KEEP THIS HIDDEN
November 25th, X808
Ivan -
I don't suspect you will take well to this, but I would prefer trying rather than remaining complacent. I am well aware, from what Toma has been willing to say on the matter, of your involvement in what happened to Fallon, and, just as well, I am aware that you have been seeking, for years, to seize the Lumen Histoire. I can only assume that you learned of its existence from the second master, Precht, and that he gravely misled you - although perhaps seizing it is your attempt to get revenge on me for removing you from the guild after the things you did to Laxus. Regardless, I feel that, knowing quite well that Laxus and Hisui will never do such a thing no matter the circumstance, it is I whom must take it upon themselves to extend an olive branch.
I propose a simple parlay, under the following conditions: (1) that you not speak of this to Irene or anyone else in the Empire, (2) you come alone and unarmed, and (3) you meet me in on the northernmost island of the country of Caelum on the 15th of December, this year, X808, in the city of Lavinia on that island. I will be present there at that time whether or not you reply and, frankly, it is probably best if you do not. It would, in all likelihood, raise suspicions and that could quite easily damage any chance of this succeeding. My hope is that we will be able to come to an understanding, if not some form of a truce.
Your father -
Makarov Dreyar
Ivan read over the letter again before crushing it in his hands, his eyes falling narrower as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. It was laughable, to him, that his father could even think that he could lure him into a trap. Of course it would be a trap; there was no chance that Makarov would dare think of something like this without having told Laxus, and Ivan knew full well that his son would stop at nothing to throw him in prison. Already he could hear the questions and anger that would permeate the rest of his life if he were to be arrested, and on foreign soil no less. What purpose would any of this serve, if not to give Laxus and Hisui a chance to exact revenge on him for what he did to their daughter? Ivan threw the crushed letter into the fire, but, with a start, something occurred to him.
After all this time the geezer assumes the best in you….because you're his son.
Ivan had scoffed and been enraged by his son's words at the time, if in part because he was angry that Laxus had not only turned his back on what he had planned for him but that he had married the princess. Yet, Ivan realised, Laxus had been right and, he fathomed, likely still was. Was it possible Makarov really was going behind Laxus' back to speak with him? It would be a risk, that was for certain, and Ivan knew how Laxus' teammates would feel if they had caught wind of this; considering that one of them was herself a member of the Ishgar Magic Council and another the retired king's son, there would have already been action taken. The letter had been written about a week prior. Surely they would have acted by now if they had known.
Still, to agree to even see his father unarmed would be quite the gamble and, if Irene and Zeref ever caught wind of it, they would kill him without hesitation. Of course, he had gone out for long spans of time without reason or warning and this would, he reasoned, be a relatively short trip. Makarov had also mentioned the Lumen Histoire….was there a chance he would slip and give him more insight? Zeref had not been particularly useful in lending him much more information. Could this be the best chance he had for learning the truth about Fairy Tail? Ivan felt himself being given far more pause than he had in ages. He had been quite certain for decades that the Lumen Histoire had played a part in his wife's death, and he wanted proof; he still wanted to know what the hell was going on.
The wind outside the fortress howled violently, something to which Ivan took great calm. He was in no state of mind to be rational, and that was something he had been aware of for quite a while. His terrible curiosity overtaking him, Ivan found himself settled upon the single choice that would redefine everything and, though he did not yet know it, also destroy everything he had worked for in the past twenty years. A great gamble in hand, he began to pen a reply. He would be there in Caelum on the fifteenth. What would come of that, however, he had no idea.
His fate was now completely undecided.
"You look like an idiot," Ryan Fiore rolled his eyes, sending his cousin a disdainful look. "I'd find something to do that doesn't make you seem like you've been drinking."
Sylvain scowled. "It's not stupid. It's a communication board! You put your fingers on it and the spirits from beyond move it around on the board."
"You're going to let a demon into the palace!" Fallon exclaimed, socking her twin brother in the arm. "Are you trying to get us in trouble! Besides, what if mommy -"
"Don't worry, Fal," Angelica Fernades giggled, a sly look in her eyes. "I'm pretty sure Laxus is going to keep her quite busy for a while."
Annetta squeaked and tackled her, clasping her hands over her friend's mouth. Ryan looked at them, seeming bored, while Fallon tried to wrest the board away from her brother. His parents kept him away from the palace so much - whether that be them taking him down south to the beaches or simply trying to shield him from the worst of royal life - but he always found it rather amusing to watch his cousins fight each other, especially over things Mirajane and Freed would never let him within fifteen feet of. Briefly, he considered using his magic to trap them all in the room until there was a clear winner of the 'fights' but, well before he could even focus long enough to do so, Sylvain jumped up looking rather victorious. Fallon, who had fallen back onto the couch, pouted and crossed her arms while Annetta finally released Angel, who, for no particular reason, was rolling on the floor.
"Well, isn't this touching!" Angel wheezed, trying to push herself off the ground. "Come on, Sylvian, that thing won't work. If you want to actually contact spirits from the beyond, you're going to have to open a gate."
Sylvain immediately turned to Fallon. "Can I have your gate keys?"
"Are you insane?" Fallon stared at him in disbelief. "I'm not letting you anywhere near my keys!"
"It's not that kind of gate, dumbass," Angel smacked Sylvain upside the head, getting a laugh out of Annie and Fallon and a small snort from Ryan, who was smirking. "And you better be glad I have a book on the matter. Thanks for telling me we were going to try and summon things, by the way, for once it's actually helpful."
Fallon eyed the book she pulled out of her bag nervously. "That looks dangerous."
"Did you steal that from your dad?" Annie pressed, her eyes wide and her glasses nearly falling off her face as she craned to get a better look. "It looks like something the Council would have."
"Took it from my mom, actually," Angel said, winking. "It was on her nightstand. I think she was doing a bit of light reading with it, but she had marked a few pages about summoning. Probably wanted to discuss them with my dad, but I'm sure they can do that later. She probably won't even realise it's gone!"
Fallon sighed. "That's probably fair," She agreed under her breath.
"Who should we try to summon?" Annie excitedly asked, looking over the book.
"Nothing dangerous," Ryan warned them, "I won't be taking the blame if you four idiots summon a dragon or a demon into the palace and something bad happens."
Fallon rolled her eyes. "Don't act like you're not curious."
Ryan began to respond but then suddenly shut his mouth and grudgingly moved towards them.
"Can I cast it?" Annie pressed, grabbing Angel's sleeve. "Pretty please?"
Angel hesitated but then glanced to Fallon. "It really should be you," She said nervously. "But Sylvain can do it too….since he is only a few minutes younger than you."
Fallon warily looked to her brother. "You do it."
Sylvain shrugged. "Can't be too bad," He said, grabbing the book from Annie.
He began the incantation slowly, well aware that his sisters, cousin, and Angel were all watching him intently. Silently, the young prince doubted it would work at all. All things considered, it seemed far more likely that he'd accidentally summon a small orb or fire with his illusionary magic and it would interact poorly with the energy in the room and set something on fire that Angel would inevitably shirek at and put out. Fallon felt her stomach sink when he started, however, head spinning and reminding her of the rituals she had been put through at Irene's hands. Annie, sensing her sister's discomfort, leaned over to hug her and patted her head reassuringly. Angel and Ryan both leaned in, both of them rather curious although he was quite skeptical and she fully believed in what they were doing. Then, with a crack, the two lights in the room shattered and Sylvain dropped the book, fearing it was his own magic until he tried to dispel it and, still in front of them, was an older woman that looked quite a bit like his mother and sister, albeit reasonably taller and with much shaper, haughtier features.
"Hi…" Angel offered, waving uncomfortably. "Can you hear me? Can you talk?"
The apparition turned towards her. "Yes, child," She said with a slight frown. "Who are you?"
"Angel Fernades!" She chirped. "Daughter of Caity and Siegrain Fernades!"
The apparition's eyes widened. "Daughter?" She repeated. "That's impossible."
Angel's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Oh my God!" Annie gasped in shock, finally making the connection. Though this woman looked very little like the one in the portraits and family photographs, without a doubt, she realised this gaunt apparition was her grandmother. "You're our grandmother! Well, me, Fal, Sylvain, and Ryan's anyway."
The apparition turned to her in surprise and then paled. "You're….the four of you are Laxus and Hisui's children?"
"They are," Ryan said nervously, gesturing to Fallon, Sylvain, and Annetta. "I'm Freed and Mirajane's son."
The apparition lingered on Fallon and Sylvain. "Just the other day your mother was pregnant with you two…" She whispered. "Where did the time go?"
Sylvain stared down at his hands. "It's X808," He said quietly. "So it's been almost seventeen years since you…"
Fallon elbowed him sharply and he took the hint and trailed off.
"What happened?" The apparition finally said. "Between then and….and now?"
"Fallon and I were born in late May in X792," Sylvain said, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "And we were cursed shortly after at our christening."
"By a woman and Ivan," Annie put in.
"Irene Belserion, to be specific," Angel added, glancing over her shoulder at the still closed doors.
The apparition stared at them in abject horror. "She cursed you two?"
"Fallon can't be in sunlight and Sylvain has terrible sleeping spells that usually last at least a month," Ryan bluntly put in, sounding particularly numb. "To put it simply."
"Nothing happened to me, though," Annie said, a sense of shame hitting her in torrential waves. "I was born in X795."
The apparition was silent for quite a while and then let out a light sigh. "Where are Hisui and Laxus? And Freed and Mira? And...and is Toma -"
"Mommy and daddy are with Angel's parents and a few other family friends right now," Fallon said, her voice rather quiet. "Grandfather is in the library. He's not usually very outgoing this time of year...although this year in particular hasn't been very good for us."
The apparition took in her words with a detached look, though it was clear in her eyes that she was upset.
"What are you saying, Fallon?" She pressed.
Fallon blinked back tears. "I don't want to talk about it."
"She was kidnapped, held captive for nearly two and a half months, and tortured by Irene," Angel said softly after a moment. "It was really bad….for everyone. I don't think I'd ever seen Laxus cry before that happened."
The apparition slowly moved towards Fallon, knelt down beside her, and gently tried to cup her cheek though her form would not truly let her.
"Lady Luck seems to have smiled on our family more than once," She said, wanting to embrace her granddaughter. "It does me well to see you're alright."
"I'm sorry about what she did to you," Ryan put in. "Well, both of you, that is."
The apparition nodded shortly before offering them a faint smile and vanishing. Without the need for any words on the matter, all five of them swore to not speak of what they had done. Fallon, in particular, didn't even know what to say. Sylvain was far too dumbstruck to even think clearly about it. Annie ultimately would spend much of that night crying and not knowing what to do or say but wanting her parents as she had when she was a small child. Ryan detached himself from it, almost afraid of what they had done as he quickly repaired the small damage that using the spell had done. And then Angel, second thoughts pervading her mind, returned the book to its rightful place, albeit with a note tucked in it for her mother telling her to not take the risk herself, knowing full well that her mother acted almost exclusively on impulse.
December 3rd, X808
Mercurius Palace, Crocus, Fiore Kingdom
Deliver only to Wizard Saint Makarov James Dreyar
Father -
Though I cannot say I am particularly enthused by your gesture, I am willing to accept it. I will be in Levinia, Caelum, on the fifteenth of this month. I will wait for you to meet me in its central park, by the main fountains. Should you break any of your terms of the agreement, be warned that I will not hesitate to break my terms either. I have questions to which I expect clear answers and demand that you be honest for once in your goddamned life. Furthermore, if this is in fact a trap you have allowed Laxus to lure me into, I will not hesitate to come into Fiore and kill Queen Hisui for the sake of harming him. You know full well what's at stake. Don't be a damned coward.
Ivan
Makarov could hardly believe it. He had received a response so quickly that he was almost in shock of it; he had doubted Ivan would reply though he had been sure he would show whether that would be for better or for worse. This, however, struck him entirely differently. He was unsurprised by Ivan's accusations and his gruesome threats - those were almost trivial things he had come to associate with his son - but the mere fact that he had agreed to meet him to parlay was confounding. Staring at the letter again and scanning it over, Makarov took in a deep breath, trying to mitigate his own misgivings. This, however, caused him not to notice the door opening behind him until after he heard the nearby click of two pairs of heels and the high voice of a certain mage.
"You're meeting with Ivan?" She said dubiously.
Makarov looked up, startled to see Caitlin Fernades and Hisui staring at him. A little to his surprise, his granddaughter in law seemed far more perplexed than anything else. This was in contrast to her best friend, who pushed up her glasses with a rather domineering stare.
"Why in the hell are you going through with that?" Caitlin went on, eyeing him strangely. "Aren't you worried he's going to try and pull the rug out from under you? Frankly, the only thing to do with him would be to beat him until he gives in, slap cuffs on him, and lock him away in the custody of the Council."
Makarov shook his head. "You're far too cut and dry with your thinking."
Hisui sighed. "Makarov," She started, briefly sharing a look with her best friend. "What's the point of this? I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you haven't told me because you were afraid of Laxus reacting badly."
Makarov folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket, looking resigned. "I didn't want anyone to know to protect you and Laxus...he threatened to harm you if Laxus comes to this, and I think we all know that he'd want to fight him in retribution for all Ivan's done to your family. I wouldn't blame him for it, either. Still, I wanted the chance to parlay and took it. Ivan has agreed on the condition I come alone, and I will."
Caitlin frowned. "Sounds like he's trying to pull something. Ivan's an shit human being, he's tried to kill almost all of us at least once, and he's probably richer than God in the Empire."
Hisui nodded, looking rather nervous. "Is there no chance of disuading you?"
Makarov shook his head. "I am going through with this no matter the personal cost."
"I'm not going to lie to Laxus about this," Hisui warned him.
"Tell him the day it's happening then," Makarov replied. "By then, no harm can come to anyone."
"And if you get yourself killed?" Caitlin bluntly pressed.
"Then know I tried to protect everyone," Makarov turned to Hisui. "I know you hate this, but you understand, don't you?"
The queen hesitated. "No," She finally said. "I can't say I understand but...if this is what you're going to do...then best of luck."
"And come back alive," Caitlin added.
Makarov swallowed hard and nodded grimly. "That's my hope...alive and with something of a protection...for everyone's sake."
