As I sat outside Jellal's bedroom while he napped off the afternoon, I tried to shake off what the queen had said. It wasn't necessarily what she said that bothered me, but how she said it. The sharp acidity in her voice cut me deep. I'm really trying not to let it get to me, but it's hard. She could've just said no because I wasn't royalty myself. But it was because I was Jellal's wizard. Not all of us are dark wizards. I was hired to protect Jellal. Never in a million years would I dream of hurting him. I just wish his mother saw that.

"Erza?" Jellal spoke softly from his doorway, still half asleep.

"Yes, Your Highness?" I sat up, regaining my professional composure, "Is everything alright?"

"Could you join me in private please?" he requested, taking me away from any listening ears.

"Of course, sir," I bowed in agreement, closing his bedroom door behind me, "What is it?"

"You seem off," Jellal noticed, looking me over, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," I nodded, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat.

"Really?" he wondered, his face riddled with doubt.

"Yes, Jellal," I lied, setting his mind at ease, "I'm ok. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just checking," Jellal shook off his bad feeling, "You know how you told me that if anything was bothering me, I could talk to you about it?"

"Yeah," I sat on the edge of his bed with him," Of course, Jellal. Is there something bothering you?"

"No," he shook his head, "Just know that the same courtesy is extended to you."

"Thank you," I smiled, melting inside, "I appreciate it. However, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll call it a night."

"Go ahead," Jellal allowed, "Good night, Erza."

"Good night," I bowed out and left his room with a heavy feeling in my chest. You truly will make a great king one day, Jellal. Although, your heart may be too pure to get into politics. As happy as I am that everything with Jellal is ok, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a little out of my head. Focusing on his problems would only make that easier. He doesn't need to worry about me. I've gotten through plenty on my own. And much worse than this. But still, I shouldn't be letting what the queen said get to me this bad.

Maybe if I get some sleep, that'll help. Or so I hoped.

As I shut my eyes, I felt cold stone underneath me. A thunderstorm raged outside. When I got up and looked out the window, I could hear waves crashing hard against the stone. Where was I? Something about this place felt familiar, but I don't think I've ever been here. I don't understand. Why would I be here? Things weren't adding up. I know I fell asleep in the palace. And I could've sworn it was a clear night sky. I took a quick look around the room and this surely wasn't my room at the palace. It's too dilapidated and rundown. If I didn't know any better…I'd think this was…

"Please…" a hoarse voice called out, "Please help me."

"Where are you?" I asked, still unable to see much of anything beyond the shadows.

"Help…" the voice repeated, "Help me, Erza…"

I got a little closer to the shadow and a small, dark haired child shivered on the floor. I reached out to him, "Are you alright?"

"Please save me…"

"You honestly think you could?" another voice echoed around the room. A man's voice. One I had heard before. It had been a long time since I last heard it, but I knew who it was. Not his name, but I knew who he was, "You? You couldn't even save yourself. How do you expect to save him?"

"She never could." A woman's voice this time. The queen. I knew that voice anywhere, too. It nearly gave me the same feeling as his.

"You're wrong!" I reached my hand out to the shivering little boy on the floor. His face was hidden, so I don't even know who I was saving. But he deserved better than this. He deserved so much better than this. And I could save him.

"You think him your friend?" Her Majesty scoffed, "Oh, no, Ms. Scarlet. He's only kind to you out of professional courtesy. You could never be his equal. No matter what he says. He's merely kind to you out of professional courtesy. You will never save him."

"No!" I screeched at the top of my lungs, quickly realizing where I was. I've been in this tower before. I knew it all too well. I haven't been in it since I was nine years old and I left it with Master Makarov.

"Erza…" the child called out to me some more, "Erza…"

"Erza?" I felt a hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of the nightmare that plagued me tonight, "Erza, wake up!"

I sat up in bed, my eyes popping open. For whatever reason, I expected it to be Roland. However, that wouldn't be the case, "Jellal…? What are you doing here?"

"I heard you screaming in your sleep," Jellal moved his hand from my shoulder to the top of my left hand, "Are you alright?"

My dream hurt me worse than the queen ever could. I would take that verbal beating a million times over before I had that nightmare again. Because in my subconscious…She may be right, "I'm sorry I woke you. Please. Go back to bed. I'll be fine. Besides, I'm not your responsibility."

"Are you ok?" he asked, disregarding my request altogether.

"Please," I barely spoke above a whisper, "Go back to bed, Jellal."

"Ok," Jellal nodded, getting up from my bed, "Good night, Erza."

"Good night," I sent him away.

She was right. I hated to admit it, but she was right. I wasn't sure why, but my dream pointed out some painful truths. Back then, I wouldn't be able to save Jellal from whatever misery his early childhood brought him. Even now, it might be a little iffy. I couldn't even save myself. If it weren't for my savior, chances are, I wouldn't have ever gotten out of that tower. He directed Master Makarov to me. I could hear him in my head plain as day pleading for him to take me away from the tower. But if I had to do that for Jellal, I don't know if I could. Maybe that's why the queen didn't like me. Maybe I wasn't ready to protect him. In the morning. I'll talk to them in the morning. Until then, I needed more sleep. Much more sleep. Please forgive me for waking you, Your Highness.

When I woke up again, I made sure to walk quietly past the prince's door. He didn't need to catch wind of what I was about to do. Granted, he'd probably try to do everything in his power this side of ordering me to stop me, but it needed to be done. That was why I was hired in the first place, right? To make the hard calls, so he didn't have to? With one last deep breath, I walked into the throne room where the king and queen had yet to make an appearance. That's odd. Was I that early?

"Good morning, Erza," Roland joined me, "What are you doing in here all by yourself?"

"I needed to have a word with the king and queen," I told him, "Don't worry about it, Roland. It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. Why don't you go find one of the Royal Guard and ask them to spar with you. You are keeping up with your sword training, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am!" he practically saluted me, "Every day!"

"That's good to hear," I settled him, "Go on."

"Erza…" His Majesty's voice boomed around the throne room just after Roland took off, "What a pleasant surprise. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"If I may have a word with you, Your Majesties," I took my respectful bows.

"Yes," Her Majesty allowed, "What is it, Erza?"

"I…" I wasn't quite sure how to say this. Well, I knew how to say it. In my upbringing, Master Makarov did teach me how to address royals if the need should come up. But it was going to pain me to say it, "I'd like to submit my resignation from my position as guard for His Highness."

"Excuse me?" His Majesty gasped, quickly regaining composure, "Is there a reason why you're resigning?"

"For personal reasons, sir," I kept him at arm's length, hoping that'd be enough to sate him, "Please."

Their Majesties exchanged glances. The king seemed heartbroken at my request while the queen's face remained emotionless. I don't know why I'd expect anything different. But then, after their deliberation, the king turned his attention back toward me, "Alright. I understand. Erza Scarlet, by royal decree of the Kingdom of Fiore, you are hereby released of your duties as guard for Prince Jellal."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I bowed, "It has been an honor serving this kingdom and His Highness."

"Before you go," His Majesty asked, "Should we wake…?"

"No," I cut him off, "Forgive my rudeness, but we shouldn't waste his time with such trivial matters. He has found more guards before me. I'm sure he can do it again."

"I suppose so," he didn't like it. I could see it all over his face. Yet, the king still respected my wishes, "No matter. Thank you for your service, Ms. Scarlet. You will be missed around here, I'm sure."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I took my final bow, "May I leave now?"

"Yes," His Majesty dismissed me, "Go on."

I left the throne room fighting back any sort of emotions that might want to come out. The king knew if he would've sent someone to wake Jellal to say his goodbyes, Jellal would've told me no. But this wasn't his decision to make. However, it is the hard one. And it's what's best for everyone. Before I left, I walked by his room one last time. I even went as far as to go in uninvited and unannounced. His butler had walked in behind me, surprised to see me standing there. I gave him a quiet nod and slipped out before Jellal had the chance to wake up. Good. I don't need him to go through the pain of a goodbye. And I didn't want to put myself through it either.

Instead, I walked out of the palace's front doors with my head high, knowing I wasn't a deserter. I told the king I was leaving. I didn't say I quit, but in essence, I did. And when I didn't want to feel anything, much like I was now, I knew one place in all of Magnolia that could give me the comfort I needed. Aside from the guild hall. Besides, I needed to pick up a few cakes anyway.

When I walked into the bakery, I may or may not have gotten a little carried away. Instead of the two cakes I intended to get, I told the baker to give me the entire contents of his pastry case. That meant eight dozen cookies with two dozen per flavor, three pies, a few dozen donuts, and six cheesecakes. On top of the two cakes I had planned on getting in the first place. Granted, it was a bit excessive. I understood that completely. Given the kind of night and morning I've had, I more than earned them. And for whatever may lie ahead, I'd need them.

As I walked into the guild, I made sure to keep my head down. Although, with the cart full of assorted cakes, cookies, and pastries, I stuck out like a sore thumb. Then again, most of the guild knew better than to even glance in my direction when I was in a mood like this. I wanted nothing more than to eat myself into a sugar coma and sleep this off. And that was exactly what I planned on doing. I went upstairs to my bedroom and locked the door behind me. Instead of indulging in my first bite of cake, I sat down on my bed and finally got to have the breakdown I wanted to have at the palace.

I hate premonitions. I knew there was no way I'd be able to save Jellal from his past. It haunted him to this day. I could feel it. Almost as if we were that connected. I'd never be able to help him with that. Granted, we had some shared experiences. When I was back in that tower, I was being held by a dark wizard, too. But just because we had that in common didn't mean I could help him heal. Not when I was still so broken.

Not to mention, at the end of the day, he was still royal. Albeit not by blood, but that didn't make him any less the prince he was. And I was just a wizard. A commoner in the eyes of the crown. I don't know why I thought he and I could ever be on level playing fields. All those times where it'd just be the two of us…I thought that was Jellal's true self. Maybe it wasn't.

Knock, knock.

"Not now, Mira," I groaned through a mouthful of angel food cake, "Hold any messages and any visitors I may have."

"Who said it was Mira?" an unexpected voice spoke on the other side. Huh…

I wiped my eyes and got up to answer the door, "Master…Please. Come in."

"Thank you," Master shut the door behind him while I sat back down on my bed, shoveling more cake into my mouth, "There's no sense beating around the bush here. Why aren't you at the palace?"

"I couldn't…" my voice broke and my hands shook, "I couldn't do it anymore…I'm sorry, Master. I'm so sorry. I could only take so much."

I flinched as he raised his hand to me. For whatever reason, I expected him to strike me for the dishonor I've brought to the guild. However, his hand gently found my shoulder instead, bringing me a great deal of comfort, "It's alright, my dear…You were bound to find out eventually."

"What?" I gave him a look, "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," Master brushed me off, "I understand if you couldn't handle it anymore, Erza. Guarding the prince is a difficult job for anyone, let alone you. I'm proud of you for sticking it out as long as you did. For having the strength and courage to say when enough was enough. You've earned yourself a good rest. And…If you don't mind me saying so…"

"I know," I chuckled a bit to myself, "The cookies were a bit much."

"That was your tipping point?" he teased, "I would've thought the second cake would've done it."

"Please," I insisted, "Take the cookies down to the kitchen. I'm sure someone will find them. I won't need them."

"Still," Master put an arm around me, "Get some rest, Erza. We can talk about it whenever you're ready."

"Thank you, Master." I was expecting a lecture. A long, drawn out lecture on how I was sitting in the most prestigious position a wizard could have next to being a Wizard Saint and threw it away. Although, I wonder what I was supposed to find out. Or perhaps not in this case…It all seemed suspicious. Nothing a little digging won't help.