Lord Gajeel of the Northern Dragon Kingdom was many things: intimidating, commanding, merciless, angry... He was tall, muscular, broad shouldered, dark-haired and red-eyed. He was a powerful man and proud too. He wasn't tolerant or sympathetic. He didn't much care for others and therefore didn't see a need to exercise trifle things like compassion or patience; those words barely even existed in his vocabulary. In short, he was a King very much unlike his AWOL bastard of a father. In Gajeel's eyes, his father had been a weak King, allowing his subjects to use him as their personal door mat, strutting around the castle like they were in charge and made the rules. And all those damned parties. From what he remembered the parties were boring and stupid and gave the subjects and staff more reason to wander about the castle. It was chaotic and Gajeel hated chaos.
The King sat seething in his chair at the memory of it. The idea that those of a lower station were allowed to share the space with blue bloods and Dragons nonetheless. Even partake in their metal! Really, Gajeel wondered, what had his father been thinking?He glanced around at his servants as they scurried about setting up the final preparations for tonight's event. Gajeel was actually less indifferent about this evening than he would would've been on any other night. If Gajeel had to guess, he would've put his gold on the fact that he had been itching for a woman in his bed for a long time. Not just any woman, someone new. He just couldn't bring himself to partake in the routine of visiting the old faces who inhabited his harem. Not that the faces were actually old, they were all young woman around Gajeel's age, but he was used to them, they just weren't exciting anymore. And he was going on his 4th week of celibacy, it was a much longer stretch than he was accustomed to. It was beginning to show in his increasing irritation at everything.
He found himself contemplating his behavior, which angered him, because he overheard the maids whisper their gossip, which made him angrier, about what they referred to as his 'appetite'. He struggled to keep his temper in check. It wouldn't do to ruin the evening. He sighed inwardly and conceded that he was rather rakish, but in his defense he was just used to getting what he wanted; he was a prince after all. If he wanted a couple or more women to play around who were they to tell him 'No'? The gossip told him that they considered his 'appetite' unusual and insatiable. But as long as they did their jobs, did them right and showed him his proper dues, Gajeel couldn't give a rat's ass about what they thought of him. They were beneath him anyway.
Besides he was a Prince, now a King. He could do whatever the hell he pleased and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it. He liked his woman, as much as a he imagined a man could like a woman. They were just other people, nothin' special about them except the sort of company they provide. He remembered hearing rumors around the castle about the "Fairy Tale Love" his parents had and that once his mother moved into the castle his father stopped visiting his harem. This left Gajeel confused. What about his mother made his father lose his mind like that? And then to keep the women he used to bed?! That's just gross. When Gajeel took over he was going to make sure they were put to work.
They weren't freeloaders, not anymore. What did they do anyway? What was their purpose if it wasn't to pleasure the monarch and his family? They would've continued to be an enormous financial burden on their budget if he hadn't made some changes. Namely the cut down to his favorites- the ones who knew what they were doing and were nice to look at. They still lived in their little lap of luxury and still enjoyed many freedoms, at least it seemed that way to Gajeel, but there were fewer and after a year or so, he started to grow bored.
So there Gajeel sat, preparing to host the auction for the most eligible woman of service from the Human King's harem. It hadn't even begun, but Gajeel was waiting for it to be over already. Not only because he was anticipating all the action he was going to get that night, but also because he didn't want to deal with the ridiculous King Jose. Gajeel didn't think too kindly about anybody, especially the human King. Jose thought he was so privileged, he considered himself so important, and the worst insult of all: he considered himself to be of the same station as Gajeel. It couldn't have been more insulting if the human King himself walked right up to Gajeel without addressing him correctly- which he did one too many times. Suddenly Gajeel was back to seething, barely contained fury broiled under his skin, the room was rapidly taking on a red hue. and he began angrily muttering to himself again.
A firm hand on his shoulder slapped him back from the brink of uncontrollable rage. Turning to glare daggers into his second-in-command, Gajeel swept up from his prime seat in front of the stage in his grand ballroom. Pantherlily, or Lily, as he preferred, stood staring at Gajeel unperturbed and amused.
"What do you want?" Gajeel ground out as he stalked up to the circular stage.
"You sure are chipper today, Sir." Lily stated ignoring Gajeel side glance. He didn't even bother to bow. Any other day, this wouldn't have even been a fleeting thought. Lily was Gajeel's most trusted adviser and dare he even call him 'Friend'? But now it irritated him. Scoffing at the absurdity of his thoughts, Gajeel waved a dismissive hand in Lily's general direction but instead, the former made to stand beside Gajeel at the foot of the stage.
"You looked like you were about to rip someone's head clean off their shoulders." Lily continued. "Were you thinking of something interesting?"
"Not in the mood for your stupid bemusings and unnecessary commentary on my life, Lil."
"Whatever could you mean by unnecessary commentary, Gajeel? I just tell it like I see it"
Growing more stupidly irritated by the second, Gajeel couldn't keep his thoughts to himself. "There was once time when people respected my authority and referred to me as Lord Gajeel." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm beginning to realize you are the problem."
A cool smile crossed Lily's face. "Maybe. Or it could be that the staff are actually beginning to see that you tantrums are just that. Tantrums. Gone are the days of your youth Gajeel, there's no need to make the world such dark place and certainly no need for people to think of you that way either. They know you're not your father."
Gajeel took a hard look at Lily, but he couldn't bring himself to form a proper response. A part of him resonated with what Lily said, but the other part disagreed completely with the implications behind his words. This WAS himself. He was Gajeel Redfox, son of a Great Dragon, King of the Northern Dragon Kingdom. He was merciless in his quest for order and perfection. In war, he didn't take prisoners. And he didn't care about others, he definitely didn't care about what they thought. He didn't care. This was who he was. They called him Black Steel for a reason.
He scowled at Lily, but of course that still didn't phase him. Gajeel had half a mind to slice his head clean off his shoulders. Instead he turned his scowl to his staff. The atmosphere was much more lax than it had been earlier, the palace wasn't abuzz with noise and activity now that it was the end of the day. Also, it did seem as though the preparations were nearly complete. Gajeel's irritation spiked, everything was too calm and he didn't like it one bit. Barking at his staff to hurry the hell up and get out of his way, he marched out onto the terrace.
The last light of day shone over the horizon. Gajeel scowled at that too. The night had barely begun, but he was ready for the night to end.