Round Table Chapter 1: The Queen of the Holy Sword

By Bluestar076

Hello everyone! Bluestar here with yet a new idea! And yes, once again, I've broken what I've said in the past. In the first chapter of Killing Blades, I said that I would have stopped making new stories for a while but I couldn't resist this one! It came out after a friend of mine made a particular AI art of the characters of my other Fairy Tail SYOC, Shogunate Pride. Then a possible idea I had in mind came into flow, and here we are, with my third SYOC story in general and my second Fairy Tail SYOC, which is once again based on a theme! This one may come up as a challenge actually because, unlike the other stories I've made up so far, this comes as a freshly new idea, so I still have to come up with most of the characters and the story arcs, so if it comes up that there are slower updates on this one, you know why. But as I did with both Fate/Twin Roses and Shogunate Pride, I'll do my best to continue the story and not let it die, as long as I can! Now, as always, before we start, here are some of the settings of the story itself, which are similar to those of Shogunate Pride:

- Like Shogunate Pride, this is a direct sequel, and it takes place one year after Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest, so we're in the year X794. Indeed, 100 Years Quest isn't done yet, but knowing Mashima's writing, there probably won't be any significant changes to the overall story. Even so, this story will be based on theories and presumptions about how the story in that manga will end. So yes, this is a sequel. And to those curious, this story in particular will be parallel to Shogunate Pride. Whether some moments will happen before or after some events of that story, I'll see when the times come. So yeah! Expect some cameos or even crossover chapters! I'm open to the idea!

- Like Shogunate Pride, this story does not take place in the same region of the Fairy Tail guild, Fiore, but in another region of the Ishgar continent. This time, it will take place in the region of Seven, which will be based on Britain.

- This story will naturally maintain the magic and humorous mood of the original Fairy Tail story, but there will probably be a darker, more violent, and more adult tone in some specific parts, as I always did.

- Naturally, this story will have an original guild with original characters, but this doesn't mean that you won't see the characters you grew up to love! Expect to see them soon in future arcs!

- And like with Shogunate Pride, this story will be based on the manga of Fairy Tail and the two movies, so it won't count the three filler arcs of the anime (Daphne, Key of the Starry Sky, Eclipse Celestial Spirit), neither those will be mentioned. As I followed Fairy Tail through the manga, I'll stick to the product I've followed.

Now, with all this said, I don't take more of your time and we can dive right into the first chapter! So, sit back, relax, and let's make a jump into the unknown with this new story! I hope you enjoy it!

Note: I do not own Fairy Tail. All rights and characters belong to Hiro Mashima, A-1 Pictures, and CloverWorks.


Chapter 1: The Queen of the Holy Sword

Seven – Capital of Somnus – Royal Palace

It was the dawn of a new day for the Kingdom of Seven, and both tension and enthusiasm were in the air, as the old was about to leave its place for the new, which would have changed everything.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor of the highest tower of the royal palace, which led to the throne room. The pace of the steps was regular…yet heavy, as the one who was making them had mixed emotions.

It was a young girl who was barely 21 years old. She had long fuchsia hair collected in twin tails held by yellow ribbons and yellow eyes. She was wearing a long blue dress with several recurvations that covered her legs, long silk blue gloves that reached her elbows, a white necklace with a sapphire, and deep blue high-heeled shoes.

A rare sight of beauty, but a justified one, as she lived in the higher spot of the kingdom's hierarchy ever since she was born.

"Anf…anf…" As she kept on moving towards the great adorned door, this girl took a deep breath, since she had mixed feelings about it. She knew that this day would have arrived one way or another, and she was prepared for it ever since she was a little kid. But, in her opinion, it arrived too soon. She was hesitant and she didn't feel ready for it, but on the other side…she knew that it was her duty.

She had to take her place in the history of the kingdom…as its new guide.

Inevitably, she reached the door, and before opening it, she took a moment to let everything flow in her mind.

It was a role, a privilege she would have given to ever since she was born, and she couldn't lie, she adored the idea. But as she grew up, she realized the burden she was going to take on. Would have been able to do it?

To feel more at ease about it, she thought of what her father, her predecessor had told her many years earlier.

"Being a king or a queen is no easy task at all. Many people think that since we own a kingdom in the palm of our hands, we have the easiest life that someone could ever ask for, but that is far from the truth. Being the sovereign of an entire land means that you're responsible for everything that happens in that land. Every life, every dream, every hope, every despair, every calamity, every miracle…you'll be the one that will decide them all. Once the crown is in your head, it will be up to you to decide whether to become the purest of saints or the evilest of devils, and the devotion of the people will be something you'll need to earn with your heart, not only on paper. I know it's a lot to handle but…let me tell you this, my only daughter: do not let yourself be attached to traditions or legacies. When I leave for the heavens, you'll be the one to hold the crown, and I want you to decide which way you want to lead this kingdom and its children. Decide from yourself, fight from yourself, and see within your heart what type of ruler you want to be. I probably won't be there to see how you'll do…but I'm sure everything will be ok…because I know you. You're the purest girl I've ever met after your mother, and I'm sure you'll do the right thing. Do your best to be a good example…and be yourself as a queen…my only daughter."

Remembering that moment made her feel at ease…even if just a bit. Her father wasn't there anymore, and her mother wasn't in the condition to rule the kingdom. Which meant…

That it was her turn.

Would have been able to do such a job? To carry such a burden? The girl thought it was too soon, but the kingdom of Seven couldn't stay for too long without someone to guide them, and besides…she wanted to make her father happy.

That was enough to make her take a deep breath. "Here we go…" And in the end…she opened the door.

In front of her appeared the throne room, adorned with ionic columns and statues of angels put in front of each other on both sides, glass windows that illustrated gods and important events from both Seven and the rest of Ishgar, and a long and large staircase that led upwards covered by a regal blue carpet with golden lines.

The girl looked around to see the closest knights of the kingdom put on both sides. Looking at her. She gulped a bit before starting to walk up.

As she made her way up the staircase, the knights started to bow down in a sign of respect and loyalty. To that girl, it almost seemed unrealistic. They always bowed to her father, but now…they bowed to her, a thing that she saw only in her dreams.

As she got closer to the end of the staircase, she could feel her heart become heavier, like the violin that would have started an entire orchestra soon. But she took courage…and kept on going. She needed to do it.

And in the end, she reached the top, where she could see it: a regal silver chair that stood behind a terrace. She remembered how her father let her play on that throne…with the promise that one day, it would have been hers. And now…that day had come.

On the right of the throne, stood a tall and imposing man with black hair and beard, eyes of the same color, wearing pitch-black armor with a blue cape with white fur and holding a long glaive. The knight had a stoic expression as he looked at the approaching girl.

Bogardius Axeheart – General of the Kingdom of Seven's army

On the left of the throne instead, stood an old bishop of the White Church with its white vest, and what seemed to be a young lady with long white hair and raspberry-red eyes, wearing a long white vest with black gauntlets and silver high-heeled boots. She was also holding a silver scepter made out of metal with a blue gem carved inside.

Vivienne Avalon – Royal Sorceress of Kingdom

The girl was relieved to see all these figures, the mage in particular, who came closer to her and held her hands.

"Ooooh, my! You look gorgeous today, little girl! I'm sure that even the princess of Pergrande would envy you!" Vivienne exclaimed.

This made the girl blush and look elsewhere. "C-Come on now, don't say it like that! It's not the first time you've seen this dress!" she said.

"Oh now, don't feel flustered! As the new queen of Seven, you'll surely have to get used to getting praised! All the knights, the subjects, and the suitors will do that!" Vivienne insisted. She made a smug smile on the last word.

"S-Suitors!?" Vivienne exclaimed, blushing even more. In that scene, Bogardius facepalmed.

"Now, now, Vivienne. I know you're happy for her, but you'll scare her even before she gets crowned! Maybe we should leave her some space." A third voice suddenly said. The girl was relieved and very happy to see that it was a woman with long fuchsia hair, and eyes of the same color, wearing a long crimson dress with a white jabot, a necklace with a ruby around her neck, and white high-heeled boots. She also had eye bags.

Aurelia Lacrima – Former Queen of Seven

"Mom!" The girl quickly ran toward her to greet her with a tight hug. "You really came! Even in your conditions…" She spoke.

"Oh, now. This is the most important day for my daughter. Even with this fragile body of mine, I wouldn't have lost it for no reason!" Aurelia replied.

"Good to see you, my lady!" Vivienne promptly said. "And you know you can't tell me to do such a thing! Not after I've basically raised her with you and Aegium! Especially on a day like this, someone has to lighten the mood!"

"Speaking of which, how you're feeling, my little blooming flower?" Aurelia then asked her daughter.

The girl was a bit ashamed to answer sincerely, but she knew she could be sincere with her mother. "Anxious…like…a lot. I mean, it was just all sudden! I…I still need to see if I can do it…"

At that answer, Aurelia made a gentle smile and started to gently stroke her head. "I won't hide that I feel in blame for this. Due to my weak body and my incapacity of guiding the kingdom, I've left you with such a heavy burden when you're only 21. But don't worry…I intend to do my part and assure you that you won't be alone in this. I shall teach you in the ways of bureaucracy and government. And I'm sure the others are the same!" She looked to the others, who nodded.

To that, the girl smiled back. "Thank you. And…it's true that I feel anxious but…I still want to do my best. It's what I promised to dad. If…if this kingdom needs a ruler…then I'll be one." She replied.

"And I know that you'll do a great job, my wonderful daughter." After answering back, Aurelia looked at Vivienne and the bishop. "She's ready."

Vivienne came closer to the girl and took out a small chest with some chalk dust. She put two fingers on it, and with them, she painted on the girl's front an emblem of a dragon with its wings spread. "With this, you're ultimately bonded to the story of Seven." She said before winking. "Good luck, girl!"

The girl nodded and then looked at the approaching bishop. Once the old man got closer, she kneeled down.

The religious man took a golden crown from a purple pillow and raised it up. "May the goddess Claire and the rest of the pantheon bless you with their purity. Regina advenit. Sermo eius et gladius nunc lex eius est." And with that pronouncement…he lowered the crown towards her.

The girl made a few deep breaths to calm herself down…before she felt something on her head. When she opened her eyes, she touched her head…and could confirm it. "A-Ah…"

The crown…was in her head. The title…was hers.

She took some more deep breaths as she looked at Vivienne and Aurelia, who were both happy at that sight.

The sorceress thumbed up, while Aurelia nodded and led her towards the terrace.

After a proper kneel, Bogardius accompanied her as well.

And at the terrace…the girl could see it. All the inhabitants were down there…at the entrance of the palace, waiting for her presentation, a sight that would have killed an agoraphobic.

The girl didn't expect all those people…yet there they were. And they were there for her. All she could do…was to live up to their expectations…and promise to protect them from that day onward.

For once…she let herself go. And after one last deep breath…she spread her arms…in sign of her presence.

With that, Bogardius came closer to the terrace and made the last touch.

"TODAY, A NEW ERA FOR SEVEN STARTS! I PRESENT YOU OUR NEW RULER! QUEEN LUNAFREYA LACRIMA!"

The loudest cheers that could be heard roared up. Exultations, salutations, and pledges to loyalty. All for that girl.

"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"

Lunafreya looked down at the crowd, almost in awe. The dream had become reality, the future had become the present…and the moment…had finally come.

She was the queen. All the inhabitants were now pledged to her. She couldn't help it…and lowered her hands as if to tell them to lower their voices. And surprisingly for her…they did.

Lunafreya took the chance to speak. "I thank you all for this positive answer coming from all of you. You have no idea what it means to me, as I consider myself still not worthy of all this support. As the daughter of King Aegium, I know that it's my duty and right to take the throne since my mother can't do so due to her health conditions…but I feel like I have a lot of work to do. Maybe among you, some people don't want to see me here, and I can't tell that you are wrong. So, what I ask for you is…to give me this opportunity…to be the ruler you deserve! I promise, with every fiber in my body, that I'll make sure that your trust will be awarded! Kingdom of Seven! You'll all be in my care!"

At first…only silence.

Lunafreya was deeply worried about it. "…I screwed it up, didn't I?" But just as she thought of it…

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The choirs and the cheers revamped, even louder than before, with many of the citizens even kneeling down to her.

"W-What!?" Lunafreya exclaimed, not expecting the answer.

Bogardius fell into tears. "T-The same charisma of her father…" He immediately kneeled down. "I'LL BE IN YOUR CARE, YOUR MAJESTY!"

Aurelia and Vivienne immediately ran towards her to hug her.

"Oooooh, THAT'S MY GIRL!" Aurelia exclaimed.

"You nailed it down there, kid!" Vivienne added.

Lunafreya, on the other hand, went straight pale (or rather we'd say, paler than before). She didn't expect the feedback, and now she definitely raised the expectations higher, even if unwittingly. The least she could do…was to hug back the two women and promise herself to keep the expectations high. Or at least…that was what she wanted to think.

"This is going to end up so bad…"

Lunafreya Lacrima – Queen of Seven

And so, the moment was sealed. Another important day was marked in the history of Seven, with a new queen ready to rule it…kinda. The celebrations would have continued for over a week. In a way…that would have been the newly crowned queen's text to see if she could have lived up to the expectations.

If she wanted to keep the promise, she needed to fully grasp the responsibilities of her role. A long life was up ahead.


The Next Day…

As the sun rose high on the city of Somnus, great turmoil was already in the air. The citizens were already awakened and in movement, the bakeries were already preparing the bread, the stores were already open, and the royal guards were already monitoring the roads of the grand city.

"So, we have a new queen, eh?"

"I honestly don't know what to think. I'm not one to see a kingdom in pink!"

"What do you mean? It's not the first time we have a leading queen!"

"I hope she'll manage to sustain this. 21 years is a lot soon for a ruler!"

"Eeeh, she'll do it. She's Aegium's daughter after all!"

"I hope well…"

Naturally, the topic of the day could only have been the crowning of the new queen, with people sharing their thoughts and expectations on the future of the kingdom. Some were skeptical while others were more optimistic. But one thing was certain, the arrival of a new queen was surely something that could keep an entire city and an entire kingdom busy, and naturally, the newspapers were the first ones to gain from it, especially the 'Seven Times', the leading newspaper of the region.

And that great movement would have continued for over a week, with parties, games, events, and even the participation from other regions of Ishgar, with some of them already preparing gifts and vessels to assist at the celebration.

The royal castle was the place that had the most movement of them all in the next days, as a lot of things had to be done, now that a new leader was sitting on the throne. The knights were already moving toward their positions, the cooks were doing their best to prepare all the meals of the day, fitting for a queen, the administrators were going to write and of course, the janitors were ready to despair over the mess that was going to fall all over the palace due to the celebrations.

Bogardius and Vivienne were in one of the many external courtyards, taking a look at the knights who were making their formations or training.

"Seems like the knights are eager to work today, eh Bogardius?" Vivienne asked the general.

As an answer, Bogardius simply closed his eyes. "Great events and great changes lead inevitably to a lot of movement. A great concern among our ranks will probably be how the new queen will handle the army." He spoke.

"Oh, I don't think it will change that much." The sorceress replied, sounding confident. She then came closer to Bogardius to whisper. "Did I ever tell you that Queen Lunafreya loves swords and is actually a big fan of that red-haired mage from that Fiore guild? What was her name again? Erza?"

"That sounds like something I shouldn't know. Are you trying to spread gossip again, Vivienne?" Bogardius asked with a skeptical face.

Vivienne whistled out and looked elsewhere, trying to act innocent. "What? Me? Spreading gossip? Noooooo! I don't know what you're talking about!"

Their attention was then caught by loud battle cries that were made behind them. By turning around, they could see a squadron of black knights swinging their blades in unison while screaming, showing their efforts.

At their command stood an older knight with a fully red-colored armor, with two large spikes at the pauldrons. Even the helmet he was holding had two large upward horns, resembling those of an antelope. The man himself had pale skin, green slit eyes, and long orange hair.

"Commander Hagen?" Bogardius called him out as he came closer, making him turn around.

The knight in question had some nervous tic in the right eye, but he made a large smile at the sight of the general. "Aaah, General Bogardius! Always a great pleasure to see you! The same goes for Lady Vivienne."

"Oh, don't be silly! I'm just your average mosquito buzzing around!" the royal sorceress jokingly replied.

"I see that your soldiers are quirky today." Bogardius then noticed.

"But of course! Now that Seven has a new queen, we must find ourselves ready to battle at any eventuality, especially considering after hearing what she had said yesterday!" Hagen replied.

To that, both the general and the sorceress raised an eyebrow, confused.

"After…what she had said yesterday?" Bogardius asked.

"Yes! You know, the 'I'm still not worthy of this' part. Voices are already spreading in the army, and that's the reason I've started sooner. It's clear that that girl is weaker compared to King Aegium, so don't you think that she should have strong soldiers?" The commander explained, showing some confidence in her words.

"Hey, hey! What do you mean by that?" Vivienne was about to protest, but Bogardius put a hand in front of her to tell her that he would have taken care of it.

"I think you have misunderstood, Commander Hagen. With that sentence, our queen and your queen said that she wants to do her best to earn the people's trust, and she clearly hasn't announced that she's a weak person! We shall see it with time, and if that happens to be the truth, it surely wouldn't be something that should concern you." Bogardius told the commander with a serious stare.

"Oh, I think that's more for me to be concerned of! We cannot allow a girl like her to weaken the kingdom with her paranoids and insecurities! Think of the disastrous results that it could bring in case of, I don't know, a declaration of war! That's why I'm training the soldiers to be the best of themselves! If she's insecure, she can't clearly hold a sword, and so, she wouldn't be a proper sovereign! Maybe we should care about finding a more suitable-" Hagen continued with his protest, but suddenly, he could feel a punch in his stomach, making him fall backward. "AGH!"

"AH!" The other soldiers looked scared at the scene.

"Grr…" Hagen held his stomach before looking up at Bogardius, who came closer and glared back at him with an ominous stare.

"Hagen, you always had been a talented commander and a true warrior. I have always respected the devotion you put into oppressing the threats in the kingdom…but as the general of this army, I have to correct everyone in this army who shows even a slight trace of inappropriate behavior." The general spoke. "That girl you're mocking is King Aegium's daughter and the queen of this kingdom, which means she's also your queen, and she vowed to do her best to lead this land properly. Any insult or mockery led towards her can be considered an act of treachery that I won't stand upon. So you'd better apologize for the words you've used before I do worse things than that fist. Did I make myself clear, Hagen?"

"But sir-" Hagen tried to protest.

"Did I make myself clear!?" The general insisted. Even Vivienne was glaring at him with disgust.

Hagen was still firm in his ideas, but he knew he couldn't react as he wanted in that situation. He would have been clearly at a disadvantage. All that he could have done was to grit his teeth and clench his fists.

"Y-Yes, sir. I…I apologize."

"Good. I'll let it slip for this time. But don't give yourself any weird ideas. I won't be that clement if you do that again." With those last words, Bogardius glared at the commander's troops. "Go back to your exercises." He then left.

Vivienne followed him after glaring as well at the commander. "You've been warned!"

Once they were far enough, Hagen scoffed and held his stomach. "Dammit! That slimy dog!" He exclaimed.

"Sir Hagen, are you alright?" One of his knights asked.

"It's nothing." The commander cut it short. "He, the sorceress, and the old queen had clearly gone mad for the king's loss. Entrusting the entire kingdom to a spoiled brat! She made it clear with her own words, that she doesn't know how to rule! The only thing she had been good at ever since she was born was probably to paint her nails and comb dolls! She doesn't know anything about ruling a kingdom or fighting! She's unsuitable!"

"Yes, yes, you're right commander but please keep it down, or they'll hear you!" Another one of his knights said. "Besides…everything is almost ready for tonight."

Upon hearing that, Hagen calmed down. "Good to know. Did you even call those mages I've told you?"

"Yes, sir…they're waiting for orders." The soldier asked.

To that, Hagen couldn't help but feel pleased. "Excellent. Yes, very good." He then looked at the tallest tower of the castle. "Tonight, our little queen will have a surprise that she won't expect and that she won't be able to count it. She said that she wasn't worthy herself. I'll save this kingdom before it falls to an inevitable ruin…and maybe…give it a more fit ruler…"

In the meantime, Bogardius and Vivienne were continuing their scouting of the courtyards, trying to digest what just happened, but it was surely a hard thing to do. Especially for the royal sorceress.

"I can't believe there's actually someone who would dare to spit like that!" She exclaimed.

"Sir Hagen had always been a strong commander and a loyal follower of the traditions. He surprised me many times, but seeing how he would dare to insult a sovereign like that horrifies me…" Bogardius commented.

"Right!? Look, I know that not every subject in the kingdom will respect Lunafreya, even her father had a lot of enemies and conspirators, but this is just too soon! She didn't do anything yet! Shouldn't we do something about it?" Vivienne asked.

"As you could see, I've warned him. And if I find out that there are other people like him inside this castle, I'll make sure they'll regret it! They know well what it means to defy me." Bogardius assured before sighing. "I just want the best for that girl I've seen grow up inside these walls…"

Vivienne patted the general on the back. "Me too, buddy…me too."

"Speaking of which, do you know what she's doing right now? Even if we're in a celebration, she'll probably have her hands busy from this first day!" Bogardius then asked.

"You know what? You're right. It's better if I check her out. She'll surely need some backup!" Vivienne replied.

"Please, do. I have to look over the soldiers after all." Bogardius agreed.

"See you later!" With that, Vivienne used her magic to teleport herself and faded away in a small rain of petals."

Seeing her disappear, Bogardius made a small sigh and looked at the tallest tower. "Yet…I can't hide the fact that I'm worried for the girl. I hope that she finds a way to find the strength to keep her word given…" A lot of thoughts were in his mind. But there was one way to deal with them: keep on doing his duty as he always did.


Meanwhile, on the other side, Vivienne teleported herself right in front of the door of the throne room. "Time to see how our little girl fits into the throne!" Not wanting to wait, she opened the door and made the staircase.

"Aaah, your majesty! Beautiful weather today, don't you think? Just what we needed to inaugurate this new era for Seven! Now, I know that you have a lot of pressure, but stay assured that I intend to help you with-" She kept on talking as she continued the staircase, but she stopped herself as she was stunned to see something she didn't expect. "AH!?"

The throne was empty. With two guards guarding it.

The royal sorceress was just stunned to see that. "W-Wha-uh-eh-ah-WHAT!? Don't tell me that…" For a moment she thought of the worst, but then she slapped herself. "No! Chill out! Don't jump too soon!" She then looked at the two guards put near the throne. "Where's the queen?"

"Uhm…she's still sleeping in her rooms." One of them answered, a bit embarrassed.

Vivienne was relieved…but at the same time, she made a skeptical face. "…Some habits are hard to kill, eh? Alright, time to raise the bar of her education."

The royals' dorm wasn't far from the throne room, so Vivienne just had to go to the lower plan and find it in a short time.

In the blink of an eye, she was already at the door. "Knowing her, she won't hear a thing if I knock…better check her out immediately."

The bedroom was huge, with a large sand-colored carpet with brown ornaments, several furniture and drawers were placed on the sides, a large white chandelier was put on the ceiling and of course, most of the room was occupied by the bed. A King's bed with white sheets and golden legs was surrounded by tulip sails. On the walls and the shelves, Vivienne could see already some of the valuable items and posters that belonged to Lunafreya, which made the room more vibrant and younger. After she became the queen, she had to move to her parents' former bedroom and move most of her stuff from her former one (which now belonged to her mother).

And then, lying down on the bed, there she was, sleeping…and snorting. She was still also in her night vest and her hair was loose. "Zzzzzzzz…"

"Ooooh, would you look at that? She's sleeping like a little cherub!" Vivienne commented. "Too bad that she needs to start getting up soon! I'll take care of it…" With that said, the royal sorceress sneaked into the bed and went vis-à-vis with the queen, standing right in front of her at just a few millimeters of distance.

"Your majestyyyy?" She whispered.

"H-Hm…?" Lunafreya groaned a bit before opening her eyes…and seeing her at a too-close distance. "EH!?"

"Wakey wakey! School's on the way!" Vivienne jokingly said.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Not expecting that, Lunafreya quickly ran backward and ended up falling from the bed. "ACK! V-Vivienne!? What was that for!?"

"What else for? It's already 9 A.M. You can't allow yourself to sleep that much now!" Vivienne replied before noticing something at the queen's feet. "Ooooh, black toenail polish? I see we want to be aggressive!"

Embarrassed, Lunafreya quickly stood up. "Cut the cord already! Why did you wake me up like that!?" She exclaimed.

With that, even Vivienne got out of bed and put her hands on her hips with a skeptical expression. "Come on, don't tell me you don't know. I can get it since it happened only yesterday, but you're the queen now! You need to be there for the Kingdom of Seven! You can't lust snooze how long you want to know!"

Lunafreya had a dull expression for a second, but when she remembered, her face started to turn red and she looked down, trembling a bit. "…I definitely forgot."

To that, Vivienne then made a giggle. "That's why I'm here! Come on, let's get ready! A ruler must show their presence to the subjects!" With that, she took Lunafreya and dragged her away.

"Ah! C-Coming!" Lunafreya exclaimed. She was a bit agitated, but eager to help.

It took a while for her to get ready between breakfast, a shower, and getting dressed, but she was able to do everything in proper time (despite being already late), and she went towards the throne room, where all the guards greeted her.

"Good morning, Your Highness!"

"It's good to see you, my queen! We'll be in your care!"

"Great to see a new era for this kingdom, don't you think?"

Lunafreya kept on going while waving and saluting back. "At least I'm used to this…though it's gonna be hard getting used to being called 'queen', instead of 'princess'…" She commented.

"Oh, there isn't that much of a difference. We're still talking about formalities! The loyalty of these knights is still the same!" Vivienne assured her. "Speaking of which…how about you start the day by getting comfy to your throne?"

"Ah! T-The throne?" Lunafreya asked, looking at the regal chair. "Come to think of it…I didn't even touch it yesterday…just looking at it puts me a lot of pressure…like imagining Dad's ghost looking at me…"

"Oh come on, it's just a chair that I didn't animate! Besides, there's nothing to be feared of! It's yours after all! Come now, do the thing kings and queens do better!" Vivienne told her.

Lunafreya was confused for a moment. "…What do you mean with 'a chair I didn't animate'?"

Vivienne looked elsewhere, with a dumb face. "Long story."

"Well…nevermind…" The newly crowned queen then took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing." Even if it was something simple, she felt like a lot depended on it…but she still needed to do it. With all the courage she had…she sat down to the throne…even laying down her arms on the armrests.

Somehow…it felt different. True, it wasn't the first time she went up to that chair. Her father let her play with it, but now that she was hers…it felt different…as if a strange yet loving warmth was greeting her.

"…Say…was this throne always that comfy?" Lunafreya then asked.

"Well, that's probably because you have the privilege to sit on it! Pretty good, huh?" Vivienne asked her back.

Lunafreya could make a genuine smile. "Yeah…pretty good." She spoke. "I hope I can make you proud, dad…" She then looked at Vivienne. "So, what happens now? Do I just…sit here for the rest of the day waiting for things to happen? That would be pretty boring…"

"Oh, absolutely not! True, after both Zeref and Acnologia got killed two years ago in the region of Fiore, things had gotten a lot quieter, but there were always plenty of duties for a ruler to do! In fact…" Vivienne replied.

Just as she said it, the two women could hear some footsteps coming closer. "Speak of the devil! There he is!" Vivienne said. The two of them could see an old man with a bald head and a long white beard, black eyes wearing a long red vest with a hood and long sleeves that covered most of his body.

"Ah, good morning, your majesty! I'm relieved to see you sitting down on that throne. I hope I can be of great support for you from now on!" The man said, showing a deep voice and a formal language.

Surian Dengler – Prime Minister of Seven

Lunafreya was happy to hear those words. "Don't even mention it, Minister Surian. You've helped my father a lot in the past, I'm sure you'll do the same with me." She replied, seeing how the minister was happy to hear it. "Now…" She then tried to say something but didn't know what words to use and stumbled herself. She looked at Vivienne for suggestions.

"Go ahead, don't worry! He's here to listen to you!" The sorceress suggested.

"Alright…let's see…" Lunafreya tried to think of a question, feeling now more secure, before asking the most natural one. "How's the situation in the kingdom? Is there any irregularity yet?"

"The kingdom is in a stable situation. After Ishgar had definitely settled the scores with the Balam Alliance, the Alvarez Empire, and the Black Dragon, things started to get more peaceful. The crime rate had descended the 3%, and the guilds in all of the region are doing their job properly." Surian started to speak.

The queen stretched her eyes a bit. "Ok, the first thing to get used to long discussions with Surian…not that it's wrong, of course." She thought. "And what about the capital?"

"It's a full feast for you, my queen. It's barely the second day of the celebration period but they are in awe for you, with the citizens filling the roads to celebrate. We just had the confirmation that today, emissaries from other kingdoms will come to congratulate you for the coronation on behalf of their sovereigns. Fiore and Caelum in particular, wish to send you their regards with gifts." The minister continued.

Upon hearing all of that, Lunafreya looked elsewhere, feeling flustered and embarrassed. "All of these things make me feel as spoiled as I ever been…w-well, I can see that coming from Caelum, since we did influence their culture a bit."

"You're a queen, get used to that," Vivienne told her with a smug smile. "And curious enough, I've heard that last year, Caelum just got a new empress!"

"Really?" Lunafreya asked.

"Indeed, my queen. So, if you end up meeting her, you will have someone who understands you." Surian added.

"W-Well, that's…great to know, eh eh…" The queen commented. "So, you're assuring me that both the capital and the citizens are stable for now?" She then asked.

Surian could notice something in her questions. "You seem a lot concerned about the safeguard of the citizens…is there something that troubles you about it?" He asked.

"Uh? Ah, no! It's just that…well, I am the queen…I need to care about them! In fact…" Lunafreya replied, a bit hesitant.

"In fact…?" Surian asked.

By the way, she was speaking, Lunafreya realized that she was about to give an order. Her first order as a queen, another thing she needed to get used to. But ever since she was a kid, that was a topic that she always cared about. So, she wanted to have the force to ask it.

"From now on…please let me stay updated on the kingdom and the subject's safety. This is for both you ministers and the army. I want to make sure that I can be there for them."

Surian nodded. "Every wish of yours will be my command. I'll let it know in the lords' chamber as soon as possible."

Even the knights raised their hands upon hearing that. "AS YOU COMMAND, MY QUEEN!"

That second part made Lunafreya feel even more flustered. "Ah, this is so embarrassing!"

"Yet you're starting to show some guts, Your Majesty!" Vivienne told her.

Naturally, the queen turned at her. "So…did I make a good thing?"

"Ah, ah! You even ask? That would be a queen's top priority! It's a great first step!" The sorceress assured her.

Lunafreya couldn't help but smile. "Then I'll continue on this way." She replied. "She's right…it did feel good to ask that…"

It was then that one of the knights came closer to them. "Well…since you're that considerate about that regard, Your Majesty, there is an issue you should be concerned of."

"Hm? What is it?" Lunafreya asked.

"It has been already a couple of days that we've gotten reports of some of the army's knights being found in shady vehicles of the town." The knight continued.

Lunafreya and Vivienne looked at each other confused. "Really?" Vivienne asked.

"What they were doing?" The queen asked.

"We don't know for sure, but those who had gotten close enough told us that they were spotted speaking with strange men hidden in a black hood." The warrior continued. "Ah, I assure you, only a small group of them is doing this. Still…I thought that it may be worrying."

"Yes, it may be…no knight would be so private and talk with people like that. But maybe they have their problems I don't know." The minister commented.

Vivienne looked down, a bit worried. Maybe…she knew what he was talking about. When she raised her head, she could see the queen looking down, immersed in thought.

"Could it really be? Are they…?" The queen started to worry. True, they didn't know what the whole deal was, but she knew how the Knights of Seven acted, and that was even too much out of the ordeal. She couldn't help…but feel a bad omen and wondered if she had to use a particular remedy for that.

"Your…Majesty?" Vivienne asked, worried.

"Should we…warn General Bogardius about it?" Surian added.

Lunafreya stood in silence for a few moments…and then raised her head. "Yes…but not only that." She replied before…standing up from the throne. "Vivienne. Come with me. I want to investigate myself."

A surprised choir rose up from the room.

"Your Highness, are you sure!?" Surian asked.

"Maybe it could really be someone dangerous! Please, let me handle it! I'll help you in whatever way!" The knight then asked.

To that, Lunafreya made a smile. "You already did by telling me about all of this. And it's exactly because it may be dangerous that I want to see it with my eyes. True, I've said that I'm not worthy…but I want the citizens to feel at ease as long as I'm wearing this crown."

The knight felt moved by it. "O-Oh…Queen Lunafreya…I feared that becoming queen may have changed you but…I'm glad to see that you're still on our side!"

"Are you certain of doing so, Your Highness?" Surian asked.

That time, it was Vivienne who insisted. She was surprised by the answer but…she liked it. "I'd say we let her. It's the queen we're talking about, she can do whatever she wants in her kingdom! And…don't worry…I can assure you that she knows her deal." She said with a wink.

"Thank you, Vivienne. Now let us go. I'll make sure to come back soon." With those words, Lunafreya started to go down toward the city, with Vivienne following her. All that was left were the minister and the knight who referred the information.

"What an unexpected sense of initiative. Not many other kings would have cared about it." Surian commented.

"I can say that in that regard…she's truly King Aegium's daughter…" The knight added. "After all…like father, like daughter."

In the end, Lunafreya and Vivienne made their way out of the castle and looked at the large capital that was awaiting them.

"Well…this will surely be a hard task considering the city and its inhabitants. Do you think we'll make it?" Vivienne asked her queen.

"Even if it may take a few days, I want to go deeper into this question. As long as I have answers, I'll be fine." Lunafreya replied, already starting to look around.

"I don't put that in doubt, my queen! Buuuut…I'm more concerned about the attention you may end up gathering by walking through the city." Vivienne fairly noted.

…That was enough to turn Lunafreya's stoic determination into a face of discomfort.

"Oh FUCK!"


The Royal Capital of Somnus was known to be one of the cities of the Ishgar continent with the most resources in more than two sectors. Due to its relations with many regions and its nature as a commercial land, Seven found many ways to expand its roots through time, with the capital being a clear example of it, being divided into six sectors, all connected through the Royal Castle, which served at the linkway.

Among them stood the portal section, placed in the north-east of the city, where all the ships and sailors stood to embark on new travels or return from them. As the home of many famous brands, foods, and drinks, Seven had a lot of trades and commercial activities to carry on, which was the reason why the port was always full of ships of every type.

One of them in particular just landed on the port. It was a silver ship with large white veils. On the top of the mainmast stood the flag of another well-known region of Ishgar, one that went through a lot in the last ten years: the region of Fiore.

As soon the ship landed, its many passengers started to go down from it, leaving out a large chatter in the air. Some of them were simple tourists, others were there to assist at the celebration of the new era of the kingdom, and then… others went to the capital for more specific reasons.

Among the many people who went down the ship, stood a muscular man with long spiky black hair, two red eyes with slitted dark pupils, and no visible eyebrows and visible studs all over his body. He wore a black sleeveless tunic with white lines, a studded belt around his waist, loose beige pants tucked inside, and black boots. He also had a wing-like ornament that was held by a scarf he had around his neck. On his left shoulder stood the mark of his guild.

Near him stood a small exceed with green pants that looked like a black panther with a scar on his right eye and that was holding an axe.

The man was a notable mage of the most famous guild of his region who was able to put his past behind him, while the exceed was a former royal guard of a parallel dimension.

While some of the other passengers recognized them, their journey didn't have many nuisances…except for a major one.

"ANF! ANF! ANF! ANF! F-FUCK! FINALLY!" As soon as the ship landed, the mage quickly ran towards land, and took a lot of breaths, with the exceed being right behind him. "Sometimes I hate being a Dragon Slayer! I'll probably get killed before I reach the old age!" He exclaimed.

Gajeel Redfox – Black Steel – Mage of Fairy Tail.

The exceed was feeling bad for him. "I-I'm sorry, Gajeel. This seemed the easier way to reach the capital sooner…I'll be more considerate next time…" He spoke.

Panther Lily – Member of Fairy Tail

"No…no…it's fine. I wouldn't have been a fan of taking more than a day to reach this place. It's also my fault for not having asked something to Wendy about it." Gajeel said to his friend with a smile. "You know it's hard for me to give you any blame."

A bit embarrassed, Panther tried to look elsewhere. "N-Now, no need to be that affectionate…" He replied. He then looked forward and could see the already immense crowd of that single part of the city. "So…we finally arrived at one of the biggest cities of all Ishgar…"

Gajeel looked as well. "Somnus, the capital of Seven. For now, it seems like a bigger version of Magnolia." He commented before looking at something he was holding: a gift pack. "Alright…today there's the hospitality and acceptance of gifts from other countries for the queen, so we need to find her and give this to her on behalf of Queen Hisui. A simple and plain job on paper. Though I can't help but wonder…of all people to ask in her land, why ask us of Fairy Tail? And why me!?" He exclaimed. He could still remember how it went with him, his Guildmaster Makarov, and the queen of Fiore, Hisui.

"The new queen of Seven will be crowned in a couple of days and there will be the acceptance of gifts from other countries. As someone who ascended to the throne recently as well, I would like to give her my support with this gift. Can I entrust you in doing this?" The queen asked once she arrived at the guild.

The Master, Makarov, scratched his beard. "Don't be silly, my queen. It's always a pleasure for us to work for you! And you need someone to go overseas, eh?" He replied before looking right at the mage. "You're pretty used to that, Gajeel. Wanna give it a shot?"

"EH!? ME!? N-No offense, Master, but I'm the least candidate for giving a gift to a queen! You should send Lucy or Wendy-" Gajeel was about to protest, but right at that moment, Hisui came closer and made some cute eyes at her like a certain cat with a hat and boots.

"Please, Gajeeeel…"

Gajeel felt a bit nervous, but after seeing her like that, he couldn't refuse that easily (also because she was the queen). "I…guess I can do that…"

"Ah, thank you, thank you!"

Even Gajeel's mate, Levy came closer to assure it. "Gajeel always has a tender soft, he wouldn't have refused that easily! You should see it with our child!" She spoke.

"Oh really? He must be very cute, then!" Hisui added.

To that, Gajeel grew even more nervous. "HEY, LEVY! WHAT'S WITH THE GOSSIP!?"

"They became my family, but there are moments where I'll never understand my guildmates…" The mage commented once he had done remembering the moment.

"Do you even get surprised at this point?" Panther asked.

"…You know what? Fair. Let's begin." Gajeel couldn't counter that and started to move, with Panther following him. His search was about to begin.

After some time, the duo came out of the port area of the city and went west, reaching the northern section of the city, the merchant zone. By doing so, they could notice how each zone was connected by large walls, with arched gates to let the people pass. They soon realized how the whole city was surrounded and therefore guarded by these giant walls.

"Gotta say that they really thought of everything. These walls seem quite resistant…" Gajeel commented.

"I wonder if even a titan would be able to break them," Panther added. Somehow…an awkward silence formed between the two of them.

"…I have the impression that you just referred to something." The Dragon Slayer commented.

"Y-Yeah…let's not think about it…" The exceed replied.

As they went deeper into the merchant zone, as they expected, the sellers started to assault them with offers, quotes, titles, and discounts.

"Fresh fish coming directly from the Sirius Ocean! Just 500 Jewels!"

"Take this perfume and no girl will be able to resist you!"

"You seem like one who likes weapons! How about this sword made out of mithril from Dracalich Mountain?"

"Simply use this cloth and all the water on the floor will disappear!"

"I can predict your future with this crystal ball!"

"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH! PISS OFF!" Gajeel surely wasn't one to maintain patience long enough with such people, and all it needed was a shout to scare them away. "Talk about self-advertisement…"

"Well, they're just doing their job…" Panther told him.

"Still, if they keep on bugging us, who knows how long it will take before we'll reach the princess!" The mage from Fairy Tail exclaimed. "The worst that could happen is that the queen isn't even at the castle right now!"

"I mean…the hospitality is tonight, so we still have plenty of time before that." Panther fairly noticed.

"Tch. That's also a fair reason. Still, I would like to do a moderate job for once. Even if I won't hide that we could make a quick stroll to see the city, maybe some good food and I could impress someone with my musical talent!" Gajeel noticed.

Panther made a skeptical face. "Did you really say you wanted to do a moderate job even if you're a mage of Fairy Tail?"

"Hey! I have my own limits. I can assure you that." The Dragon Slayer concluded.

Right at that moment, someone came closer to them from behind. "Excuse me…did you say that you wanted to meet the queen?"

When Gajeel and Panther turned around, they could see what seemed a young man with short hazelnut hair and green eyes, wearing a green tunic with yellow lines, brown fingerless gloves, yellow pants, and brown boots. He also seemed to have a black cape.

"Yeah? I have a gift to send to her." Gajeel answered.

With that in mind, the man gave a closer look at him and saw the Fairy Tail emblem on his shoulder. "Oh, you must come from Fiore! A pleasant surprise to see a man from one of the regions we have decided to host! And to think that they would have sent someone from Fairy Tail itself!"

Gajeel looked confused at his exceed friend. "Well…I'm not that used to compliments, but thanks. So, you know a way to reach the queen?" He then asked.

"But of course! I'm a chancellor who works right at the Lords' chamber on her behalf! No one knows the streets of this capital better than me! In fact, there's a secret underground passage that connects all the sectors of this city right to the center, where the castle stands! May I show it to you?" The man asked.

Gajeel and Panther looked at each other for a moment

"What should we do?" The Dragon Slayer whispered.

"He seems a bit suspicious…but if there really is a secret passage, it may help us a lot to reach the castle in a shorter time and not get lost." The exceed said his opinion. "Do you think we can do it?"

"No need to worry. You know well that if he tries something bad we'll just smack his ass and sent him on some dungeon." Gajeel assured him with a smirk.

Panther made a confident smile back. "I know it well!"

The young chancellor looked at the two of them mumbling with each other with a drop of sweat coming down from his head. "I have a strange feeling that they're saying something bad…" He thought.

Gajeel then raised his head and looked at him. "So be it. Guide us." He simply spoke.

"Oh, sure! Excellent answer, gentlemen! Follow me then." With that, the boy started to walk in a specific direction, with Gajeel and Panther following them.

They ended up going to a strange alley where there wasn't much light. There, the chancellor moved out a briquette that looked like the rest of the floor, revealing an underground staircase.

"Hmmm…I see you're prepared for anything." Gajeel commented.

"Though it's a bit strange that it's in an alley like this…" Panther added.

"These underground passages were built to secure the citizens in case of an approaching threat to the capital, but they're also in other cities of the region. They're 300 years old and we planned to use them in case the Alvarez Empire would have tried to also attack Seven." The chancellor explained.

Upon hearing that, Gajeel scoffed. "Don't even mention that. It was a shitty experience. Almost got killed by it." He commented.

The chancellor started to go down. "Follow me!"

With the other two following them, they soon ended up on what seemed to be a long straight-up underground road with pipes and a water canal that was gently flowing.

"I see…these underground passages are actually catacombs…" Gajeel commented, looking around.

Panther did the same and could see a few bones in the distance. "Eugh…even if we were in danger, I wouldn't feel comfortable with this scenery…"

The chancellor seemed a bit embarrassed by it. "I know it's not the best sight, but I can assure you that these catacombs are a valid escape road that is well fortified. Now, all we need to do is go straight and find a staircase that stands right at the center!" He spoke.

It was then that Gajeel glared a bit at the boy while he was not looking. "Yeah…seems like the perfect place for an assault…" With that in mind, he started to follow him.

The traveling went smoothly and cleanly for a while, with nothing dangerous in sight, and the only noise that could be heard was the echo of their footsteps.

"So…excited to meet the queen? I'm sure it's not something you would do every day!" The chancellor then asked.

"Well, it's not like the first time I've met a ruler, I've been part of the Rune Knights for some time, so I know how to deal with them," Gajeel replied.

Panther wasn't so sure about him. "I wouldn't be sure about it, you would make some scenes back then…" He thought.

"Oh, really? Then it will be like home for you! I sincerely hope that you'll find Queen Lunafreya of her liking! Even if she's just a queen, she's already showing a great spirit of initiative!

"Is that so? What is she like? I'm sure you've met her when she was still a princess." Gajeel then asked.

"Well, she's young, inexperienced, and didn't get out much from the capital or the kingdom in general. But she always kept a special kindness within herself, and she's earnest to learn and sincere! She even promised to learn and do her best to be a proper queen!" The chancellor explained.

Panther listened carefully to what he had to say, ever since they entered inside the catacombs. "Seems like a lot to take into consideration for her, especially since we've heard that she should be quite young." He spoke.

The chancellor kept on going forward, so he couldn't see them in the face. He took advantage of that to make a small grin and look down while keeping on moving.

"Hm?" Gajeel could notice that.

"Yeah…it's almost incredible actually, and a bit cruel. Such a young age, and she already needs to take on the throne, admitting that she doesn't feel ready to do it. Her father surely gave himself a reputation when he was the king. Strong, defensive, and fierce. But she? She's just the complete opposite."

As the chancellor started to assume a different tone, Gajeel started to frown his eyes.

"You know…there are a lot of concerns among some of the citizens and even among the knights of the kingdom's army. Concerns about the future of this land. Will she be able to guide us properly? Will she be strong enough to answer to the adversities? Can we consider ourselves safe from now on like we did with her father? Some of them don't think so…some of them think that we should act before it's too late. Maybe…we should get a new ruler and-" The chancellor kept on talking, showing a different side of the one he showed, but before he could continue further, several steel poles attacked him from behind and made him crash into a wall, unable to move. "AGH! W-What the!?"

Gajeel came closer to him as Panther Lily assumed his original muscular form.

"Alright, I think we've heard enough of your not-so-veiled menacing aura." The Dragon Slayer said. "It doesn't take an intellectual to tell that you're among those people who don't see the queen with a good eye. And even if she's not my queen, it's still my priority to defend her as a legal mage. So, spit it out. What are you trying to do?"

"GH- eh eh eh…you think I'd tell you that easily?" The chancellor asked. Upon hearing that, Panther Lily pointed his axe at his neck.

"I don't see what should stop us. You're not even a chancellor, are you?" The exceed asked.

"Heh…clever boys…able to detect masks when you see one, eh?" The fake chancellor then asked.

"Oh, I know one when I see it. I've been on the other side in the past after all. And you've let the cat slip off the bag as soon as you started to move that tongue of yours." Gajeel replied. "And I do not like to lose time. Even if you were bringing us to the capital, it's better if you surrender and deliver yourself. You have your back against a wall."

The chancellor tried to struggle as best to get free from the poles but to no avail. But even so, he lowered his head and made a smirk. "Heh…perceptive, absolutely. But I don't think that would be enough to capture me. I cannot allow myself to falter before tonight…"

"Hm!? What do you mean by tonight?" Gajeel demanded, ready to attack, followed by Panther.

"The story…of this kingdom will change for good. A new king will sit on the throne of Seven, assuring a true stable future for the land…and before that moment will come, I CANNOT ALLOW MYSELF TO BE STRUCK DOWN BY THE LIKES OF YOU!" With that answer, a large dark aura started to rise from his body, surrounding the wall he was stuck on.

Gajeel and Panther widened their eyes and jumped back at that sight. "What!? Dark Magic!?" The Dragon Slayer exclaimed.

Even if the chancellor was stuck, the sea of darkness spread and threw itself at the mage and the exceed.

"Here it comes!" Panther Lily quickly swung his axe to cut down the darkness, which worked, but he could soon see how the darkness seemed to reconstruct itself, ready to attack again. "What!?" To avoid the attack, he jumped back several times.

"Stay back, Panther!" Gajeel warned as he moved forward. As the marasmus of darkness was about to approach him, the Dragon Slayer gathered energy inside his mouth before releasing it into a burst of metallic magic. "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

The burst was able to wipe out the darkness and prevent further damage, but Gajeel was astonished to see that in all of that, the fake chancellor was running toward him with a long dagger in his hands. "Uh!?"

"TAKE THIS!" The chancellor tried a direct approach with the weapon, but Gajeel quickly turned his right arm into a chainsaw and started a clash with him. Loud metal noises and sparkles were released as the two of them moved around the catacombs as they kept on fighting.

"Darn, for being a pretender, you know how to handle a fight with a mage!" Gajeel asked with a grin.

"We're professional assassins. The one who paid us wanted to make sure that the queen would get her surprise tonight. Who am I to not live up to expectations?" The boy replied with a grin as well.

"Really, it's a shame that you use those words for something so disgusting! And I fear that confidence of yours won't bring you anywhere! Right, Panther!?" The mage from Fairy Tail countered.

"Uh!?" The fake chancellor didn't know what he meant by that until he saw the exceed jump above them and throw the axe at him. "GAH!" He ended up crashing against a wall with a spot near his neck bleeding.

"Let's get him, now!" Panther exclaimed. He and Gajeel started to quickly run towards him at high speed, but right at the last moment…

"GOTCHA!" The boy widened his eyes and moved a hand forward. By doing so, a puddle of darkness appeared at the two Fairy Tail members' feet, releasing pillars of darkness that surrounded the two of them, trapping them.

"ACK! D-DAMMIT! I CAN'T MOVE!" Panther tried to struggle as much as he could but to no avail.

"Just how strong is this darkness!? It's similar to that of Rogue!" Gajeel exclaimed.

The boy could take the chance to stand up and take a deep breath before grinning. "You may come from one of the most famous guilds in Ishgar, but everyone can get trapped into a corner if the right cards are played. We freelance black mages of Seven are specialized in dark magic more than others, as we took lessons from dark guilds. Some of us were even able to listen to the words of Alvarez's soldiers. The magic that is holding you know it's no different from the one that you would get from one of those people!"

"Kh…alright, you know your shit better than I thought, but don't think that it takes that low to take me down!" Gajeel protested.

"The same goes for me!" Panther added.

"Oh really? And what exactly are you planning to do, trapped in that way? The knight who paid us made the right choice to contact us to make sure that tonight's assault goes as properly." The boy mocked them as he was charging a sphere of darkness from his hands. "Don't worry! I'll deliver the gift from Fiore's queen myself, just before she gets killed!"

"KH! We need to do something!" The Dragon Slayer protested.

"SAY GOODBYE! I'LL HAVE THE HONOR TO SAY THAT I KILLED A FAIRY TAIL MAGE!" Not wanting to waste any more time, the fake chancellor shot the sphere of darkness to finish the mage and the exceed off, but right at that moment…

A burst of light went after the sphere of darkness, destroying it.

"WHAT!?" The boy shouted.

"Uh?" Not even Gajeel and the exceed expected it.

"Was that…holy light? But where-" The fake chancellor couldn't find an explanation for himself. But he didn't need it. The answer was coming at him, as another burst of light attacked him and sent him right against a column. "GAAAAH!"

"Uh!?" When Gajeel and Panther Lily turned around, they were astonished to see that someone else had come.

Lunafreya and Vivienne were right there, just a few meters away from them.

"Your theory was right, Vivienne!" The queen exclaimed.

"Considering that they were hiding in the shady streets of the capital, the only thing I could have thought of was that they were using the old catacombs!" The sorceress explained. "Still…are you sure you want to fight?" She then asked.

"More than sure. I've said that I would have taken care of this personally, and this is what I'm going to do." Lunafreya replied before turning to her with a smile. "Besides…it was you who helped me do this to become a strong person!" She added, referring to the weapon he was holding.

Even Panther Lily could see that what she was holding seemed to be…special.

It was a shining sword, with the blade of the purest white and the hilt mixed in sapphire blue and golden. The light energy from the attacks she had thrown before was still flowing as small particles.

"Is that…a sacred sword?" Panther Lily wondered.

"Really? Then this chick must be someone special…maybe a mage?" Gajeel commented before noticing that the two women were coming closer.

As soon as she reached the mage and the exceed, Lunafreya cut down the darkness that was trapping them with a single cut of her sword, destroying it. Gajeel and Panther could finally move again.

"Phew, my limbs were starting to get dizzy…" Gajeel commented.

"Are you ok?" Lunafreya asked while thinking of something else. "Wait…where have I seen him before?"

"Yeah, you came at the right moment with that sword of yours. You must be a special mage." The mage from Fairy Tail replied.

"Well…not really-" Before Lunafreya could explain, the four of them could hear a groan in front of them. When they all turned their heads around, they could see that the fake chancellor was starting to get up.

"Anf…anf…Queen…Lunafreya?"

Gajeel and Panther were stunned.

"What!?"

"She's…the queen? She's fighting?" Panther asked.

"Long story! We'll talk about it once we're done here!" Vivienne told them.

Even the boy seemed stunned by the revelation. "So…you can fight back? And you even knew where I was!? But how!? We made sure that no one could find us!"

"Don't underestimate the duty that the knights at the service do in this capital. One of the many things that this kingdom is known for is its elevated level of security and chivalry. We've been told that some suspicious people were lurking around chatting with a small group of our knights." Lunafreya exclaimed before preparing her sword. "I could hear you in the distance. You wanted the queen so bad!? Then here I am!" She then exclaimed, but her mind was also thinking something else. "Did…Did I really say something like that?"

"Plus, it doesn't take long to find out that something's wrong if a knight talks with hooded people in shady alleys. Kinda sus, if you think of it." Vivienne added.

"Well? What do you have to say now, tough guy?" Gajeel asked, getting ready to fight again.

The chancellor gritted his teeth in deep frustration. Just when his cover seemed perfectly intact, first a stranger and then the target herself fully exposed him, even managing to close him into a corner. But despite this, he kept on spreading his dark aura.

"He's coming!" Panther exclaimed.

"Alright…this is really the last straw. I came here with a purpose…and we intend to pull it through right to the end, or my pride as a freelance dark mage would be severely damaged by it! You've made the biggest mistake by coming down here, 'Your Majesty'! Because this darkness will be the last thing your eyes will see! NOW DIE!" With those last words, he fully unleashed his magic into a large wave of darkness that he threw at the four fighters.

Upon seeing it, Vivienne swung her staff and solidly placed it on the ground. "Deus Eques! Physical Abilities enhanced!" A burst of white light surrounded Lunafreya, Gajeel, and Panther Lily, who were able to jump away at the right time.

"Amazing! I can feel my reflexes enhanced like never before!" Panther exclaimed.

"So this is a stronger version of Wendy's magic? Just what we needed!" Gajeel added with a smirk.

"Thanks, Vivienne!" After thanking her sorceress, Lunafreya ran toward the wave of darkness and made a powered-up cut with the sword, generating a swipe of holy energy that cut in half the wave, destroying it.

Panther got the chance to run toward the boy and throw him up with an uppercut of his axe. "GOT YOU!"

"AGH-"

Gajeel jumped right after it and created several small kunai blades that he threw at the enemy. "Iron Dragon's Kunai!"

The fake chancellor was reduced to a pincushion and left exposed for Lunafreya to finish him.

"Now!" The queen jumped up and with a single diagonal cut, he threw the enemy to the ground with a deep scar on his body.

"GAAAH!" The boy crashed to the ground, while Lunafreya landed on her feet.

"Happy to see that you didn't get rusty! My teachings had a purpose then…!" Vivienne commented before getting moved.

"Well…you know that swordsmanship had always been a passion of mine…" Lunafreya commented, trying to look elsewhere a bit embarrassed.

Gajeel and Panther looked at the two women, still surprised by the revelation.

"So young…yet she seems to have an excellent talent in fighting…" Panther commented.

"And these dorks are worried that the kingdom is in bad hands? Gee, I'm curious to see her with Erza now!" Gajeel added. "Still…there was one thing that guy said that was right: we finally found our queen lady."

The boy kept on groaning for a bit, agonizing for the wounds he had. "D-Dammit…how did it end like this!? I've been told that this queen was supposed to be inexperienced…! W-Where did you bring up that sword!?" He asked before coughing some blood from his mouth.

Lunafreya took the chance to get closer to him before it could get worse. "You know what they say…'never judge a book by its cover'. Even if I'm inexperienced, there's still something I can do." She told him. "Now…tell me what is it that your friends and the one who had paid you are plotting to do."

The fake chancellor looked up, even more frustrated, but at that point…there wasn't anything he could have done. It was done for him. Now that he knew that the queen could actually answer back and that she had someone who supported her…the least he could have done was to spit it out.

"There's a…small internal uprising among the army. S-Some of the knights aren't convinced that you could carry on the kingdom and follow your father's footsteps. S-So…COUGH!" As he talked, he had to spit some more blood. "They're…planning to overthrow you tonight…during the hospitality for the other kingdoms…so that they can start the search for a ruler all over again…this is why they hired some of us freelancer dark mages…" The boy replied.

Gajeel was not surprised to hear it, since he did hear it before, while Lunafreya was heartbroken…and Vivienne had a bad omen about it.

"W-What?" The queen asked.

To clear her mind from the doubts, she came closer to the boy. "And who is the one that planned this uprising?"

The boy hesitated a bit to talk, but in the end, he took all the air he was left with and told the truth. "It was…the commander Hagen…" With that, he left out his last breath and closed his eyes. He was dead.

Vivienne frowned and looked down. "I knew it…"

Lunafreya, on the other hand, was even more bewildered than before. An uprising…formed by one of the army's strongest men just the day after she was crowned. "…Is this…really the effect I've been giving?"

Gajeel and Panther could not help much but look at the scene while the sorceress tried to comfort the new queen. "Talk about a complicated crowning." He commented.

"This may be a bit more complicated than we thought…" Panther added.

There was surely a lot to discuss between countermeasures, realizations, and discomfort, but for the moment, they were all agreeing that it was preferable to do it in a better place. After hearing that, Lunafreya surely needed some air after hearing all of that.

And she surely needed a moment to come up with what was going to happen.


After making some road, the four of them found their way to the center of the catacombs, which had a staircase that brought them up to the center of the city, right where the castle was standing. They entered the main hall to sit down and talk about it.

For the occasion, even the general Bogardius and Lunafreya's mother, Aurelia were called upon and brought up. They, too, didn't have the best of the reactions to what was happening.

Lunafreya was looking down at the grass on her feet as she thought of it. "The commander Hagen…I did see him a few times and he seemed like a strong man, but…I never thought that he would bring up something like that."

Aurelia came closer and gently stroked her head. "I know, my daughter. I'm surprised as well…if there are signs of an uprising coming right after a ruler is crowned is a bad omen. And the least I wanted…was that it could have happened with you."

"Me and Bogardius had discussed with Hagen right this morning, and he started to talk about the insecurities when it came to you as a queen, Your Majesty…he even went up to directly insult you," Vivienne said, feeling a bit of regret.

"W-What?" Lunafreya asked, stunned once again.

The sorceress looked down in regret. "Forgive me…I should have told you about this but…part of me wanted to think that it ended right there."

"No…" At a certain point, Bogardius spoke up, gathering everyone's attention. "The blame should be upon me. I've been even too clement with him. As soon as he started to talk like that, I should have thrown him into jail! An insult to the ruler of Seven is an unforgivable sin that should be fairly punished." He spoke before kneeling down to Lunafreya. "Forgive me, Your Highness…I've failed you right after you've taken place on the throne…I have gotten worse as a general…"

"Oh, Bogardius…" Aurelia spoke.

Lunafreya looked at him with a saddened expression. She knew Bogardius ever since she was a kid, and she knew that he always tried his best to take care of her as long as he could. She knew him to be strong, fierce, and most importantly…loyal. So, seeing him like that…was depressing.

After a few minutes of silence, Lunafreya stood up and gently put her hand on his chin to raise his face and meet her eyes. "You have nothing to blame for yourself, Bogardius. You've always done your best to defend me and my family ever since my father hosted you in our castle when you were a war orphan. My father always treated you with great respect, and I've promised myself to do the same. I…I couldn't ask for a better general."

Bogardius gritted his teeth, feeling even more regretful. "My queen!"

Lunafreya then stood up and sighed. "Maybe…it really is my fault for all of this…when I've made that speech during the ceremony. I just wanted to be honest and follow my heart like my father told me to do but…maybe it wasn't the better option if it brought up to an uprising."

As the royals started to feel more badly…Gajeel remained there with Panther Lily, listening to the situation. Even if it didn't look like it, he was always a good listener…and after hearing all of that…after hearing all that sorrow…he couldn't afford to say his opinion.

"It wasn't a mistake. I can assure you that."

"Uh?" Lunafreya and the others turned at him.

Gajeel got out from the wall he had his back against and looked at the queen right in the eyes. "If there's a good thing to do with ourselves and the others…is being modest and sincere. And if you were weak, then there's nothing to be ashamed of. You can still find strength in other things."

Lunafreya listened to him carefully.

"And let me tell you this…to all of you." Gajeel continued. "No one here is to blame but that prick who thinks he can overthrow an entire kingdom that easily. And apart from that…it's not that surprising that it happened. When a new leader rises to guide a group of people, there will always be someone who doesn't agree and tries to take control. The same happened at my guild a while ago. And it's something that you need to consider, especially if you're the queen: not everyone will love you, and you'll have to be ready to face off all the enemies that will try to crush you."

Panther looked at him with a smile, proud of being his partner.

Gajeel then took a deep breath. "But…even if there are a lot of adversities…I don't see why it should be something you should be concerned about. Because…you're not alone in this. You still have your army and your sorceress…and you can still fight back with that sword."

"Her…sword? My queen, you actually fought back there!?" Bogardius asked.

Lunafreya looked at him a bit embarrassed. "Well…yes…I've wanted to help."

"Impressive…" The general commented.

"Willing to throw yourself into the brawl like your father, right?" Aurelia asked.

"Indeed. And to be honest…after seeing you into action like that, I wouldn't see a person like you as weak. Just someone who needs to be guided. And I'd say that you have the right people for it." Gajeel added.

"You…think so?" Lunafreya asked.

"Hey, did you even doubt it?" Vivienne asked her with a smile.

Panther Lily made some steps forward. "As someone who fought in a royal army as well, I can assure you this. It's not only the king that fights for his subjects. But also, the opposite. The subjects protect the king so that he can guide them. If a king didn't have people he could command and rely on, then what is his purpose to wear a crown?"

"In short…it's ok to be weak. But…as long as you have people that want to help you…you'll be able to get out of the shitty situation one way or another and maybe find the strength you are looking for thanks to that." Gajeel concluded before making a small smile. "I can prove that. I was a delinquent who only thought of destroying everything because it was funny. But then…I met my second guild and changed everything in me…making me realize what was really important. And now look at me! I even have a mate that awaits me at home!" He added, thinking of the others in Fairy Tail, especially Levy. "And besides…you're all taking it like it was too late. Hell, we could wipe his ass right now."

Hearing them made Lunafreya think about a lot of things. There was a rebel that was plotting against her, who had just been crowned. That was more than a reason to feel insecure about her possibilities but…

Gajeel was right…

It's not like everything was ruined. She could still do something and…she still had something. She had the rest of the army, she had the general, she had her monitor sorceress, she had a mage who was willing to help her, and…she had her sword.

She opened a hand and summoned the sacred blade, surprising the others.

"Ah! W-Where did that come from!?" Bogardius exclaimed.

"Lunafreya?" Aurelia asked.

"Well…it's not something I've brought up that often but…I may have practiced a bit of magic with Vivienne." Lunafreya confessed.

The former queen and the general turned at the sorceress, who made a small laugh and shrugged. "Well, she wanted me to teach her to fight so we may have made that sword with a Lacrima." She explained. "And…yes! You still have that weapon!"

By looking at the blade…Lunafreya thought of everything. Her father, her kingdom, her duty, the enemies that awaited her. Would have she been able to take care of all of that? Even if she was the youngest?

She couldn't know if she would have been able to answer but…somehow…seeing that sword made her feel at ease. It was like…that sword resembled the future she was about to face.

A future made out of endless struggles and sorrows…but made of glory and serenity at the same time.

Almost like hers…was the fate of a warrior…

The fate…of a knight.

Lunafreya lowered the sword and made a small smile.

Aurelia came closer to her. "Are you feeling better, Luna?"

"…Yes, mom. I do." The new queen said with a more confident tone. "…Maybe…all that I needed was something to hold the basis of what I've said yesterday. And now…I think that I've found it." She then turned to Gajeel and came closer to hug him.

"ACK-" Gajeel didn't expect it and blushed out of embarrassment.

Aurelia giggled. "Please forgive her. She's a lot affectionate."

"N-No! It's…nothing…" The mage of Fairy Tail said, trying to look elsewhere. Even Panther tried his best to not giggle.

"Thank you for your kind words. Now I see why your guild sees you as a dear friend." Lunafreya said after getting off.

Gajeel didn't mind at all and smirked. "Well, It's my job after all."

It was then that Lunafreya noticed the mark he had on the shoulder. "You…come from Fairy Tail, right? That famous guild of Fiore."

"The one and only. Gajeel the Black Steel, at your service." The mage jokingly asked.

"The name's Panther Lily. Ready to help you as well." The exceed added.

Vivienne then came closer. "Well, it seems that the mood had lightened a bit now! What are you going to do now? I'm sure that we're all ears!" She then asked.

Lunafreya looked at everyone else, who seemed ready to hear her.

"All your wishes will be my command, Your Majesty," Bogardius assured with a small bow.

Somehow…Lunafreya thought of a question in particular. "Bogardius…is the armor of my father still somewhere in the castle?"

Everyone else was surprised by that question. Gajeel, on the other hand, smirked. He realized what she was planning to do.

"Of course! It should be deposited in the secret rooms of the castle. It's the royal armor, after all." Bogardius answered.

With that in mind…Lunafreya knew what to do. If Hagen wanted to take her life…she surely didn't want to go down without a fight. Not after realizing what she had to do.

"Please…bring it to me, and bring even some of the finest soldiers. I want to pay a visit to Sir Hagen personally." Right after saying that, she turned back at the Black Steel mage for a moment. "Say...you do come from Fairy Tail, correct?"

"Well...yes? What about it?" Gajeel asked.

"Then..." Lunafreya got instantly closer to her. "YOU SURELY KNOW ABOUT ERZA SCARLET! YOU HAVE NO IDEA, I'M ONE OF HER BIGGEST FANS! HOW IS SHE LIKE!? HOW SHE MANAGES TO DO ALL THOSE AWESOME THINGS? EVER SINCE I WAS A KID I COULDN'T HELP BUT FAWN OVER HER! SHE LOOKS SO COOL WITH THOSE SWORDS, LIKE WHEN SHE FACED ALL THOSE MONSTERS IN THE GRAND MAGIC GAMES AND..." In a second, she started to get super enthusiastic about her.

Gajeel looked at the others with a drop of sweat.

"L-Like she said...she's a huge fan," Vivienne said, feeling pity for her.

"I never thought I would have met an actual fangirl...I hope there aren't some for me..." That was all the mage of Fairy Tail could think of, as the queen's words seemed infinite about it.


A few hours had passed, and the sunset had started. As soon as the first lights of the night, the hospitality of the other kingdoms for the crowning of the new queen would have started, and the celebration throughout the capital would have officially started its second day.

Yet…even in all of this joy, there was still someone who wanted to plot in the mist, followed by self-ideals and personal gains.

In one of the external courtyards of the castle, Hagen and his troupe of knights were looking at the entrance of the palace, which was starting to get filled with guests. The place where they were standing was situated high enough between the various towers of the castle, so they could have a decent sight from above of what was happening down. And right at that moment, many representatives of the other regions of Ishgar were getting greeted and were going to enter the castle.

"Look at them…all happy to celebrate a naïve young girl who can think to win people's 'hearts'. EUGH! I'll never understand how stupid some people can be!" The commander commented.

"We understand, sir. We're ready to strike as soon as you pass the signal. Even the others are ready." One of the knights told him.

"Good, good. It will be only a matter of time before this castle finds an entire legion of men spreading havoc. I can't wait to see the stunned and terrified face of that spoiled brat as soon as he sees at least ten men pointing the tip of a blade at her neck!" He started to imagine what would have happened at the fateful moment. But then he noticed a detail that made him realize that…things weren't exactly going as he planned.

"Wait a second…where's the queen!? She was supposed to greet the representatives!" Just as he wondered it…a voice called him out.

"Sir Hagen?"

"Uh!?" When he and the others turned around, they found what they were expecting the least, and something that troubled the commander a bit.

Queen Lunafreya was right there, a few meters away from them, wearing a blue cape with white fur that covered most of her body, even her arms.

"Lunafreya!? I MEAN-" Hagen tried to maintain a former tone to not show the panic. "I mean…Your Majesty! What a pleasant surprise to see you here! I thought that you were down there greeting all those men that came to celebrate you!"

Lunafreya kept a neutral composure as she came closer. "I could say the same about you, Sir Hagen. I think that on these occasions, most of the knights should be at least in proximity to the event, and close to the ruler."

"W-Well, but we were doing so! The courtyards also need a special guard! Who knows if someone with mean intentions may attack from above? We live in a world with magic, everything is possible!" Hagen kept on trying to put up with excuses. The nervous tics on his right eye became more frequent, as he saw that the queen kept on staying impassible to his answers.

Lunafreya stopped at the border of the courtyard to look at what was happening below.

"Charming sight, right? To think that all these people from all over Ishgar came just to receive you!" Hagen commented.

"Yes, it's a bit embarrassing…but I suppose that I should get used to it." The queen replied.

"Absolutely. You've got your whole life in front of you, and you'll probably host a lot of ceremonies. Besides…since you're the queen…there will be a lot of things that you'll have to take into consideration. Do you think you'll be up to it?" As he said this, Hagen tried to take advantage of the fact that she was turned around to slowly take out his sword and attempt to stab her in the back. "This may be a bit out of the program, but it's still perfect. By coming here, she just gave herself to me. I'll just have to kill her now and the game will be done. I may even be able to tell that she died over unknown circumstances and that I found the body!" As he thought of it, the blade was getting closer to the body. "Goodbye to the shortest era…and welcome to the longest one!"

"…You know…" Right at the last moment, Lunafreya started to talk again, forcing Hagen to retrieve his sword and hide it.

"Dammit!"

"I may have expressed myself enough during yesterday's speech, but…it's a thing I've kept wondering for a very long time…ever since I was a kid, and just a few hours ago, I've still doubted myself." The queen continued. "I still remember the words my father used for me. About what it meant to be a king or a queen. Maybe I still don't know it today…but I think I've gotten an idea…and there is something that I want to do first."

"R-Really? What is it?" Hagen asked, getting more frustrated but trying to not show it.

"…That if I want to be a queen this kingdom deserves…I need to be strong…and ready to face every type of challenge that may threaten this kingdom I've been born in and that I love…" Lunafreya answered. "Even from the likes of you."

"Excuse me what?" Hagen asked confused.

Before he could add anything or react, Lunafreya turned around, swinging her sword right at Hagen, making him jump backward. "AH! W-WHAT THE!? A SWORD!?"

Lunafreya kept on giving him a cold stare before putting his cape on the back, revealing armor made out of light blue mithril with large pauldrons and an ornament that resembled the flag of Seven on the chest. The armor covered her from top to bottom, with only the gauntlets being fingerless. Both gauntlets and leggings had a few tips that curled inwards, resembling the scales of a dragon. The leggings had high-heeled boots.

"The royal armor!?" Hagen exclaimed.

"I-I should have warned you that there was something different in her shoes, sir-" One of Hagen's knights told him.

"What is the meaning of this, Your Majesty!? Is this how you intend to show strength!? By killing one of your commanders!?" The commander then protested, trying to act innocent, but Lunafreya didn't seem to fall for that.

"That's a bit rich coming from you. Don't act like you're the victim here. This little protest of yours ends here." The queen replied.

Hagen gritted his teeth hard, as his façade was starting to crumble down. He tried one last attempt. "P-Protest? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh really? Even when you said that I'm just a spoiled brat who spent her life painting nails and comb dolls?" Lunafreya sarcastically asked. "I may be inexperienced and young, but I'm certainly not an idiot. We've heard everything from one of your men. And you're all surrounded."

Just as she said it, a good portion of the army's knights, guided by Bogardius, Vivienne, and even Gajeel and Panther Lily showed up, surrounding the treacherous commander and his accomplices.

"No way!? How long had you been standing there!?" Hagen exclaimed.

"Oh, we like to act on anticipation, my dear!" Vivienne replied with a wink.

Bogardius was already prepared to combat. "Don't say I didn't warn you, commander."

"So, this is the prick that is trying to make a coup d'etat?" Gajeel asked.

"Look at that psychotic face…" Panther added.

"S-Sir! What do we do!?"

"We didn't expect this!"

As some of the treacherous knights started to panic, Hagen grew more frustrated every second. The perfect situation turned into the worst…but he hadn't said the last word yet. "Don't think this will be enough to stop me, you little brat!" He shouted out. "Alright, you leave me with no other choice. That's right! I was going to assault you in a couple of moments if you hadn't shown up here! You said it yourself yesterday! You're weak and inexperienced. You are far from being able to handle an entire kingdom! Your presence on that throne can only mean the downfall of it! And as the good commander I am, I don't intend to let it happen!"

"Oh, really? And who do you think will do a better job, you?" Vivienne sarcastically asked while glaring at him.

"YES!" Hagen promptly responded.

"…I was sarcastic-" The sorceress replied, not expecting that reaction.

"I've been in this kingdom ever since King Aegium was a kid, and I was the only one who could grasp what a real kingdom should be! An invincible army, territories, glory, the enemies being crushed down, supremacy! Nothing that this brat, his father, or any of the Aegium line could ever understand with their stupid moralities! And now, seeing her with the crown on her head is the ultimate insult! I won't stand it anymore! I'll end this idiotic bloodline and with force, I will be the one wearing that crown! This night will be the night that will inaugurate Seven as a militaristic superpower!" Hagen continued, ultimately breaking down his mask and revealing his true intentions.

Somehow…hearing that made Lunafreya make a sigh of relief. Now she knew what he really was, and she wasn't to blame for it. Besides, she had just been on the throne for barely a day. She still needed to effectively do something wrong.

"Oh boy, another power-lust maniac. There's never enough for them…" Vivienne commented.

"Reminds me of the old times, don't you think, Panther?" Gajeel asked his exceed friend, as he turned onto his battle mode.

"Indeed. And I think we all know how this is going to end."

Bogardius raised his glaive high. "You can spit as much as you want, you treacherous dog. But this ends here, and I won't serve a false king." He spoke menacingly.

With all of that said, Hagen still didn't want to give up, and took out what seemed to be a small black horn that he played immediately.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

The sound echoed throughout the castle, gathering the attention of those who stood below.

"W-What is going on!?"

"COME OVER HERE!" Hagen apparently ordered. As soon as he said it, Lunafreya and her allies could see several black portals appear beside Hagen and his knights, from which hooded figures came out and started to generate black magic.

"Those are the hooded figures that we've heard about!" The knight who warned Lunafreya back that morning exclaimed. He was with the others.

"And they seem just like the one we faced down at the catacombs!" Gajeel added.

"You don't want to serve a 'false king'? Then you'll serve…A DEAD QUEEN! KILL THEM ALL!" Hagen finally ordered, unleashing both his knights and the freelancer black mages.

"All knights, attack!" Lunafreya ordered shortly after.

"CHARGE!" Following his queen's direction, the general threw the knights belonging to the army against the enemy, with Vivienne, Gajeel, and Panther joining shortly after.

What was brought up in the end was a small internal conflict between the army's forces. Clashes of weapons and magic started to be seen and heard.

"What is going on up there!?"

"Is there a fight!?"

"H-Hey, is that the queen!?"

"Oh God, what is she doing there!?"

The crowd from below could see the scene, starting to get more confused and agitated. The former queen Aurelia was with them, and as soon as she could faintly recognize the figure of Lunafreya, she held her hands in prayer and coughed a bit.

"P-Please, Lunafreya…be safe…"

"GRAAAAAAH!" Amid the battle, two hooded figures tried to assault Vivienne with their darkness.

"Oh, scary! But first, you'll have to catch me!" The royal sorceress replied as she used her magic to generate a breeze that made her light and float around.

Upon seeing that, the two enemies used their magic to float as well and chase her down while shooting spheres of darkness. "GET BACK HERE!"

Seeing them, Vivienne started to move statically while making bizarre poses that looked like an anime with muscular characters. "Whoops! Too bad! Missed! Nuh-uh! Not even close! Muda Muda!" Once the attacks were gone, she raised her staff and released a beam of pure blue magic that ran over the two black mages.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

She landed down to see that two treacherous knights were ready to cut her down with the sword. "Oh my! Not a moment of break?" She commented before drawing a sword from her pocket and starting to clash with them. And even if she was mostly a mage, she proved to be skillful enough with swords as well, managing to parry a combined attack of the two knights, quickly dash to their backs, and cut them down.

"GRAAAAH!"

"Let's not forget that our queen can use the sword thanks to me!" Vivienne commented before looking at more approaching enemies. "Come on, bring it!"

"HMMMM!" In the meantime, Bogardius quickly started to spin his glaive to deflect magic bullets coming from some of the freelancer mages.

"What the!?"

Bogardius's glaive spins started to get faster and faster, to the point of generating an authentic tornado that sucked most of the mages and wiped them away.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…"

Ding!

All that could be seen of them was a shining star in the sky.

Once he was done, Bogardius threw himself with his large body and started pummeling the treacherous knights with the glaive, starting clashes with them. As he did so, he gave orders to the loyal knights. "Do not let any of them free! They could use sneak attacks!"

"YES SIR!"

After that, Bogardius quickly used his glaive to defect most of the blades and counterattack.

"Dammit! We forgot that he's the general for a reason!" One of the knights exclaimed, getting panicked.

"Please forgive us!" A second one pleaded.

"A bit late for that!" Bogardius countered before beheading them with his glaive. But his fight wasn't still done. Many enemies were still on the way, as he jumped toward them.

"COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME OOOOON!" Gajeel was no less in violence and charge, as he turned his whole body into steel and started to smash down the treacherous knights and their armor with his bare fist, now solid as pure iron.

"That damn stranger is decimating all the soldiers! Let's stop him!" One of the dark mages exclaimed. He and four more combined their dark magic to generate a vortex of pure black energy.

Gajeel turned around, and as soon as he saw it, he gathered energy in his mouth and released it in the form of a burst of steel energy. "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

The roar clashed with the vortex, bringing upon a clash of energies, before wiping it out, scaring the mages. At that sight, Gajeel turned both his hands into steel blades and quickly ran towards the enemy, striking them down. "I'VE FACED DARK GUILDS AND ENTIRE CULTS! THIS IS NOTHING!"

"DAMM YOU!" One of the knights tried to attack him from behind with his sword, but he was cut down first by Panther's axe.

"Oh no you don't!" After that, the exceed turned around to see more knights ready to face him, so he made the first move instead and unleashed a barrage of fast punches towards them, knocking them out. "Take this!"

"We've had enough!" More dark mages gathered together to assemble their dark energies.

"Tch, they never quit. How about a cross combo?" Gajeel asked.

"You're on it!" Panther Lily agreed. The Dragon Slayer then took the exceed's tail, started to swing him around, and then threw him at high speed toward the black mages, taking them down as Skittles.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-"

"WOOO! Did you see that!?" Gajeel asked before noticing that Panther was breathing heavily after landing down.

"B-Bad idea…I think I have to throw up!"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"DIE!"

As the clash kept on going, with more soldiers falling, Lunafreya decided to directly approach Hagen. He was the source of the uprising and she felt like she should be the one dealing with it.

The two of them clashed their blades, moving around with strong and fast movements. Hagen, in particular, was astonished by the way Lunafreya was answering his attacks.

At a certain point, they tried a direct attack, clashing again and trying to push the other to prevail.

"How is this possible!? You've rarely left the walls of this castle! There's no way that you should be this skilled in swordsmanship! It must be a trick!" Hagen protested.

"This is no trick nor illusion. Even if I was afraid, I still wanted to improve myself and studied how to properly wield a sword! So that a day like this would have come!" Lunafreya countered. "It seems that your plan didn't go entirely as you wanted."

"GRRRR! NO!" Feeling provoked and mocked, Hagen raised his blade and made heavy blows against Lunafreya's, forcing her to recoil. "Nothing is settled! I'll be the one who'll decide that! I just need to change my ways!" After saying that, he started to concentrate, and the queen could see that his blade was starting to get surrounded by a strange green smoking energy. "Let's see if you'll keep on assuming that composure that you shouldn't have once you've got a taste of my sulfuric magic!" With that said, he started to throw several swipes of sulfuric energy at the girl.

Sensing the danger, Lunafreya started to jump away with pace in order to dodge the swipes.

For a moment, Vivienne looked at the clash and saw the problem as well. "Ah! Be careful! That magic could melt your body!"

"It's useless that you try to warn her! She'll end up melted down AS SHE DESERVES TO!" Hagen shouted before aiming at Lunafreya with the sword, charging an acid beam against her.

The queen of Seven widened her eyes before stopping herself in her tracks and charged a beam of light with her sword that passed through the acid one and directly attacked Hagen.

"WHA- AAAGH!" The treacherous commander ended up getting pushed back by the beam, and when he opened his eyes, he could see that Lunafreya was already running towards her.

"HAAAA!" The young queen didn't lose any more time, and as soon as she was in front of him, she started to deliver blow after blow, pushing back Hagen even further. "I hope this satisfied you!" She exclaimed before making Hagen loosen his grip with the blade. She then went directly for the final stab. "I won't let you mock me or my family even further!"

Hagen seemed worried, but then he made a small grin. "Are you sure? Sulfuric Blob!" He suddenly pronounced the name of a spell, and by doing so, a green bubble engulfed Lunafreya in mid-air.

"What!?"

"UH!?" The allies were astonished at that sight.

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW!" Hagen imposed his hand in a way that he could make the bubble blow up in an acid explosion.

"GAAAAAAAH!" Lunafreya cried out of pain and fell to the ground, with some small black smoking holes in it. "G-Gh…"

"LUNAFREYA/ MY QUEEN!" Vivienne, Bogardius, Gajeel, Panther, and the rest of the allies tried to come closer to help her, but before they could move even further, Hagen quickly took his sword back, grabbed Lunafreya by the hair, and put the blade near her neck.

"I'd suggest you stay where you are right now if you don't want her agony to end earlier!" He exclaimed.

"KH-" Everyone stopped in their tracks.

"And here I thought that I could be calling you an honorable warrior…instead you're the worst of the cowards, Hagen!" Bogardius shouted.

"It's not about being honorable or fair, Bogardius! It's about doing the right thing for the sake of the kingdom! And that's what I'm doing!" Hagen countered. "I was raised to be a soldier that had to do anything to bring a land in the right direction in every way possible, even with brute force! Especially with brute force! And this is the right thing to do! Get rid of a problem that could destroy this whole kingdom!"

"Dammit…isn't there anything you can do, Gajeel!?" Panther asked.

Even the mage from Fairy Tail started to sweat. "I'm afraid not…it all depends on her…"

And just like he said, Lunafreya started to struggle. "Let me go…I order you!" She exclaimed.

"Oh really? You…and what authority?" Hagen ironically asked. "Did you really think that just because you could swing your sword a bit you could convince me as a queen? Sorry, but you're veeery far from it! And now that you're in my hands, there's nothing that could convince me more! I'm the stronger one! I'M THE KING!"

Lunafreya breathed heavily as she saw the agitated expressions of everyone. She thought of everything. The reactions…the delusions…and the promises that she couldn't keep to both her citizens…and her family.

"Decide from yourself, fight from yourself, and see within your heart what type of ruler you want to be."

She didn't want to lose…not after having promised that much. She needed to fight back.

"You…are no…king!" She protested.

Seeing how she kept on defying him, Hagen started to get annoyed. "You wish to bring an end to your era that much!? Fine…I'll grant your request now, as my first action as sovereign!" He raised his sword. "THE QUEEN IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"

The others tried to stop him…but just when the deal seemed to be done…

"Holy Sword God's…SACRED PILLAR!"

A pillar made out of holy light surrounded the queen, burning Hagen and making him lose his grip.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Hagen was sent a few meters away with his whole body smoking. "GRRR! W-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?"

"Woah! Was that…magic!?" Bogardius exclaimed.

"And the way that she said it… 'Holy God'…" Panther added. That was enough to make Gajeel smirk.

"It seems that for all this time…I wasn't the only Slayer here."

Even Vivienne smiled satisfied. "She…she trained her magic!"

Lunafreya could finally breathe for a moment and take back her sword, which shone in resonance with her magic. "I just needed to remember what I've wanted to do…and everything went clear." She turned around and glared at Hagen, while her body started to release a golden aura.

"W-What is that!? Not even King Aegium had such an energy!" The commander exclaimed.

"I am Lunafreya Lacrima, and during my time as a princess, I've asked Vivienne to train me in practicing magic and become a mage at the same time! Together, we had forged this sword and empowered it with a Lacrima belonging to a forgotten god, transforming it into a sacred blade! For the occasion…I've called it…'Noctis Lucis Caelum – 'Starry Sky'!"

"T-The Lacrima of a god!? No way…YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU'RE A GOD SLAYER!?" Hagen shouted, starting to freak out.

As an answer, Lunafreya pointed the glowing sword at her. "This is the path that I've decided to walk on to become a queen who could do her job properly, and this is the future that I intend to carry on! This is your last chance, Hagen, you can surrender now and accept a life in the dungeons, or insist on your sick fantasy and accept your end!"

Hagen's head started to shake and the nervous tics on his eyes became more frequent. He turned around to see that even his knights started to get scared by it, with most of them having been struck down. "Dammit DAMMIT! YOU MORONS! WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST ACCEPT MY RISE!? I REFUSE! SEVEN IS MINE!" Insisting on his ideals, Hagen took back his sword and started to gather green smoking energy from it. "NOW DIE! SULFURIAL ACME!" The energy converged in a large burst of acid.

But this time…Lunafreya was ready. She widened her eyes and started to gather a bit of her energy and charged like a helix of light toward the burst of acid. "Holy Sword God's Assault!" The helix of light quickly disintegrated the burst of acid and passed through Hagen, cutting an entire arm off.

"GAAAAAAAH!" Hagen held the spot just cut, which was spilling blood from it, looking at the queen with pure hatred. "DAMM YOU-"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Gajeel could see that he was already trying another attack, this made him dash forward and punch Hagen in the back, pushing him against Lunafreya, who held him by stabbing his chest.

"GAH! GRRRRR!" In one last desperate attempt, lost in his self-delusional fantasy, Hagen tried to grab the crown from the girl's head. "THE CROWN…IS MINE! I PRESENT YOU KING HAGE- AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Suddenly, he could feel his chest starting to burn. This is because Lunafreya made her sword glow.

Before the finishing blow, this time for real, Lunafreya glared at him right in the eyes. "You want to be king so badly? Fine, then let me tell you these words that all kings hear. The king is dead. LONG LIVE THE KING!" With that, she pushed the sword upwards.

"NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-" The only thing that Hagen could do was to scream in agony and failure before getting completely cut in half. What remained of his body got burned down by the sword's light. The act of treachery was ultimately stopped.

The allies were astonished by the incredible power that the queen just showed up. The girl herself could take some breaths to regain some air…before glaring at the enemies that survived.

The remaining treacherous knights and freelancer dark mages started to shriek in terror. Their leader was dead and most of them got defeated. All they could do was to kneel.

"WE SURRENDER!"

Lunafreya made a satisfied smile. "Good to know." She then turned to her loyal knights. "Arrest all of them and throw them into the dungeons."

"It will be done, my lady!" With that order, some of the knights started to take away the enemies…and Lunafreya fell backward, with her whole body and her head looking up at the sky, which was filled with stars at that moment.

"You know…I've never realized until now but…the starry sky had always been…this beautiful. Heh, that's why I gave my sword its name." She commented.

Vivienne couldn't help but smile and come closer to her, alongside the others. "Without a doubt. In fact…those are the things that inspire my magic! Billions of celestial bodies that wait only to be explored…"

Lunafreya then looked down. "So…I really did it? Did…did I win?" She asked.

"Without a doubt. The soldiers that assisted you all survived, and the treacherous commander has gotten his punishment." Bogardius said with a proud tone. "Indeed, my queen…you've just defended your crown." After saying that, he, the knights who remained, and Vivienne all kneeled down to her. "You've just shown us how strong you can be…as the queen of seven."

"Once again, we swear eternal loyalty to you!" The rest of the knights proclaimed.

Lunafreya stood up. It was the second time that they kneeled down. But this time…it felt different. It wasn't for formality. Rather…it seemed something sincere…as she showed to keeping her promise to them.

She didn't know what to say. The feeling…seemed too much for her. Once again, all that she could do was to look at the royal sorceress. "Vivienne…do you think my father would have been proud?" She asked, on the verge of commotion.

"Without a doubt! He had always been!" Vivienne assured her.

Lunafreya didn't add anything. She simply looked down with a smile…and some tears on her face. "I'm…glad to know…"

"Come now, no need to cry! This should be a happy moment! In fact… at least a few hundred people are waiting for you down there!" Vivienne told her, mentioning the hospitality.

"Ah ah ah! Y-Yeah, you're right." With that, the queen stood up. "Then, let's go. I think…I can enjoy this week of celebration now. At least, a lot better."

"Yay! More cake for us! Let's go!" The sorceress rejoiced as she should have done after all. The battle was finally over. There was no need for concerns or paranoids right now.

For just this moment…Lunafreya could enjoy her moment…as a queen, promising herself to create more of them.

The group started to go down the stairs to reach the main hall, where the party was taking place. And in all of that, Gajeel and Panther Lily could see the scene satisfied.

"Now this…is what I call a 'picture perfect' moment," Panther commented.

"Yeah. And that chick is a hella fighter. If she gets the right teachings…this kingdom will endure. Who knew that she was a God Slayer? It's not like you see a lot of them every day." Gajeel added. "Well then…how about we go finish our mission?"

"Absolutely." The exceed replied. Nothing else needed to be done. They went down as well…where the reason why they went there in the first place was taking place.


Down at the main hall, most of the guests were already there, still stunned to see the mess that took place above, and were even more surprised to see that the queen showed up while wearing armor. She quickly explained what happened and apologized to everyone for the inconvenience. She then re-established her vow, promising that she would have done her best to protect the kingdom properly from now on, as her father and her predecessors had always done. She was relieved to see that both the representatives and the subjects that were present at the hall seemed to understand.

With all that settled and done…Lunafreya could finally start the hospitality, meet interesting and bizarre new people, and enjoy both food and presents.

She was a bit left off guard by the large number of packages that she had seen near her seat at the table.

"T-They're…a lot…" She commented.

"Oh come now, what do you expect from a newly crowned queen? I can take them if you don't want to!" Vivienne jokingly said.

"And I'm sure that after the heroic act you've done, there will be a lot of people who will give you even more presents!" Aurelia added. She was relieved to see that her daughter was safe and sound, and she took the chance to gently stroke her daughter's face. "And you have no idea…how proud I am of you right now. My daughter…who defends her crown…I never thought that the day would come. I feared that by having this weak body, I've left you with too heavy of a burden for you. But it seems…that maybe our future won't be that dark."

"Thank you, mom. But, to be fair…it's not only my merit if we were able to stop Hagen. Everyone here helped. Especially the representatives of Fiore!" Lunafreya replied, making Gajeel look elsewhere.

"Then I'll make sure to thank all of them as well!" Aurelia jokingly said.

It was then that Gajeel took the chance to come closer. "Speaking of which…" He showed Lunafreya the pack. "Here's the gift from Queen Hisui of Fiore."

"Ah, thank you!" Lunafreya immediately accepted it. "You know…since you've helped us so much…it's only fair that this is the first gift that I open!"

"Do as you please." Gajeel cut it short.

Lunafreya didn't lose any time and opened the box, revealing a crystal ampoule with a spray can. "Oh, a perfume? 'Mega Geranium essence'…" The girl tried it a bit, revealing a good scent. "Oh, wonderful! I'll make sure to keep it dear!"

"You'd better be," Gajeel answered back with a smirk.

"Come now! There are a lot of more things to do!" Vivienne then insisted on diving into the party, and the Dragon Slayer seemed to like the idea.

"Oh, oh, I know! I can sing a song!"

Everyone else was surprised.

"You can sing?" Lunafreya asked.

"With a celestial voice, may I add!" The mage of Fairy Tail replied.

In a few minutes, a small stage was established and Gajeel was already holding a guitar in his hands. "This is a song I wrote myself. It's called 'Best Friend'." He then started to sing…only for Lunafreya to regret giving him the chance.

"Colorful, Colorful…SHOOBY DO BOOOP! Tremble with love, steel grey metallic! Doo Doo Doo Shalala…SHOOBY DO BOOP! SHA LA LA…"

All the presents could feel their hearts shatter into pieces due to the horrendous voice he was showing with pride. And soon enough…everyone started to throw tomatoes at him.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?"

"YOU CALL THAT SINGING!?"

"TAKE THAT DEMON AWAY!"

"MY EARS ARE BLEEDING!"

"A-AH! PLEASE CALM DOWN!" Lunafreya tried to calm everyone down, but chaos was already in full motion.

"HEY! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? CAN'T YOU RECOGNIZE TRUE ART WHEN YOU SEE IT!?" Naturally, Gajeel didn't like that feedback and almost tried to attack everyone. Luckily, Panther was there to block him in time.

"H-Hey, calm down! We won't make a good impression!" The exceed said.

"DO YOU THINK I'D CARE!?" Gajeel shouted back.

Bogardius found himself facepalming. "Now I know why everyone is worried to ask for help at Fairy Tail…"

"Well, he surely made the party livelier!" Vivienne added.

And it was indeed true. The party went on, as wild as it could have been for the rest of time. It was a long and heavy day for Lunafreya, but at least…she was happy to say that it ended up on a good note.

But…that was only the beginning. Now she knew for sure…that she wanted to find the right strength to protect her kingdom as best as she could.

"By the way, Lunafreya…you didn't take your armor off…" Aurelia then noticed.

As an answer, the queen looked down on it and smiled. "You know…I think that I'll wear it more often now. I think…people will have an idea of what type of Queen I want to be."

Both Vivienne and Aurelia were surprised at that answer. "Does that mean…?" The former queen asked.

Lunafreya was happy to nod. "Yes. I may…know what to do now…


The next day…

The sky was already high in the early morning. Gajeel and Panther made their way back to the port, waiting for the ship that had brought them there in the first place. Even if they stood there for just a day, they could say that it had been a long day that they wouldn't have forgotten that easily. Especially after meeting a one-of-a-kind ruler.

"Eager to go home, Gajeel?" Panther asked while waiting.

"Enough, yeah. I'm concerned about Levy and the baby. I'm sure she'll surely need a day of rest after this." Gajeel replied.

Panther couldn't help but smile. "You took this question of a family very seriously, eh?"

"Of course, why would you expect that? They are my family after all!" The mage replied. Right at that moment, they could hear a familiar voice calling for them.

"Gajeel! Panther Lily!"

When they turned around, they could see Lunafreya, Vivienne, and Bogardius run toward them.

"Hm? Your Majesty? You came all the way here?" Gajeel asked.

"As soon as she heard that the vessel for Fiore was about to arrive, she insisted on running all the way here!" Vivienne explained.

"I mean…it's only natural after all the help you've given to us…" Lunafreya added.

"Nah, don't even mention it. It's my job, after all." Gajeel replied.

"No, no! I'm serious about it!" The queen insisted. "Back when we found out about Hagen, we were all left demoralized due to my conditions. But…you helped us recover. You helped me recover from it. And now…I want to do things properly. Well…it's what I wanted to do in the first place…but I think you've given a big push to it. I've never got the chance yesterday so I'm willing to do it now…" She then made a bow, surprising the others. "Thank you…Gajeel of Fairy Tail."

Gajeel was left a bit surprised…but then looked at the sea, with the wind flowing on his hair. "I appreciate it, Your Majesty. But if you think of it…you were the one who did most of the job."

"Uh?" Lunafreya asked.

"Think about it. We met up in those catacombs by pure coincidence because you, in the first place, went to investigate after you heard the voices. And then, it was you who decided to face off that idiot in the first place and took the courage to face him off directly. In the end…all I've done was to encourage you a bit, that's all. You already had what you needed to move. You just needed someone to tell you that it wasn't wrong."

Lunafreya stood in silence as the wind gently moved her hair.

"The fact that you decided to act not because of convenience, but because you want to prove yourself to the kingdom is already a big achievement. I'm not much about monarchy or general governments but…I think this is the proper way a ruler should behave: with their mind focused on their kingdom first. And you surely had that thought. Besides…" Gajeel made a smirk. "I'm pretty sure that I wasn't the one who gave you these ideals, correct?" He asked.

Lunafreya was surprised to see that Gajeel realized it soon, but she nodded with a smile. "It's…for an old promise that I made…at my family."

"Then hold it tight…because that will be the flame that will keep you warm. And I'm not talking about only the ones you're related to by blood. Those knights who swore loyalty to you yesterday, your subjects…and probably many people who will offer their aid in the future…if you keep on holding them dear and do your best to make sure they're safe…then you can stay assured that they'll be the ember that will keep you warm…they'll become the strength that you seek that much. They'll become part of your big family. Gajeel continued. "It happened with me, a jerk who wanted to destroy a guild for petty reasons…so I'm sure that it will happen to you."

"…A king lives for his people…and viceversa…" Lunafreya remembered what Panther told her the day before. She then looked up at the Black Steel with a smile. "And I assume that…Fairy Tail had become your strength, correct?"

"Hell yeah. They're idiots, but they're my idiots!" Gajeel proudly answered.

"You can say that again," Panther added with a smile.

Right after that, they could hear the horn of a ship getting closer, and when they turned around, they could see the ship from Fiore coming closer.

"It seems that it's time," Gajeel commented.

"…Will I see you again, Gajeel and Panther?" Lunafreya asked.

"Hey. I've got almost killed two years ago. Nothing worse could happen to me. And you're a strong woman with nerves of steel and one hell of a God Slayer Magic. I don't see why this would be a goodbye." Gajeel assured her.

That was enough for Lunafreya to smile. "Then it's a promise! And next time You'll see me, I'll have become stronger!" She vowed.

"And you can add our thanks to hers! I hope I can see you again too, big boy!" Vivienne added.

"Even if you sing horribly, you've still helped us a lot. The doors of Seven will always be open to you and Fairy Tail." Bogardius concluded.

"HEY WHAT DOES THAT- …You know what? Never mind." Gajeel stopped himself before he could freak out and started to go towards the ship with his exceed friend.

"Thanks, Gajeel, Panther! See you soon!"

"Bye-bye!"

Lunafreya and Vivienne waved at their new friends until the ship started to go far.

Once it started sailing, Gajeel and Panther sat down, looking at the ocean, waiting to see the land of Fiore appear.

"I'm confident we'll see her again. She's too much of a kind for being left off that easily." Panther said with confidence.

"Heh. You can say that again. In fact…I think this the just the beginning…of a long journey." Gajeel replied before looking up. "I'll look forward to your progress…Queen of the Holy Sword."


After their send-off with Gajeel, Bogardius returned to the castle to look over the army, while Lunafreya and Vivienne decided to use their little break to relax and sit at a bar. Even if she was crowned two days earlier, she already had a lot of work to do, so she decided to do her best at just…enjoying a cup of coffee.

Vivienne in particular was surely enjoying her cappuccino. "Aaaah…no one does it as good as this bar in particular. Even though I think that Bosco's ones are the best." She commented before taking another sip. She could then see that Lunafreya seemed focused on her own cup. "Hmm? You're not thirsty?"

"Uh?" Lunafreya seemed like she had just woken up from a dream before giggling. "Oh, don't worry. It's just that…after everything that happened yesterday…I'm trying to…make a local mind on what to do as a queen from now on, thinking of what I could change and what I could add."

"Ooooh…we're starting to get the spirit of initiative even more now, eh? It seems that Gajeel influenced you a lot." The royal sorceress commented.

"Well…just like he said, I already had a few ideas in mind. I just needed to make sure that I wasn't crazy." The queen replied.

"So…just to be curious, what's the first thing you're planning to do?" Vivienne asked with a giggle.

"Well, starting to improve myself as a warrior and become stronger, of course! As you can see, I still have this armor on!" Lunafreya replied before touching it with the same expression of a kid that hugs a bunny. "And I'm enjoying it!"

"It surely does fit you, just like with your father! So, I assume that you want to resume our training?" Vivienne then asked.

It was then that Lunafreya made a small smile. "Yes but…not only that…I may have come up with an idea that some might consider…crazy."

Upon hearing that, Vivienne placed her hands on the table and came closer to the face. "You caught my attention now. I always fawn over crazy ideas!"

"Before that…if I were to say that I want you in particular to help me with this crazy idea…would you accept it?" Lunafreya asked, a bit worried.

Vivienne was surprised but still answered with a hug. "Oh, my dear Luna. I've known you ever since you were born. You've been my queen, my apprentice, and even my protégé. You're basically part of my family now, and I must look over you! So, whatever you ask me, I'll do my best to help you, so that I can repay you for the wonderful moments we had together…well unless you're asking me to pose for a pornographic maga-"

"NO NO, It's not like that! But…" Lunafreya couldn't help it hug her back. "Thank you, Vivienne…I really appreciate it."

"So, what is this diabolical madness we're going to make?" The sorceress then asked with a grin.

To answer that, the queen started to look around. "Say…there was a post office here, correct?"

Era – Magic Council Headquarters – Post Office Delivery

In the Ishgar headquarters of the organization that ran over the world of legal magic and controlled all the guilds, The Magic Council, an old man was doing his job at organizing all the letters and requests that were coming, until he heard the sound of metallic footsteps coming closer. "What the…" When he raised his head, he could see a knight of Seven in front of him. "AH! A knight of Seven!? I swear, we didn't send any adding taxes!"

"No worries, I don't mean any harm. I have a message of request directly from Queen Lunafreya." The knight replied before handling a paper.

The old man was confused. True, they received requests every day, but one coming directly from a ruler wasn't something usual, so he took the paper.

"Say, what is it about these 'adding taxes' you were mentioning?" The knight then asked with a raised eyebrow.

"AH! N-Nothing that concerns you! Get out now, shoo!" The old man quickly sent the knight away and opened the request…finding it…stunning. "W-WHAT!?"

It was a legal request for opening a legal guild in the capital of Somnus, followed by a request for association with the federation of the local guilds. And all of this…was coming right from the queen.

A few days later…

Seven – Capital of Somnus – Old Wyrm Mansion

In the western sector of the capital of Somnus, on the top of a small green hill, stood a large abandoned golden palace that had at least three floors, a central part, and a wing on each side. Most of the structure was covered by the plants and the moss that grew with time.

This mansion belonged to a noble family known as Wyrm, but after the last member passed away around the X400s without heirs, the mansion went up in ruin, ending up getting bought by one of the many estates of the region. For over three hundred years, no one had entered the mansion, as it remained without an owner…until that day…when a sign with the written 'SOLD OUT' was placed.

Lunafreya and Vivienne opened the door of the mansion to find a large main hall filled with chairs, tables…and most importantly…dust.

"Woah…this place is huge! I have no doubt! This is perfect!" Lunafreya commented.

"Indeed! Though I think that proper cleaning and restructuring should be necessary…I wouldn't want a rat to come out when I least expect it!" Vivienne added.

"We'll do it, don't worry. This mansion ended up costing even less than we expected. I'll make sure to find the right men to do the work. I could even bring some of the attendants from the castle!" Lunafreya added. "But…I can already imagine it. The hall, the dorms…the dashboard with missions…maybe a pool or a hot spring? The members will even have a garden where to relax!"

Vivienne made a small laugh. "It seems that you're pretty serious about this idea."

"Of course I am! It will be the first major thing I'll do as a queen. It's…important that I do this." The queen replied.

"Still…are you sure about this? It does seem like a hard task to do. We talk about managing both a kingdom and a guild of mages. Do you think you can live up to be both a queen and a Guild Master?" Vivienne then asked.

To that, Lunafreya made a small sigh. "Well, yes, it is. And I still need to see if it will all turn out well or if it will be the worst mistake of my life. But…I feel like this could really help me. Gajeel went through his road and was able to become strong and be present for the family he loved. I…I want to do the same. Hagen was the proof that not everyone are going to stick with me, and he was probably just the beginning of all the threats that would fall upon Seven after I became queen. Maybe we'll see something even worse. Like I said the other day to the people…I'm inexperienced. That's why…I'm doing this. I think that…by starting with handling a smaller group…I'll be able to grow both as a person and as a queen. There are still a lot of things I need to understand if I want to rule the kingdom, and I want to become strong and improve as a mage so that I can be there to defend all my subjects and the ones I love. We can see this upcoming guild as…a sequel to the training path that you gave me in the past." She explained.

"I see! Well…being honest with ourselves is one of the best things we can do in our lives, so if you're willing to take this risk for the greater good…who am I to oppose you? Besides…I'll be a part of this, too! And I'll have an adding excuse to see you more often!" Vivienne replied, adding a joke. "Speaking of which…what type of guild do you expect this to be?" She then asked.

To that, Lunafreya put two fingers on her chin and started to think. "Well…it wouldn't really be an average guild of mages. I'd see it more like…a gathering place for those who, like me, seek strength…and personal growth through training with swordsmanship. I want this to be a place where everyone who will join it, will come out of it with a noble heart, ready to become both the sword and the shield. People who would become strong…but also gentle…and that they could always follow their heart. Yes…this would be…a guild of knights, just like me." She then answered, looking at her armor.

"A guild of knights…not bad as an Idea! I already like it! Maybe I could find even more pupils and turn this into my school." Vivienne commented. "Speaking of which…I've read that some mages like to give themselves titles to be more recognizable…how about you? Thinking of one?"

Once again, Lunafreya thought of it. But somehow…the idea came almost immediately…and brought her a smile. She looked at her mentor and told it.

"…Arthur."

"Arthur? But…that's a man's name…" Vivienne fairly noticed.

"Yeah but…it's a simple name…that still inspires trust. Plus…it has a nice sound!" Lunafreya answered. "Yes, I've decided. I can explain to everyone else when it comes out, eh eh!"

"You never kneel to anyone, eh, my queen? Or…should I call you Master inside here?" Vivienne then said.

"Actually…call me just by name. You're more than my keeper. You're my friend." Lunafreya then replied with a smile. "Or, maybe, you can call me directly Arthur! Eh eh!"

"Heh, alright, alright, I get it, you like that name. I'll take note of that." The royal sorceress replied. "Now that I think of it…I should think of a title worthy of a knight too. Hmm…" She thought of it for a bit. "Oh! How about Merlin? No wait...that seems more like a magician's name…not that I am not a magician, but still…"

"I actually like it! It gives you a good sound! I don't mind if you want to give yourself that title." The queen commented.

"Really? Ok, then! Merlin it is!" Vivienne replied. "And speaking of which…while we did say to the Magic Council that we would have started our activity as soon as we finished with this mansion…we still need to fill some holes, like the guild's name."

"Ah, man…see, that's an issue I thought for a while, but I don't like all the names I came up with until now…" Lunafreya answered, feeling a bit disappointed.

"Oh well, we still have time for that. How about we continue our tour for now?" Vivienne then proposed, making the queen nod.

And just as they continued their tour…they ended up on the third floor…where they found a room where they found a big hall full of windows where a good sight of the city could be seen, and at the center of it…

A large…round table.

"Woah! Did you see this?" Lunafreya asked before going to look closer.

"I think this was the lunchroom. It seems large enough to fill thirty people…" Vivienne said, she then took a look at the queen, who seemed…assorted by it.

"What a particular wood…" The other girl said as she touched the table. "Ah!" And then…she could see it…an idealistic vision.

Many armored mages gathered around the table…raising their blades…ready to depart for a new adventure.

Everything became clearer…as the queen smiled.

"Hm? Is something wrong, Luna?" Vivienne asked.

"A place…where the knights gather…" The queen whispered before raising her head. "Vivienne…I got it! The name of the guild!"

"Really?" The sorceress asked surprised.

Lunafreya, the new queen of Seven turned around to look at her keeper with a genuine smile, and with a single name in mind. A name that would have changed everything. A name that would have represented her route to magic, adventures, knighthood, swordsmanship, monarchy…and life in general. The place where all the knights would have gathered.

"Round Table."


And we're finally done! Man, I didn't expect this to be the longest first chapter I've ever written! But as you can see, there was a lot to explain and show (so much for "not having ideas" XD!), but I still think that everything went properly; despite not having many fighting scenes unlike I did with the first chapter of Shogunate Pride, but I hope I can fix it with the next chapters. Another thing that I realized is new for me is the type of protagonist that I've decided to use this time! While she does resemble a typical main character of mine, Lunafreya has a role that I actually use for the first time, the one of a leader. As one who wouldn't see myself leading a group, I tend to create characters that tend to stick with the group, rather than leading it, so this will be my first time experimenting with this type of character. And I made her in a way that I hope could be entertaining! I like to describe Lunafreya as "A hero that isn't a hero yet but wishes to be one", much like Midoriya from My Hero Accademia, and I hope that she can be of sympathy for you all!

But of course, I leave the last opinion to you! Did you like this first chapter? What are your opinions of Lunafreya as a protagonist and as a queen? What type of adventures do you expect to see from this story? As always, let me know your support for the story with a review, your opinions are important!

And of course, I expect to see some interesting OCs coming from you all! Let's not forget that, like with Shogunate Pride, you'll be the ones to forge the main characters of the story! This time, I've made sure to not make you wait to give you an example of what this story will be like, so you can feel more at ease with filling all the spaces in the sheet. You'll find the OC sheet in my profile, along with the rules and the link to my discord server, where we talk about Nerdy stuff in general! For now, the deadline will be 07/11/2024, but if some of you are still working on the character, I'm willing to stretch it a bit longer and even deliver some other chapter in the meantime.

So here we are, with yet another story to start. As I said in the beginning, this may turn out to be a challenge even for me to write, because, unlike the other stories, this had been a moment idea that I wanted to throw and elaborate on, so I hope I can come up with an entertaining story for you all! Let's all have some hope!

With this, We've said everything. I once thank you for reading this chapter and I'll see you in either the next one or the next chapter of another story of mine. Make sure to participate in many and send many OCs! Let's all make this a big story! From Bluestar here, arrivederci!