–The Knight and the Beast
Chapter Nine:Falling For You
Nearly two months had passed since the incident. The petals of the rose were falling slowly. Not being unnoticed; Lucy and Jellal have been keeping a close eye on the rose since Erza returned to Fairy Tail.
Lucy didn't worry as much as the others. She saw first-hand what Erza was going through by staying in the castle in place of her grandfather. Lucy saw that Erza, slowly but surely, was falling in love with Jellal.
Their relationship wasn't like the one of the blonde and her dragon that was solely based on trust, love, and the desire to protect the other. And it certainly wasn't loud and strange like sculptor and the water jar. It was quiet, yet compelling. It wasn't too lovey-dovey, yet intimate in a way.
The others saw the love blooming from those two. But they also knew that time was running out for them. In three days time, the last petal will fall and if the young prince doesn't get the young knight to fall in love with him, everyone will stay as they are forever.
{Line Skip}
Erza couldn't believe it. Jellal had asked her to dinner. Sure, they've had dinner together with his friends, which turned out to be his servants. But tonight they would be alone…Meaning without their silly friends present. (Save for a few to actually run the dinner.) She could still remember the feeling of blushing under his gaze.
"Do you want to have dinner together?"
"Like dinner every night?"
"No. Tonight, just us."
"Just us…"
A blush had appeared on Erza's face that rivalled the colour of her hair as a few of the female servants, mostly Lucy and Levy, squealed in delight. Erza nodded and speed-walked away, grabbing the blonde and the book with her in her death grip.
The knight had agreed and now was sitting on her bed in a towel while Mira and Lisanna were fighting over what Erza would wear. Lucy sat behind the redhead, brushing her hair. Levy and Wendy were where the accessories were, waiting for the sisters to make up their minds on a dress. Erza was holding Cana in her hand, swirling the dark red wine around (causing the goblet to get dizzy). Happy was on Erza's lap, his back arching as she pat him.
"She would look better in this," Lisanna said, tugging on a pink frilly dress.
"Female dog, I beg of thee!" Mira said, slapping the pink dress out of her younger sister's grip. The older maid grabbed a less puffy silver dress. "This one will make everyone drool!"
Erza felt a tug on her hair. She looked over to the blonde behind her. "I'll be right back." Lucy got up and went out of the room.
"Where did Lucy go?" Wendy asked.
Erza shrugged and continued to watch the sisters' fight. Until Lucy came back in the room holding something behind her back.
"Ladies…" the blonde called. Everyone looked to Lucy, even Mira and Lisanna stopped their bickering to look. "Ba-BAM!" Lucy pulled a very slim, fairly revealing black dress.
"Where did you get that Lu-chan?" Levy asked.
"I got it a while ago. Hoping for a special occasion," the blonde said, walking over to Erza.
"With Natsu I think," Mira said, giggling with her sister.
Lucy ignored the maids, but not escaping a blush. "But that's not gonna happen. So, we're putting it on you." A creepy grin made its way up to Lucy's lips.
"…" Erza looked at her with scared eyes. She got up with Happy in her arms and backed away slowly. "I…don't think that's necessary Lucy."
The other girls, minus Cana and Wendy, closed in on her until Erza's back was against the wall. Happy meowed before jumping out of Erza's hands and onto the bed.
"Where are you going Erza?" Mira asked.
"Leaving so soon?" Lisanna asked.
Lucy held up to the dress as they closed in on Erza. "The fun's just getting started." Lucy pulled the dress back and tilted her head to the side, nodding. "I do believe the dress will fit you perfectly."
{Line Skip}
You'll be fine, Natsu said.
Jellal glared to the dragon while releasing a low growl. Loke grabbed the prince's head and brushed his face. The dragon laughed and the prince glared at him again.
"He's right, My Prince," Loke said. "Nothing will go wrong. Lucy and I have take care of everything. No need to worry."
"Yes, but…What happens if I blow it for me? For us?" Jellal asked. He looked hopefully to the candelabra and the dragon.
Natsu shrugged; Who knows, he said.
Jellal hunched over as he sighed. "You are no help, whatsoever."
"Back straight, Sire," Loke said, hitting the small of Jellal's back.
Loke hopped down from the dresser and stood where the dragon was. The prince was dressed in the only nice suit that fits him, nicely. The shirt was a simple white button-up with a black coat with gold trims over it. The pants were black and he was barefoot. The only thing out of place was his gold tie.
"Natsu, fix the tie," Loke said
I can't, the dragon said, lifting his front legs. I don't have arms.
"Well, I can't either, I'll burn the thing."
Sure you can. Just put out the flames.
"It's not that easy Natsu."
The dragon rolled his eyes. Sure it is Loke.
Jellal sighed as the two bickered. The door opened, revealing Lucy in a pretty red dress that had a fiery design next to the slit revealing her leg. Her chest was mostly covered. The dress was held up by thin straps, revealing more of her skin. Her golden blonde hair was down.
"What's taking you guys so long?" Lucy asked.
Natsu and Loke stopped and stared at Lucy. Wax dripped down Loke's face and Natsu's mouth was gapping, causing fire to fall from it.
Lucy sighed. "Loke, you're dripping again. And Natsu, close your mouth before you fill the castle with lava like last week."
Natsu snapped his mouth closed and turned his head. Shut up Weirdo.
"I'm not a weirdo!" Lucy yelled, flailing her arms around. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away from the dragon. "I'm not the dragon."
Natsu chuckled before he wrapped his tail around Lucy's waist. My pretty Weirdo, he added.
Lucy couldn't help smiling and placing a hand on his tail. "Yeah, My Dragon."
Jellal smiled to the two, before struggling to fix his tie. Slim hands took over and started doing it for him. Jellal looked up ad watched Lucy as she did her work.
"You'll be fine. She's just as nervous as you are My Prince."
Jellal smiled and nodded.
There was a knock at the door. Mira and Lisanna hopped into the room with large smiles on their faces.
"She's ready now," the sisters said.
Lucy let the tie go before straightening Jellal's suit. She looked up to him and smiled warmly. "Go get 'em Tiger."
{Line Skip}
Jellal didn't think that she would go all out for this. Erza thought that he wasn't going to dress up for her. They were both wrong. Well, Lucy did make her put on the dress and did threaten him if he didn't he wouldn't get dinner.
Jellal was stunned when he saw Erza walking down the steps of the stairs in front of Lucy. The black dress cling to her like a second skin, showing off her assets. There was a slit up her leg, revealing her firm and slender legs. Her hair was down for once. The prince could tell that there was a blush present on her face.
He looked good in a suit. It was different from the ripped shirt and pants outfit that Erza had grown to see him in. The suit fit him perfectly, even in a beastly state. He had looked at her like she was the only girl in the world. That caused her to smile and blush.
The date, as Erza and Jellal had decided to call it, went well. Their dinner was prepared by Elfman, served by his sisters, drinks were poured by Juvia, and Lucy was playing a harp for music. They talked about whatever happened that day, which wasn't much as they spent most of their time together anyways. Erza made Jellal dance with her as Lucy played the harp and sang.
Lucy had caught Erza's eyes through her dance with Jellal.
Come, O Come, Come to-o me.
The ro-ose li-ights the way.
The moon-lit glow shine on those who fo-llow his lead.
Pray, O Pray, Lovely One. May you end this curse on us…
"She was a beautiful voice," Erza said.
Jellal nodded. "Lucy would sing to us when we were just transformed. It used to give us hope. But now her voice is sad."
Erza heard Lucy's voice closer. It was sad. Almost begging to be put out of her misery. She nodded. Jellal spun her before he dipped her.
"I'm surprised that you didn't fall in love with her," Erza noted. "The curse would've ended sooner."
O Lovely One, the petals continue to fall.
Cho-ose before times runs out, the end is near-ing.
Jellal lifted her to standing position as Lucy plucked the last stings of her song. The prince turned to face Lucy and Erza followed his gaze. Natsu sat next to Lucy, curled up around her and had his tail moving on her arm in a loving motion. She was happily smiling back at him.
"To break the curse, we both need to be in love with the other," Jellal said.
"But she's with Natsu," Erza said.
Jellal nodded to Lucy and Natsu. The smiled back and walked out of the room with the red dragon trailing behind her. Jellal lead Erza to the balcony. The balcony had a beautiful view of the snowy topped mountains in the horizon over the castle garden.
Erza sat on the railing as Jellal leaned on it.
"Erza…"
"Hm?"
"Are you happy here?"
Erza looked at Jellal before turning to gaze at the ground. "I am happy here. I've grown close to everyone here; Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Mira…And you Jellal."
Jellal smiled to himself. "Do…Do you miss your village? Your home?"
"I miss my grandfather and my friends. But, not my village. I never really fit in."
"Hm." He walked over to the table in the centre of the balcony. The mirror that he was given to years ago was on the tabletop. He picked it up and held it up to Erza. "Here."
"What's this?" Erza asked as she took it from him.
"It's a mirror."
Erza glared at Jellal that said I know what it is, now tell me what it's for before I cut you. Jellal lightly laughed and silently gulped so that Erza wouldn't hear it.
"It can show you anything that you wish to see. A far off place…" He looked to Erza's eyes before turning away from her. "People that you miss."
Erza took a deep breath and looked to the mirror. She swallowed absently. "Show me my grandfather…Please..." she whispered.
The mirror fogged up and glowed on the edges. The fog cleared and showed Makarov trudging through the forest in the freezing winds. He held a dull lantern in a hand as he blocked the flurries from his vision. He called out for Erza. She saw Laxus behind her grandfather and Freed and Bickslow ahead of them, searching.
"They're looking for me…" Erza covered her mouth with a hand.
Jellal saw her reaction. He turned away and stood up. Erza immediately stood and followed him inside. Jellal sighed before turning to Erza with sad brown eyes.
"It's your choice," he said. "If you wish to leave, I will allow it. You will be able to leave with Lucy tomorrow morning. I will not make you stay."
Erza's eyes widened. Why was he telling this to her? Why now all of a sudden? She looked down to the mirror in her hands. Laxus had his hands on her grandfather's shoulders, coaxing him to go back to the village most likely. Freed and Bickslow sadly agreed. Her grandfather turned back into the forest before slowly turning away, back towards the village with the others.
"I will expect an answer tomorrow at breakfast Erza," Jellal said.
She nodded slowly, dropping her hand to her side with the mirror. Jellal sighed and walked over to her. He grabbed the back of her head and brought it closer to him. Her brown eyes widened when she felt his forehead on her head. Erza gripped his sleeve tightly, hoping he wouldn't pull away.
"You don't need to rush this," he said. He pulled away and he slipped away from her hand. "Thank you for tonight. It was a wonderful night Erza. Goodnight." He turned away and walked to his chambers.
{Line Skip}
Lucy stared out of the horizon as she leaned against the doorway on the balcony in Erza's room. The blonde turned back to the redhead on her bed. Erza was staring to the mirror that Jellal had given to her.
Lucy sighed and walked over to her. She sat on the bed next to Erza. The redhead was unfazed. "What are you thinking about?"
Erza shook her head. "I don't know what to do Lucy."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to see my grandfather and my friends again," Erza said. She closed her eyes before looking into Lucy's. "But I feel like I'm needed here. That I need to stay here with you, the others…And Jellal."
Lucy looked away and picked up Happy who was sleeping next to Erza before scooting closer to her. She placed the cat on her lap before stroking his blue fur. "You know, he would love it if you stayed. I mean, we all would. But, he really cares for you."
"Then why did he say that I could leave tomorrow if I want to?" Erza asked.
"Love makes you do stupid things," Lucy whispered low enough so that Erza would miss it.
"Pardon?"
Lucy shook her head. "It's because he cares for you. That's why he gave you a choice." Lucy stood up with Happy in her arms. She walked over to the door, stopping when her hand touched the doorknob. "I'll tell him your answer."
The blonde looked over her shoulder to see that Erza's head was low, covering her eyes and most of her face.
"Goodnight Erza," Lucy said before closing the door behind her.
Lucy slumped against the wall next to the door. Liquid was prickling her eyes. She knew what was going to happen. It wasn't going to happen. No one was going to be transformed back to their original forms. Jellal wasn't going to be normal again. Neither will Levy, or Gray or Juvia, Cana, Wendy, Romeo…Natsu wouldn't be able to return to normal.
She heard loud steps coming towards her. She looked up and saw Jellal in his regular ripped clothes. He looked expectantly to her. She turned away and said what he was expecting.
"She's leaving tomorrow."