Hi again, dearest readers.
Here I bring you the last part of this short story, but worry not, there is a lot more to come. If you've enjoyed this crazy plot of Juvia being a princess, stay tuned for the sequel.
Here's the shoutouts:
TheFernandezFamily: Let me first apologize once again for not updating Unforgivable in so long. I couldn't work on it before since I was on my exchange and didn't have much time, but I'm back now, so hopefully I can write it again.
I'll be honest, I hit a snag with the latest chapter and the flashbacks. However, I do plan on finishing the story and definitely this year.
I can't make any promises about the next chapter since now I'm working on the Royal AU, but I'll try to update it within the next few weeks.
Guest: I know the idea's a bit farfetched, but you'll understand why I did it like this once you read the sequel (if you even do). In any case, considering we have no details about Juvia's family, it's not completely out there that she might be a princess.
Also, I'm considering here that Hisui's 17/18 while Juvia's 19. Even if Hisui might be older in canon, it's only because of the 7 years time-skip, so Juvia's technically older anyways. (hope that made sense)
anushka1718: Well, don't hold your horses cause it will take a long time before those two figure it out. I'm glad you think the story's good, hopefully you'll feel the same about the sequel.
Star197: I'm glad. :) I'm afraid it will take a while for that to happen, but I hope it'll fulfill your expectations.
MasterGildarts: Exactly! Family is more than blood, as Gray once said, so I think it fits that Juvia would choose Fairy Tail. However, let's remember that soon enough there will be no Fairy Tail :(
lady lutka: Glad you do. I had so much fun writing this story and things are going to get really crazy soon enough!
I hope you'll enjoy this chapter since it's pretty much just Gruvia. Happy reading!
Only a few weeks after Juvia decided to stay in Fairy Tail, her world was turned to chaos once the dark guild Tartaros made their move. What started out as a series of murders involving Council members soon turned into an all-out war after Mirajane, Erza and Lisanna were captured.
It was a nightmare. The guildhall was shattered to pieces after an explosion, Magnolia took a lot of damage and they found themselves facing an enemy that wasn't even human. They were demons from the books of Zeref and there were moments when Juvia questioned if they could actually be beaten.
It seemed like every time Fairy Tail took a step forward in saving the world from such monsters, they would be thrown two steps back. Whenever someone managed to overcome an obstacle, three more would appear.
The battle was never ending and, though they managed to win in the end, it wasn't without losses. Wendy, Lucy, Natsu, Erza and so many others had to make sacrifices.
Juvia had to make one too and it would haunt her forever.
Amidst her fight against Keyes, a skeleton known as Tartaros' necromancer, she learned a horrible truth about Gray's past that forced her to make yet another hard choice.
There was no time to think it through, but she tried. Tried to weight the decision that could alter their relationship forever. It could make him hate her, but she knew that losing him was far worse.
She had been struggling with what to do until Silver spoke. "Even if this will kill me, you have to do it. It's the only way to save Gray."
Tears in her eyes, heart breaking, she followed his words. As much as it pained her to sever the bond between father and son, it had to be done.
After Keyes was defeated, Gray's father contacted her again. He thanked her and made her promise to take care of his son, which only caused her to sob more.
Juvia felt so broken and sorrowful that she actually welcomed the chance to take a break once the poison began affecting her body.
When the darkness came, she welcomed it and her last thought before surrendering was that, at the very least, she had managed to save Gray and that was enough.
When Juvia woke up days later, she found none other than Princess Hisui sitting by her bedside. While confused by her presence at first, once her brain started working again, the water mage understood.
"Why…are you here?" The words came out in a weak whisper, but Hisui heard them clearly.
"Word reached the castle of what happened and I was worried." The bluenette groaned while attempting to sit up. "You should take it easy."
"I need…to find Gray…" Memories of what happened with Silver came back full force and the guilt was overwhelming.
"No one has any idea where he is." Hisui informed her. "According to what I was told, he took off right after the battle and hasn't been seen ever since."
"He's mourning." The water mage whispered, lowering her head.
"Mourning for whom?" Fiore's princess asked, curious.
"His father. I…I did something terrible." The tears came now, unstoppable. After staring at her with concern for a moment, Hisui got up from the chair and joined her on the bed. Wrapping her arms around the broken mage, she tried to comfort her sister.
Seconds passed, then minutes. Juvia allowed herself to cry and let go, but it wasn't enough. It wouldn't be enough until Gray knew what she did.
Even if he hated her, she knew it was the right thing to do. He deserved to know how his father had died and it should be his choice whether to forgive her or not.
She couldn't sway his decision this time, thus she had to be strong.
"Thank you." She told Hisui after pulling apart from the hug.
"Of course." It seemed like the princess was about to say something, but a quick glance at the infirmary door reminded her that she couldn't. "The king is here too. He'd like to see you as well."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Juvia knew that if she saw her father, she wouldn't be able to pretend anymore. She'd probably break down in his arms, seeking the comfort she'd never been given as a child.
"He's really worried about everyone who's been injured in the battle." Hisui told her.
"You can tell him that I'm okay." The bluenette faked a smile.
"I would rather not lie to him." Was the former's response.
"Once I find Gray and talk to him…I will be fine then." The water mage wasn't sure if she even believed those words.
"I sense this will be a difficult conversation." A sympathetic look came upon Hisui's face. "Good luck."
"Thank you." Silence fell upon them after that, since Juvia was lost in thought about the dreaded conversation that might ruin her and Gray's relationship.
Days later, once she was cleared by Porlyusica, Juvia went looking for Gray. It wasn't an easy task, considering no one had any idea where the ice mage may be, but eventually she came up with a probable location.
Thinking about what had happened in the war, she realized it was likely he had returned to his home town. She was aware that he hadn't been there in 11 years and seeing Silver again most likely had brought up memories of his childhood.
It stood to reason that he'd pay a visit, even if just to say goodbye.
Therefore, she followed the instructions Master gave her about how to reach Antartica and began the long travel North. Her heart never ceased to hurt whenever she thought of Gray, Silver and what she had done.
During the days it took to arrive, she was plagued by nightmares worse than any before, but she pushed them away. Now wasn't the time to give in to her fears.
The village was deserted, so spotting her beloved was easy. He sat on the ruins of one of the houses, staring at a wooden cross. She quickly noticed the name Gray had been scratched out and Silver had been written above it.
Her heart tightened and she paused for a moment. He seemed so sad, hopeless and the last thing she wanted was to make it worse. "Hey. I'm really sorry for interrupting." She called, after taking a deep breath.
"Juvia?" Gray turned around to face her. "Why the hell did you follow me here?"
"Forgive me, but…I had to come." Tears threatened to resurface, but she held them back. "You see, there's something…something wrong I did that you deserve to know about."
When he simply stared at her, she took another deep breath. "The necromancer…The one who was controlling your father…It was me who defeated him."
His eyes widened and anger was clear on his face. "You did what?!"
"I'm sorry." Juvia couldn't contain the tears anymore. "I realize that…after what I've done…I've lost the right to love you."
She didn't notice, but his entire demeanor changed upon hearing those words. "Because I know you loved him and I killed him!"
Now he was the one fighting against tears. Standing up, Gray began approaching her. She looked down, bracing herself for the worst. "It was you?"
Catching both by surprise, Gray released his hold on her and dropped his head to her chest. His arms wrapped around her in a desperate hug while he cried. "You freed him. Thank you. Thank you."
They dropped to their knees, him still clinging to her and Juvia was shocked. "Gray…"
"I'm sorry." He was crying like she'd never seen before, so vulnerable and trusting. He trusted her to see this side of him and she failed to understand why.
He was being so gentle, calm and comprehensive. So warm. "You're so warm."
After that heartbreaking moment, it was decided that they would not separate, as Juvia had expected. Instead, Gray invited her to join him in a year of training once Fairy Tail was disbanded, and she agreed.
After filling her father in on their plans and explaining she would probably be off the grid over the next few months, she followed the ice mage towards an abandoned village where they settled.
Despite her guilt and his heartbreak, their friendship resumed and they lived together in harmony. Training together, taking their meals together and going on jobs together.
It was pure bliss and she never wanted it to end.
Time slowly healed healed their wounds and Juvia began to forgive herself for Silver's death, after Gray constantly reassured that he didn't blame her.
The only problem now was their feelings. A mess of feelings that neither could deal with and it was making things hard.
While Juvia tried her best to back off and give him time, as she had vowed to herself, Gray was the one struggling now. Living with her made it impossible to ignore the fact that he was attracted to her and it didn't help that she wore much skimpier clothes than before.
Besides, he was very emotionally vulnerable after Silver's death and could no longer contain his emotions. Even if he was not yet sure exactly how he felt about Juvia, he knew that there was something there.
They lived in tension for about 4 months, until he couldn't take it anymore.
It was a day like any other. They had had their breakfast and then gone training in the woods. As per usual, Juvia had kept up with him and had even managed to get a few hits in. He didn't complain, for nothing made him happier than to watch her grow as a wizard.
After all, this meant he wouldn't need to worry the next time they fought an enemy, knowing she could handle herself. It's not as if she couldn't handle herself before, but the memory of her almost dying during the Games and then being poisoned by Keyes kept him concerned.
He knew now better than ever that he couldn't lose her. She was quickly becoming more important to him than he had ever intended and that frightened him.
While he was lost in thought, Juvia used water slicer and it hit him square in the chest. Her eyes widened in horror once he dropped to his knees, blood spilling from the wound.
"Oh no. I am so sorry." The water mage quickly came to his side, using her magic to clean the wound.
"I'm fine." Gray reassured, gently pushing her hand away while using his own magic to seal it.
"I didn't mean to hurt you." She bit her lip.
"Juvia, seriously, don't worry about it." He reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder. That's when he noticed it.
It seemed that, when she rushed to his side, one of the strings of her top had fallen. He swallowed hard once his eyes trailed it until they settled on her overexposed cleavage.
Why did she have to be so beautiful? That just made it extremely hard for him to control himself.
"Oh my goodness." Juvia whispered, blushing, once she noticed it too. She was quick to put the string back up, but that only made it worse when her top bounced.
A deep blush colored his cheeks once perverted thoughts came to mind. Nope, he had to resist it. He was a strong man and would not fall to temptation.
"Sorry about that." The bluenette apologized sheepishly. "Maybe this top wasn't the best choice to train."
"No, it's…" Gray swallowed hard, unable to divert his eyes. "It's very nice."
"Are you okay?" She sensed his discomfort, but wasn't sure what had caused it.
"Fine." He tried to look away.
"We should go back inside so that I can take a look at that wound." Before he knew it, her hand was softly grazing his chest.
"What are you doing?" Gray suddenly panicked.
"Sorry, does it hurt?" Juvia quickly removed it.
"It's not about that." She raised a brow, confused.
"Then what's it about?" She had straightened herself, her left hand now on his shoulder for support. All he could think about was that they were close. Too close.
"It's nothing." Juvia wasn't about to let it go. Her right hand came to his cheek and she stroked it gently.
"You can tell me anything, you know? You can always trust me." Damn it. Why did she have to be so kind?
"I do." A smile lightened her face, though she tried to hide it. Her hand continued to stroke his cheek and she moved even closer.
Gray could see it in her eyes; desire. It was clear she was trying to resist as much as he was and it only made him want her more.
Kiss her. A voice in the back of his head said. He tried to ignore it.
Both her hands were holding his face now. She was biting her lip, clearly indecisive. Irresistible, Gray thought.
He needed to get out of there, but his body didn't move. Juvia let out a sigh before giving in. She leant in and then her lips softly pressed against his.
It didn't take him long to react. Instead of pushing her away like his brain was warning, he gave in as well. One arm moved to her back as he pressed her against him while the other went to her hair, messing with it.
For a few blissful moments, they forgot about everything and simply lost themselves. No more pain, no more sorrow or nightmares.
Time passed and they had to pull apart. As soon as they did so, Gray remembered why he had been holding back in the first place.
After Juvia apologized multiple times for kissing him, he told her the truth. Explained how he had wanted it as well, but wasn't ready to take the next step.
He needed more time to heal and move on, so he asked her to wait, unaware that she had been doing so for quite a while.
She agreed, because she loved him and was willing to wait as long as he needed. Once again, Lyon's words came to mind.
Thus they resumed their dynamics, pretending as if the kiss had never happened, even though it didn't leave their minds. Now that they were on the same page, life was easier than before.
Until it wasn't.
After the sudden appearance of black markings on his body, he began to distance himself. Juvia wondered if it was her fault and the guilt returned.
When Gray disappeared, she was heartbroken and overwhelmed by negative thoughts and emotions. Had he been leading her all that time? Did he even mean what he had said about wanting to be with her? Had he lied about forgiving her and chosen to get revenge?
Even if she knew deep down he wouldn't do something like this, he wasn't there to tell her that. Their empty house seemed to taunt and mock her.
2 weeks later, she couldn't take it anymore. Finding herself alone, damaged and sorrowful, she made a decision that would have immense repercussions. A choice that would place her in great danger, while also giving her an opportunity to save the people she loved.
Juvia chose to become someone else. Or rather, to become the person she was always supposed to be: Juliet E. Fiore, the lost princess.
With her friends long gone and now Gray too, she had nothing and no one. She wanted a family and her biological one was in Crocus.
Therefore, she decided to join her father as he had suggested before, which meant Juvia Lockser would cease to exist.
Perhaps she should've given her decision more thought, but at the moment she was sure. Once her fingers pressed the earrings king Toma had presented her with, everything changed.
So, thoughts?
Did you like the addition of Juvia x Hisui here? There will still be many interactions between them in the sequel, so I hope it doesn't seem too weird.
What did you think of my take on the Gruvia confession and then the kiss scene? I am 100% sure that something happened between those two during the time-skip cause, come on, they were living together! Surely there must've been at least a kiss before Gray left.
Lastly, anyone care to try and guess what's happening in the sequel? I'll leave the summary and title below with plenty of hints.
Title: Between Lies
Summary: Becoming Princess Juliet turns out to be far more interesting than Juvia had anticipated. An unexpected proposal leads to a dangerous mission that could prevent a war, but also ruin her life. New allies join her, but once Gray's location is revealed, she's forced to make a choice. Is there still a chance for them?
Till next time, my lovelies. ;)