Fairy Tales

Chapter 9: Lost

Juvia got properly dressed, and she went outside to meet the huntsman. 

As she walked outside she saw Ikaruga Talking to the huntsman. Juvia could've swore that she saw her stepmother smirk ever so slightly. She let it slip, and didn't think much of it.

Poor naive Juvia didn't know that she was the one being hunted.

Juvia saw Jellal walking, coming back from showing Erza to her room. Juvia smirked, knowing that soon, their relationship will change. Everyone knew they loved each other as children. Even Rosemary knew, and she was constantly teasing Jellal about it. She was soft towards him though, when Erza had run away.

Jellal caught Juvia's eye, and smiled, walking over to her. 

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"Stepmother Is letting me go outside!"Juvia said happily, clapping her hands together.

"Now? At this time?"Jellal raised his eyebrows. He didn't trust Stepmother. Rosemary thought there was something fishy about her, and now, she's dead.

"Where?" Jellal asked.

Juvia laughed. "Oh, stop worrying so much Jellal-nii, I'm going hunting with the huntsman.

Jellal trusted the queen's huntsman, even if he didn't like the queen herself.

"...do you want me to come with you?" Jellal asked her.

"I'll be fineeee," Juvia said, waving him off.

"...ok then....don't stay out too late.."

Juvia smiled. Her brother was such a worrywart. She understood him, though, last time his sister went hunting, she never came back.

As soon as Juvia stepped into the woods, The huntsman was gone. She was lost, and didn't know where the palace was. She snapped her head towards the direction where a twig cracked. A large furry cat-like animal, appeared out of the trees.

Juvia ran as fast as she could to get away from the creature. She tripped over a twig, and hit her head. she dragged herself towards the smoke that she saw, that she assumed was coming from a chimney. Her vision began to blur and everything went black.

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Jellal was in his room, lying on his bed, worrying, and a knock came at his door.

Jellal angrilly sat up, grumbling about people randomly coming to his door in the middle of the night.

He was surprised to see a servant, with tears running down her cheeks, waiting for him to open the door.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I-it's J-Juvia your highnes-"

Jellal pushed her away and stormed to the throne room, angry and worried. He burst through the doors finding Ikaruga 'crying' with the huntsman next to her.

"What did you do? Where's Juvia?" He asked furious.

"She sadly died while being outside-"

Jellal pointed his finger at the queen.

"You planned this didn't you?" he was boiling with rage.

"Why would I have planned this? I've always wanted Juvia-chan to be safe," Ikaruga said, sounding innocent.

Jellal bit his lip, knowing that if he accused his queen of murder, he would need evidence as well.

He walked back to his room, more angry than sad, when he saw Reiki coming out of the maids' chambers.

"What is with this guy and girls?" he muttered. A lot of his knights were rather perverted, but not as much on their first day!

Reiki seemed to catch his eye, and walked over to him. Jellal sighed not in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment.

"Is there a problem, your majesty?" he asked, concerned.

"Juvia- she's gone," he said, not able to contain himself.

Then all the memories came rushing back to him. He realized that he would never see his sister again. Tears began to run down his cheeks, not caring that he was a prince- he was supposed to be a role model to his people. But even the strongest people get sad sometimes.

Reiki did something Jellal never thought he would do. He pat his back, and walked him back to his room, being sensitive towards him, almost as if he knew what it was like to lose a loved one.

When he got back to his room, he began thinking how strange Reiki could get.

Reiki, on the other hand, was blushing furiously, and practically lecturing himself to mind his own business once he got to his room