The Guarded Princess

XLI

Located deep under the castle was an underground prison that the first Fiores had built in order to trap criminals who had gone against the words of the monarchy or had wronged other imperial monarchies. Now, the ones who were locked in there, chained from the ceiling, were none other than the members of Fairy Tail. Sinbad and Kouen watched them as wounds were slowly inflicted upon them one by one. Blood trickled down their arms and legs as they were trapped in a neverending hell within their minds, unable to escape from it.

Drinking his cup of sake, Kouen sat there with an apathetic face despite the agonizing screams they let out. He cared for none of them for after what they had done to Lucy, he didn't plan on going easy on them. Using Phenex, he had placed upon them the Ring of Admonition, using their hatred for Lucy as a weapon. Moreover, with this, he could clearly see just how much they wished Lucy dead and the very thought of it angered him further.

Sinbad, too, sat there drinking his cup but with a rather amused look. Using Zepar, he had forced upon them a living hell by controlling their minds. As of right now, they were experiencing the same emotions that Lucy had felt but tenfolds that amount. If he wished for it, he would increase it but it would cause problems if he accidentally killed one of them.

"Does it hurt?" he chuckled. "But, remember one thing. The pain that Lucy felt was nothing compared to this."

Natsu let out a yell but no one heard him for they were all trapped in their own unconsciousness. Makarov gritted his teeth as the others tried bearing with it, too, but to no avail. This was the power of the greatest king vessels and against them, they were nothing. Some of them were literally tearing up but there was no trace of sympathy in the two king's faces.

"I'll kill you two," Natsu gritted his teeth. "After that, I'll send Lucy right to hell!"

Kouen punched him in the stomach and he coughed up his saliva and a few drops of blood. Immediately, Kouen tightened his grip around his neck as he glared right at him, his crimson eyes glinting with madness. He was ready to kill Natsu right on the spot for he knew that he was the first to welcome her and betray her.

"You're the one that'll be going there," Kouen's voice sent shivers of fear and horror down his spine. "I won't ever forgive what you did to Lucy. She did nothing. Absolutely nothing to you guys! Lucy gave up everything in order to continue to fit in with you guys but you only threw her away as if she was nothing more than a mere toy."

"S-S-She's a weakling," Lisanna barely said before she let out a blood-coiling scream.

"Though I tend to treat women nicely, I'm afraid that you guys - especially you - are an exception. Your voice really is annoying," Sinbad walked over to Lisanna and began to freeze her from her feet up, sending her into a state of near hypothermia. "And for your information, the little princess is way more capable than all of you in a fight, even if she didn't have her metal vessel."

"What did we do to deserve this? Who we treat nicely and poorly, is that up to the likes of you guys to decide?" Erza said.

"It was Lucy's fault for thinking that she belonged," Natsu laughed. "She was stupid."

Kouen tightened his grip and he didn't care whether he was to kill this man before him. His eyes flared with anger as his voice got deeper than before. No human emotion remained in his eyes and what consumed him was a monstrous notion. Hearing them badmouthing Lucy and calling her words that spoke the entire opposite of her, he hated it. He hated how they didn't appreciate her after what she had given them. He hated how for the past several years, she had spent that time with people like them.

"Don't you dare say that about her," he said. "Scum like you guys didn't deserve her. Lucy was someone who accepted everyone no matter who they were and she was the one who treasured those around her the most. Her every action was pure with no hidden meaning and her every smile lit up the world. To those who had nothing, she was everything. You have no idea just how much I would've given just to have her by my side again during those years," his voice cracking down. "You have no idea just how much she meant to us...to me."