Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail
Really, having company while she worked through this kind of material was a little bit of a blessing. Invel was like a younger version of August combined with a less depressed version of Zeref. He had that same calm and calculating way of thinking that August had, and she also heard a few comments that made her think he had a dark streak like Zeref did when it came to morality. In fact…he seemed to have few moral qualms about anything. When she had started voicing her surprise at a few of the harsher sentences Alvarez could offer prisoners, he had explained that logically, it was the best way to subdue the threat. Execution ensured that the crime would never be repeated, and it was more cost-effective than housing them in another building for years to attempt to teach them a lesson which might not be able to be instilled.
Beyond having execution and exile as far more common punishments than she expected, Alvarez didn't run all that differently from Fiore. The titles were different, and enforcement was more strict in Alvarez, but it seemed like the government here was led by a single head, in this case Zeref. That leader was allowed to make any and all decisions, with almost a supreme power over the entire nation. Taxes could be given or taken away at his will, wars would be started and ended on a whim, and people could be punished without a single trial if he so wished. That ruler was all that was actually created in the official establishment of the government, but the emperor had established a long-standing tradition of forming a team of advisors to assist him and specialize in particular branches of government. Yet again, those advisors could be given as much or as little authority as the emperor saw fit, and they weren't even necessary as per the actual set-up of the government.
How Fiore differed was in the requirement of the advisors. The king worked as the head, yes, but the advisors were elected by the people and had a certain level of authority that could surpass the king's, if given a certain percentage of agreement on a particular law or issue in the government. In Alvarez, what the emperor decided was law, and there was no changing it unless the emperor himself decided to do so.
"Now, the current team of advisors, the Spriggan Twelve, is actually the largest team established in known history. As Zeref was always our emperor, we have little in terms to compare with for leading or political styles…but you can see how the advisors have changed over time." Invel was speaking, having abandoned the books once they got to the chapter on the Spriggan Twelve. In the introductory book, it was quickly glossed over. Their roles were described in brief notes, but it was emphasized that they were not needed in the overall running of the empire.
Levy nodded, pausing when she heard the sound of the door opening and closing. Her head turned, smiling when she saw Zeref entering. He frowned at them, moving closer with a stack of papers underneath his arm. "Invel…I was not aware you planned to remain in Alvarez for long."
He nodded, bowing slightly towards Zeref. "My apologies for not informing you sooner, your majesty. However, my work in Fiore is complete, and I have work to catch up on here as a result in the delay caused by the war." He glanced at the paperwork Zeref had brought, smiling faintly. "Much like yourself, as I can see."
Placing his paperwork on the table, Zeref shrugged. "August is finishing the initial drafting of the treaty, now that I've finalized our initial terms with Fairy Tail's current guild master. However…he recommended that I contact other guild masters in turn regarding the matter, given the fact that their allies also participated in the war. Could you send me a list of the names of whom to contact? Certainly, you spoke with a few of them during your time trying to retrieve me from Edolas."
"Of course." Invel rose to his feet, nodding towards Levy. "Levy, I expect you to have finished studying the rest of those over the next two days. When we speak again, we will review and I shall select new topics for you to work through." She watched him leave, turning only to see Zeref frowning at her.
"Is…did Invel just attempt to assign you work as well?" He looked confused, staring at the books in front of her. He grabbed one before she could say anything, glancing at the title. "Why is he having you study the inner workings of Alvarez's government?"
He had grabbed the book that was meant to describe the emperor's role in Alvarez, based on Invel's own description at least. Staring down at the one in front of her instead, Levy shook her head. "He…he had a bit of a weird assumption that I couldn't talk him out of."
Zeref set the book down, shaking his head. "I will speak to him then. He shouldn't be forcing you to work when you are our guest here."
"No!" She objected far louder than she meant to, before leaning back and feeling heat rise into her cheeks. She didn't want him to hear…what Invel thought of their relationship. She didn't want it to be denied quite yet, not when a part of her hoped he was right. "I mean…I really don't mind. It's not like the material is something I already know. Maybe I wouldn't have chosen to study it on my own…but it's nice to have someone with me when I'm learning something new."
He watched her for a moment, frowning before looking back down at the paperwork in front of him. Whatever it was, Levy couldn't quite read it from where she sat. However, Zeref seemed to work through it with haste, moving on to the next document before she even had the chance to question what it was about. Likely, the speed-reading glasses he had were helping him…but they just looked weird on him in general. "Is that so?" He pushed aside another paper, working on the next again. She slowly noticed him sorting them, though through what method she did not know. "I'm sorry I could not have joined you, then. If you had questions about Alvarez, I would be more than happy to assist."
"Well…from the sounds of it, he plans on keeping me working on this until I know pretty much everything about it." Levy shook her head, closing her book for a moment after marking the page she was on. "I'll be sure to ask you if anything comes up."
"What assumption did he make that made him wish to teach you this in the first place? Did he think you held an interest in government for some reason?"
She stared at the table, uncertain of what to say. "Um…not exactly. It's just…he thought it was something I should know." Really, that was incredibly vague. Zeref paused, glancing at her with a frown.
His eyes were narrowed behind those glasses, and his brow creased for a moment. "Did…did he not wish for me to know?"
"It's not that…" She looked away, shaking her head. "But really, it isn't a bad thing. I just…I want to think about his assumption more on my own, I think…"
"Based on that, I'm assuming you are questioning its validity, then?" She nodded, desperately hoping he'd just drop the subject. "Knowing Invel, I'm certain he presented you with his own listing of evidence to support whatever it is he has come to believe. He is rather logical minded like that…and would only make an assumption if there were some sort of evidence to support it."
She nodded, looking away. "And that's why I couldn't talk him out of it. I tried at first…I mean, it just surprised me, is all." She looked away, not really certain what more to add. "Though…part of me almost hopes he's right. Even if I have my own way of fighting back his evidence…part of me just doesn't want to."
"You've found a flaw in his argument?"
"Given his assumption, it really is impossible to gather any evidence on either side that isn't circumstantial." Her face still felt warm, and her heart was pounding. Zeref had no clue…yet she didn't want him to know yet either. She didn't want him to tell her that they were simply friends, not when Invel had just given her the hope that maybe that could change.
Frowning, Zeref seemed to return to his work for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Odd. Invel rarely makes judgment based on something that can be easily argued against such as that." He paused again, thinking further. "Do you have a method of confirming his suspicions then? I'm assuming based on your secrecy that it is likely something concerning me. More specifically, you are worried about this upsetting me again?"
Well, Levy didn't quite know if she would go that far, but she slowly nodded anyway. "It…it is definitely something concerning you." She wanted to stop this conversation now, but she really had no easy way to get out of it. "As for confirming his suspicions…like I said, I almost don't want to. I'm afraid that I'm actually right…and if I am, part of me doesn't want to know quite yet."
"Much like with the curse, I suppose." Zeref sighed, shaking his head. "Take your time, then. Consider it as much as you wish…and if you decide it is something I need to know, please, do not be afraid of worrying me further. Perhaps I will grow upset…but also like with the curse, it is best to move through that suffering sooner rather than wait until the emergency has truly arisen and needs to be dealt with."
She laughed, unable to help herself at how serious he sounded about it. He blinked at her in surprise, pausing for a moment before Levy calmed down, inhaling and shaking her head. "It isn't that bad." She grinned at him, watching him frown. "Really, there isn't going to be any 'emergency' as a result of this. So, don't worry about it, okay? It's just something I want to think about for a little bit…and with Invel, not being able to tell him otherwise seems to mean I'm going to be studying your government for a while instead of magic."
"Now that sounds like what I expected you to be reading." He was smiling faintly, even as his gaze was focused on his work. Really, Invel wasn't joking about him being able to do it without much thought. There wasn't even a break in the conversation as he worked through the papers. "Is there any branch in particular that you find yourself interested in? Yet again, I would be willing to answer questions you may have, if I am able."
She smiled at him, eager to move on from the last topic. However, she still kept catching the way he was offering to help her, in either subject. Was Invel right again? Was he trying to come up with an excuse to spend time with her? She couldn't be certain, but she moved on and kept her thoughts to herself. "Nothing in particular. I just…I keep trying to broaden my understanding of magic in general. Nothing these days really goes into the technical side of magic, which means we really can't expand what we know either. Text books these days focus on getting a wizard introduced to one style of magic, and from there, have them learn that branch by memorization and feel, rather than understanding the underlying concepts that create the spells they are using."
"And by researching multiple branches, what do you hope to accomplish?"
"Well…it is kinda backwards and difficult to do…but I'm hoping to find patterns. To find a basis that will help me understand how spells are structured, so that I could possibly theorize and create new ones to help create more powerful magic…or even revive lost magics that are needed today, like healing."
"Next time you wish to study for that purpose…please, come get me." She blinked, watching as Zeref smiled faintly. "Unfortunately, I do not think I could do so while working on this…but I was educated in magic, more so in the technical ways you seem to wish to understand. Perhaps I no longer have access to the texts that taught me such things…but I do have my own memories and understanding that I could pass along." He paused, frowning for a moment. "Or…remind me, once I'm a bit…more stable. There is a place that I could likely take you that would be of assistance in your goals…but I do not think it would be wise for me to return quite yet."
What place? She frowned, before remembering that August mentioned Zeref had actually studied at one of the old magic academies that shut down. Did it still exist then? With the expression Zeref had on his face, she realized that it probably held a few bad memories for him. "Right! August said you studied magic at an an academy before they were all shut down." Zeref nodded, frowning but making no comment. Seeing the way his brows were drawing together and the downturn of his mouth, Levy nodded and smiled. "Still…for now, I think you'll have plenty that I still haven't figured out. I mean, magic circles are the basis of nearly all magic, but the commonalities…they're difficult to spot."
"If you wish to try on your own for a little while longer…I'd recommend studying it as one layer at a time. Think of the different rings within each circle as its own code, if you will. Each rune is tailored to a specific detail of the spell…but each ring connected is what translates into the spell as a whole, once combined."
Had she seen anything like that before? She'd have to look back on the notes she had been building from her research to be certain. "I'm certain that'll help." She smiled brightly at him, watching him nod. For a moment, she watched him work in silence, wondering just why he was so insistent on helping her like this in the first place. "Oh…and thank you." He glanced towards her, frowning still like usual. "I know it probably isn't easy for you to go back to places in your past…or to even mention them like you did before. Talking about magic like this probably brings back memories you'd rather not think about too…so really, it means a lot that you're willing to help. I didn't think you would, not after the way you seemed so against the idea before."
His frown lessened slightly, turning into one of the small smiles she was growing used to being the closest to a happy expression he had. "It isn't so bad…the knowledge I learned, that typically will not trigger any painful memories. However, Mildian Magic Academy…" He looked away, closing his eyes. "That was where I first received my curse. As a result…that place reminds me of little beyond a great tragedy."
She could already hear what he was implying, the idea that he had killed the people in that school when he was first cursed. His shoulders had hunched forward slightly, and he seemed to have stopped his work. The mention of it was far more than just a trigger for his memories, it seemed. Hesitantly, she reached across the table, grabbing his hand in her own. His head jerked up, his black eyes widening as he focused on her. Giving him a small smile, she squeezed his hand gently, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. Why was something as small as this making her feel nervous in the first place? "It's okay, Zeref. There really was nothing you could have done."
He nodded slowly, turning his hand in her own. She was about to pull back to give him more comfort when she felt his fingers wrap around her own hand in return, clasping it tightly and squeezing it in return. "I…I'm starting to accept that." He spoke quietly, slowly lifting his pen again and returning to work with his free hand. His pace was no longer as fast as it had been before, even slower than she expected him to be delayed by doing it with one hand rather than two. "Levy…I know you likely do have to return to your guild soon…however, I…would you be willing to stay again tonight? Having you here…it helps, more than you might think."
Invel's comments came to mind again, making her cheeks feel warm as she stared at their hands. That room was designed for Mavis…for the only person she knew Zeref had loved like that. Did she really help him as much as he kept saying she did? Levy couldn't see it…but she wanted to. Smiling, she nodded and once again fought to keep her thoughts to herself. "Of course. I mean…I think I just ended up agreeing to be here for a few more days at least, with the way Invel's planning on working with me."
Something seemed to shift in Zeref's expression at that, a combination of something softening in his eyes and his smile widening at her words. "Then I suppose I must thank him as well…" His response was almost too quiet for her to hear, and it only made her blush deepen as he squeezed her hand again. "Good." He spoke louder this time, focusing back down on his work. "And if you find yourself growing uncomfortable with whatever tasks Invel seems to think you must complete…please, inform me. As I stated before, there really is no reason for you to be working on tasks such as this, not when you are staying in response to my own…request."
Yet, she really didn't mind. Levy gave him a nod, and he resumed his work in silence for a moment. However, she was still focused on the fact that he had not quite released her hand either. It was distracting, keeping her mind focused on how warm his hand was, and how it was almost as small as her own. Eventually, she grew used to the feeling and focused on reading again, but it was still always there, making her hand tingle and grow even warmer when his thumb gently began to brush over her knuckles on the table, almost without thinking about his actions. She could see him smiling, and unlike before, there was a light in his eyes as he did so. For the first time…she was almost certain she was seeing him when he was happy, or at the very least content. It was a nice sight to see, and she didn't want to disturb him by talking further. So, they simply continued their work in comfortable silence, neither of them commenting or questioning the fact that their hands were still gripped together on the table as if they both were looking for something more.
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