AN: Hey guys! Sorry for taking long again, my bf and I got bunnies and although they are my babies, they are quite a bit of work ;)

Have fun with this chapter while I start on the next one ;P

Chapter 14 - Truth

Erkars Capital laid dark in the night, like in the day, the high peaks of the surrounding mountain range threw a shadow from the moon and only the castle towers were high enough to reach for the light. The only difference to the day was the quiet that befell the city and the castle when it's residents went to sleep. Only the residents, though, as their prisoner was still at least half awake, scribbling away in her little room, trying to not get candle wax on the notes that now laid sprawled all over the table. While Levy was working, almost frantically if not for her exhaustion, one sentence was bouncing around between the words of the ancient languages and magical terms. You have two weeks. Energy reading. You have two weeks. Elemental manipulation. Two weeks. Rune drawing. Thirteen more days.

Right before her head hit the table, she suddenly awoke and jerked back hard, tipping her chair over. This time, there were no strong arms to catch her and she heard the chair clatter on the floor as sharp, breathtaking pain struck her back. She gasped for air and curled into herself, trying not to groan in pain. When the waves of agony finally subsided, she slowly pulled herself up on the table and blew out the candles. Now with the flames snuffed, only the moon provided light for her to limp to the bed. She slowly redressed in her nightgown and carefully laid down on the bed, where she immediately curled back into a ball.

The shock and the pain of the fall seemed to have made the stress and sadness finally catch up to her. Her whole body started shaking with quiet sobs and soon she felt the first tears well up in her eyes. She continued crying into herself, concentrating on the feeling of the water droplet slowly rolling down to her nose to not let her cries be heard. It almost proved too hard, as now, she wished for nothing more than strong arms wrapping around her and a shoulder to hide and cry into. Her situation made itself clear to her, cruel and unforgiving it showed her just how far she was from everything and everyone she knew and loved. She tried to remember all the times she was soothed when crying. How her mother would hug her, how her father and brothers would cheer her up with silly faces and jokes. How the other maids made a sleepover the first time she got homesick and how Lucy would stay up with her to talk the darkness and loneliness away. How Gajeel had kissed her tears away the first he told her that he loved her. Her heart squeezed together so painfully that she had to gasp. The memories, rather than bringing her comfort had hammered only one realization into her head. The door wouldn't open, no matter how hard she cried. No one in the castle cared if she hurt so deeply inside that it felt like someone had sliced her open. No one would come and soothe her pain.

She felt so desperately alone.

Gajeel was sitting in his tent, absentmindedly chewing on a small metal plate that he'd sneaked out of the armory station on a routine visit. His mother had always scolded him for it when he was a child, telling him that it was dangerous and could ruin his teeth, but it never stopped him. No matter how many times he cut his cheek or his tongue, the feeling of his teeth hitting the sturdy material, the metallic taste and quiet crunch sounds always soothed him.

Unfortunately, his anxiety had risen to a point where neither breathing techniques, nor chewing on metal or even fighting could relax him. Lily had to stop him from really ripping into the men he'd sparred with in the morning, but he knew that it wouldn't have made him feel better anyways. There was only one thing, only one person that knew how to calm him down and when she was by his side, half of his problems would be solved anyways. He could deal with a war, he could deal with constantly being surrounded by people, but only if he knew that the most precious part of his life was safe and unharmed behind the walls of Farkesi Castle. He might have chuckled at that dragon-typical hoarding behavior if he wasn't stressed out of his mind. At least the solitude of his tent and the metal crunching between his teeth kept him from pulling his hair all day and losing his sanity whenever he had to talk to anyone other than Lily.

"Gajeel? I need you, one of our border patrols caught a scout from Erkar!"

Speak of the dragon and he will appear. Maybe I should try that. He spat out the metal piece before yelling for Lily to enter.

The tent flap swung open and revealed the looming form of the Iron-clad Exceed.

"Time to get your intimidating face on, I want you to interrogate him."

Gajeel scowled at his best friend, wondering where the fuck Lily thought that he could interrogate anyone in his current state of mind.

"Perfect, you're already prepared." His friends voice was dripping with sarcasm, which only deepened the furrow between Gajeels brows.

"Save it. Why can't you do it?"

"This one is special. A scout patrol caught him at a point where he wasn't close enough to really see anything. Then they even blindfolded him, so he actually has no information about us yet."

"Yet? We keep him prisoner and it doesn't matter what he knows. Why do you want to let him go so badly?"

"You my friend are the key. We'll prepare everything to make him think our forces are way outnumbering theirs and then you will talk to him in your black dragon armor. If Erkar thinks we are stronger than expected we might be able to outsmart them. Also, it will buy us time as they no longer think that we are easy prey.

Gajeel felt hope form in his chest like a flower that had been watered after a drought. Suddenly it wasn't stress and anxiety that made his body tingle, it was the rush of hope and excitement. He jumped up and walked past his friend to exit the tent.

"Come on, we have to make someone piss himself!" He laughed his typical maniacal laughter and Lily grinned into himself, glad to have at least a tiny bit of his friend back.

"A dragon of a man...clearly visible fangs and talons…even scales and horns… started shaking in his mere presence…an aura of pure malice and ferocity…an army full of berserks and beast-like men…a warrior exceed, taller than a horse…Is that the actual report, Thevos?"

"Yes, your majesty. According to the messenger, the scout returned yesterday evening to camp and was completely devastated. He made this exact report and swore that everything was as he saw. Allegedly he's been refusing to leave his tent ever since."

"I thought we were sending scouts out, not scaredy-cat poets."

"I will send out a message to the troop leaders, your Majesty."

"Let them pick out the actual information that is of interest. Hmmm…do I read a lot of dragon symbolism in here?"

"The scout was explicitly asked about this and stated that he in fact did not exaggerate. Do you want me to ask the troop leaders to reevaluate him?"

"Don't bother. I think I might know an easier way to find out the truth. Come on Thevos, we're going to pay our prisoner a visit."

Levy winced when she tried to lean back on the chair and hit the still sore spot on her back. She let out a sigh and let the quill drop back into the inkwell. Her back hurt, her eyes hurt, her bottom hurt and her head felt like mush. She'd been working nonstop, pausing only to sleep and eat. The maids were nice enough to bring her something to drink, but sometimes she forgot it until the dizziness broke through her work-frenzy. Usually she enjoyed being so swept up in her work, but usually she wasn't working for, well, her life if she had to guess. King Hades hadn't made any threats towards her, but that did not ease her mind about what would happen if she couldn't present him with results in twelve days. Picking up the quill again, she threw herself back into the translation of the ancient language she had named Maku after an ancient Mritharian word for magic. Her people always had had a strong bond with their deity, Jhuvaia who gave them the gift of magic and thus they were one of the first nations to have a word for it. She'd just written a few more words when the door to her room opened.

"Please leave it on the dresser, my table is too full," she just said without turning, not wanting to break her concentration. What did do that however, was the sharp voice that now hissed at her.

"I suggest you change your tone this instant! I will not allow you to speak like that in the presence of his Holy Majesty!"

Levy jumped up and whirled around, to see the, which she had deemed very punchable, face of her greatest nemesis in the castle of Erkar.

"Good day to you too, Thevos." She just smiled at him and he squinted his eyes in disdain. A shadow entered the doorway and Thevos bowed deeply. Levy lowered her head and curtsied, hiding her shiver as best as possible.

"His Holy Majesty, king of the eternal kingdom of Erkar."

"Good day Milady."

"Good day, your Majesty."

She heard footsteps and some shuffling before the king spoke up again:

"You may raise your head and sit down, my dear."

When Levy looked back up, King Hades was sitting on the sofa and Thevos had positioned himself in front of the now closed door. She sat on her chair and folded her hands in front of her, waiting for the King to speak again.

"So tell me Miss McGarden, are you making progress? Are you enjoying your work?"

"The progress is good so far and I am enjoying the work, thank you for asking, your Majesty."

"Great! I'm sure that you will prove yourself useful to us."

"I hope so, your Majesty."

The king leaned backwards in the sofa and mirrored her hand positioning before he continued: "I've come to visit today, because I wanted to have a little chat with you, about your stay in Terya." Levy couldn't help but flinch at the mention of the kingdom she'd come to love so much, something King Hades noticed as well.

"Oh, dear, that's what I had feared. You must have had some frightening experiences there. I heard you accompanied Emperor Natsu and Empress Lucy and stayed in the Castle. Say, was it the king who frightened you so? Rumor has it he is half dragon."

"Oh, what a strange rumor." Levy was careful not to let anything else slip her tongue, knowing, that every little piece of information would be used against Gajeel or herself.

"I agree, the fairy tales that peasants come up with are truly curious to me. Although I have wondered if he might possess some kind of illusion magic. Say, you wouldn't know anything about that? This information would be very useful to us." Levy noticed his emphasis on the last part and shivered at the hidden meaning behind it. Nevertheless, she couldn't lie to him and make up some story, as that could very well be a grave mistake.

"I'm afraid, I know nothing of that sort, your Majesty."

"Are you sure? Especially if it is illusion magic he could have been deceiving you without your notice," he asked again and his voice had taken quite a cold undertone. Levy could feel her heart falling into the pit of her stomach and suddenly she couldn't grasp a coherent thought as a wave of panic washed over her.

"H-h-he wouldn't do that," she said, more to herself than to the man in front of her, but he perked up at her words.

"How can you be certain? He could have planted whatever he wants in your head. With everything I have heard about him mistreating and scaring his underlings, I wouldn't put it past him." His words wormed themselves into her head and she began to doubt everything she remembered about Gajeel, about the castle and their shared experiences until she arrived at the memory of their first kiss. She saw his face clearly in front of her, the uncertainty and love, the hint of shyness and fear of rejection. He'd never have looked like that if he'd just been playing with me. Tink logically Levy, use that head of yours. How could I let this stranger get into my head! He knows nothing about Gajeel!

"Gajeel would never do that! He'd never lie to me!" As soon as she had said the words she clasped her hands over her mouth. She had intended for them to stay just thoughts, but she suddenly felt like she had no control over herself anymore.

"Oh?" That was Thevos who was looking too happy for her comfort and she felt the panic coming back.

"Well, Thank you for this new information. I was intending for something else, but that's magic for you, never know what happens." A kind of mind control magic, of course! That's why I said my thoughts out loud! He won't do that to me again. King Hades noticed that his prisoners was just giving him a determined stare and chuckled.

"No need to look so mean, Milady. We're talking about your beloved, after all. I wonder if he shares your feelings, he does seem like he doesn't have any himself."

Levy just stared at him, repeating only one sentence in her head. Go away. Go away. Go away. It seemed to work, as she managed to keep her lips sealed.

Hades clicked his tongue, seemingly annoyed now.

"Great, now she's concentrating. We have underestimated you quite a bit, little girl. But no matter. We have ways to make you talk. And your little fling might turn out useful, depending on how the impostor will react. Aw, dearie, don't scowl at me like that, you have reason to be very happy! You will see him in just a few days when we all visit the front together!"

Hades smiled cheerily, then, without waiting for a reaction, he walked out of the room and a few seconds later, the door was locked with a soft click.

Levy started shaking violently and felt her throat tighten. She started gasping for air when it wouldn't let her breathe and tried to concentrate on taking deep breaths, but she still felt like a fish out of water, only drawing in short gasps of breath until her lungs felt like bursting. Still shaking, she breathed it all out and the process repeated itself. Not only was she more frightened than she had ever been, but she felt disgusting and violated. He had wormed his way into her head and forced her to betray the people she loved. She jumped up and ran to the bathroom, where she threw up into the toilet until she only retched up air.

From now on, she'd be a hostage.

/ End

Uuuh, it's getting dangerous ;)

Btw, I didn't want to invent a whole sanitary system, so toilets just work like normal toilets with funky mechanisms to make them work. Things like electricity still don't exist. I'm not too satisfied with the ending and some other parts (I really don't know how to properly write dialogue. Everything looks wrong D:), but I wanted to finally give everyone following this story an update.

To my reviewers:

dragonfly2311: I'm so looking forward to playing around with Gajeels dragon :3 (that sounds dirtier than its meant haha ;P)

rao hyuga 18: I'm happy to hear that you liked it!

Thanks to everone who faved and followed as well! I see you all ;3

Have a good time, stay safe and see you next chapter!