Dragon's Love with Dangerous Letters

Chapter 30

The two girls stared at each other unblinking for several moments, awestruck. Awestruck, that such a thing was even remotely possible. Their wish that they had been hoping for, for a really long time, was finally going to become true. "We need to move him quickly!" One of the medical mages shouted running up seeming as if she was going to trip upon her own two feet.

"What to where?" Rogue asked as Sting almost growled as if this woman was going to endanger his father. "What's the matter?" Rogue whispered quickly.

"We shouldn't trust anyone right now, there's too many smells congregating within this room to tell who was the enemy." Sting growled as Rogue nodded.

"Someone! Please help me move the prince! The king needs extreme medical treatment!" The medical mage shouted looking to and fro throughout the chaos that was raging within the ballroom.

"Not anymore, she healed him." Someone whispered as the medical mage shook her head. "He may be healed well enough to live, but that is no reason to leave the king lying on the floor with a wound in his side." The medical mage whispered as everyone looked at each other.

Enemy or not, she was right. "No one is allowed near the room except the four you see standing here." Sting instructed as the medical mage nodded heading away to make sure the rest of the staff both understood and knew these instructions that were just stated.

"Ryos." Celestine whispered looking up towards the younger prince with a quick glance towards the girl who was her cousin, Artemis, waiting for a reply of acknowledgement from such a prince. "I know there's a lot we must talk about, but that is for later." The prince sighed as she nodded watching everyone disappear into the room. Celestine glanced towards her cousin watching as the elder prince and her cousin talked.

"I want you to come with me . . . . but I'll be back soon, also for now you should probably wait out here." The blonde prince whispered towards the girl who looked as if she was much disheveled earlier in the day with a faint frown upon her lips. Obviously wanting to talk some more.

"Um...Artemis?" Celestine whispered staring at the girl not even waiting for a reply before she bursted out into tears. "I've wanted to meet you again so badly!" Celestine shouted. It had been a long time since she had ran into her within town when she first discovered that she had any remaining family left what-so-ever. As suddenly the younger brunette begun to pull away.

"Wait! What do you mean meet again! This is the first time I've met you! The only reason I know about you is from Levy always bringing me those letters!" Artemis stated looking moderately confused.

"But-but we've met before...in a town just on the edge of Phantom-Lord, you. . . you were picking up some sort of herbs and babbling about running late when a fortune teller showed us who we truly were to each other." Celestine stuttered looking towards her cousin who shook her head.

"I don't remember any of this! I've never met you! I would have remembered!" The younger brunette sighed almost seeming as if a frustrated edge came to her voice.

"Of course you have . . .You still smell potently like herbs." Celestine felt her voice shake in moderate confusion, one of the very few memories she had been clinging onto so dearly to meet her cousin again slowly filling with cracks.

The elder of the two cousins fell silent as suddenly she glanced up toward Artemis, sitting herself upon a bench next to the door in front of the locked medical room, Celestine begun to speak. "So I hear that you met some of the princes . . . . how about we just talk about how your life has been for a while?" Celestine whispered with a shaking voice.

"Ok, well actually I met all of them not just some and I've had to stay in a total of three of the castles now. It seems that wherever I've gone Phantom has just been there scratching at my heels, first in Pyre, then Cait shelter, and now here in Sabertooth." Artemis sighed taking a seat next to her cousin, her green hued eyes looking down at the red stains along the white fabric of her dress."You know. . .I didn't think that one simple letter you would send me would put me into all of this. . .that doesn't mean I blame you though, I actually want to thank you cause even though I almost had my head chopped off I still seemed to gain something out of all of it." The faintest smile tugged at the corner of the girl's lips as she leaned her head back and looked up at the ceiling.

"I understand what you mean; I've had my fair share of interesting times too." Celestine whispered glancing towards the floor. "Quite interesting times too . . . the day . . . the day I had almost met you again I turned and walked away . . . . I wish I knew so badly, so badly sometimes. But at the same time I feel if I didn't walk away that day . . . . I wouldn't be so close to Ryo-I mean Prince Rogue." Celestine stuttered changing names quickly in front of her. It was something that had belonged only to her and Rogue, she couldn't tell her cousin, not just yet.

"Without you . . . Gajeel might have never come to rescue me. The only reason he had saw Levy on multiple occasions talk to me was to give me the letters." Celestine whispered. "I feel safe here." The girl continued on.

"It is better here." The younger girl whispered and glanced over at the other."I was locked up in one of those cells for what, three days I believe. I can't remember now but it was horrible. On that last day though I got really lucky. It just seemed to work out . . . the way Sting just walked in the moment I was about to be put on some platform to have myself beheaded. I really owe him . . . and Natsu as well." She shook her head and looked down, that memory flashing through her head. That bluenette she had met, Juvia, she had said she knew Celestine. She wondered what kind of reaction she'd get if she told her that. Most likely not a very kind one.

"Ha, ha . . . . oh my gosh. . ." Celestine whispered shocking her cousin who turned to her, this was definitely unusual, Celestine shouldn't have been laughing at such a near death experience. "He was really afraid of you! He went for such a simple, clean, and quick killing this time." Celestine whispered.

"I don't really think it's something to laugh at. . ." Artemis whispered as Celestine shook her head.

"It's kind of a response you'll get at the castle, people are used to struggle to push their emotions down and this is what happens, it sounds like laughter and these look like tears of joy but they're not . . . I'm so sorry Artemis. . ." Celestine whispered.

"It's fine." She went silent for a few minutes thinking."You know Celestine. . .not everyone there was bad. I met a girl, her hair looked like clean water it was so beautiful. Juvia. . .she was so nice but she. . .I was. . .I'm the reason she's dead now and I'm sorry." Her last few words may have seemed incoherent but she couldn't help it, not with the sobs bubbling up within her throat the way they were."She sacrificed herself to save me. I guess she thought it be nice if I could keep living to see you finally. She's really the one I have to thank because she stalled time for me, enough time for Sting to reach that door."

"Yeah. . . . It's alright . . . I had already heard . . . Actually there was something I was hiding from her . . . I had overheard that the person she was in love with had died in battle and wasn't ready to tell her. . . Maybe she'll be happy with him somewhere else. You know a place where people transcend dimensions and become reincarnations of themselves . . . . together maybe?" Celestine whispered.

"That would be nice . . . maybe that's how I'll see mom and dad again when my time is done here. I miss them so much. . .you're the only left for me now Celestine and I. . .I don't want to lose any more people I care about. Not you, or Natsu, or little Wendy from Cait Shelter . . . and I don't want to lose Sting." The brunette whispered biting her lip.

Thinking of him fighting in the war that only felt a simple day away made her sad, no that wasn't right. This war had already started when Jose had attacked Pyre. She just kept lying to herself and telling herself that there was still some time left to change things. Such a fool she was for thinking that.

"You fool." A whisper came suddenly as a masculine hand wrapped around Artemis's head dragging her closer to a masculine chest. "I'm not going to let you disappear on me anytime soon." Sting whispered.

Artemis froze as the tears pooling in her eyes suddenly overflowed and dripped down her cheeks when she shut her eyes tightly. She dug her nails into the back of his jacket and tried not to sob too loudly into his chest. "I just want all of this to end so all of us can live peacefully. I can't take all of these people dying." She could barely whisper her words because of how much her emotions were overflowing within her."I don't want this war to come. . .I know you'll have to take part I know you will because you have to but I just want you to be safe. . .and I want you to stay here." She knew she sounded selfish but she didn't care. She had tried not to be selfish this whole time so slipping up this once wasn't such a big deal to her, but then again everything had been about her, Sting saving her life, three different royal families keeping her safe within their homes. Maybe she was more selfish than she realized.

"This isn't going to be a war." Sting whispered causing Artemis to look up.

"Than what is it going to be? There's no other way to describe what's coming?" She whispered.

"It's going to be a one-sided demolition; we have even received approval from the prince of that kingdom. Once the people start seeing a way to liberation and freedom, light and happiness where everyone can be safe...the people will rebel, no one will be killed, no one will die, and there will be only one prisoner. That fake king." Sting explicated.

"Are you sure that it's that easy?" Celestine whispered suddenly wondering if it truly was that easy, why hadn't something like this been done several years ago? Even when "King" Jose had started ruling the kingdom.

"Of course. Five kingdoms against one. Doesn't it sound easy now?" A questioning voice came up the hall.

The younger prince stood beside his 'brother' with his arms folded. The two girls took that thought in. It was true that five kingdoms against one made it seem easy and Sting had said that the people would rebel upon realizing the greatness that lay beyond their walls. It'd be Jose against the rest of the continent basically. There wasn't much he'd be able to do in those odds.

"It does sound much safer, but how could you expect me not to worry when I've already seen so much?" Celestine whispered still staring at the floor.

"I am going to avenge my queen's honor, someone dear to her has been taken, there is no way any of us would fail." Rogue said suddenly causing Celestine to look up with a rim of tears within her eyes.

"I would...I would never...I could never ask such a thing of you as to go out and ki-kil-" Celestine started becoming cut off by Rogue.

"I understand, but this person. She was, still is, someone who's important to you." Rogue said as Celestine grew quiet nodding. "It's grown late you should go to bed, you look as if you've had a long day." Rogue sighed at her suddenly.

"But! I just found Artemis! How could I leave so quickly!" Celestine shouted as Rogue shook his head.

"She's not going anywhere, you two can talk in the morning." Rogue attempted persuading the stubborn looking Celestine who nodded slowly, almost hesitantly.

"I'll talk to you in the morning." Celestine whispered towards her cousin, who nodded in return.

Artemis watched her cousin stalk off down the hallway. She was given a few moments before Rogue followed after her slowly leaving sting and Artemis in the hallway by themselves. The brunette sighed and slumped back down onto the bench. Tonight just took all of her energy away, literally that healing spell was she used drained her completely, even worse than when she first used her barrier.

"Are you ok Artemis?" Sting asked concerned as he moved himself to be standing in front of the exhausted girl.

"Yeah I think I just need some sleep after all of that is all." She whispered back.

The blonde kneeled down in front of her shifted a strand of chestnut locks behind her ear. To him she looked pale and completely worn; she was like a ghost sitting there in front of her. Her green eyes weren't so bright at the moment either. He was worried for her even though he knew a good night's rest would do her some good.

"I help you back to your room but I want you to answer something for me first."

"What is it?" she asked softly while shifting her eyes so that she looked right at him, into his glowing blue eyes.

He only sat there for a moment like he was thinking about how to ask his question. The girl watched him dig through his pocket and pull something out, his fist curled around it. She tilted her head slightly while he took her hand gently, his thumb running over the top of it. His finger uncurled so she could see what he was holding.

A ring.

She felt her breathe hitch in her throat. He could only smile as he held the diamond ring out to the brunette. He still didn't know how he wanted to say it besides the bland and boring way. He shifted his hand and intertwined her fingers with his own.

"Artemis I know it's sudden, really sudden but . . . will you be my queen?"

Artemis sat there speechless. Finding out that Sting was the one she wanted and then being proposed to by him all at the same time in one night was really short notice to her. She parted her lips to quickly blurt out her answer when something flashed through her mind. Weisslogia didn't want them near each other. Sting had said that he was only allowed near her because he had proposed to Minerva.

"Sting I . . . What about-"

"I talked with my father. He told me why he didn't want me with you and it was because of my own mother. When I was younger I was told that my mother abandoned my father and I because she felt overwhelmed with the thought of having to oversee a whole kingdom beside my father but that was a lie told to me because they thought I wouldn't be able to handle the truth. Father said that my mother was killed by people within the kingdom because of her class, because she wasn't upper class and father was afraid that the same would happen to you and me. I won't let that happen and he sees now how much I care for you Artemis and I will protect you every day . . . all you have to do is say yes." He whispered leaning closer to her.

Artemis eye's pooled with tears as she listened to him explain his father's reason for keeping them apart. Her eyes met with the ring again, the ring that was blurry in her eyes because of her tears. So if Weisslogia was letting them be together than that meant nothing was stopping them from being together. No love triangle, no other arranged marriages, no fathers. She was free to say what she wanted.

"Yes!"

She threw herself forward ripping her hand from Sting's and throwing her arms around his neck. The prince tittered backwards a fell over from the impact as his own arms snaked their way around his new fiancée. He finally got what he wanted, the girl he had his eyes set on from the day he met her in the dress shop in her kingdom. She was all his.

Artemis leaned away from him and applied her lips against his own startling him for a moment. He smiled and placed a hand on either side of her face savoring his first kiss with her. He grabbed her hand and slipped the ring on her finger when they pulled away from each other.

"Perfect fit." He chuckled and hugged her close to him, protectively and possessively.

". . . I love you Sting."

"I love you too . . . Princess Artemis."

Author's Note: Well this chapter was probably my longest one out of all of them, or possibly ever but that's A okay with me. Anyway This chapter was co-written by Sheila13 so that's why some parts may seem different from my other chapters so I want to thank her for helping me. On another note I was asked to do a shout out so that who bares the pen-name 'The Unknown' I want to thank you and all of my favoriters, followers, and commenters for reading and/or liking my story I appreciate it! ^_^ Oh and one last thing, I don't know if any of you would consider this a spoiler but the next chapter will be a time-skip. Any events that you may have been wanting to know or were seeking to find during the time-skip will be answered in the side story to this called 'Dark Dawns, Bright Dusks' by Shelia13 the one who co-wrote this chapter. Until next time!