Chapter 13
"Are we there yet?" Happy asked.
"We should be. We entered the kingdom last night and the city should be just over this hill," Erza said walking at the front of the group. Her luggage creating a dust cloud obscuring the view for everyone behind.
"I didn't even know that this place existed," Wendy stated, the gravel of the dirt road crunching under her feet.
"Don't you thinks it's weird that they would ask for help from guilds outside of their own county? You would think that they'd have some mages of their own," Gray said.
"Well whatever the reason, let's hope something interesting happens," Natsu said. The group had noticed that his attitude had improved remarkably since the beginning of the trip. The Fairy Tail members were beginning to see some of the old Natsu.
"Well, since Fairy Tail is involved, something interesting will definitely happen," Sting joked.
Natsu laughed, "You got that right."
Gray and Erza shared a look and smiled. It had been a while since Natsu had laughed.
As they came to the top of the hill they were greeted by the sight of a large group uniformed soldiers blocking the path.
"Are you the mages from Fiore?" A man, whom the group believed to be a commander, asked. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a stance that commanded authority. His greying hair and lined face was a stark contrast to the fresh young faces of the soldiers at his back, but their tight formation and polished black uniforms made the mages pause. Erza noticed that the sword on the commander's hip, it's pommel scratched and marked illustrating the weapon's history and years of use.
"Yes, we are," Sting said stepping forward.
"Show us your guild marks," the man demanded. Not wanting to make this man angry everyone complied.
Gray lifted his shirt exposing his mark on his chest, Sting, Rogue, Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy exposed their shoulders, with the other mages following their example.
Seeing the insignias, the man visibly relaxed, the soldiers appearing to release a collective breath. "Thank you. I apologise for being so gruff but we must be cautious. Please, we have been expecting you. My name is Takeshi, I am the commander of the King's army," the man said inclining his head to the group of mages before him. "The carriages behind us will take you the rest of the way through the city to the palace where the King is waiting."
"Thank you for your hospitality," Erza said making her way to one of the carriages, handing her luggage cart over to a bewildered soldier.
The group split in two, with each guild taking a carriage.
"I can't wait to see the city. I hope it's as pretty as Crocus," Wendy said as the carriages started to move, unfortunately that was the last thing she said before turning green.
"We know nothing of this place only the basics. I hope we have time to explore. I would be quite interested in sampling some of their local cakes," Erza said.
"Don't you think the number of guards escorting us is a bit odd?" Warren asked.
"Now that you mention it," Erza said. Surrounding each carriage were ten soldiers on horseback, four on each side, with another two at the front and back, with Takeshi leading the front.
Riding into the city the change in scenery was dramatic. One second they were on a dirt road with trees and farmland surrounding them, and then the next, paved road, stone houses and hundreds of people on the streets.
"Look Mummy! Are they friends of the Prince? Are they here for the wedding?" A little girl pointed to the carriages.
Wendy smiled and waved to the child, before she had to curl up in a ball in an attempt to contain her stomach. In doing so she missed the mother's look of fear as she reached for her child's hand, leading her away from the main road.
"That was weird," Gray said. Looking out at the people that lined the streets the city did appear to be a lot like Crocus. There were flowers everywhere, alluding to the upcoming festivities. Stalls selling food and wares lined the streets. People were out talking and laughing, but underneath it all, there was an undercurrent of fear. People looking over their shoulders, always moving and never staying in one place too long. And all avoiding the side streets, pushing along the main roads to get to their destinations as quickly as possible making the journey towards the palace slow, but people were quick to move out of the way once they saw the carriages and their occupants.
"Something's not right here. The people seem to be afraid, but not of the soldiers. It's almost as if they're afraid of us," Erza said.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure the king will explain," Warren said.
"Can you get a read on their thoughts Warren?" Charle asked.
Putting his hand on his head Warren concentrated. "They all seem to have an underlying fear of wizards. There seems to have been some attacks on the city by a group of them and there is tension between the citizens. They think that we could be trouble but with the soldiers present they are assuming that we're here for the wedding. And there is hope too, that the wedding will help or something."
"You got all of that?" Gray asked impressed.
"Yes, and the lady back there forgot to buy butter," Warren said seriously.
"Look!" Erza exclaimed. Riding through the palace gates, the mages found themselves leaning out of the windows of the carriage, hoping to get a better. Even Natsu was impressed by the castle towering above them.
Riding up the paved entrance, the carriages carried the mages past soldiers standing at attention at the gate. In front, the path split in three, to the left it led to the stables, an area of activity. To the right the path lead along a moat, curling around to the back of the castle. The path the carriages chose was up the middle, around an ornate fountain, depicting a man wearing armour, mounted on a rearing stallion, sword in hand ready for battle. Rose bushes surrounded the fountain, the reds of the flowers a stark contrast to the white stone of the castle. Coming to a stop in front of a bridge, the mages disembarked the carriages. Stepping out they could see the large arching windows, the curved towers at either end of the castle, and the moat that seemed to separate the path from the castle, making it seem as if it was a floating ship of stone.
"It's like something out of a fairy tale," Wendy breathed.
But that wasn't the most impressive thing about the castle. In front of them, on the other side of the short bridge, was a set of tall steel doors, polished to the point that they could see their reflections. Battle scenes and patters adorned the doors, telling the history of the kingdom. There was no way that such a thing could be made without the aid of magic.
With everyone out of the carriages, Takeshi dismounted and led the group to the doors which slowly opened.
A small round woman with greying hair emerged and bowed to the mages. "Welcome, mages of Caitshelter and Sabertooth. I hope you have had a pleasant journey. My name is Belinda and I am the Head Housekeeper here at the palace. Now, if you would please follow me, I will take you to the King," she said standing with a large smile. Turning on her heel she made her way inside.
"Mages, I will take my leave," Takeshi said bowing, his hand on his sword. Turning, he made his way to the path leading to the back of the castle.
Bidding the Commander goodbye, the mages followed Belinda into the castle, only to find themselves swarmed in a mass of activity. Servants and butlers were running backwards and forwards, carrying armloads of flowers, silk, clothes, cutlery, candles. Shocked, they just stood there until they heard Belinda's voice cut through the crowd, "Everyone make way for our guests! How many times do I have to tell you to move aside, people!"
Replacing the old sweet lady, Belinda had a deathly look in her eye, her aura turning dark. The guild members, except for Erza, all felt a chill go down their spine; they did not want to get on her bad side.
The staff suddenly stopped what they were doing, many dropping their load in their haste to quickly follow her orders.
"I see you run a tight ship here," Erza said in appreciation.
Belinda sighed as she gained her composure, "Someone has to. It normally isn't this busy but the official announcement of the wedding to the public is tomorrow so we have to set everything up for the occasion. But it's going to be wonderful! The ballroom hasn't been used in such a long time! There will be flowers! And music! And cake," at the mention of cake Erza grinned with stars in her eyes, "and food from all over the country!" Belinda exclaimed clapping her hands together.
"Will there be fish too?" Happy asked eagerly.
"Of course! Didn't you know that we are well known for our migrating pink salmon? They pass through this region once every five years from the mountain rivers! You came at a lucky time!"
Happy landed on Erza's head with stars in his eyes, both of them not noticing the looks from their comrades as they were lost in their own fantasies.
"We have to show off all of our finest for her! She hasn't been here in so many years so we want to welcome the bride in a royal fashion!" Belinda beamed as she led the group down the hall.
"Yes, about the bride – " Sting was cut off when Belinda knocked on a large wooden door at the end of the hallway. Having been so busy talking with Belinda the walk from the entrance, up to the second floor to the end of the hallway, the group had barely managed to keep track of the number of rooms and decorations around them.
"Come in," a deep voice boomed from the other side of the door.
Belinda pushed open the doors to reveal a very tall man with dark hair, greying at the sides, sitting behind a large, mahogany desk writing letters. Taking in the room before them they noticed that there was a massive stone fireplace, with chairs and a couch in front of it, and behind the desk were large windows overlooking the city. On either side of the desk were tall, full bookcases filled with leather bound volumes. The gold lettering on the spines shining in the sunlight.
"The wizards from Fiore are here, your majesty," she said bowing slightly.
"Very good, could you please send for Daemon?" the King said without looking up from his work.
"Yes, your majesty," Belinda said as she bowed out of the room, closing the doors behind her.
Silence filled the room. No one talked and no one moved from their position near the door. The only sound in was the scratch of the king's quill across the paper.
"He-" Natsu stepped forward but was held back by Erza who shook her head ever so slightly, causing Natsu to back down.
With a sigh the king stopped writing and put down his quill. Looking up at the mages they saw that he had grey eyes which were full of laughter but were weary. A close-cut beard accentuated his jawline, greying in some areas. Leaning back in his chair the King composed himself before standing up to greet the mages in front of him.
"Thank you for waiting, some things cannot wait. I am King Katsumi, the ruler of Heiwa." He said placing his hands behind his back. For some reason, the mages felt an instant respect for the man before them, something about him commanded their attention.
"We understand. My name is Sting, the master of Sabertooth, and these are my guild members and my friends from Caitshelter. You sent us a request asking for our help. What can we do for you?" Sting asked stepping forward.
"As you know there is to be a royal wedding in two months, between my son and his betrothed. I have asked you to come here to act as extra security for the engagement celebration tomorrow night. You will remain here in the palace until the wedding is over to help with the security of the palace for extra safety precautions," he said, looking them each in the eye.
"We accept your request. But your majesty, may I ask why you asked for help from guilds in Fiore and not from guilds in your country?" Erza asked.
Looking at Erza the king sighed deeply, his eyes clouding over in sorrow. "Unfortunately, all of the guilds in my country have either been taken over by a dark guild called Blood Nights or they have disbanded in fear of being taken over. They are the strongest force in the kingdom opposing the royal family and their aim is to overthrow me, making their master the king. I will not let that happen, and that is why this wedding must happen at all costs. There has been much sorrow and much loss, we must show the people that we are unafraid and are looking to the future."
"The wedding will happen, Father. You have no need to worry." Everyone turned around to find a tall young man standing in the doorway. He had dark hair and handsome features, and was the spitting image of the King. But his eyes were different, a striking green that seemed to the mages like they saw much more that what they would like them to. His black pants and white shirt clung to his body, allowing the movement of his muscles to be seen through the fabric as he walked. His unruly hair fell forward casting a shadow over his eyes, setting them alight. A smirk played on his lips as he surveyed the mages before him.
Walking forward towards his father, Erza, Yukino, Minerva, even Wendy couldn't help but blush as he looked them over. His smirk grew when he saw how annoyed the boys were. But when his eyes came to Natsu and flickered to the exceeds his smile faltered ever so slightly, an emotion flashing across his features making the Fairy Tail members pause, but it vanished so quickly they wondered if they had seen anything at all.
"The wedding will happen Father. She has given us her word that she will marry me, and she never breaks a promise." As he said that he was looking directly at Natsu. Natsu shifted uncomfortably, for some reason he felt a tight pain in his chest when the prince had said that, and he instantly didn't like the prince.
Tearing his gaze from Natsu's, the prince turned to the king, "You summoned me, Father?"
Erza and Gray didn't miss the opportunity to look at Natsu, who only shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Yes. There have been reports of guild movement towards the east. I want you to send some of your men to capture them so we might find out where their guild is. However, you will not be joining them this time."
"But Father – "
"I need you here. The King of Fiore and his daughter, Hisui, will be arriving tomorrow. You will be here to greet them," the King said.
The prince looked at the ground. Erza was impressed that the prince would want to fight alongside his men, but she only knew half the story.
"And, she will need you here by her side tomorrow. I have a feeling that her father will push to meet with Hisui and Tome. You need to be here." The King said, his eyes softening in understanding.
Prince Daemon stood tall, his eyes full of new determination. "You're right. I won't leave her alone when she needs me. Excuse me Father, I will make the preparations now." With that he turned and left the room without even glancing at the group of mages, as if they weren't worth his time.
"Do you require any of our assistance in this matter your majesty?" Erza asked.
"No, thank you. My son will send out some of his troops to deal with this. Their attacks have not been strong on the kingdom, merely cowardly attacks on empty houses but also hurting small groups of civilians. However, the increasing number of attacks has put fear into the hearts of my people. They no longer view magic as a gift that should be enjoyed but now as something dangerous. No, I need all of you here for the event. We cannot have a repeat of what happened last time," he said, sitting down in his chair again, as if the burden suddenly became too heavy.
"Last time?" Wendy asked.
"If you are to help my family, you should know what you are getting yourselves into," the King said leaning forward in his chair. "This isn't the first time my son has been arranged to be married. Last time, six years ago, the woman he was to wed was kidnapped, taken by the Blood Nights. There was no attack on the palace, she just, disappeared. The only thing that was left was blood, was a guildmark in the carpet of her room, written in blood."
Wendy and Yukino put their hands over their mouths, horror evident on their faces. The other members tensed, balling their fists in anger.
"We looked for her for months. We never found a single trace of her, it was as if they vanished into thin air. My son has never stopped looking for her…please, you must protect his fiancée. This wedding must go ahead at all costs. He cannot lose her too."
"We promise to protect her with everything we have. I swear on Sabertooth's name," Sting said stepping forward.
"This wedding will happen. We understand that this union is the best for your country. We will not let anything happen to your family. My comrades and I swear on our guild that we will see this wedding through," Erza said, putting her hand over her heart.
"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed pumping his fist up.
The King smiled sadly, "Thank you, that is all I ask."