A/N: Hi there, internet! How we doing today? Doing good? Golly, I hope so. Now, it's times like these were I'm so glad I've written ahead. I've got a few chapters already done and they've been that way since the first week of December. This being one of them. Mostly because I'm kind of sick these days (There's no kind of about it. I'm downright sick. And the thought of writing a full chapter exhausts me) and I'm just writing this bit in current time. Since I don't know if guest reviews are going to come in and if you're new here, I will gladly talk to the guest chat. You guys are here, too. With that being said…

Hello, Moonwalker. It's been a while. I mean…It's been a week, but here nor there. Of course I'm going to talk to you. Like I said before, you're here, too. You contribute just as much as someone with an account does. The only difference is that my responses to you end up, in a way, a piece of the chapter by talking in an open and public forum. For people that have an account, I'll talk to them privately, but this works just as well. I thought I did have character tags on this…Oops. I'll take care of that as soon as possible. But it's lovely to have you here. This is the way I've been running it for the last four and a half years. No sense in changing it now. So, how about I shut up and let you read and I'm going to go get some medicine? Yeah? Sound good? Okie dokie! xx

I woke up the next morning with a strange lightness in my chest. Not that I was complaining. It's just been…quite sometime since I've had a morning like this. I knew His Highness was doing well. Not to mention His Majesty. And they're both comfortable enough around me where they can bare their souls. It's beautiful really. The feeling of the sun on my skin from the window was merely the icing on the cake. This was nice. I'm grateful for the opportunities the royal family has given me and that those opportunities have brought me a new friend.

Knock, knock.

That's odd. I wasn't expecting company this morning. Then again, I also wasn't expecting company last night, yet Jellal had gotten out of bed just to see me. If I wanted to be that vain about it. Jellal only came over last night to vent. Nothing more, nothing less. And I let him. It's not like I could've said no. It made me wonder if he was back to vent some more. I quickly changed into some armor and opened the door, definitely not expecting who was on the other side.

"Good morning, Roland," I greeted him, nonetheless.

"Good morning, Erza," Roland bowed to me.

"Roland…" I scolded him lightly, "We've had this conversation. Your respect is appreciated, but you don't need to be formal with me."

"I'm sorry…" Poor thing looked like he was about to come out of his skin, "I forgot you weren't formal. Please forgive me!"

"You're forgiven," I had already excused him, "What brings you to my door this morning?"

"I wanted to ask you a favor," Roland stared down at his shuffling feet. To think, he was going to become a knight of the kingdom. Granted, I've met wizards in other guilds who were the same as him. Twitchy, awkward, not exactly the most confident. We can change that, though.

"Only if you look me in the eye when you ask me," I demanded, "I promise I'm not going to yell at you, Roland. You look like you're trying to hide your bedsheets."

"I don't have that problem!" he squeaked, "Well…Not anymore. But that's not why I'm here. I don't need to hide my bedsheets."

"Then, out with it," I moved him along, "I don't have all day."

"Are you busy today?" Roland asked, making eye contact. Good. Baby steps, but we'll get there.

"I'm not sure," I thought it over, "It depends on what His Highness has planned for the day. If he's not busy, then I'm not busy. Why? What was the favor you wanted to ask me?"

"Do you think…" he turned shy again, "Maybe you could teach me how to swordfight today?"

"I'd be happy to," I gave him a little smile, doing my best to set him at ease, "I'd have to ask the prince his itinerary first, but if he has a clear schedule, I'd be glad to show you a few things. Do you know if His Highness is awake yet?"

"I'm not sure," Roland shrugged, "I'm not allowed in the prince's room, Erza. I don't have that kind of clearance. Not like you."

"Hold on," I kept Roland at my door and walked to the one next to mine. A couple gentle knocks should get his attention. As long as he's not having a hard start to his morning. Or still asleep. I'd hate to be the one to wake him up. He had a hard night.

"Come in!" a voice called from the other side. That's comforting. He seems to be in high spirits.

I pushed the door open and bowed to him, "Good morning, Your Highness."

"Good morning, Ms. Scarlet," Jellal giggled a bit, "What have I said about the formalities when we're alone?"

"It's a habit," I brushed it off, "How are you feeling?"

"Much better than I was yesterday," he reported, "And so much better than I was last night. Thank you. And how are you? I'm trusting I didn't keep you up too much."

"Of course not," I sat at the edge of his bed next to him, "I'm glad you came to me. That is what I'm here for."

"Was there something you needed, Erza?" Jellal asked, "Or are you just here to say hi?"

"Actually," I hid a little smirk from him, "Do you remember our walk through the gardens?"

"How could I forget it?" Suddenly, a few pebbles from the floor floated in front of us. And a hint of a smile graced Jellal's face.

"You really should be careful about how often you do that," I warned him, "We wouldn't want your magic triggering another…"

"I'm ok, Erza," he promised, "I haven't needed to take my medicine today. But it is still early in the day."

"Jellal…"

"I'm sorry," Jellal laughed to himself, "I didn't mean to make you nervous. But what about our walk through the garden?"

"You asked me to spar with you," I remembered, "Something to let you see my power and how strong of a fighter I am. However, I can't do that for the sake of keeping the peace."

"Unfortunately."

"But," I bargained, "My squire asked me if I would teach him to swordfight today. Perhaps you'd like to sit in on that."

"I'd love to!" Jellal's face lit up in a way I had never seen before. And it melted me to my very core, "I've heard all of these rumors about the great, fearsome Erza Scarlet. Although, some called you by another name, too."

"Titania, I'm sure," I assumed, "That's more of a title than a name."

"Titania…" he thought for a moment or two, "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"I'm not sure," I got up, "But I need to see my squire. We'll be at the parade grounds in an hour or so. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course," Jellal allowed, "Go on. Go tell your squire that you'll be having a lesson today. But Erza…"

"Yes, Jellal?"

"Since you're only going to be teaching him," he wondered, "Does that mean I won't be able to see you go all out against him?"

"I never said that…" I left Jellal to gather himself and walked back into my own room. As ordered, Roland had stayed right where I left him, "I have good news, Roland. I'll be able to teach you to fight today."

"Wonderful!" Roland sang, "Thank you, Erza! You won't regret it!"

"Although," I went on, "You will be learning in front of the prince. I hope that isn't a problem."

"The prince…?" he froze.

"That's right," I nodded, "The prince is going to be joining us. Since I am the one that's supposed to be keeping an eye on him and making sure he stays safely out of trouble, he's going to accompany this lesson. Just an observer. You won't be fighting him."

"I would think not!" Roland gasped, "There's no way I'd get out of that alive."

"Between you and me," I confessed, "He's asked me to spar with him before."

"Really?" I thought his eyes were going to fall out of his head, "What'd you tell him?"

"That I didn't need the court martial," I explained, "Although, he did say he could also order me to do it, leaving me with no choice and all the blame on him. But you don't need to worry, Roland. You're not fighting against the prince. If I'm the one to teach you, then I'll be the one fighting you. Do you have any prior experience with a sword?"

"Um…" Roland got nervous again, "Define experience…"

"Have you ever held a sword, Roland?" Please say yes. I don't ask for much, but at least tell me you've held a sword before.

"Yes," he nodded, setting me at ease, "But not much outside of that."

"Roland," I put a hand on his shoulder, "It's alright. This is just a lesson. The fact that Prince Jellal will be there isn't going to count against you. It's not like if you do horribly here, you'll no longer be on the path to knighthood. He doesn't judge. Since you're my squire, I'd get the final say in things anyway. You don't need to be nervous. Just try your best and you'll be fine. You're still learning. That's what being a squire is all about."

"Ok," Roland came around, "Thank you, Erza.

"You're welcome," I gave him a nod, "Whenever you're ready, meet me on the parade grounds, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'd highly recommend you going to the kitchen from here," I suggested, "You should have a decent breakfast in your stomach before we begin."

"Ok," Roland took off and I felt a finger tapping on my shoulder.

"Excuse me, Ms. Scarlet," Jellal's butler greeted me, "But Prince Jellal would like for you to accompany him for breakfast."

"Where is he taking his breakfast?" I asked, the answer determining whether or not I say yes.

"His bedroom."

"Please tell him I'll be there shortly," I bit the inside of my cheek, "I need a moment to take care of some things."

"Yes, Miss," the butler bowed to me and stepped into Jellal's room, likely delivering my RSVP.

First, he offers me a spot with him at dinner and now, one at his breakfast table? I didn't think the royals got so close to the help. Then again, I'm not ordinary help. Maybe I'll be the one testing his food for poison. I hope not. Although I said I'd be willing to give my life for the prince, I'd rather not die today. Once I had gathered myself, I walked into Jellal's bedroom and joined him at his table.

"We meet again, Your Highness," I took my proper bow, catching a glimpse of his butler out of the corner of my eye.

"It's always a pleasure to have you, Ms. Scarlet," Jellal, too, kept up with his formalities, "Please sit with me."

"Thank you," I took the empty seat across from him.

"Could we have some time alone please?" he requested, shooing his butler away.

"Of course, Your Highness," his butler finished setting his table and left the two of us alone.

Gee, I wonder what that was all about, "Jellal…"

"Yes, Erza?"

"Any particular reason why you sent him away?" I asked.

"I've told you many times," he pointed out, "I don't like formalities, Erza. All of the house staff treats me like a royal because they fear losing their job. Even if I tell them it's ok, they'll deny me. If anyone were to hear you address me like an equal, I have no doubt I'd have a new bodyguard by the end of the week."

"Who would be the one with the problem?" I poured tea for the both of us.

"Mother mostly," Jellal explained, "Father understands me a little better than she does. He accepts the fact that I need to be met halfway. Mother, on the other hand…She's more overbearing. Please don't tell her I said that. If she knew, it'd break her heart."

"You can tell me anything in confidence," I promised. Besides, I knew his mother's feelings toward wizards, I'd rather not cross paths with the queen, "I'll never tell a soul."

"Thank you," he smiled softly, "How about some breakfast?"

"Yes, please," I nodded, watching him take the lid off the silver tray. Oh, my…Was that…? I pulled myself together, "Is that a strawberry crepe cake?"

"Yes, it is," Jellal confirmed, "It's one of my favorites. If you'd like, I can have something else brought for you."

"Oh, no," I shook my head, "This is fine. It's one of my favorites, too. Although, I didn't expect to have a crepe cake for breakfast."

"Our chefs are some of the best in all of Fiore," he cut a piece for me, starting off a little on the narrow side for my taste. But then, he noticed my disapproval and widened his angle. There we go. Granted, this cake had to stand five inches from the plate, but it's breakfast. I'm allowed to indulge myself a little, "And whenever I say I'm not feeling well, they want to do everything in their power to make me feel better. And that includes my favorite breakfast."

"This is beautiful," I watched as the piece of cake turned over on its side, unable to stand on its own.

"I'm glad you agreed to this, Erza," Jellal cut a piece for himself, "I feel like I know everything about you, yet I don't know you at all. You're such a familiar mystery to me."

"Go ahead," I allowed, trapped in a delightful haze of sweet cream and fresh strawberries, "Ask me anything you want to know."

"You said you were teaching your squire how to swordfight," he recalled, "Are you not?"

"I am," I nodded, "What about it?"

"Where did you learn to swordfight?"

"Most of my fighting skills came instinctually," I admitted, "It was more of a forced learn, though. When I was younger and in a bad place, I had to defend myself somehow. I could either lay on the ground and let the beatings come to me or I could get up and stand. And show them exactly the kind of treatment they gave me. Something broke inside me one day and that raw power I had in me came out."

"Nothing broke in you, Erza," Jellal took my hand, "It awoken. You found a reserve of power and strength within yourself and you slayed your first monster. Don't you ever say you're broken."

"You didn't see it, though," I went on, "That raw power…It got a little out of hand. Granted, I got the seemingly never-ending pain to stop, but…It wasn't pretty. That's when Master Makarov took me in. He showed me how to focus that power. And showed me what that power was. It was my magical abilities. That's what allows me to do something like this."

I stood up and got into a different armor only to switch back to what I had on. And he applauded me, "That's very impressive."

"Thank you," I sat back down, "Once I got the hang of it, requip magic comes as easy as breathing to me. Granted, my strength comes from something I never wanted to go back to, but if that's what drives me at the end of the day…If that's what makes me want to protect the people I care most about…Then, so be it."

"And you think you can use that to teach Roland?"

"More or less," I shrugged, "I'm sure there's something in him, deep down. Something that makes him want to fight. It could be one person. It could be a multitude of people. It could be his attempt at righting a past wrong. Motivations are a strange thing. But I'm sure he'll learn. If not from passion, then from muscle memory."

"You know, Erza," Jellal thought, "It's a shame we don't do this more often. How long would you say you've been serving the royal family?"

"Probably…" I thought back, "A couple months now? Something like that."

"And we've only shared breakfast together once," he sighed out, "It's a shame. Maybe we could do this again sometime."

"Absolutely," I smiled, "I'd be more than happy to do this again. If you need me as a bodyguard, Jellal, I'll gladly protect you. If you need me as a friend, then I'll gladly be your friend."

"What if I…" Jellal stared into his tea, dismissing his train of thought altogether, "So, does this mean I can watch you be my knight now?"

"It'd be my pleasure," I got up, "I'm going to go find Roland. We'll be at the parade grounds whenever you're ready, Your Highness."

"Erza…" Jellal had a certain spark in his eye. Despite being irritated with me being formal, that look was more mischief than anger.

"I'm sorry," I giggled to myself, "Do forgive me."

"Already did," he sent me off on my grand quest for my squire. Now, if I were Roland, where would I be? Probably finishing breakfast. Although, when I checked the servants' dining hall, he was nowhere to be found. Huh. The parade grounds already? He's nothing if not punctual, I guess. Good for him.

Sure enough, he stood in the middle of the parade grounds, sword in hand, waiting on me, "Roland!"

"Yes, Erza?!" Roland jumped out of his skin. Yep. Still him.

"I didn't mean to scare you," I apologized, "But are you ready?"

"I think so," he nodded.

"Good," I reached out into the air and grabbed one of my swords, "Now…"

"Wow!" Roland gasped, "That was cool! Can you show me how to do that?"

"Requip magic has to be in you," I told him, "If you're looking to practice magic, I'm not going to stop you."

"Magic never was my thing, though," he shrugged it off, "I don't think I have a magical bone in my body."

"Then, try holder magic," I suggested, "You don't have to possess any sort of magical power to use holder magic."

"I think I'll stick to my sword," Roland decided, "That is, once I learn how to use it."

"There is an art to sword fighting," I began, "Is that sword meant for you or did you just grab something out of the armory?"

"Um…" Oh, Roland…Sweet, simple Roland…

"Here," I handed one over, "This is my sword. It's one of my favorites, so don't damage it too much. It's a lighter weight, so you won't topple over with what you've brought. Then again, it also has a sharper blade. Be careful and don't hurt yourself."

"What about you?" he worried, "What if I end up cutting you?"

"That's what the armor's for," I explained, taking his sword, "You don't need to worry about me, Roland. I'll be fine. Now, I want you to know one thing before we start. I'll go easy on you in the first round, but after that, you're on your own. I'm considered one of the strongest wizards in my guild and not just because of my magical power."

"I've heard," Roland took a few swings of my sword, "I like this one, Erza."

"I like it, too," I caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure from the corner of my eye, making himself comfortable under an umbrella, "Like I said, I'll go easy on you in the first round. Come at me."

"How?" he wondered, "Do I just…"

"Yes," I nodded, "Just start swinging. But not wildly."

Losing my eye once was plenty for me. I didn't need to go through that again. Roland took his first good swing in and gently tapped me on the shoulder, "Was that good?"

"That was good," I praised, "Although, an attack like that wouldn't hurt someone's pride. But you tried, though. And I can commend you for that. Let's try again. This time, I want you to swing a little harder. I want to see a dent in my armor."

"Ok," Roland prepared his stance again, giving me another good swing. This one was harder than the last one, but in combat, it wouldn't do much, "How was that?"

"Better," I backed up, "Now, I'm going to come at you. The most important thing is that I'm not going to hurt you. No matter how hard I come at you, I'm not going to hurt you. I can't stress that enough. I will not hurt you."

"Ok," he got back into his stance, "So, am I supposed to let you hit me?"

"No," I ordered, giving a heavy handed swing that probably should've been a little lighter, "Defend yourself, Roland. This isn't going to stop until you defend yourself."

"Erza!" Roland backed away with each swing I took, "Can't we take a break?"

"We just started!" I kept swinging.

"I thought you said you were going easy on me!"

"This is easy!" I assured, still swinging on him, "You think the enemy is going to go easy on you just because you asked nice? No. They're going to be merciless. They're going to keep driving you down. They're going to use everything they got against you with no remorse until they've left you battered and bruised and scarred beyond all recognition. If you think this is hard, I can show you what real hard is. You have to defend yourself, Roland. Fight me!"

"HYAA!" Roland gave me all he had, not only getting a dent in my armor, but nearly reaching my bare skin. I thought my armor was stronger than that. I had to admit…All it took was a little poking and prodding and the kid impressed me. Once Roland noticed what he did, though, he started apologizing all over himself, "Are you ok, Erza?! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that! It's just that you said to defend myself and I was only doing what you asked of me and…"

"Roland," I stopped him, taking my own sword out of my armor, "That was amazing. If you can manage to do that every time, I think you'll be fine. For the sake of my own safety, go practice on the dummies for a while and we can call it a day."

"Thank you, Erza," Roland gave me my sword back, "So, I should go for a lightweight sword?"

"Yes," I nodded, "And would you look at that? You fought me in front of the prince without hesitation. I'm proud of you, Roland. You did very well today for a beginner. Although, if it came down to it and we were engaged in real combat, this cut in my armor would not exist."

"Do you want me to refer you to a good blacksmith?" he offered, "It's the least I can do. I know someone who could fix that right up."

"So do I," I ran my hand over the cut, "Me. This is magical armor. I have yet to meet a blacksmith that specializes in it and does it up to my standards. But I appreciate the offer."

"I'm impressed, Ms. Scarlet," Jellal approached us, "And with you as well, Roland. It's a shame I didn't get to see either one of you go all out, but perhaps that's for the best."

"Thank you, Your Highness," I bowed to him, "If it's alright with you, I have some business I need to attend to in town."

"Could I accompany you?" he asked.

"Of course, sir," I allowed, "Roland, could you tell the king we'll be going into Magnolia please?"

"Sure," Roland nodded, bowing out and taking off for the throne room.

"So?" Jellal wondered, "Where are we going?"

"Just a quick stop by the guild hall," I told him, "I still need to see Macau about Romeo."

"Ok," he offered me his hand, "Then, let's go."