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forteisthebestdynamic · 8 years ago

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The Fairy Tale of the Raincloud Princess Ch. 7

Series: Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima

Pairing: Gruvia

Medieval/Fairy Tale AU

FF.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11880387/7/The-Fairy-Tale-of-the-Raincloud-Princess

Summary: The somber Princess Juvia Lockser of the kingdom of Oakton has been betrothed to Prince Gray Fullbuster of Fiore since birth, but recent wars between Oakton and Alvarez have pushed the two kingdoms to unite much before they had intended. Can the princess save her kingdom, and perhaps find love along the way?

Author’s Note: I promise the action will start soon! Please enjoy!

Chapter 6: Of a Grand Masquerade

The next day and a half flew by for the princess. It seemed that there was always another courtier to meet, and the king had ordered Lady McGarden to begin teaching Juvia about the history and nobility of Fiore in their free time. Between meetings and lessons, Juvia felt as though she scarcely had time to breathe. She'd just started to go back to her quarters after spending several hours in the Royal Library when Gajeel stopped her in the corridor.

"Your Highness, a seamstress named Lisanna was here a few moments ago. She says that she has your gown ready for the ball, and I am to bring her to you when you are ready for her," he said, fingers drumming on the pummel of his sword. "Would you like me to fetch her?"

Juvia blinked up at the knight in surprise, suddenly realizing what day it was. The night of the ball had come before she even realized it. A sudden image of her dream from two nights before rose up in her mind, making her heart race. She cleared her throat, trying to calm her anxieties and force down the furious blush that had colored her face. Gajeel watched curiously but said nothing, waiting for her command.

"Um, oh, yes, please do, Gajeel," she replied, looking away from him. "I'll, uh, I'll be in my quarters, send her there." The knight nodded and walked off down the hall. Juvia hurried off to her rooms, flopping down on her bed in a very unladylike manner. She rubbed her temples, willing the intrusive thoughts of her dream to go away. This was the night. Everything important hinged on tonight - her country's safety, her marriage, perhaps even her happiness. Juvia wasn't so foolish as to think that the prince would just completely fall in love with her in one night, of course, but the seeds of love needed to be planted at the very least, and tonight was her best chance. Standing up, the princess moved to her wash basin. She leaned over the table, peering into the looking glass. Dark circles were beginning to form beneath her eyes, speaking volumes of her restless nights. Juvia was grateful she'd be wearing a mask that night; she looked awful. She stared at her reflection, her brow furrowing. Could she really do this?

She was started by a knock at the door, and she bid her visitor to enter. Lisanna came in, MiraJane following her. Between them they carried a large wooden tub, which they set down beside the tall looking glass in the corner.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness!" Lisanna chirped. "MiraJane and I have come to help you prepare for the ball! Are you ready?"

Juvia nodded, and the pair pulled her over to the tub. As MiraJane removed Juvia's hennin and began to comb out her hair, Lisanna bustled in and out of the room, carrying pails of warm water and dumping them into the tub. Before she knew it, Juvia had been stripped, plopped in the bath, and scrubbed thoroughly. The sisters chatted amicably as they worked and Juvia was content to listen quietly to the cheerful servants. Soon she was dried and Lisanna helped her into the ballgown. MiraJane affixed the matching hennin and fixed the princess's hair.

"It is a shame your face will be covered, Your Highness," she murmured, securing the mask over Juvia's face. "You look absolutely spectacular. The prince will have no choice but to fall immediately in love with you." She gave the princess a reassuring smile, as if she could read her thoughts. Lisanna giggled softly beside her.

"With you looking like this, the prince may find himself with some competition," the seamstress laughed. A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in!" Juvia called. The door swung open to reveal Gajeel, who strode into the room, looking embarrassed. The knight was clad in a black costume, his dark hair partially hidden by a hood that came to a sharp peak over his forehead. Shining scale-like discs of metal covered his hood and shoulders, and his tunic was cut long in the back, adorned with the same scales. A scaled mask covered his eyes, partially concealing the dark blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Gajeel! You look... Like a dragon..." Juvia stuttered, trying hard not laugh at how embarrassed he seemed to be in costume.

"Erm, Your Highness, if you are ready I am to escort you to the ball. I believe most of the guests have already arrived," he mumbled, ignoring her comment and not looking at the servants who were trying their best not to giggle. At his final words, MiraJane and Lisanna's eyes widened in shock.

"My goodness! You must be off, Your Highness, they shall be waiting for you!" Lisanna exclaimed, following Juvia to the door. "You must tell me how Prince Gray likes the gown!" she called down the corridor as the pair left.

Gajeel led way down the hall, Juvia following behind silently. He glanced over her shoulder at her, trying to read her expression behind the mask. Suddenly she stopped, feeling even more nervous than before. The knight stopped and turned towards her, metal scales clinking with his movement.

"Do you... think he will like it?" Juvia asked, her voice tight with apprehension. Gajeel grinned at her.

"He would be a fool not to," he assured her. "Come now, they're waiting for us."

A hush fell over the Great Hall as the pair entered the room, all eyes turning to gaze upon the foreign princess. Juvia took a deep breath, telling herself that they were only looking at her gown. The pleats of dark gray and dark green silk flowed around her, the skirt and bodice adorned with dusty blue flower buds. Brilliant blue flowers rested atop her hands at the points of her sleeves. Her mask was dark gray lace over green silk, the same blue flowers adorning the corners of her eyes. Juvia heard one courtier whisper to her escort that her gown must be the handiwork of the seamstress Lisanna, and she pressed down a grin.

The king stood as Gajeel and Juvia approached the throne dais, beckoning Juvia forward. Prince Gray stepped up to meet her, greeting her with a polite smile and indicating that she should turn to face the crowd with him.

"My friends and most loyal subjects, I would like to thank you all for attending this evening," the king began, moving to stand on the other side of Juvia. "And now, for the cause of our celebration, I would like to introduce to you my son, Gray Fullbuster, Crown Prince of Fiore, and his betrothed, Juvia Lockser, Princess of Oakton!" Applause filled the room, some celebratory and some merely polite. Several of the lower courtiers looked at the princess with open disdain, which Juvia tried hard to ignore. King Silver lifted his hands, calling for the room to be silent again. "The prince and his betrothed shall have the first dance!"

The musicians began to play as Juvia and Gray turned towards each other. The prince bowed deeply, taking Juvia's hand and raising her fingers to his lips. She suppressed a shiver at the soft touch.

"Your Highness, may I have this dance?" he asked softly, looking into her eyes. Juvia could feel a blush flooding her cheeks but she forced herself to maintain eye contact, curtsying.

"You may," she replied, her voice husky. The prince gave her a little grin as he led her down the steps of the throne dais. Juvia began to feel as though the world was melting away as the two spun around the floor in a graceful dance. As she twirled, the buds on her dress fluttered open, revealing brilliant blue petals inside. The prince noticed, his smile growing with every spin.

"Buds that open at a gentle touch or breeze, just like the bush... Lisanna really has outdone herself this time," he murmured as they danced, soft enough so that only Juvia could hear. "She always did do her best work on particularly beautiful subjects." The princess blushed, ducking her head.

"Mmm, Your Highness, do you always compliment ladies as such?" she asked, both teasing him and genuinely curious. His eyes crinkled.

"Well, when one is a prince, one must often shower the ladies of the court with niceties. It makes them happy," he responded. Juvia's smile froze only slightly before she gave a small laugh.

"I suppose that is true," she said lightly, forcing down the sudden wave of jealousy in her chest. The prince leaned down closer to whisper in her ear.

"That doesn't mean I didn't mean this one."

Heat filled Juvia's face, and once again she was grateful for the mask covering it.

"Why Your Highness, you are positively sinful," she teased. The prince just smiled as he twirled her around, watching the buds flutter open once more before pulling her in again.

"But really," he mumbled, "creating a costume mimicking the raincloud bush... It really is brilliant. And it suits you well. You make a beautiful Raincloud Princess."

All too soon the song had ended, and Juvia was swept away from the prince by Natsu while the rest of the guest began dancing. The boisterous duke spun her around joyfully, making her feel both dizzy and giddy, before passing her on to a white-haired knight. He introduced himself as Elfman, MiraJane and Lisanna's brother. As the seamstress had said, he was a fine dancer, and Juvia found herself laughing at his jokes throughout the dance.

The evening went on, the wine flowing freely and the dancing growing more and more boisterous. After what seemed like hours of dancing, Juvia quietly separated herself from the crowd to rest a bit. The princess smiled as she spotted Gajeel dancing with Lady McGarden, the gossamer wings on the back of the scribe's light green gown making her look like a fairy. Juvia couldn't help but hope that perhaps Gajeel had found someone he could be happy with here. She didn't think she could stand it if the knight decided to go back to Oakton after she was married. Her gaze drifted over the throng, coming to rest on the prince dancing with Lady Heartfilia. The latter threw her head back in laughter at something Gray had said, and Juvia felt another wave of jealousy rising in her chest. She forced herself to look away. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a flurry of movement near one of the back staircases, but when she turned to look, nothing was there. She blinked hard, wondering if she was just imagining things.

The song ended, and Juvia spotted Duke Dragneel making his way towards Lady Heartfilia, whisking her away from the prince as the new song began. Gray disappeared into the crowd, only to reappear at Juvia's side. He didn't ask her to dance, but stood beside her in silence for a few moments, watching the crowd move to the music.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Juvia?" he asked without turning from the crowd, dropping the formalities from before. The princess glanced at him, shivering slightly at the intimacy of her name on his tongue.

"Yes, I was just a bit tired so I thought I would sit out for a song or two," she replied, looking back over the hall. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself as well." Though she did her best to mask it, she couldn't completely hide her bitterness. The prince gave her a concerned look.

"With Lucy? Ah, yes... Very sweet girl, and obviously very in love with the duke. Just look at at the way she looks at him," he said, nodding toward the dancing pair. Juvia had to admit, there was something tender in the lady's eyes that simply hadn't been there when she had been dancing with the prince. Gray smiled lopsidedly. "I just hope he realizes it and does something about it before some other courtier makes her an offer. I'm not sure she is in a position to refuse one." The princess turned to look at him, shocked. Back here, gazing at the crowd, the prince's demeanor had changed. He was still polite, but somehow... more melancholy. More vulnerable. It hurt to see him that way. She took a step towards him, swallowing hard.

"Your Highness? Would you like to dance?" she asked. He turned to face her, his usual distant politeness sliding over his face like a mask as he smiled. Juvia was almost disappointed.

"Of course. And please, it's Gray," he corrected gently as they moved back to the dance floor. There was something different about this dance, though Juvia couldn't quite put her finger on it. Even though the prince had fallen back into his normal mannerisms, she couldn't help but still see that more vulnerable side of him. He had opened himself up, if only slightly, and she knew it. He knew it. They danced in silence for what seemed like an eternity, the prince's gaze turning more intense with the passing seconds. Before they knew it, the song had ended, leaving Juvia far too close to the prince for polite society. Gray cleared his throat, stepping back and looking sheepish.

"I'm sorry about that," he muttered, looking away from her. Emboldened, Juvia stepped toward him, giving him a coy smile. Gray glanced back down at her, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

"Don't be," she whispered. The prince's eyes widened and he licked his lips nervously.

Juvia, I-"

The prince was interrupted by a commotion in the back of the room. The door to the courtyard burst open, and a bloodcurdling scream rang through the hall as enemy troops streamed through the entrance. The ball erupted into chaos as knights scrambled for their swords and ladies fled toward the side corridors. Gray unsheathed his blade as well, his blue eyes steely with anger, and turned to Juvia to confirm what she already knew.

"You need to get out of here. Alvarez has arrived."

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