Preparations

It was a joyous day on this particular Friday afternoon, as Levy and Gajeel were at the castle getting fitted for royal attire. At first, he wanted his tailor to come to their house to avoid traveling long distances, but she was adamant about going out and getting some fresh air since they'd been holed up in the house for so long. He couldn't complain, he loved being able to show her off.

He was thankful that his personal tailor chose to stay at the castle, making life a lot easier. He figured he could also kill two birds with one stone and talk to Salamander about any future changes there may be while she got fitted. He already had robes and suchlike, but he wanted new ones to match hers, and if she wanted to wear her royal robes whenever she was in public, then he'd do the same.

Apparently, the only job she had for the day was picking a color for her robes and jewels for her crown, and the tailor would handle the rest from there. She was so excited! She already picked her colors, she just needed to finish getting her measurements taken. She stood on a small pedestal in the middle of the dressing room while the tailor fluttered around her with measuring tape.

Ah, she couldn't keep the blush off her face! They were all just watching her get measured! Gajeel was staring at her fondly, Lily had this proud look on his face, Lucy was squealing and bouncing in her seat with excitement, and Natsu was just sitting in his chair nonchalantly.

"I can't believe it!" Lucy was honored to be in the presence of the queen! Sure, she knew of Levy's rising, but it hadn't really set in until now! "My best friend turned out to be the next Queen! How do you feel?"

"I'm excited," Levy smiled, lifting her arms as instructed. "I can't wait to get out there and make some real changes."

"Yeah," Gajeel sighed contently. "It's good ta be back out there."

"First and foremost, I want to finish up my work in Hargeon," she began calculating the process and how long it would take. "All the scouting I'll have to do in different towns will take time. I anticipate this taking up to six months."

"Look at her go," Lily crossed his arms, pleased with how everything is turning out. "Already planning things out."

"Oh, she's been like this fer a while now," Gajeel grinned at her. "She's got all types of ideas. Tell 'em 'bout the events ya wanna host."

"Oh," she looked away shyly, she wasn't even sure if it was a good idea! "I dunno, I was kinda thinking of hosting a masquerade ball once or twice a year. Maybe make it super exclusive to the leaders and the Council heads and all the other well-known, upstanding citizens."

"Ooo~ I like that!" Lucy had stars in her eyes at the idea. She loved dressing up! "Do it! I wanna dress up and wear a mask!"

"Yeah, that sounds fun," Natsu chimed in.

"You just want to cause trouble somehow!" Lucy shot a knowing look at him. Whenever he was around a lot of his friends, he seemed to be a little mischievous!

"I'll be good," he said, holding his hands up and cracking a grin. "I promise!"

"Sure~" Lucy directed her attention back to Levy. "Either way, it'll be super fun! You have to let me help plan it!"

"Obviously!" Levy giggled, also thinking a nice role-play would be nice. Maybe she could mention that to Gajeel. "It would be a huge event, and I couldn't possibly expect Lily to handle it all."

"On the contrary, Levy" Lily raised a paw. "I accepted the position of your event manager knowing what the job entailed. It will be something to keep me busy."

"I still wanna help!" Lucy slumped down on the couch.

"By all means," Lily chuckled. "I insist. The more the merrier."

"Then it's settled!" She perked back up with a clap of her hands, ready to start brainstorming.

"Well, Luce, it won't be until after the ceremony," Levy waved her hand around in thought. "Then we have to wait until the dust settles after that. It probably won't be for another year or so."

"But you're expediting the ceremony! It shouldn't take that long for people to adjust!" Lucy knew there was other stuff going on, but she just couldn't contain her excitement!

"We just don't want to overwhelm anyone," Levy stepped off the pedestal, finally finished with the measuring.

"Speaking of expediting the ceremony," Lucy continued, watching Levy exchange kisses with the king. "Is it a good idea to be getting measured now? You know, with you growing every day?"

"I mean, they're just robes and other outerwear. I don't think it'll make much difference since most royal attire will be draped on me kinda loosely," she looked up at Gajeel for assurance. "Right?"

"Ya don't hafta worry," Gajeel nodded. He only hired the best, and this tailor made his clothes with magic that made them shrink and expand with the wearer, to a certain extent. "It'll fit ya all the same."

After that horrible night almost two months ago, Gajeel told Levy they should stop by Wendy's to kind of just get out of the house a little, and she was all over it. She wanted to talk to Romeo and see how he was affected by mating season. It pleased her that he was energetic and in high spirits, and he said the marking was an intense, but likable feeling. He said he loved being her mate, and that the feeling and knowledge of knowing he had a lifetime partner only made him stronger. His purpose was to serve Wendy.

Levy thought about Lucy and her troubles overcoming her independence, and she asked Romeo how he was handling his. He told her that he was always by her side to begin with, so this was no different. He always had her, and he always would. Except, he finally had her in the way that he wanted her. He was happy to sleep in the same bed with her, he was happy to see her when she thought she was at her worst. He didn't regret his decision at all.

It made Levy think about her relationship with Gajeel, and how those two were lucky like they were. Their connection was already deep, and the claiming only made it deeper. She was happy for them, so happy.

Then, Wendy popped up saying she wanted to examine her, which really only confused Levy. But, she obliged and followed her to her little hospital room, wondering why Gajeel was trailing behind them approvingly. And only minutes later, she found out she was seven weeks pregnant! At first, she wanted to panic, but an immediate calm washed over her; everything would be okay. It was to be expected, really. She couldn't deny him even if she wanted to!

But a full-blooded dragon?

That was the last thing she was expecting! How and why?! She thought she'd be having a human with dragon attributes, or half human, half dragon! Though, when Wendy explained it, it kind of made sense. His dragon was pretty much prepping her body, the copious amounts of energy he'd poured into her gathering in her center, serving as the womb. The baby was practically living directly off Gajeel's energy!

Because of that… she became more and more reliant on him as time progressed. Wendy wanted to observe her for the duration of her pregnancy and a bit afterward to make sure she was in good shape, to which Levy agreed instantly. They agreed to stop by every Saturday morning to get her out and about until she had to limit her movement.

She joked that he was basically reproducing asexually and using her body as a vessel, and he just shrugged with a cocky smirk, the entire thing inflating his ego.

Gods, she loved that man.

Since he was all newly worried about her, he insisted they just stay in the house for the rest of the season while he took care of her, and she was fine with it since they'd already been spending all of their time at home. As much as she said she'd wanted to wait a bit, she was happy to make their bond stronger. And it wasn't like they would have issues raising a child. Well… she wasn't sure how to raise a dragon!

She had so many questions! Assuming they would be in human form, would they also have a dragon counterpart? Would they be born with their abilities or would they grow into them as they aged? What would they look like? How long was the lifespan of a first-generation human-dragon hybrid? How long even was her lifespan now that she was mated to a dragon?

She didn't really feel different yet. She wasn't experiencing morning sickness or anything like that. Honestly, if it weren't for Wendy telling her, she'd just think she was gaining weight! Which was weird, wasn't it? But then again, maybe there was something in Gajeel's magic that was keeping her well. She'd even go as far as saying she felt oddly energetic!

She just wanted to get things done! She wanted to go out and find some small events to host in Shirotsume, but he was a little more protective than usual now that she was pregnant. When he explained it, his points were valid. Any changes she wanted to implement would have to wait until after everything happened, and even then, she now had to be extra careful doing things that required a lot of energy. The cleanup project wore her out, and he didn't want to put that extra strain on her.

So, for the last month and a half to nearly two months, he'd go about his normal routine with Lily, sparring early in the mornings for a bit then going back inside for a shower. The three of them always ate breakfast together, and it was a new tradition Gajeel loved and wanted to keep. After that, they'd usually find some small or even a big project around the house to keep them busy until it was time to wind down for the day.

She wanted to shop for baby stuff, but he wanted to wait to see what they were having first so they could decorate accordingly. She thought that was the cutest side of him! She never would have thought he'd take an interest in decorating! She agreed, thinking it was a good idea. She wanted to go all out for their baby! She wanted to buy all types of top-notch, high-quality things! She and Lily were able to sneak out a time or two and visit some local shops, and she ended up putting so many things on hold! Wendy said she usually could usually immediately determine the sex of a baby for a normal human pregnancy, but in this scenario, she couldn't tell! All they could do was wait and hope she could find out before she gave birth!

And because of the pregnancy, they decided it would be best to expedite the ceremony. They both wanted their spring wedding, but Levy had a solid argument, stating they should get married before the people found out she was expecting. If they had their big, glorious wedding at the time they originally planned, she'd be huge, and the people would definitely have something to say!

Gajeel wasn't fighting it; he wanted to hurry up and crown her as his queen anyway! Not because of the Laxus situation, but because he just wanted to be tied to her in as many ways as he possibly could. He loved her. And watching her grow every day was the biggest, most beautiful blessing. He really hoped the entire thing went smoothly so she'd be open to having more! He wanted a big family, filled with love and acceptance.

With the news of the wedding being rescheduled to an earlier date, the three of them had their hands full, with Levy and Lily planning the wedding and Gajeel making sure his ducks were in a row now that mating season was over. He was glad to be able to show his face around Fiore again and get stuff done. He was only laying low because his dick of a dad told him he wasn't fit to be King, but now that he was completely out of the picture, he could do things one hundred percent his way. The right way.

Which brought them to being fitted for royal attire. As much as he was enjoying holding her hostage in their house, he was actually happy to be out and about. He had a few things on his list he needed to get done, most of which included stopping by the Council Headquarters in a few towns to sign off on some things that had been put on the back burner. With that being said… he was hoping Lucy would drag Levy off somewhere since she was helping with the planning. He didn't want to drag his pregnant mate around the nation with him to handle business! Plus, he was sure she wouldn't want to tag along, anyway. It'd be boring!

On the downside, this would be the first time they'd be spending time apart outside of home. But he prepared for this! She was, or rather, the baby was reliant on his energy, and damn, they were already demanding! During the past month, he'd figured out how to regenerate his energy faster with meditation. It was a necessity! This kid was bleeding him dry! To help both of them out, he crafted her some thin steel bands that wrapped around her ankles and wrists, and they were heavily embedded with his energy. He made them so she didn't have to wear all four if she didn't want to, but to his surprise, she donned all of them fashionably, and at night, she would leave only one on her ankle. It was a relief to them both, as she no longer required him to bite her constantly and he was no longer spreading himself too thin.

Now, she was around fourteen weeks pregnant and she was beginning to show. She was tiny, and if this dragon was going to be anything like him, they were going to be huge. At least, compared to her. And still, she felt completely normal and comfortable, as if there weren't a huge change happening to her body. Maybe it was because of the little bands he made her, which were incredibly cute, by the way! When he gave them to her, she was so excited to wear them! And they worked exactly as he said they would! And really, she didn't have to wear all of them, but doing so made her feel closer to him, so she did.

She didn't mind being in the house with him, but she also didn't mind being out and about with friends. It was a nice change of pace, but it was a bit hectic! She didn't expect to have to plan for her wedding so quickly! But because of their status, they were able to pull some last-minute strings and get the ball rolling. Lily was amazing with organizing and note-taking, and Lucy was brilliant with her creativity and her ability to generate a bunch of ideas. Levy was secretly happy that Gajeel decided to stay out of it. He insisted! He was adamant about wanting her to have her day. This was her ceremony. But in reality, it was theirs! Though he was stubborn, so with that, she was granted full creative freedom, for which she was very thankful. Of course, she'd add aspects and colors that represented him into it all!

But wait… the dress!

"Okay, that makes sense then," Lucy sighed in relief, lounging in her seat again. "Gods, I'm so happy and excited for you two! And I am ready and willing to fight Cana for the role of godmother!"

"Oh my Gods, Luce," Levy panicked, unintentionally disregarding everything she just said. "The dress! I haven't picked out a dress! Oh, Gods! Why—no, how could I forget something so important?!"

"Lev, it's okay," Gajeel held her to keep her from stressing herself out, which was where this was headed. She swore up and down she wasn't feeling any different, but she was definitely a little more emotional! Luckily, he was smart enough to know not to acknowledge it out loud!

"It's not okay!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she fought them back. "The wedding is in a week~!"

"We can go dress shopping right now!" Lucy popped up out of her seat in excitement and knocked her bag over, her recorder unknowingly tumbling underneath the couch. "I've taken the liberty of doing a little bit of research in the dress department, and I found some bridal stores I wanted to take you to!"

"See, Lev?" Gajeel held her face and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. She was so beautiful. "Pick out a dress, any dress, an' bring it back ta the castle, and it'll get sized ta yer measurements an' altered in any way ya want."

That sounded great! Although… she sniffled. "A week's not enough time to alter a dress!"

"Don't underestimate 'em, Lev. I only hire the best! Fastest tailor in Fiore!" Gajeel boasted, his hands gliding down and giving her ass a good spank. "Trust yer man."

She blushed, holding her tummy with a small smile. "I trust you, Gaj."

"Good!" Lucy said enthusiastically. "Now come on, Lev! I wanna show you some magazines before we go!"

"O-Oh," Levy looked at Gajeel for reassurance. Was he going with them? If not, was it okay for them to separate like this?

"No men allowed!" Lucy demanded, pointing a playful finger at Gajeel. "You can't see her in her wedding dress!"

"It's fine," Gajeel was pleased that everything seemed to be working out in his favor! He was hoping to visit two of the four headquarters today, so it was really convenient that she'd be occupied for the time being. He put his hands on top of hers, resting on her stomach. He created that! He was going to be a dad! It was still so exciting, and he anticipated it would be for the rest of his life. Watching their children grow and learn was all he could ever ask for. "I've got some stuff ta handle at the Council. Go, hang out with Lucy."

"You sure?" She looked up at him, trying not to look so sad. She really couldn't believe she'd forgotten about the dress! It was high up there on the list of importance! It seemed she hadn't been thinking straight lately! She leaned into him, listening to his heartbeat.

"Yeah, I wouldn't wanna drag ya all over fer business," he laced fingers through loose locks and held her against him. "An' if ya think yer goin' without Lily, yer mistaken!"

Lily nodded in approval, he already knew wherever Levy went, he went. Especially now! Gajeel gave him the rundown a week or two ago telling him he'd better be prepared to kill if anyone even looked at her the wrong way. He was fully prepared to put his life on the line for them both, so this was honestly nothing new. He just had to be a little more hostile than usual toward anyone who approached them, but that was okay. As long as he'd be treated to kiwis afterward!

"Okay, that makes me feel better," she said into his shirt. She looked over at Lucy questioningly, silently asking if it was okay.

"Obviously your knight has to come! I can't protect you all by myself!" Lucy giggled, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "Now c'mon! We don't have a second to waste!"

Levy lingered in his hold a little before kissing him and reluctantly letting go before following her out of the room.

"I think I'm gonna go handle some stuff too, while she's distracted," Natsu stood and walked over to Gajeel, dropping a hand on his shoulder. "Which, thanks, by the way. I've been dealing with some problematic mages that don't wanna register. Gotta go talk to Chief Scarlett. Wanna come with?"

"Yeah, okay," Gajeel was super fucking happy that he was able to get back into the groove of things. He wanted to see firsthand what he'd missed over the past year and a half.

"Cool. Maybe you can use your shadow to get us around!" Natsu snickered before walking off. When Luce told him he'd turned into a shadow, he paid them a visit only a few days later demanding answers. Apparently, that sack of bolts was crazy enough in the head to eat Rogue's energy! And when he asked what the hell made him do that, he just told him it was because he needed to be stronger. Natsu wasn't sure if it was because Levy had just entered his life and his dragon felt the need to become stronger to protect her, or if it was because Laxus was gunning for the throne and he wanted to make sure he was strong enough to put that asshole in his place. Maybe it was a combination of both, but it was absolutely crazy! Thank goodness it didn't backfire! "I'm gonna go have my chef whip something up before we go. Want anything?"

"Nah, we ate before we got here," Gajeel replied casually. He wanted to get home before Lev so he could prepare dinner for them and eat together. Damn. He never thought he'd be so domestic.

"'Kay! I'll meet you back in here when I'm ready to go, cool?" Natsu checked. He knew when bolt head was active, he kept to a strict schedule, and he hated when his plans were screwed up!

"Yeah, no worries," Gajeel watched Salamander leave the room and tuned into his fine hearing to make sure he was completely out of earshot before directing his attention to Lily.

"I assume there's something you want to discuss with me?" Lily's intuition was never wrong, and on top of that, Gajeel was clearly waiting for Natsu to leave the room!

"Yeah, actually," Gajeel sat next to his longtime friend, cursing himself for the plan he was about to run by him.

"Uh-oh," Lily shook his head gently, chuckling quietly to himself. There was no way this conversation was going to hold anything good! "What is it?"

"So, I uh," he put his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. "I plan on baitin' Laxus with this ceremony."

Oh, dear lord. Why on earth would he do that? "Gajeel. Surely, you can't think that's a wise idea."

"Heh, I knew ya would say somethin' like that," Gajeel nodded. "But yeah, I do."

Lily was dumbfounded! He didn't even have a response! "…you're going to have to elaborate."

"I'm sure he already knows that it's happenin' soon." When they decided to expedite the wedding, they gave Lucy the "okay" to publish a short article about an upcoming ceremony. Of course, they told her to keep the exact date and location vague, but it would be a live broadcast that would show on every lacrima-vision in Fiore once it did happen.

"So, let's just say he 'finds out' when an' where," he continued telling his foolproof, master plan. "He shows up an' realizes it's televised, an' foils 'em. I find out where he is, an' swoop in fer the kill."

Like it would be that easy. "And Levy is fine with this?"

"No!" Gajeel nearly shouted. "She doesn't know, an' she can't find out, Lil. I'm serious! She'd never forgive me!"

"You know this, yet you still choose to carry out this ridiculous plan?" Lily couldn't have thought the idea was more absurd. And now, he was an accomplice! He hated keeping things from Levy! For some reason, her scolding him was worse than Gajeel scolding him!

"I gotta, Lil," he said quietly. "It's the only way."

"And you think this will work? I hate to be the one to remind you, but you'd be putting her in danger. Laxus has purposely singled her out." Lily prepared for any response he may get from his direct words.

"Ya think I don't fuckin' know that? That's why I'm gonna take 'em out the moment I can! I'm gonna try ta set it up so she won't even know it happened."

"That's some wishful thinking," Lily disagreed with his entire being. He didn't think things were going to go that smoothly if he did reveal the time and the place. And he had a feeling this would come back to bite him, or maybe even both of them in the butt later! "You think it'll work?"

"It has ta work. There's no way around it." Gajeel knew the stakes were large, so he knew he'd prepare and act accordingly when the time came. He had this in the bag!

"And killing him, she's okay with that, too?" Lily had been talking to Levy about ways to keep him from putting Laxus down, but after what he did to her friends, he wasn't so sure she still felt that way. He knew she was conflicted, but she was also still figuring things out just in case she did decide to spare him. Which… Lily also disagreed with. Laxus needed to be out of the picture entirely.

"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there," Gajeel said, standing from the couch. He was going to go meet up with Salamander in the kitchen and then head out. "Remember, keep yer mouth shut, damn cat!"

Lily had no choice. And he now had no choice but to fight it out on their wedding day! If Levy caught wind of this, he wouldn't put it past her to run off somewhere out of anger! She was one to do such a thing! That is, if everything went as planned. Which it wouldn't! Lily would bet money! He guessed his ability to protect her would be tested very soon.

"Gajeel!" Juvia couldn't help but greet him with a hug since it'd been a few months since they'd last seen each other. She was at her apartment in Magnolia getting ready for her night shift at the Council when he called her on that special card, telling her he was nearby. She welcomed him inside, happy to see him in such high spirits. "It's so nice to see you!"

"Likewise," he gave her a hug before making himself at home and getting comfortable on her couch. "Long time, Juv. How ya been?"

"Can't complain!" She sat on her navy blue accent chair and laced up her boots. "I have a good gig with the Council and a roof over my head. Albeit, not as nice as yours!"

"Gihi! Please. Ya lived lavishly at the castle," Gajeel joked. "How's yer guy? He treatin' ya well?"

"Oh, my darling Gray!" She sighed with a happy smile. "He's taking me to Mount Hakobe in a few weeks! I made sure to have him reserve the cabin after your wedding!"

"He gonna marry ya?" Gajeel asked with a raised brow. She'd known this kid for a while and she was always so head over heels for him, but Gajeel didn't really care for the fact that he didn't reciprocate. But he wasn't a bad guy and Juvia loved him, so who was he to stop her? Although, he did make it clear long ago that he would cause that boy some damage if he hurt her.

"We haven't really talked about it, but I'm just happy being by his side," she said firmly. She knew Gajeel had his doubts about Gray, but he was a good guy! He just didn't express his emotions often. "But enough about me! I want to know why you've got this bright aura around you! I mean, ever since you first told me about Levy, you've shone a lot more, but this time it's brighter!"

Gajeel couldn't keep the stupid grin off his face even if he tried. He put an ankle on his knee. "Yeah, I'm uh, I'm gonna be a dad."

"No way!" Juvia stood from her seat in pure surprise; that was the last thing she expected to hear! She knew it would happen eventually, but like, years down the line! "Get out! I'm so happy for you! Oh, my Gods! I have so many questions!"

"Ask away." He knew if anyone would be happy for him, it would be Juvia. Aside from Lily, she knew firsthand how much he wanted his own family. They just never saw it happening, hell, he never saw it happening! So, for his entire adult life, he gave it little importance and went about his business. And when Juvia came into his life, she filled most of the void he felt until she grew up and moved out. It was bittersweet, but it was only natural.

"How far along is she? Are you guys having a boy or a girl? Any names yet? Do you know if they'll be a half dragon? How is she handling it? How are you handling it?" Juvia rattled off the questions as they entered her head, knowing if she didn't get them all out, she'd lose track! "Ah! I'm just so excited! Any godparents yet? If not, I volunteer!"

Oh, man. The journalist, now Juv? And he wasn't one hundred percent sure, but he figured the psychic would want dibs, too. This was going to be one hell of a conversation with Lev! Aside from that, he wasn't even phased by her plethora of questions. She'd always been like this. "She's a little over three months now, an' Wendy doesn't know what the sex is yet, 'cause apparently, Lev's havin' a full-blooded dragon! Which means, no names yet, an' I don't wanna set up the room 'til I know what we're havin'!"

Juvia smiled warmly at how domestic he'd become. He was so serious about the baby's room and decorating it! It was a side to him she didn't think he had. Though, he was super good to her while she was growing up, so this baby was in perfect hands.

"An' we're both real happy," he continued. "She's handlin' it well so far. She says she doesn't feel any different than before, but if ya ask me, she's damn emotional!"

"Oh, Gajeel!" Juvia scolded, pointing a finger at him. "You better not have said that to her!"

"Fuck, no! I ain't an idiot! She'd rip me a new one!" Gajeel laughed.

"Good. Women can be very sensitive during times like these," Juvia helped a few pregnant women while on a few jobs for the Council, and she couldn't count the number of tears she saw! "All she really needs the most now is your unconditional love and support."

"She's got all of it," he said, his voice softening. "It's beautiful, y'know? Watchin' her grow. She's so damn radiant, I can't believe I snagged 'er. An' I got the awesome opportunity ta create a family with 'er, too. I get ta keep 'er fer the rest of my life."

"Wow…" she was at a loss for words! It was for reasons like these that she defended him so valiantly when people spoke negatively about him. Who said he didn't have a heart? He probably hadn't even considered it, but they just secured Fiore's future! And when she thought about it, it was kind of cute because in a way, she was getting a sibling! "A full-blown dragon…!"

"That's what I said!" Gajeel said proudly. He couldn't help it! "This whole time, all the energy I've been givin' 'er wasn't fer her, it was fer the kid!"

"And now? I can only assume she's needing more as time progresses." Juvia wasn't really knowledgeable about dragon mating and how it worked, but she was smart enough to put things together and figure out that if she needed his energy before, she would only need more as the baby grew.

"I was fuckin' drained! So, I made 'er some steel bands I dumped a shitload of my energy into that she can wear. It seems ta be workin' so far, thank fuck!" It was nice to be able to vent like this. He couldn't very well vent to Levy about Levy!

"I'm glad you were able to find some middle ground," she knew he didn't get a chance to talk to anyone much, and she wanted him to know he was always welcome. "You are more than welcome to come over anytime if you need to talk. Or I can come to you, it doesn't matter."

"I might take ya up on that," he rubbed his chin in thought. "An' as fer bein' the godparent, I gotta talk ta Lev first. Nothin' personal."

"Oh, I totally get that! This has to be something you agree on! No hard feelings if I'm not picked, either. I mean, I wouldn't know what to do with a dragon!" She shuffled, looking down at her feet with a soft chuckle. "I guess I better start doing my research."

"Hey, we don't have a clue, either!" Gajeel replied honestly. "I kinda know how ta behave around a dragon, but I've spent so damn long in my human form, life before this shit is hazy. I'm a little nervous."

"I'm confident in you two," Juvia sat next to him on the other end of the couch. "You'll take it step by step, day by day, until you get into the groove of things. You have all the support in the world. You've got this!"

It was really nice hearing that from someone else, not that Levy or Lily's words didn't hold meaning, it was just… reassuring. "Yer right. Baby's probably gonna be born in human form, which will be a huge fuckin' relief. I wonder how strong their power's gonna be."

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" She couldn't help but ask!

"I'll be happy with whatever the gods give me. Boy or girl, I'll love 'em all the same. Hope they're just like me, though! Gihi!" He snickered, he was sure whoever they were, they'd likely be a spitting image of him, but a part of him secretly hoped they had her beautiful blue hair.

"If the baby is a full dragon, then your genes are pretty strong." Juvia thought it would be funny to see a little Gajeel running around. "I think it's safe to say they'll favor you quite a bit."

She looked at the time, she didn't know they'd talked for so long! She was going to be late! She got up and gathered her things. "I hate to cut this short, but I actually have to head to work."

"No biggie," Gajeel figured he should head back home anyway. He stopped by the Crocus Council and straightened some things out before coming here, so he was a little beat. It'd been a while since he was out and about like this. He followed her to the door. "I actually stopped by fer business, too."

"Naturally," Juvia smirked. She was waiting for him to just come out and say it! She'd known it from the moment he showed up at her door! "How can I be of assistance?"

"I need ya ta drop somethin' off fer me."

"Laxus! Open the damn door!"

Ever was in the office going over some crappy articles her employees had come up with earlier that day, grumbling to herself about trying to hire someone new. Sales hadn't been the same since Lucy transferred to the Crocus branch, and all of a sudden, they're taking off! 'Must be nice.' The editor-in-chief over there must have been rolling in it! And she'd read some of her articles. There was fantastic stuff as usual, which Ever didn't really find fair! Lucy was best friends with the queen-to-be, and she was dating the Duke of Crocus! She knew all the ins and outs and the fine details that everyone else wanted to know, and she was really good about what and what not to say.

It left a bad taste in Ever's mouth because, did they know who she was? It was never confirmed. And if so, she had her hands clean from everything that was going on, so she wasn't in fear of someone coming after her. In fact, she was the one most in the clear! What, with Freed trying to make moves on the king's girl and Bix getting caught at their house, she hadn't done anything wrong!

But it kind of sucked. She was loyal to Laxus, and she wanted him to rule. His being King equaled her living a fabulous life. She already kind of had it in good since Laxus owned the Daily Sorcerer of Magnolia, but she still had to work and make money and pay bills. Laxus becoming King just meant less stuff for her to do and an easy ride. And because of that, she was feeling useless. Sure, she was the only one who hadn't gotten in trouble, but she was also the only one who hadn't really contributed. Freed had Levy, Bickslow had his secret identity, and she had Lucy, but something happened to where she didn't have Lucy anymore. She had nothing! It was only a matter of time before Laxus got tired of her and fired her!

Or would he?

At the end of her work day, she heard something being dropped off in the mail slot she would usually leave for the morning, but something was telling her to investigate on her way out. She meandered over to the door and picked up a blank envelope. That was odd. Of course, the journalist in her was bursting at the seams to see what it was, so she opened it. There was barely anything written on it, aside from a date and… a location? What was that?

"The Promenade…?" She'd mumbled to herself as she dropped her bags and went over to her desk. She opened her drawer, leafing through files until she found the one she was looking for. She had things organized alphabetically, so she found it quickly, her eyes growing when she realized what exactly this note was.

She rushed out, locking up and heading straight to Laxus' place, abandoning her plans to hang out with Elfman for the time being. She just hit the jackpot! She no longer had that feeling of uselessness; it'd been replaced with satisfaction.

And when she got to his place, her satisfaction turned into annoyance when he wasn't answering the door as quickly as he normally would. What was up with him? She hadn't seen him in almost two months, which wasn't really odd, per se, but the fact that he'd stopped all communication was! She banged on his door again, she wasn't leaving until she saw him!

"Ugh! Laxus! I know you hear me out here!" Ever put a hand on her hip and tapped her foot impatiently. And just as she was about to connect her fist to the door again, it flung open, revealing a grumpy Laxus. "'Bout time!"

She ignored his scowl as she pushed past him, walking inside and throwing the note on the table. She completely disregarded his disheveled look, assuming it was because he'd been resting or fooling around with Mira. "Read it."

Laxus was in a shitty mood, and he had been since Gil caught him at the library that day. He had the nation's most dangerous mage after him, not to mention the king threatened death… again. Not that it bothered him, it was just more annoying that he knew Gildarts' job was protected. After that stunt he pulled, he deserved to be executed! But he was only protecting his daughter, so that would have been too harsh a punishment. Losing his job would have been better, but that iron fucker probably gave him total immunity.

Whatever.

The Chief was the least of his worries, though he fucked him up! It was bad enough to the point where he had to pay Bix to take him to his connection in Clover to fix him up. He refused to tell him what happened, just repeatedly telling him it was none of his business, and he had to threaten physical pain to Freed for him to keep his mouth shut. That scrawny bastard. He saw the whole thing! But thank fuck he was there to help him back to his place.

He did a lot of reflecting over the past month and a half. He still had a handful of months to do what he needed to do to get the throne, but… what could he do? He healed and rested, taking the time to collect his thoughts and figure out his next move, not contacting anyone unless he had to. Thankfully, the Magnolia Council was diligent in their work, and not much came through to him. Or rather, the Chief was diligent, so he had more free time on his hands than the other leaders.

But what kept him in his shitty mood was the fact that he kept drawing blanks, no matter what he did. He couldn't come up with anything! He had a hunch it was because of mating season, and that he was keeping her in the house for the time being, but the season was now over. He should be showing his face since Metalicana vanished.

Which was no secret.

The dragons knew something was fishy when that big bastard stopped picking on them, and the fact that he wasn't criticizing the new changes and hadn't said a word about his son's engagement was enough to know he was no longer around. So, the iron douche should be making appearances soon, if he hadn't been already.

And the icing on the cake, the thing that irked him the most, was the fact that he had time. He had time. The wedding was supposed to be in the spring, but what the fuck was this about having the ceremony within the month?! That gave him no time to plan, no time to prepare, and they were so goddamn vague about it all, he didn't have the time to try and decipher shit! The date, time, and location were a secret! It could be anywhere in Fiore! And all the connections he had, the open doors that led him to his prize had been shut, cut off, destroyed.

He couldn't even begin to know where to look.

He was trying so hard to come up with something, he couldn't have any distractions. Nothing could ruin his train of thought… or so he assumed! Ever was at his door, banging on it incessantly! He figured if he just ignored her, she'd go away, but she made it painfully clear that she was not leaving. She must've had something beneficial to tell him or she wouldn't be wasting her time stopping by.

He opened the door and she welcomed herself in like she owned the place, tossing a letter into the table and telling him to read it. Fucking what now? He sneered at her. "Hello to you, too."

"Whatever, Laxus," Ever crossed her arms. "I don't wanna be here just as much as you don't want me to be. Just read it."

Curious, he picked up the note and unfolded it, reading it and giving her a blank stare. "What is this supposed to mean."

"The date?" Ever pointed at the paper in his hand. "That's next Friday. And 'The Promenade'? That's a venue in Kunugi."

"A venue?" He said out loud, right before it clicked in his head. This… this was the day and place of the wedding! Holy shit! "Ever! You're awesome! How the fuck did you get this?"

She shrugged, happy to be helpful. "I dunno, to be honest. I was leaving work today and someone dropped this in the mailbox. I was curious and did a little digging and found out what it was."

"Wait…" Laxus sat in his big chair, furrowing his brow. "Someone dropped this off to you? Specifically?"

"The envelope it was in was blank," she explained. "I just figured, why question it? A golden ticket just fell into our laps!"

"Yeah, but… you should question it," he thought aloud. "Don't you find it weird that someone knew to give this information to you?"

"Maybe they were just dropping it at The Daily Sorcerer in the hopes it would get published for public knowledge," she offered. A lot of people would submit little articles to try and get featured, so it was a possibility.

"Or… it's a trap." Laxus knew only the king and the leaders knew who his people were, and even the Chief knew their names. It had to be one of them. "Think about it, if someone had that information, wouldn't they want money for it if they wanted it published? They would have left a name or an address, but there was nothing aside from a date and a location. You can try to use the argument that they wanted to remain anonymous, but they'd leave a way to get paid."

"Okay," Ever nodded slowly, what he said made sense, but… "If it's a trap, isn't that a bad thing?"

Why would the king be using his wedding as a trap? He was probably trying to get the drop on him first, but… there was no way in hell Levy knew about it. If she was like every other woman, she wouldn't want the best day of her life used as bait, that was for certain! Gajeel wanted to get the upper hand on him, well two could play at that game.

"Not necessarily," his irritation turned into determination as he drummed his fingers together.

"I like that look on your face. Means you're brewing something up."

"Go get the idiots," Laxus had a week to plan this out perfectly. "Cancel all your plans for the next week. Shit's about to get real, I hope you're ready."

"Yeah, yeah," Ever dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "I better get paid big time for this."