A/N: Hi, it's been a while since my last update. I'm a bit busy these days, but here's my update as promised. Thank you for your reviews, smashdenslap and LadyHilariexxx (the next chapters might answer some of your questions ;D).
To all readers: Thank you for waiting. I hope you enjoy this update.
Despite the crisp of the biting cold winter morning, the atmosphere was filled with hot news spreading across the capital. The once-empty streets were now littered with papers, each page fluttering with the latest gossip stirring the kingdom. The main character for today's issue was not the usual imperial news about the prince's birthday celebration yesterday. Instead, Scarlet Moon's declaration regarding her daughter captivated both commoners' and nobles' attention. A towering figure garbed in a heavy cloak bent down to pick one up among the sprawling newspapers scattered on the ground. The cloak billowed slightly in the cold breeze, partially revealing some blue locks covering his face. The bold headline greeted his eye as the figure straightened and unfolded the paper.
"The Scarlet Sage Brings Her Fatherless Daughter into the Kingdom."
He crumpled the newspaper in his hand, seeing the word daughter printed on the newsprint. What is going on here? He asked himself as he gritted in frustration. His face darkened against the shadows as he observed the uproar among the people in the capital.
Irene stood by the window, gazing out at the cold morning. She turned her attention to the bundle of papers before her, which was quite less than her tasks before the archmage returned. She sighed as she remembered that spring was just around the corner. She needed to buy new dresses for Erza. On the other hand, Heine was busy compiling the other papers in the corner. Noticing her master in deep thought, Heine cleared her throat and glanced at the clock.
"Isn't it time to wake Erza, Lady Irene?" she asked.
Although there was no need to rush for this morning as it was still part of the royal holiday, Heine knew it was pretty much late for her master to be in her study instead of spending her usual morning hours with her daughter. Was it because of that news? Heine asked herself as she eyed the newsprint in the trash bin.
"I was thinking of asking the tailor to come and show us dresses for Erza," Irene said.
Heine couldn't contain her bewilderment. She thought Irene was disturbed by the columns asking for the identity of Erza's father, but Irene was more interested in finding a tailor for her new dresses. She blinked twice and gently shook her head in realization. When did Lady Irene ever care for her reputation? She thought to herself, remembering how the kingdom was thrown inside out after the proclamation of her daughter.
"Wouldn't it be better to go out and experience the capital with her, Lady Irene?" Heine asked, making Irene gently tap her fingers on her table.
"Lady Erza has been reading in her room for quite some time after learning to read and write. She's quite mature for her age but merely a child. She needs to go out and have some fun, I guess."
Irene had never experienced the luxury of childhood. Hers was plagued with war and bloodshed, so the idea of picturing the joy on Erza's face as they strolled the capital's bustling streets did not cross her mind. She was a normal child, after all. She thought to herself as she rested her head against her chair. But the last time I brought her to that similar place was filled with bitter memories. It was the time she had first abandoned her, thinking she could fully ignore the child after their contract. Her chest tightened just thinking about Erza's shivering form alone in the woods.
"She's just a poor child indeed," she said, sighing.
"You're right, Heine. Now, you asked Juliet to make the reservations at the best boutique you can find in the capital, I'll go and bond with my daughter." She said as she rose from her seat, venturing to the other room.
The magic carriage gently came to a halt in front of the boutique, signaling their arrival. Irene stepped out first, holding Erza in her arms, and then Juliet followed from behind. She shivered slightly as the cold wind touched her cheeks; Irene adjusted her hood and smiled as she felt Erza clasp the hem of her cloak.
"Thank you, mommy." She said, her breath forming small clouds as they trudged towards the entrance.
"I'm glad the reservation was possible," Irene commented as she turned her head to Juliet.
"Of course, nobody in their right mind would want to decline the request of the Scarlet Moon, Lady Irene."
Juliet answered playfully as she watched a few passing nobles resuming their carriages upon seeing the notice on the door of the boutique. As they approached the entrance, Irene lowered Erza from her arms and held her tiny ones, guiding her as Juliet opened the door for them. To Irene's surprise, Erza turned her head, her gaze fixed on a shadowy corner of the nearby alley.
"Is there something wrong?" Irene asked.
Erza remained silent, her eyes still trained on the alley as if seeing something suspicious. Irene followed her gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary; she even used her magic to confirm suspicious aura but found none. After a moment, Erza shook her head slightly and turned back to face her.
"It's nothing, mommy," she finally replied.
"Alright, let's head inside." Irene smiled reassuringly and gently patted her head.
As they stepped inside, the boutique welcomed them with a rush of warmth and the soft scent of lavender. The interior was filled with racks of finely crafted garments and shelves lined with exquisite accessories. The pink-haired attendant immediately greeted the expected visitor and bowed as she noticed the Scarlet Moon.
"It's an honor to have the Scarlet Moon in our humble abode. Welcome to the Celestial Boutique, Lady Irene," she said, bowing slightly. "And this must be your daughter. Welcome, young miss."
"Hi," Erza greeted.
"What a cute little child!" a voice greeted from behind, making them turn to gaze at the weird-looking black-haired man.
Erza's eyes fell on his peculiar figure, causing her to shy away and hide behind Irene's back. Irene's calm face turned to frown, seeing her nervous daughter. Juliet, noticing the situation, immediately stepped forward and lightened the mood.
"Don't be afraid, Erza," Juliet said gently.
Juliet turned to introduce the first person with her pink hair and significant maid outfit. "This is Virgo, the main attendant of the boutique."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Erza. Please feel comfortable," Virgo gave a warm, gentle smile and a slight bow.
Erza peeked out from behind, feeling a bit more at ease with Virgo's kind smile. Juliet then gestured to the black-haired man with a strange appearance.
"And this is Cancer, the main stylist in the boutique."
Cancer stepped forward with a bright smile, holding a set of styling tools. "Hello, young miss! I can't wait to help you find something fabulous,"
"Shouldn't you be more cautious of holding those materials in front of my daughter?" Irene commented, seeing some needles on his tools.
"I'm fine, mommy. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be shy. I'm thankful for your kindness. Please treat me well," Erza beamed as she squeezed Irene's hands, trying to reassure her.
"Oh mmmyyy~~~" the three adults gasped, seeing a blinking light of cuteness emitting from the child's face as she tried to calm her annoyed mother.
A few moments later
Seeing them busy with Erza's fitting, Irene took a sip from the cup of tea one of the attendants had offered her. She glanced out the window and noticed a child holding a red balloon, smiling up at her mother as they passed by the shop. She closed her eyes as she set her cup down. Memories came rushing to her mind. There was one time when her world was once in a perfect piece until that tragedy struck her.
Hundreds of years ago
"Happy birthday to my princess," the king greeted.
Irene's eyes twinkled as he handed her a balloon. It was made of a rich scarlet color matching both of their hair. Someone cleared her throat from afar; Irene beamed seeing her mother.
"Look what we have here," she said as she revealed the creature hiding behind her back.
Behind her was a small, delicate dragon. A gasp resonated in the room; Irene let go of the balloon and rushed to the small creature around her height. The dragon's white scales shimmered against the morning light. It had looked at Irene with curious eyes, its tiny wings fluttering softly as she gently patted its head.
"A dragon! Oh, Mother, it's beautiful!"
"That's cheating, my queen," the red-haired man said as he shook his head after grabbing the string of the balloon he had gifted his daughter.
The black-haired woman laughed softly as she watched him lend the balloon to her and carry Irene on his shoulders.
"How can you be silly in front of your daughter?"
A smile creased her lips as her memories ended. To think that someone like me had lived a life like that. She thought to herself as she opened her eyes and stared at the toy store before her. As the bells of the store sounded, Irene was filled with laughter from the children and the cheerful chatter of parents. Seeing the familiar shade of red, everyone went silent as the shopkeeper hastily greeted her.
"I greet the esteemed sage of the Scarlet Moon."
Irene stared blankly at the shopkeeper as he shuddered before her, unable to fathom that such a powerful sage was standing in his modest toy store. The news about her daughter must be true, he thought, as he tried to compose himself.
"How may I help you, Lady Irene?" he stammered, his hands trembling slightly.
"I would like to purchase a balloon," she said, making him blink in surprise.
The shopkeeper nodded quickly and led her to the colorful display of balloons, where she picked a blue balloon with silver stars. As the shopkeeper assisted her with the balloons, Irene's eyes wandered around the store, and she studied the solemn faces of the nobles in the store. Weren't they happy a while ago? She asked herself, seeing their anxious faces. Her eyes soon caught a child's figure holding a plush teddy bear. She turned back to the shopkeeper and asked.
"Tell me," she asked, "what do children often want?"
"Pardon-? I mean, most children might want to have plush toys, considering it's winter, Your Excellency." He answered, still a bit nervous.
Irene listened intently as he explained each plush toy. The red teddy bear's fur felt soft against her hands.
"This one is lovely," she said softly. "I'll take it."
As Irene returned to the boutique, it was just in time she had hidden the presents behind her before she saw Erza stepping out of the fitting room, wearing a magnificent spring dress that made her look like a fairy. The light pink dress accentuated her natural beauty with her waist-length hair free-falling like a waterfall.
"Mommy, look at my new dress!" Erza exclaimed as she twirled to show the dress.
"Good heavens, look at our young miss!" the two ladies squealed as they watched them converse. "She must be a fairy!" they added with gleaming eyes.
"You should thank me for it," Cancer beamed, making the two ladies frown at him.
"My scarlet, you look absolutely beautiful," she said, her voice filled with warmth.
Erza beamed at Irene's praise, her cheeks flushing with happiness. "Thank you, mommy!"
Irene smiled and reached for the large bag she had brought. She opened the bag, revealing the plush teddy bear and the starry balloon she had previously hidden. Erza's eyes widened with surprise as she saw the gifts.
"These are for you," Irene said, handing the teddy bear to the child with the balloon's string still on her other hand.
Erza hugged the teddy bear tightly, her face was filled with happiness. Irene lowered to her height and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"Thank you, Mommy," Erza said before running to her arms and hugging her.
"You're welcome," Irene said, kissing her forehead.
A few days later
Erza returned to her class, immediately noticing the empty seat where Minerva usually sat. She wondered why she was absent. Juliet told her that Irene had scolded the magic instructor, but the reason for Minerva's absence still puzzled her. Erza leaned over and whispered to her new seatmate in the fifth row.
"Do you know why Minerva isn't here?" she asked the blue-haired child beside her.
"Ju-Juvia doesn't know," she answered as she glanced around nervously.
Erza sighed and slumped back in her seat. She had been pushed to the fifth row instead of the second due to her flunking grades, particularly in their previous magic class. Since it became known that Erza was the Scarlet Moon's daughter, her classmates had been wary of her. They were afraid of misspeaking and somehow offending her because of her mother. They weren't that friendly before, but at least they're no longer hostile towards me. Erza thought as she rested her head against her chair. Suddenly, a female voice filled the grand hall, and the blinds were drawn instantly, plunging their classroom into darkness.
"Listen up," the blonde-haired woman said, snapping her fingers.
The children gasped in awe as a magical screen appeared, illuminating the darkened room with a detailed map of the kingdom of Stella.
"I apologize for the delayed introduction," she continued.
"I am your history teacher, DiMaria Yesta. Today, I expect everyone to learn about the history of our kingdom and the person behind the empire's founding." She said as she zoomed in on some of Stella's regions, highlighting a clue to the kingdom's history.
"Long before Stella had established itself as an independent kingdom, it was subjugated by the imperialist kingdom of Alvarez," DiMaria said, pausing before flashing a familiar insignia to the children.
"After eradicating the last blood of the dragon empire, Dragnof, Alvarez had become the greatest empire of its time, having lasted for centuries oppressing most kingdoms under their rule."
Erza leaned forward eager to know about their history lesson. The screen displayed the remains of the kingdom of the fallen dragon empire. Having the ability to talk to dragons? Erza asked herself, curious what that sounded like.
In the headmaster's office
"I understand your concerns, Your Excellency, but the statutes are clear. We cannot exclude any student based on individual requests, even if they come from someone as influential as you and Irene." August restated as he faced the archmage.
Belserion's expression hardened. "You know well what Irene is capable of doing, so you just make sure that the child's welfare is prioritized above everything else while she stays here."
"Instead of the regular procedure of posting for the empty spot of the magic teacher, why don't you suggest a person for that position, Your Excellency." August offered as he gave him the magic scroll.
"Appointing a teacher?" Belserion raised his brows as he stared at the parchment.
"I'll think about it, and one more thing, inform me of all her progress in her studies here." He said as he rose from his seat, storing the scroll with his magic.
Her. It was an unclear statement yet August knew who he was referring to, he then nodded and waved his hand over a magic orb on his desk. It shimmered and displayed a live view of the students in their classroom.
"Why don't you visit them for once? I will introduce you to the children," August said as the orb revealed that the students were engaged in their lessons. As the image shifted, it showed Erza participating in Miss Yesta's history class.
The archmage scoffed, his stoic demeanor unchanging. "I detest children," he replied bluntly before disappearing from his sight.
Erza rolled to her back as she relished the day's events. She had been doing well in class; however, her last question caused an unexpected reaction from them. The entire classroom had gone silent, and even DiMaria had been momentarily taken aback by her question.
"Miss Yesta, what was the archmage's name?" Erza asked as he remained unnamed in their discussion.
"H-He is the Silver Moon," she commented.
Her answer had only fueled Erza's curiosity as the question lingered unanswered, and the identity of the strongest sage and one of the most important figures in the empire remained unnamed. Everyone seemed to be contented with the thought of addressing the archmage as "The Archmage" or the "Silver Moon," but nobody ever mentions his name or last name. Erza can't fathom the fact that she was treated as if she had some kind of disease when she had no last name before, but the idea of being as powerful as the archmage being unnamed made her wonder.
"You're still awake?" a voice asked as she felt a gentle hand on her head.
"M-mommy," she looked up to see Irene climbing onto the bed beside her.
"Did you wait for me?" Irene asked, kissing her forehead. She scooped her daughter into her arms and laid her head on her shoulders.
"Y-yes," Erza admitted as she blushed at her affection.
"Let's sleep now," she said, running her fingers to her child's head.
"Um, mommy. Can I ask you something?" Erza said as she looked up at her.
"Sure," Irene nodded.
"What is the archmage's name?"
Irene's hand stilled for a moment, her fingers paused as she took a deep breath, her eyes distant as she gathered her thoughts.
"Why do you ask, Erza?" she replied gently.
"In class today, we talked about the founding of the empire and the prominent figures' contribution to the founding of the kingdom. You were mentioned, but you only have a little information, Mommy. But what made me wonder... why was the archmage's name not written in their records? How can a man like him with such a reputation be unnamed in the books of the kingdom?"
"He is a man of mystery, Erza. It would far be better not to cross lines with him, okay? Do not ask such questions again. The archmage may have reasons why someone in his position would need to keep their identity hidden." Irene said, resuming stroking her hair.
"Goodnight, Mommy," Erza said as she yawned and moved closer to feel her warmth.
Two decades ago
"Charteris… My name is Charteris," he said as he slid the sword back to its scabbard.
Hearing his name for the first time made Irene wonder. It had been a decade since they fought side by side, yet they had only ever known each other by nicknames. They were the Moons of the fallen kingdom of Stella, the bringer of hope yet she was unsure what was this ominous feeling looming in her heart.
"What do you mean?" Irene asked as she stared at the headless corpse of the enemy commander.
The crown prince of the Alvarez kingdom was named Charteris. He was renowned as the youngest and most brilliant tactician, whose strategies had eradicated many established kingdoms over the centuries. His intellect and prowess in warfare made him a feared figure among the kingdoms that planned to overthrow the empire. Irene's eyes flashed in anger at the thought of such betrayal. Was the man she was helping the scoundrel that overthrew her kingdom?
"Yes, Irene," he said quietly.
"I was one of them." He said.
"If you had not saved me, I may have died like how they said it in their reports."
A/N: Thank you for supporting me with this one. Kindly leave some reviews. This author right here loves reading your reviews. Please leave some thoughts. Thank you!