June 1st, X524 (6 PM)
Royal Ballroom, Royal Palace, Crocus

"Presenting this honored guest, Miss Levy from McGarden Family," the loud announcement broke the noise in the ballroom. All of the attention was focused on a young bluenette wearing a light-yellow gown, and a set of orange diamond jewelry. Her shoulder-length wavy hair was wrapped in a glittering headband made of yellow small gemstones.

"Here she comes... Levy McGarden, a lonely hypocrite."

"Or should we say Lucelia-sama's maid?"

*giggles*

"Exactly, it's a pity that Miss-know-it-all lost her moral support."

      Levy ignored those comments as she continued walking. She stood near the corner of the room alone, ignoring these unwelcoming glances which were directed at her as soon as she stepped into the ballroom. Why couldn't they tell bad about her behind her instead of telling it in front?

       Being the only best friend of the Royal Princess always brought her many unnecessary attention, nonsense gossip, jealous glances, and mean behaviors from other noble young ladies. It was normal in her society, and she was now immune to all of these negative topics, and their mocking only made her annoyed.

"She clearly aims for the crown princess position."

      In the public's eyes, she was a hypocritical villain who wanted to marry the prince. It might be true that she was a hypocrite; she dared to say what she believed, and she dared to do what she thought she was right, and Levy McGarden was always right. Because of this, she was assumed as a troublemaker villain. Of course, she didn't care what others thought.

       However, there was one wrong thing. They  said, 'She wanted to marry the prince?' NO WAY, His Highness Sting Eucliffe was not her ideal type of boyfriend.

"Haha," honey-coated laughter echoed through the noisy surrounding, "If she became the crown prince, then I will marry a dwarf man."

      Levy looked at them. Clearly, it was a group of gorgeous, well-mannered, noble young ladies from aristocratic families bullying her verbally in public.

*giggle* "There is no way a tiny person like her will marry my Sting-sama."

       Levy shot a glance at the girl who indirectly called her short. That girl was Estelle Flender, the youngest daughter of Flender whose father was the co-leader of the Royal Knight central division. She had a crush on Golden Prince Sting Eucliffe.

'Just wait, I'll deal with you later,' Levy thought, as she calmed herself down. She had only one weakness, and whoever mocked her weakness would face a pretty revenge. She wasn't a talented mage, but her schemes were one of the best.

       If this place wasn't a royal ballroom, she would punish them on the spot. Since her grandpa couldn't attend this party, she became the representative of her family. She shouldn't act recklessly.

• • • • •

Outside the ballroom

"Lucky, we're not accompanied by our fathers," Natsu growled.

"But they'll still attend the banquet," Gajeel sighed.

"Today is so troublesome," Natsu said helplessly.

'Golden Knights' was titled to them, and Knight-taking an oath ceremony was indeed as grand as the crown prince's crowning ceremony. "Young Talented Heroes".... for the fire dragon slayer and the iron dragon slayer, that title was exaggerating. They didn't know how Rogue felt, but for them, it was too suffocating.

      In the royal palace, in front of old officers and young knights, they were given the status of "Golden Knights", the position which skipped four steps from the common knights. They didn't want to become Knights and serve the country. They just wanted to stay at their home.

      What could they do? IT WAS HIS  MAJESTY'S ORDER. Though His Majesty didn't announce the exact reason for this promotion, no one dared to object to it.

      The whole day was such a torment for them. They didn't know whether His Majesty was rewarding them or punishing them. They wished to rest at their manors after the ceremony, but, they were totally wrong. There would be a banquet for them.... which was held in the royal palace.

     What did the banquet in the palace mean? Lords and Madams of many noble families, noblemen, and Misses of the prestigious families would attend it.

     In other words, they would meet some troublesome young noblemen, and some lovestruck noble ladies, some bothersome Madams who were seeking the opportunities to matchmake them with their daughters.

       They didn't want to attend, but they couldn't deny it. Sadly, the ceremony was for them.

• • • • •

Inside Royal Ballroom

"Presenting the honored Knights of His Majesty, Sir Natsu of Dragneel Clan and Sir Gajeel of Redfox Clan."

     Levy looked at two familiar figures who just entered the room after the arrival announcement. Both of them were wearing knight uniforms, transferring into the respectful young knights. Natsu looked mature which completely covered his boyish appearance. And Gajeel looked a little different from usual, that she couldn't explain. As usual, two exceeds were following them.

      The "Golden Knights" position was personally chosen by His Majesty, and this title was equal to the commander of all common knights and royal guards.

       Exclude Rogue because he had been a Royal Guard for more than six months. But, Natsu and Gajeel were previously citizens despite their strong backgrounds. Promoting them directly to 'Gold-ranked Knights' meant His Majesty had further plans for them, to make the loyal knights of His Highness. Even normal people, this fact could be guessed easily.

'This is not that simple,' Levy thought, as she let out a cheeky laugh. In her view, His Majesty just wanted to check them closely since the dragon slayers were directly involved in his top secret. The more she thought about it, the more she felt unease. She missed her best friend, who was basically trapped in her residence.

"Why're you here?" A voice asked. Levy saw two dragon slayers coming toward her. 'Maybe, the exceeds are sitting somewhere and eating their food.'

"Do I have a choice when the invitation is addressed directly to me?" Levy shook her head. She didn't like banquets, tea parties, and other social gatherings.

"I know that. What I want to ask is why you are standing here alone?" He corrected.

"I don't have any other friends except Lu-chan," her reply was fast; showing no sign of bother.

      Regretting his question, Gajeel replief quickly, "Sorry."

"It's okay. I'm not a fan of crowded places. I'll stand here alone rather than act friendly and smile at strangers."

     Hearing this doubtful meaning, the irom dragon slayer glared at the bluenette. However, after seeing her faint smile, he didn't say anything, as he assumed that she didn't direct at them.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm talking about them," she gestured towards the groups of young ladies. Right, even though she and dragon slayers were not in terms of friends, she regarded them as the reliable partners, the powerful mages of the young generations. Not to mention, they did take care of her as their comrade in their previous mission.

"Are you guys okay?" To their surprise, Levy asked an unexpected question. She didn't give them time to answer, "Gajeel, you're being too friendly, and Natsu, you're awfully silent."

"Are you kidding me? This is a royal palace. Do you want me to quarrel with you right here right now?"

"No, thanks, I'll pass."

• • • • •

"Why is she talking to Natsu-sama and Gajeel-sama?"

"I don't think they're friends."

"Does she change her target?"

"I bet she is clinging to them because Natsu-sama and Gajeel-sama are Golden Knights."

      Levy sighed, "They're so annoying."

      Suddenly, Natsu looked at the direction of the entrance, "It's strange."

"What's strange?"

"His Majesty invites new faces," Gajeel answered.

"New guests? You mean, they're not from Crocus, are they?"

      Gajeel nodded once, a look of seriousness was obvious on his face. Even Natsu had a frown on his face. Meanwhile, Rogue joined the group.

"Presenting the honored guests of His Majesty; Lord Legion Blaise and Miss Hisui Blaise of Northern Sabertooth."

        The audience saw an old man, apparently in his late sixties, and a slim blonde girl at the entrance. The man was wearing a red/black suit, and emitting a strong aura of noblity. The girl beside him, was around fifteen or sixteen, wearing a green gown, let wavy light green hair that reached down to the middle of her back with two strands that framed her young pretty face. A large silver necklace with a large emerald pendant and a pair of shiny green-diamond earrings added to her beauty; silver matching gold with the grace of emerald.

      Whispers chanted in the large room. Although the Eucliffe family ruled the whole Kingdom of Sabertoth, Lord Blaise governed the Northern part of Sabertooth and Lord Lore ruled the SouthEast region. From generation to generation, these two families separately ruled their owned land. Which meant, they rarely interacted with Eucliffe royal family.

"Why is the Blaise Family here?" was the only question clouded in the audience's mind.

"His Majesty, Her Majesty, and His Highness have arrived," the announcement echoed in the ballroom.

      Levy saw the glorious King Eucliffe and the elegant Queen Anna descending the stairs, followed by the Crown Prince. They stopped when they reached their spot. "Thank you for ...........

     She couldn't focus on what the King said anymore, as her mind was dominated by her processing and analysis of this event.

"The ancestors of the Blaise Family weren't friendly with the Eculiffe in the past" - This was known to all citizen in Sabertooth.

     However, it was wrong. Twenty-three years ago, Blaise Family requested a beneficial marriage proposal to the royal family for unity; the marriage between Crown Prince Weiss and the youngest Lady of Blaise Family who was now Lady Hisui's aunt.

      At that time, the crown prince Weiss was madly in love with Anna Heartfilia, the second maiden of the Celestial Clan of a rural village, and refused the marriage arranged by his parents. The late King made a bet; if Lady Anna could gain approval from the Lords of three noble clans, he would give up, and accept Anna. Unexpectedly, when Lady Anna did it with her intelligence and kindness and gained support from three Lords of that generation; Lord Cheney, Lord Redfox, and Lord Dragneel (Rogue, Gajeel and Natsu's grandfathers). Anna became the Crown Princess Consort.

      The proposal from Blaise Family wasn't known to outsiders. However, Levy knew it... because it was the childhood bedtime story for Lu-chan and her when she stayed at the palace night over, of course, it was retold by Her Majesty Anna.

'So, the history is repeated. If it is the case, why am I feeling heavy in my mind?'

'It isn't that simple. In the past, the marriage proposal was started by Lord Blaise. Then His Majesty rejected it. What about now? Can Lord Blaise the man who can accept the result if Sting rejects it? Isn't it the same as the Royal Family slapping their faces twice? Based on the golden prince's personality, that guy is always daydreaming about finding his love... finding the girl he will fall in love.'

'I can sense something fishy.' Levy sighed.

• • • • •

"Sting, you should invite Lady Hisui to a dance," King Eucliffe whispered to his son, which made his wife frowned, "This is a request from your father," he added.

      Sting, not showing a facial expression, walked slowly to the direction of a certain green-dressed girl.

"May I have a dance with you, My Lady," he bowed his head, offering his hand.

"My pleasure, Your Highness," Hisui bent her knee and bowed her head, doing a small curtsy in return before handing her hand to him with a slight blush. They walked to the center of the hall. As the music by the royal orchestra started, the couple started their dance.

      While dancing, Hisui discovered her little crush on the handsome blond prince. She felt like they were a destined couple. She blushed, no doubt, she liked him, he was her first crush. "They suit each other", "Lady Hisui is very pretty" and other praises made her happy.

"Your Highness, I heard that Princess Lucelia is a celestial spirit mage," she whispered.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I'm also a celestial spirit mage," Hisui giggled, "If she was in Crocus, she would be my mentor."

"Ohh," Sting didn't talk further, as his eyes showed a look of frustration. But it was noticed by the girl who was so close with him.

     She looked away. 'Did I say something wrong?' she wondered, thinking that the prince still needed time to accept that his sister was gone.

      The rest of their dance was filled with silence, much to Hisui's dismay.

• • • • •

"The atmosphere is fresh," Estelle Flender smirked, as she flipped her fan, "I feel great."

"Because the environment is so romantic," another lady added.

"Only a little dwarfy is getting jealous."

      Levy glared at the group, who were a few distances away from her, but she could still hear them. She couldn't stand it anymore. "Water," she chanted. The word made of water appeared in front of her, as she controlled a water of water rushed into the annoying girls. A splashing sound was heard followed by the screams of noble ladies, causing the lower part of their gowns wet.  Levy smirked.

"It's Levy McGarden... she attacked Lady Estelle," a young nobleman shouted. Levy partially recognized that he might be a fanboy of Estelle.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Estelle shouted in anger, completely forgetting that her dress was wet. Her friends started crying, covering their eyes with embarrassment  After all, they were in the middle of attention, with their soaked dress. They were quickly guided by the palace maids to change their dresses... except Estelle, who was now crying dramatically in the middle of attention, and demanding Levy an apology for her embarrassment.

      Because of the commotion and the screams from the corner of the ballroom, all eyes were on the girls. Even the music stopped, and so the dance.

'Only the outer garment of your gown is wet. It's not a big deal.' Levy rolled her eyes, 'I should've soaked her entire dress.'

"Everyone here knows they insult me first. Why must I apologize? Besides, insulting the legal heiress of the McGarden Family... you're the one who should apologize to me."

'Legal Heiress of McGarden Family'... McGarden Family wasn't something that other officers could look down. Lord McGarden was the royal tutor of His Majesty.  He was considered to be the oldest officer serving two generations of the royal family.

"You splashed my daughter with water, do you know who she is?" a loud voice shouted, the voice belonged to a middle age man wearing a brown suit... He was Lord Flender.

'This is simply the girls' fight. Why is he shouting?'

"Of course, I know who she is, Lord Flender. To correct your words, I didn't splash her with water. I hit your under-powered daughter with my water spell. She was busy mocking someone and couldn't sense the danger. I advise you to train her well in the future. It's a pity that the precious daughter of the Co-chief of Central Knight division lacks her skills and abilities," Levy replied calmly, with a smile.

"Pffft," this faint laughter was from the crown prince. The iconic Rogue and Gajeel were holding themselves back from bursting out a laugh. The real meaning of Levy's words was that 'Your daughter is a low-skilled mage, a weak one. Just blame on her incompetance.' Her magic took time to cast the spell, and based on the distance between them, there was no way a keen and cautious mage with average skills couldn't avoid her spell. Estelle missed to dodge because she didn't pay attention to the surrounding.

"YOU!"  the man shouted at her. He was very angry, one could see his fists clenching into a tight fist. Then he looked at King Eucliffe helplessly.

"Your Majesty, please bring justice for us."

       In a place where there were endless competitions, struggles for powers, and tons of cunning people, people who held higher ranks always won. Of course, His Majesty was forever a victor.

'Do you think I'll let your daughter stay high when I'm dragged down?' The society of aristocrats was more complicated, especially among the daughters of noble or even sub-noble families. Young ladies tended to keep their innocent, virtuous, kind image in public.

      As for her, she had many negative rumors... she was a spoiled brat... an arrogant girl... a  rude young lady. The only positive one, which was true, was that she was Lady Genius, who could solve high-leveled mathematic problems at the age of six.

'Let's see, how will you ruin your daughter's good image that she has been building for many years.'

"Today is a happy occasion. Let's not make a conflict," King Eucliffe said.

      Lord Flender didn't satisfy the result, but he didn't show his disappointment, "As your command, Your Majesty."

      Levy held a victorious smile on her face, as she sat down one of the chairs elegantly. Being mean and clever was the nature of a High-ranked noble lady, wasn't it?

• • • • •

7:30 PM

"You should change your temper," Gajeel said, leaning against the large pillar beside the path at the entrance of the royal garden.

"Not your concern, Gajeel," she answered, but her voice didn't sound aggressive, "They started it. If His Majesty punished me, I'll reveal all of their pretentious behaviors."

"Haha," Gajeel laughed, "Sounds interesting."

"Why're you here?"

"It's so freaking annoying. You know, those girls..."

"Haha," Levy laughed, "Many girls are rooting for you. Besides, it isn't good for you if you sneak out from your ceremony."

"Skip the crap. They're too troublesome."

"Who is the most annoying girl on that list?"

"No doubt, it's you."

"Seriousl? You dare to say it loud."

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? You're still my rival."

"Haha," Levy laughed again, instead of being angry. After a series of laughter, she looked at him again, "Sir Gajeel, you won't go back inside, right?" she asked, with half-joke calling him 'Sir'.

"Yeah, why?"

"Send me back to my manor. This is a good reason for you to sneak out, isn't it?"

      Why couldn't he think of that idea? He was wondering how he should get a good reason to leave that royal ball after all. Thanked to her, he didn't have to waste his time of thinking multiple excuses. "I gladly accept your offer," Gajeel smirked. Well, at least, they had one thing in common; 'They hate Banquets.'

^_^

Hisui Blaise, Granddaughter of Court Blaise

^_^