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.
Warning: This fic contains some material that may be triggering. (Mentions of nightmares, unintentional self-harm, and alcohol).
I'm going to start putting warnings on the top of every chapter from here on out. The really violent stuff doesn't come until later on, but there will be gore and violence later in the fic. All mentions of such will be appropriately tagged, so if that sort of thing bothers you, be sure to read the warnings at the top of the chapter before continuing to the chapter. If I missed something you think needs to be tagged, please message me. Thank you! (Warning added Jan. 2nd, 2016)
People spoke of Fae parties in one of two ways, depending on their personal experiences. Some spoke in reverent whispers and hushed laughter, eyes bright with the remembered antics. They recounted how the food never ran out and how their cups were never more than half empty, how the dancing went on late into the night and sometimes into the next morning. They bragged about how they danced with beautiful, jewel-eyed creatures the whole night; the soft sensation of tails brushing against calves and smooth, warm skin against skin a hazy memory. Some spoke of Fae parties as if it had felt like a dream that was somehow, improbably, made real.
The others would blush horribly and duck their head quickly after being asked; either unable to remember the night, or wishing they couldn't.
Gajeel was caught somewhere between the two.
He could remember the whole night, which already put him leagues above some of the stories he had heard, but he had spent most of the night sitting at the table with the rest of his family. Well, most of his family. Natsu stayed only until he could eat no more, and then he made it his personal mission to dance with everyone he could get his hands on. Sting had somehow managed to drag a protesting Rogue out to the dance floor no less than five times. Gajeel got pulled onto the floor only twice - once to dance with Wendy, and again to dance with the princess - but he was happy with that. He didn't know the music and most of the Fae hardly stayed on the floor as they danced; he only would have looked foolish.
So no, he didn't really dance. That didn't, however, mean he didn't have a good time. After all, he had some lovely company.
The princess had far exceeded his expectations, and although the idea of an arranged marriage still rubbed a deep, almost-primitive part of himself completely the wrong way, Gajeel had to admit it wasn't seeming quite so bad anymore. All Fae had a sort of wildness to them - a promise that their affections and attentions were hard-earned and not easily granted, that they were as untameable as the jungle that sprawled over their island - and Princess Levy's every movement had sung with that wildness. Gajeel still hadn't recovered from the shock her eyes had given him, and having said golden eyes focused solely on him several times that evening couldn't have possibly been good for his health. She was beautiful, there was no denying that, and Gajeel personally believed that her smile outshone even her mother's.
Judging her on her looks alone would be a disservice to Levy's quick and easy wit, and even quicker tongue. She was smart, Gajeel had realized not even an hour into dinner, almost frighteningly smart. She was eloquent to a fault, and had a tendency to gesture wildly with her hands when she spoke; something so Igneel that it was almost disorienting. Watching Levy and Natsu interact was a particular kind of weird that he wasn't quite able to process yet for the same reason, but he would have to be fairly heartless to not admit it was endearing to see the two getting along so well, so quickly. Levy seemed to get along with all of the other Heirs, actually, and Gajeel saw that as a very good sign.
His own interactions with the princess seemed to come easily enough. She was charming, and funny, and almost flirtatious at times. But she had also been strung tighter than a bow the whole night, and Gajeel found himself squirming in shared anxiety. She never let herself relax around them, which would have been worrying if he hadn't been the exact same way. She only seemed to unwind when she was away from the table and playing hostess.
Drifting from table to table, she made easy conversation not only with the Fae, but with the crew of the ship and the other Fiorans as well. She and Juvia had spoken for a while, although that may have been because Gildart's daughter, Cana, had stationed herself at Juvia's side for the evening (until she and Juvia had slipped away hand-in-hand in the early hours of the morning, but Gajeel was keeping that particular observation to himself).
The party had ended for him when Wendy had passed out against his side sometime around two in the morning, cheeks flushed from both dancing and the heavily-diluted wine she had been sipping on all evening. Only the princess and the Titania hadn't had their wine watered down; but then again, Fae spirits were known for their potency, and none of the Heirs wanted to make fools of themselves by getting drunk after only one glass. The crew had no such reservations, and they were all sloppily drunk before midnight.
The partying faeries showed no signs of stopping by the time Gajeel had carried Wendy back to their wing in the palace, and only the Titania and Levy had noticed their leaving. Levy had waved to them with a smile, promising to see them the next day and with a particularly fond smile towards a sleeping Wendy. With a careful bow towards the two faeries and a nod towards his father - the only Draygn left at the table now; with Natsu, Sting, and Rogue out on the dance floor and Cobra probably sulking somewhere quieter - he had gone back to their temporary home on the island.
The guest wing was a hollowed-out galleon that was located at the base of the Tenrou Tree, the back of the ship resting flush against one of the many trunks while the rest of the ship sat in a small, enclosed lagoon that overlooked the ocean. The Heirs' rooms all were located on the same level, and Wendy's room was right next to his. He had carefully placed the sleeping Draygn in her bed, and then Gajeel had headed back to his own room to clean up and go to sleep.
Which was sort of where he found himself no-
"Oh gods, do you always think this loudly in the morning?"
Gajeel turned his head to glare at Cobra where he was sitting in the corner of the room. The Poison Draygn looked vaguely like he had been hit repeatedly over the head with a club, which made Gajeel feel a little better.
"Be quiet," the Blood Prince grumbled, careful not to jostle any of the other Heirs curled up on the bed with him. "It's a lot to process from one day."
"I'll say," Cobra said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't strained something from thinking so hard."
"Be quiet," Gajeel growled, though in truth, Cobra's voice had never gone above a soft whisper. No doubt thanks to the raging hangover he had to be suffering from. Alcohol had a sort of dulling effect on Cobra's hearing, and in the large, sonorous hall they had been in last night, he had needed it. "You don't have too bad of a headache this morning, do you?" Gajeel asked, moving very slowly as he tried to sit up and freezing when Wendy sniffed softly in her sleep, curling up further into his side.
Cobra's lips pulled into a small smile, and he shrugged. "I should be fine once I get some breakfast in me," he reassured, and Gajeel exhaled softly in relief. "How about you?"
"Well, aside from the fact that all my limbs are asleep, I'm good," the Blood Prince said with a grin, making Cobra snort softly. "When'd you all come in, anyways?"
Cobra's smile flattened, and he looked at Gajeel curiously. "You had a nightmare. You don't remember?"
Gajeel suddenly felt very cold. "I hardly ever remember my dreams, Erik, you know that."
"Well," Cobra said, shifting in his seat to be more comfortable, "you must have had a pretty bad one, because you started crying out in your sleep an hour or so after the rest of us had made our way downstairs for the night. By the time I came in to check on you, Wendy, Sting, and Rogue were already in here with you, and I could hear Natsu starting to wake up." Gajeel grimaced, looking down at all the Heirs curled around him, still asleep. Wendy was tucked up against his side with Natsu curling around behind her, his arm thrown over the younger girl's side and clutching tightly at Gajeel's night shirt. Sting and Rogue were tangled together on his opposite side, heads resting on Gajeel's stomach like a pillow as they slept.
"Damn," Gajeel muttered. "I don't even remember being scared." The night terrors had been coming with less frequency over the years, but being in a new, unknown environment must have triggered something in him. Now that Gajeel was fully awake, he could feel the dried sweat under his night clothes and noticed that his legs were tangled up in his blankets. He didn't doubt that if he looked at his palms, there would be small puncture marks from where his fingernails had dug into his calloused skin.
"I didn't get any solid thoughts," Cobra said, "you were just very anxious." Gajeel hummed in thought, eyebrows furrowed.
"Did you get any sleep?" he asked, looking towards the other man. There were dark circles under his eyes like bruises, and his dark red hair was a tangled heap on his head. There was a definite ashen paleness under his olive skin. Cobra shrugged.
"I got enough."
"Your wife will have my head if I bring you back to her looking like death warmed over," Gajeel teased, and Cobra grinned.
"Oh please, if Kinana were here, she would have been the first one in the room trying to get you up so she could fuss over you," he shot back, and Gajeel laughed. Rogue grumbled unintelligibly against his stomach, curling up closer to Sting before falling still once more.
"Really though, you don't have to stay up for me," Gajeel said once he was sure he hadn't woken up the other Heirs. "I appreciate it, but I don't want you straining yourself; especially with a hangover."
"You know I can't modulate my hearing in my sleep anyways," Cobra dismissed as he stood slowly from the chair with only minimal dizziness, stretching his arms over his head. "Besides, after all you've done for me, it's the least I can do."
Gajeel grinned ruefully. "I haven't done anything anyone else wouldn't have," he deflected, but Cobra simply walked over to the bed and flicked his forehead.
"I'm sure 16-year-old me would beg to differ," was all he said, offering Gajeel a grin. "Now, let's get these slackers up. A faery stopped by a few minutes before you woke up to let us know that we've been invited to breakfast with the Titania and her daughter in an hour and a half, and most of us still smell like a distillery."
Gajeel nodded, carefully nudging Natsu's shoulder, then Wendy's, as Cobra worked on waking up Sting and Rogue in the gentlest way possible… Grabbing them both by their ankles and pulling. The two let out identical screams as they were yanked off the bed and left to crash to the floor in a tangled heap. The sound of the two hitting the floor startled Wendy so badly that she jerked upright quickly, managing to send a still-sleeping Natsu to the floor as well.
Gajeel's sides were starting to hurt from laughing so hard.
"Wha' happen'd?" Wendy murmured, rubbing her eyes as she waveringly attempted to keep herself upright. Gajeel quickly scooted closer in time for her to slump against his chest, eyelids hanging heavily over foggy brown eyes. Natsu let out a particularly loud snore from the floor, nearly drowning out the sounds of Sting and Rogue attempting to untangle themselves from each other and yell at a cackling Cobra at the same time.
"It's time to get up, Wen," Gajeel said, rubbing her back gently as she drifted in and out of consciousness. "We're having breakfast with Titania Ardelle and the princess."
"We get to see Levy?" Natsu asked, stretching out on the floor as he yawned. Wendy seemed to perk up at the news as well, but Gajeel kept close just in case she should wilt again.
"Only if you two can manage to stay awake long enough to bathe and get dressed," the Blood Prince teased, pinching Wendy's nose and sending her into soft giggles before kissing her temple. "Better get going before these idiots try to steal the nice bath."
That was enough to motivate Wendy, the youngest Heir scrambling off the bed and managing to trip over herself several times as she ran for the door. Natsu slumped after her, heading back to his own room without complaint. It took a little longer to get Sting and Rogue out, and involved promising a grumpy Sting that all the Heirs would spar sometime after lunch - their hosts be permitting - so he could get his revenge on a smirking Cobra. Cobra followed them out, shooting Gajeel one last concerned look before closing the door after him and leaving him alone for the first time that morning. Gajeel sighed, pushing several messy strands of hair out of his face and letting his nails scratch against his scalp.
The knowledge that his night terrors had returned was worrying at best, and their timing wasn't helping. He looked at his palm, and sure enough, there were several crescent-shaped lacerations that stood out angrily against his dark skin. His accelerated healing meant that they'd be gone before he went back to sleep that night, but the fact remained that they were there. It was too hot on the island to wear anything with sleeves, so he'd have to be more creative about hiding them from his father.
But first, he needed a bath. Gajeel crossed the room to the entrance to his personal bathroom, stripping off his shirt as he went and throwing it towards his bed. The room was a good size; not as large as his quarters at the castle back in Fiore, but bigger than some of the places he'd stayed in before. It reminded him of his Grandma's home in the Inland Isles, actually, and he spent the rest of his time getting ready entertaining himself by imagining what his grandparents were up to that morning.
After he had gotten dressed and his now-clean hair was pushed back out of his face, Gajeel made his way into the main atrium of the guest wing; hoping, but not expecting, the other Heirs to be out there to meet him. He was pleasantly surprised to find both Cobra and Wendy ready to go, sitting near the fountain in the center of the room and making light conversation as Wendy continued to drift in and out of sleep - even after her bath. Natsu was slumped against Cobra's side, dressed rather casually for breakfast with royalty; but he was clean and not in his pajamas, so Gajeel counted it as a victory.
"Sting and Rogue still getting ready?" he asked, and Cobra nodded.
"They're almost done. Should be out in just a few minutes if Sting manages to keep his hands to himself!" Cobra said, yelling the last bit over his shoulder and towards the Heirs' room. There was a loud 'thump' against the door, like someone inside had thrown something against it, and Gajeel laughed. "They're ridiculous," Cobra grumbled.
"They haven't seen each other in several weeks," Natsu muttered, eyes still closed. "Be nice."
"They'll have plenty of time to snuggle over the next week, we don't want to be late," Cobra said, bumping Natsu off his shoulder now that he knew the younger man was awake. Wendy giggled softly, and Gajeel smiled. These were the moments that he lived for; the quiet, friendly times where he was surrounded by the people he loved most in the world. It was like a balm to his tattered thoughts, and he exhaled softly in relief - nightmare nearly forgotten.
"We're here, we're here," Sting groused as he came out of the room, a blushing Rogue trailing after him. "Your ears are going to get you in trouble one of these days, you know?"
"I've found that they tend to have the opposite effect," the Poison Draygn said with a grin. "They're much better at keeping me out of trouble, and also well-informed. What have your eyes granted you?"
"A pretty accurate timeline of your sex life, if the hickeys your wife attempts to hide are any indication." Sting said with a smirk, and Rogue quickly clapped his hand over his mate's mouth before he could say anything else that would get him hit. Wendy looked totally unaffected by the sudden and lewd turn of conversation, and Gajeel bemoaned the fact that his father's grousing about them being poor influences was probably very accurate.
"Let's just get going before anyone falls asleep again," he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose and grabbing Cobra's wrist before his open palm could meet Sting's cheek. "You two idiots can fight all you want later if you make a good impression on the Titania and princess now."
The two grumbled under their breath, both at each other and at Gajeel, and a well-timed glare kept the two from making fools of themselves as Makarov appeared in the doorway that led to the rest of the palace.
"It's good to see you all awake!" he said in a loud, booming voice; making most of the Heirs wince. "I'm to lead you all to breakfast this morning, so let's get a move on! The chef has made quite a spread for the occasion, I must say!" The promise of food was enough motivation, it seemed, to get everyone moving, and Gajeel once again fell to the back of the group. As they passed one of the stairways that led to the lower decks of the ship, Gajeel strained his ears and could hear most of the crew of the Drakon snoring away. He couldn't make out Juvia's distinct sniffles, and wondered if she had spent the night with the faery with the golden wings. He'd have to track her down sometime that day to make sure she hadn't gotten herself in trouble.
After a long trek to the dining room, Gajeel found himself wondering if any of the doors in the palace could open in some way other than "Dramatically" as the large, wooden doors swung open slowly. The dining hall they were in looked more suited to grand dinner parties instead of casual, mostly-hungover breakfasts, but the Titania and princess were probably used to eating alone, so they had to move into a larger room to accommodate their guests. Like many of the rooms in the palace, there were large windows that were open to the island air, showing off the magnificent view of the mist-covered beach as the sun continued to rise. What looked like roots were hanging down from the ceiling, carefully braided and arranged in a way that looked like one of the glass chandeliers in the ballrooms at home. Glowing crystals hung from the roots, giving the whole room a warm glow.
The Heirs all filed slowly into the hall, sleep still clinging to their eyes as they leaned on each other for support; any wakefulness granted by their baths drained away by the dozens of stairs and bridges they'd had to face to reach the middle of the the Tenrou Tree. Wendy in particular was practically being carried in by Cobra, the effects of last night still dragging the normally energetic girl down. Titania Ardelle and Metalicana were already seated at one end of the table, heads bent together as they murmured in low tones, but their conversation came to an awkward halt as the Heirs made their way in. Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Gajeel looked to Cobra who only shook his head subtly.
'Not now.'
"Ah, good morning!" Ardelle said, standing to greet them as Metalicana moved from his chair next to her. "I hope you all slept well?"
"Was kinda hard, what with Prince Charming over here snoring so loudly," Natsu grumbled, leveling a look at Sting. Sting returned the look with equal venom, and Gajeel - already thoroughly exhausted from trying to play peacekeeper that morning - growled lowly in the back of his throat to discourage any roughhousing in front of the Titania. The command shocked the two enough that their anger was forgotten, and they all managed to be seated without any issues. Gajeel tugged Wendy's chair closer to his just in time for her head to hit his shoulder, her eyes barely able to stay open. He'd probably need to suggest to Ardelle that the other Heirs head back to their rooms after breakfast to get a little more sleep.
"Thank you, Gajeel," Metalicana said earnestly, taking a seat at the opposite head of the table from Ardelle. The Titania didn't seem perturbed by the subtle show of command. If anything, she looked amused.
"I'd almost forgotten what breaking fasts with Draygns was like," she teased Metalicana. "It seems the inability to properly interact with society before having coffee has been passed down to the next generation. Poor dears," she said, genuine concern in her eyes as she surveyed the young adults spread around her dining table.
Sting was practically curled up in Rogue's lap, already falling back asleep while his mate blushed furiously. Natsu was making a valiant effort to keep his eyes open, but Gajeel didn't need Cobra's supernaturally good hearing to know that the Fire Draygn's thoughts were focused solely on when the coffee the Titania had mentioned would be produced. Gajeel looked next to him, and Cobra was blinking too fast to be truly awake. Sting, Natsu, and Cobra had dipped the heaviest into the Fae wine that was offered the night before, and it was showing.
"Seriously, shut up," Cobra growled under his breath, and Gajeel just smirked.
"If memory serves me well, it normally took the combined efforts of both Igneel and Voeda to get you out of bed in the morning whenever you visited, your Majesty," the king shot back, one eyebrow raised high over the other. There was a moment of silence before they both began to laugh, Metalicana nearly bent in half as his mirth echoed loudly throughout the room. Gajeel couldn't help but stare at his father in shock, surprised at the casual mention of his mother. Voeda wasn't a taboo topic, per say, but there was always a hollowness to his father's eyes whenever she was mentioned.
Now there was just a fond remembrance as the two recounted various tales from when they were growing up, and Gajeel realized the before before this trip, he hadn't even known just how often they had seen each other over the years. It seemed to Gajeel that Ardelle had made the trip to Fiore dozens of times before the untimely passing of her mother, Titania Josya.
"The morning after Igneel's nineteenth birthday is still the most interesting morning I've ever spent in Tamoe's Keep," Ardelle said with a mischievous curl to her lips, and Gajeel was startled to see his father turn a deep shade of red.
"You helped plan that," he accused.
Ardelle shrugged, grinning. "That was all Voeda, old friend."
"Oh, I'm the old one?"
"You're the one with gray in your hair, Tetsuryu."
Metalicana opened his mouth to retort, but the sight of every Draygn snapping to attention seemed to rob him of his words. "Oh thank gods," Natsu nearly moaned as the unmistakable smell of coffee drifted into the hall. Not a minute later, the doors on the far wall were pushed open, and several faeries quickly made their way to the table, laden with platters full of food. Wendy began to stir at the smell of breakfast, rubbing her cheek against Gajeel's shoulder.
"Is it time to eat?" she murmured, wrapping her hands around Gajeel's arm. He pet some of her hair back from her face, bumping his nose against her temple.
"Almost," he said. "We're just waiting on the princess and then we can eat. Better sit up now." Wendy whined quietly, and by the time Gajeel got her sitting properly in her chair, all of the food had been spread out and the faeries were quickly leaving the room. One faery with blonde curls seemed to hesitate by the doors before rushing back over to Ardelle's side, shooting the Draygn's a shy, nervous smile. Gajeel recognized her as one of the poor souls Natsu had dragged into a dance the night before.
"Your Majesty," she began quietly, speaking under her breath in an attempt to keep the Fiorans from hearing her. Gajeel wondered how much the Fae really knew about Draygns - for example, their enhanced hearing -, and if maybe one of them should mention to Titania Ardelle the fact that Cobra could read minds before they were accused of spying. Next to him, Cobra snorted.
"Oh gods, someone accusing me of doing my job," he said softly. "Say it isn't so." Gajeel began to laugh, but abruptly cut off when the Titania's chair scraped loudly against the floor as she jumped to her feet, the stately faery looking at the wide-eyed maid with a similar expression. He had missed something important, he realized, and could tell his father was about to ask what had happened when the doors opened for a second time.
Princess Levy walked into the room, yawning into her hand as she made her way towards her mother's chair at the head of the table. It was easy to tell she had just woken up; from the silken robe that was slipping off one of her narrow shoulders, to the dazed way she shuffled into the room. The whole dining hall had frozen, with Ardelle and the blonde faery watching Levy with matching expressions of panic, and the Draygns unsure of what to do.
Thin, tan fingers pushed back wild blue curls, and Gajeel noted that Levy's hair was completely unbound; no braids or fabric to tame the messy strands that fell to her hips. It was distractingly appealing, along with the peek of bare legs that was revealed every time her dark red robe parted as she walked forward. His mouth seemed to go dry again as golden eyes peered out from under heavy eyelids, and if he could feel his fingers, he'd probably be reaching for one of the pitchers of water on the table to moisten his suddenly-parched throat (or to dump the whole jug over his own head, either or).
"Iibwalen, Matim," Levy murmured, voice still thick with sleep. She stopped at her mother's side, pressing a kiss to Ardelle's cheek. "Nahven ta mebrii?"
"Levy, naabahl, iiwa-" Ardelle attempted to grab her daughter's wrist, but Levy had already moved further down the table, seemingly oblivious to the Draygns' presence. Gajeel watched with wide eyes as she passed Sting and Rogue, stopping just beside Natsu to reach past him and grab the urn filled with coffee.
"Boonat, ma oltnaa seevi caavin-la," she said, taking a whiff of the strong coffee and sighing in relief. She reached out blindly for a mug, frowning when it didn't immediately meet her fingertips. Wendy, now wide awake and watching the princess curiously, grabbed her own empty mug and passed it to Levy with a quiet, "Here you are".
"Geijah," Levy said, nodding her thanks to Wendy as she took the mug and began to pour the coffee out. She had set the urn down and was reaching for the milk when she froze, eyes flying wide open as she stared at her own outreached hand. The princess's eyes slowly rose, her hand beginning to shake as her eyes met Gajeel's over a plate of toast.
The awkward silence was almost suffocating as the two stared each other down, Gajeel's attempt to smile reassuringly ending in more of a sheepish grimace. The color had drained from Levy's face, and Natsu looked like he was ready to catch her should she collapse. The whole room seemed frozen, waiting for the princess's reaction, and Gajeel assumed that she had been unaware that they would be joining her and her mother for breakfast.
"Levy?" Ardelle said softly, and her mother's voice seemed to snap Levy out of whatever stunned state she had been in. She snapped upright so quickly Gajeel could practically hear her spine snapping back into alignment, nervously pushing her hair back and out of the way, trying to make it seem neater than it was. She gripped her coffee mug like it was all that kept her from running out of the room. It shook dangerously in her hands, and both Sting and Rogue scooted away should she splash them with some of the hot beverage.
"Ah," she started, her voice weak. "G-Good morning, Prince Gajeel." Levy dipped into a graceful curtsy, but seemed to think better of it when her robe slipped further down her shoulder, revealing the strap of her nightdress. She snapped upright again, clutching her robe closed with one hand and her coffee with the other. She nodded towards Metalicana, murmuring a greeting to him as well. The color had come back to her cheeks, but now she was flushed a dark red that almost made her look feverish. Even her blush was beautiful, but Gajeel knew that now was not the best time to be thinking about anything but reassuring her that she had no need to be embarrassed.
He made to stand, but Levy stumbled a couple steps back before he could straighten himself out, shining eyes trained firmly on the floor. "Please excuse me," she said quickly, her voice choked. She didn't bother making any further excuses, she just took her coffee and tried to leave the room as quickly as possible without running. She held her head high, but Gajeel could smell salt water, and he winced as the doors closed behind her with a muted thud.
Ardelle looked like she was moments away from racing after her daughter, her beautiful features crumpled in defeat as she instead had to watch the blonde faery from before go after the princess. She sank back into her chair, hands pressed to her face as she cursed in the old Fae tongue under her breath. She only looked up when Natsu crouched at her side, hand on her shoulder as he watched her in concern.
"Aunt Ardelle?" he asked softly. "Is everything alright?" The Titania sighed, patting his hand with a small, fond smile.
"Not exactly, dear," she admitted. "But this was no one's fault but my own. I had believed that Levy would realize that you all would be joining us after I told her we were eating in the main hall, but I forgot that she tends to get terrible headaches after using too much magic at once and that her thoughts might have been a little clouded this morning." She turned to look at Gajeel now, grey eyes wide and imploring. "Don't hold this against her, it was my mistake."
"I wouldn't have held it against her either way," Gajeel quickly reassured. "My father could tell you dozens of stories of me coming to breakfast in a worse state. I just hope she isn't too upset."
"Upset isn't the word," Cobra said, covering his ears. "'Deafeningly mortified' would work a bit better." Ardelle watched him with furrowed brows, and at the other end of the table, Metalicana sighed.
"You were right, Ardelle," he said, rubbing his face with one broad hand. "I think we may have rushed into this."
"I had hoped…" Ardelle started softly, eyes closing as if she was in pain. "Skies above, we're fools." Natsu sat himself on the arm of Ardelle's chair, not hesitating to pull the smaller woman into a hug. Gajeel was tempted to go offer his father the same comfort; the weight that he had seen disappear from Metalicana's shoulders when Gajeel had first agreed to meet Levy had returned and seemed to hang heavier than ever before.
Cobra looked towards Sting and Rogue, dark eyes hard with determination. "Why don't you two get some plates put together and take Wendy outside to eat?" he said, less of a suggestion and more of a command, and Gajeel was grateful for it. He well and truly had no idea what to do, and was glad someone else was giving directions while he gathered his thoughts.
"What?" Wendy protested as the other two Heirs nodded. "No, I want to stay!"
"Wen," Gajeel said softly, taking Wendy's small shoulders in his hands. "I need you to go with them, just for now. We have a lot to discuss, it seems."
She looked like she was about to protest, but Gajeel knew his exhaustion was starting to show in his face, and after a few tense moments, she nodded slowly. He sighed, rubbing her cheek with his thumb as he smiled thankfully at her. "You can go take some food to Charle and go look for Juvia, if you like? I think we lost her," he joked weakly, and she nodded again. Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, Wendy made a plate for herself and her handmaiden before joining Sting and Rogue at the doors, the three giving the remaining occupants of the room one final, worried, glance before leaving out the same door the princess had.
Gajeel turned his eyes to Natsu, but the Fire Draygn had already set his jaw, daring the older Heir to make him leave Ardelle's side, and he sighed.
"Alright," Gajeel said, standing up and bracing himself against the table. "If we're going to make this work, we can't have any more miscommunications. I don't know what's going on," he said honestly. "I nearly ruined everything last night by shoving my foot in my mouth, and the maybe thirty seconds before she realized we were here is the only time I've seen Levy relaxed since I met her. We need to do something, or this alliance is going to drown before we even have a chance to risk flying into the sun."
"We don't have time to ease into this," Cobra said, reclining in his chair with his arms crossed. He was in business mode now, and Gajeel always felt a little better in rough situations with Cobra at his side. "We can moan about how this was rushed, but the fact is we don't have the time. Fiore doesn't have the time." Both Ardelle and Metalicana were staring at the two with wide-eyes, and Gajeel wondered if they were maybe being a little cruel by being so blunt.
"They need to hear it," Cobra said off-handedly before refocusing on the two rulers. "This was the best choice you could make in an awful situation, and no one blames you for that, no matter how things seem to be starting. You two were up 'til dawn talking about exactly this, and I trust that you will be fair with what you decide to share and what you decide to withhold. We all have secrets," he said with a shrug, "and there are things that Gajeel and Levy can only discover from the other. But we, at this table, all have to be on the same page."
"How did you know-"
"-That you and Metalicana were up talking all night?" Cobra finished, quirking an eyebrow at Ardelle. The Titania frowned at him, irritation flitting across her features. "My hearing is more powerful than any Draygn you've met before. I can hear the blacksmiths beginning the day's work on the opposite side of the island. I can hear the Drakon's crew starting to wake back in the guest quarters and all over the island. I can hear your daughter and her maid making their way to the princess's room." His gaze was unwaveringly locked on the Titania's. "I can hear your thoughts at this very moment."
"Actually, he can hear them all the time," Natsu said with a shrug. "It's annoying as hell."
"Erik Ativall," he said with a nod, "Seventh Heir of Fiore and Head of the Espionage Division of the Fioran Military, at your service, your Majesty. You and your daughter's thoughts and secrets are safe with me, I swear to you."
Ardelle looked like she was about to slip into shock, and Gajeel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Perhaps we should all have a bit to eat before we get started," he offered, reaching for the coffee urn that the princess had grabbed not ten minutes before. He had a feeling he was going to need it to get through the upcoming conversation with his sanity intact.
Maybe they had some of that Fae wine from last night laying around as well...
Matim (ma-tim) - Mother (borrowed from Atlantis)
Naabahl (nay-ball) - beloved
"Iibwalen, [Matim]" (Eye-bwah-lin) - "Good morning, [mother]"
"Nahven ta mebrii?" (Nah-ven tah meh-bry) - "Did you sleep well?"
Iiwa (eye-wah) - wait
"Boonat, ma oltnaa seevi caavin-la" (Boh-nat, mah olt-nay see-vy cay-vin-lah) - "Sorry, I've got an awful headache"
Geijah (guy-jah) - thanks (informal)
Hooray for early updates! Managed to bang out 3k words on Thursday and figured I might as well get this up because why the heck not? Lots of foreshadowing and juicy details in this one, and I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts and theories!
So this will probably be the last update on this story for the year, for multiple reasons. I'm currently super unemployed. Things Happened at both my jobs, and I've been trying to find something for nearly 4 weeks now. I really need to focus on that. I will also be trying to update some of my other fics before the end of the year, so look forward to that. I want to update Nest fic before the end of November at the least. With all that said, the next update will probably be in January!
Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments and birthday wishes! And all the people faving and following both this fic and some of my other stuff! You guys are the best! We're about to break 200 reviews, and I'm so thankful for all the love and support.
If you guys have questions about the fic so far or some of the characters that haven't shown up yet, leave 'em in a review and I'll try to answer all the ones that aren't spoilers for the rest of the year! Thanks again so much you guys, and see you here again in 2016 (or maybe earlier, who knows~).
Hey guys, Silv here! So, I've gotten a lot of reviews that are rather confused about this point in the story, so I figured I'd go ahead and clear it up now.
None of the current Heirs are related by blood. They refer to each other as 'cousins' only because there isn't really a word for 'magical-dragon-blood-political-cage-match-opponent-sibling-person'. Cousin is the closest word to how they view each other, so it's pretty much what they stick with. This is same reason why they refer to all the previous generation Heirs (i.e. Metalicana, Igneel, Voeda, and so on) as their aunts and uncles. It's mostly for simplicity's sake.
On that note; yes, Sting and Rogue are an Item in this fic. They're mates. Gay mates. Gaytes, if you will. Good rule of thumb when reading my fics; if they don't explicitly state that they are straight, they probably aren't. There will be more about their relationship later, since I'm getting close to spoiler territory, but yeah, they're gay together.
In other news, I am happy to report that I currently plan on having the next chapter out on the 15th of January. I am now employed (YAY!), but I just finished moving and my grandmother recently passed, so I didn't get as much done as I really wanted to before the new year started. The next chapter is pretty close to done, so I will have it up in January.
See you all then!