The Tale of Tales

Chapter 38

Gray tapped his fingers impatiently on Wendy's kitchen table while chewing on some mint leaves. The fairies had told him that it wouldn't take them that long to get ready but they had been preparing themselves for almost three hours.

"Geez why do girls take so long to get ready?" He thought.

Then on cue Wendy walked into the kitchen wearing the sky blue dress with white ribbon and the stitching in the shape of violets lined on to the skirt. Her hair was straight and shiny with a violet flower clipped on to the side.

"You look nice." He told her.

"Thank you."

After her came Evergreen wearing the peridot green dress complete with a corset that fit her figure to perfection while her hair was in a pony tail and a peridot necklace hung around her neck. Then came Levy wearing a longsleeved marigold colored gown with a poppy red under skirt underneath it and a matching ribbon head band in her hair. Both Evergreen and Levy had managed to make their wings disappear so no one would recognize them as fairies.

"Not bad ladies." Gray commented. "But where's Juvia?"

"In my bedroom. Come out Juvia." Wendy called.

"I don't know about this. I feel kind of silly." Juvia said.

"Nonsense you look beautiful. Now come on." Levy insisted.

Juvia swallowed nervously and finally entered the kitchen. There she stood wearing her late mother's lace and silken white gown with her silver silk slippers on her feet and her blue hair down in curls with white anemone flowers braided behind her head. Gray felt his heart stop and his stomach drop. Never in his life had he seen anything more beautiful. She looked like an angel and seemed to be surrounded by some heavenly glow that only he could see.

"I'm not really used to wearing this stuff." Juvia said.

"But you're a princess." Evergreen said.

"My stepmother took away all my more extravagant dresses and had me wear more plain ones. She also took away all my make up, perfumes, and jewelry. She even stole my locket once but I got it back."

"Well it's a shame because jewelry and fine gowns look wonderful on you." Levy said. "What do you think Gray?"

But the poor young man was speechless at the moment and could only stand there with his mouth a gape while blushing.

"Close your mouth hunter boy you'll catch flies." Evergreen teased.

Gray quickly did as she said and looked away to hide his blush.

"I...I think we should go now."

That made Juvia sad. Truth be told she was actually hoping that he would find her beautiful and the fact that he looked away and said nothing made her think that he didn't like how she looked. They went outside where horses were waiting and rode off to the village. Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and the dwarfs had walked to the village though Erza had separated from the group to see her grandmother and they sent Gajeel with her in case another witch hunt went after her again. It was sun down by the time they all met up. Elfman and Romeo were relieved to see that Juvia was alive and well and she was happy to see Lucy again.