Enigma [MystWalker]

Your Majesty

"Your Excellency, isn't it just amazing that everyone has already settled in? It's just amazing!" Hughes said. "Well, you can at least say how spectacularly amazing it is that the people of this town are taking everything so extremely amazingly cool! I mean, it's just so amazing!" Hughes babbled on. As annoying as Hughes may be at times, it was nice to see him returning back to his normal self. 

As if on cue, someone yelled.  

"Oh my god! Why isn't my light lachrima working?" She yelled.

"You idiot, Edolas lost all its magic, or did you forget?" Someone replied.

"Wow, it's amazing how they can lose their cool so amazingly quick!" Hughes giggled, rather childishly. Jellal watched in silence as the two citizens broke out into a fight.

"Me, an idiot? You're the idiot here!" The woman yelled back. The man growled in response. 

Jellal sighed. Looking up at the fading sunlight, he realized it was going to be sunset soon. They'd need to resolve this fight before the captains and he could return back to the castle. Jellal turned to Hughes. "Hughes, can you try to stop them from fighting, please?" Jellal asked him.

Hughes shot Jellal a curious look. "Of course, your Excellency! But may I ask why?" Hughes asked.

"Whenever I say or do something directly to the citizens, they get excited and start crowding me. We'd have to calm the crowd, which I've already done at least four times today. It's also getting late." I said. Hughes seemed to brighten, apparently happy to do something useful for the King.

"Oh, I see your Excellency! I will try my best!" Hughes nodded enthusiastically, running over to the two arguing citizens.

"Now now you two! You're both are amazing here! You two, stop fighting!" Hughes said, raising his hands in the air.

"Please! She's stupid, not amazing!" The man yelled.

"Excuse me?" The woman pursed her lips.

"Oh come on! You should calm down just a little bit!" Hughes responded, now looking less confident in himself.

"Why should I calm down?" The man barked at Hughes.

"Well, I-Uh..." Hughes paused, trying to think of what to say. The man scoffed, not taking Hughes seriously. Ever since the three captains were punished and forced to have to rebuild to city and towns, they weren't taken half as seriously as before. The citizens knew they were being punished and made sure they felt like that.

Jellal sighed, mentally face-palming at Hughes inability to think of good excuses and reasons on the spot. It seemed unlikely that Hughes was good at anything due to his goofy personality and laid-back attitude. This was not true though. He was exceptionally well in combat and surprisingly, strategies. He could have been much better if he had been practicing more on his combat skills like Erza and Sugarboy rather than completely relying on magic. He had the chance now, seeing as there was no magic in Edolas.

Jellal walked over to Hughes, the man and the woman. Jellal had to put this argument into his own hands before Hughes joined the argument rather than solving it.

"Your Highness!" The man and woman exclaimed in unison, bowing down. Their argument seemed to be long forgotten now that the King had arrived.

Someone yelled, and suddenly people were coming to surround Jellal. Jellal gazed at the crowd, stifling a sigh. He wasn't very pleased at having to calm down yet another crowd.

"Wow, your Excellency, you were right on point when you said everyday would start crowding you!" Hughes said. Jellal could sense that Hughes had lowered his tone and wasn't as bright as before. He was probably embarrassed and unhappy at being unable to stop a simple argument.

-

"Hmmm... Looks like our King's in a tough spot," Sugarboy said. "Don't you think, Knightwalker?" Sugarboy asked, looking towards Erza. Erza looked for the King, immediately noticing his unique royal blue hair. He was surrounded by a group of people. Though his face was stoic, Erza could sense his discomfort even from the distant. Erza couldn't help but let out a small sadistic smile. Oh, the poor King, having to calm down yet another crowd, it seemed to say.

Remembering Sugarboy's question,  Erza shrugged. "I guess so." Though her Earthland counterpart, Erza Scarlet's, words had touched her (though she wouldn't dare admit it), it didn't give a sudden boost to Erza Knightwalker's sympathy or empathy level.

"Hmmm... Maybe we should help him." Sugarboy suggested.

"And why would we do that? He's not in trouble or anything." Erza said and gave Sugarboy a slanted look.

"I can sense his discomfort." Sugarboy said, his voice on edge.

"So? What, are you trying to get on his good side or something?" Erza asked. Erza turned to face Sugarboy. Her gaze was hard and a little cold. Erza couldn't help it. Though the King wasn't unbearable, Erza just didn't seem to like him that much. He was so... different. He ruled with benevolence while his father, Erza's previous King, was known as 'The Dark King of Edolas' for a reason. It was taking time for Erza to adjust. Not to mention how hard it was to understand him.

"Well, no... It's just.." Sugarboy trailed off.

"It's just what?" Erza asked, pressuring Sugarboy to try come up with a good excuse. Sugarboy became silent. Erza glared at Sugarboy, unhappy with his lack of response. The two grew silent.

Erza was frustrated and angry. The King (Then Prince) had left his home dimension and had been betraying it in Earthland by closing the anima portals. Suddenly, he had come back, and had still been betraying Edolas. Then he became King. Of course, the King was a good one, but he had been betraying Edolas. It angered her that he seemed to think nothing of it. Yes, what Edolas had been doing was wrong, but that didn't calm Erza down. Erza glared at King Jellal, who had just calmed the crowd. He caught her eye before turning around and heading to the Royal Castle, Hughes by his side. They were departing.

"Oh, the King is departing. Let's go." Sugarboy said. Erza simply nodded. She was glad to get away from the accusing, reproaching and disrespectful gazes of the citizens.

-____-

Erza was heading towards her chambers when she came face-to-face with the King.

"Oh, hello, Erza." Jellal greeted. What could he want with her now? 

Erza didn't like how casual he was being with her, either. 

"There's no need to be so casual with me, Your Majesty." Erza replied snarkily. Jellal didn't seem bothered by Erza unapproachable or her disrespect. He just seemed to shrug it off.

"Very well, if that's what you wish, Knightwalker." Jellal said. Erza eyed him suspiciously. Erza disliked how hard it was to read her King. He had such hard, emotionless eyes, yet they weren't cold, dead or soulless. He had human emotions, it just that he refused to to show it. He was always shrouded in mystery. Erza would never admit it, but just being near the King just left her with such a strange feeling. Erza couldn't explain it. It was if she was almost intrigued by him. 

"I'll just cut straight to the chase. Ever since last week's assassination attempt, understandably, everyone's been freaking out. The council insisted that I have a bodyguard with me, even though I took all four of those men down single-handedly." Jellal said. Erza could already tell where this was going, and she didn't like it. "The council wants you to be my bodyguard. You can either accept or refuse this proposal." 

Erza suppressed an annoyed sigh. And wasn't even as if she could reject the proposal, no matter how much she wanted to. She had been asked to become the bodyguard to her own king. "It's not like I have much choice in the matter, Your Majesty." Erza hissed quietly. Jellal gazed upon her with those silent eyes of his, and for a moment, and Erza had that strange prickling sensation all over again. 

"Should I take that as a yes, then?"

"What do you think?"