Dragon's Love with Dangerous Letters
Chapter 29
"I'm so glad you're ok! You. . . When we couldn't find you and then the bartender said . . .I'm so happy!"
Artemis chuckled sheepishly as she patted the nest of blue locks upon a short girl's head. Seemed like Levy and Gajeel had made it to the party as well and she had also caught sight of Laxus, Cobra, and Wendy a little bit of time ago as well. It seemed like all of the dragon slayers were here to celebrate Sting's engagement, well if they even knew that that was the reason this was being held.
"It's ok Levy, I'm fine now. It wasn't your fault." The brunette told her trying to sooth the bluenette hugging onto her for dear life.
Gajeel was only watching the brunette get squished by the bookworm. He said something along the lines of being glad that Artemis was ok but he didn't over express himself about that, he had been more on the fact of Jose and that he really wished to something about him at the present moment. The green eyed female finally freed herself from the shorter one and smiled gently. She really was more focused on finding the blonde Sabertooth prince but it seemed that now that she wanted to see him is when he decided not to show himself.
"I really am so glad Natsu and Sting were there. I wouldn't have known what to do with myself if I found out that Jose. . ."
Artemis rubbed her friend's shoulder as she trailed off. She knew what the bluenette wanted to say anyways and so did Gajeel from the sour look on his face. The brunette was sure things would turn out better for that kingdom once he took over the throne and somewhere deep down she also wished for the PhantomLord prince to find his missing father that no one seemed to know the whereabouts of.
Levy and Artemis stayed silent as the sound of the music changed and everyone seemed to switch partners out on the dance floor. Gajeel was the first to speak, his hand grabbing Levy's as he escorted her out to the floor to dance. Artemis smiled and thought she could see Levy ruling next to him one day but that thought quickly switched over to herself standing next to different royal. She shook her head to forget about it. There were hurdles she still needed to pass over before she could start imaging such a thing yet. A finger gently poked her shoulder twice. She turned.
"Care to dance?"
His soft words matched the soft smile on his face as she nodded her head yes. He lead her out onto the dance floor and placed a hand on her back, his other hand placed in her free one that wasn't resting upon his shoulder like the other. He gracefully led her in the steps even if she knew what she was doing, both of them gliding a crossed the floor and around other couples dancing. Her eye swept around her surroundings that seemed as if they were spinning instead of her and her partner. Their eyes met and even with the soft and relaxed expression on his face she knew that his piercing blue eyes screamed with happiness, something she hadn't seen in them for a few days and she really enjoyed it.
"Enjoying yourself?" He whispered.
"Yes." She replied curtly.
"Good! Nothing beats a Sabertooth party." He chuckled.
"I don't know about that, those few nights in that PhantomLord cell were pretty festive."
The blonde laughed at her sarcasm. He seemed happier now than he did when she caught him dancing with 'fiancée'. She pushed the thought away. She didn't feel like souring her mood with such a thought right now and would rather enjoy her time with the prince in a nice way. He spun her around and pulled her back in and the music stopped after that. She slipped her hand from his thinking they were done only to have it snatched back.
"One more . . . please? I don't want to go back to her."
He sounded sad, something she didn't want to hear. She quickly nodded her head and brought his smile back. The music started up again and like the last one he led the steps and she followed after him. She thought it would be nice to try talking with him at least though she didn't know what to talk about. She just glanced around some more, the male in the pairing next to them smiled at her and she did the same back as the fluff of pink passed by the two. Something was uttered by her partner but it was so low she couldn't hear it. Probably something unpleasant at the least.
"Sting-"
"No no it's fine. Not like I could do much if you choose him, I'm engaged anyway right?"
She knew he would assume that and it hurt her hearing him say such a lie. It also hurt every time he brought up the fact of him belonging to someone else. She just couldn't take it anymore and as much as she disliked ruining the moment she had no choice but to tell him now. She was just worried about making guilty since he had chosen Minerva before she even had a chance to sort everything through.
"Sting I didn't chose him."
He almost tripped over his own feet as he moved hearing her.
"Wha . . . What?"
"I didn't choose Natsu . . . I chose you."
He stopped moving to the music altogether now. They just stood there in the middle of the dance floor while the other couples maneuvered around them, glances of confusion washing a crossed them when they noticed they stopped moving. Artemis shook his shoulder hoping he'd move. If they just stood there in the middle of a dance floor he was going to end up drawing attention to them and she didn't want this turning into a big scene.
"Sting don't just stand there you'll cause a scene." She whispered.
He paid no heed to her words. His hands moved on their own and pulled his arms around her, hugging her tightly to him. His head bent down hiding his face in her hair and she knew that there was no way of avoiding such a scene now. Couples had already stopped moving to look at them, whispers and murmurs coming from every one. It was making the brunette feel uncomfortable in her place as she tried prying the male off of her.
"Why does father have to be so cruel? I didn't want to do this; I never wanted to get engaged at least not to her. He promised me that if I did I could go near you again instead of just sitting outside that door of your's. I got too caught up in the idea of seeing you again I just agreed. Please don't think something different . . . you were the only one I wanted and I regret ever making you feel that you were some trophy in a game I was creating . . . you're so much more than that to me."
The pain in his voice made her crack. She hugged him back whispered that she was sorry for her own mistakes. She could care less about their old argument anymore and was more worried on the fact of starting another one. She quickly let go of him and tried pushing him away again but he just refused to let go of her. An ominous growl echoed behind her causing her to gulp. That triggered Sting to let go of her real quick and she turned herself around, Minerva glowering at her right there as she stood in a full out navy blue dress that was almost as dark as her hair.
"I suggest you keep a tight hold on your son there your highness."
A rough voice came from the edge of the small crowd the two had accumulated. The man that spoke stood next to what seemed to be an ashamed Weisslogia. The man had white hair, braided down his back, and clothes that literally screamed upper class. He had a threatening persona to him just like someone else she knew and Artemis instantly connected this man to Minerva just by that little detail. He must be her father if that were the case. A low growl bubbled up in Sting who still stood beside her, one word coming off his lips quietly, "Jemmia". She guessed that it was the man's name and the blonde wasn't too happy to see him.
"Sting my son you-"
"Don't even. You know why so don't even."
Artemis never expected for Sting to talk to his father in such a way thought the albino didn't seem to be fazed by it whatsoever. Weisslogia let out a long sigh. He looked like he was about ready to give up with his son's stubbornness and if that were the case she'd be more happier that way though not all at once knowing Weisslogia only allowed her with Sting because he couldn't take his son's behavior, not because she had actually showed him that she could be worth something to Sting.
"Prince Sting you are engaged to my daughter your father should have every right to scold you for touching another girl in such a way." The man 'Jemmia' interrupted.
Oh how Artemis would've cower-ed if Sting gave her such a look that he had to Jemmia. Her fingers simply grazed over the young prince's shoulder in an attempt to grab it for he had stalked forward in a violent manner, a stream of shouts and curses leaving his mouth so quickly she was sure not many had even understood a word he had said. The one thing that was able to reach her ears clearly was him screaming for the ring back, the engagement ring he wanted back so he could give it to Artemis instead. Her face flustered incredibly as she buried it in her hands. She was sure everyone crowding them had their eyes attached to her figure now. She just wanted to hide, run and lock herself back up in her room while Sting still continued his ranting in Jemmia's face.
"Miss. Elise! Look out!"
Artemis jumped at the sound of Weisslogia's voice in such panic. She removed her hands from her eyes just in time to see her shadow shifting, a man jumping out of it with quick speed but someone else had been quicker. The blade went through skin and Artemis watched as the white haired man who jumped in between the two fell to the floor, blood oozing from his wound. The ballroom was in a panic quicker than Artemis could process anything. The man who still held the bloody knife quickly vanished within the crowd knowing that if he stayed he wouldn't see light again, not after stabbing the king.
"FATHER!"
Sting slid to the floor and hovered himself over his wounded father. Artemis collapsed on the other side of the man and watched Sting burst into tears. Not caring about running her dress in such a situation she pressed her hands down onto the wound hard trying to stop the bleeding. Working at the clinic for the past three years surly didn't prepare her for such a situation that was for sure. The red liquid stained her hands and it wasn't long before she began to cry herself.
"Father! Father! Say something!"
"S-Sting. . ."
Artemis felt people tripping over her feet as they rushed their way around the ballroom trying to find a way out in hopes of living to see tomorrow. Sting shouted for the medical maids but Artemis knew with everyone in such a chaotic state they would only get caught up in the bustling crowd. She noticed someone run up to them but didn't bother to look up. She knew it was Natsu by the sound of his voice and Sting explained what happened in a hurry. Natsu ran off yelling that he was going to try and find whoever did it, the thought of all of the dragon slayers probably doing the same once they knew what had happened ran through her mind.
"Artemis what-"
"Sh! I need to think Sting just . . . give me a minute." The brunette growled frustrated.
"We don't have a minute! My father's dying!"
"I know that! I'm trying Sting . . . I'm really trying."
She leaned down, her forehead pressing against her stained hands that still covered the wound. She listened to Weisslogia try to sooth his son who kept shouting about how he refused to let his father go. Meanwhile in her head the brunette prayed silently for a miracle, a way to rapid heal Weisslogia.
'Rapidly heal'.
Her thought's drifted back to the times she thought her wounds healed faster than they should have, when she scraped her knee as a child, and simply when she had been taking a shower this morning and she felt herself getting cut while shaving. She wished something like that could happen now, that she could rapidly heal Weisslogia and save him from his impending fate of death.
"A-Artemis!?"
Her name came from Sting's voice in a stuttering whisper, a shocked one that was. She lifted her head and saw what had him so amazed. It was the turquoise light emerging from her hands. She had no clue what she was doing but it felt like it was helping her. She pushed her hands down harder hearing the king grunt out in pain. She whispered a sorry and focused more on the energy in her hands. I different kind of magic from her shield, she felt happy that crating barriers wasn't the only thing she was capable of doing with her magic. When she lifted her hands she realized that she had healed his wound, not completely but enough that it had stopped bleeding and shrunk ever so slightly. 'Healing magic', she thought, 'suits someone who has worked in a clinic for three years.'
"Father!"
"I-I'm fine now Sting."
"Sting!"
Artemis's head shot up. It was Rogue and he seemed panicked but of course Artemis knew he would be in such a situation. Next to him though stood a girl, brown locks of hair and hazel eyes made up her features. Artemis couldn't help but stare at her and realize that this was the girl who she had been chasing in the garden and had seen out on the dance floor.
The one that looked so much like Artemis herself.
"Artemis what is it?" Sting's voice came out concerned as his gaze slid between both brunettes.
As suddenly this girl has a shine come to her eyes, hand raised towards her mouth with a gasp suddenly whispering towards the younger prince:
"Ryos. . .that's my cousin."
