As always, I own nothing.
"That was fast," Arman said as he returned to the dining room where the collective was eating breakfast. Mr. Elan had arrived that morning to find a still half hungover household. He prepared a breakfast casserole as a remedy while loudly singing as punishment for drinking that much.
"What is?" Kaleb asked, one of the only people not treating a hangover.
"Kurino's execution." That silenced the room, and everyone turned to Arman. "My guess is that Altiene didn't want to give the appearance of preferential treatment."
Rape cases were fairly open and shut. A telepath of some sort was brought in to confirm that the suspect was guilty before they were executed. The process generally took a few hours, a day at most.
The trial by combat had been early enough in the evening that Altiene could have summoned his committee to second the decision.
"When?" Farron asked.
"One. They're going to do a full immersion of the Immaculate Light. A royal has never been executed. I suspect that they were hoping that she might make it through alive."
"I don't understand," Meredy said, looking at Cristoff.
"A full immersion in the Light is the only way to achieve a stay of execution. If you're truly guilty, the Light's purification will kill you," he replied. "From what I understand, it's not a pleasant way to go."
"It's not. I saw it once. The man was a serial killer who claimed that his actions were the right ones. It took a while but-" Arman seemed to shudder. His children remembered a day that he'd come home and retired straight to his room. It had taken him a few days to return to normal and it had felt still and awkward in the house. "I'm not going to recommend that any of you go. I know that Kaleb will, but I want the rest of you to truly consider if you want to go."
"I will understand if you don't want to," Kaleb said. "I just need to see this through."
*.*.*
"Day drinking?" Lucy asked when she found him sitting in the chair in his childhood room. She settled onto his bed and held out her hand for a glass of the bourbon he was drinking.
"I can think of a few other things we can be doing that involve you in my bed," he said, not hiding his lust. His mind was open to her so that she could see his fantasies.
"We'll revisit that later," Lucy said but her pupils visibly dilated.
While she didn't try to hide her interest anymore, she was almost more skittish around him. Waking up next to her almost seemed like a fantasy that he couldn't quite recreate. That, in itself, was driving him insane.
She sipped the liquor. "Do you need me to go with you?"
"I said that it was everyone's choice."
"That wasn't what I asked you."
"Please."
Lucy nodded. "Okay."
She put the tumbler down on his bedside table, curled up in his bed, and fell back asleep. Half the house was asleep while most of the other half was only awake because the thoughts of the execution kept them as such.
*.*.*
It was ultimately only the Pradeshes and Lucy that were going. Kaleb's siblings told their mates to stay. To let them be their comfort afterwards.
It was the first time that Lucy had seen Kaleb in his full guildmaster regalia. Despite her jittery feeling, she couldn't help the fantasies that crossed her mind. Or stop the blush when Kaleb turned to her with an arched eyebrow.
Kurino's maids were executed painlessly first at the castle. They acknowledged their participation in keeping the men drugged. As well as the fact that Kurino encouraged them to enjoy the men after she was done but the Succubus Venom kept them erect.
Lucy was grateful to have missed that. The Pradeshes had gone straight to the citadel where the crystal of the Immaculate Light was held.
"Does anyone have any final words before Kurino Endivosh is immersed in the Light?" King Altiene asked.
Go, Lucy said.
Kaleb stood and walked to the podium, his eyes hard. "I acknowledge that with my magic, I could have stopped her before she could drug me. She resorted to those drugs because she knew that I did not want to have sex with her. She twisted the law in such a way that I thought that she was protected. That it was only through a friend that justice was achieved.
"I did what I had to to protect my guild and my family. And I would do it again."
He stood there, waiting to see if anyone would try to rebuke him. The council members had seen the evidence. Had heard the maids' testimonies. None doubted him. One was suspiciously silent, though. While Kaleb couldn't meet the man's gaze, he knew that it had to be the head of the Steel Council.
"You may be seated," Altiene said and Kaleb returned to his spot next to Lucy. She didn't look at him but slipped her hand into his. "Kurino, do you have any last words?"
Kurino didn't say anything but kept her gaze fixated on Farron.
"She's gonna go out pretending to be a tragic figure," Emzadi muttered.
"No." Lucy stood. Farron was sitting in the row behind her. She grabbed his lapel and pulled him down towards her. From where Kurino stood, it appeared as if Lucy was kissing Farron.
Kurino screamed and the guards flanking her were forced to grab her before she ran into the stands. "Let him go, you whore! He is, and always has been, mine. He loves me! He'll mourn me! You'll see!"
That was petty.
I know. But she deserved to go out with everyone seeing her for who she is.
Bickslow, who was sitting on Lucy's other side, held out his hand for her to hit. She did then laced her fingers with his.
A black hood was shoved over her head and she was forced into a ring of crystals with a large one above it. The ring of crystals rose. There was a flash of bright light and when it disappeared, the crystal had formed a cylinder that encased her. It took only a few minutes before her screams started.
"That was fast," Arman said thickly.
Lucy glanced away from the cylinder and looked down at Altiene. Him and his son, the new heir apparent, were resolutely looking at the cylinder but looked horrified. Kurino's younger sister had looked away and Lucy was certain that she'd puke. The queen had refused to attend.
Is how fast she started screaming a good thing or a bad?
I don't think there's really a 'good' in this case. It means that she had no remorse.
On her hip, she felt Loke's key warm and extracted her hand from Kaleb's to touch it. She shifted slightly away from him as she summoned the dragon back along her hip.
Yeah? Lucy asked.
"The Light has a kind of sentience. We can hear it and it's not happy," Loke said through his key.
What does that mean?
"That Kaleb is its favorite son and it's not pulling punches. It's the remnant of what the Celestial King used to create the archangels."
Will she live?
"No."
It took thirty minutes for the screams to stop. That was when the younger princess puked, and everyone was ushered out.
Lucy was grateful. While she wouldn't mourn the hopefully dead princess, she also didn't want to see her body. Van was right, she mused. She'd killed but she'd never set out with the intent to kill.
It happens occasionally. Van being right, I mean.
Can I have a few minutes to myself? Lucy shut him out with music.
When they returned to the house, Emzadi, Bickslow, Cristoff, and Farron disappeared with their significant others while the remaining adults settled into the sitting room to play a card game that none of them were really thinking about, but it served as a distraction.
.~*~.
It didn't surprise anyone that Kaleb cracked first and decided that it was time to head back to White Sea. Arman was grateful that his children remained close as adults. The group decided to spend the weekend at the main branch. Only Laxus and Freed had moved into homes outside of the guild.
A party was already in full swing when they arrived.
"Are they celebrating Kurino's death?" Lucy asked.
"No. It's just Saturday," Vander said. "Come on." He pulled Lucy into the fray to dance.
Lucy, dance. Enjoy life. All that happened today is justice being served.
She felt him take the memory of Kurino's screams from her head. Kaleb did the same for his siblings. Each glanced at him when he did but none said anything. They pitied that she'd chosen a painful death but not the death itself.
It didn't take long before Vander was pulled onto the stage to sing and Lucy took advantage of the break to grab a drink from the bar.
He's exhausting, Lucy thought.
Try growing up with him. Him and Bickslow both. It's a damned miracle Dad isn't completely gray.
Lucy giggled. He'd still be attractive.
Kaleb walked over to her. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah. You're right."
"I usually am."
"Not really."
On the other side of the guild, Cristoff and Meredy were taking a break from dancing as well. She was curled up in his lap, enjoying how small and dainty he made her feel. His fingers were tapping to the music on her thigh. Bickslow and Erik dropped onto the couch opposite of them.
"Have you ever noticed that they don't touch?" Meredy said, watching Lucy and Kaleb.
"Lucy touches everyone," Cristoff said, ignoring the other couple to pepper kisses on Meredy's ticklish neck.
She giggled and pinched his side. "I know. That's why it's weird. Look at them."
The group turned to watch Lucy and Kaleb. When Kaleb moved closer to her, she moved away. Their movements seemed to mirror one another.
Kaleb, have you ever touched Lucy? Cristoff asked.
Yes.
"He says he has."
"But has he ever touched her while her dragon is active?" Emzadi asked, plopping down next to Cristoff. His eyes widened as he understood what his sister was implying and asked the question of Kaleb.
I…think so.
Kaleb was distracted by a mage coming up to him to talk about a mission he'd seen. Seeing the group of them, Lucy started to walk over. Erik stood and pretended to bump into her.
"Shit. Sorry, Tink. You know me. I just can't hold my arsenic." Her strawberry daiquiri was spilled down the front of the dress she'd borrowed from Xally.
"It's fine. I'm going upstairs to change."
There. Now you have an opportunity.
*.*.*
Lucy stripped out of the dress and washed the sticky drink off. She'd just put on a bikini top and shorts when she noticed that the dragon had perched itself on her breasts again.
"Who are you trying to seduce?" she asked it.
Me?
You're outside my door, aren't you?
Yes.
Come on in. I'm almost dressed.
She listened as his steps walked up to her open bedroom door.
"Cris asked me a question that I realized that I didn't know the answer to."
"You not knowing the answer? That is impressive," she teased lightly. She walked over to him. His eyes immediately went to the dragon. "And what's this magical question?"
He approached her slowly before stopping as soon as he sensed she'd step back. "Why don't you ever touch me?"
"I held your hand earlier today," she said breathlessly. Her eyes never left his and he moved closer now that he knew she wouldn't move.
"Why don't you kiss me? You think about it anytime we're near each other."
"Because if I kiss you, the stars'll explode."
"Good." He pulled her to him and kissed her.
Mine! My mate! her mind screamed. He felt her mind stutter as the dragon soul that had been waiting for her to accept him consumed her for a second.
How long have you known? he asked, unwilling to break the kiss.
Since that first night. She was both pulling him towards her bed by his shirt and trying to strip him of it. Clothes off. Now.
That's not very romantic.
Then you ask.
I think I said that you'd have to ask the last time.
Really? You're going to argue this with me now? Lucy stepped back and looked at him. "Share pleasure with me?"
"Gods yes."
Yes! Okay. That's all.
Also, brownie points for who can recognize the musical reference.