A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, etc! And thanks for being patient with me as I write these chapters. I know they are very short, so I am planning to write longer chapters. Expect some slower uploads, but I appreciate your support! :)

Gray looked at the woman before him with astonishment. She was a woman, for Mavis's sake. How was she able to kill ten of his top notch men in an instant? He forced his eyes to focus and looked at her a little more clearly. She had wavy, light blue hair and pale skin that made her look ever so delicate. Her eyes, large and doll-like were deep blue like the ocean and her body was well formed. He would have considered her beautiful had she not looked like someone who just killed his soldiers like it was a walk in the park. With her keen skills, he knew that she had dealt with death multiple times before this battle.

"I'm the one that will kill you," Juvia growled. Although this man made her knees weak and her heart skip a beat, she would not fall for his trap. She rushed at him with daunting speed, her daggers gleaming in under the moonlight.

Gray snapped out of his thoughts and immediately blocked her daggers with his broad sword. He swiftly hit her hand with the hilt of his sword to send one of her daggers flying to the edge. He smirked as she cursed him for making her lose a dagger. She glared at him with the utmost hatred and swiped her foot under his legs, causing him to fall to the ground- a move Erza taught Juvia.

Juvia jumped on top of Gray, whose back was on the floor, and grabbed her dagger with two hands and aimed to plunge it straight through Gray's heart. But Gray knew this and grabbed her wrists to push the dagger away from his chest. The dagger hovered just centimeters above his heart. Both parties were struggling for inches- inches that would determine the fate of the battle. Intensity flooded the atmosphere, and both were grunting to in a battle of strength.

Soldiers began to call for the Prince, running to his aid. They raised their arrows, swords, and shields, readying themselves to die for the prince rather than see him be killed by a Bosco soldier.

"Don't," Gray shouted, his eyes still focusing on the dagger. "I will take care of her personally." With that, Gray kicked Juvia's chest, sending her flying backwards and causing her dagger to scatter on the floor.

"Bastard," Juvia snarled at the handsome man before her, as she picked herself up from the ground. "Your dirty tactics won't trick my eyes!"

Gray paused slightly with a confused look on his face. Dirty tactics? Hadn't he just told his men to not attack the woman in front of him? And why did she look so damn flustered? But Gray pushed this all aside, concentrating on how to best deal with this woman.

"Bastard?" Gray called out. "Do you know who I am?"

"Does Juvia look like she cares?" Juvia responded, still feeling heat rise to her face. In truth, she was just a bit curious to know who he was.

"I am Prince Gray, of Fiore Kingdom. You would be wise to step down now," he commanded.

Juvia laughed bitterly. She was so utterly tired of all these royal highnesses, commanding her to do this and that- as if their title was the only thing stopping her from doing what she wanted. Were they not well aware that she could send them to Death's door in a blink of an eye?

"And I am Juvia Lockser, raised in the Guild of Assassins," she snapped back. "Which title sounds more threatening?"

Before Gray could respond, Juvia came running to him, pulling out her shiv from her thigh. She punched him square in the jaw and pushed him to the ground with her weapon against his throat.

"Sorry, your highness. Looks like being a Prince won't help you in this situation," Juvia mocked, with her shiv pointed at Gray's jugular.

"That's where you are wrong," Gray responded, with a smirk spreading across his lips.

Suddenly, Juvia felt cold. A cold that she had never felt before- it sent her shivering straight to her bones. When she looked down at her body she saw Gray's hand pressed against her waist- and ice? She couldn't understand what was happening, how her body was becoming engulfed in ice so quickly.

Then it hit her. He was of royal bloodline. Just like King Jose, Gray had the ability…

"M-magic?" Juvia asked, shuddering. She couldn't get another word out before Gray's hilt smashed against her head, causing her to black out.

But Juvia could have sworn right before she passed out, shivering in his arms, she saw Gray give her a look mixed with pity and sorrow.

Juvia stirred awake in the warm embrace of someone's arms. Her head ached and she wished that could just stay in these arms for a little longer, even if it was only for a moment. Then, she could get back to whatever she was doing.

But wait, what was she doing before this?

Juvia suddenly jolted up struggling to understand where she was. One moment, she was fighting Prince Gray, and the next then she remembered was taking a blow to the head, with her hands frozen by magic. Magic. Juvia could barely believe it- she had never seen magic used before, and the thought of her kidnapper having this ability scared her. Yes, she had been trained in the Guild of Assassins, but she had never been taught how to fight against magic, which had become practically extinct. Because of this, Gray wasn't just her average opponent, he had become a wildcard. She wouldn't be able to predict his moves or know how to stop him from using his magic.

Juvia looked up to see that Gray was holding her with one arm on his lap as they rode on his horse alongside his military men. He had noticed her struggle to break free and tightened his hold on the assassin.

"What are you going to do to Juvia?" Juvia scowled. But despite her angry voice, there was a hint fear that crept up in her voice.

Gray said nothing as he kept his head towards the horizen and continued to steer his horse.

"Juvia is talking to you," she gritted through her teeth. Juvia attempted to thrash out of his grasp but Gray's arm remained stiff.

He's stronger than Juvia believed him to be, Juvia thought. He'll be quite the challenge to kill, which is something that doesn't please Juvia.

Finally, a low voice that came out almost as a whisper responded to her.

"Don't try to make this harder on yourself. You won't escape, and your feet and hands are bound," Gray said in a harsh tone.

Juvia looked down to see that her arms and legs were indeed tied up. She also felt significantly lighter- they had removed all her weapons she kept on her. Juvia's eyes hardened. In this moment, she was utterly useless. Her face must have shown that she was in pure defeat, because as soon as she realized this, Gray spoke again, but this time in a softer voice.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered gently.

Juvia just scoffed, still feeling the headache from the blow she received earlier from Gray.

"Besides that one time," Gray said quickly. "Look, you should rest now. It will take us a while to get back."

Juvia glared at Gray. She knew she shouldn't trust him. She couldn't trust anyone. But the way he spoke to her, in a gentle and caring tone, was completely foreign to her. She almost wanted to trust him. She decided that for now, she would listen to him, just this once. Then she would escape once they reached their destination. She relaxed her body and pushed her head against Gray's chest, feeling the warmth of his arms surrounding her again. As she relaxed, so did Gray's hold on her. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, letting sleep take her.

Gray admired the stars as they rode off into the night. Had he made a mistake by revealing that magic still ran in his bloodline? He tried to keep this a secret, just as he told his citizens to do, to avoid execution when they were at war with Bosco. But Gray shook his head. He didn't have any other choice- the girl was strong. Although he admittedly could beat her on strength alone, her quick speed was the downfall of him during their fight. He had no other choice but to slow her down by freezing her.

Gray looked at the blunette as she settled into his arms. He watched her quietly as she lay in his arms, with her breath becoming more even as she fell asleep. Gray traced her features out in his mind- large cerulean orbs surrounded by thick black lashes and a tiny button nose. The angles on her pale face were softer now that she wasn't trying to attack anyone. Her blue wavy hair swept with the wind as he rode his horse through the passes. She looked like a normal girl when she slept.

It was a shame that she wasn't. And he was going to use that to his advantage.