True to his word, Gray saw to it that Juvia was well taken care of at his castle and he allowed her to continue her sewing and spinning whenever she desired. Her work confused him greatly and he did not like how the leaves she collected would burn and blister her hands but he never asked her to stop working on the scarf for he knew that it was very important to her. He only wished that he knew why. Erza would sometimes offer to help her with the scarf but Juvia always politely declined. Only she alone could finish the scarf, if anyone else did the work for her then the magic wouldn't work.

Whenever she wasn't weaving or sewing she would walk about the castle grounds, exploring the areas of the royal estate and admiring their elegant structures. Her favorite place to visit was the royal gardens that lay at the edge of a lake where swans would often float on the surface. There she would smell and admire the sweet scented flowers then sit by the lake to feed the swans. Gray would often watch her do this from a distance and he could not help but think that she looked most beautiful when she did this because a smile would be on her lips and the blood would rush back to her cheeks making them rosy.

"Hello." He told her one afternoon as he approached her in the garden.

She greeted him with a curtsy.

"You don't have to do that." He assured her. "You are my guest therefore formalities are not needed."

She sat back down on the warm grass.

"Do you mind if I sit here with you?" He asked politely.

She nodded. He settled next to her on the grass and began to talk to her. He told her of how he hoped that she was comfortable in his castle and how he hoped that his servants were treating her well. He spoke of his plans for the kingdom of Isvan once he became king and all the while he was thinking, what eyes. All the while he was thinking, to kiss that mouth. So taken was he that he quite forgot what he was saying and blushed and laughed. She found his behavior worthy of a giggle but made no sound, only a smile.

"You have been in this stuffy castle for such a long time." He said. "Tomorrow would you like for me to show you around Isvan?"

She nodded.

So the very next day the two of them along with Gray's squire and the archbishop went on a small tour of the kingdom. The peasants who saw them ride by on their horses could not resist stopping to marvel at the beauty of their prince's new guest. Such loveliness caused them to mistake her for a princess and they all greeted her with a great respect. She in turn smiled at them warmly and her eyes sparkled at nearly every sight she took in.

One sight that especially caught her attention was that of a young blacksmith and his two children on a family outing at the market place. The children consisted of a boy and girl who were playing and being very affectionate with their father. This display reminded her of those wonderful childhood days when her own father would occasionally take her and her brother out to buy them a new toy or some sweets. She recalled the very last time they did it and Igneel had gifted her with a brand new doll that she had been admiring in a window shop for weeks. Oh how happy she had been when he presented it to her that day.

"Oh Father." She thought melancholic. "Will I ever see you again?"

She watched the family go across the cobblestone road to the local butchery. They made it to the other side safely but the little girl had accidentally dropped her doll in the middle of the road. Without thinking, she went back to retrieve it causing a huge disruption with various horse drawn carriages and wagons.

"Grace!" The father shouted in horror.

He desperately tried to get to her but the horses got in the way and one in particular had gotten lose from it's wagon, sending it flying straight for the girl. Juvia hastily jumped from her horse, scooped the small child into her arms, and moved to safety just before either one of them could be hit. The little girl wept with shock and fear but Juvia's gentle embrace quickly soothed her.

"Are you alright?" Gray asked hurrying to her aid. She nodded. "Good lord you could have been killed. What on earth were you thinking?"

She then showed him the frightened child in her arms and at once he understood everything.

"Grace!" When the blacksmith finally made it over to them, Juvia handed his daughter to him. "Oh Grace! Thank God you're alright!"

He hugged her tight, having not yet recovered from the terrifying fact that he had almost lost her.

"You know you're not supposed to go into the road without me or your mother! We've told you how dangerous that is!" He scolded.

"I'm sorry Papa." The little girl said clinging to his neck.

After taking a few moments to kiss his daughter in relief, the blacksmith turned to face Juvia.

"Thank you." He said in a voice that expressed extreme gratitude. "Thank you so much. I don't what I would have done if I had lost her."

She could only accept his words with a kind stare. After that the man quickly apologized to Gray for not keeping a better eye on his daughter which led to the very risky disturbance.

"It's alright Gajeel." Gray told him an understanding tone. "I know children can be a handful and no one was hurt so let's just forgive and forget."

"You're children shouldn't be running around at this hour." The archbishop scolded Gajeel. "Why are they not in school like every other child?"

"Well for your information your lordship." Gajeel said to Jiemma in a tone of voice that hinted sarcasm. "I can't afford to send my children to school right now."

"Mother is sick." Gajeel's son spoke up. "We have to save up all our money for her."

"Oh? What's the matter with Levy?" Gray asked concerned.

"She had an accident in which her ankle was cut." Gajeel explained. "The injury was minor but she was exposed to toxins of a poisonous plant. She has an infection that's made her very ill and in desperate need of a doctor. Right now I have to save everything I earn to help her which means I had to cut back on a few things, including my children's education."

"But Gajeel last I heard you had two gold pieces saved from the merchant who hired you. What happened to them?"

Before answering Gajeel briefly glared at Jiemma angrily.

"I lost them. I guess they fell out of my pocket on the way back. I know you shouldn't keep my children out of school but I don't know what else to do. Without a doctor my wife will die and my children will have to grow up without a mother. I can't bear for that to happen."

Hearing this Juvia was deeply touched. This poor man and his children were in danger of suffering the same tragedy that she and her family had suffered years ago. It was the death of her mother that sparked their misery and if it was in her power, she wouldn't allow any other family to suffer as she did.

She looked down at the jewelry she was wearing. They were no doubt very expensive and worth a lot of money. If they were sold then they would most likely earn twenty gold pieces at least. More than enough to afford a doctor's care and to send children to school. Juvia tapped Gajeel on the shoulder and proceeded to take off her jeweled encrusted ring, bracelets, and earrings. The only jewelry she left on herself were the pearls in her hair and her mother's necklace. The rest she silently placed in Gajeel's hand.

"What's this?" He asked her.

She began pointing to the various shops located nearby.

"You mean you're giving me these to sell?"

She nodded.

"Oh no I couldn't take these."

He tried to hand them back to her but she shook her head in refusal.

"This is too much. I can't accept."

She took his hands into her own and with her eyes she insisted that he keep the jewels. Gajeel, Gray, and all who witnessed this were immediately touched by the young woman's kindness and generosity. Well almost all who witnessed this. Jiemma wasn't at all touched or pleased by this display because he knew that it impressed the young prince greatly.

"Thank you my lady." Gajeel said kissing her hand. "I'll be forever grateful to you."

"Thank you so very much Miss." The children replied with a bow and a curtsy.

Jiemma snarled under his breath.

"What a despicable tactic." He muttered to Jellal.

"What do you mean?" The squire whispered back.

"Don't you see what she's trying to do? She's not really trying to help that man. It's all an act to impress the prince. Have you ever seen anything so manipulative?"

Jellal rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"With all due respect Jiemma, how is it that you were chosen to be the archbishop of the church? Because in my honest opinion your poorly suited to the position."

"How dare you speak to me that way. I could have you beheaded."

"No you couldn't. You're a man of the church not the monarchy."

"I am the advisor to the royal family. They entrust me to offer guidance in their reign."

"Perhaps but that doesn't necessarily make you the king."

"Not yet." Jiemma said thoughtlessly. When he realized the words he had spoken he quickly closed his mouth and acted as if he said nothing in hopes that the squire had not heard him. But he had.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jellal asked.

"Nothing." He lied. "Nothing at all. Come, we must return to the castle."

However Jellal was now very suspicious of the old archbishop. He always doubted the church's decision to make Jiemma their head and he was very much against the idea of him being elected to be Gray's advisor. That man just didn't come off as holy or benevolent to him. Still Jellal felt that he was probably just stuck in the strict old ways of worship and didn't mean any real harm so he kept his doubts to himself. However after hearing that peculiar remark he began to suspect that maybe there was more to Jiemma than just some old traditionalist.

At the moment the only person he could really voice his concerns to was Erza. If he told anyone else without proof then it could get him into serious trouble considering what position Jiemma was in.

"I'm sorry but I need you to repeat that." Erza said when he told her. "What did he say?"

"I told him that just because he was an advisor to the prince that didn't make him the king. Then he said 'not yet.'"

"What do you suppose that means?"

"I don't know but I don't like how it sounds. He's up to something."

"You know I never trusted him." Erza confessed. "I don't even think he's a real Christian. I once overheard some peasants say that..."

"That what? What did they say?"

"I'm not sure if they were right but I heard them say that they saw him carving a pentagram symbol in stone. I figured maybe it was maybe they misunderstood but now that you've told me this...What do you think we should do?"

"At the moment I think we should just keep an eye on him." Jellal suggested. "And make sure that he doesn't know we're on to him because if he does he might have us burned or something. He is the head of the church after all."

"True but we'll take the risk. Remember we promised King Silver on his deathbed that we would look after Gray and if Jiemma is secretly planning to harm him then-"

"Now let's not put the cart before the horse. We don't know anything yet and we don't have any proof. So let's just watch."

"Agreed."

So the two servants decided to secretly observe the archbishop and learn what plans he had in mind. And he had plans. Wicked plans that would put both Juvia and Natsu in great danger.