Hello dear Reader!

Yes, another one-shot, I know, I'm sorry, I SHOULD be working on Hunting Iron, Sleeping Fire, but I really wanted to write this. It practically wrote itself all on its own, honest. ^^"

Side notes :

Narration

"Talking"

*Thinking*

Disclaimer : I do not own Fairy Tail

"Levy! It's finished!"

A head of wavy blue locks appeared from behind a pile of seaweed scrolls, letting deep brown chocolate colored eyes lock with soft caramel ones.

"Did you finally complete the Peace Treaty, Lu-chan?"

The blond hair beauty with the caramel colored eyes stopped in front of the talking pile of documents, blushing slightly as she answered, a bit embarrassed.

"Hum, no. What I meant was that I just finished writing the story I was working on."

"Lucy-sama! We need to have these documents ready for tomorrow!"

At these words, the person behind the piles of scrolls started moving around frantically, reaching out for the different papers that were scattered all around her desk. In her haste, she bumped into one of the piles of parchments, making it sway from left to right before falling onto the pile of scrolls next to it. In an unwanted domino effect, the two first stacks of documents tipped over three other piles of texts that were on the large stone desk, and the poor woman behind it all ended up buried under the many priceless manuscripts.

Lucy couldn't help the laugh that escaped her cherry lips as she saw her friend's tail flail around frantically as she tried pulling herself out of her accidentally self-built trap. Of course, she quickly schooled her features back to a serious expression when the mermaid in front of her finally dug her way out from under all the documents, glaring at her.

Levy tried combing her disheveled wavy blue locks with her fingers, pushing the shoulder long strands away from her face. During her short struggle under the pile of documents, she had lost her bandana that usually held her hair back, away from her oval shaped face and wide brown eyes. Other then that, Levy was short. It wasn't unnatural for her people to vary in shape and sizes, but even amongst the mermaids, she was considered small. Of course Lucy, her best friend, kept telling her that short was cute, but that really isn't of any comfort when the representative of a visiting kingdom tells the King that a Council meeting is no place for a child. The representative had then apologized deeply once he was told that the 'little girl' was actually King Natsu's advisor, but it had still pissed Levy off.

So, yes she was small, yes her soft features made her seem younger than what she really was, and yes she acted like a child when she was upset, but she was still the very smart and highly respected 21 year old advisor to King Natsu, ruler over all the Merman Empire.

Fishing out her orange headband, she fixed up her hair, before pulling up on the matching spongy top she was wearing. That article of clothing had been a gift from Lucy, and it had quickly become her favorite top because the two soft sponges that covered her breasts curved around them, holding them up in a way that made them look as if they were a bit bigger than what they really were. Moreover, the white ribbons of pearls holding it all together was an elegant, yet discreet, touch that Levy enjoyed a lot. But even if her breasts were a bit underdeveloped for her taste, she had always thought that her curvy hips and pearly blue tail were her best features. She loved the color of her scales, as they were a deep royal blue, just like her hair, but when she swam in a patch of light, you could see a silvery hue dance across her scales and fins. Of course she was no drop-dead-gorgeous-beauty like Lucy, but she was still far from being plain or ugly.

Levy looked around at the mess she had just made, letting out a defeated sigh as she looked up to her friend, and Queen, Lucy. The blond mermaid had long straight hair piled up in a complex bun that was held up by seashells and starfishes. She also had kind and regal features, often reminding Levy of a caring mother whenever Lucy's eye softened at the thought of her husband, and mate, Natsu. The queen also had very generous curves in all the right places, with white scallop shells, held by necklaces of pink pearls, which hid her breasts, and rows of pearls and small seashells arranged around her tail. The small ornaments fell gracefully around her long and shapely tail, contrasting with the light pink color of her scales that glowed in a soft golden hue.

Truth be told, the two women were exhausted. They had been slaving over mountains of official decrees for the past few weeks in order to write a Peace Treaty that would be accepted by both the Merman Empire and the Shark-folk Tribes. The two kingdoms had been at war ever since the death of the former King of the Tribes, Metalicana. The battles were brutal as the Shark-folks accused the Mermen of murdering their chief. But a few months ago, Natsu had met with the only heir to the throne of the Shark Tribes, and after three days of constant fighting between the two royals, they had both agreed that Natsu's people had had nothing to do with the death of the shark prince's father. At that, both kingdoms signed a truce, and ceased all battles until a Peace Treaty was signed. The Peace Treaty was the current document that Levy and Lucy had been working on for the past few weeks, making sure that the accords would be beneficial to both kingdoms, and that the future allies would look out for one another.

Levy started picking up the scattered pages of the treaty she had just finished writing down, handing them out to Lucy as she double checked the piles of documents around her, making sure that she had gotten them all.

"I'm sorry Lu-chan, I know that you've been anxious and stressed out with Natsu being gone to the battlefield for so long, but once this is all over, we'll all be able to go back home, safe and sound… and once this whole mess is over, I'll gladly read that story of yours."

"Yes I know. Thank you for your help Levy. I'll finish copying these pages on the official document right away. With that, I think we'll be able to leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Levy gave her friend a small nod, and a tight hug, before hovering over the mess she had made. This was going to take her all night to clean up.

~oOo~

When the first rays of light filtered through the blue waters, Queen Lucy and her royal advisor, Levy, left the castle together; Levy holding a satchel containing the precious documents and seals. They didn't want to attract too much attention on themselves by bringing a battalion of guards, much to Natsu's distaste, so they were both wearing plain green travelers' cloaks that flowed around them, hiding their features. Lucy had argued with her mate for two hours last night, almost smashing the tele-lacrima against the wall a few times. The man was impossibly stubborn, especially when it came to her safety, but she had argued that she would be in much more danger if the enemies saw her arriving with a hundred armed men, and decided to attack. On the other hand, who would suspect two sisters making their way to the battlefield to help nurse the wounded? Natsu had finally agreed to let her come without an escort, after she had argued that she could take care of herself, and that the castle needed all the guards it could get if both royals were to leave it for a few days, or weeks. Natsu's only condition being that he met up with her and Levy before they entered the war zone, and she accepted. As far as Lucy was concerned, she was the winner on all sides of this confrontation.

The five-day swim to the edge of the kingdom was a long and tiring one, even if they used the currents to go faster, they still had to stop and rest from time to time. The two mermaids never stalled in one place for too long, one cheering the other on when they started slowing down. Levy was naturally the fastest swimmer, but Lucy had much more stamina than her, so the blond was usually the one doing all the encouraging while Levy tried hiding just how exhausted she really was.

At the dawn of the sixth day, the queen and her advisor had picked up the pace, energy filling them up when they realized that they had less than half a day's swim left before reaching their goal, and before Lucy reached her mate. Levy tried ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that told her that it wasn't normal that Natsu still hadn't reached them like he had said he would. Maybe he had started a drinking contest with his Commander, Gray Fullbuster, and was now slowed by a hangover?

The little blue mermaid bit down a smile at that idea as she tried convincing herself that everything was going to be fine, while looking down wearily into the abyssal trench they were passing over. She had lived in these oceans all of her life, travelling far and wide to learn about the different cultures and civilizations inhabiting the vast blue sea, but exploring the deepest and darkest reaches of the ocean had never been her top priority, or her greatest phantasm to be honest. Looking into the darkness, for a second she thought she had seen the shadows move, but quickly pushed the thought aside. She was already stressed out enough as it was, she didn't need her imagination to summon more monsters than what she was about to face on the battlefield, until she saw another movement in the corner of her eye.

Looking down again, she saw a wide net spinning its way towards her and Lucy. As adrenaline kicked in, Levy pushed the queen aside, letting the net close around her. Levy vaguely heard her friend scream out her name as the blue haired woman saw dark figures coming out of the abyss they had been swimming over.

"Lucy, get out of here!"

Levy clutched the satchel containing the Peace Treaty to her chest as she started flailing around, trying to loosen the net around her. Lucy, on her side of the ambush, threw her cloak aside as three figures started closing in on her.

Everyone in the kingdoms knew that the royal families were considered the strongest because the heirs usually developed powers the other more common people didn't have, and King Natsu had always been known to have a fiery temper. Literally. But what very few people knew was that these powers were also shared with their mates, and Lucy was going to make each and every single one of their attackers regret ambushing her and her friend.

The water around the queen started to shimmer, then bubble, until red flames danced across her scales, and tendrils of fire weaved around her torso and arms, whipping out towards the enemy that was the closest to her. The other two cloaked miscreants that were heading towards her stopped in their tracks, hesitating to go any closer. Not missing a beat, Lucy dived in their direction, her flames ensnaring the enemies' tails, scorching their fins and rendering them unable to move.

In the meantime, Levy was still tangled into her coat and net, unable to move, and was slowly sinking into the dark trench. When she looked up towards the queen and saw that she was fighting off their attackers by herself, her heart sank. If anything happened to Lucy, Natsu would be devastated, and she would never be able to forgive herself, knowing that she was responsible for her friend's demise. Right at this instant, she hated herself for being so weak.

The fives figures that had appeared from the abyss swam past her, their long eel like bodies undulating behind them as the human looking torsos held on to long spears and nets. Levy's eyes widened, scared for Lucy, but that fear quickly disappeared when a loud war cry was heard, echoing throughout the crevasse as a very angry looking Natsu appeared. The king swam to his mate, deep red scales edged in gold burning furiously around him. The pink haired merman gave a fiery punch straight into the third attacker's face, making his cloak fall back, revealing a now unconscious Shark-folk.

Natsu looked surprised at seeing one of their future allies attacking his queen, but what surprised Levy the most was that the Eel-folks sped towards the three wounded attackers and finished them off, slitting their throats and gills in one swift move, before diving back towards her. She tried screaming out for help, but her voice died in her throat as she felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her, dragging her into the impossibly dark valley she had been falling into.

~oOo~

Feeling that the little mermaid he had caught was starting to struggle against his hold, he decided to speak up before she wounded herself against the net she was imprisoned in.

"Oi, stop moving around. You're safe now, I came with Salamander, just in case something like this happened."

At the sound of the deep voice near her ear, Levy stilled. Salamander was one of Natsu's nicknames, and even if she couldn't see who her 'savior' was, especially since they were still diving deeper into the abyss, he was still taking her far away from the not so friendly looking Eel-folks. Even if that also meant that he was taking her farther away from Lucy and Natsu. The blue mermaid honestly didn't know what to think of this man, but since she was still tied up and unable to move, the best course of action for now was to keep still and quiet.

"Tch', we're being chased. Hold on."

Levy wanted to roll her eyes at that statement. How the hell was she supposed to 'hold on' when she was more wrapped up than a pearl inside a clam that had been caught in the tentacles of an octopus? But she really didn't have time to think about it when he suddenly sped up, his arms wrapping around her more tightly as she held onto the satchel firmly pressed against her chest.

After a few minutes of speeding around in total darkness, she felt him take a hard left before stopping all together. She could feel his steady breathing and fast heart beat against her upper arm that was pressed to his torso, but that feeling quickly disappeared as he put her on the ground, the cold suddenly seeping into her skin and scales. A small shiver ran through her body as she felt a blade glide along her skin.

"Don't move, I'll get you out of there in no time."

A few seconds later, she felt a pull on the net, before it fell loosely around her. Now that she was free, she could have bolted for her life. The only problem was that she couldn't see a damn thing in this pitch-black darkness, whereas her savior and their pursuers didn't seem bothered by it at all. Holding her small bag tightly, Levy curled her tail along her side to pull her cloak over it, nibbling anxiously at her lip. How was she ever going to get out of this predicament? And more importantly, how was she ever going to get the Peace Treaty to King Natsu?

"Oi, snap out of your daydreaming Shorty, we gotta move before they come back."

"Move? I can't even see my own tail! How are we- Eeek!"

Without so much as a warning, she had been unceremoniously picked-up, and half flung over a sturdy shoulder. Her left arm was pinned between the man's shoulder, and her satchel that was digging painfully into her stomach. She tried pulling herself up, but was quickly stilled as an arm pinned her tail to the man's chest.

*That rude, barbaric, oaf!*

As Levy fumed internally, she felt the currents around her speed up, and her cloak slid over her head, disappearing from her reach.

*Great. Just. Great.*

She let out a sigh as her body slumped over, too tired to deal with this, and let herself be carried off. Truthfully, the guy that's been moving her around for the past hour could have killed her off and taken the documents a long time ago, so if she didn't start trusting him now, than she probably never would.

~oOo~

Levy snuggled closer to the warmth, her body curling up around her bag. She hadn't slept that well in so long. And she hadn't had such a weird dream in so long. Well, it was borderline to being a nightmare, but still. A dream was a dream. She was even amazed that her imagination had came up with such realistic looking scenes. She vaguely remembered her and Lucy swimming around, then they had been ambushed by Shark and Eel-folks, and Natsu came to Lucy's rescue… how romantic. And then, some cloaked stranger had swooped down and saved her from the Eel-folks' nets and spears, and he had that deep warm rumbling voice…

"Oi, Shorty, wake up."

*Yeap, a voice just like that…*

Her heart skipped a beat as she was startled awake, dark brown eyes glancing up into red crimson ones. She was currently cradled in the arms of the tallest guy she had ever seen, and quite frankly, she didn't know this was one hell of a dream, or if her nightmare had just taken a turn for the worse.

Whirling out of his grasp in one swift flick of her tail, she took in her surroundings. They were surrounded by a field of seaweed, drifting low as the clear water around her indicated that it was well past morning. She checked the contents of her bag, relieved to see that nothing was amiss, before looking back at…

"Y-you're a Shark…"

Her voice had gained a few octaves as she started looking around for an escape route. The Sharkman in front of her was tall and imposing, with strong muscled arms and a wide toned chest, had black spiky hair that fell loosely to his waist, and piercing red eyes. She also noticed that he had metal studs that formed his eyebrows, three were aligned on each sides of his nose, four others for the lobs of his ears, and two more could be seen vertically above his chin. If she had really paid attention, she would have noticed that his arms were also pierced by four more metallic studs, but she was way too preoccupied by the long grey shark tail swaying lazily under him. Unlike her pearly tail, his was narrow and mat, with a white belly that ran all the way to the underside of his caudal fin. He also had a pair of rigid fins near the middle of his tail, and a dorsal fin in the small of his back.

Shark-folks were known to be very fast swimmers, and seeing how muscular the one in front of her was, there was no way that she could overpower or outswim him. How could she had let her guard down so much! The ambush he had presumably 'saved' her from had also been staged by Shark-folks, he had tricked her since the beginning!

"Levy, calm down. I need you to listen to me", His voice was low as he tried soothing her, but hearing him say her name only made her freak-out more. Her eyes were wide with panic, and he could probably smell the fear that was surrounding her, but she didn't really care. Right now she was frantic, and like any cornered animal, she needed to escape, fast.

Without thinking, she bolted to her right, weaving herself through the thick seaweeds, hoping it would hide her long enough from his sight so that she could get away. Relief coursed through her as she left the green field and dived out of sight between two large corals that were covered in anemones.

Taking in deep gulps as her body shook from the adrenaline, Levy tried calming down as the fear slowly edged away. Unfortunately, her moment of peace was quickly interrupted when something cold and slimy wound itself around her arm, yanking her out of her hiding place. The blue tailed mermaid was slammed against a rough coral platform as two Eel-folks held her down.

"About time we fffound you. No give usss the ssscroll!"

Her attacker's voice was raspy and unpleasant, each words dripping with hate and impatience as his tongue slithered out between his teeth.

"I'll DIE before I let you lay your filthy fins on it!"

The predatory smile she got from the Eelman after saying those words only made her realize that they would kill her without a second thought if she refused to cooperate.

"That'sss fine by me."

Struggling against their hold, Levy closed her eyes and let out a high-pitched scream as one of her captors raised a spear towards her heart, but the pain never came. All she felt was the creature's tail slide off her in a harsh tug as a muffled grunt was heard. She slowly opened one eye, only to be met with long spiky black hair, falling over a broad back, and a swaying shark tail covered in dark silvery scales. The mermaid looked at him, confused, as he threw the spear aside, one crimson eye glancing over his shoulder to look at her.

"It's tough finding someone so small… so don't leave my side."

She honestly couldn't fight back the blush that spread over her cheeks, looking away from the man that had, once again, saved her life even after she had ran out on him not moments before.

The Sharkman was now hovering between her and the two Eel-folks that were hissing angrily at him. He didn't look the least bit intimidated, and if Levy had been able to see his face, she would have noticed the wide and predatory shark grin he was giving his adversaries. With a flick of his tail, he appeared in front of the first Eel-folk, one arm covered in long sharp scales, growing into a black blade. The sword easily cut through the Eel's leathery flesh, slicing the soft muscles and cutting through the bones in one swift move. Seeing his partner's body sink into a cloud of dark blood, the other spear wielding Eelman turned around, ready to flee.

"Giihii, do you really think you can outswim a shark?"

As his words, a cold shiver ran down Levy's spine as he plunged towards his victim, grabbing him by the neck.

"Alright, now spill, who sent you?"

"P-Please, have mercy, we're just mercenaries."

He let out a choked sound as the glaring red-eyed man applied more strength into his hold.

"W-We were told… to kill… everyone… at the… meeting… place… and take… the scroll."

The Shark-folk looked absolutely pissed, red eyes gleaming with anger while his poor victim wheezed painfully after each word, tears appearing in the brim of his eyes as his windpipe was slowly crushed.

"WHO were you to give this scroll to?"

"I-I don't know… honest."

As the grip on his throat tightened, the long eel tail was thrashing violently, curling on itself like a ribbon that was shaken to fast.

"P-Please… mercy."

The last word came out no louder than a whisper as a loud snap echoed in her ears, and the eel like body stilled, hanging limply from the dark man's grip, before being tossed aside like a ragdoll.

When red eyes turned their attention back to her, Levy couldn't, for the life of her, move a single muscle. With the fear taking hold of her, breathing was already hard enough, so swimming seemed like an impossible feat.

Still sitting on the large coral she had been tossed on, Levy made no move to run when the imposing figure slowly made his way towards her, even if her brain was screaming at her to leave! He leaned his shark tail against the somewhat round coral platform, a little ways lower to where she was, leveling their gazes. Each one of his movements were deliberately slow, letting her eyes follow them as he reached out to her face. She flinched a bit when his rough, yet warm, calloused fingers brushed along her jaw, tilting her head slightly to the right, then the left, before letting go. He then lifted one of her arms, then the other, always in that slow and gentle manner of his, inspecting all of the cuts and bruises she was now sporting thanks to the earlier rough-handling.

Levy was now staring at his crimson eyes that had a certain softness to them, the blood lust she had seen in them, when he had snapped that other man's neck in two, was gone. She was actually mesmerized by the fact that such a man, that had shown such brutality barely a few moments ago, was now treating her as if she was made out of glass. As his fingers glided over her skin and scales, Levy realized that she was actually calming down, his touch putting her in an almost numb state of mind.

When he seemed satisfied that she had lost that smell of fear, and that her injuries weren't as bad as they looked, he backed away from her before speaking up.

"You ready to hear me out, Shorty?"

Her mind as still a little numb from all the emotions she'd been through, but she still managed to give him a small nod, telling him that she was listening.

"My name is Gajeel Redfox, and I am heir to the title of Chief of the Tribes."

Her eyes widened at the fact that the Prince of all Shark-folks was in front of her. Then again, the fact that he could cover his entire body with metal scales should have been a pretty big hint that he was royalty.

"How did you know my name?"

Surprisingly, her voice was calm and steady, even if it was a little soft.

"Salamander told me that his mate, and a certain Levy, his advisor, would be arriving that morning", he folded his arms over his torso as he recalled the events, "… and seeing how he looked pissed when we saw that pink mermaid fighting alone against three assailants, I guessed you were the one named Levy."

He paused, gauging her reaction, and when she made no sign to stop him from explaining himself, he continued:

"When he told me he was going to leave the battlefield to go and get the both of you, I decided to join him, in case some rowdy soldiers decided to try something. Even if we've signed a cease-fire over a month ago, the tension between the men is still pretty high. Moreover, the faster we sign the Peace Treaty, the better for both of our people's sakes."

She gave him another small nod as her brain registered the information. After a few minutes of silence, she took a few deep breaths to clear her mind, and lifted herself off the coral she had been sitting on. Her deep brown eyes, calculating and serious, as she faced the prince.

"Your highness, I am Levy McGarden, Advisor to his majesty King Natsu. Please excuse my earlier behavior."

At that, she gave a slight bow. Really, what kind of advisor was she? She was supposed to bring the two kingdoms together, and here she was, causing trouble for the crown prince she was supposed to convince to sign the Peace Treaty.

"Giihii, don't sweat it Shorty. The battlefield hasn't made me a very 'protocol loving' noble. Just call me Gajeel."

She raised her head, a slight pout on her lips. Even if he was a prince, his nicknames on her size were starting to annoy her. Clearing her throat, and pushing away the blush that was threatening to appear, she continued:

"V-very well, Gajeel… So know that we aren't pursued anymore, and that I know you're not here to kill me, how are we going to get back to King Natsu and Queen Lucy?"

"Hn, don't know. Natsu and I decided to meet up at the Shark-folks' castle, where my uncle now resides… once we had gotten to you two, that is. Then we'll sign the Peace Treaty, I guess."

Wheels started spinning in her mind.

"So you're both just going to go back to the Shark-folks' castle, your entire armies following you, so that you can sign the Treaty in front of all of your people?"

"Yeah, Salamander through it would be a grand idea. He seems to like making flashy entrances. Of course, we would do the same thing at his castle, so that both kingdoms can see us sign the Peace Treaty."

Even if Levy tried staying as impassive as possible, she still wanted to hit her head against something, or better yet, hit the two monarchs' empty heads together! She could feel her face heat up with anger at the idea of these two idiots entering the Capitals of both kingdoms, their entire armies in tow, just to sign a Peace Treaty… Oh yeah, that could only go so well in the eyes of the people. And apparently the treaty would have to be signed twice, since the two morons wanted it to happen in their respective castles.

Lucy and her were usually the ones handling all the administrative work, arranging meetings with other kingdoms, and holding all of the official receptions at King Natsu's court. And apparently THIS prince wasn't any better than Natsu in terms of organizing "official business matters". Salamander was known to often head out with Lucy, going on adventures to resolve the problems throughout the kingdom first hand, winning him the admiration of his people. And it was Levy's and Makarov's, Natsu's grandfather, job to make sure that the rest of the council didn't kick the over energetic King off his throne because of that rash behavior of his.

Her anger deflated as she let out a long defeated sigh.

"You did at least warn you uncle that the two armies are going to… parade… through the capital, right?"

"Why would I? I'll be crowned king once the treaty is signed anyways. My uncle's just there as a figure of authority, while I fought it out on the battlefield ever since my father died."

Levy looked at the big oaf in front of her. She was starting to understand why he and Natsu had become such good friends,… and why Lucy sometimes had violent reactions to some of Natsu's antics. She knew that the former king Metalicana had died when the prince was barely ten, but she didn't think that he would have been fighting all this time instead of learning proper etiquette. Then again, Natsu had been escaping the castle ever since the day he had learned how to swim, which hampered his studies… a lot. But King Igneel had never grounded him for that, saying that he would learn the truths of the world better that way.

Now that she looked at him closely, other than his imposing size and gruff looks, he really wasn't that scary. Then again, he hadn't really given her a reason to truly fear him. Shaking these thoughts away, Levy made sure that her bag was securely strapped around her shoulder as she asked the next question on her mind:

"Alright. Which way to the castle then?"

"Aren't we gonna try finding the guy who hired the mercenaries?"

Lifting one thin eyebrow, Levy looked at him as she crossed her arms in front of her, incredulous.

"Really? You have an entire army lead by Natsu, who is still considered your enemy by your people, heading towards your capital city. You didn't deem it necessary to warn the present king, your uncle, that they are not here to invade, but sign the Peace Treaty, so the current king has absolutely no idea that this is a friendly march."

Her voice was stern as she continued her list, moving in closer to him:

"You have now been missing from the battlefield for over 24 hours. Word has probably already spread that it was Shark-folks whom attacked the Queen and the Royal advisor of the Merman Empire, leading to the disappearance of said advisor AND the Peace Treaty."

Levy was now right in front of the prince, eyes hard with anger as her voice rose steadily in volume as she continued her rant:

"And lets not forget that the last person who could have told us who wanted me killed, to get to the treaty, is now DEAD. But YOU want to go after the guy that hired the god damn bloody MERCENARIES! Do you HONESTLY think that THAT'S the BEST course of action HERE?"

She was now panting heavily, nose to nose with Gajeel, her pouting features just a few inches away from his unimpressed ones. That is until a smirk appeared on his face, giving him a smug look that Levy didn't like one bit.

"You know, you're pretty cute when you're mad, Shorty."

He ruffled her hair with his hand, making her back away with an exasperated screech as she tried putting order back to her wavy blue locks. Face red from anger and embarrassment, she started making her way towards the East, were the Shark-folks' Capital city should be, mumbling something about stupid princes and mindless fire breathing idiots being the death of her. When she turned around to see if the Black Steel Prince was following her, she shouted back:

"And stop calling me Shorty!"

Gajeel only gave an amused "Giihii" as he started swimming by her side.

~oOo~

"I'm not going in there, Gajeel."

"Come on Shrimp, it's the fastest way to get to the gates of the Capital before Salamander."

"I'm not a Shrimp, and I am not going in there."

Levy was floating besides Gajeel, arms crossed defiantly in front of her chest, stubbornly looking away from him.

They had been traveling together for two days already, and Gajeel had been very gallant. He took into consideration that she didn't have his endurance or speed, and made them rest from time to time. They had talked a bit, sharing funny childhood stories, but most of the time, they stayed in a comfortable silence.

Unfortunately, now that they were at the entrance of a very dark looking cave that was supposed to lead them straight to the Capital, shortening their trip by almost three days, the mood had gone sour.

"You're small, you have that silvery blue color like some species, and you kinda jump around when you're happy, like a Shrimp. And yes we are going through that cave."

"I'd rather swim three days out in the open than be stuck in that black hell hole for half a day, thank you very much."

"You're impossible, woman!"

"Oh, I'M the impossible one?"

She had turned around at his words, that stubborn and angry look in her eyes making the tall man cringe internally.

*Oh shit…*

"Listen here you big oaf, I'm not the one that-"

Her voice died out as a loud growl was heard, making her edge closer to Gajeel, her voice coming out as a whisper as she looked around anxiously.

"Please tell me that was you."

Gajeel didn't have time to answer when a large webbed paw appeared from the top of the cliff above the cave, with three long claws scraping at the rocky border. A second talon soon followed as a scaly dark blue arm flexed, pulling into view a large triangular head with beady black eyes and a wide jaw with rows after rows of sharp needle like teeth.

Levy could only stare at the monster who's jaw could hold three of her, maybe five if she curled up on herself, and her neck craned back as its serpent body came into view, slithering down the cliff towards them. As it made another low growl, a long and pointy tongue whipped out from time to time, making Levy swallow nervously.

She was snapped out of her terrified daze when Gajeel passed his arm around her waist, pulling her close against his chest just before diving into the pitch-black cave. As the giant reptilian monster started chasing them, hissing after its new found preys, its body blocked the few strands of light that came from the cavern's entrance, plunging them into complete darkness.

As they were engulfed by the shadows, Levy squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face into the prince's chest. It was frightening how, with her sight gone, the angry growls and sharp snapping sounds of jaws only seemed that much closer to them. She could also feel the cold rush of water on her back as Gajeel sped up or zigzagged around unseen obstacles, or the fast and steady beat of his heart under her right palm while her left hand held on tight to her precious small bag hanging by her hip.

She felt the grip on the small of her back tighten just before they were knocked out of their trajectory, spinning to a stop as cool scales started forming under her hand. Gajeel was covering himself with his metal armor, letting thin metal scales cover his entire body and making Levy chew at the inside of her bottom lip nervously. She didn't like that one bit, because it meant that they were in serious trouble now.

When she felt him set her down, her back against a smooth rocky wall, she almost jumped right back into his arms, not wanting to be left alone in a place like this. Instead, she steeled herself to stay in that spot, opening her eyes to search blindly for his face, only to be met with total darkness. He must have seen the silent plea in her gaze, because she felt him ruffle her hair before moving back, letting the cold atmosphere of the cave engulf her. The pitch-black waters surrounding her were dizzying. She had absolutely no idea if she was standing up or laying down, hidden behind rocks or in plain sight, and as the sounds echoed around her, she couldn't even tell in which direction Gajeel and the monster were fighting.

And what a fight it must have been. She could hear heavy bodies being smashed against the cave's walls, followed closely by the rumble of crumbling rocks. Then there was the clashing of claws against metal, and the sickening sounds of blades ripping through flesh and bones, soon followed by screeches and howls of pain. She couldn't see a damn thing, but her mind was coming up with the worst scenarios possible, and every time the silent fell over the fight, she feared that the giant snake would come after her next. And when that eerie silence stretched on, Levy clamped a hand over her mouth, keeping the frightened squeak in the back of her throat from coming out.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the water in front of her, and pain shot through her midriff, making her scream out as her hands flew to her aching stomach. She was vaguely aware of the angry roars, and noises of snapping jaws and colliding hits, as she curled up onto her stinging wound. Biting her lip, she couldn't hold back the small whimpers that left her, as she felt her warm blood seeping out from the cut, unaware that the cave had fallen silent once more.

"Levy, let me see."

His soft voice was close to her, slightly shaky and laced with worry, as he gently pushed her hands aside, forcing her to uncurl from her current position, which only made her hiss out in pain.

"I'm sorry..."

If she hadn't been so focused on his voice, she would have missed the barely whispered apology, but didn't have time to dwell on it as she felt something warm and slick pass over her tender wound. Levy stilled, arms half raised in front of her as Gajeel placed his hands on her hips, thumbs brushing gently at her scales. He was trying to distract her from the pain as he licked her wounds closed... and it was working. His tongue glided along the cut, then followed the plain of her stomach towards her belly button, before dipping into it. Her breath hitched and sped up as his own fanned over her midriff, making her lower her hands onto his head, her fingers weaving themselves through his black locks. Taking that as an invitation, Gajeel peppered her lower stomach with light kisses, as he slowly made his way back to her wound, her muscles twitching under his tongue while he cleaned the bleeding cut until he could no longer taste her blood. By then, Levy was breathing heavily, her heart thundering in her chest as her tail twitched under him where he had pinned her to the wall during his little administrations.

Very reluctantly, Gajeel moved back, letting her hands slid out of his hair while he took in deep breaths to calm himself. This little mermaid was driving him crazy, and if the addicting taste of her blood was any indication, then he just might have found his mate. Now all Gajeel had to do was get to his palace, sign the Peace Treaty, and lock himself up with his little Shrimp and claim her as his mate.

~oOo~

Even if she had been reluctant at first, Levy was now in a princess hold, in Gajeel's arms. She still felt embarrassed about what had happened earlier, and honestly didn't know how to face the prince right now. She had never been turned on that fast by a guy... ever… and that was just from licking her stomach wound! Just thinking about it got her blushing madly as butterflies soared threw her lower belly. This only made her want to put more space between them, but since she really couldn't see anything in these dark tunnels, she had been resigned to let him carry her... again. To be honest, even if she did feel flattered that he had come to her rescue when he had, she still hated this feeling of being a weak damsel in distress. Give her a book and any problem or puzzle you could think of, and she was an unbeatable foe. Unfortunately, the only things that had happened so far were all fighting related, and you couldn't really say that she had the physique for that.

On the other hand, Gajeel had been right about one thing. This shortcut really was a time saver. In under half a day of swimming, they had been able to reach the Capital city of the Shark tribe. Arriving by nightfall, with no Mermen army in sight, they had swam through the gates without any trouble, Gajeel looking around the city with wondrous eyes. He had left when he was barely ten, but memories still seemed to come back to him as he traveled through the streets.

As soon as they arrived at the castle's doors, a platoon of guards came up to Gajeel and escorted them through the royal home. The Shark-folks' fortress had been dug inside an extinct volcano, which explained why the black basaltic walls were sprinkled with minerals of different shape and sizes, glittering in the dim light. The walls had been smoothed out so that people passing by wouldn't cut themselves against the sharp basalt, and ancient lava chambers had been fitted out into grand ballrooms.

Unfortunately, Levy didn't get much time to look around as she found herself being steered into a long corridor, and gently pushed into a room with white sponge beds aligned against the walls. When an old and wrinkled looking mermaid entered the infirmary, she glared at them, mumbling to herself about just how much she hated mer-people. The elder lady, with faded pink hair held back into a tight bun, looked over Gajeel before setting her eyes on the bruised Levy. A few minutes later, after Gajeel had been chased out of the infirmary by Porlyusica, the castle's doctor, with the help of a broom, Levy found herself completely topless as the pink haired lady passed a healing salve over her numerous bruises. Her back was still tender, but it wasn't as bad as the wound on her lower abdomen. The cut on her stomach still burned every time she tried stretching or swimming too fast, so the elder mermaid had cleaned the wound and bandaged the entire top half of Levy's body.

About and hour later, Gajeel came into the infirmary dressed in a royal blue jacket horned with golden trims and buttons, and a white dress shirt underneath it. His hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and Levy stared at the warrior prince in front of her. She already knew that he had a very fit body that would put most athletes' to shame, but in this formal attire he looked down right handsome, to not say sexy as hell. She was snapped out of her daze when he put down a plate of food on the bedside table that was to her right, before sitting on the edge of the bed she was currently resting on.

"How's that wound Shrimp?"

Levy passed a hand over the bandages wrapped tightly around her belly.

"Much better, thank you."

He gave her a slight grunt before getting up and marching towards the door, much to Levy's disappointment.

"I need to go tell my uncle about Natsu's arrival, so you get some rest, Shrimp."

"Wait, Gajeel!"

His red eyes locked on her, making her pause for a second, before she reached down for her satchel, wincing when pain shot through her stomach. Gajeel was there in a second, a large hand on her shoulder, pushing her back gently against the headboard, as he picked up the bag for her.

Mumbling a small thanks, she dug through the sack and pulled out the Peace Treaty with the official stamps.

"You should keep them, until King Natsu arrives."

He gave her a small nod as he took the document from her smaller hands, letting his fingers brush over hers as he pulled away. He turned around briskly, exiting the room, and leaving a blushing Levy on the bed, hand still in midair.

A few hours later, Levy had eaten the plate of food that Gajeel had brought her, and was now laying down and fast asleep, smiling in her dream as a shadow closed in on her slumbering form. She twitched in her sleep, her brows scrunching up as the presence leaned over her, the shining edge of a blade hovering over her heart. As the blade was brought down, Levy woke up with a start, her tail knocking the assailant away as she cried out for Gajeel. She barely felt the knife slide along her skin as she pulled the covers over her chest protectively, eyeing wearily the figure that had fallen over with a heavy thud.

As the door slammed open, the fluorescent algaes lit up, revealing a very pissed looking Gajeel, eyes glaring and teeth revealed in a snarl. As the Shark Prince pounced towards the unconscious intruder, Levy felt relief wash over her, only to have worry mare her features as she realizes that the one how had tried to stab her was a palace guard.

Gajeel lifted the poor Sharkman by his collar, holding him off the floor while violently shaking him awake. As the guard came to, shaking his head a few times to clean out the dizziness, he couldn't hold back a gasp at seeing the prince in front of him:

"Your highness! Please leave, you are in danger here! The king has asked me to dispose of the mermaid in the infirmary, she is a spy that has been sent here to kill you."

Gajeel let out a low growl, baring his teeth to the now shaking guard.

"This mermaid is under MY protection, and until the Peace Treaty is signed, she is NOT to be harmed! Did I make myself clear?"

The man, still being held by the collar, gave a few harsh nods, shaking inside his own shark skin with fear. When Gajeel loosened his grip, the guard bolted out of the room, not asking for anymore explanation from the prince.

Levy could only watch Gajeel as he took-in deep calming breaths while his fists balled up before loosening up repeatedly. His chest was completely bare, and his unruly black hair seemed messier than usual, making Levy think that she had probably just woken him up with her scream. As she hesitated to go up to him, he turned around, his face completely devoid of any emotion and his words coming out short and clipped.

"Are you hurt?"

As she let out a small "No" while his scrutinizing stare roamed her body for the smallest hint that she had been wounded. If she had, he would probably hunt down that lowly guard and finish him off. And that thought actually worried him. He had been in a pretty deep sleep when he had felt anguish rush through him. He wasn't sure if someone at said his name out loud, but his body was already moving, racing down the hall and into the infirmary. When he had seen the terrified look on Levy's face as she clutched onto the covers, he wanted to swim to her, enclose her within his larger frame, and cover her with his metal armor. The urge to protect her only got worse when he saw the guard on the ground, with a long blade not two meters away from his reach. When the guard had told him that it was the King, his uncle, that had asked for Levy's death, Gajeel had seen red. Bright crimson red. And the only reason he hadn't ripped the guard to pieces that very second was because he knew that doing so in front of Levy would only upset her more.

Gajeel still remembered a few stories that his father had told him about his mother, how she was the most beautiful and perfect woman he had ever seen when he had first laid eyes on her. The queen had been Metalicana's mate, and Gajeel had always secretly hoped that, one day, he too could find that one person that would tilt his world from its axis, turn over his life, and complete him in all the ways he had ever dreamed of. But the prince also remembered the cries of agony his father suffered at the death of the queen, and he was terrified. Terrified that such a small and fragile little mermaid seemed to be his mate, and that he had almost lost her after barely meeting her. Three times. Even if he would never admit it, he was scared shitless of the connection he already felt with her. His impenetrable iron scales were useless to him if the couldn't protect his own heart from the worst ache possible: the ache of losing a loved one.

At Levy's reply, he barely gave her a nod and turned around, telling her that he would be right back. Last time he had left Levy's side, he had hidden the treaty into his room, not telling his uncle about the scroll's new location. But even if the lost of the document would have been troublesome, the death of King Natsu's advisor, while she was a guest at the Shark-folks' castle, would surely have started another war. Only his uncle knew about Levy's link to Natsu, and that the Salamander would be arriving before the end of tomorrow, and that troubled him more than he cared to admit.

When the door closed behind him, Levy threw the covers aside, revealing the bandages that had been cut clean right under her left breast, where her heart was. Strangely, her skin hadn't been so much as scratched. Instead, she saw silvery scales fade out, leaving behind soft creamy skin. Her heartbeat picked up as she realized that this was just like Gajeel's powers, and just like Natsu shared his fire abilities with Lucy, she was now sharing Gajeel's. Meaning that he was her true mate!

She didn't know if she wanted to jump around and celebrate the fact that she had found her mate, or open the nearest window and escape this city because her soulmate was the prince, and soon to be crowned king, of the Shark-folk tribes who had been at war with her people for over 12 years.

With nervous hands, she fixed her bandages, making sure that they wouldn't just fall off because of the sectioned part. Once she was satisfied with her work, Levy laid on her back, staring at the ceiling as her mind dissected every reasons to why staying near Gajeel was a very bad idea, while a small voice in the back of her head reminded her of how happy Natsu and Lucy were. Reminding her of how envious she had been when seeing all of those mated couples, how she had read stories after stories of fated lovers meeting, and how she had longed for the same romantic meeting with her own soul mate.

Well, their meeting hadn't been exactly what she had been hoping for, and never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that her mate would be a Shark-folk. But he was one, and he was the strongest, yet sweetest man, she had ever met. He didn't mind when she didn't talk, lost in thoughts, and listened when she prattled on about something she had read. He had always been gentle in his own way, worried and caring.

It was unnerving just how much she trusted him, how just seeing him when she was attacked made her feel safe.

As she drifted off back to sleep, her brain coming up with all the yummy things she could do with such a hunk of a mate, she vaguely registered that Gajeel had entered the room once more.

~oOo~

Levy snuggled up closer to the warmth, her scales brushing up against smooth leather as she pressed herself against her pillow. While her brain woke up from its unconscious state, she became more aware of her surroundings. Of course, she vaguely thought it odd that her pillow smelled like spices, with a hint of iron, but ignored it as she let out a content sigh, unwilling to wake up just yet. That feeling quickly disappeared when she felt something tighten around her waist, making her tense up as her eyes shot open.

Levy's gaze was met with a large expense of smooth and tanned skin. Her eyes slowly made their way up the wide chest, up the column of a strong neck, to end its course on the underside of a chin, blocking her from seeing the rest of a face she knew was adorned with little round metal studs. After staring stupidly at his chin, that had been resting on top of her head, her face turned an embarrassing crimson red as realization hit her. She had been sleeping, and snuggling up, against Gajeel! Trying to slip away before he woke up, she waved her tail a bit, only to freeze up when he let out a low growl at her attempt to pull away from him. His right arm, that was laying over her hip, wound itself around her waist, bringing their lower bodies flush against one another, as he tightened his hold around her lower back.

When the shark prince against her stopped moving, Levy let out a small breath she didn't know she had been holding back, feeling her cheeks hot as her heart thundered nervously against her rib cage. Steeling herself with new resolve, she tried wiggling out of his grip, only to let out a small pained sound when she stretched her stomach wound too much. At the sound, Gajeel's arm unconsciously loosened, allowing her to slip out.

With her gone, Gajeel shifted to lie onto his stomach, turning his head away from her, still in deep sleep. Levy watched him, wondering how such a sound sleeper had managed to come to her rescue the night before. With that thought in mind, she looked around the dark room, noticing that this wasn't the infirmary she had fallen asleep in last night. The chamber was much smaller, with a huge four-poster bed woven in iron against one wall, with white sheets that covered the still sleeping prince, and a single coral dresser that had been pushed against the opposite wall. The room was barren of anything, as if it had been abandoned for years. After a few seconds, she figured that it had probably been the case if this was Gajeel's room, and that he hadn't been in here for over 12 years.

As he twitched in his sleep, she jumped back, falling off the edge of the bed, as a loud knock was heard from the metal door near the dresser.

"Prince Gajeel, the King of the Merman Empire is approaching our city with his army in tow. What are your orders?"

The voice of the soldier was muffled by the door, but Gajeel grumbled as he slowly lifted his head off the bed. Levy could only see his back covered by his spiky black hair, but she had a strong feeling that he was presently glaring at the door, probably wanting to yell at the poor soldier behind it to get lost.

When another knock came, Gajeel snapped at the door, his voice low and gruff with sleep:

"Yeah, yeah. I'll go meet up with him", and added as an afterthought, "I'll warn my uncle, so no need to wake him up just yet."

He heard a relieve sight come from the messenger behind the door, before hearing him leaving with a respectful: "As you wish, your highness."

Once the soldier was gone, Gajeel let his head fall back against his pillow, his right hand searching blindly behind him for something on the mattress. After a few seconds of patting around the empty portion of the bed, he briskly lifted his upper body from the bed, turning around to face the blue-scaled mermaid that was still sitting on the cold basaltic flood. His annoyed features changed into a more questioning one at seeing her there. Lifting a single metal-formed eyebrow, as if asking her what the hell she was doing on the floor, Gajeel couldn't help looking her over for injuries. Realizing that she was just staring back at him dumbly, Levy picked herself up and headed briskly for the door, her voice coming out a little more demanding and snippy than what she had intended:

"Hurry up, we need to meet up with Natsu and Lucy. And don't forget the treaty."

She let her hair fall around her, hoping that it would cover her furiously blushing face, while wondering where her headband was. Taking hold of the doorknob with one hand, she gave a kick pull as she tried prying the iron door open. She heard Gajeel open and close a few drawers behind her, but kept her concentration on the door as she started pulling with both hands.

"Oi, don't strain your wound, Shrimp."

She wanted to turn around and tell him that she wasn't going to hurt herself by just opening a damn door, but her words died in her throat as he closed in on her, and simply pushed the door open with his free hand, the other one holding the precious documents she had given him last night, for safekeeping.

Levy gaped at him, wanting to smack herself for her stupidity, and then wanting to smack that amused smirk off his face when he let out a small "Giihii". Lowering her head as she started pouting like a child, he held the door for her to exit his room first, while ignoring his laughing gaze that never left her.

The two made their way silently through the castle, then through the city, Levy following Gajeel as they crossed the city's main gates, swimming along the main road to where Natsu and his army should be arriving from.

In under an hour the prince of the Shark-folks, followed by the Merman King's advisor, finally reached a very dejected looking Natsu, and the calm and proud Mermaid Queen Lucy.

Once they were close enough, Lucy swam out to Levy, crushing her into a friendly hug:

"Levy, I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried!"

Her friend tightened her hug, which made Levy wince. Feeling this, Lucy drew back a bit, and let out a small gasp at seeing Levy's entire upper body covered in bandages. The blond mermaid gave Gajeel a death glare, ready to give the shark prince a piece of her mind, when Levy stopped her.

"Don't worry Lu-chan, it's actually not as bad as it looks. And Gajeel actually saved me from it being any worse."

She let out a nervous laugh, trying to placate her still angry looking friend, and changed the subject in order to get her mind off her wounds.

"Let me guess, the reason Natsu is pouting like a child is because he didn't get his grand entry into the city with his little soldiers in tow?"

At her words, the queen let out a defeated sigh, followed by a small "Yeah". When her mate had told her about his plan to march into the Shark-folks' castle to sign the Peace Treaty, all proud of himself for having handled something so important all alone, Lucy had been torn between patting him on the head like a good catfish, or Lucy-kick him across the seven seas.

While the two mermaids chatted about the events of the last few days, Gajeel took out the Peace Treaty he had been carrying along, and handed it over to Natsu. A few minutes later, the treaty had been signed, and both royal stamps adorned the document, making the alliance between the two kingdoms official, and finally ending the war.

Under the cheers of Natsu's army, all were invited for a feast at the castle later that evening. This invitation lead to Natsu, Lucy and Levy following Gajeel inside the castle's throne room, where a disheveled looking king was pacing furiously.

King Jose Porla, Gajeel's uncle, and the younger brother to the now deceased King Metalicana, was wearing his formal blue vest with yellow bands at the edge of the collar, folded sleeves, and along the opening of the coat. His short black hair was held back in a tight ponytail, while his mustache was trimmed in that always impeccable way above his purple lips, falling along his cheeks. His dark eyes were shining with anger, and his purple shark-tail twitched as he saw his nephew and his guests.

"Good morning uncle."

Gajeel's voice was neutral, but his gaze was fierce as he watched his uncle's face go a little pale when he saw Levy, alive and swimming, enter the room.

"I have good news for our kingdom. The Peace Treaty between the Merman Empire and the Shark-folks has been signed."

"What!?"

The word had came out loud and angry, but Jose quickly cleared his throat, adding nervously in a honey coated voice:

"What a surprise! And I see that you have brought guests. King Natsu and Queen Lucy, I presume?"

A strained smile appeared on his lips as he made a small bow towards the two royals, but Gajeel was getting impatient with his uncle's mood swings:

"Yes. And now that the war is over, I shall claim my throne. And you, uncle, shall face a trial for attempted murder on the Merman Empire's royal Advisor, Levy McGarden."

At his words, Lucy and Natsu looked at Gajeel, shocked, while Jose let anger twist his features into a dangerous snarl.

"Why you impetuous child. Do you really think that, after all the work I've put into ruling this kingdom, I would just step down once the war was over?"

The shark king was making his way across the throne room as anger made his voice rise:

"This is MY throne, MY inheritance, MY right by birth!"

"It never was. Not with my father and I around."

"LIES! That whore that you call a mother was to be MY fiancé! But when she arrived at the castle and saw your father, her mate", he spat the word out as if it was the most vile thing to have slip off his tongue, "they were the ones to marry! She was MINE, and it was my RIGHT to take her life!"

At that confession, everyone froze. Jose was panting eyes wide with anger and madness.

"Y-You killed my mother?"

Jose let out an unnerving cackle at Gajeel's stunned question. The king was crazy, and his confession only riled him up more:

"Of course I did! I killed her, just like I killed your father!"

After another bout of insane laughter, he sobered up a bit, looking down at Gajeel, Jose's voice becoming bored:

"I even had you sent to the battlefield in hopes that you would get killed, and when that didn't work, I had to send those worthless eel mercenaries. Unfortunately for me, you're as stubborn as your father was, always refusing to die. ALWAYS getting in my way!"

As he snarled his last words, Jose dived for Gajeel's throat, the killing intent clear. The prince dodged, spinning to the side as his left arm took the form of a long ragged sword. Jose faced him once more, pulling a long curved sword from the scabbard attached at his hip. Both royals took a fighting stance, Gajeel's hard gaze was on his uncle who had taken from him everything that he had cherished the most, while Jose's demented stare was fixed on the nephew that had ruined his chances of keeping his precious crown.

Gajeel was younger, stronger, and had spent the last twelve years of his life on the battlefield, fighting sword to sword with all kind of enemies. But Jose was a sly and tricky bastard that had taken down one of the most feared and respected Shark-king, Metalicana.

Seeing the two rush towards one another, swords clashing as they tried swimming around the opponent's defense, Levy held both of her hands to her chest, fingers clenched together nervously. Gajeel landed a few hits on his uncle, cutting his fins to slow him down, as he easily pushed the older man back. King Jose wasn't much of a challenge for the prince, and the fight quickly ended with a bruised and battered king thrown to the ground.

As Gajeel turned around, leaving his beaten uncle on the floor, he did not see the twisted smile Jose gave him. The crazed shark king pounced towards Gajeel's unprotected back, sword in hand, ready to deal a deadly blow. Hearing Levy's cry, the red eyed prince turned around, his brain registering the scene in slow motion as he saw Levy, arms opened towards him, as Jose brought down his sword on her. Holding Levy to his chest with one hand, Gajeel raised his other sword-shaped arm, and sliced his uncle's head clean off.

Ignoring the falling corpse, Gajeel frantically turned Levy over, passing his fingers over the bandages that had been cut through, only to be met with cool scales. Tugging the bandages away, his eyes filled with wonder as Levy held the falling bandages desperately against her chest, blushing. Her back had been covered in silvery scales with a dark hue, smooth and impenetrable, just like his own metal armor.

He ignored Levy's undignified protests as he leaned down, and kissed the scales that had protected her from the deadly blow, before bringing her into a hug, her back flush against his chest, as he nuzzled lovingly at her neck. His action had made a very red and blushing Levy fall silent, as she held on to his arm that passed just over her chest.

When Lucy opened the doors to the throne room to let the guards in, the Shark-Prince finally decided to move:

"Oi, Salamander, don't wait up for us at this afternoon's ceremony. Giihii", Gajeel said as he picked up a still blushing Levy and left for his bedroom.

Lucy gave her friend a devious grin and a thumbs-up as a blushing Levy turned away to slip her arms around her new found mate's neck, bringing his face down for a kiss.