A/N: Finally! The new chapter!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Please enjoy!

Chapter 2: The King, the Knight and the Father

August X791

Rhiannon stood straight and stiff in front of the Pergrande Council – a council made up of a handful of nobles, Royal Knights, the two Magic Council members from Pergrande, and the king himself. If anyone ever said it wasn't intimidating to be in that room with them all, they would be a liar. She was dressed in her military best with several medals decorating it. Her hands were placed behind her back while she was looked over by the council.

The king – Aldric Beryl – sat in the center of the council, on an elevated chair. The chair itself was a bit intimidating with a high back and made of a beautiful silver metal worked into swirling embellishments and sapphire colored velvet cushions.

Despite only being twenty-nine, Aldric had been ruling Pergrande for the past six years. His father – Hulderic Beryl – had passed away from an illness, forcing him to step into the role of king earlier than expected. Though, Aldric did not stumble or falter in his new position and had proven himself a competent man and king. Rhiannon respected the man, but she did keep him at arm's length, seeing his calculating nature underneath the surface of his dark lavender eyes.

"I see you have both your resignation and guild application papers in order."

The voice belonged to a woman and she spoke in a very business-like tone – clipped, sharp and straight to the point. This woman was Clare Bannerman, one of the two Magic Council members. Rhiannon noticed that she looked very well put together, just as she always did, sporting a deep blue pantsuit with black heels and her dark brown hair was up in a neat bun. She fixed her glasses into place as she looked over the papers – a pair of black, cat-eyeglasses with a thin chain of sapphires hanging off the corners of them.

"Yes, ma'am."

Rhiannon knew that Clare appreciated precise and to the point answers, so she was always sure to never overexplain or add in any unnecessary information around the woman. It had worked for her well so far when working with the woman.

"I don't even know why we are holding this meeting," one of the men in the room grumbled. Rhiannon knew he was one of the few nobles there, but she hadn't ever bothered remembering who he was or what his family did. Out of the many noble families in Pergrande, his hadn't been worth remembering, at least not to Rhiannon, "She is a member of the military, a mage general at that. It would be idiotic to let her go."

"She has fulfilled her share of military time and more," another noble retorted. She knew this one came from the Seymour family, being a much more well-known and level-headed family, "It is not as if we do not have other mages to take her place."

"Not one as powerful or from the Ward family."

"Ah, there it is. You are holding onto her for her family name, for who her father is."

"Of course, I am! He is the Shining Hero!"

"Was."

"Excuse me?

"He was the Shining Hero. He has not been that in many years."

"What does it matter? He was a great hero for this country, and she is his daughter. It would be stupid to release her!"

Clare raised her hand to quiet the pair, having heard enough from both. She then looked back to Rhiannon, her hazel eyes sharp.

"It is true that the general is the daughter of Gareth Ward, the previous Shining Hero of Pergrande; but titles do not protect our people or our country, especially when they belong to men who no longer participate in battle."

Rhiannon had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Her father would have lost it if he ever heard anyone talk about him that way, and she would have given anything to see the look on his face by being called worthless from a woman with no magic. And she was thankful that it effectively shut up the nameless noble.

"And Rhiannon has proven to be a great commander in the military, one even without her father's name. You should show her at least some respect as we talk about her future in front of her."

Rhiannon gave the woman the briefest of nods as her show of thanks.

"But that does bring up a good point. You are a great asset to this military, and while I do agree with Seymour that you have given more than enough time to it, I do have to wonder why you wish to leave. It can't simply be from one loss or else you would have left long ago. Please tell us why you wish to leave now."

Rhiannon stayed silent for another moment, focusing on her next words more than the people in front of her. Her wine eyes finally settled on Clare, feeling solid and confident in herself.

"I am ready to move on with my life. I would like to have some of it left to live, and I'd prefer to do that with my wife somewhere relatively peaceful," she said, "While I understand your concerns with my leaving, I would like to point out that several of you in here have not seen the battlefield. You can't imagine the kind of toll it takes on a person, and this last battle…I lost almost eighty percent of my unit. Those are faces and voices I will never see or hear again, and neither will their families. The loss of life is a factor in war, we all are well aware of that, but this last time was too much too fast. I am more than ready to move on, and I have put more than enough time into my military career for me to choose to resign at this time."

The room was quiet for a good minute, the council mulling over her explanation.

The loud clearing of a throat eventually interrupted the silence. The noise came from Aaron Schwartz, one of the Royal Knights that were in attendance. He was someone that Rhiannon knew fairly well, and out of everyone else on the council today, he was who she trusted the most. He looked huge in the standard chair most of the council were given to sit in, but Aaron was a huge man in stature, voice and personality. Honestly, she was a bit surprised that it took him this long to speak up.

"If I may, there is a contract in place with our mage guilds, correct?"

Clare seemed to look relieved that someone finally brought up that point as she answered, "That is correct."

"Then I'd say to let the general go. The contract allows us to call upon mage guilds in times of war or for any missions we feel we need them for. So, we're not completely losing her, just borrowing her from time to time."

"We already have her. Why would we lower ourselves to borrowing her?" the huffy noble from earlier asked.

"You're not seeing the bigger picture here," Aaron answered, "Rhiannon's name is known by our people. As soon as the news gets out that she is starting her own guild, mages will be popping up to join. These people will bring more power to the military later when we have need of them. The type of mages General Rhiannon Ward would bring in, well, I'd say they could rival Bronze Serpent or Evergreen Griffin. And I don't know about you, but those are the type of people I'd like to have in our back pocket."

"I still don't like the idea of letting her go," the noble grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Why not move into a Royal Knight position?" Seymour asked, "Surely, you must have the qualifications for it."

"Oh, she does," Aaron said with a chuckle, "But she doesn't want the position. I've asked her numerous times, each time she declines. Didn't want to be separated from her unit that much or to be stuck in the castle for long periods of time."

"I see," Seymour said, "Well then, do we have any other questions for the general before we make our decision?"

Silence filled the room again.

"With that, I do believe it is time to vote," Seymour said.

"I agree," Clare said, "All in favor of letting Rhiannon Ward retire from the military, raise your hands."

Rhiannon watched as Clare's and Aaron's hands went up into the air, followed by most of the room. Only the noble that had been causing problems and another noble kept their hands down.

"Your majesty, you are really willing to let her go?!" the grumpy noble said, looking shocked.

The king raised his hand to quiet the other man, "If she does not wish to join my Royal Knights, then I will not have her."

Clare nodded her head before she started speaking, "There you have it, general. Or I suppose I should call you Guild Master Ward now. You are free to leave the military and start your guild in Carnelian. This council wishes you the best."

Clare then banged the gavel next to her to show that the meeting was over. The grumbling noble was up on his feet quickly. He gave Rhiannon one last scowl before making his way out of the room. Others began to follow suit, but with much kinder looks towards the general. Seymour nodded at her and shook her hand, wishing her luck in her endeavors.

"I am looking forward in seeing what this new path will bring," Clare said, approaching her after most of the room had left, "It is sad to lose you full time from the military, but don't be surprised if we reach out to you sooner rather than later."

"I assumed as much."

"Be sure to take care of your new mages. Have them ready. You know the kind of missions we ask of the mage guilds. They are not pretty."

"I know."

"You get straight to the point; I like that about you. Please call on me if you should ever need it in the future."

"Thank you, Clare. I will remember that."

Clare then gave her a final nod before exiting the room as well.

Rhiannon only had a brief moment to breathe before her attention was pulled back towards the large silver chair that the king sat in. He stood then, showing off his tall height and fit build underneath a simple, military styled shirt and pants. His dark lavender eyes landed on her, moving ever so slightly towards the door to indicate that she should follow him.

After a few solid steps, he spoke to his guards behind him without looking at them, "Only Aaron need follow. The rest of you are dismissed."

His guards being used to this kind of order from Aldric, stayed back in the room while he made his way out, Rhiannon and Aaron following behind him. The trio nodded at the few people they passed, the sight of Aaron and Rhiannon not uncommon to them. Aldric guided them to his personal quarters, making his way to his study where he knew things would be quiet and private.

He took a seat behind a large oak desk, moving aside a stack of papers as he did so. The room was large but cozy looking, filled with bookshelves, a record player, several comfy chairs and a couch with a coffee table in front of it, and a drink station.

Rhiannon and Aaron took seats in front of the desk and watched as Aldric took a deep breath to relax himself. He slid a hand through his dark blonde hair, allowing the natural messy style it was usually in to appear.

"Sorry to have dragged you through that ridiculous meeting," he said, leaning back into his chair, "But that stupid noble would not relent until we had some sort of formal meeting about it with you. I think he mostly wanted to see if he could intimidate you into staying, especially if he could get the other nobles on his side."

"It's fine, your maj-"

"Please, just call me Aldric when we are like this. Both of you are older than me anyways."

"Alright, Aldric, but it's fine. I expected to have to go through something like this to leave the military."

"Still, it is annoying. Drink?"

"Only if you have some red wine."

"Of course. Aaron?"

"I'll have the same."

Aldric nodded and moved over to the drink station, pouring three glasses of a deep red wine. He passed out the glasses before taking a seat again.

"I am sure you are wondering why I asked you into a private meeting."

Rhiannon nodded in response, taking a moment to appreciate the wine. She really needed it after that meeting.

"Well, there seems to be something going on in Pergrande. Strange incidents keep happening, ones much like the one you just experienced. Many of them happen when Bellum is involved in some way, but it would be too easy to pin them on Bellum."

"The attack that happened on my unit did seem off. Whatever caused the eruption of fire came from within Pergrande, not from Bellum. And I highly doubt that Bellum would kill that many of their people just to take such a small amount of our numbers out. The loss wouldn't be worth it."

"Exactly. You are very observant. Several other incidents like this have happened and it is starting to be noticed by more people. I am sure that Bellum has reported the strange happenings to their own higher ups. It does not bode well for us inside or outside of our country."

"I'm assuming you want me to look into these incidents?"

"Yes, very observant," the king said as he leaned forward with his elbows on his desk and hands clasped together, "I do indeed want you to investigate these incidents. Someone in Pergrande is causing extra problems that we do not need. Call it perfect timing with you leaving the military and starting up your own guild. And even better than you have seen one of these incidents firsthand. You know what we are dealing with. I am aware that it will take you some time to properly look into them, what with your new guild starting up and having to recruit mages, but once you start gathering information, I would like you to pass that information along to Aaron or Clare, as she is aware of the situation as well and I have found I can trust her. Or you can simply bring the information to me directly."

"I can do that. In exchange," she said, watching one side of his lip curl up into a smirk. He must have known that she would ask for something, "I want you and the Pergrande Council to not ask for our help in anything for at least six months. That will give my guild time to build up, for me to investigate these incidents, and for me to start training my mages. If there is a mission that you desperately need our help with within that timeframe, you are to come directly to me to ask for it."

Aldric laughed at her request, "Yes, of course, you have yourself a deal," he said before clinking his glass against hers.

. : + : .

"You know, I thought that the trip to Carnelian would be hard, but I think today will beat it," Rhiannon said, walking next to Aaron.

Aaron chuckled at her comment, scratching at his short beard. Rhiannon noticed a few spots of black and gray in it, but it was still mostly the ruby red color most of his family had.

"Dealing with the Pergrande Council and then the king himself is a tall order, but you handled it beautifully."

As he said this, he clapped a hand to her back. Most people would have lurched forward from the force of it, but years in the military and being friends with the Royal Knight had built up her strength to withstand the action.

"I'm very happy to see you stepping out on your own for once, Rhia. You never ask for anything and it's the least that we can do as the council to give something back to you. While it isn't complete freedom from the military, I hope you find happiness in it."

Rhiannon gave the man the first genuine smile she had shown all day, "I am very excited for the future."

He could only smile in return, happy to see the sparkle in her crimson eyes that had been missing for some time.

"Rhia, there's something I've been meaning to say-"

"Ohohoho! If it isn't General Rhiannon Ward!"

A loud, booming voice echoed through the hallways, one that could almost match Aaron for his own boisterous voice. Just a ways in front of them was a rather short and stocky man quickly making his way towards them. Besides his height, the most noticeable thing about him was the rather large black beard with gray streaks and braids. His clothing had pieces of adamantine metal weaved into it along with a plethora of jewels adorning his fingers, chest plate and earrings.

"Ambassador Coalmace! Hello!"

Both Rhiannon and Aaron knew this man very well. He was the ambassador to the dwarves that lived and worked in the Adamantine Mines. He had held the position for the past century and would more than likely hold it for another unless he decided to retire early.

"Oh, my dear, how many times must I tell you to just call me Lokhod? Still so formal, I see."

"Well, if we're being technical, I'm no longer General Rhiannon Ward."

His dark eyes went wide before a look of anger appeared, "What?! Did someone fire you? Who was it? I'll take them out myself!"

"No, no, nothing like that! But I appreciate your support nonetheless," Rhiannon said with a laugh, getting him to calm down, "I stepped down myself. I'm heading out to Carnelian to start up a mage guild. It all just got approved today."

He blushed slightly in embarrassment, "Ah, I see. Well, that is wonderful news, indeed! You'll make a wonderful guild master!"

"Thank you."

"Do you have a name yet for this guild?"

"Vermilion Wyvern."

"Very fitting for you, my dear. I'll be sure to make a visit after things are up and running."

"I would love that."

"Well, I must be going. I have a meeting to attend to soon, but before I go, are recommendations to your guild open?"

"From you, of course!"

"Wonderful. There is a young man from my home that I think would benefit from joining your guild. His name is Sano Cobbletop."

"Ah, yes, I believe you've mentioned him a few times before."

He nodded his head in agreement, "He is on the search for something important, but I will let him explain that to you once he reaches Carnelian. He is a bit of an odd one, but he means well. I do hope you'll have him for your guild."

"I'm sure he will be a welcomed addition."

"Marvelous! I will send him your way once I'm back home. Good luck with your new endeavors, my dear!"

"Thank you. I'll have a feast ready for you when you come to visit."

"Sounds delightful! Good day to you both."

Rhiannon and Aaron said their goodbyes to the dwarf before beginning their walk again.

"You were saying before we were interrupted, Aaron?"

"Yes, well…"

Rhiannon stopped when she heard him trail off and his footsteps next to her stopped. She turned around to see him staring down at the floor, surprised by the odd look on his face. It seemed to be a mix of frustration and gratitude. He finally looked up at her, surprising her even more with the watery look in his blue eyes.

"I know I said it before at the hospital, but I want you to know how thankful I am that you saved Lenz. Whether it was fate or sheer luck, it doesn't matter. You saved him, and I can never thank you enough for it."

Rhiannon was quiet at first, unsure of how to answer him because she also wasn't sure if it was fate or dumb luck that she had managed to find and grab Lenz during all the chaos. He had been the last one she was able to save, and had she been two seconds later in doing so, he might not be here now. And it was strange accepting thanks for doing what she would have done for anyone. That was her job as the leader of her unit. She still felt so much guilt for all the men and women she hadn't been able to save, so much so that she felt like crying every time she thought about it. She would never see those faces again, never speak to them again, and it was still hard accepting it.

Finally, she walked up to him, taking his hand in her own, "I must admit that I feel like I'm being selfish by asking Lenz to join my guild. I told him it was because I didn't want to see his life sucked away in the military like I did with mine, that I wanted to see him live and be happy. But really, I don't want him to leave me. All those knights that I lost that day…I'm scared of letting him go, of never seeing him again either. I'm not sure what choice he's going to make yet, but I'm sorry for taking him away from you if he does join my guild. I know you love him like a son and that you're so proud of what he has accomplished so far."

She was unable to say anything further as she was pulled into a tight hug by Aaron. Due to his large size, his arms wrapped around her easily and her breath was partly knocked out of her. Once she steadied herself from the sudden movement, she returned the hug as best she could with his size and armor. It was during the hug that she realized that her cheeks were wet. She brushed a hand up across her face and saw tears glistening on her fingers. She wasn't sure if it was from what she said or from the tears she didn't know she was crying that he hugged her for, but she was thankful for it either way.

"I'm just thankful to still have that boy back alive," he said as they parted, "So, whatever he chooses to do, I will support him either way. No need for you to feel guilty or selfish about it. He will be successful no matter where he goes, and being in a guild might be a good change of pace for him. I know Lili would be very excited if that's what he chooses to do. Hell, you may even get another Schwartz under your wing if that's the case."

Rhiannon looked worried for a moment, causing Aaron to let out a booming laugh and giving her another clap to the back.

"Don't look so worried! Lili is a good girl! You would love her!"

"I'm sure. I have a feeling she's a lot like you."

"Good guess!"

"Thank you, Aaron. I mean that."

His face softened as he spoke, "And thank you too."

The two stood in content silence for a moment before they started walking again.

"So, where are you off to now? Home?"

"Unfortunately, no. I have to make a stop by my father's place for a few things."

"That sounds…tiring."

"That's one way to put it, yes."

Aaron was one of the few people that knew what Gareth Ward was really like, especially around his own daughter.

"Why don't I come with you."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know I don't have to, but I've got some free time right now, and I know how he is. I'm coming."

"Fine," she said with a sigh, "But don't say I didn't warn you."

. : + : .

Gareth Ward's home was a shining, white mansion with gold embellishments across it. It more than fit the title of the Shining Hero. There were two gardeners out front looking after and fixing up the front garden filled with bright flowers from across the country. The yard looked perfectly trimmed and there was not a speck of dirt along the white sidewalk that led up to the front door. Neatly pruned trees dotted the yard along with a beautiful marble fountain that sat close to the front of the house.

"I often forget how much wealth your father has."

"Yeah, well, being called the Shining Hero isn't for nothing."

"And you still have things here?"

Rhiannon was quiet for a moment, "Only a few. I managed to get most of my stuff out when I moved in with Cassie. But I was trying to move quickly when that happened, so some things got missed."

"I see. Well, hopefully you won't have to deal with Gareth in this huge ass house."

"Unfortunately, we probably will since he likes to make his presence known when I'm here."

"Wonderful."

Rhiannon nodded to the gardeners when they passed them, the two women nodded back and said a polite hello to her. All the employees at the house knew who she was. She didn't bother knocking on the door, having saved the key that belonged to it. If he had changed the locks since she had last been there, well, she could always have Aaron kick the door in. Making the bastard pay for a new door was the least she could do.

But it seemed making him pay for that door was not on the list that day as her key easily unlocked it and they stepped into even more white and gold on the inside. She forgot how much she hated this house. It looked so pristine and lovely, but the man that owned it was anything but that.

"Ah, Lady Rhiannon. What a surprise! Welcome home."

She looked to her left to see an older man in a very expensive butler suit. His black hair was slicked back, and his moustache was combed neatly. His gray eyes looked genuinely happy to see her.

"Hello, Henry."

"I hope you've been well. Would you like some tea?"

"I would like to stay and catch up, but I'm only here to grab a few things."

"I understand."

"Can't even stay for tea. How ungrateful."

Rhiannon felt her eye twitch when she heard the voice of her father behind her. She took a moment to steady herself before turning to face him.

Gareth Ward was a rather large man, not quite as tall as Aaron, but just as broad. His body was still well defined even after years of no longer being in the military. She assumed he was still working out after all this time, but she knew it was a hard habit to kick, especially for someone like her father. His once blonde hair was now silver and neatly trimmed. And his red eyes were as harsh as they had always been. The only visible difference between her father now and what he had been before retiring was the robotic right arm and left leg. He had lost the leg right below the knee and the arm right at the elbow in his very last mission as a Royal Knight. Even after all this time, he was still an intimidating figure.

But she was no longer a child, and there was nothing he could say or do now that would change anything or make her feel less than he had already made her feel in the past.

"Why waste anything on me, father, if I'm so ungrateful?"

Gareth stood quietly, having been some time since he had last encountered his daughter. He had forgotten how little his intimidation worked on her now.

"Why are you here, brat?"

"Still can't help yourself from sliding in an insult, bastard?"

He grumbled under his breath as he took a step towards her, but he rethought that action as Aaron stepped up behind her.

"Tch, so you brought a worthless guard dog with you. How convenient for you."

"Can we stop this stupid game so I can be on my way?"

Gareth was quiet again as he stared down Aaron until his eyes slowly slid back to his daughter, "What do you want?"

"I'm just here to grab a few things from my old room, and then I'll be out of your hair for good."

Gareth thought over his choices, eventually deciding to let her do what she wanted was a lot easier for him than trying to argue with her. She would still end up getting what she wanted regardless.

"Fine but be quick about it."

"Obviously."

She rolled her eyes as she passed him and disappeared down a hallway and up some stairs. Aaron was left to stare down Gareth, the two men saying nothing as Henry awkwardly made his way out of the front room. Thankfully, she was back within ten minutes, a small bundle held in one arm.

"I'm done. Let's go, Aaron."

"Before you go."

She gnashed her teeth at her father's voice interrupting her again.

"What did you mean when you said you would be out of my hair for good?"

"Not that you would care anyways, but I'm leaving the capital. I'm moving to Carnelian."

"Is that on orders by the military? Did they finally demote you? It was only a matter of time-"

Rhiannon whirled around so fast that it even caught Gareth off guard. He hadn't seen that angry look on her face in years, not that he had actually seen her in years either. The wind outside began whipping around, smacking plants against the windows and whistling as it rushed past the house.

"I left the military of my own accord. As to why, that's none of your business. I am moving to Carnelian with my wife and our kid. I'll be running a mage guild there and that's the last thing you'll ever hear from me about it. I hope being the Shining Hero was worth everything you ever gained and everything you ever lost. If you ever think about contacting me, don't."

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of that glittering house, Aaron close behind her. Gareth continued to look shocked for a few more seconds until anger took over again.

"You were always worthless, and you'll always be worthless! I can't wait to read about your guild's failure in the papers!"

With that, he slammed the door hard.

Aaron waited until they were out of sight of the white mansion before setting a hand on her shoulder, "Rhia."

She jumped slightly at the contact, the wind around them dying as she looked at the hand and then up at Aaron. She then let out a heavy sigh, "Sorry about all that. I told you it would be horrible."

"It's fine. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I got what I needed, and I'll never have to see him again. At least, that's what I'm planning on."

"What did you get that was worth that trip?"

"Pictures. Of me and my mother," she smiled softly, "I couldn't believe that I had left them behind. And I'm not sure if the servants made sure he didn't touch them or if he never went into my room again, but either way, I'm glad I was able to find them whole and intact."

"I suppose that was worth it then. I'll be heading back to the castle now. You sure you're alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm good!"

"Alright. Well, good luck with the move and the new guild. I'm sure you'll be seeing me sooner rather than later in Carnelian."

"I was hoping I would. I'll be seeing you, Aaron."

"Take care, Rhia."

A/N: And there we are! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

Credits

Aldric Beryl – MyDearWatson

Clare Bannerman – MyDearWatson

Noble Seymour – MyDearWatson

Aaron Schwartz – Dreadburner94

Lokhod Coalmace – MyDearWatson

Gareth Ward – MyDearWatson

Okay, so, this took much longer to get out than I planned, but we're here! And I'm so excited! All character spots have been filled for Vermilion Wyvern, so that part of the submissions is now closed. Villains will be open for a little while, and eventually I will be opening spots for other guilds/the military, but I will make announcements when those are open.

So, a huge thank you to everyone who sent in characters! They were all great and I'm so excited to dive into them!

Not much else to say right now. The next couple of chapters will be the creation of the guild and then after that, we will be jumping into the first main arc and introducing some new characters!

Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews! They are all appreciated!

Until next chapter then!

Yours Truly,

MyDearWatson