In the Queen's chambers, Arshtat was sitting in her desk, looking downcast. Her tea was already getting cold; the cup untouched for almost half an hour.
"Oh, sire!" the lady-in-waiting exclaimed from the doors. "Her Majesty the Queen is…"
Ferid's expression was serious. "I know. But until I leave, don't let anyone disturb us, no matter who it is."
"Y—Yes, certainly, Your Majesty," the young woman said, bowing before going out to give the royal couple privacy.
"Arshtat, I'm here!" Ferid announced, effectively drawing Arshtat from her somber mood.
"Ferid…" she said, slowly standing up from her seat.
"Poor dear…" Ferid said, placing a warm hand on his wife's shoulder. "I thought you'd look like this…"
"Like what? Do I really look that bad?" Arshtat's mood seemed to plummet even more.
Ferid smiled charmingly. "No, of course not. You're as beautiful as ever. I still wish I could just freeze time and stare at your face…" Then his expression turned into concern. "But all I see is worry now."
"Oh, Ferid…" Arshtat said weakly.
"Are you worried about Frey?"
"Yes, both of the children… and Sialeeds, too." Arshtat sighed. "I'm a terrible sister, I'm a worse mother…"
Ferid frowned. "Arshtat, you know that's not true."
"Visiting Lordlake — in my place — that must have been such an ordeal for Frey… I had such kind words prepared for his welcome home…" There was a deep, brief silence before she erupted. "And look at what I did! Look at what I said to him! To my sister, to my Knights… I couldn't control myself! I couldn't stop thinking, 'I am right! I am infinite justice! Those who sin against me must be punished!'" She looked at her husband with pleading eyes. "It comes out of nowhere, Ferid. It takes me over… Just like that time two years ago…"
Ferid stepped closer to her, still frowning, but now distaste coloured his mood as he somewhat glared at the red Rune mark on his wife's forehead. "The Sun Rune. Just like we thought."
"Yes…" Arshtat averted her eyes, not finding it in herself to look at her husband. "The old legends say the Sun Rune seduces its possessor's soul. I didn't believe it. I couldn't afford to. But now…"
"You should just have that Rune removed once and for all!" Then Ferid's expression softened as Arshtat looked at him. "…I know, I know. You can't, right?"
Arshtat's face held a hint of stubbornness in it. "Not yet. If I had it removed right now, I'd be playing right into Lord Godwin's hands. It wasn't to punish Lordlake that I took the Rune up in the first place, after all…" She took a deep breath. "But I did. I lost control, I used it, and I was wrong, completely wrong. I am prepared to live with that responsibility. But my children shouldn't suffer for my sins…"
Ferid gave her a reassuring smile. "They're young. They'll understand someday."
"Ferid…"
"Our children, your sister… They're strong. Have faith in them."
"Ahh… But I really am a terrible sister, a terrible mother… Here I am, blessed with such a wonderful husband and children… And what thanks do I give? I forbid my sister to marry. I try to marry my daughter off to some noble's son whether she likes it or not…"
"That's all part of being the Queen of Falena, my dear." Ferid smiled. "Of course, if it's more than you can bear, we can always run off in the night… Surely I have what it takes to feed my family, even without all the gold and jewels…"
"Ah ha ha…! There you go, trying to tempt me again," Arshtat said, finally smiling. "It does sound nice… But we can't run away just yet. Not with Lord Godwin hungering for the throne. We can't let Falena fall to the likes of him!"
"True…" Ferid said, frowning.
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Deep shades of orange, red, brown, and yellow coloured the sky; the setting sun was dipping low into the horizon, bringing with it night in its wake.
Five people were staring at the sunset in different places.
"It's been a long time since we've seen the sunset from here, hasn't it?" Lyon said warmly, coming up from behind Frey.
Frey only nodded, looking at her as she stared at the sky.
"Prince…" she spoke. "I promise to protect you, now and always, no matter what. I'm sure you're going to be taking even more important duties in the future. I don't want you to have to do anything dangerous, but there will probably be times when you can't avoid it." Then Lyon turned to him, her eyes set with pure determination. "So that's why… That's why I'll always be by your side! No matter what happens, I'll protect you!" Then she looked away. "And maybe that will help repay Ferid's kindness, too, for taking me in as an orphan and raising me…"
Frey smiled. "Thank you, Lyon."
Lyon brightened at his words. "Thank you!"
And they watched the sunset together peacefully.
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From her window, Erza watched the same sky with dimmed eyes.
Jellal…
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Shades of red shone upon Gray's face, his head down as he remembered the past.
Ul…
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Natsu looked out the window, his expression taking on a determined seriousness. Happy slept beside him.
Igneel…
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The next day, the Queen summoned them.
Frey, Lyon, Georg, Sialeeds, and the five mages gathered together before Arshtat. Natsu, Gray, Happy, and Erza were confused as to why they were summoned as well.
"Now, then, Prince Frey," Arshtat said with a smile, "my sister Sialeeds… I wish for you to proceed to Stormfist and supervise the preparations for the Sacred Games. Queen's Knight Georg Prime, Queen's Knight apprentice Lyon, I order you to escort them. You five as well," Arshtat added with an amused glint in her eyes as she surveyed the reactions of the mages.
"I'm counted as an individual person!" Happy cheered.
"You got it," Gray said with a grin.
"Yeah, an adventure!" Natsu exclaimed.
Erza looked pained and bowed before the Queen… after knocking the three of them out. "I apologize for their rudeness, Your Majesty, and yes, we shall protect the Prince with all our efforts!"
"That is good to hear." Still smiling serenely, Arshtat continued on. "In one week, the day before the opening ceremony, Lymsleia and I will arrive in Stormfist ourselves. Until then, you will be my representatives. Remember that. And, although it is quite impractical to have so many of you guard the Prince and my sister, it is necessary. Ferid has already given me the background of the mages, and I feel that I can trust them with your safety, especially considering the fact that you all are already getting close to one another. However, if more of you from your world, and, by a stretch of possibility, from other worlds which we don't know of as well, are also here yet with ill intentions, we will need all the help we can get."
"Understood," Erza said firmly. "We will not fail you."
"I am glad we understand each other," Arshtat said pleasantly. "Let our mercy, as deep as the Feitas, and our authority, as powerful as the sun, be revealed to the entire world!"
"Let our mercy, as deep as the Feitas, and our authority, as powerful as the sun, be revealed to the entire world!" everybody except the five confused mages chorused.
When it was over, Natsu spoke up.
"Oh… We were supposed to repeat all that?"
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Before they could leave the Sun Palace, however, a yell stopped them.
"Frey!" Lymsleia called out, running over to them. "Frey! You're leaving again, aren't you…? How come everybody else gets to go with you, and all I get to do is see you off? No fair!"
"That's the way it goes when you're just a kid," Sialeeds teased.
Lym grumbled something under her breath.
Lyon looked awkward. "Lady Sialeeds…"
"The Prince, Lady Sialeeds, and Lyon are going on business, Princess. You understand that, don't you?" Miakis reminded her charge.
Ferid stepped forward. "That's right, Lym. Very important business."
Lym looked at him with pleading eyes. "But, Father…"
Ferid turned to his son. "Frey, I want you to remember that inspecting the preparations for the Sacred Games is only your official duty. What's most important is that you spend time among the people, learning more about them. In a way, the Sacred Games symbolize all of Falena. All of its virtues, all its faults — all right there at once." Ferid smiled. "Experience it all for yourself! That's your mission as our Prince and as my son."
Frey nodded. "All right, father."
"All right! Now, safe journey!" He patted his son's shoulder. "And that goes for you as well, Lyon."
Lyon looked startled. "Y—Yes, Your Majesty! I'll guard the Prince with everything I have, I guarantee it!" she told him, bowing.
Ferid looked mildly amused. "Not just that. Well, yes, do that, but… Take care of yourself while you're at it."
"M—Myself?" Lyon echoed.
"I care about you, Lyon. You're practically my third child, you know." Ferid looked at her warmly. "As I see it, I'm entitled to a little fatherly concern now and again."
Lyon blushed a little in happiness. "Oh… Your Majesty…!" She bowed to him again gratefully. "Th—Thank you very much, sire!"
Tears were streaming freely down Erza and Natsu's faces.
"Th—That's so touching!" they chorused, dabbing at their faces with handkerchiefs.
Gray and Happy were sniffing. "Such a beautiful father-daughter relationship!" they agreed.
Sialeeds chuckled at their display.
"Now, now. That's enough of that bowing," Ferid said.
"Yes, sire!" Lyon said dutifully, straightening her posture.
"Sialeeds, Georg," Ferid addressed them, "watch over the young ones."
"You got it," Georg said.
Sialeeds gave a small smile. "You really think the kids still need a chaperone? Well, if it's you and Arshtat asking me, what can I say, huh? One babysitter, reporting for duty."
Ferid nodded. "Good. All right, then, Frey, good luck!"
"We'll be coming to join you in one week!" Lym promised. "Until then, you'd better take care of yourself… or else!"
Miakis saluted them playfully. "Bon voyage!"
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"So, do you guys want to forge your weapons?" Lyon asked the mages as they arrived at the plaza.
"Weapons? Nah, don't need 'em," Natsu said dismissively.
"The weapons we use are our own magic," Gray explained.
"Oh? That's unusual," Sialeeds spoke up. "Even some powerful mages use weapons. In our world, all of us use weapons. They may be concentrated with magic or used as medium for offensive or defensive magic."
"I use weapons," Erza told them. "These two, however…" She gestured towards Natsu and Gray. "…don't."
"Hey, hey, Natsu," Happy spoke up. "I have an idea! Maybe you and Gray should have weapons of your own to blend in and avoid suspicion!"
"But I don't know how to use any weapon," Natsu muttered.
"I sometimes use a sword made out of my ice, but I always don't use it for long," Gray said.
"Wait! Natsu, you always use your fists, right?" Happy interjected.
Natsu nodded. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with—"
"We can get you some knuckle gloves and get them forged at the blacksmith's here in town," Lyon suggested.
Natsu immediately brightened. "Cool! Let's go now!"
"Gray," Georg spoke up. "I could teach you the way of the sword if you want."
Gray looked startled at being addressed. "Uh… sure. Why not? Thanks."
"All right, so let's go get your weapons," Sialeeds said, already heading towards the direction of the weapon shop. "We still have a lot of time before the ship leaves the docks, so let's make the most of it."
After buying — much to Gray and Natsu's (though not so much in his case) embarrassment at constantly being given items for free — the knuckle gloves and a samurai sword, the party went to the blacksmith's in order to get them forged.
Lyon's sword, Deutzia, and Frey's Twilight Nunchaku, were forged to level three as well as Natsu and Gray's new weapons. Georg's Iai sword, Wind, was already forged to level three, so Erza and Sialeeds opted to have their weapons leveled up as well.
After their weapons were polished and ready for battle, Frey stopped at a trading post.
"What's the matter, Prince?" Lyon asked.
"The price of salt will skyrocket soon," Frey said. "I'll need to buy four before the price rises."
"How do you know that?" Georg asked.
"People are buying more salt recently," Frey explained easily. "If that keeps up, the sellers will raise the price in order to gain more profit. Then, if the demand for salt decreases, they will decrease the price once again in order to sell."
Sialeeds chuckled pleasantly. "My nephew truly is an impressive prince. But what do you want to do with those salts you'll buy?"
"If the price skyrockets, I'll sell about ten of them in order to alleviate the price once more," Frey answered.
"…That's quite a good market strategy you've got there," Georg said, sounding impressed. "You've gone a really long way, Frey."
Frey looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, Georg."
When Frey and Lyon went inside the shop, Sialeeds let out a sigh.
"He's a wonderful prince, but the townspeople don't really take him too seriously," she said, sounding a little bitter. "This is a Queendom after all. Male heirs aren't important here."
"Yeah, we heard some nobles badmouthing him in the Palace," Gray muttered, feeling sorry for Frey.
"They did? Ugh, those old men really have no sense of decency these days…"
"That Kyle dude scared them off though," Natsu said, laughing. "He sent them running through the halls!"
Georg smirked. "Sounds just like Kyle to do that."
An old-looking townsman was talking to Frey after a few minutes of walking. "The Godwin and Barows factions… They're just lucky the Queen's too kind to smite them both! They've been scheming and plotting behind the scenes for generations! It's a disgrace! Does it make you as sick as it makes me, Your Highness?"
Frey bade the man goodbye with polite words, but his expression was becoming more and more troubled.
After finishing things up in the town, the party headed for the pier where their ship was already waiting for them.
Natsu looked dangerously green. "No… Not transportation again…" he moaned.
"I can remedy that," Erza said, stepping up.
Natsu's eyes widened. "What — Erza, NO—!"
Erza had already knocked him out with one blow and hoisted him on her shoulders without great effort.
Happy froze. "Natsu!"
Georg whistled. "A strong woman," he remarked.
"Um… Is he going to be okay?" Lyon asked unsurely.
"He'll live," Gray said casually.
Before they could climb up the ship, though, a yell stopped them in their tracks.
"Oh, Prince, there you are!" Kyle's familiar voice rang out. "Finally!"
"Kyle?" Lyon questioned as the blond Queen's Knight ran right in front of them.
"Oh no. Don't tell me you're coming, too," Sialeeds said in slight dread.
Kyle chuckled. "Ha! I wish. Nah, I just came to see you off. I still say they should have sent me along, but hey…"
Sialeeds smiled. "Now, Kyle, you know we can't take Lord Barows' greatest fan into Lord Godwin's hometown…"
"Oh, yeah, but it's perfectly fine to bring along his son's ex—" Kyle immediately cut himself off at feeling a dangerous aura. "Hey! How about the weather? …Seriously, though. You think everything's gonna be all right out there?" he said, falling into a serious mood.
"What do you mean?" Lyon asked curiously.
"I mean, it's kind of like going into enemy territory, isn't it?" Kyle said.
Sialeeds closed her eyes for a moment. "Hey, don't say that. Lord Godwin's not the Queen's most loyal subject, but he is her subject."
Kyle still looked unconvinced. "Yeah, for now! I mean, what if he ends up throwing you all in the dungeon and holding you hostage or something?"
"He won't," Georg said simply. "We should all wish he were that predictable."
"He knows what it means to make Arshtat mad. He's seen it. Like we have," Sialeeds added. "He wouldn't stake his whole town on one stupid move."
Kyle finally relented. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I hope you're right. But hey, watch yourselves out there, huh? Especially you, Prince."
Frey nodded. "I will. Thanks."
Kyle nodded back. "Good. You be careful too, Lyon."
Lyon smiled. "Yes, of course!"
"Fine. Enjoy your trip, stay safe, and if you see this cute brunette, about five-foot-four…" He saw Lyon's glare and flinched. "Ah, never mind. Go!"
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The waters of the Feitas was sparkling and beautiful. Erza and Gray watched as the fishes jumped out of the water, their fins and scales a little different from their own world.
Happy was drooling.
"This is such a nice wind, isn't it?" Lyon said, grinning.
"Yes, if it keeps up like this, we should reach Stormfist by tomorrow afternoon," Sialeeds said, leaning against the railing.
"Nice we can go almost anywhere by ship, even though this is an inland nation," Georg remarked.
"Yeah, thank goodness for the Feitas River," Sialeeds agreed. "But the convenience of the river has its disadvantages, too. I mean, we've been doing nothing but travelling lately! If we didn't have the Feitas, I bet we wouldn't have to take trips all over the place."
Georg grunted. "Hmph, don't know about that. The Queen doesn't exactly strike me as the merciful type…"
Lyon shook her head. "No, you're wrong about the Queen. Her Majesty is really very kind. Right, Prince?"
Frey nodded. "Right."
"That's right," Sialeeds agreed. "It may be a bit strange for me to say, but Arshtat was a very gentle and good Queen."
Georg folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, I can tell. Everybody in town loves her, and Ferid obviously loved her enough to marry her. But, if you ask me, though, she seems kind of… unstable at the moment."
Sialeeds let out a sigh. "I'm not surprised. From your point of view, you've only known Arshtat since she acquired the Sun Rune."
"So, she was… different before?"
By now, Gray, Erza, and Happy were tuning in to their conversation.
Lyon's expression turned sad. "Yes, after getting the Sun Rune, Her Majesty changed."
Sialeeds' mood turned somber as well. "And… I think it's getting gradually worse. I'm really worried."
There was a deep silence for a moment before Georg and Lyon suddenly jolted and readied their weapons.
Erza and Gray also looked wary.
Sialeeds tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong, Georg?"
"Lady Sialeeds, watch out!" Lyon warned.
"Both of you, get away from the side of the ship!" Georg barked out.
"Erza…" Gray said, his Rune already glimmering. "This presence…"
"I know," Erza replied, closing her eyes. "Happy, watch over Natsu."
"Aye, sir!" Happy saluted, flying over to his partner.
"Something's coming!" Lyon said, still alert to her surroundings.
It was then that the ship rocked, causing Sialeeds to grab the railing so as to not let herself fall.
And then a creature jumped onto their center.
It looked like a reptile, and was more slimy than it appeared. Its skin was the colour of cream but with red markings on some parts.
Georg gritted his teeth. "What the hell is that?"
"No! No!" Sialeeds suddenly shrieked, moaning in both fear and disgust. "I hate lizards!"
Georg moved fast. He sliced the zadom with his sword, causing the creature to screech in pain. Lyon followed up with two consecutive swings of her nagamaki, supported by Frey who sent the zadom flying with his nunchakus. Because of Georg's initial devastating blow, the zadom was weakened, thus it finally collapsed to the ground, motionless.
On the other side, Gray and Erza were fighting their own battle.
"Who the hell are you?!" Gray gritted out as he froze the arm of the assailant.
The hooded man easily broke out of the ice and grinned, his white, sharp canines almost distinguishable in the shadows.
"Finally found you… fairies."