A/N: Hey guys, looks like the formatting was all wrong, so i've posted the chapter up again. Sorry for the inconvenience! ._.

Panic stirred into Juvia's body as she saw King Jose step into the room. He looked just as she imagined him to look- tall and thin, with a weasel face and sharp facial features. He reminded her of a cold-blooded snake about to attack it's prey. But it wasn't his appearance that frightened Juvia. Although she had never even been near magic, she could feel it present in the room. King Jose seemed to be radiating it- she felt uncomfortable and was unaccustomed to this feeling.

"I'm glad filth like yourselves have all agreed to take on such an honorable mission," King Jose said thickly.

No one dared look into his eyes, not even Erza.

"You will be the first of our armies to infiltrate the borders of Fiore from the South border. As you know, their other borders have been quite the challenge to overtake," the King said with venom in his voice.

So we are the guinea pigs of this mission, Juvia thought. It's clear that we will most likely die- and the few that survive will spread information of the border security. She cringed at the thought of going into a war zone blindly.

"Now you will train for a week before we send you off. Don't forget who you fight for. And if you dare try to escape during this mission, I will personally see that your loved ones die a slow and painful death." King Jose's face broke into a menacing smile, and looked Juvia straight in the eye before he left the room.

Juvia didn't realize she was shaking until her guard pulled her to lead her into her new room. She didn't know if it was from fear or anger, but she figured it was likely a cause of both.

"Dammit," said Prince Lyon, slamming his fist onto the table.

Princess Ultear rolled her eyes at her brother's frustration. Prince Gray just stood in silence, with his eyes dark.

"Damn the King of Bosco! Our sources say they are positive that the next attack will be in a few weeks on the Southern Border. My people will no longer suffer this!" Lyon shouted.

Gray looked at his brother vent his frustration. Despite his small tantrum, he knew it wasn't a tantrum of a child. It was a tantrum for his people. Gray slightly smiled, knowing that his brother would make a good king for his country once he found his queen- and perhaps even a greater ruler than their late mother, Queen Ur. Gray didn't find this upsetting though- he knew that he wasn't meant to be the King of his Kingdom. He was far more experienced in tactics and strategies of defense and war than in the knowledge of how to run a kingdom.

"Look, Lyon. We can move more guards to secure the Southern Border. And because it is now summer, most of the water from the Fiore River has run dry. They'll have to approach from the West to follow the Seven River so the have water to fuel themselves and their mares. We will place more guards in the Western Border to warn us of oncoming enemies," Gray said, demonstrating his expertise in this field. "By then, we will be fully prepared and attack them before they can attack us."

Lyon nodded, with a gleam in his eyes. "You are brilliant, brother. I really do wonder how you work as a Prince and as Captain of the Guard at the same time."

Gray brushed off his compliment. He was Captain of the Guard for a small elite team of soldiers. Although his sword fighting and physical strength were impressive, his Prince-like attributes were bone dry. He left most of those duties to Ultear and Lyon to handle.

After their meeting was over, Prince Gray called over his team to train with them for the next several hours.

Juvia's eyes widened at the site of her new home. It was a room that could have fit a dozen of the slaves in the Bosco mines, yet she had it all to herself. To her left was her own private bathroom, complete with a pearl white bath and a functioning plumbing system. Her bed was soft and had not one, but two pillows fluffed and begging to be slept on. Despite all the generous accommodations, Juvia still felt empty without Gajeel in her room. She would complete the mission, bust him out, and then run far away from the reign of the King.

She looked at the clock as her thoughts ran in her head- two hours before she would be called for dinner with the other soldiers, and more than enough time to wash of the layered filth on her soot-covered skin.

Juvia ran the bath to a comfortable temperature. She hadn't bathed in months, and was slightly disgusted at how quickly the water turned blackened and murky from her own skin. She washed herself probably four times in one sitting, scrubbing herself vigorously until her skin was raw. Once she felt more clean than she had ever felt in her life, she walked out to examine herself in the mirror.

What she saw did not surprise her. Juvia had lost weight- a lot of weight from being underfed and malnourished for a year in the mines. Her face was slightly sunken, but at one point, Juvia had been considered a decent looking girl. Beautiful, one might say. But at this state, deprived of food and on the brink of starvation every day, she had lost her beauty somewhere. She hoped that she would gain more weight with the promised meals that Erza had mentioned.

She walked to her closet to see what it contained. Black pants with a matching tunic. An emerald cloak that would conceal her face. Sturdy brown leather boots that were built for riding a mare as well as sneaking quickly in the woods. And a casual dress that a servant might wear to buy groceries in the city. It was nothing impressive, but also nothing Juvia had seen in ages. She grabbed the black pants and tunic and proceeded to walk to dinner.

The growl in Juvia's stomach could not be tamed. As she saw the pork shoulder and mashed potatoes arrive, she almost regretted that she had gorged herself with three helpings of cheddar and broccoli soup moments ago. The other 30 or so soldiers seemed to share the same thoughts. Their eyes were feasting on the food before their mouths- and who could blame them? They hadn't eaten properly in who knows how long, and now the meal before them was a meal for a King in their eyes.

"This is too damn good to be true," said one soldier, as he tore off the pork from the bone. "They must have poisoned this or something." Yet he still continued to eat.

"It doesn't matter," said another. "I could die right now and I would be happy. I haven't eaten this much in years."

The rest of the dinner was filled with stories of their experiences in the slave mines, their previous lives, and their newfound freedom from the shackles. Juvia didn't speak much, but nodded and gave a few smiles when appropriate. If the Guild of Assassins had taught her anything, it was to not be loose with your mouth and to trust no one. She didn't want to get close to any of these soldiers until she knew exactly how each of them worked.

As the dinner came to a close, Erza stepped into the dining room. The room was immediately hushed with silence.

"We are going to train for a week," Erza stated. She always spoke firmly but eloquently. "Then we will move to the Southern Border to attack Fiore and gather information about their defenses. We will be going through the West for the water supply, so prepare yourselves for a rough next week."

The soldiers were silent and nodded as she walked away. Juvia did not care for what came of next week- she had dealt with the most deadly of trainings at the Guild of Assassins. Whatever it was, she could excel in. Whether it be firing an arrow, throwing her daggers, swordplay, or an outright fistfight- Juvia would have probably been able to take down any of these soldiers in the room.

Juvia walked back to her room, eyes heavy, and fell asleep peacefully without her shackles for the first time in a year.

Short chapter, I know! It looks like the next few chapters will be short as well, but i'll be uploading them fairly quickly. Thanks again for your reviews! Also thanks to Moonlightclock for catching the formatting error!