Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Please do not use without my consent. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts.
Levy couldn't keep her feet on the ground. She hovered between steps, her little wings fluttering with excitement as she raced to keep up with Cana and Droy. It was admittedly harder to keep up with them when they were both flying in wide loops overhead, and she was only awkwardly hovering in the air for a few moments between each step, but she managed.
"Did you see them?" she asked excitedly, twisting around between steps so she could face her two friends. Her wings were starting to ache from the over-stimulation, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.
"Forget them!" Cana said with a laugh. "Did you see us?"
"We were amazing!" Droy cheered. Levy laughed giddily, heart racing. The dance had gone without a single hitch, and after weeks of planning, the knowledge that it was over took an immense weight off her shoulders. The night was far from over, but with such a smooth start, Levy felt her hopes begin to rise.
Maybe she did have a chance, after all!
They raced through the hallways, each babbling and trying to be heard over each other, until they reached the spare room that had been functioning as their dressing room and waiting area for the night.
"How'd it go?" Lucy asked as soon as they pushed the door open, jerking upright from where she had been sitting on the small couch. She was holding a wash rag in her hands, twisting it nervously between her fingers. "Did everything work out okay? No one got hit by a stray vine or accidentally got stabbed by glass or-?"
"It went perfectly," Cana reassured, her feet finally touching the floor as she started to peel her costume off one piece at at time (Levy had to bite her tongue to keep from yelling at Cana not to drop the articles of clothing carelessly on the floor; they were over three hundred years old). Droy ducked behind a screen placed closer to the wall, giving the girls a chance to change in private as they caught Lucy up on the events.
"Wait, so you saw the Blood Prince already?" the blonde faery asked as she helped Levy pull her top over her head, the princess spluttering as sweaty curls got caught in her mouth. "What does he look like? Is he handsome?"
"I dunno," Cana said with a grin. "Aabeila, did you think the Blood Prince was handsome?" Levy frowned as the taller faery continued to smirk cheekily at her, blood rushing to her cheeks. Lucy was smiling at the princess too, curiosity shining in her brown eyes, and Levy cursed the fact that it was in the Fae's nature to be annoyingly curious creatures.
"He was…" Levy started, tugging on her ear as she stalled. "The prince was… Um… Tall! Yes, the prince was very tall!" 'Tall' was a nice, safe word, Levy decided. She didn't get a good enough look to come to a conclusion about her potential-husband's attractiveness, but there was no denying the way he and the King towered over everyone around them. Her mother looked like a doll next to King Metalicana.
"Tall," Cana deadpanned. Droy's hand appeared over the screen, giving Levy a thumbs-down.
"Boooo!"
"I didn't get a good look!" Levy snapped, embarrassed. "I was a little busy focusing on not accidentally stabbing the youngest Heir of Fiore!"
Lucy paled under her dark skin. "What!?"
"She's being dramatic," Cana said with a roll of her eyes. "Wendy had it well under control. She caught your swords so easily even I thought it was practiced that way!"
"You threw your swords at an Heir!?" The three other occupants of the room all winced at the distinct screech Lucy's voice had adopted. "Oh goddess, what did the King think!?"
"He actually didn't react," Levy mused, snatching the washcloth from Lucy's hands and dunking it in the basin full of warm water the blonde faery had been sitting by when they walked in. She ran the cloth all over her bare torso, feeling the sweat from dancing being washed away by the scented water. "I believe Wendy warned him."
"Too bad she didn't warn your betrothed," Droy said, laughing. "I think he may have had a heart attack!"
"I didn't know he had looked away from Levy long enough to notice," Cana teased.
Levy's cheeks burned, and she took no small amount of pleasure in throwing the sweat-soaked rag at her friend's smirking face. The conversation took a merciful turn away from the visiting royalty, and they all rushed to get ready to join the festivities. Levy was just finishing smoothing out the pleats of her skirt when her mother slipped into the room, lighting up as she spotted the four talking and laughing together.
"Wonderful job, all of you!" Ardelle said, not hesitating to sweep her daughter up into a hug. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered in Levy's ear, kissing her temple. Levy nearly melted into her mother's embrace, feeling calm wash over her as she returned the hug easily.
"Did they like it?" Levy asked, nerves seeping into her voice. Lucy, Cana, and Droy - who had all dropped into bows the moment the Titania arrived - all looked up curiously. Ardelle's smile grew wider.
"They all loved it," she reassured. "Droy, your dragon was a particular success." The male faery grinned widely, nodding his head towards Ardelle.
"Thank you, your Majesty."
"You're quite welcome. Now, I'm sure you're all anxious to go join the festivities!" Cana and Droy both ran for the door; Droy had been looking forward to this party for nearly as long as the princess and her mother had been planning it, and Levy was honestly surprised Cana had hung around this long while there were new people to meet. "Wait!" Ardelle quickly called out, catching them both by the backs of their shirts.
The two jerked to a halt with matching yelps, sending Levy and Lucy into peals of laughter. Cana pouted at the Titania, huffing a few pieces of hair out of her eyes.
"A hint-more forewarning would have been appreciated, your Majesty," she said flatly. If Cana hadn't practically grown up in the castle alongside Levy, what with her father's position as head guard and her mother being a life-long friend of Ardelle's, Levy doubted she would have been able to get away with speaking to the Titania so bluntly. As it was, Ardelle just smiled sheepishly at the two, releasing her grip.
"If I hadn't, you would have run into two of our guests," she explained, "and I didn't think you two would want to ruin the lovely impression you just made."
"The Fiorans are outside?" Levy asked in a high-pitched voice, overcome with the sudden urge to fiddle with her hair to check that it was somewhat presentable. Ardelle nodded.
"The King and Prince are outside," she said, and Levy's heart shot into her throat. "We all agreed it would be better if you and Prince Gajeel met away from critical eyes. Is that alright, love?"
"Yes!" If her voice pitched any further, she's sure that all of the island foxes would come running every time she opened her mouth. "Bring them in!"
"Yeah, I want to meet the man who could soon be marrying my sister," Cana said, helping Droy fix his skewed shirt. But Ardelle shook her head, pointing towards the side door that led into another hallway away from the Fiorans.
"I'm afraid it will just be Levy and myself, this time," she said with a smile. "You can introduce yourselves at dinner." The two both grumbled, but a single raised eyebrow from Ardelle was all that was needed to convince them. Cana and Droy bowed, heading past the two royals and making sure to stop and give Levy a hug.
"You're going to be fine, aabeila," Cana said, kissing Levy's hair and laughing as the blushing princess swatted her away. Droy pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, whispering similar words of encouragement before they both slid out past Lucy. The blonde fae was looking at both royals expectantly.
"That means you too, Lucy," Ardelle said with a grin. Lucy jumped, bowing her head towards the Titania before looking to Levy.
"Do you need anything else, Le- er, your Majesty?" she asked, and Levy shook her head with a smile. With one last reassuring grin, Lucy turned and disappeared through the same door Cana and Droy had gone through. The room suddenly felt too quiet without the three of them chattering in her ear; distracting her from the current situation so she couldn't dwell on her nerves. She swallowed nervously.
"I don't know why I bother doing your hair," Ardelle mused, pulling Levy back from her thoughts as her mother carded her fingers through Levy's hair. Lucy and Cana had attempted to pull some back with small, jeweled clips, latticing the thick strands across her wild curls, but it surely paled in comparison to the intricate braid her mother had worked on earlier. "It always ends up coming undone," she bemoaned, quirking an eyebrow at her daughter. Levy smiled sheepishly.
"What can I say? I'm a very busy faery," she said with a shrug. Ardelle laughed, cupping Levy's cheeks in her palms.
"You're too much, love," she said with a smile. That smile dimmed after a moment, as she absently rubbing her thumb across the freckles dotting Levy's cheek. The younger fae pressed into her mother's hand, frowning worriedly.
"Matim?" she asked softly, and Ardelle's eyes jerked back to hers. Levy had always wished for eyes like her mother's; the soft, dark gray of the morning fog that wrapped around their island like a blanket. Nothing on all of Earthland could make her feel safer.
Levy had once mentioned her disappointment in her own brown eyes to her mother and a visiting Igneel, and Igneel had been the one to scoop her up into his lap and reassure her that while different from her mother's, Levy's eyes were just as beautiful.
"Like two little flames," he had said with a smile, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. "Most creatures only dream of having the kind of fire you carry in your heart, firefly. Be proud of that strength."
Ardelle kissed Levy's cheek, drawing her back from her thoughts. "Saavehn a nel, naabahl" her mother said suddenly, "kee da shabel."
Levy smiled, leaning into her mother's arms. "Saavehn ta ooren, Matim."
They stood like that for a few moments, just the two of them. No princes outside the door nor rebellion looming threateningly in the distance; there was just Levy and Ardelle, curled around each other like the trunks of the tree they called their home.
Ardelle sighed, slowly stepping away from her daughter. "Better let them in," she said, looking at the door. "They've been waiting long enough. I think the prince may actually be more nervous than you are."
Levy laughed. "I doubt that, but yes, let them in. Do I look okay?" She spread her hands to the side, twirling in place slowly so her mother could see every inch of her carefully-picked outfit. Her top was a beautiful black silk that reflected the candlelight in the room in various shades of blue and purple, gold embroidery and beads curling across the fabric. Her skirt, in contrast, was an ivory so pale that Levy feared that one wrong touch would leave a large, ugly stain on the pristine fabric. The golden embroidery seemed to drip down from the waistband that hung low around her hips, pooling at the hem.
"You look perfect, love," Ardelle reassured, giving Levy's hand a final squeeze before moving towards the door. Levy patted her hair down nervously one last time, straightening her great-grandmother's necklace and the many bracelets on her wrists before clasping her hands in front of her.
Ardelle pulled open the door, and Levy saw two large figures standing outside, their conversation halting as the Titania appeared. "Sorry for the wait," she said with a smile. "Please, come in." She had to step back into the room to allow the two enough room to pass her, and Levy's carefully maintained smile shifted into something small and nervous. This was it.
The King was the first to enter, looking at her with bright green eyes that seemed to radiate magic and power. He smiled at her, and there was so much of Igneel in that smile that she automatically relaxed.
"Princess Levy," King Metalicana said, his voice like the low, distant rumble of thunder. "It's my greatest honor to finally meet you. Both your mother and Igneel have told me so much about you; I feel as if I've already known you for a lifetime." He held his hands out to her, and Levy didn't hesitate to place her own much smaller hands in his. The age lines in his face spoke of years of laughter, and she liked him almost instantly.
"The same can be said to you, your Majesty," she said with a small bow. "It's an honor to meet you in person."
The king's hands were shaking, she realized, but he had stepped away before she could wonder too deeply as to why.
Metalicana pushed forward a younger - but not smaller - man as he stepped back to stand closer to her mother. "Princess Levy, I would like to introduce my son, Blood Prince Gajeel; second Heir to the Fioran crown and only heir of the Andel and Redfox clans."
The prince was somehow even bigger up close, was Levy's first thought. Her second thought was less coherent words and more like the feeling of breathing in fresh air for the first time after being locked away in the musty archives for too long. Prince Gajeel towered over her; dark, red eyes watching her with a curiosity that matched her own, and an embarrassed flush staining the tips of his ears.
In some ways, he was exactly what she had imagined when her mother had first suggested this union; a strong jawline with pronounced cheekbones, a nose that would have been straight had it not been broken at some point and healed just a little too crooked, and biceps that were bigger around than her head. A true warrior prince. But there was something almost soft in the cupid's bow of his mouth and the way his eyebrows arched, dark and full, over his deep-set eyes. Levy had seen paintings of the missing Queen Voeda before, and looking at the Prince standing next to his father, Gajeel seemed an equal mix of both.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Gajeel," Levy said, trying to keep her voice steady despite her nerves. She bowed her head, fist closed over her heart like she had been taught by Makarov ages ago, and the prince seemed to relax. It was reassuring, in a way, to see his nerves matched her own.
"The pleasure is mine," he said, and his rumbling voice sent shivers down her back. He bowed to her as well, with his long, black hair tumbling across his shoulders, and Levy nearly swooned.
Perhaps Lucy hadn't been too far off when she had suggested that the Blood Prince could be the man of her dreams. He looked just how she had imagined heros from her favorite epics would.
"I hope you found the performance to your liking, Prince Gajeel," she said, and he looked up at her from where he was bowed in front of her, a hint of a smirk on his lips.
"It was unlike anything I've seen before," he said as he straightened himself, before shooting his father a look. "Though I would have appreciated a warning about the sword-juggling Wendy was participating in," he said towards his father. Metalicana laughed, but Ardelle had turned to a nervously-grinning Levy with a frown.
"Yes, I would have appreciated one as well," she said, placing her hands on her hips. Levy's carefully constructed calm faltered for a moment, and she tugged on her ear while grinning shyly at her mother.
"I don't suppose 'Cana made me do it' would be a sufficient reason?" she asked. Ardelle's eyebrow quirked high over the other. "I was against the idea!" Levy defended. "Cana and Wendy were the ones who begged me to. I didn't want to disappoint Wendy!"
"Well, she certainly wasn't that," Metalicana said, still grinning. "She hasn't been able to stop talking about you ever since she got lost." Levy felt a blush spread across her cheeks.
"I should apologize to her for not telling her who I was when we met," she said softly. "I just… I didn't want her to think ill of me."
Levy looked up in surprise as a tattooed arm was offered to her, Gajeel grinning as she stammered at him. "Better get you back to dinner then," he said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "She's probably chewing Cobra's ear off while waiting for you."
Metalicana scoffed. "I swear, you boys are an awful influence on that girl," he accused. "She used to be so well-behaved."
"Would you rather she take more after us, or be more like her aunt?" Gajeel asked with a raised eyebrow. Metalicana shuddered.
"I try not to dwell on dark thoughts such as those," he muttered, offering his arm to a laughing Ardelle and leading her out of the room. Levy's blush grew darker as she realized that the Prince was still holding his arm out for her, and she quickly tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow with a quiet "Thank you".
Gajeel led her out of the room after their parents, an uncomfortable silence enveloping the two. Levy had no idea what to talk about! What were you supposed to say to a man whom you were supposed to marry, but had never met before? Levy bit her bottom lip nervously, wracking her brain for something both witty and charming to say to the mountain of a man next to her. Her tail was twitching anxiously behind her as they walked, and she just knew that the hairs on the end were sticking up ridiculously as they always did when she was nervous.
"I wanted to thank you," Gajeel said suddenly, snapping Levy out of her panicked thoughts. She looked up at him in confusion, her brows furrowing above her eyes. "For bringing Wendy back safely after she had gotten lost," he clarified, the blush on his ears getting darker the longer she looked at him.
"Oh! Um, it was nothing," she said with an embarrassed shrug. "I was happy to do it."
"Still, it was a huge relief to see Wendy back safe and sound," Gajeel said, finally looking down at her. Levy felt her cheeks begin to burn again. "We're all a bit protective of her."
"I can see why," she said with a small smile. "She's wonderful." Gajeel snorted out a laugh.
"When she wants to be," he muttered, and Levy felt her own laughter bubbling out of her loudly. She quickly covered her mouth with her free hand, feeling her blush deepen.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I shouldn't have laughed-"
"You're fine, Princess," Gajeel said, chuckling under his breath, and the tension in the corners of his smile had lessened. "It's a joke. Laughter is usually the objective," he teased.
Levy pouted at first, but she couldn't fight her pleased smile for long. She rolled her eyes with a short laugh, grinning at him before glancing away. Her gaze was drawn to the tattoos that curled around his forearms; intricately-shaded scales that went up to his elbows like armor, with thick metal bands depicted around his wrists. The tattoo was interrupted along the length of his right arm by several thick scars, each unnervingly pale compared to the warmth of his dark skin.
"Princess?"
Levy jerked her head up, her blush coming back full force at being caught staring. Not only that, but she had only just realized that while she had been rudely staring, she'd been tracing some of the tattooed scales with the tip of her finger. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly, jerking her hand back to grip the pale fabric of her skirt in a death grip. Her other hand had gone horribly still and tense where it was tucked in the crook of his arm. "I didn't- I hadn't meant to- I'm sorry," she murmured, staring at her feet. A quick glance at him from behind her hair revealed that the flush of color that had been on his ears had moved to his cheeks, and Levy wanted to have the floor under her swallow her up whole.
She was awful at this whole "charming princes" thing, and at this rate, she wouldn't be surprised if the Fiorans were on their boat racing home by sunrise.
Gajeel inhaled deeply, like he was about to say something. She saw him begin to open his mouth, but he was cut off as they turned the corner and nearly crashed into the backs of Ardelle and Metalicana.
"Oi," Gajeel grumbled, bracing his arm protectively in front of Levy so she didn't accidently plow into her mother. "What's going on?"
"Come on!" a male voice chimed, sounding petulant. "I've been looking forward to this for three weeks!"
Metalicana sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Really Natsu, you couldn't wait just a few more minutes?"
"Wait, Natsu?" Levy gasped, using Gajeel's arm to balance herself as she peeked around her mother. A young man stood in the hallway, arms crossed and a petulant frown on his face. He had riotous red hair, a far cry from anything they had on Tenroujima, and a familiar scarf wrapped around his neck. He noticed her after a moment, and his frown was replaced by a boyish grin.
"Natsu, don't you dare-" Gajeel started from behind her, but the other young man had already started towards Levy, still beaming at her.
"So, you're my dad's other kid!" he said happily, and Levy distantly heard Metalicana and Gajeel groan. She, however, was too distracted by Natsu's sudden appearance to really care.
"I'm the other child?" she teased, coming out from behind her mother. Her grin felt like it was about to split her face in two, and Natsu seemed equally as excited to be meeting her. "I came first!"
With a laugh, Natsu ran the last couple of feet towards her, Levy racing to meet him in the middle and the two meeting in a clash of limbs and giddy laughter. He scooped her up into a tight bear hug, spinning her around several times and laughing at her startled squeak. She clung to him just as tightly once she had regained her bearings, tucking her grinning face into the familiar warmth of her godfather's scarf that he wore around his neck, giggling madly.
"I can't believe I finally get to meet you in person!" he said once he had finally put her feet back on the ground, the two still holding onto each other by the arms. They grinned at each other, and Levy felt her wings start to flutter excitedly again.
"I know!" she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She turned towards her mother with a bright grin. "You didn't tell me Natsu was coming with the other Heirs!" Levy accused. Ardelle shrugged, smiling brightly.
"Surprise, love!" she said happily.
"Did Igneel come with you?" Levy asked Natsu, rising onto her tip toes to try and look over the taller man's shoulder. It would be just like Igneel to pop out at the last second just to see the shock on her face! Her feet left the floor briefly, giving her the extra height she needed for an unobstructed view, but she dropped back to the floor with a small wince as the joints where her wings met her back burned.
Natsu's face fell. "He was tied up at the front borders with some official business and wasn't able to get away for the week," he said with a frown, watching as Levy's smile dimmed. "He sends his regards and his deepest apologies."
"Oh," Levy murmured, shoulders slumping. It had been a silly hope anyways, with the Ishgar War getting worse each day. It had been years since he'd been able to get to Tenroujima, and letters had been sparse. Levy missed her godfather terribly, and she knew her mother was feeling the effects of the separation even more than she was.
"But!" Natsu said quickly, "He also sent presents!" Levy perked up, feeling her smile start to come back. The Fire Draygn grinned at her brightly. "After all, we missed out on 23 birthdays, so we've gotta start catching up!" Levy laughed happily, covering her grin with her palm.
"If you're quite done hogging the my daughter for yourself, Natsu," Ardelle cut in, still smiling. "I think we'd all like to get to dinner." Natsu pouted back at her.
"Aw, come on! I've been waiting for this since I was five!" he whined, sounding like a child. Levy nearly expected him to tug her into his arms like a doll he was trying to keep away from the other children. She giggled, patting his hands.
"We'll be sure to catch up this week," she promised. "But for now, I think we better join everyone for dinner so we can eat."
"Finally!" Natsu cheered, grabbing Levy's hand. "Race ya'!"
"Natsu!" Metalicana barked out, and the Heir froze midstep. "I understand your excitement, but I imagine that the Princess walking out with the wrong Heir may cause some confusion."
Levy inhaled sharply, jerking her hand out of Natsu's grip and taking several quick steps back as realization hit her like a punch to the gut. In her excitement, she had completely forgotten about the Prince and her potential marriage. With wide eyes, she snuck a glance at Prince Gajeel, expecting to see annoyance twisting his handsome features.
But the prince was grinning behind the hand that was pinching the bridge of his nose, shaking his head at Natsu's actions. "You knew this was going to happen," he said to his father, laughter in his voice.
"I had hoped that he would rise to the occasion," Metalicana grumbled, a giggling Ardelle clutching his arm. Natsu pouted at the three, getting to the the bottom of the stairs before turning on his heel to face Levy.
"We will continue this later!" he declared, and Levy couldn't help the small grin that pulled at her lips.
"Of course," she reassured, and Natsu finally raced up back up the stairs, smiling brightly.
Gajeel stepped up to her side as Metalicana and Ardelle passed them, following Natsu up the stairs and out into the amphitheater. He offered Levy his arm once again, and she demurely tucked her hand into his elbow, unable to meet his eye as she muttered a quiet apology. She tensed when she felt his arm shake, but she heard the deep rumble of his laughter a few moments later. He was grinning lopsidedly when she looked at him, and he shrugged.
"You have nothing to apologize for. Natsu's a bit of a force of nature," he explained. "I'm surprised he didn't just carry you off." That startled another laugh out of Levy, and she was still grinning as he led her out of the stairwell and towards the table where their parents and the other Fiorans were sitting.
An excited cheer came up from the gathered fae as the two royals stepped into view, arm-in-arm. Levy smiled brightly, some of her nerves fading away as she waved to the familiar faces. The limestone seating had been pushed back into the wall, forming a appearingly-seamless bowl of pale stone; the bottom of which had been turned into a large dinner hall. Tables piled high with traditional fae dishes were placed around the sunken stage, fae milling about from table to table to get their socializing in before dinner could start. Levy could see one table that was surrounded by people she didn't recognize, and figured they had to be the crew of the ship that had brought King Metalicana and the Heirs to Tenroujima. Cana had already taken a seat amongst the sailors, smoky violet eyes focused on a young woman with cropped blue hair and a pretty blush on her cheeks. The band had moved onto the glass stage and was playing softly, and Levy took a moment to wave at Jet's wife, Sela.
Gajeel carefully helped her up the couple of steps to where the Fiorans and her mother were sitting, smacking one of the Heir's hands away from a plate of spiced boar steaks once they were both on the slightly-raised platform. The blond hissed a curse in Draconic, but the Prince just gave him a look of reproach. Ardelle grinned at the two as they passed, and Levy released Gajeel's arm as he went to pull the seat next to her mother out for her.
"Woah! Woahwoahwoah," a female voice Levy easily recognized started, and Wendy leaned forward to place her hand atop Gajeel's. "What're you doing?"
"Attempting to be a gentleman?" Gajeel said, one eyebrow raised. "What are you doing?"
"Wrong seat," Wendy said plainly, tapping the bottom of the seat next to her. "Levy's sitting with me." The princess giggled, hiding her growing grin behind her hand. Natsu, who sat on the opposite side of Wendy, leaned his chair back so the two standing royals could see his grin.
"We like Levy more than you," he told Gajeel with a shrug. "We'd rather sit with her."
"You've known her for less than a day," the Blood Prince said flatly.
"Exactly! Do you know how long we've been stuck with you?" Natsu said, affronted. On the opposite side of the table, the blond - whom she guessed, from Igneel's descriptions, was Sting - started laughing.
"Please?" Wendy asked, brown eyes wide and bright. "She'll still be sitting next to you!" Gajeel sighed, straightening up and looking at a grinning Levy.
"It's up to the Princess," he offered, and Levy attempted to smother her quickly growing smile by pressing her lips together.
"Well, I see no harm in it," she said loftily, grinning as Wendy and Natsu both cheered at her response. Gajeel narrowed his eyes at the two Heirs, but there was no denying the lopsided grin on his face. That grin was doing funny things to her nervously-racing heart, and Levy couldn't decide if that was a good sign or not.
"You two are awful," he muttered as he pulled the chair out for Levy, offering her a helping hand as she sat. The youngest Heir giggled happily, wasting no time in grabbing Levy's free hand.
"I can't believe you're the Princess!" Wendy said, practically bouncing in her seat.
"Surprise!" Levy said, her answering smile nervous and small. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just didn't-"
"I understand!" Wendy said quickly, and Levy distantly heard Metalicana grumble more about the young woman and "picking up bad manners". "If I was getting married to someone I had never met, I'd want to hear someone's honest opinions of them too!"
"Now," Levy said quickly, cheeks burning, "that wasn't why at all! If anything, you asked about me!" Natsu was laughing next to Wendy, and Levy was too embarrassed to see how the Prince and his father were reacting to the young woman's guess.
"Well, of course! Igneel's biased," Wendy explained, sounding very serious, "so I had to find out myself what kind of person we were shoving Gajeel at."
Now even the Heirs on the opposite side of the table were laughing, and Ardelle was covering her mouth in a way that Levy knew was meant to hide her wide grin. "Oi!" Gajeel protested, the blood rushing to the tips of his ears again, and Ardelle stood up before Wendy could make good on the mischevious smile curling her pretty lips.
"My friends!" she began, her strong voice easily carrying across the wide hall as the music died down and the fragmented conversations Levy could hear paused. "It is a pleasure and an honor to be able to share this special occasion with all of you tonight! I like to think of everyone on this island as family, and I can think of no one else I would rather have to help my daughter and I welcome our visitors than about, hm, a thousand or so of our closest friends." Laughter rolled across the crowd, and Levy noticed that while there was a healthy number of people still at dinner, a good third of the island's population was missing, and her stomach twisted. At least no one had stayed to try and ruin the dinner, she supposed.
"As you all know, tonight we welcome the royal family of Fiore to our table," Ardelle continued, resting her small hand on Metalicana's shoulder. "In times like these, when our brothers and sisters on the mainland are caught in a conflict such as the Ishgar War, it is more important than ever to remember the bonds between our people that have been a part of us since before this island was ours. Dragons and Fae have always been allies to each other, and the same can be said for the Draygns." Ardelle smiled at all of the Heirs in turn. "There hasn't been a gathering of Draygns like this on Tenroujima since the early days of Titania Josya's rule. Welcome, and know that Tenroujima's port will always be open to you." Ardelle peered at Levy from the corner of her eyes, and Levy smiled brightly at her mother as a cheer rose up from the gathered fae.
"Tonight we celebrate a remembrance of the bonds that have made us great!" Ardelle shouted, lifting her glass high in a toast, and everyone in the room followed her lead. "Tonight, we celebrate our joined victories in the future! And tonight, we remind the world why dragons and fae are, together, the greatest force against any foe on all of Earthland!" A loud, rowdy cheer rose up from the fae, and Levy happily joined in, throwing her fist into the air as she howled towards the stars glimmering over head. Several of the warriors intermingled amongst the party-goers and the guards stationed around the amphitheater had begun to stamp their feet, the clamour of sheathed-swords bouncing against armored hips almost deafening.
Ardelle waited until the cheering had begun to die down to continue. "Now, in a break of tradition," she said, stepping a bit to the side to reveal Levy and Gajeel fully to the crowd, "my daughter and the Blood Prince of Fiore will be the ones to start the meal, instead of the King and myself." Levy's heart nearly stopped with her momentary panic, but her mother nodded at her confidently, and the nerves fled her system.
Levy stood, gesturing a wide-eyed Gajeel to do the same, and she took the goblet from his lowered hand, passing her own glass to him in full view of the gathered fae. Once their goblets had been exchanged, she gently pushed his elbow up until the glass was near his mouth. Her expression didn't betray the pain that stabbed through her muscles as she lifted herself into the air, high enough that she could easily twist her arm around his; their elbows locking together and their respective glasses ready to drink from.
Understanding had dawned on the Prince's features, and she only needed to nod for him to take a long drink from his glass at the same time as she, the two not looking away from the other as they emptied their glasses. Wine dripped down her chin and into the hollow of her throat, pleasantly cool against the hot night air. His red eyes burned into hers, and for the first time that night, Levy felt no shyness as she met his his gaze. Here before her people, she wasn't merely Levy, half-fae set to marry a man she barely knew or understood, with little experience to guide her nervous, awkward tongue. She was Princess of Tenroujima, who could command the seas and winds of her island with little more than a whisper. She was a warrior that easily matched both her grandmother and great-grandmother, both renowned swordswomen, in talent and ferocity. She had the wisdom of her mother and the burning heart of the man that raised her, and this was her duty and birthright.
They both finished at the same time, breathing heavily as the crowd roared around them, people already starting in on the food spread before them with gusto. Levy knew her lips and tongue had to be stained the dark red of the wine, each hot breath passing her lips still carrying the taste of the bittersweet drink. Wine rolled down from Gajeel's grinning mouth, and her mouth curled into a matching smirk as she lowered herself carefully back to the floor.
She could do this.
Aabeila (ay-bye-lah) - beloved sister
Matim (ma-tim) - Mother (borrowed from Atlantis)
Naabahl (nay-ball) - beloved
"Saavehn a nel [naabahl], kee da shabel" (Say-vin ah nel, key dah shah-bell) - "I love you, no matter what"
"Saavehn ta ooren" (Say-vin tah oh-ren) - "I love you too"
*Clangs two pots together* WE PASSED THE 25k MARK GUYS! THIS FIC IS OFFICIALLY WAY TOO WORDY CONSIDERING I'M ONLY ON THE FOURTH CHAPTER!
Honestly don't have a lot to say this chapter, I think it really speaks for itself. I will say that I'm building a lot of stuff up for later, and shout out to everyone that has commented and noticed the foreshadowing~ I'm really excited to watch you guys put the pieces together as we go along!
On a personal note, the new job is going well. I actually just got a pay raise today! Unfortunately, it is still taking up a lot of my time (duh), so it looks like I'm going to be sticking with the two-month update schedule for a while. I'm aiming for between the 17th and the 20th of October for the next chapter. I think I'm going to continue with these shorter chapters, and switching back and forth between Gajeel and Levy's perspectives instead of one long chapter with both shoved side-by-side. I get to get into the gritty stuff a little better this way, and the 6k-words-long chapters are a little easier to manage than the 8k ones. What do you guys think?
Also, my birthday is coming up at the end of the month! That's right, come the next chapter, I'm going to be 20! So I guess this chapter is kind of my reverse-birthday gift to you all. You guys are really great, and I'm still stunned that we passed the 150 review mark after only 3 chapters! Holy crap! You guys are the best.
Thank you to all the people who have faved and followed both me and this fic so far, and I hope you like this chapter as much as I loved writing it. Remember, the next update will be in October!
Reviews are the sweet life blood of the fic! Let me know what your favorite part was!