I should definitely not be updating now, it's 2am! But due to a complete lack of patience on my part, here's chapter 3! I hope it's not boring, I just wanted to give a bit of background.

I'd still love to hear from you guys, let me know what you think!

(Thank you so much Hisuichanxx!)

Chapter 3: Discoveries

Gajeel sat on the plush carpet with his head resting in his hands and sighed deeply. He was alone in his rooms, rooms that were far too fancy for him and a sense of frustration plagued him. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes as Pantherlily, sensing his discomfort, thrust his sleek head under his arms and rested his white-tipped chin on his knee. Gajeel fondled the great cat's ears absent-mindedly, suddenly struck by the memory of the short princess who had done just that only a few hours ago.

He smirked, he had the distinct feeling he shouldn't have judged her quite so quickly.

No, it wasn't the young woman that was grating on his mind. It was the fact that he was not out there doing what he was supposed to do, tearing down dark assassin guilds. He hated the thoughts of those malicious, malevolent people roaming the streets now unchecked. So maybe his methods of dealing with things weren't the best, but at least innocent people were kept safe. But now here he was, cooped up in the Grand Palace on the orders of the King and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Gajeel had never known much about the royal family of Fiore, quite frankly he hadn't had reason to care before now, but when the King had shown up on his doorstep, his life had changed quite considerably.

Gajeel recalled the lines of worry that were etched into the King's face as he'd explained to Gajeel that they needed him.

"I do not believe you are a bad man, Gajeel Redfox, merely one that had chosen a darker path. I am willing to overlook this, provided you get to the bottom of this mess and protect her. I will not forget, nor will I ever truly forgive your actions, but I will offer you a chance."

Gajeel wasn't dense, he knew he couldn't take lives as a form of justice, no matter how horrific the person's crimes, and not expect some form of consequence.

He'd been offered a chance and he'd taken it, he just hoped he wouldn't regret it.

Levy sat with her nose in a book in the quiet, serene atmosphere of her beloved library. Thousands of books rested on shelves that extended up towards the high ceiling and the air was laced with the smell of parchment and ink. Levy McGarden loved nothing more than plunging into a good tale and losing herself in the drama, however, today it was rather difficult thanks to a certain sulking assassin. She glanced toward his hulking figure and bit back a smile. He rested his chin on the wooden table, a bored expression pulling his features into a grimace. But right above his left eye, a smear of dirt was clearly visible, Levy stifled a giggle and hid her face behind the book once more.

This morning had been a disaster! Lucy had been eager to meet the infamous assassin and so she had arranged for them to take a ride in the brisk morning air. Natsu had been assigned to escort them, along with Levy's grumpy assassin and, of course, the pair immediately clashed. Lucy eventually had to tear Natsu away from the intense glaring match and scolded him for his childish behavior.

Natsu always managed to annoy her best friend but Levy knew she harbored much more complicated feelings for the fiery, pink haired guard, more than she was willing to admit.

Unfortunately, things only went from bad to worse as it became immediately apparent that Gajeel had never ridden a horse. He clambered up awkwardly into the saddle after numerous attempts and a lot of colorful language, but even that small victory was short lived.

At that precise moment, Pantherlily had emerged from the woods after a night's hunting. Upon spotting his partner, he'd immediately loped over to greet him which consequently, and unsurprisingly, spooked Gajeel's horse. The horse's eyes had rolled back, exposing the whites and he had snorted loudly and stamped in fear. Levy had shouted a warning but of course, it had been too late. The horse reared and Gajeel had tumbled right off its back and plunged straight into a heap of dirt.

Of course, Natsu had guffawed loudly until a large clump of dirt flew through the air and hit him square in the jaw which, naturally, launched a full scale brawl between the two.

Meanwhile, the girls were left to watch the boys in irritation as Lily had melted back into the shadows of the trees.

An exaggerated sigh drew Levy from her reverie.

"What?" she demanded of the source impatiently.

"Well, if you must now, I'm pretty pissed. I had to deal with that stupid fucking horse earlier, and now I have to sit in this room until boredom actually melts my brain," Gajeel muttered in annoyance.

"Go swap with Gray and stand outside then," she said jerking her head toward the guard beyond the door.

Gajeel grumbled in response and dropped his cheek into his palm once more. He studied her quietly as an uncomfortable silence extended between them.

Levy huffed and snapped her book shut, facing him, "What!?" she demanded again.

"You don't look like the King."

"Well he's my uncle and my mother had a different mother to his, so I suppose that'd be true."

"Why are you heir, doesn't he have a son or something?"

Levy was surprised at the sheer bluntness of his questions but this was Gajeel, should she expect any different?

"Yes, he has a son, Ivan, but Ivan lost his birthright after proving himself inadequate to rule. His constant displays of cruelty towards the people of Fiore ensured his title would be revoked. The only thing he cared for was absolute power and completely disregarded his duties to the Kingdom. But I didn't know him anyway; he was banished before I was born."

"Did Ivan have a kid?"

"Yes, Laxus, but he too sought only power. He longed to invade other territories and take them for himself, his greed eventually led to his departure two years ago. I haven't seen him since."

A pained expression flitted across her delicate features.

"So you know Laxus then?"

"We were raised together by Makarov."

"What happened to your real parents, where are they?"

Levy sucked in a sharp breath, "m-my parents?"

Gajeel nodded, a curious expression now on his face as he watched her.

"My parents are dead. My-my mother died while giving birth to me, my father always blamed me, so Makarov raised me with Laxus and even some of the guards that you've met. My own father died a few years later, he never truly recovered after the loss of my mother."

The words tumbled out before Levy even thought to hold her tongue.

Gajeel whistled low in response, "sorry, that sounds rough."

Levy nodded, suddenly subdued and rose from her chair.

"I'll return to my rooms now, I'm quite finished here."

Gajeel nodded, mentally berating himself for his blunt, careless questions. But how was he meant to know? He was an assassin not some damn, informed courtier. He cursed his ignorance nevertheless and trailed after her small form. Her small shoulders shook where they peeked out from her long orange dress that revealed them. The guard waiting outside noticed immediately and shot Gajeel an icy, withering glare.

Gajeel scowled at him and did what Gajeel Redfox did best.

He pretended he didn't care.