Blue Butler (Jerza) [HIATUS]

The Prologue: A Scarlet-Stained Past

Everything was white. Outside the windows of the Belserion manor, the world was a landscape of powdery white snow. The sweet aroma of strawberry cake filled the air, mixing with the smell of gingerbread and coffee.

The young scarlet-haired girl hummed with satisfaction as she sat by the fireplace listening to her father tell her a Christmas story. The ribbons of flame danced in the hearth of the fire, providing warmth during the chilly weather. The young girl's mother entered, holding out the freshly baked and hand decorated strawberry cake, setting it down on the coffee table. The young girl squealed in delight as she ran to the kitchen to retrieve some plates and spoons. Her parents laughed at her excitement and upon her return they began to dig in.

It truly was a perfect night, yet another perfect Christmas for the family, but they spoke too soon. The young girl had suddenly felt the need to go to the loo and she rushed out of the living room. Upon her return however, uninvited guests had joined in. The young girl stood in shock not knowing what to do as she watched the men wearing black, with strange emblems on their back, beat her parents. Duchess Eileen Belserion and her husband, both feared throughout the land for their incredible swordsmanship, were laying defenseless on the ground as the intruders continued to mercilessly strike them. She writhed in pain as she felt another blow and from across the room she saw her daughter gape at them in fear. Eileen looked at her child apologetically. This wasn't something a young child should have ever had to witness, let alone on Christmas day of all days, but she couldn't do anything about it.

In an act of sudden desperation, the young Erza Belserion grabbed a sword from one of her parents' secret spots and dove it into one of the intruder's legs, the intruder's grip had loosened on her mother and Eileen was able to kick him in the stomach. Erza ran to her mother and her mother embraced her tightly. Tears streamed down her face as Erza turned to see her father fall by the hands of the other intruder. Eileen took the sword from Erza's hands and tearfully screamed at her to run but before Erza had managed to run, a sharp blow was delivered to the side of her head and knocked her down.

Despite her vision blackening, Erza willed her eyes to open, only to see the sword she had previously dove into one of the intruder's legs, pierce through her mother's torso. Eileen was halfway into reaching for her child as this happened. Erza stared helplessly as blood poured from her mother's body, even so Eileen smiled at her child and struggling through the blood coming out of her mouth, she said, "I'm sorry Erza, you truly are a brave child." With that Eileen fell to the ground, her beautiful scarlet hair, now drenching in the pool of her blood. That was the last thing Erza saw before darkness had completely engulfed her.

It was supposed to be a White Christmas, but all Erza remembered was scarlet.

***

Opening her eyes, Erza realized she was chained and locked in a cage while people in masks were ogling at her from the outside. It was as if she was one of the animals at the zoo she loved to go to. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she tried pinching herself in hopes it was only a nightmare and that her parents weren't dead. She wanted to return to the moment where she was eating cake with her parents in front of the fire place, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't. This nightmare was her reality now.

"You truly are a brave child." Those were her mother's last words to her. She couldn't cry. She needed to be brave. With her mother's last moments replaying in her mind, she dared to stand despite feeling as if her nimbly legs were about to give up on her. The crowd in front of her muttered among themselves and suddenly she felt searing pain course through her back. Erza screamed in agony as another strike was inflicted upon her. And another. And another. And another.

"HELP ME!" She called, hoping someone in the crowd had a good heart. These people were sick, watching a child get beaten, and finding it entertaining. She was struck once again as she continuously screamed for help. Each word she uttered resulted to another strike. Erza bit her lip and clenched her fists tighter to brace the pain. "Help me please." She said lowly in defeat. She was completely alone now. None of these psychos were going to lend her a hand.