Wendy shifted uncomfortably as she stood by the wall, Erza at her side and little Racel nowhere to be found. Natsu and Gray too had disappeared, maybe together or maybe separate. And with Lucy somewhere else—probably the kitchens getting ready for dinner—Wendy and Erza were by themselves, forced to face the next few hours of boring court life alone.

"How're you feeling?" Erza asked, leaning down to the side to address the Sky Maiden clearly. Wendy smiled up at her friend, knowing the requip mage could see the forced cheer she was forcing to her face.

"Great. I've been worse." I've been better too were the words she didn't say, knowing Erza would hear them regardless of if she actually said them out loud.

The scarlet warrior understood. She placed a surprisingly gentle hand on Wendy's arm, giving it a squeeze and hopefully transferring energy and strength through the simple motion. "Not much longer if everything goes as planned. Be strong. We can do this."

Wendy's smile shifted from forced to sincere, even as it diminished in size. "Thanks Er-, Scarlet. Aunt?" Erza shrugged with a smile, having no idea what she should be called by her supposed niece. It wasn't like she had any nieces or nephews of her own to use for reference. Without any siblings, how could she? Although, maybe if Shô or Millianna or Wally ever had children of their own… Or maybe they already had. She'd been gone for long enough that it truly wouldn't surprise her to return to Fiore to find that her old friends had begun families of her own. She wished she could do the same.

She blinked rapidly, trying to rid her thoughts of a certain blue haired man she hadn't seen in too long. She returned her focus to Wendy, ignoring the familiar voice threatening to wash through her system. "I wonder where the boys have gone," she mused out loud, hoping the words would help wash out the odd feeling in her chest.

Wendy shrugged, subtly pulling at her grey skirts to try and loosen the suffocating bodice. It didn't really do much. "As long as they aren't getting into trouble, right?" Then she frowned. "But maybe I shouldn't talk about him that way. Ugh, I hate this so much sometimes. I really don't know how you've managed to get this far. Any of you."

Erza smiled again, smoothing out a wrinkle in her own yellow gown. "It really is a miracle sometimes. But as I've told… Silver, I believe 'all the world's a stage,' and using my immense acting abilities, it really isn't a challenge. Everything leading up to this has been practice, and now I am in the role of my life. Isn't it just a rush?"

Wendy humored Erza with a halfhearted chuckle, part of her mind distracted by trying to figure out what Erza had just quoted a moment before. It was something famous, wasn't it?

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice someone knew stood before her until she heard him clear his throat. Her eyes snapped back into focus in time to see Verlane standing before her. Well, towering over her. He was even taller than Gajeel and maybe Laxus, something that made her hesitate. She flushed, dropping into a clumsy curtsy along with Erza. Gazes from random nobles drilled into the side of her head, and she could clearly hear the whispers beginning to circulate throughout the room. "Why is he down here?" "What's Lord Verlane doing with the sick girl?" "Isn't that Lord Drago's daughter?" "What do you think he's saying to her?" "Maybe he's just looking for her dad or Lady Scarlet's husband?"

"Good afternoon Mistress Shelia," Verlane rumbled, either unaware of the gossip or uncaring. He dipped his head, as much as a concession to her rank as he would give. She curtsied again, not knowing what to do. He greeted Erza as well, the warrior clamping down on all of her instincts and instead lowering her head, refusing to do any more than that. His eyes hardened a fraction, and Wendy hurried to distract him from whatever he was going to say next.

"Lord Verlane, is there anything we can do for you?"

His gaze switched to her, and she was relieved to watch the tension melt away again. The side of his mouth rose in a slight smile, and he continued to look down on her. "I thought I'd take the time to get to know you better. I've already shared several meals with your father and with your uncle and aunt," he didn't even spare Erza another glance, "and I thought it only fitting that I spend some time with you, milady. I'll admit, I'm curious."

Wendy smiled at the lord, her heart pounding wildly. "O-of course." She bit her lip, fighting to turn to Erza for help. She could do this. She could talk to Verlane for a little bit. Who knew, maybe she'd even find out some information about that stairwell Erza and Gray mentioned, or maybe it would be something else altogether. Whatever it was, she was tired of waiting for something to happen.

Verlane offered his arm, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Wendy accepted it. She sent Erza a quick smile, feeling the concern emanating off of the woman. Then Verlane led her through the throng of people until they reached the main door and left the Great Hall.

"Where the hell is Wendy going?!" Erza jumped slightly, taken completely by surprise by the sudden appearance of Natsu and Gray by her side. She placed a hand against her chest, recovering from the surprise and shaking her head.

"Watch your words, Drago." She gave him a pointed look, and he shifted, realizing a few minutes too late that he hadn't called Wendy by her fake name. Oh well. "Anyway, Verlane took her on a walk."

"What?!" Gray hissed, eyes growing wide in shock. Natsu seemed just as taken aback, but she held up a hand to keep them from shouting.

"He said that he wanted to get to know her since he knows the rest of us. And she didn't say anything. I think she wanted to go."

"Why the hell would she want to go with him?" Natsu glared at the closed door, straining his senses to hear what Wendy was doing. But with the amount of people in just the room alone, he couldn't make out anything beside the faint sound of her voice near that of Verlane's. He held back a growl, wishing he could chase after her.

"He didn't seem to wish her any harm," Erza assured them. "I believe it is all as he said. He just wants to get to know her better. Wouldn't anyone? She's a striking young girl who's been the center of much attention these past few months."

Gray nodded reluctantly. "I guess it makes sense." And he really didn't have it in himself to argue any more. All day he'd felt dissociated from reality, his head up in the clouds instead of focusing on whatever it was that Erza was saying to him. Or maybe it wasn't the clouds. Maybe that pull in his chest and head was the same one longing to drag him back to Magnolia. Back to a certain woman. He wished he could understand why that pull was so much stronger today than it had ever been.

"And she's more than capable of taking care of herself," Natsu added, knowing none of them really liked the situation. But what else was new? Besides, maybe she'd be able to find out information that they couldn't. He had no idea how old Verlane was, but he was probably around the same age as they were, so his late teens or early twenties. Well, Natsu guessed that was his age. It was hard to know when you don't have a birthday you remember and everyone who might have known was from 400 years in the past.

Erza grabbed Gray's arm and pulled him along, calling back to Natsu that they were going to go "socialize." He figured she probably meant going to pick at guards or servants or nobles who might have any useful information. And Natsu? He just sat down on the nearest chair, determined not to move until Wendy returned.

XXX

Wendy walked in silence, struggling to keep up with Verlane's longer stride. He hadn't said much, just a few basic questions that thankfully she was able to answer easily. Her heart hadn't stopped pounding since they left the Great Hall, and questions burned on the tip of her tongue as she struggled to hold them back. It wouldn't do them any good if she bombarded him with questions and made him suspicious of her real reasons for being there.

They approached a wall made entirely of windows, and even though Verlane guided her toward one of the many couches and chairs arranged by the wall, she couldn't help but pause and look out in wonder. She'd seen the wintery landscape from the windows in her and Natsu's apartment, but nothing could compare to the magnificent view she stared at now.

They faced the back of the building, so instead of the poor town that always sent a pang of sorrow through her stomach, she saw Stetnora Forest, the same one Lucy had traveled into in order to save her life. Her eyes let her perceive the boughs heavy with snow and the dry limbs hanging limply from withering trees. She wished she could ignore the sickness that was so obviously overcoming the forest and instead just take in the beauty of a snow-covered wonderland. Yet it was impossible to ignore the decay she knew she had caused. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, and she vowed then and there that they would finish this quest by the end of the year. She just prayed that the forest could survive that long.

"It's a beautiful view, is it not?" Her attention returned to Verlane, his face free from all shadows as sunlight streamed through the windows. With his high cheekbones and blue eyes and black hair, she might have considered him handsome were it not for the fact that he and his father were responsible for the sickness and death that plagued Benos.

She nodded, unsure of what else there was to say. She surely couldn't mention the state of the forest; human eyes weren't meant to see that far.

"It's a shame," he mused, seating himself in an armchair and motioning to the one next to him. She bit her cheek, slipping into the chair as gracefully as she possibly could (which wasn't very smooth). If he was aware of the fact that she remained on the edge of her seat, he didn't say.

"What's a shame?" She asked, curiosity burning against her ribcage. He turned an amused eye on her, seeing to enjoy her questions.

"That the snow will melt away in but a few weeks. When the ground is white, it's so much easier to forget about the dying state of this country." He shook his head, running a hand through his black hair. "I doubt my father and I will remain here much longer. There will come a time when the sickness will claim too much and it will no longer be… safe, to stay." He sounded like safe wasn't quite the word he looked for, yet saying otherwise would alert her to his ulterior motives.

She bit her cheek even harder to keep from pushing to her feet and yelling at him about how he was an awful human being. How could he care so little about the lives of the people he was affecting? People were suffering, children were starving, plants were dying, and yet he sat there talking about moving on to another country and ruining countless more lives. It took a lot to get Wendy aggravated, and yet now she almost vibrated with rage. How dare he?!

His brow crinkled. "Is everything alright, Shelia?"

She nodded, forcing her brightest smile to her face. "Yes, of course, er, Lord Verlane."

He scoffed, crossing his ankles and looking out the window. "Don't bother with the 'lord' when it's just us, hmm? You know, I do believe we could be fast friends, don't you think?" He glanced back at her then, searching for an answer.

She swallowed her frustration and simply nodded again. His eyes narrowed a fraction, and she knew that she wasn't fooling him completely. Obviously she needed to try harder.

"Um, yes, Verlane. I think we could be friends." If you weren't one of the assholes destroying this country.

While not completely satisfied with her answer, he did seem to accept it. His lip quirked up, his gaze tracing over her face. "Tell me about yourself."

"Um, what, what do you want to know?" Wendy floundered, wondering if this was his way of calling her out.

Verlane raised an eyebrow. "What makes you Shelia? What's your favorite color, your birthday, your favorite place in Benos? Just talk. I'll listen. I'll admit, I find you intriguing. I wish to know all I can about you."

She inhaled deeply, still faking her smile. "If that's what you wish, Verlane." It was certainly going to be hard to toe the line when he was asking for such personal information. But… the others made it a point to not talk to Verlane or Ajax when they could. So maybe he didn't know enough. Maybe if she messed up, he wouldn't be able to catch her lie. She could only keep her fingers crossed. Damn, she hated this shit. But this was her chance to get to know Verlane better. And if she got past his guard, then maybe, just maybe… she'd be able to find out the truth. And after her sickness for the past several months, she was definitely ready to prove that she was important to this team. That she could carry her own weight. That she could save the day just as well as anyone else.

Another short chapter, mainly because writer's block hit me freaking hard with this chapter. But it's still important, and I hope you enjoy!

And just a warning, the next chapter takes place about two months later, mostly because I want to get on with the plot and also because I'm sure no one wants to sit through chapters of Wendy attempting to talk to Verlane or Natsu dodging around Lucy or Gray pining for Juvia :)

And one last thing; as of finishing this chapter, I just watched the entirety of Netflix/Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone show that came out two days ago, and I must say that I am so freaking happy and obsessed that they managed to get the characters so right. Sorry for the random tangent, I just had to share how much I loved this show!

Until next time!