"Y-your Highness?"

The queen smiled.

"I repeat. I will be the one to examine this applicant."

In her hands were the exam papers and notes about a certain protege of a self-proclaimed doctor.

Irene Belserion was discussing with the Dragnof Academy's principal about one of their test examinees. Erza stood behind her, watching her mother convince the head not to send another inspector.

More like demand, really.

"T-this task is too mundane-"

"Are you telling me what I can and can't do?"

The principal of Dragnof Academy was assigned by the royal family, as they funded the entire institution. He was an old archmage, but that was nothing compared to Irene Belserion's status.

"O-of course not! Have a great day your majesty. Allow me to notify the entrance board that a capable mage has been dispatched."

"I can't thank you enough, Archmage. I hope we can keep this matter private."

Erza watched the senior gulp.

And why was her mother smiling so sweetly?

.

.

.

Irene had known that Zeref's little clinic was near the slums, so she had explained to Erza that their destination differed compared to the norm. She specifically instructed Erza not to comment about the circumstances, and to use the opportunity to learn about the capital's less fortunate people.

It was still early in the morning when they arrived, but there was already a line formed in front of the clinic.

Erza blinked as a familiar boy was outside creating clay chairs for the people to sit in. He was waving his hands to contour the shape, and made some comfortable looking earthen furniture.

"Oh my, he's considerate isn't he?"

Irene was already smiling at the small act of kindness for the people waiting outside.

Natsu felt the powerful magic presence and looked up at the two new arrivals. He blinked as he saw through their disguise, recognizing the red-haired genius from yesterday's exam.

What were they doing here?

A few adults clustered around him, asking about Zeref.

"Sorry, the clinic's not open yet! Zere is still eating breakfast inside. But don't worry, we're opening soon!"

That relieved them of worry and they returned to their places in line.

Irene approached the young boy, Erza following behind her. The both of them were already impressed with his intermediate magic ability.

"As expected of Zeref's brother. You're quite good." Irene commented once they were within hearing range.

Natsu blinked. "You know my brother?"

"Passing acquaintances." The queen waved her hand. "May we meet with him?"

Erza watched the boy eye her and her mother suspiciously.

"Am I in trouble for copying her spell yesterday?"

Copying?

Erza blinked.

"You're not in trouble, young man. In fact, it was impressive you learned the spell after just seeing it once." Irene knelt down to face Natsu at eye level. "Could you show us the spell?"

"Uhhh…"

"I will show you another spell if you share with us what you changed with it." Irene urged.

"...okay."

The onlookers watched with interest as Natsu recreated the magic circle he saw yesterday.

"I only redirected some of the lines, and also removed some others to improve the energy flow here, here, and here." Natsu edited the original Scarlet spell, showing the areas he found inefficient.

Erza perked up. She didn't understand what he changed, but could feel the spell strengthening.

"You can see the energy?" Irene asked with surprise.

"Ethernano? Yeah, I see it everyday."

Everyday?

Even Erza struggled to feel- much less see ethernano. Her mother showed it to her once, but she hadn't reached that level of mastery yet.

They heard the sound of a door opening, and Natsu froze.

"Natsu, what did I tell you about talking to strangers?"

"A-aha…" Natsu sweated.

Irene looked up to meet Zeref's unimpressed gaze.

"You really love to turn up everywhere don't you."

"I'm actually here on behalf of the academy. I'm going to certify whether your brother is indeed a worthy student for the kingdom."

Natsu's eyes widened considerably.

Oh no.

Zeref was mirroring the same thought.

"You can't be serious…"

Irene's smile widened.

.

.

.

Erza watched in wonder.

She had never seen such a hectic workplace.

Zeref was busy healing a patient with a bad case of pneumonia. His other protege- Acnologia, was concocting batches of medicine. Meanwhile, Natsu was floating said medicine to their shelves while also bringing out others. The jars were flying in wisps of air, flying overhead.

Oh, and he was apparently also keeping the bed of water under Zeref's patient from destabilizing and dropping said patient on the floor.

"We don't have space for one of those magical beds that change angle and shape according to the patient's needs, so we just use water. It's quite comfortable, wouldn't you agree?" Zeref explained while he finished up.

"It's quite radical, but it makes sense." Irene hummed in thought.

Erza was just happy to see impressive magic at work. It was a cacophony of chaos, but it really lit the place up.

"Do you do this everyday?"

"All the time. There's a lot of patients." Natsu complained before disappearing back to the front of the clinic.

"We don't really get to rest since there's always a lot of people coming in." Acnologia confirmed.

It was quite different for Erza. She could only practice magic for a set amount of time each day, with other periods used for non-magical subjects.

Here, it was the wild west.

"Natsu, can you recline the patient's posture?" Zeref requested while he continued working on the sleeping patient. Erza watched as the bed shifted a little to attend to the patient's needs.

"How long have you been learning magic?" Erza couldn't help but inquire the boy her age.

"Me? Umm, just over two years." Natsu mumbled quietly while arranging the cabinets with his magic.

Irene quirked an eyebrow at the answer. 2 years? That was Erza's age before she started! She was now 7 years into her education, but this young boy was already at her heels with only a quarter of that. Truly the Black Wizard's genes run through his brother as well.

"This is a learning opportunity for you Erza, make sure to watch them." Irene lectured her daughter. Though she didn't need to, Her daughter was already fascinated by the magic being performed. It was different from the lessons they usually had back at the castle.


Two months later, the Dragnof Academy semester kicked off.

It was going to be a new experience for Erza. Most of her interactions outside of the castle and the Belserion clan were for celebratory balls mired with political maneuvering. Most of it were aimed at her parents, but a fair few nobles sent their children her way. This time, Erza was looking forward to studying in the new environment.

Despite Erza's advanced tutelage under Irene, her mother didn't want Erza to have any special treatment. Like most students who passed without significant backing, she received the regular scholarship treatment. Irene planned it that way. Most nobles and aristocrats would elevate their student's education through artificial means. Either by bribing the academy to relocate students to sections that "randomly" acquired a better set of professors. The Belserion clan and the principal they placed couldn't clean out all the corruption brought in by outsiders. Instead, they had to rely on themselves to support the common folk who showed promising talent.

That didn't mean Irene wasn't above using her position and connections to guarantee some changes she wanted.

Some changes like a certain classmate Erza noticed.

She reclined into her chair while talking amicably with some aristocrats that were in the classroom. No doubt, some professors and families made some last minute changes to land in her section.

All except for one.

Unlike the students who cozied up to her, or the others who distanced themselves out of apprehension, there was one classmate she recognized. The black-haired boy was crunched over a book mumbling to himself while pouring over a book.

Natsu.

Erza remembered the name. It may have been only for one day, but the clinic visit with her mother was memorable. It really opened her eyes to how freely magic was used outside the castle.

The thick classroom door opened and a mage walked in.

Homeroom has begun.

.

.

.

Even during lunch, Erza found herself swamped with students who wanted to meet the princess of the kingdom. A crowd also formed around her while confident seniors and equally proud nobles approached her. She remembered a fair number of them from their families, a requirement from her upbringing.

They were being led by a senior student to the academy dining hall when Erza spotted the same tuff of black hair again. She slowed her pace a little to get a glimpse of him lounging alone on a quiet corner on one of the many garden benches on the academy grounds. Just like that morning, he was busy reading a book.

Just as her group rounded the corner, her last view of him involved Natsu smashing his face into it.

.

.

.

She was tired of it by the week's end. Thankfully for her, the academy held classes for 4 days. The 5th was left to the students to use for practice, projects, and other related activities. Erza was looking forward to disappearing from the academy campus for the following three days to unwind from the claustrophobic attention piled on her.

Erza didn't even opt to eat lunch. She just grabbed a pile of deserts with her disguise before running out the dining hall. The Dragnof Kingdom's princess wandered the crowded gardens until she found a small isolated cove. There, she plopped down and quietly enjoyed her delicious food.

She'd get a lecture later from her mother about proper meals, but Erza wanted to relax and enjoy the end of her first week.

"Ummm…"

The scarlet-haired royal glanced up at the boy who appeared at the cove's entrance.

"It's you."

Natsu waved hesitantly at the guest he once received at the clinic.

"If you're asking for cake, then go to the dining hall." Erza clutched the small plate closer to her. She wasn't going to hand it over.

The boy only glanced at it while blinking.

"D-do you mind if I sit on the other side?"

Oh. He just wanted to sit.

"Go ahead."

Natsu treaded over and settled some few meters away from her. Erza continued to eat in silence until her attention drew to the book he carried. A short observation gave her more questions than answers.

"The Basics of Magic?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah…I need to catch up with the rest. My test scores were abysmal in the knowledge category." Natsu flipped over another page. He did well actually. He just didn't want to admit that reading wasn't his strong suit. So Natsu bought the book to practice with, while also cross-referencing his lessons with Zeref on magic.

So far, the book was less than ideal. Natsu thought the book's contents were wrong. It didn't register on him that perhaps his brother was teaching him wrong. But the ethernano manipulation he saw definitely matched what he learned from Zeref.

The perks of having the best mage on the continent as your sibling.

"The book isn't perfect." That's what her mother said- before showing Erza the basics from her side of things.

"I…don't really know. This is my first time reading about magic." Natsu admitted.

"Your first…?" Erza blinked. A fair share of her education from Irene involved books from her personal collection. The queen of Dragnof made sure to collect the best literature she could find on the matter. Including some of Zeref's old research publications back during his academy days.

"Wait. So all this time you've been practicing magic without knowing much about it?!" Irene had called the young boy impressive. Then again, she also showered the same praise for practically every other noble child who presented their magical ability to her. Though Erza could tell that the complement during that time was different.

Far far different compared to what she gave to the others.

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Natsu pouted. "I'm just…learning!" to read.

After one week in the Dragnof Academy, Natsu found himself struggling with all the literacy. Sure, he could understand what the professors talked about.

His brain simply fizzled out when trying to make sense of them on the blackboard.

Erza didn't know that. All she saw was a mage with talent learning from the wrong book.

"Give me that. I can get a better copy from my mother's library." She held her hand out to take the book. Natsu glanced between her hand and the book.

Well, he was starting to get sick of trying to read nonsense anyway.

Natsu handed the book over to the Belserion.

"Meet me here on Monday. I'll bring you a better one."

More reading.

Natsu inwardly sighed. He really needed to practice more.

.

.

.

"You need this copy for who?" Irene gave her daughter a copy she made. The book- more like a personalized compilation- was one she made based on how she viewed magical education.

"Remember Natsu, that boy from the clinic?" Erza asked.

"Yes, what about him?" Oh she was very well familiar with the boy. Irene had been grilling Zeref for information after he was recruited as her secret advisor on magic-related projects the kingdom put forth. Only her, her husband, and the dragon Belserion knew of his position.

"Well he's been practicing magic without proper lessons."

Technically Zeref had been creating an entirely different system for Natsu, based on his understanding of Pure Ethernano. Years spent cultivating Ethernano-based lifeforms to revive his little brother had taught the Black Wizard a lot. The result was a completely different system focused on Ethernano manipulation rather than the Spell Formula system used by most mages at the time.

"Has he?" Irene doubted that. If Zeref was anything like her, then he must've devised his own way to teach his brother.

"Yes. That's why I'm going to give him this copy. If you allow it…" Erza trailed off as she realized that she hadn't exactly received her mother's permission.

"Of course…on one condition." Irene's eyes were sparkling with an intensity Erza had never seen before. "You must be the one to teach him."

"Me?" She repeated.

"Yes, you. Nobody else."

"D-do I have to?" Erza was already beginning to hesitate. She didn't want more attention if she could. Handling one more person was something she hoped to avoid.

"You don't want to lead his talent astray, no?" Irene crossed her arms. "Now that you approached me for help, I wouldn't let it go to waste. If you back out now, I'll have to teach you about the repercussions of your actions."

"R-repercussions?" Erza stuttered.

"Of course. You offered to help him…then to turn back on your word? It is only right for you to receive a punishment after such an act." Irene paused for effect. Inside her, she felt a tiny bit guilty for what she was about to do next. But oh-! How wonderful it would be if it somehow worked! Irene was practically tittering on her toes with giddiness.

"No desserts for one whole year."

"I'LL HELP HIM!"

"Promise?" Irene smiled voraciously- which Erza missed out of terror.

"I PROMISE!"

"Good. Now I'll be watching if you keep your word~"

Erza scampered off quickly to store the book away in a safe place until Monday came.

I'm sorry, Erza.

Irene held a hand to her face as her mind ran wild with possibilities.

But this is for your own good too.

Oh who was she kidding? Irene was setting up her daughter to befriend the Black Wizard's brother! Sure it might mean gaining a valuable ally in the future…

but what if it grew into something more?

Irene swayed in place giddily at the sudden prospect that landed in the palm of her hands.

Screw the princes the other kingdoms had. She had the perfect material to form a son-in-law out of!

The queen of Dragnof hurried back to her office in lieu of making plans for the future.

.

.

.

Erza nervously drummed her fingers on the book while waiting for Natsu at the same garden cove they met the week prior. The idea of losing her dessert privileges scared the young girl to death. She knew how important promises were. But for her mother to react in such a way?

The young Belserion princess won't be giving promises that easily anymore.

It was a few minutes into the lunch period when Natsu arrived.

Erza froze briefly. She didn't know how to start a conversation. Most of the time, it was the aristocrats who approached her. Not the other way around.

It didn't help that Erza was only comfortable around the Scarlet-Belserion clan members.

Luckily for her, Natsu wasn't as shy.

"Is this the book?" He peered closer at the book on her lap.

"...yes."

Erza quietly handed the book over to him.

"Thank you." Natsu walked over to the other side of the garden cove, sat down, and started reading.

She recomposed herself and slowly approached the boy. Erza remembered her mother's warning if she didn't help teach him.

"So…you want to learn the basics, right?"

Natsu stopped reading. He could decline the offer, but if she could tell him what the book's contents were about, then he would pick up the words faster.

It would also conveniently hide his reading difficulty.

"Yeah…" Natsu decided that her assistance was necessary.

Erza inwardly released a sigh of relief. Now that she was in familiar territory, it was easier for her to distract herself from her nerves.

It was her first time talking with someone with a topic outside of politics after all.

Unbeknownst to them, a certain mother was spying on their little exchange.

"Ufufufu~ How cute~"


A few months later.

"Wrong. Try again."

"It doesn't make sense. Why is a magical academy teaching about history."

"It's part of the first year curriculum."

"It still doesn't make sense."

Natsu continued grumbling while grabbing the handful of notes Erza made. The two were reviewing for the upcoming midterm exams before the break.

"History is easier than magic. Just a lot of memorization."

Erza watched as Natsu pouted over the notes. She expected the boy to pick up history quickly, just like he did every lesson in magic. Except, it seemed that the ability didn't carry over. Natsu was horrible at remembering subjects unrelated to magic. The effort was commendable though. Erza had seen him studying during lunch a fair number of times.

On the other hand, he was the only one keeping up with her on magical subjects. Not bad for the only other kid her age in their class. Everyone else was a few years older than them.

They settled on a few minutes of silence before Natsu asked for another round of reviews.

He also failed that one.

"Haaa…I'll just take a break." Natsu leaned back and laid on the bench across Erza.

The act was oddly refreshing. Nobody else carried the same casual behaviour Natsu did around her. Everyone always treated her with utmost respect aside from her clan members.

Soon, Erza found herself comfortable spending time around Natsu.

"Hey Erza, what are you gonna do during the break?" Natsu asked the redhead while gazing up at the white clouds floating by.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing special. I'll be attending more ceremonies and events back at the castle." Erza lowered her chin over her hands. It was tiring. She actually liked being in the Dragnof Academy. The environment was new, different compared to the rigid high-class society that she knew. There was a certain charm to the honesty it showed. Stone walls full of hidden enchantments, classrooms that would've been frowned on by aristocrats- filled with lively students. The grounds were alive with magic every which way, from seniors to freshmen.

It was magical to her.

"How about you?" Erza returned the question.

"I'll be back helping my brother's clinic." Natsu admitted. Though lately, his brother admitted that there were plans to shift due to circumstances.

Needless to say that Irene was slowly grinding down on Zeref's insistence to distance himself from Dragnof's major projects.

A little tug inside Erza wanted her to be as free as her newfound friend.

Maybe I can sneak out the castle?

She shook her head and slapped her cheeks. The idea was tossed just as quickly as it came. Her mother would be disappointed in her if she ran off to do her own thing!

What if she said that it was to learn more magic?

Erza slapped her cheeks again. Irene Belserion was the greatest mage in Dragnof. How would that excuse even pass?

Irene would've definitely allowed it if she could guarantee Zeref to teach the girl.

"Time's up. That's enough for your break." Erza sighed. She looked over to Natsu then blinked.

How did he fall asleep so fast?!


Two years later.

11 year old Erza sat in an empty classroom while reading through the small letter sent to her. Two piles of them sat on another table, one opened, the other still sealed.

Her friend, a year younger than her, sorted through the piles with wonder.

"Wow, how many academy branches sent you an invite?" Natsu picked up a few to read. Herbology, Alchemy, and tons of others had sent the young princess invites to enroll with them.

"All of them, and then some." Erza answered. Even the academies from the other kingdoms sent her invites.

"Perks of being a princess, huh."

A letter smacked him in the face.

"It's tedious- and also annoying." She grumbled.

Erza and Natsu had left their class behind once it was clear that they were being held back. She then dragged around her prodigious friend on numerous trips to the library to study advanced subjects. Irene was especially proud when her daughter's growth jumped in spades when exposed to more magic. Combined with her supervision, Erza quickly burned through most if not all general subjects in the next few years.

Natsu was dragged along without his consent- suffered through the regular subjects Erza pushed on him. He was still behind the redhead on general subjects, but far head of their peers.

Not many peers to be honest. The starting age in the academy averaged around 13 years old. Erza and Natsu started at 9 and 8 respectively. Due to their company, their maturity was somewhat advanced. Natsu had been around Zeref ever since he could remember, while Erza was educated by her mother Irene.

As far as concerned, the two were never pampered nor were they neglected.

Natsu had his own pile. Unlike Erza, they were application forms for the academy branches he was interested in. Though, he still needed to complete a number of general subjects before he could apply for some of the others. He wasn't popular, but a few of the faculty had picked up on his equally impressive track record on magic.

"You can't join me in Alchemy yet, right?" Erza looked over at his table.

"Nope." Natsu shook his head.

"Then I'll just wait for your application." She shrugged and lowered the Alchemy Branch invite. "What about Summoning?"

"I can apply for that one."

"I'll put in a word that I want you as my classmate." Erza knew they would quickly accept Natsu after doing a background check on her request. Despite her royal status being uncomfortable at times, she appreciated the advantages it also brought.


Four years later.

"Have you discovered your affinity yet?" Erza looked at Natsu after he returned from another appraisal.

"Still nothing." He sighed.

That was the 6th time he approached one of Dragnof Academy's archmages. It was baffling how they couldn't identify what kind of magical affinity Natsu had.

"Cheer up, we'll find it eventually." Erza patted him on the head.

A few months back, the archmages of Dragnof offered to appraise Erza and Natsu. The appraisal would help find what type of magic affinity they were best at.

Surprisingly, Erza's affinity was very different compared to what the two expected.

Swords and Armor. Combat Magic.

Erza herself was still scratching her head over that one.

"It's really not that important. I'm still fine without an affinity." It was true. Natsu was just as talented as Erza even without it.

"Are you sure you don't want to keep trying? I can ask my mother to appraise you herself." Erza tried one last time. Between the two, she was heavily invested into learning her friend's magic affinity.

"I'm not that desperate to interrupt the queen."

"Fine…"

.

.

.

Natsu's eye twitched.

"I told you not to ask your mom."

"I didn't."

They were at the clinic. It had become something of an escape for Erza. The young princess would frequent the place to escape the nobles.

Things have changed over the past few years.

The clinic had been upgraded. Zeref and Natsu moved into a modest apartment once the place became too small for the trio. Acnologia inherited the clinic and renovated the old kitchen and sleeping area. After a few years of bugging Zeref, Irene had finally convinced the Black Wizard to officially take the advisory role under her employ. Once Natsu was independent enough, Zeref began to take small trips inside the Dragnof Kingdom under the queen's orders.

Little has changed when it came to the clinic's operations though. The two still ran it during off days. Acnologia's lessons in medicine allowed him to take over Zeref's position as the head doctor, while Natsu continued being the assistant. Erza was frequently spotted in the clinic under her disguise, mistakenly assumed to be a new hire many times.

The clinic was closed today. It was supposed to be empty.

"Hello, dear."

"What are you doing here…mother?"

The two students stood in the small kitchen watching the Queen of Dragnof enjoy a cup of tea.

"Well, I'm here to help with your little problem." Irene lightly smiled at her daughter.

"I told you to stop scrying us!" Erza pouted cutely.

"I couldn't help it."

Irene Belserion wasn't even denying it. She enjoyed watching her daughter spend time around her dark-haired friend.

Surely it was only a coincidence that she pushed her daughter to the boy. It had absolutely nothing to do with his blood relation to the Black Wizard.

Absolutely nothing.

"Your highness-" Natsu began but was interrupted.

"No buts. Give me your hand and let me appraise you." Irene demanded.

Natsu didn't refuse the order and held his hand out. Irene held it between her hands until she was finished with the appraisal.

"Hmmm…"

"Can you tell what his affinity is?" Erza leaned over, already having forgotten about her mother's stalking issue in favor of learning Natsu's affinity.

"Considering how talented Zeref is, I'm not surprised at how shocking Natsu's affinity is." Irene regarded Natsu with sharp eyes before releasing his hand.

"His affinity is Magic."

"What?" Natsu couldn't help but ask.

"You have no special affinity for specific fields." Irene continued. "It's not the same as having no specialty- it's just your affinity is good at any magic."

"What do you mean?" Erza was the one to ask this time.

"Natsu's energy reacted smoothly when I touched it with mine. I switched through all of my elemental magic and he attuned to it perfectly. It was difficult to differentiate the two, so the archmages must've assumed that they were only reading their energy. Which made it look like he had no specialty. In essence, having all specialties is not that different from having no specialty. It's that both aren't attuned to a specific affinity."

Irene wasn't telling everything.

This was the first opportunity she had to closely inspect Natsu without the Black Wizard around. Irene completed her appraisal of his energy in under a minute, then spent the following minutes analyzing the rest of his body.

Natsu was not entirely human.

Just what are you hiding, Zeref?


Author's Note

Yeah, yeah, it's been half a year. But it doesn't mean I've completely abandoned my old works! I still plan to continue them!

Aaaand the ship has sailed! 400 years before the Fairy Tail storyline! Nobody will kill me if I turned it into a harem out of guilty pleasure? Also, yey for predatory grooming? I'm sorry Natsu, Irene has already made a decision and you can't stop it. You and Erza are just the poor pieces on her chessboard.