"Reese where are you going, we have to secure the palace," Kurino asked as she walked in to her fiancé's quarters to find him changing into his armor. Half-dressed he was seated in a chair, metal and enchanted cloth and hide scattered around him.
"I'm needed in the battle," he said evenly as he attached the covers to his shins.
The alarms had sounded finally, Acnologia was on the move and would reach minstrel in four days, all of Fairy tail; old, new, and retired had been called to arms. Most of the other guilds in Fiore were to stand guard as the Fairies and their closest allies took on the world's threat.
"You're not a soldier you're the intended of the princess of Seven we have to make sure our people our safe," she spoke firmly as she watched him scoff shaking his head not even looking up from his task as he reached for the undershirt on the floor.
"I have to go. It's where I am needed, to protect MY people and yours" he said slipping the shirt on over his head as he reached for the enchanted breastplate.
"No, your place is here," Kurino ordered panic filling her voice.
"My place is there!" Reese exploded turning to face his mate as she took a few steps back at the look of anger on his had never seen him angry ever, Reese was always the kind of man who just let things roll off is back. Sure, he was a serious fighter but anger like thing, Kurino thought that her mate was never even capable of it. And the fact that it was directed at her was terrifying.
"Reese," she began as he stopped by her towards the bed which held the arm guards his father had made for him, the white dragon scale plate moved with him better than any other mail he had worked with.
"This is why I was born! This fight, this time, it's why all us fourth gens were born. We were born to help her," Reese growled as he finished getting ready a set of paint waiting near a mirror as he spread his fingers over the top of the paint and running them down the bridge of his nose leaving a dark purple streak down it.
"You can't face Aconlogia," Kurino whispered as she watched him place the war paint.
"I won't be, but we have to protect her back, he won't fight this on his own and it's up to the rest of the clan to protect the queen," Reese argued as he drew three connecting circles on one of his cheeks
"I am your queen," Kurino shouted in jealous anger.
"You are my mate, but she will always be my queen and some day your's. And I have to protect her," Reese spoke shaking his head.
It was a conversation that they hadn't had yet. No one outside of Fairy tail knew anything about true dragon culture and a lot of that was because most people wouldn't understand it. He knew he had been putting it off, Kurino had already show a lot of jealousy where Layla was concerned. And like a little wimp he had kept insisting that he would have plenty of time to breach the subject. After we are mated, he had kept telling himself, after she knows I won't just leave her for nothing.
But now his procrastination had proven to be his undoing, and there wasn't time to fully explain it to her before he had to leave. Shaking his head, he reached for the breast plate clasping it on as he turned towards the transport lacrima waiting by the bed that would take him to the heart of Minstrel, where the rest of Fairy Tail waited.
"Reese don't you walk away from me!" Kurino screeched as she tried not to panic.
"You are my mate but if you can't understand this then I don't know how this is going to work," he said quietly, picking up the stone.
"Reese...Reese!" Kurino cried out as she watched him disappear quickly as she sunk to her knees sobbing.
"Why are you still here?" Levy asked as Kurino walked into the war room thirty minutes later. Kurino had allowed herself a good break down over what she assumed was the end of her relationship with her fiancé, but now she had to help her people.
Levy's hand protectively on her stomach which didn't even show the life that was growing with in as Elizabeth clutched her mother's leg. The toddler had been whimpering since Levy had left the guild, the rest of her family staying behind to fight. Even Myka, the thirteen year old would be with her own squadron standing in defense of the medical tent.
"Lady Redfox," Kurino said with a bow, not even bothering to hide the fact that she had been crying.
She knew that the woman was there to represent Fiore as the battle continued and help send support through the Sevenese army where it was needed. Racul's nest was waiting on standby for the orders to transport themselves to the battle field at a moment's notice.
"Why are you still here?" Levy glared accusingly ignoring the outrage at her apparent disrespect that the rest of the war counsel of Seven had perceived.
"I have duties to my people," the princess said finally after a span of several seconds.
"And what about your duties to your mate and his people?" Levy barked as she picked up her daughter who was shaking at the raised angry voices.
"I don't see you going into battle," one of the general of the Sevenese army said as the glare that Levy sent him remined him that she was the mate of a dragon slayer for a reason.
"I'm pregnant, I can't fight next to my mate or else I would be there. So shut the fuck up!" Levy bellowed as Elizabeth growled lowly covering her neck and cheeks in little iron scales.
The general stepped back in shock at the toddler as she nearly lunged out of her mother's grasp to rip the man's throat out. Growling and baring her fangs, she hissed as her mother put her behind a rune barrier designed for welps who were in the middle of a temper.
"Now I am asking you again," Levy said her voice even more fierce. "Why are you here!" she shouted as the king walked into the room.
Kurino hissed as she moved towards her father. "He's chosen who he really wants to be with. Even if she'll never want him back!" she growled out trying to keep the tears at bay.
"Mavis if that boy survives, I'm going to kill him," Levy growled as she pulled Kurino away from her father and towards the lacrima screens that held the footage from the front lines.
Several Recording lacrima were high in the air to give as much of a warning as possible as waves came. They had a pretty good idea, even if it was more of an educated guess at what Agnilogia would conjure to fight at his side, but just to be sure no dark guild would try and use this time to ambush anyone they were on guard for all threats. Motioning towards the projected map which had every squadrons' position and status Levy shouted as she pulled up Reese's location.
"Reese doesn't want Layla, you foolish girl." Levy hissed. "Layla had already claimed Storm as her mate within ten minutes of meeting him. I should know I was there the day in the guild when it happened. And let me tell you it was a lot like how Reese was with you. He knew the moment he laid eyes on you that you were his mate, and he will have no other." she continued as she pulled up Reese's live feed. He was surrounded by Drake, Mia and Damion.
The teen looked devastated, and it was obvious that he'd been crying but Levy purposefully didn't turn on the audio as she turned back to the princess. "You claim to know so much about Dragons but I see you haven't figured out one thing. As the Celestial Dragon slayer that means that Layla is the Queen of all dragons. Draco Is the King, and even though Reese is a dragon prince in his own right Layla is above them all."
"Long before Sitara the dragon clans swore fealty of not only them but all who would carry their magic to the dragon of the stars, in thanks for his efforts to protect not only this world but all of dragon kind. That is why this jealously you have towards her is so foolish." Kurino looked up at Levy in shock.
Fealty had been sworn. It was old magic, magic that had not only a heavy duty but a heavy price. Humans no longer swore fealty as if broken the cost was not only high but so pervasive that even generations later the price is still felt to this of a sudden, she felt fullish, he'd hinted at it so often, and her petty jealousy had meant that she had forgotten about the first lesson her father taught her as he prepared her for the throne.
"It is not just about what is said, but how it is said, and also what is not said." Her father said as she watched the council argue back and forth over signing the draconic protection act into law. "Remember you will learn more about someone based on what they imply than what they say directly."
"So, gramps was visiting for my birthday, and Layla was off with Storm on a quest. Then all of a sudden, we get this call from Draco and with in a minute were right there next to Layla as she's fighting this Dark guild single handedly."
He'd told her so many stories of his childhood. She'd met Weisslogia, the dragon believed that there was no day more important to celebrate was someone's birthday. Hell, he'd shown up on her own birthday to join in the celebrations, out doing everyone with his gift. How he had found the original charter where all nine tribes of the mountains joined together to form Seven, was beyond her. As even the courts own historians only had a copy of a copy of a copy. One simple question, she'd thought it was odd that the dragon would actually do that, she'd thought the question. But she was so annoyed that once again Layla was in his story agian, that she hadn't asked the question.
"So, I'll ask you again why are you still here!?" Levy shouted.
Agnologia landed with a thud. His nose twitching as he scented the air. Something wasn't right, the forest was far too still and quiet. And the humans who had built upon the ruins of his home we're long gone. Their scents completely faded, and yet nothing looked missing. Curiously he stepped forward and felt magic shift and then disperse just as fast as it had come. Chuckling darkly, he knew there had been a trap set there. Waiting for him to cross it, and who ever had set it was lucky. " And their luck is about to run out"
