Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Over the next week, Zeref found himself falling into a calming routine. He'd complete work with August during the morning, taking a break for lunch to eat with Levy, and then during the afternoon, he'd join her in the library where Invel would be instructing her. Brandish had sought them out to remind Levy about their shopping trip in the future, though since Dimaria had yet to return to Vistarion, it still had not quite happened. He hadn't been able to tell if Levy was pleased for the delay or not, but it appeared as if she got along okay with the female general for now.

"How does Alvarez differ from most nations in terms of managing guilds?"

Invel was quizzing Levy at the moment, focusing on internal affairs within Alvarez. "They tend to avoid allowing interventions from the Magic Council."

"Yes. And what else?"

"Well, the magic council gets involved in any situation where there is a potential use of black magic…" She glanced over at Zeref with that, who smiled faintly. It was rather ironic, that they had not realized where he was. Then again, Emperor Spriggan's identity was not publicly announced to those outside of the nation either. "So, Alvarez attempts to regulate the guilds themselves." She frowned. "It still seems odd, though, how you manage them. The book you had me read says you actually allow dark guilds to exist…but that makes no sense."

Zeref shrugged. "Dark guilds are bound to form, no matter what the laws insist upon. By governing the types of magic allowed, we are able to exert more exact control over them, and specify what dark guilds can and cannot do with their magic. True, many likely violate such laws…but those governing magic prohibit death magic, curses, living magic and similar spells."

"And we are aware of which guilds to keep a closer eye on, due to the Wizard Census taken on an annual basis." Invel smiled at her. "Speaking of which…what is the purpose of the census?"

Levy ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "To keep track of registered wizards within Alvarez. According to laws regarding magic, a wizard can only practice magic if they have joined a guild which has sworn allegiance to Emperor Spriggan, and agreed to abide by the laws. The census is taken by asking guild masters to report back numbers of how many members they have each year, along with their names and type of magic. In response, documentation is sent to the guilds to provide to new members, stating the guild the wizard is affiliated with and providing evidence that they are legally allowed to practice magic in the nation."

"You are forgetting one detail, Levy."

The girl frowned, before sitting up straight and nodding. "Oh! It also keeps track of how many dark guilds there are. Unlike traditional guilds, dark guilds must only report back their size, location of operation, and the identity of the current guild master."

"Correct." Invel adjusted his glasses, rising to his feet. "It appears as if you are doing well in your studies involving magic regulation after all. I was thinking you may find it challenging, given how lax it is in other countries."

She narrowed her eyes. "That's because Era usually handles magical issues. They are an international organization for a reason, and exist to make things easier on countries. What is wrong with letting them do their job? I mean, I was a member of the rune knights working for them for a year myself."

Invel glanced over at Zeref, raising his eyebrows. "I'd think the answer to that would be quite obvious." That made Levy glare at him, before shaking her head and turning towards Zeref.

Looking up from his own book, Zeref raised his eyebrows. "Levy…do you think the Magic Council approves of my past actions?"

She paused, before turning away. "Oh. Right." She ran a hand through her hair, her cheeks slightly pink. "Sorry. It's just easy to not think about that, lately." His smile widened, and he opened his book again to read. The room was quiet for a moment, before Levy spoke again. "Hey, Invel? Do you think we can call it a day? I'll read the introduction on trade policies later, but I think I'd like to go out and do something for a change. I can't just keep reading and studying all day long, you know?"

"If you get too relaxed, we'll never get through this in time. You must be well-informed of policies around the nation, if you are to even hope to be skilled when the time comes for you to rule." Zeref narrowed his eyes at Invel, but Levy only nodded and rose to her feet, grabbing a book off of the table.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I already know far more about Alvarez' government than I ever knew about Fiore's, and I never even left the country before all of this happened." That at least seemed to leave Invel content, and he nodded.

"Very well. It is simply something to keep in mind." He turned towards Zeref, giving a slight bow. "Enjoy your evenings, Levy, your Majesty." With that, he turned and left, the door shutting softly behind him.

"You don't usually choose to neglect your studies." Zeref frowned over at her, watching as Levy shrugged. "Is there any particular reason you chose to do so today?"

"Like I told Invel, I need a break." She smiled at him, holding out her hand. Zeref took it immediately, and she began pulling on his arm until he let her pull him to his feet. "And since you seem to be having a lot of free time in the afternoon lately, I thought it'd be nice for us to go out on a date for a change."

His eyes widened. "A…date?"

Levy rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she began walking out of the library. Zeref followed after, leaving his own book behind; he'd hardly focused on it anyway. "Yes, a date. I mean, you are still treating me as your girlfriend, right?" This was…more direct than he was used to with her. Zeref slowly nodded, watching her stop and smile. "And couples usually go on dates. I haven't seen anything of Alvarez outside of this castle, and like I just told Invel, I can't say I've really traveled. So, I thought we'd go do something in town, or maybe even just go on a walk. Just something outside of this castle of yours for a change."

Perhaps it would be a nice distraction, heading into town. Though, Zeref rarely did so himself. He grabbed too much attention typically, in the streets of Alvarez. "Doing this…will likely begin rumors of your relationship with me." He paused, focusing on her. "Are you prepared for what that may lead to? I cannot say what the public view of you will be. Alvarez is quite content with my leadership, and I have not even heard rumors of a desire for a second leader within the government."

"Well, I'll have to face them sometime, right?" She shrugged, glancing down at her feet. "Plus, I want to do something fun here, before I go back to at least see my friends. I want to be able to tell them interesting stories about my adventures, and the things I've learned." Zeref's smile faded slightly, but he nodded anyway. "You've been in a good mood lately, and things have been calm. With all of that, I thought that I might go back, for a little bit, after going out with Brandish and Dimaria."

He swallowed, slowly nodding. "I see." Her gaze lingered on him, watching his reaction. Yet…he knew this would happen at some point. He couldn't just keep her here indefinitely, like a prisoner in the place he wanted her to see as home. Something cool wrapped around his hand, and he glanced down to see Levy holding it.

"I won't be gone for too long, Zeref." She smiled at him. "Lately, I've really been thinking. As much as I love Fairy Tail, I also love it here. There's so much more I can learn, whether its from the books in your library, from you personally—and beyond that, there's also new people to meet. They've got their own quirks, sure, but there probably isn't a single person in Fairy Tail that doesn't either." Zeref found himself smiling, some of the tension leaving him with those words. "I just don't want to lose the friends I had before either and I also don't want to give up taking jobs as a guild wizard, just because I'm here. The challenges I face there also help me learn too, and they let me bond with friends."

"Well, I suppose you should inform me when you plan to leave. I will have an airship prepared for you…" He trailed off, his brow furrowing. "If possible, I'd like to join you at least for the return trip. Though, August has been receiving messages lately that may make that difficult to manage."

"Something big coming up?"

He nodded, beginning to walk with her towards the exit of the castle. "We've been receiving messages from King Toma. Our actions against Fairy Tail have been misconstrued as acts of war against Fiore…August has been replying on my behalf, but they do not seem content with his responses. He is sending his daughter to speak with me and hopefully handle the matter without further violence. I cannot say I've met with her before…I do not know how reasonable she will be, nor when she will arrive to speak about the matter."

"What did you expect when you brought an army into a foreign country?" Levy snorted, shaking her head. "We may have been your target, but it isn't like Fiore won't be threatened by an invasion like that."

He nodded. "I am aware of what it would appear to be. Still, I am hoping that this princess will be…lenient. Already, we are working towards weakening our military as per the agreement with Fairy Tail, and we have also just lost Bloodman and Larcade…" Zeref sighed, shaking his head. "Their request may be different from Fairy Tail's, which may put us in a more troubling situation."

"Well, whenever they come, I'm certain you'll be able to work it out." He nodded, seeing her smile as they stepped outside. He wasn't certain on where to bring her…she enjoyed reading and magic, but what else? Really, the more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

Levy glanced around, following him as he walked towards the gate that exited the walled barrier around the castle. Seeing him, the guards gave a bow, before opening the gate. Outside, the streets were cluttered with people walking throughout the city. Magical vehicles drove on the streets, while others walked to their destinations on foot. "Is there anything in particular you had an interest in seeing? I can't say I know much of what you meant to do, with this…date of ours."

She smiled at him, folding her hands behind her back. "Anything is fine." She glanced around, looking across the street where vendors were set up, selling small little trinkets to those passing by. "Magnolia doesn't have street vendors like that. Are they common here?"

Zeref nodded. "Vistarion is a populated city, and with the castle behind us…it attracts tourists, wishing to claim they've seen the castle and various monuments within." There were statues built in parks in the city. commemorating former leaders or those who had died in war in the past. Alvarez was a nation that had a history filled with civil war, before Zeref had arrived. As a result, there were many historical figures with some form of physical mark in the nation from their actions.

"Monuments? You don't seem like the sort of person to really…commemorate much."

He nodded. "Most were built before I assumed the role of emperor." He tilted his head, frowning. "Actually…there is one, that I requested to have built." He was quiet, thinking about it. After glancing at her, he nodded and turned down another street. It would lead away from the market, and towards a few museums in town. Levy was quiet as they walked, frowning and waiting for further explanation. Zeref paused when they arrived in front of Alvarez' national museum of history. In a central square in front of the building, a fountain rested. A decorative dragon appeared to be spitting water out from the top, spraying down into the pool below. Behind it, a wall of marble had been carved, intentionally with a massive crack down the center.

Levy stared at it with a frown, glancing towards him. "You wanted to build this?" She glanced at the wall, her hand trailing along the surface. "What is it for? Rhere's no plaque or anything…"

"That is intentional. To be quite honest…this monument doesn't truly belong in Alvarez at all." He approached it, gazing at the names listed. On his side, the names were likely less familiar to anyone observing it. He'd spent a long time, trying to find them all. Mother Glare, Skiadrum, Weisslogia…so many others were listed, all unusual and unknown. "Few people visit it, and I knew quite well that Fiore would not wish to remember this piece of their history. Yet…they deserved to be remembered. Neither side was at fault, and a great race perished because of the selfishness and violence of war."

Levy stared at it, frowning and glancing over towards the side Zeref stood on. It was faint, but in the background behind the names was an intricate carving of a dragon. On Levy's side, the carving was of a man, covered in what likely seemed like a ridiculous robe with a hood now, but had once actually been the military uniform for wizards during the war. "Wait. Metallicana, Grandeeney—Gajeel and Wendy mentioned them." She glanced over at Zeref, her eyes widening. "Is this meant to be a monument for the dragons?"

He smiled faintly. "In a way, I suppose it could be viewed that way." He nodded towards the other side. "However, it was meant to be a reminder to myself, of sorts as well." She followed him as he walked to the other side. "This side…these names are the names of the wizards who lost their lives in the war against the dragons. Well…as many as I could find, that is." He sighed, shaking his head. "I had lived through the harshness of war, and knew what the price would be. This nation had done the same. So…it seemed fitting, to provide myself with a reminder of why war was so foolish and unnecessary." He glanced over at Levy, feeling his lips twitch. "Though, it seems as if that reminder was not quite strong enough, in the end."

Levy frowned, but nodded. After a moment, she backed away, glancing around at where they were. "Well, you did stop, before anyone was really harmed at least." She paused, glancing towards him. "At least, I think you did."

His smile softened, and he nodded. "Perhaps. The damage to those fighting on our side…was minimal, compared to what it had the potential to be. I had suspected that guild wizards would be…unwilling, to be excessively forceful against an enemy."

"And you didn't fight yourself, which meant far less damage to us as well."

He nodded. It was a strange topic, for them to have all things considered. Yet, Levy seemed calm about it. "Are…do you still feel anger towards me? For what I did?"

She frowned, turning towards him. "I don't know." Her gaze dropped, and she let out a sigh. "Part of me feels like I should. You targeted Fairy Tail specifically, and knowing you, you had every intention of killing us, if we stood in your way." He would not deny it. It wasn't a path he had been opposed to, when contemplating potential ways to end the war. "Yet, you didn't, and instead we went to Edolas and…I got to know you. I didn't expect you to say anything, to reveal anything, yet you talked to me, about why you were having the war. Your goals weren't wrong, and as you talked, part of me wanted to help, if I could. So, I'm not angry, but I can't exactly just forget it, either."

He nodded, his brow furrowing. "And yet you also care for me…despite this."

She nodded. "I guess I have a habit of doing that." He frowned, seeing her scratch the back of her neck. "Right, sorry. Probably shouldn't bring stuff like that up."

"It is alright. It isn't as if I haven't had a previous relationship either." At least, it seemed that she was implying such a thing.

Levy shook her head, however. "Actually, we never really were a couple. Everyone thought we would be, though." She glanced over at him. "Gajeel, a dragon slayer in our guild, he'd attacked Fairy Tail quite brutally. He targeted my team, beat us up until we were unconscious and pinned us up for the guild to see in the park. It was meant to aggravate them to the point of starting a war between guilds, which as you know…"

"Is illegal." He frowned, seeing her sigh. "You…you are a very kind person. Forgiving, and willing to move beyond events of the past."

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that." She shrugged. "With him, I did hate him, for a while. I was angry, but then, after the whole conflict with his guild was over, and he was trying to join our guild, he just let some of our members beat him up, to get their anger out. He didn't fight back or do anything to stop him, even though I knew fully well he could have beaten them without much effort." She crossed her arms over her chest, staring down at the ground. "I don't know. It just showed me that he regretted what he'd done. And the more I got to know him, the more protective he seemed to be, especially towards me. It made me think that we were getting closer, but nothing really came of it."

Zeref didn't quite know how to feel about the matter. Was she upset about it? Pleased? He couldn't quite tell, and he wasn't certain if he wanted to know. "Are…" He paused, taking a deep breath. "Are you happy, at least? With me, rather than him?"

She rolled her eyes, reaching over and wrapping an arm around his waist. He felt her head lean against his arm, and after a moment, he raised it and wrapped it around her shoulders. She pressed into his side, and he saw her eyes close as she hugged him, wrapping her other arm around his waist as well. "Of course I am. I'm not the sort of girl that'd just go out with someone she doesn't care about, you know." He smiled, reaching down and resting his second hand over her arm. "You're important to me, too. That's why I don't know what to do."

Her voice was quiet, and her head turned into his robes and away from his sight. "Is…is something wrong?"

She shook her head, her fingers curling and gripping his sash tightly. "No, I just…" She took another deep breath, lifting her gaze. "What I was saying before, about visiting Fairy Tail. I've been a Fairy Tail wizard, for longer than I can remember. And I don't want to leave." He nodded, but she didn't give him a chance to reply. "But I also have been finding it so relaxing to be here, and calm. The people here seem to think I can do great things, without me having to prove myself first. There are no crazy contests of strength, no one insisting that you have to be able to defeat an army of monsters to be an amazing wizard. And you're here…and…" She shook her head, meeting his gaze. "I just don't want to leave here, either. I don't know what I want to do, and I've been thinking about it ever since getting back…"

Zeref reached out, pushing back her hair and nodding. "You don't have to decide yet, Levy. This isn't a quick decision to make, nor will it be simple." He paused, looking towards the monument. "As much as I may wish to sway you myself…I do not think it is my place to do so. My personal desires would leave me biased, and I do not wish to be responsible for pushing you into a choice that must be made as you consider what is best for you."

"Would…" She seemed to hesitate, swallowing. After a moment, she met his gaze, her expression hardening. "If I returned to Fairy Tail, would you still stay with me?"

Could he? Zeref frowned, staring at the stone. He'd been involved in so many conflicts, and started plenty as well. His dark history should be pushing her away, yet Levy never seemed to hold it against him. "I…" He inhaled deeply, turning back towards her. "While I would not be capable of spending as much time with you as I fulfill my obligations here…so long as you wish for it, I will make every effort to support you and be by your side."

He'd spent too much time, letting himself be alone and distant. Perhaps he'd chosen someone who would ultimately leave him, but Zeref was not going to just idly watch her leave. Levy smiled brightly at him, nodding and stretching upwards. Leaning down, Zeref met her lips in a soft kiss, closing his eyes and committing the sensation to memory. He did not want to forget her, no matter what would come.

She pulled away, taking a deep breath and smiling. "If you'll stay with me either way, that at least, makes me feel a little bit calmer about whatever future I decide I want." He smiled, seeing her turn to begin walking away from the monument and the museum. "Anyway, I didn't come out here to just spoil the mood and mope about my problems. We were supposed to be having a date, right?" He watched her, feeling warm and content. He'd be willing to follow her, wherever she wished to go. "So, let's head back to town. I'm certain there's plenty of other interesting things to show me around here, beyond just one monument about a war that didn't even happen on this continent, let alone this country."

He smiled, shaking his head. "I did tell you it didn't belong in Alvarez."

"Yeah, but in a way, it does." She glanced over at him. "Much like you, it is just another thing from Ishgar that seems to help support the people here in moving forward." He didn't think the monument had much of an impact at all on the people here, but he wasn't going to argue the subject with her. She was pushing herself to keep smiling and enjoy the day, but her breakdown remained on his mind. Whatever she chose, he knew she'd feel like she'd given up something. As much as he wanted her to remain here, he hoped she'd make the choice that gave her the family she wanted to be near, to keep that smile on her face without needing to be forced.

So, here's a chapter with a few more details on vague politics in Alvarez, along with a bit more development for Levy and Zeref with the situation surrounding them. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!