Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts.
"Would you quit fussing over me!? And be careful! You'll mess up my hair!"
Gajeel easily ignored Wendy's protests, carefully fixing the silver brooch that clasped her cloak around her narrow shoulders. "Maybe if you had paid attention and not gotten lost," he said with a raised eyebrow, "I wouldn't have all this nervous energy to direct at my fussing."
"You'd be nervous anyways," Wendy pouted. "Don't try and blame it on me."
"Wendy, be nice," Metalicana said as he stepped into the holding room, struggling with the jacket clasp that laid on his neck. "Gajeel's under a lot of stress tonight and- oh for Skies' sake!" He growled at the clasp, and Gajeel rolled his eyes to the ceiling. Really, it was a wonder they all managed to get anything done when they couldn't even get ready without one of the other Heirs to help.
"I got'cha, Uncle," Rogue said, leaving Sting's side to help the King with the small, fiddly clasp. His accent shone through now that it was just the other Fiorans, and Gajeel let the long sounds and brassy undertones roll over him, anchoring his anxiety down so he could breathe.
It had already been a very long day, and Gajeel knew that it would only get longer from here on out. After all their things had been placed in their rooms, Ardelle had swept them away for a grand tour of the island. She certainly knew her small kingdom well, if the way she had been able to answer all of their questions and her continual commentary were any indication. She had led them through several markets, offered them all various foods to sample, and even made a quick stop by the training grounds so they could all have a peek at what exactly it was that his marriage to the princess would offer them.
Gajeel couldn't deny that he was highly impressed, both by the warriors and by the island itself. He knew the other Heirs - himself included - were all itching to have a chance to test themselves against the Fae warriors.
He couldn't think of Tenroujima as his home yet, but it was beginning to be a little easier to imagine.
It wasn't until Rogue had turned to ask Wendy a question about some of the fae's archers that they all realized that she had somehow managed to get separated from the group. Their response to the missing Heir hadn't been... the most dignified, but thankfully the Titania had understood, and they had all been rushed back to the throne room to form a search party. Even Natsu hadn't been able to separate Wendy's scent from the new smells of the island, and they had all managed to work themselves into a good panic by the time Wendy waltzed in, happy as could be with new decorations in her hair.
The Titania was once again witness to their less than dignified response as they had rushed at the youngest Draygn, all wanting to be the first to make sure she was alright. It ended up being Metalicana (who had resorted to quite a lot of shoving) who got to her first, pulling her into a tight embrace before gently chastising her for getting lost.
Gajeel had been next, and he got to experience the full brunt of Wendy's excited "You'll never believe what happened to me!"
They spent the rest of the evening listening to Wendy wax poetic about the two fae who had helped her while she was lost. The only reprieve that Gajeel had had was when he snuck back into his own guest quarters to make use of the rather large tub that was tucked into the bathroom, taking the momentary silence as a chance to let himself breathe and prepare himself for meeting the princess in a few hours.
"Your crown is crooked," Natsu chimed in helpfully, pulling Gajeel out of his own thoughts. The Blood Prince let the younger Heir fix the crown that sat on his head, murmuring a quiet "thanks".
"You look ready to throw yourself out the window and fly home," Sting observed with a grin, and Gajeel growled lowly at him.
"Fuck off."
"Such language! I wonder what the princess will think~?"
"Sting!" the other Heirs all snapped, and the young man shrunk back, holding his hands up defensively. The door swung open, and they spun to face the four that walked in.
Titania Ardelle swept into the room gracefully, midnight blue silk draped over her body and carefully folded and pinned in place. She somehow managed to look more beautiful than she had that afternoon, practically glowing in the light from the candles that lined the room. Gajeel had heard many times over the years that the faery in front him was thought to be one of the most beautiful women of the Five High Races, and he believed them.
Makarov was at her side, not nearly as graceful in his entrance; though he was now looking rather smart in a traditional fae suit. He nodded at Gajeel in greeting, and the Blood Prince returned the gesture before turning his focus to the two men that had walked in after the Titania and her ambassador.
They were clearly guards, both wearing gleaming armor and with their helmets tucked in the curve of their arms. The swords strapped to their hips, well-tended and sharpened to a deadly point, made even Gajeel and Metalicana swallow nervously.
"Look at all of you!" Ardelle said happily, clapping her hands together. "I must say Metalicana, I don't think I've ever seen you properly dressed for dinner before."
The king huffed, shoving Rogue away when the young man snorted. "In my defense, I was a little distracted trying to keep Igneel from making a fool of himself." One eyebrow rose towards his hairline. "Speaking of, nice necklace." Ardelle's hand jerked up to the metal band that curled around her throat, fingertips barely brushing against the fire-gem that rested in the hollow between her collarbones. Gajeel's eyebrows rose when the Titania shot his father a wry grin, her cheeks darkening. Whatever joke passed between them went over his head, and Natsu was too busy making sure his scarf hung right around his broad shoulders to pay attention - even when it was his father that was the topic of conversation.
"Anyways, I would like to introduce you all to my personal guard, Gildarts," Ardelle said, sweeping her hand back to gesture at the older of the two guards. He stepped forward, a grin on his face as he shook first Metalicana's, then Gajeel's hand.
"So, this is the young man who wants to marry our princess?" he asked Gajeel, his grin barely tightening at the corners. He was the same height as Gajeel, and the Blood Prince amended his his earlier though that all of the fae would be shorter than him. Gildarts did however have the typical dark skin and freckles, with scars old and new marring his skin - hinting towards years of hard training and fighting. It was easy to see why he was the Titantia's guard.
Gajeel nodded, returning Gildarts' firm handshake with equal force. "Yes, sir."
"'Sir'?" Gildarts said with an incredulous laugh. "Oh, Levy's going to have a field-day with this one." Ardelle smacked the back of her hand against Gildarts' chest plate, giving him a reproachful look while the larger fae simply snickered, brown wings fluttering with his amusement. Gajeel was almost so distracted by the two's interactions and his own puzzlement over the man's statement that he missed Wendy's tiny gasp.
"Behave," the Titania hissed.
"Of course, my lady. My apologies," Gildarts said, turning back to Gajeel with a boyish grin that seemed out of place on the face of who Gajeel presumed to be - considering his position - the strongest warrior on the island. "I've been Ardelle's friend for so long that I sometimes forget how to speak to actual royalty." Ardelle scoffed, turning her nose up at his comment. "Just Gildarts would be fine, your Majesty. No need to call me sir. Although-"
"And this is my daughter's guard!" Ardelle quickly cut in, stepping in front of Gildarts and tugging the other man to her side. "Prince Gajeel, this is Jet. You two will be spending a lot of time together in the coming week."
The princess's guard was several years Gildarts' junior, with sharp, dark eyes and flaming orange hair. His wings were a dark maroon, and they were long and thin like a dragonfly's. Just looking at them, Gajeel knew that they were built for speed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," he said, bowing his head before shaking Gajeel's hand. The Fiorans all nodded in response, though Wendy, looking unusually distracted, had to be nudged by Cobra to return the gesture.
"Still no princess?" Metalicana asked after a moment, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked behind the small group of fae.
"She'll be joining us soon," Ardelle reassured. "She's part of the opening ceremonies, so she has to stay backstage with the rest of the dancers."
"My beautiful daughter is dancing as well!" Gildarts crowed proudly, making Jet grin and roll his eyes at his fellow guard. "And- Jet, what's your wife doing again?"
"Sela's playing the music for your daughter to dance to," he responded, quirking his eyebrow playfully; although, it was hard to miss his pride for his wife's accomplishment.
"If you and Gajeel would like to, you could come with me to go get her after the opening ceremony is done and bring Levy to the table. It would give you two a chance to meet without the entire island watching," Ardelle offered, smiling at both father and son.
"Sounds wonderful," Metalicana said, though Gajeel could see there was a bit of tension to the set of his father's jaw. He understood that perfectly; he felt like he was about to burst out of his skin at any given moment. The waiting was driving him mad, and he had half a mind to go seek the princess out himself just to end the suspense.
"I think it's time for us to make our way to the amphitheatre," Makarov said, opening the door a crack and peering into the hallway outside the holding room."The sun has just set."
"Off we all go, then!" the Titania chirped, straightening out her skirts and fluffing her wings before turning to Metalicana with a smile. "Would you care to do the honors, old friend?" she said, holding her hand out to the king. Metalicana grinned, moving to offer the stately faery his arm, when Wendy suddenly latched onto him, giving Ardelle her most winning smile. Gajeel almost flinched away, anxious not to be on the opposite end of Wendy's considerate charm.
"Actually, your Majesty, may I have a quick word with my uncle in private?" the young Heir asked, ignoring the king's confused expression. "It won't be but a moment."
"Oh," Ardelle said, blinking owlishly at the smiling girl. "Well alright, I suppose. Gajeel, would you join me then?" Shooting his cousin one last wary look, the Blood Prince walked to Ardelle's side and offered his arm to her.
"It would be an honor, your Majesty," he said. The Titania tucked her delicate hand into the curve of his elbow, and with a nod to Gildarts, the large group was off.
Makarov led the way, a strong set to his small shoulders as he led them confidently through the winding halls of the palace. Gajeel and Ardelle followed after him, the Draygn consciously shortening his long stride so the much smaller Titania could keep up with him. Her wings swayed with her as she walked, the crystalline membrane reflecting the moonlight streaming through the large windows that lined the walkway. As her wings brushed against his elbow with every step, he wondered if this was a feeling he would have to soon get used to. The rest of the Heirs trailed after them in a single file line, all in the traditional dress of their own province and wearing confident smiles.
"Nervous?" Ardelle asked suddenly, her voice so soft that Gajeel almost thought he had imagined her words. He inhaled sharply, staring at the back of Makarov's head.
"How honest of an answer do you want, your Majesty?" he responded, keeping his voice low as well.
She chuckled, squeezing his arm. "It's alright. I am too." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, eyebrows furrowed at the sad, small smile on the Titania's lips; but before he could question her meaning, they moved out onto one of the many walkways that curled around the Tenrou Tree, and the view stole the breath from his lungs.
The crescent moon hung high in the darkening night sky, the stars seeming to shine brighter and hang closer than he had ever seen before. Lanterns lit the island with their warm glow, some fae carrying one with them as they flew towards the amphitheatre. But what really stole Gajeel's attention was the beach, and the waves breaking against the shore. Each wave glowed brightly like stars had fallen right out of the sky and into the surf, the sight so singular and so beautiful that Gajeel could only imagine the cause was magic. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, even at the Inland Isles, and he felt his heartbeat begin to slow and beat in time with the crashing waves. He inhaled the sharp tang of salt water and magic, and the tension from before lessened its choking grip around his throat.
There was a gentle tug on his elbow, and he looked down to see Ardelle giving him a concerned look. "Are you alright?" she asked, and he noticed for the first time how he was gripping the railing of the walkway tightly with his free hand. He didn't doubt that he had been staring off at the ocean with a distant expression, and he felt the tips of his ears burn with embarrassment.
"Sorry," he murmured, "got distracted."
"Craving a swim?" Natsu teased, and had the Titania not gently nudged him onward, he would have chucked the smirking Heir over the edge of the walkway so Natsu could test the waters himself. They continued towards the top, Gildarts and Jet flying on either side of the procession, and Gajeel wondered for the first time why the Titania didn't seem as inclined to use her wings as the rest of the fae. She seemed perfectly content to be walking with him, despite how much he must be slowing her down.
Metalicana and Wendy caught up with the large group just as they were about to climb the last bridge to the amphitheatre, the murmuring of hundreds of fae and the sound of music a dull roar to Gajeel's sensitive ears. Cobra was already grimacing, and Gajeel didn't doubt that he was regretting letting his wife, Kinana, stay at home. She was the only one that could make large crowds bearable for the Draygn, and Gajeel shot him a sympathetic look.
"My apologies," Metalicana said to the two as he took Gajeel's place at the Titania's side, and the Blood Prince let himself be ushered to the back of the line by a fussing Makarov. Wendy shot him a reassuring grin, but Gajeel still made a note to ask her after dinner what had been so important that she talk to his father alone. Once all the Heirs were arranged to the ambassador's satisfaction, he raced ahead to announce them to the gathered fae, the music dying down as he disappeared into the amphitheatre. Gajeel swallowed thickly, again listening to the roar of the waves to calm his erratic heartbeat.
"Don't worry," Rogue whispered from where he and Sting stood together in front of the anxious prince. From behind them, Gajeel could make out their tattoos; dark whorls of smoky black ink curling across the back of Rogue's shoulders and under his equally as dark tunic, and white lines, thick and thin, twisting in and out of each other around Sting's upper arms. They both had identical crowns tattooed on the back of their necks, just above the start of their spines, a "5" drawn under Sting's and a "6" similarly placed on Rogue's neck.
The Fifth and Sixth Heirs to the Crown of Fiore. They all had similar markings, though Gajeel's was a blood red crown instead of a black one, with a "2" written in his mother's curling script under it..
"You're going to be great," Sting added, a sincere grin on his face, and Gajeel couldn't help but return it. When Sting wasn't being a total ass, he was actually rather enjoyable to be around.
"Here we go," Cobra chimed in from in front of the three, eyes straight ahead as they listened to the music start back up after it had stopped for Makarov. They began to move forward, reaching the lip of the amphitheatre and beginning to descend the stairs one at a time (save for Sting and Rogue, whose fingers were tightly interlocked).
Gajeel was the last to appear, standing tall and mighty, feeling himself slip into the role of unflappable warrior he normally adopted for political events such as this one. He strode forward with long, even strides, focusing on the table that curled around the stage instead of the hundreds of fae staring at him with varying expressions of distrust and curiosity. He thought he saw movement across the stage from the table, but only managed to catch a glimpse of thin, tan fingers and a single blue curl before the curtain dropped and they were gone from view.
The amphitheatre itself was a testament of architecture, done in beautiful limestone that could only have been imported from Fiore. Several rows of seating led down to the large, circular stage in the middle, and Gajeel was surprised to see that the floor of the raised stage seemed to be made of glass. A pool of water sat under the glass, more glowing stars moving in lazy circles under the sheer glass, and Gajeel quickly jerked his head up towards their table before he could get distracted again.
He took his seat as gracefully as he could, unable to ignore the empty chair between himself and the Titania that he knew was reserved for the princess. Wendy sat to his immediate right, and she was bouncing eagerly in her seat. "Excited?" Gajeel asked with a small laugh, shaking his head at the youngest Heir's rapid changes in mood. Wendy just grinned at him, mischief dancing in her brown eyes.
"Just wait~," she sung, and Gajeel couldn't have imagined the cold drip of dread that went down his spine.
Thankfully, there was already food spread out on the table, so he looked away from the now-smirking Heir to take it all in. Various traditional fae dishes sat in beautifully crafted bowls; from sliced fruits and vegetables, to some sort of thinly-sliced, smoked fish that was already making his mouth water by smell alone. Metalicana slapped Natsu's hands away from a dish of spicy-smelling dumplings of some kind, hissing for him to wait until the Titantia had begun eating to even think about grabbing anything for himself.
"Don't worry," Ardelle told the pouting Heir, grinning widely. "The opening performances shouldn't take long and dinner starts immediately after." She laughed. "I've eaten with your father enough times to know that you don't keep a Draygn from food for long unless you want to be pouted at."
Metalicana groaned loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering something about brothers that wouldn't know proper etiquette if it bit them in the ass. Ardelle laughed harder.
The loud murmuring of the gathered fae died slowly as Makarov made his way to the center of the stage, smiling brightly. "Welcome, my friends!" he boomed, his voice easily carrying to even the furthest seats. Cobra whimpered pathetically at the end of the table. "What a wonderful day it is for all of us that are proud to call Tenroujima our home," he continued on. "Not only are we joined this evening by the royal family of Fiore - who have come with hopes to rekindle traditions of unity and companionship between fae and Draygn alike -, but our own princess will be performing for us a traditional dance! One of my personal favorites, I might add." A good number of the assembled fae cheered and clapped, eyes lit up at the thought of seeing their princess, but Gajeel couldn't help but notice the sizeable group that simply sat and waited for the din to die down, expressions devoid of any of the excitement their neighbors had.
Makarov made a sweeping motion towards the table where all the royals sat, and Gajeel's heart jumped up to his throat. "What you're about to see is a retelling of the first union between the fae and dragons, both joining together to defeat a common enemy," the ambassador said, grinning at Ardelle who nodded at him with a smile. "This story has been passed down from mother to child long before this island became a home to the fae, and the princess herself picked it for the opening ceremonies tonight." Makarov met Gajeel's eyes, and his breath stilled in his lungs. "A piece of history," Makarov said, "to bless the coming trials that lie before us all."
This was it, Gajeel thought distantly, his nerves muffling even his own thoughts. The first glance at the faery who could one day be his wife. Skies above, he wasn't ready for this!
"I now present to you, Princess Levy!" Makarov said to thunderous applause from the excited fae. "Daughter of Titania Ardelle, beloved child of Tenroujima, and the sole heir to Mavis's Crown!" The amphitheatre shook as the majority of the fae cheered, some even lifting a few feet into the air in their excitement. Makarov grinned one last time before lifting his hand in a sweeping motion, all of the torches that lined the stage going dark and the amphitheatre falling silent.
Even with his heightened senses and the bright stars above them, Gajeel's eyes had a hard time following Makarov off the stage. He immediately noticed the cloaked figure that darted swiftly out to the center, however, squinting as he watched them kneel and shed their dark cloak. The musicians, all sitting in a lowered pit just to the left of their table and clutching instruments the likes of which Gajeel had never seen before, began to play softly, the music growing louder as the torches slowly came back to life.
There was a crash of drums, a sudden rise of voices as fae began to sing, and the princess stood.
And Gajeel felt the earth jerk to a stop.
Sky blue curls bounced around her shoulders as she began to dance around the circular stage, tambourines clutched in each hand and occasionally bounced against her rounded hip. Her skin was a shade darker than her mother's, dusted with freckles and a dark flush that bloomed across her shoulders and cheeks. Her tail curled and moved in times with the music, dainty feet darting and spinning across the glass surely, and with a laugh, the princess spun to face them for a singular moment. Gajeel saw her eyes for the first time, and his throat went dry.
Gods, her eyes.
They were a molten brown, bringing to mind memories of the color of the setting sun as it reflected off the waters of his homeland. It was like a jeweler had plucked the finest gold they could find deep from the earth and set it in her eyes, priceless and beautiful and framed by thick lashes and wild hair. Her dark mouth was curled into a mischievous grin, and Gajeel wanted to taste every secret those lips held.
Princess Levy was breathtakingly stunning, and the idea of being her husband suddenly seemed less like a punishment and more like a blessing. Gajeel had never been interested in prayer before, but he owed someone in the stars a large and lavish offering.
He was pulled from his stunned musings by an insistent tug on his arm, and he mournfully turned away from the vision in front of him to look at a beaming Wendy.
"That's her!" she whispered giddily. "That's the faery that helped me get back to the throne room!" Wendy bounced happily in her seat, and Gajeel grinned. If Wendy liked her, that only raised the princess higher in his esteem.
He looked back at the stage - ignoring the teasing looks from all the other Heirs and the proud grin on the Titania's face - and was immediately drawn back in by the princess. However, in the time since he had looked away, another young woman had joined Princess Levy on the stage. She was tall where the princess was short, dressed in Fioran clothes that probably outdated his grandmother, and they circled each other easily. The taller faery smirked at the princess, and he realized that this had to be Gildarts' daughter.
Holding onto her partner's arm, the princess's leg rose and fell with each loud crash of cymbals, her skirt parting to reveal a slit that went clear up to the top curve of her hip and revealed more dark, freckled skin than Gajeel even knew what to do with. They spun and moved gracefully around the other, never stopping. Gajeel was starting to feel dizzy tracking their movements with his eyes.
"You're drooling," Natsu chimed in helpfully, smirking widely at the older Heir.
Gajeel swallowed thickly. "No I'm not," he shot back weakly, ignoring the laughter from the other Fiorans as he tried to subtly wipe at the corners of his mouth. Just in case.
The music slowed, the two women coming to a halt with an arm curled around the other's waist and their heads bent together despite the height difference. "The story is about two lovers," Makarov explained in a whisper to Metalicana as they all watched, "separated by the conventions of their races but still desperately fighting to be together even in times of great war."
"Wait, which war?" Wendy asked, and then the music changed.
Happy, celebratory music slowed and deepened to something that made Gajeel's fingers tap on the table anxiously, and he could see Natsu, Sting, Rogue, and Metalicana responding in similar ways. It was eerie and foreboding, and the Blood Prince realized why as vines crept across the stage in slow, menacing movements. They were coming from behind the same curtain Gajeel had noticed earlier. Both the princess and Gildarts' daughter stepped back from the curtain and closer to the table.
A large figure slowly emerged, and it took a few moments for Gajeel to realize it was the front of a dragon. Well, more specifically, it was a puppet of a dragon made of the same vines that circled the stage. Metalicana breathed an oath.
"The Black Death," he murmured, eyes wide, and Ardelle nodded.
"That thing isn't gonna hurt them, right?" Sting asked in a harsh whisper as they all watched the taller faery step in front of the princess, hands held in a way that was familiar to all of them. Gajeel didn't need Makarov's narrations to know that she had just challenged the large dragon to a fight, the puppet following her movements carefully with its large head as she shuffled from side to side, wings spread wide.
"Of course not," Ardelle reassured. "Droy is the best on the island when it comes to plant magic. Nothing will happen to Cana or Levy that isn't supposed to."
Princess Levy held her arm out to her partner, an intense expression of focus across her features, and Cana grabbed it without any hesitation, spinning the princess towards the beast. She released her arm, but still held onto a part of her skirts, and as the princess turned faster and faster, her costume unraveled and morphed until it closely resembled one of the training outfits he had seen earlier that day at the training grounds. Brown leggings clung tightly to shapely legs and hips, her shirt ending just above her ribcage and revealing twin piercings just beneath her belly button. Her tambourines had turned into dual sabers, and she held them with all the confidence Gajeel had seen in his father whenever he practiced with his broadsword. Those swords were not decorative, and she was no stranger to wielding them.
The music changed again, this time fast and dramatic, and both faeries raced towards the dragon. Cana took to the air, flying in graceful arcs and pulling the winds with her as Levy aimed lower on the beast, swords flashing as she cut away vine after vine. They both struck at the dragon, each attack still looking like a dance step. The puppet had become their third partner, moving in time with broad swipes of its claws and snaps of its mighty teeth. Gajeel found his eyes drawn back to Levy, watching how she flipped and dodged gracefully, swords never stilling as the music continued to build.
She danced closer to the table, racing across the top of one vine before kicking off and slicing it to pieces, landing almost directly in front of him. He jerked back in surprise, feeling his ears start to burn. She looked at him over her shoulder, and he swallowed thickly when she winked at… no, not him. At Wendy.
Levy spun one last time, bisected vines falling at her bare feet, and she proceeded to toss both of her swords directly at Wendy.
Gajeel felt his heart stop, and before he or any of the other Heirs (Metalicana, oddly enough, hadn't moved) could pull the youngest Heir out of the way, she leapt to her feet and caught both blades easily, grinning brightly at the princess.
Levy laughed giddily and gods her laughter sounded like bells how was it possible for her to be this beautiful? With a wave of her hand the swords turned into bouquets of various native flowers, and Wendy lit up at the sight of them even further. Levy turned back towards the beast - his breath catching in his throat as fire burst from her fingertips and surrounded her fists - and she let out a yell as she raced back into the thick of the staged battle.
Distantly, Gajeel wondered why she wasn't flying.
Magic hung thickly around the stage as the princess began to burn vines out of her way, smoke curling from between grinning teeth. The dragon mutely roared in pain, and Cana - who Gajeel had honestly forgotten about entirely - flew out of the way of the princess's attacks. There was a loud, crinkling sound, and Gajeel nearly flew out of his seat again as cracks began to form in the glass stage. But he froze as pieces of glass ripped themselves out of the floor, following Levy's directions and lodging themselves in strategic parts of the dragon. Each sharp movement of her hands was another successful attack, and Gajeel was stunned by the ease in which she switched between magics. He knew that fae were capable of learning any magic, whereas Mages could only learn one or two, but to see that kind of power in action… Gajeel found himself swallowing to try and wet his suddenly dry throat.
"How is the stage still holding their weight?" Rogue whispered.
"Shush, just accept it," Sting hissed back, enraptured by the performance.
The princess drew both hands together, breathing in deeply before she spun away from the dragon. Her arms moved out in wide arcs away from her body, and the Heirs all gasped in awe as water began to flow from each place the glass had struck. The vines rapidly dried out as the water was pulled from the puppet, the dragon giving one last mute cry before collapsing on itself. Levy stood in the center of the stage, a circle of water dancing around her and curling around her fingertips, and she smiled.
Gajeel fell back into his chair and had the sudden feeling that he was doomed.
The water sunk through the holes in the glass floor as Cana landed next to the princess, and the two began to dance again, celebrating the defeat of the beast. With each twist of the princess's hips and each flick of her wrist, a piece of glass flew out from the mess of dried vines and sunk seamlessly back into the stage, looking as if it had never broken. It continued like that until the whole stage was repaired, the two fae laughing together as they spun in circles and clapped in time with the music.
What remained of the puppet shook, and with some help from Cana and Levy, the vines parted and out jumped a young man that looked to be about the same age as Jet, with thick dark hair, and large muscles hidden behind a layer of fat. Gajeel could only assume this to be Droy, and he easily joined the two in the final dance, verdian wings moving behind him like a cloak. At some point he picked Levy up and spun her around, sending her into peals of laughter, and Gajeel couldn't help but smile.
The three moved towards the table, and with the final notes, dropped into bows towards the Fiorans and a beaming Ardelle. They each were panting heavily, but they were all beaming as the amphitheatre shook with thunderous applause from the assembled fae. Gajeel stood with the rest of the Heirs, giving the trio a standing ovation he fully believed they had earned.
As he looked down at his betrothed, applauding as loudly as he could manage, Gajeel noticed Levy's wings for the first time. The same crystalline color as her mother's, her wings were startlingly small, barely covering her shoulders where Cana and Droy's trailed behind them onto the ground. They fluttered weakly with each heavy breath, and Gajeel felt concern bloom in his stomach for this woman he barely knew. As the three stood and turned to go back behind the curtain, Cana waving enthusiastically back at a beaming Wendy, Gajeel leaned in towards Ardelle.
"Is the princess alright?" he murmured quietly.
"She was fine the last time I talked to her," Ardelle said, still beaming at her daughter as she walked back behind the curtain. "Why?"
Gajeel frowned. "Her wings were shaking like she was in pain."
Ardelle's head snapped towards him, and he nearly stumbled back at the way her features had twisted and hardened with fury. Her mouth opened like she was about to yell at him, but she stopped before she could make a sound. Gajeel knew his startled fear was probably plain on his face for all to see, and he supposed that's what made the Titania take a shaky breath and step back. She looked towards Metalicana, who in turn was pinching the bridge of his nose and cursing in rapid Draconic under his breath.
"Explain. Now," she hissed to the king under her breath, and the sound made shivers run down Gajeel's spine. There was something distinctly inhuman about that sound, and it set his nerves on edge.
"He doesn't know," Metalicana explained quietly. "We never told him." Ardelle gave him a heavy look before taking a long, deep breath; closing her eyes as she inhaled. When she turned to look at Gajeel again, it was like a veil had been pulled over her eyes. He couldn't figure any of her emotions from her gaze.
"She's fine," she said carefully, glaring at nothing in particular. "Her wings are fine. Excuse me." She turned quickly on her heel, striding down another short set of stairs and into a hallway that Gajeel assumed led towards wherever the princess had gone. He watched her go with a confused expression, looking to his father for an explanation.
Metalicana was grimacing, and Gajeel's stomach dropped to his feet. "I said something wrong, didn't I?" he groaned under his breath, just quiet enough for his father to hear. The king shook his head.
"The fault was mine," he said lowly, switching to Draconic so that none of the fae sitting nearby could eavesdrop. "I should have told you before we arrived-"
"Told me what?"
"The princess's wings are… different," Metalicana said at length. "They stopped growing halfway through her childhood and because of that, she can't fly."
"Why did they stop?" Gajeel asked, his stomach dropping even further. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine," his father reassured quickly. "It's just…" He stopped, glancing around before turning his dark eyes back to Gajeel. "I'll explain further in private," he murmured, and Gajeel noticed that several fae had their ears perked, jewel-toned eyes glancing in their direction. He felt his teeth grinding together in frustration; how could he expect to fix this if he didn't know what exactly he had done wrong?
A hand gripped his shoulder tightly, and the Blood Prince looked up to see Cobra standing behind his chair, his features pinched. "I hate to interrupt," he said, grimacing and subtly trying to cover one ear, "but perhaps someone should go after the Titania."
Metalicana growled a curse under his breath. "This was my mistake, I should go talk to-"
"No." Gajeel stood, lips pressed together in a tight line. "Let me speak to her." His father opened his mouth to protest, but Gajeel had already turned and headed towards the stairs. It had been his careless comment that had gotten them into this mess in the first place; he would be the one to fix it.
Ignoring the confused looks from the other Heirs, he quickly went down the stairs after Ardelle. He stopped at the mouth of the hallway, eyes wide as he took in the form of the beautiful and sure Titania curled into herself, hand clasped to her mouth and shoulders shaking with silent sobs. He quickly glanced away, giving her a few moments to compose herself while guilt churned angrily in his stomach.
After a few moments, he heard her take a deep breath, and he dared to step closer. "Your Majesty, I didn't mean to upset you," he said quietly. "I apologize for any offense I might have caused." Ardelle turned towards him, the only evidence that she had been crying only moments ago was the red surrounding her storm-grey irises. She nodded after a few moments of searching his expression, accepting Gajeel's outstretched hand when she had, assumingly, found what she was looking for.
"It's all right," she responded softly. "You were only speaking out of concern for my daughter. But I ask that when you speak to her, do not mention the state of her wings." Gajeel nodded, realizing that wings as short as the princess's must have been the result of some kind of injury or trauma. Guilt choked him again, tasting like rust on his tongue.
"I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "I didn't know..."
"And now you do," the Titania responded, taking a deep breath before giving Gajeel a weak smile. "Thank the Goddess you asked me first instead of Levy." Gajeel grimaced at the thought of what might have happened if he had brought it up to the princess. They'd all be back on the boat home by sunrise.
Both the Blood Prince and Titania turned as Metalicana approached the two, the muffled sounds of the crowd settling down chasing away the suffocating awkwardness. "Are you okay, Ar?" the king asked, eyebrows furrowed together. Ardelle nodded, patting Gajeel's hand before stepping towards Metalicana's side.
"We're both fine now," she reassured him. Gajeel tried not to wince, smiling shakily at his father. "How about we go fetch that darling girl of mine so we can start dinner, and Natsu and Sting can stop trying to steal bites of food in a manner I assume is supposed to be 'sneaky'?"
Metalicana groaned, offering his arm to a grinning Ardelle as they all started down the hallway. "I swear, I raised those boys with better manners."
"They were brought up by Igneel and Wesslogia," Gajeel reminded him with a small grin. "There's only so much you can do." He fell into step behind the two, and pretended he didn't see how Ardelle's steps faltered when his father leaned down to whisper an apology of his own into her ear.
The hallway grew brighter as they approached several windows cut into the wall of the hallway, and Gajeel stopped to look down at the ocean one more time. The surf crashed and roared, indifferent towards the scattered thoughts of the three royals in the hallway, and Gajeel breathed in the cool, island breeze until it filled his lungs.
With the waves rolling comfortingly inside his chest, taming his wildly beating heart, he walked on. Following the Titania and his father down hallway after hallway, until they all stopped before a small, wooden door; rather unimpressive if he hadn't known who was behind it. Ardelle looked over her shoulder at him, and he took another deep breath.
"Are you ready?" she asked, voice quiet. Gajeel wanted to scream that he wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready, but he simply nodded in response.
Ardelle nodded back, and she slipped into the room alone. Laughter came through the open door and floated into the hallway, and Gajeel clung to that carefree laugh with all the strength he could manage in his trembling hands as the door shut behind the Titania with a quiet thud; leaving him and his father standing alone in the too-quiet hallway, thoughts drowning out even the sound of the ocean around them.
This fucking monster of a chapter isn't even vaguely edited, but with no foreseeable days off coming up, a new full-time job, and just the fact that I'm plain tired, I can worry about it later. I just want it posted.
Just Gajeel's POV this time since it got so long, and Levy's POV will take over the next chapter. Again, it will probably be two months before the next update because of the aforementioned new full-time job, but I doubt you guys will be too mad seeing as this means I will be able to both pay all my bills and actually eat. That would be nice. Being a starving artist isn't nearly as romantic as the movies advertise.
The song Levy, Cana and Droy dance to is "Wonders of the New World" from the "Road to El Dorado" soundtrack.
Reviews keep me from feeding my laptop to gators in a fit of anger; save the poor gators from getting wires caught in their teeth.
Thanks for your understanding, and happy belated birthday KatStarr32!