"Erza."
The stern yet soft voice that accosted the scarlet-haired mage had her sighing in resignation.
"Yes, your majesty?"
She turned around to face a determined looking Lucy. The young monarch's brow was furrowed and her lips were pressed thin with suppressed emotion.
"We must speak, privately."
Erza nodded, already having guessed this outcome. She followed the younger woman into an empty chamber, leaning against the window frame and gazing out at the garden below as her monarch closed and bolted the doors. Lucy approached her friend again slowly, carefully weighing her words before she spoke.
"It is about Seigrien…"
Erza did not move a muscle, having expected this too. Instead she responded in a weary voice.
"What of him, your highness?"
"Many have noticed you getting closer to him. Are you both romantically involved?"
Erza stiffened. "And of what use is information of such a nature to you?"
Lucy sucked in a breath, a pang of hurt reverberating through her.
"I'm your friend Erza. I only wish you well…"
"Then trust me. I would not throw my friendship or feelings away on just anyone. He is a good man, and I do not appreciate having multiple people sent to me, warning me to 'be cautious' of him! As for our relationship - I do not wish to talk about it to you. Suffice to say, that we are as close as you and I once were, Lucy."
Lucy raised a brow, hiding the pain that twisted her heart under a sarcastic and cruel cloak.
"You both are 'sisters' then? If you truly believe your relationship with him is familial or just good friendship than you are far more naive than I feared! You love him. And he pretends to care for you, although that could easily be because you are a means to an end…"
Erza whirled around, anger and hurt blazing in her own brown depths as she glared at the other young maiden from across the room.
"He. Is. A. Good. Man."
"Oh, keep telling yourself that Erza. Perhaps if you say it enough times, you will believe it."
"Why must you be suspicious of everyone and everything, Lucy? When did you become this calculating, unfeeling monster?"
Lucy sucked in a breath, willing back the tears that threatened to fall.
"You are too far infatuated with this man to see reality, Erza! Your supposed 'love' blinds you to the truth!"
Erza blinked back her own hot tears, clenching her fists to assuage her anger and hurt.
"Me, blind? You, who cannot even see what is happening to Juvia, one of your dearest friends and most faithful courtiers, dares to call me blind?"
Lucy paused, a shadow passing over her face.
"What do you mean?"
"If you have not noticed it yourself, then I have no right to tell you. If it ever comes to your attention, it is between you and she. If it ever does. Of course, it all may be my twisted mind playing tricks upon me, for you seem so certain that I am far too gone in my 'infatuation' to know reality anymore."
Long minutes passed as the pair stared each other down. It was finally Lucy who looked away, her gaze haunted and weary as she tried to compose herself.
"I did not approach you to pick a quarrel with you, Erza." She began haltingly. "I wished to warn you that your new 'friend' has been unmasked. We have discovered his true purpose and it is as deadly as we feared. Tomorrow morning, he will be 'exposed' as a spy and sentenced…"
Lucy gazed back at her friend, tears brimming in her eyes, hating herself for what she had to do - praying that her scarlet locked sister would one day find it in her heart to forgive her.
"Tomorrow, he will be sentenced to death."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Father…"
Wendy's soft whimper echoed in the empty tent, as the young dragoness mindlessly, traced patterns on the sheets of the bed the body was laid out on.
The heavy curtain guarding the tent's entrance fluttered open as two solemn dragonesses stepped into the temporary abode. The younger of the two ran a hand through her messy pink locks, approaching the Princess of the Dragons with a soft, steady tread.
"Wendy, my love? Won't you have something to eat?"
"I'm not yet hungry, Chelia."
Chelia sighed, placing a comforting hand on her mate's shoulder as she glanced back at the last occupant of the tent. She shot the older, aqua-haired dragoness a wan but encouraging smile, to which the dignified female responded with a slightly nervous clearing of her throat.
"Your majesty? May I have a word?"
When she received no response, the dragoness squirmed in place, stepping forward to stand on the other side of the bed. Her nervousness evaporated once her gaze fell on the Princess of Dragons. The beautiful young sky dragoness looked so fragile, scared and heartbroken, that the older female's motherly instincts instantly kicked in.
"Wendy, my child. Please do not look so distressed. You've done everything in your power to help him, and you are our most talented healer on the battlefield. Everything will be alright. Besides, when I fished your father out of the ocean, he was yet alive - that was a miracle in itself! This stubborn old fire breather will not go out without a fight…"
"Lady Aqualine?"
Wendy looked up from the still figure of her sire, her gaze locking on that of the older dragonesses.
"W-when did you get here? H-how is your h-health? They told me you were quite b-bruised and battered by the i-icy waters when you leapt in to s-save my father. Oh, your excellency, you saved his life! If it weren't for you he would be… d-dead… H-how will we ever repay you…?"
The older dragoness swiftly made her way around the bed, gathering the now sobbing younger female in her arms.
"Hush, child. Of course I jumped in, only a water dragon could have braved those wretched seas. And as much as I complain about his exasperating pranks, I am proud - nay, ecstatic - to call him my King. He is a good-hearted, noble and inspiring dragon. We of Alagesia all love him - the water dragons included."
Wendy's tears still fell freely as she clung to the older dragoness, her sobs slowly softening to sniffles. Chelia watched the tableau in silent sadness, glancing towards the entrance of the tent when she heard the curtain guarding it rustle. In stepped in the grim-faced Prince of Dragons, his gaze instantly drawn to the prone form of his father laid out on the bed. He shot Chelia a hopeful, questioning look, to which the fire dragoness replied with a sorrowful shake of her head. Natsu sighed, slowly making his way closer to where his sister and Lady Aqualine were, when they were all surprised by a shaky croak.
"Why Lady Aqualine, I didn't know you capable of such high words of praise! Grandine would never believe me! Where's a recording lacrima when you need one…"
"FATHER!"
Both the Prince and Princess cried out together, converging on him in a massive bear hug. The older dragon warrior left out a soft oof, smiling weakly as he patted his son's back and stroked his daughter's hair, content to let them strangle him for a few precious moments.
"Alright, you two. Let your old dragon father breathe now."
Natsu drew back abruptly, turning away from the rest of the beings gathered around the bed to discreetly bat away the tears that had gathered at the edges of his eyes. Wendy drew back more slowly, instantly scanning her father's still prone form for more injuries or signs of pain.
"How do you feel, father? Shall I give you a potion for pain relief?"
The older dragon shook his head, attempting to move into a seated position… when instead, he over balanced and flopped onto his right side. The look of surprise on his face would normally have been quite comical had the circumstances not been so solemn.
"Your majesty." Lady Aqualine began softly. "You did the Dragons of Alagesia proud out there. You fought the dreaded dragon of darkness, and you would have won had the evil one not cheated. He summoned demon magic at the last second and he… he…"
"Sliced off your right arm and wing." Natsu interjected, his tone gruff with relief and sorrow, as he gently helped his father into a seated position.
"Father?" Wendy whispered hesitantly.
Igneel did not respond. He continued to gaze at his one remaining hand, a blank expression on his face.
"B-but we can heal your missing limbs, I'm sure!" Wendy stammered, reaching forward to squeeze her father's left hand reassuringly. "We could give you artificial ones, and with training and potions you could return to at least most of the way you were of old…"
She was halted by a deep throated chuckle and an affectionate return squeeze of her hand.
"Nay, my dear daughter. I would not want such troublesome treatment to hide these scars, of which I am proud! To have survived a battle against the dark emperor is no small feat - and I shall carry the reminders of that with dignity. But what concerns me is what happened after I fell? Did Acnologia retreat? Did he go after Natsu?..."
Igneel turned to his son, who let out a long, troubled sigh before answering his sire.
"When I saw you fall, I challenged him, father."
"W-what?! Have I taught you nothing, boy?! You did not have to attack, you could have safely retreated and battled him another day when you were better rested, and you had your friends for support…"
"I know." Natsu interrupted a little impatiently. "But my emotions overwhelmed me and I did not wish to wait for a safer time. We had already lost so much… We thought we had lost you. So I attacked. And at first I thought I could win it… but that was a false hope. He soon began overpowering me. That was when I ended up using…" Natsu trailed off, his face twisted into a grimace.
"Brother somehow conjured golden flames that actually seemed to burn Acnologia, father." Wendy supplied softly.
"Yes. Those flames… I've never seen the likes of them before. And the Prince seems to have no recollection of what they were or how he conjured them." Lady Aqualine added solemnly.
"He fainted soon after the defeat." Chelia added. "It was a good thing he had transformed back down into his half form before doing so, because as it was, carrying his heavy ass back to his tent was still no small feat…"
Natsu shot his sister-in-law the ghost of a smile, to which she responded with a grin and a wink.
Igneel chuckled before resuming the pondering expression he had adopted over the news he had been given.
"Hmmm. Golden flames... I've never heard of anything like it either. But as long as it defeated Acnologia…"
"Think it defeated." Natsu supplied, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Oh for the love of! Heck, even the demons agree that he's gone, they made you their new leader haven't they?!"
"Brother, we've been through this. Everyone is certain he died…"
"Prince Natsu, we can assure you that none but water dragons or ice dragons could survive those icy depths without aid, and since none of us aided him - he has to be dead…"
Natsu silenced the remaining talkers with one short line.
"But we haven't found his body yet, have we?"
A tense silence fell in the tent as everyone mulled over Natsu's words. Before anyone else could respond, Natsu retreated towards the entrance of the tent.
"I'm glad you've awakened, father. I'll visit you again soon. As for the question of Acnologia's demise... Let us just hope for the best."
With those ominous words, the Prince of Dragons and newly appointed Emperor of the Demons swept out of the small tent.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Erza just kept running.
The news that had pierced her heart like a well wielded dagger echoed through her being. She fought to contain the tears that threatened to spill from her good eye, knowing well that if she succumbed to her grief, she would become far worse than useless.
He was not dead yet. She could still save him if she hurried.
She had fled the chamber she and Lucy had been talking in, ignoring her old friend's fevered begging. Lucy had been trying to ask her about something, warn her about something else…
But at that point, Erza could neither hear nor care for what else she had to say.
Her only focus was him.
She slowed down as she reached her destination, cautiously glancing about her as she slipped into a secret passage adjoining the hallway. A few short minutes later she had opened a door leading into a medium sized bed chamber.
"Erza? What are you doing here?"
Erza stared at the man before her, momentarily stunned into silence.
He was naked, with only a cloth towel hanging low on his hips. In his hand he held another towel, obviously in the middle of drying his damp dark blue locks. His lean, muscular form was covered with lightly tanned skin, a few scars dotting his sculpted torso and toned legs. His chest was mostly hairless, the only hint of covering being a sparse happy trail that led suggestively downwards, touching the edge of the towel still balanced on his hips. Erza could feel her mind dive into the gutter as she took in his sleek masculine figure, all manner of indecent thoughts arising in her traitorous brain in a matter of milliseconds.
His expression was one of surprise with a hint of amusement, as he took in her embarrassed, flushed face and lust-tinged eyes. He coughed delicately, snapping her out of her daze.
Erza reddened further, whirling around her spot and covering her burning face with her hands.
"I-I a-apologize! I did not know… I did not think… I'm so so sorry…"
The man behind her chuckled, strolling towards his bathing chamber to make himself decent with a parting shot over his shoulder.
"Make yourself at home, Erza. You are welcome to walk in on me anytime you wish… Anytime."
Erza did not think her cheeks could glow any redder as she fumbled her way towards his writing desk. She plopped herself down in his cushiony chair, groaning as she buried her face in her arms, folding them on the table. Jellal emerged moments later, taking in the sight of Erza hiding her face with a tender and fond smile. He approached her reclined form silently, kneeling beside her before tapping her shoulder. She did not bother looking up, merely let out another groan, louder than the one before.
"I have disgraced myself forever, haven't I?"
He chuckled again, resting his hand between her shoulder blades.
"You have not, dear Erza, but I do not know what to say to convince you otherwise. Why don't you just tell me why you are here, instead?"
Erza peeked out from under her forearm, her long, luscious lashes brushing the smooth tanned skin of her arm. The sight made Jellal's breath hitch and his heart stop in his chest - she was too damn alluring for her own good. She was innocent yet seductive, angelic yet down to earth, a symphony of paradoxes - she fascinated him, and meant the world to him. Jellal had fallen, and fallen hard for this woman - he had known it for a while, but its full impact only struck him in that single, simple moment.
Oblivious to his epiphany, Erza propped herself up a little more as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"I have bad news for you… and a question. You do not have to answer if you cannot. I-I trust you."
Jellal just waited, content to let her compose herself and get the words out. Erza took a deep, shaky breath before looking him straight in the eyes.
"You are to be 'exposed' as a spy - and sentenced to death tomorrow."
He blinked.
"I see… your warning is invaluable, thank you. But why now? They have known of my status as a spy for some time now, why act upon it at this point?"
Erza gazed at him steadily, her deep brown eyes seeming to penetrate his very soul.
"Because the Princess recently discovered your ulterior motive. I did not wish to hear it from her, so that is the substance of my question to you…"
Jellal sighed, closing his eyes as he mulled over his options.
He could tell her right now that he was after the primordial source and pretend he knew nothing about the keeper of the keys - but then, she would demand to know why he was after the source. And even sweet, trusting Erza would begin to suspect him if he refused to divulge the reason he was after such a powerful magical source. And telling her he wished to assassinate his ruler and torture the rebels until they handed over documents to supplement his lost memory would not go down well with her either… She had a strong sense of justice, after all. Lying to her was not an option either - she knew him too well, she would be able to read through his lies. The only option he had was therefore…
"I cannot say."
Erza regarded him intensely for a few more minutes, before turning away with a disappointed sigh.
"Very well. I suppose it is for the best. Now, follow me - you must be outside city limits before dawn tomorrow if you are to safely escape the sentencing."
As she turned to approach the entrance to another secret passage hidden behind his writing desk, she felt a firm hand clasp her wrist.
"What do you mean?! I am not leaving!"
She blinked, confusion writ on her face.
"Why not? You will be killed if you stay."
He shook his head, taking a step closer to her, his voice dropping even lower as he stared into her dark brown orbs.
"I don't care. I can't leave you!"
Erza stared back, stunned by the warmth and passion in his voice.
"Why not?" Her voice was soft and tremulous. His proximity affected her, as evidenced by the light blush that formed on her cheeks.
He opened his mouth to admit the truth before suddenly clamping it shut. What right did a murderer like him have to love someone as righteous and pure as Erza Scarlett?
"You will get in trouble if I leave now. They may suspect you helped me escape. I can't leave you behind to face that."
Erza let out a frustrated sigh, shooting her friend a dark look.
"You will die if you remain here. I might be punished with a reprimand or dismissal from my post, at worst. Leaving me behind should be the least of your worries."
Jellal smiled.
"You trivialize your own situation, Erza. I know quite well just how much hell the courtiers could put you through, were they to get ahold of this news. I, on the other hand, have ways to survive even if I choose to remain. I have 'friends' in court - men and women whose secrets I am in possession of, and who cannot afford to have me harmed. I also know that according to the laws of Pergrande, the Princess must hold a 'bargaining' session after each judgment, unless the judgment is unanimous. I can use that session to my advantage. I will use my contacts to buy myself freedom. I will not die."
Erza glared at the man, even more irritated by the cool, composed facade he had adopted. Had he no regard for his own life? Did he not know how precious it was? How precious he himself was… to her?
"Why do you wish to go through so much trouble? Why can't you just take my help and escape now?"
Jellal's facade dropped for a moment, the underlying burning passion shining through.
"Will you come with me?"
As Erza held his heated gaze, she could feel her knees weaken, and her heart begin a mad gallop to places unknown.
"I can't…"
As much as her heart yearned to, she knew she could not. Juvia's gentle reprimand rang clear in her mind - she owed Lucy, her monarch, her friend, her sister - her first allegiance. Even if she fought with the exasperating girl, she still loved her. And she would not abandon her. She could not leave her behind in Pergrande.
Jellal watched the range of emotions flit across Erza's face with a compassionate and tender gaze.
"Then I will not go. You complete me, Erza. I am a far darker and more sinister man than you realize, but you make me a lighter, better human being... I need you! Even if you may not need me the same way…"
The words arose from his lips, unbidden, and he blurted them out before he could stop himself.
"I love you."
Erza stared. And slowly, an answering soft, tender smile lit up her eyes and her entire visage.
"And I love you."
He leaned in, eager and terrified in the same instant. She leaned in as well, her eyes displaying the same range of emotions as his. Their lips touched.
He felt his head spin, his body breaking into a sweat as various colorful images assaulted his mind, a massive ache raging in his head.
"What is your name?"
"Erza…"
"Just Erza? Hmmm… That won't do! You must have a last name too. Oh, I know! I will name you Erza Scarlett, for your beautiful hair. That way, I'll always remember you! For who could ever forget one as lovely as you?"
Years later.
"Erza. Lead the others to safety as we planned. I have something I must do before I follow."
"No! Let me come with you, Jellal. You don't have to do this alone!"
"Nay, Erza. What I plan to do is dangerous… I could never forgive myself if you got hurt. Please, just leave."
"No!"
The blue haired boy let out an exasperated huff, grabbing the scarlet haired child in his arms and placing a soft, gentle peck on her lips.
"Please, Erza? Go with the others… For me?"
"I… I…"
"Promise me you will go and be safe. Erza?"
"I… Promise. I love you, Jellal."
"And I love you too."
He remembered.
"Seigrien?"
Erza's concerned voice washed over him as her face swam back into vision. She was staring down at him with confusion and worry writ plain on her face.
Jellal sat up, taking deep steadying breaths, looking anywhere but into her depthless dark brown orbs.
He was Jellal from the Tower of Heaven. A young boy who had been captured and enslaved along with many other children his age. Along with the goddess who now sat demurely beside him. His heart had recognized her far before his brain had. And it must have been the power of his emotions towards her that had broken the powerful magic that had locked away his memories.
Well, a part of his memories, at least. He could sense other memories still safely tucked away, waiting for jolts to his heart like the one he had just received a few moments ago to unlock themselves too. But for now, he was content. Ecstatic, in fact. His angel had saved him yet again. Erza Scarlett. His childhood sweetheart. His lover. His soulmate.
The powerful love and lust that crashed through him propelled him to his feet, as he roughly grabbed the beautiful young maiden by his side and encased her in a strong and passionate embrace, silent tears flowing down his cheeks. He pressed his lips to hers again, this time far more rough and demanding, moulding his chapped, thinner ones to her soft, succulent lips. His hands wandered her form, fumbling at the buckles of her armor. He felt her stiffen in his arms. Controlling his ardor, he forced himself back to gaze into her eyes, a question in his.
Erza understood. And with a shy smile she gave her consent.
He lifted her in his arms, bridal style, and carried her to the four poster bed. He would worship her as the goddess she was. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear, alongside a passionate vow to always be by her side forevermore.
Heaven help the fool who ever tried to separate them.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A few hours later, as the lazy moon rose in the early night sky, a quick figure flitted in the shadows beneath a chamber's window.
Within that very chamber lay a scarlet haired maiden and a blue haired man, tangled in a heap beneath the sheets of a massive bed, their eyes closed and their breathing even and steady.
As the pair lay in bed, satisfied and satiated, they did not notice the sleek cat's tail sneaking into the room. It gently fingered Erza's cast-aside armor, hunting for something specific. It wrapped around something triumphantly, as it withdrew itself through the window. The keyring held tight in its grasp caught a ray of moonlight as the appendage withdrew, and three golden keys attached to it sparkled in that brief interval.
The drowsy occupants of the chamber noticed nothing as they surrendered to the blissful unconsciousness of sleep.