She hummed. "Well, I'll take what I can get." They'd reached the castle by now, and Levy frowned at the sight of two soldiers guarding a side door. Security had gotten so tight lately that it was just ridiculous. The regular bodyguards never gave her any trouble, but the new soldiers always questioned her no matter how many times they'd seen her before.
However, this time the soldiers merely nodded towards them, more specifically to the man standing beside her, and stepped aside easily. They passed without any questions about their names, positions in the castle, purpose for leaving and entering, nothing.
After they'd walked past, Levy looked back in bewilderment. "That was…" She turned to look at him. "Who are you?"
"Whaddaya mean?" He looked resolutely at the walls.
"I mean that every time I've left and come back to the manor they've always asked who I was, no matter if they've asked me that ten times before. But the one time I walk back with you they don't even give me a second glance." She jumped ahead of him and stood in his path. "So, either we've been doused with an invisibility potion, or you're high enough on the food chain that everyone knows you- more importantly, they know not to question you or anyone you're with."
His eyes narrowed and she chirped again, "Who are you, exactly?"
"Why don't you tell me? You seem to have figured out everything else." He brushed past her and headed down a hallway.
Refusing to be put off so easily, she continued to dog him. "I know you came with the search party. I know Erza and Commander Jellal seem to trust you. I know all the soldiers defer to you. I know that you have a cat named Pantherlily but that you just call him Lily for short. I know you prefer an edgier decorating scheme, preferably one with lots of metal and black in it."
"The hell-" He spun around and stared at her. "What did you do, go through all my stuff? The fuck is wrong with you?"
"Please, don't flatter yourself." She smirked at him. "The maids gossip."
"Oh. Well, that's- that's weird." He shuffled his feet for a few seconds. "Tell 'em I said not to touch my cat." He turned back around and continued walking.
She giggled and assured him she would. "But you still haven't answered my question."
"You already know enough. I'm not givin' you anything to trade with those demons."
Assuming he meant the maids, she continued to badger him. "I'm just going to bother you until you tell me. And don't worry, I'm not like the maids. I won't tell anyone your top-secret secret."
"Fine, you really wanna know?"
"Yes!"
"Too bad. Go away." He laughed and turned the corner.
So close, and yet… "I'm going to follow you, and I won't stop until you tell me the truth. I'll come into your room."
"Like I give a shit, the room ain't really mine."
"I'll touch all your precious metal decorations."
"Those can be polished later, preferably by someone other than me."
"I'll pet your cat."
He stopped dead. His shoulders were rigid and his hands were frozen by his side. When he turned around to glare at her, she could have sworn his eyes turned from black to red. "You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, I assure you I would. You can't be in that room every minute of the day, you have to leave sometime. And just when you least expect it, I'll strike."
The more she talked the more disgusted he looked, so Levy figured she was talking in the right direction. Some would probably consider this overkill, but Levy was burning to know. Her friends had often said that she was like a sponge, soaking up any information she could find and then reaching for more. They didn't understand, though.
Knowledge was power, especially in their world. This man knew something, and Levy didn't. That was a problem, as she always made it a point to be one of the most informed people at the manor.
So, while it was probably overkill, now she was hooked.
"Just image it: You coming into your room, only to find me and Lily." His eye twitched. "Snuggling," She added quickly, "Me rubbing his back, scratching his neck, petting his ears, playing with his tail. Him purring, gently kneading the bedspread with his claws, ear twitching in pleasure. Why," She gasped as if this might have just occurred to her. "He might even roll over and let me rub his belly."
"You know, I hear that cats also like- hey!" He grabbed her wrist and yanked her down another hallway, walking quickly. They came across a black door and he shoved open the door roughly.
"What are you doing? Let me go!" Maybe she'd crossed a line with the cat thing, maybe he was one of those guys who-
"Shut yer trap and stop squirming. You wanna know who I am? Fine."
Levy shrieked, and then clamped her hands over her mouth. "Sorry," She mumbled.
He rolled his eyes. "Don't get too excited. You want the truth, Shorty? That's fine." She stumbled a little when he shoved her into his room.
She started wondering if she should rethink her decision when he slammed her up against the wall. She actually started rethinking her decision when he put his arms on either side of her head, caging her in. And she most certainly thought her decision was the wrong one when he leaned in closely, so close she could feel his lips brush her neck.
When he whispered, it came in hot puffs against her ear, and she shivered.
"But it's going to cost you."
Gimme a 'E,' gimme a 'N,' gimme a 'D'! What's that spell? E-N-D! We've reached the end of another chapter, the fourteenth chapter to be exact. Yay! Shake those pom-poms!
Review, review, REVIEW or I will go make a shady deal with an equally shady man (hopefully it will be as good a deal as the one Gajeel was about to make with Levy before I made it a cliffie).
Also, as a reminder, those who review will get a sneak peak preview of the next chapter as a reward. Have I sufficiently tempted you yet?
Some things for this chapter:
#1. DNA evidence did not exist this far back, but if they had something viable to compare it to then it could work. This is an assumption, but I'm pretty sure it was possible. No two fingerprints are exactly alike, so… let's just roll with this, shall we?
#2. In case you haven't figured it out yet, Erza was not masturbating. If you recall, back in Chapter 10 Erza and Jellal were originally poisoned, and as she was falling into unconsciousness she stuffed the bottle into her skirt. When she was allegedly masturbating, she was in reality checking for the bottle.
#3. LEVY DOES NOT KNOW WHO GAJEEL IS. Yet. Methinks she will in the next chapter. She wants to know because she's nosy and persistent and wants to be informed. Knowledge is power, people, and don't you forget it. This may seem strange- after all, how can people not know who the King and Princes are and what they look like? In the eras in which lords and ladies and fiefdoms and whatnot still existed, many places were completely self-sufficient. This meant that the Lord that controlled the land was the equivalent of the king in that area. Plus, wide circulation of papers and other communication devices wasn't common. So unless a person lived in the direct area in which the king and his sons inhabited, many wouldn't have any idea what they looked like. They'd recognize the name, but not the face so to speak.
People we've met so far:
Lucy Heartfilia- Daughter of Jude and Layla Heartfilia, only child. Lady of Magnolia. Engaged to Natsu Dragneel, First Crown Prince of Fiore. Assistant/ wedding planner to Natsu Dragneel, First Crown Prince of Fiore. Living.
Levy McGarden- Orphaned only child. Employed by Jude Heartfilia. Companion to Lady Lucy Heartfilia. Living.
Juvia Lockser- Orphaned only child of Jose Porla and OC. Employed by Jude Heartfilia. Companion to Lady Lucy Heartfilia. Assistant/wedding preparations fetcher to Gray Fullbuster- Dragneel, Third Crown Prince of Fiore. Living.
Jude Heartfilia- Husband to Layla Heartfilia, father to Lucy Heartfilia. Lord of Magnolia. Living.
Layla Heartfilia- Wife to Jude Heartfilia, mother to Lucy Heartfilia. Lady of Magnolia. Deceased.
Jose Porla- Father to Juvia Lockser. Deceased.
Erza Scarlet- Orphaned adopted only child of Grandpa Rob. Former Royal Army soldier. First Bodyguard to Lady Lucy Heartfilia. Living.
Natsu Dragneel- Second son of Igneel Dragneel, King of Fiore, and OC. First Crown Prince of Fiore. Engaged to Lucy Heartfilia, Lady of Magnolia. Living.
Gajeel Redfox-Dragneel- First son of Igneel Dragneel, King of Fiore, and OC. Second Crown Prince of Fiore. Escort to the Royal Search Party. Living.
Gray Fullbuster-Dragneel- Third son of Igneel Dragneel, King of Fiore, and OC. Third Crown Prince of Fiore. Assistant/ wedding preparations fetcher to Natsu Dragneel, First Crown Prince of Fiore. Living.
Jellal Fernandes- Supreme Commander of the Royal Army of Fiore. Head of the Royal Search Party. Living.
Happy- Pet to Natsu Dragneel, First Crown Prince of Fiore. Breed: Exceed. Color: Blue. Living.
Jet- Castle runner/messenger. Living.
Droy- Castle runner/messenger. Living.
Mr. Sakinawa- Husband to OC. Owner of a flower shop in Fiore. Living.
Wendy- Assistant at a fabric shop in Fiore. Employed by Lacy. Living.
Lacy- Owner of a fabric shop in Fiore. Living.
The Lookalike Leader- Owner of a glass shop in Fiore. Supposedly living. Undetermined if she and her employees are actually robots.
The Cleaning Clones- Employees of the Lookalike Leader. Employed at a glass shop in Fiore. Supposedly living. Undetermined if they and their boss are actually robots.
Oliver Cottonwood- Right hand man to Erza Scarlet. Bodyguard to Lady Lucy Heartfilia. Living.
The Belkbroth family- Two men and one woman that have some medical association and are employed occasionally by the royal family. Living.
Nurse Welde- a nurse in the Royal Infirmary.
Lily- Pet to Gajeel Redfox-Dragneel, Second Crown Prince of Fiore. Breed: Exceed. Color: Black and white. Living.
Cana Alberona- Head Doctor employed by the Heartfilia family. Has a medical degree. Is presumed to enjoy alcohol and inappropriate humor. Living.
Lackey One and Lackey Two- Two former doctors employed by the Heartfilia family. Are now minions of Cana Alberona. Living.