It's Monday! This week, we get to catch up with Juvia after she fled the scene of the crime. As usual, our girl is up to no good. XD
- K. Chandler
"I've brought you your washbasin, my queen," Bora said, his voice soft.
Juvia was sprawled out on her settee, her aching knee supported by a mound of pillows. It was only a sprain, but it had gotten even worse once she had crossed back into Fantasma. The rain made the injured joint stiff and painful.
"Go fill it up," Juvia said.
"With?"
"Rainwater. What else?" Juvia pointed at the window. "Really, Bora. You'd think one would know better than to ask."
Bora's eyes widened in surprise, but he bowed his head, lowering his eyes. "I apologize, my queen. It won't happen again."
"It had better not," she said, her voice curt.
Bora returned with the basin filled with pure, clear water.
"That's fine. Now leave it," Juvia said.
Bora placed the basin where she had indicated, bowing politely. But instead of leaving, he headed to the end of the settee.
"What are you doing?" Juvia asked. Bora had to leave, or she wouldn't be able to see use her scrying bowl to check in on Gray. She wasn't about to do it with an audience.
"Just changing your ice pack," Bora said, holding up a towel filled with ice cubes. "I'm sure your other one has started to melt."
Juvia had actually taken the other one off, not liking the feeling of cold water dripping down her skin. It reminded her of the rain. Maybe new ice pack would bring her some relief. Juvia nodded for him to continue.
"You did this for me once, remember?" Bora asked. "When your late father wanted to make an example of me in front of the other servants? I was so sore I couldn't move for days… I honestly thought I was going to die. But you cared for me in secret. You were so kind and gentle…"
"Bora…" Juvia said. "Be quick about it."
This was just cutting into her time to be with Gray. The sooner Bora left, the sooner she could see her beloved again.
"Yes, my queen," Bora said.
As Bora left, Juvia lifted the silver basin, looking into the bottom of the reflective bowl. She tapped the surface of the water, rippling it with her fingertips.
What would Gray be doing today?
"You're lucky I agreed to do this," Lucy complained for the dozenth time.
"Don't worry," Gray said. "It will be completely worth it. Isvan's a beautiful place."
Lucy knew it was a little ungrateful, but she had been stuck in this carriage with Gray for nearly two days. It was so cold. She couldn't feel her toes. She couldn't even feel her nose!
And she missed Natsu…
She couldn't even remember how the fight had started. Natsu had hit a nerve, somehow. It made her feel like she had to defend what she was doing. She'd blurted out some things and he'd reacted.
She wished she hadn't lost her temper with him. Maybe he'd be here, keeping her company.
Lucy puffed against the icy cold windows, fogging the glass. She wiped the condensation away with her sleeve.
The lush greenery of Magnolia had worn away to unforgiving dirt and clay. That, in turn, had risen into rock-strewn hills and, eventually, unyielding mountains as they crossed into Isvan.
"Pretty, huh?" Gray said.
"I guess…" Lucy said. "I mean, it's just mountains, right?"
Gray chuckled. "Look again," he said. "Can you see between those two peaks, there?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah…? And?"
"Look at the clouds, right where the mountains meet the sky. See how the sun catches on it, and the clouds look sort of orangey and maybe almost a little pink," Gray said, grinning.
"I do." The color reminded her of Natsu's hair… Lucy couldn't help but smile.
"Now look at the snowcaps, pure and crisp white against the orange." Gray's eyes gleamed with delight. "Doesn't this road make it look like we're driving up into the sky?"
"It kinda does," Lucy said.
"I can never get enough of this view on my way home. It's a little different every time—the colors in the clouds or how the snow's laying—but the feeling is always the same. A little piece of heaven on earth." Gray pressed a palm to the carriage window. His features seemed to glow.
"You really love Isvan," Lucy observed. She hadn't seen her friend's eyes light up like this in a very long time.
Gray smiled. "That's not so strange, is it? I mean, it is my home. But more than that, the land and her people? They're mine and I'm responsible for ensuring its future. That's no different than Natsu's pride in his Draghi heritage or your appreciation for sunny Magnolia."
"I never thought of it that way," Lucy said.
King Jude had buried himself in work to cope with his wife's death. After Gray's parents died, he seemed to be doing the same. All Gray ever talked about was ruling his kingdom. Lucy couldn't help but feel like she was seeing the shadow of her own father.
But Gray talked about ensuring his kingdom's future with such pride and reverence. Maybe there was something more to Gray's obsession with his duties than an unhealthy way of coping with loss.
Maybe Natsu was right… Maybe there wasn't anything to fix…
"But how do your people deal with this cold?! I'm freezing!" Lucy complained, hugging her arms around herself.
"We get used to it, I guess," Gray said. "Um… Do you want my coat?"
"You don't mind?" Lucy asked.
"This is nice weather by Isvanian standards. I could get by in short sleeves," Gray said smugly.
"You are a freak of nature, Gray. Burt I'm grateful for it. Yes, I would love your coat," Lucy said. "I'm turning into an ice cube."
"Did you pack actual clothes, or do we need to take you shopping when we arrive?" Gray asked, holding out his jacket. It was warm as Lucy shrugged it over her arms.
"I do have another jacket. It's just in my trunk. I didn't think I'd need it on the drive in," Lucy said. "Although, I wouldn't say no to shopping!"
Lucy nestled into Gray's jacket, soaking in the warmth. If Natsu were here, she'd curl up against his side, as if he were her own personal fireplace.
She wished he was here…
Impossible!
How was Lucy with Gray?
Wasn't she just in Magnolia? Juvia had checked.
Unless… there were there two Lucys?
A decoy…
Juvia twitched. They thought they were so clever, leaving a fake Lucy behind while the real one went home with Gray.
Lucy was going home with Gray. In his carriage. Just the two of them.
Cozy. And in love.
This wasn't how it was supposed to happen!
Gray was choosing Lucy over Juvia, like he always did. He probably hated Juvia for what happened. He probably blamed her. This must have been his way of keeping Lucy close.
For how long? A few days? Weeks? Months? Forever?
Why did Lucy get everything she wanted? Thoughts of Lucy's smug smile tore at something deep within Juvia's chest. She hated that smile. Hated the way it made her feel. Small and powerless. Always yearning, never getting what she wanted.
Juvia needed to let Lucy know that she wasn't welcome. Juvia would make Lucy wish that she had stayed home. If Juvia didn't, she might lose Gray for good.
But how could Juvia do that? Juvia was powerless. Juvia was the victim here.
The vision of an unconscious Lucy, struggling to breathe, appeared in Juvia's memory.
The shock of seeing Lucy collapse had scared her at first. But now, Juvia couldn't help but feel a dark shiver of delight at the memory. That was the only time in her life when Juvia had felt like she finally had the upper hand.
She craved that thrill of control. She wanted to feel that way again.
"Bora," she called. "I want to go downstairs."
Bora bowed and gave her his arm. A pucker of concern creased his forehead, but he didn't say anything. He helped her down the stairs, supporting her as she hobbled to her laboratory. In her father's day, this space had been used as a dungeon and the walls still boasted the iron chains that reflected this history. But now, this space was Juvia's.
"Is there anything else?" he asked.
"No. You may leave."
Juvia waited until Bora was gone before she picked up a small clay dish with a shallow spout on one end.
Keeping her weight on her good leg, Juvia hobbled over to the shelves, empty dish in hand. This was where she had prepared the fortifying tonic that she had given to Gray when he had visited, so many months ago. This was where she had mixed the anesthetic for Gajeel's wounds after he stumbled into the castle courtyard after fleeing Draghi. And this was where she had nursed Bora to health after he was nearly beaten to death by her father, the cruel King Jose.
There were herbs and remedies aplenty in this room, and in correct doses, they could save a man's life. But that's not all they could do. The human body was a curious thing. Every substance had a reaction, a response, an effect. And, as a skilled chemist, Juvia knew them all.
She selected an extract of wormwood and poured over some crushed gillyflower blossoms. An infusion of bronze rainwort caught her eye with its orangey shimmer, so she added it as well, tipping a measured amount into the dish. The liquid foamed as the different chemicals reacted.
Now, all she needed was some chilling kullfruit to balance it out. She didn't have any fresh, but she had some dried kullfruit that she could rehydrate. She soaked them in the mixture, letting it steep while she crushed the wolf fennel with a mortar and pestle until it was finer than sand.
Juvia worked carefully, all her attention on her work. She didn't notice the fumes until a harsh, hacking cough wracked her chest. Her lungs burned. It had been careless of her not to cover the container. But the pain was worth it. If this would get her closer to Gray, Juvia would bear anything.
"At least, I know it's effective," she said.
"My queen? Are you still working? What's going on down here?"
Footsteps descended as Bora emerged in the room. He had his shirt pulled up over his mouth and nose.
"I thought I asked not to be disturbed," Juvia said, her voice rough. She coughed into her elbow.
"Have you been here all night?"
All night? Juvia hadn't even realized. She touched her knee gently. The pain had ratcheted up from dull ache to a hot sear since she had spent so long without keeping it elevated.
Bora's gaze followed Juvia's hand to her injured knee. "That was my fault. I should have known to check on you. I need to get you into clearer air."
"I'm nearly finished," Juvia said, shaking her head. "I just need to add—" Juvia broke off, coughing.
"My queen, trust me, just this once," Bora said. "Let me take you back to your room. Then I'll come back and finish whatever this is for you. Just please come with me."
She did trust him. Bora was the very best of the castle staff. His efficiency was surpassed only by Gajeel, and his loyalty was second to none.
"Very well," Juvia said. She held Bora's handkerchief to her face, breathing through it, as he carried her back to her room. "I'm sorry I'm such a burden," she whispered.
"Never," he reassured her. "I do this gladly."
Bora set Juvia down on her bed, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders before opening the windows. The raucous sound of the rain tapping against the stone worsened the pounding in her head and reminded her of just how cursed she was.
Bora didn't seem to notice. He just busied himself with fluffing her pillows, icing her injury, stoking the fireplace, and making tea.
Why wasn't he going back down to finish the potion like he had promised? That was the most important thing right now.
She opened her mouth to ask, but her breath caught in her lungs. She coughed hard, doubling over.
Bora abandoned his task, coming to check on her. She felt his hand at her back, supporting her.
"Are you all right?" he asked, frowning. "You don't look well at all."
She was fine. But she'd be even better if he'd finish her potion!
"Bora?" she wheezed.
"Yes, my queen?" he asked, his voice taking an anxious edge.
"Go back downstairs," she instructed him. "Add the ingredients I was grinding. Decant the mixture after an hour and bottle it up. There's a small glass jar on my dresser that will do nicely." Juvia pointed at an elegant vial that once contained perfume. She had kept the bottle since it had been so pretty.
"But… My queen…"
"Are you questioning me?" Juvia wheezed.
Bora shook his head. "I would never do that."
"Then do as I ask," she said. "Only come back to me after it's finished."
Bora nodded obediently, bowing before he retrieved the bottle. He shot her a reluctant look before leaving.
Juvia sighed, careful not to upset her protesting airways again. She needed to be less harsh on him. Bora was merely looking after her, as he always had. It was his job, after all, and he did it well.
More than that, she had to rely on him. In her condition, there was no way she could deliver her creation to Lucy, all the way in the mountains of Isvan. The cough would clear up in a day or so, but her sprained knee would incapacitate her for weeks. Even if she didn't mind the Isvanian cold worsening her injuries, she couldn't make the delivery herself.
By the time Bora returned, Juvia had made up her mind.
"Excellent," Juvia said, inspecting the glittery vial by holding it up to the light. She unstopped the bottle and examined the clear liquid inside. With the addition of the wolf fennel, the fumes she had experienced earlier were no longer overpowering. Instead, the potion had the sweet, fruity fragrance of kullfruit and gillyflower.
Perfect.
"Now, Bora, I need you to run another errand for me. Have you ever been to Isvan?"
There's something very Wile E. Coyote Instant Karma about having Juvia get hit with the unintentional back-lash of her own potions... XD
So, does anyone else get the impression that Juvia is focused on the wrong thing?
It was really hard for me to work the fairy tale framework with Lucy, since the original Snow White gets duped not once, not twice, but three times! And this was after her mother dumped her in the woods and sent a huntsman to murder her. (In the original Bros Grimm version, it was her mother. The stepmother revision came after in one of the Grimms' revisions, supposedly because having a murdering mom was just too much.) So, I'm stretching a bit to try to to give Lucy good reasons for being a victim not once, not twice... (:sigh: You get the idea...)
Speaking of which, let's revisit next week when we take a second look at Isvan Palace.
Next time, in Toxic, Lucy takes matters into her how hands: Typical Gray, keeping people at a distance. Except, now he was doing it literally by locking them out of rooms. Every time he opened his mouth, he kept going back to this idea of safety and protection, like he was afraid of being attacked. This was worse than she thought.
Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.
