Promiscuous Polygamous Siegrain
Chapter 2: Day One of Forever
Erza rubs her temple as Mirajane and Makarov surround her. The barmaid waves a paper in her hands.
A marriage contract.
"Master, I am not getting married to him." She eyes him skeptically, before adding, "Respectfully."
"How many times have I told you, you don't have a choice in the matter?"
"But what crime did I commit? Why do I have to marry someone is promiscuous and interested in...polygame?"
"Polygamy." Mirajane nods. "It's when a man has multiple wives."
Erza raises an eyebrow. "Siegrain wants many wives?"
"Well, no. Chairman Crawford wants to punish him for drawing attention to his wives. He likes to project onto Siegrain."
"All the more reason for us not to get married. This sounds like a punishment. Although, knowing him, he probably deserves it."
Mirajane frowns. "Oh come on, Erza. You would be married to one of the most coveted men in Fiore!"
"I don't care."
Makarov holds Erza's armoured hands, squeezing them in his grasp. Erza has never seen him beg like this. "Please, Erza, consider it. We are about to disband and a marriage between you both can save us!"
He sobs uncontrollably, causing Erza to sigh loudly.
Mirajane pats the guild master's head. "Think about the guild, Erza."
"Couldn't we get someone else to marry him...like Lucy?"
"She just joined the guild, Erza! Would you really sacrifice your guild mate like that?"
"People have told me that Lucy likes him. She looks up to him and has yet to cross his name off that eligible bachelor list."
"Well, your intel is wrong."
"Says who?"
"Me, of course! Just because she hasn't crossed him off doesn't mean she likes him."
"Siegrain and I are on bad terms. You both are imposing this marriage on us. It is going to end up disastrous."
Makarov gets up, wiping his faux tears. "Crawford will not give you choice. He is on the way right now with Siegrain."
"The...Chairman of the Magic Council is on his way to see me?"
"He created the program, so he's going to oversee it. You both are the first in the making."
"This is illegal."
"There are no laws on forced marriage except what Crawford ordained." Mirajane shrugs, patting Erza's shoulder. "Don't worry though, Erza. You'll have a big house and a rich man to live with."
"I do not want to live with him. Master, please don't let me get married to him."
"I wish I could help, but this is the Magic Council. You'll have to talk some sense into Crawford, and by the looks of it, he will not let up."
"And you're making me get married to a man so terrible?"
"Quite the opposite. Poor Sieg wouldn't even think of looking at Crawford's wives."
"Poor Sieg indeed." Erza repeats. "I'm going to make his life a living hell if we get married. If he's not dead by the next day–"
"Now now, Erza. Violence is never the answer." Makarov shakes his head, soothing her anger as though she is a child.
"This marriage cannot happen."
"It...is happening." Mirajane finishes as she drags Erza out of her seat and out of the guildhall, where true to Makarov's words, Crawford is waiting outside.
With many Rune Knights.
And of course, Siegrain, who is wearing a white tuxedo and not his usual frock coat.
"We have the bride and groom." Crawford says, keeping Siegrain upright.
"I refuse this marriage as a member of the Magic Council." Siegrain hisses as Crawford elbows him.
"Ignore him, knights. Instead, please be a witness to this joyous occasion."
Erza requips a blade as she is forced towards Siegrain, guided by both Mirajane and her guild master. She leans into his ear, whispering to him. "If this is one of your elaborate schemes, you're through."
"I am as unwilling to get married as you are." He says. "Crawford practically dragged me here after forcing this outfit on me."
"Erza, no wedding dress?" Mirajane asks, sighing in disappointment.
"No."
"I recall you buying one. Requip it. A wedding without your dress will not do."
Siegrain offers Erza a judgemental glance. "You bought a wedding dress?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. It was on sale and was equipped with fighting gear."
"Right."
"Believe what you want. I had no intention of marrying someone so evil."
At this, he smiles. "I wonder what I could have done to make you hate me so terribly. Forgive me, wife."
"How dare you? I'm not your wife."
"Settle down!" Crawford shouts, shoving papers in both Erza and Siegrain's hands.
"Erza. Dress." Makarov promptly indicates.
"Master..."
"For the guild." He whispers. "My dearest child."
Of course he would resort to such tactics to get her to agree. Erza resigns to his request with a sharp exhale and requips in her wedding dress.
Siegrain chuckles, causing her to glare at him. "What makes you laugh so, Siegrain?"
"I have never seen you in a dress. I must say, it is quite a sight to see you dressed properly."
"Your brother has seen me–"
"Speaking about my brother at our wedding? I'm insulted."
Crawford squeezes Siegrain's shoulder. "Well, this is what happens to a promiscuous and polygamous man such as yourself, Sieg. You will marry a woman who will never love you."
"She already does." He says, taking her hands into his.
She pulls them away from his grasp, insulted by his audacity. "What do you mean by that?"
"Just wait, Erza. In due time, you will come to realize the truth behind my words."
Her mouth twitches in contempt. "As if I could stand a man like you."
Crawford circles around them, reading through what Siegrain assumes to be a legal marriage contract.
"...and with this contract, the intended signees are never to have children."
Erza blinks numerous times. "What? No children?"
"Fine by me." Siegrain says.
"Is he crazy? What kind of marriage contract is this?"
"Well," Siegrain leans in, "he has an obsession with reproductive fitness. He wants me to have zero offspring."
"You seem to hate children."
"I never had a fondness for them. But judging by your reaction, I imagine you love them."
She stays silent, refusing to let him know more about her.
Back in the Tower of Heaven, she told Jellal how she wanted children in the future, who would only know her love and happiness.
And here she is, having the same conversation with Siegrain.
"And you may never divorce each other on any grounds."
Erza interrupts him with a raised brow. "Even if I am taken advantage of?"
"You have my permission to punish him as you seem fit."
Siegrain glares daggers at Crawford. "This marriage contract is the most ridiculous thing I've heard. We have no say on the terms of our marriage."
"This is a punishment, Siegrain."
"Your wives approached me."
"I will not tolerate such slander towards them! Er, now where were we?" he scans through the document. "Right. So Erza, do you take Siegrain to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
The term of their marriage fly over her. "No, I do not."
"No choice, my dear. This is the Forced Marriage Program." He turns to Siegrain. "Do you take Erza to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"No."
"Same thing applies." He throws the papers in the air. "Well folks, congratulations on your union. May you both have a very childless and monogamous marriage."
Erza glances at the chairman in disbelief, then nods to Siegrain. "You're right, he's gone mad."
"I told you, he has a fixation with fitness and polygamy."
"Maybe we should get him to join this program. That is...if you live to see this marriage through to the end."
He smirks, "Is that a challenge? I can't wait to see how you entertain me, Erza."
"Don't get cocky. I'll tell the Magic Council everything once you make a move. As it stands, this is our cue to part ways."
Mirajane gasps, coming in between the newly married couple. "Part ways? No, Erza. You are moving in with him. I had the girls help me put everything in the moving truck. It's on the way to Siegrain's villa."
"You can't be serious! Mira, what is wrong with you?"
"Contract says so. You both are obligated to live together. This will prevent any promiscuity on Siegrain's part."
Siegrain says, "You don't honestly believe that, do you? I expected more from you Fairy Tail wizards."
"You should never have hope in this guild. Now off you go."
They stand there for a long moment as the guild comes outside to cheer for them.
They got married in front of Fairy Tail, in the hot sun, dressed on a whim.
Said no to their vows.
And yet, nobody has yet to find their union odd.
They sit quietly in Siegrain's living room.
Erza examines his villa. The first comment that comes to mind is, "You keep your place tidy."
"What did you expect from me?"
She shrugs. "Something like Natsu and Gray?"
"Oh, Salamander?"
He has so many plans with that Dragon Slayer, but now with Erza as his wife, he cannot exactly act on his whim. Her observant self will catch on, especially considering how she has kept her guard up in front of him.
He could always take her to the Tower of Heaven.
But it has yet to be completed.
Never mind that, he has more important things to worry about. Today, he has been forbidden from coming to work.
And for the rest of the week. A mandatory honeymoon, Crawford had suggested. Cooped up in his villa.
This is the start of it. With them plotting ways to get out of this contract.
Erza nods expectantly. "Oh, so you know him by that name?"
"He is an exceptional wizard."
Erza stops sipping her tea midway, putting down the teacup on the small intricately designed saucer. "Sounds like you've been spying on my guild."
"Oh, does it? Anyone in the Magic Council has heard Natsu Dragneel's name one too many times."
Erza is on him in an instant, sword to his throat while she is still in the stuffy wedding gown. "Don't you dare hurt my guild mates. Natsu is very dear to me."
"Even dearer than your husband? I'm jealous, Erza." He pries the sword away, forcing her off him and quickly distancing himself. "You speak of all the men you can bring up. Jellal. Natsu. Gray."
"Natsu and Gray are my brothers. If you have a problem with that, then I won't hesitate to make it a bigger one."
"And Jellal?"
At this point, she flushes pink from anger. Erza throws her blade at him, misses when she watches him dodge it. "Learn to be quiet. It will do us both a favour."
"My wife in love with my brother."
"Do not use that term for me."
"Alright, what should I say then? Dearest? Darling? Erzy?"
Erzy.
She suddenly remembers Millianna.
Upon hearing him call her that, Erza approaches him with her hand raised, striking his cheek, gritting her teeth. "Don't you ever say that name ever again!"
He swipes his red cheek with a graze of his thumb.
"Your stunts were amusing at first. If all you're going to do is hit me, then I won't hesitate to turn this into a full-scale battle."
"Fine by me. I would like to kill you."
"You really do associate Jellal's crimes with me."
"They are your crimes if you're covering his tracks."
"I'm only doing what's best for your friends held back there."
She grabs the collar of his dress shirt. "You say that now, but if I find out you've been conspiring with Jellal, I won't hesitate to out you."
"I am not conspiring with him. I am merely leaving him alone. There is a grave difference, Erza."
She moves away from him frustratingly. "This is ridiculous. I'm not married to you."
"We aren't," he concurs.
"I'm leaving. There's no way I'm spending the night with you."
She stomps her way out, refusing to look back for Siegrain's reaction.
"Who gave you permission to come back?"
Erza gawks at Evergreen, who is roaming around Fairy Hills. "Who? Excuse me?"
"That's right. As far as I was concerned, you moved out of here."
"I don't care, I'll sleep on the floor of my room." Erza continues forward, and because of the commotion, all the girls at Fairy Hills come out and watch as her wedding dress sweeps the floor.
"Hey, um Erza?" Levy asks, gesturing to her wedding gown. "Aren't you supposed to be with your husband?"
Erza looks down at her wedding dress, scoffing at her decision to continue wearing it even as she left Siegrain's villa. She requips back into her Heart Kreuz armour.
"I have no husband." Erza says, causing the girls to gasp.
"Not a step forward, Titania!" Evergreen shouts, blocking her way. "As the new Head Girl of Fairy Hills, we have put a restraining order on you."
"Head Girl? I'm the Head Girl." Erza says in all seriousness. "Who exactly appointed you?"
"The landlord, Ruchio."
"When did he find out I got married?"
"He didn't," Cana said, shrugging. "Ruchio did as Mira told him."
Erza closes her eyes.
This is all one big nightmare.
One. Big. Nightmare.
She crosses over to her room, opening the door to find it empty and clean, as though she has never lived there to begin with.
"From now on, I am renting out your five rooms." Evergreen announces, to make a point that Erza no longer belongs here.
"This is ridiculous. I'm homeless?"
"Quite the opposite," Levy supplies. "You're married to one of the richest people in Fiore. Isn't that great?"
"I'm going to kill him."
"I think you need marriage counselling."
Erza pinches the bridge of her nose, contemplating what she should be doing.
They suddenly hear many many footsteps marching towards Fairy Hills. Erza looks out the windows facing the front of the building and finds Chairman Crawford and Mirajane surrounded by Rune Knights.
Mirajane puts a red megaphone to her mouth, catching Erza staring from the window. "Attention civilians. We have a bride on the loose. Please surrender her and we shall reward you with unlimited free breakfasts at the guildhall!"
Erza turns to all the girls, watching as smirks slowly plaster on their faces.
"Wait!" Erza squeaks, backing up to the wall. "You wouldn't want to hand me over for free breakfasts?"
"It's Mira's cooking." Cana says with a smile, before all the girls gather together and wrestle Erza.
Siegrain hears the doorbell ring hours after Erza has left.
He gets up from his study, scrolling up his blueprints of the Tower of Heaven and stashing them away in his drawers, fixing his coat before going to the front and answering his door.
When he sees Erza, held in the forceful arms of the transformed She-Devil, he wants to ask if she has really been running around in the wedding dress all day.
But he supposes not, given how exhausted she looks. She must have fought Mirajane.
And lost.
"Bride delivery!" Mirajane chimes, pushing Erza into Siegrain.
"Hello again, wife." He simply says, but when he meets her eye, she has a murderous gaze.
Siegrain suddenly does not feel safe anymore.
Mirajane hands a yellow ticket to him. "This is your first strike. Two more strikes and we will have no choice but to detain you both until you learn how to be a civilized married couple."
He reads over the ticket violation, sighing in annoyance. "You do realize these tickets can only be issued if there's anything along the lines of promiscuous, polygamous, and child?"
"Let's just say what Erza did was promiscuous. Running away implies that she wants to have an affair."
"You're crazy, Mira. Affair? You think I want to have an affair with someone?"
"No, I just needed an excuse to give you a strike. Get along, or else you will face the wrath of Chairman Crawford."
The threat is veiled beneath an innocent-looking girl and her angelic voice. She shuts the door, leaving them in the position she initially forced them into.
Erza only waits a few seconds before requipping back into her armour once again with a skeptical frown.
"You are terrible. Evil."
"And your friend is not?"
"She's not called the devil for nothing."
"Noted. Although, I thought you would have beat her in a fight."
"I was fighting off all the Rune Knights in the meantime. Not to mention, all the other girls came after me. What else did you expect?"
"Erza, you are going to land us in jail."
"No, I'm going to land you in jail." She slips off her boots at the entrance, walking around the villa. "Well, seeing that this is my home now, I should be making proper arrangements."
"Such as?"
"For one, bed arrangements."
He raises an eyebrow in curiosity, almost smirking. "So you want to share a bed with me? I do not think you've slept with a man before to know what they are capable of."
She attempts to punch him square in the face. He catches her arm before she can, holding it as she tries to fight his hold on her. "I've slept with Natsu and Gray before. The only complaint I have about them is that they snore loudly. But you...you really are promiscuous."
"Not so. I am simply a man. I take it that Natsu is completely oblivious to the ways of men. As for you friend Gray, he seems to stay in his boundaries around you."
"Don't act like you know them." She quips, even though he has accurately described them both. "Quite opposite to what you were thinking, I want the farthest room from you. I would preferably prefer if you chained your doors so you could stay locked up in there."
"I can arrange the separate rooms. But I think the chains are a bit much, though."
"Fine, then." She crosses her arms. "As long as I won't have to see you around."
"I'm at the Magic Council most of the time. I work around the clock, Erza. There is no time I would have to spend with a partner."
"Good, we aren't partners anyway. Think of it as me renting out half the villa."
"Two million jewels a month."
She narrows her eyes at him. "You're joking?"
"No, that is the price of half the monthly rent."
"Are you spending all your money on real estate?"
"Not so. This villa is paid off. But you insisted on paying rent, no?"
So everyone was telling the truth when they told her he is loaded with money.
"Then only in the case of money shall I pose as your wife."
"Fine by me."
Erza turns her back to him and catches sight of the gourmet kitchen.
The cabinetry is crafted from high-quality wood, displaying a smooth and subtle cream finish that exudes a sense of timeless sophistication. The cabinets are skillfully designed with clean lines and impeccable craftsmanship, adding a touch of refinement to the overall ambiance.
Then her eyes dart to the backsplash, adorned with intricately patterned tiles in complementary hues, adds a delightful visual interest and serves as a focal point in the space.
Siegrain observes her reaction to the kitchen. "I designed it myself. Breathtaking, isn't it?"
"I didn't take you to be someone who would his waste his time with such trivial matters."
He just has good taste, but she will never admit it. Every compliment in her mind will be spewed as an insult.
She claps her hands together, making a final decision. "The kitchen is mine. You can step into it anytime from midnight to six in the morning."
"You really do despise me. It would be in your best interest to stop associating me with Jellal." He crosses the living room, taking ahold of her chin. "For your sake, and mine."
She swats his hand away, flinching back. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Is it my fault you assumed I was going to try something? I am not exactly fond of the idea of expressing my affection for a woman who hates me."
"And if I didn't hate you?"
"Well then, you should know that it would not take long for me to fall for you. Your sense of justicr adds to your natural charm."
Her eyes widen. Is that how Jellal fell in love with her?
She is no longer that girl. She abandoned her dependence on him long ago, when he banished her.
"Promiscuous and polygamous." She says to herself, before sneering at him.
"We'll see if your opinion changes in the coming months."
He steps away from her, venturing into the kitchen to grab a sparkling drink from a mini fridge.
"Shall we raise a toast? To our marriage?"
She smiles, "To the short span of your life remaining."
"Oh Erza, nothing lasts forever. Not even your hatred towards me. Like I said, in time, you will learn to love me."
He slides the glass across the counter to her, the drink threatening to splash over the rim but never quite doing so.
It might represent their tolerance for these arrangements. Almost crossing a fine line.
But never really doing so.
She eyes the drink fondly, makes out the whiff of strawberry.
"How did you know I like strawberry?"
He shrugs, "Lucky guess?" followed by a raise of his glass. "Shall we?"
She comes closer, clinking her glass to his and watching the drink fizz. "My hatred for you will last forever, Siegrain. I promise."
"Let's see, Erza."
Then she takes a sip, savouring the flavour, before downing the rest.
Binding them to this covenant.