This is perhaps the most…how do I put it…sultry, thing I've ever written. But that's not the point. Either way, welcome everyone to the pairing that I am hereby dubbing Himedios (Princess HisuiXArcadios). Spoilers through Episode 194.

Rate T for slightly heavy innuendo.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. All rights belong to Hiro Mashima and Kodansha.

Love, Loyalty, and the Princess of Jade

A Fairy Tail Fanfiction

Princess Hisui E. Fiore was pissed. Extremely, immeasurably pissed. She even saw fit to say as much.

"Darton, I'm exasperated," she announced from behind the stacks of papers that sat on her desk. Okay, so she wouldn't use such vulgar language in front of her minister of defense. That would not have been good. Thankfully, she couldn't see the shorter man's reaction as she lifelessly signed yet another document (something about the shipments of ale to Fairy Tail).

"Have I done something to trouble you, princess?" Darton asked, still practically hiding out of sight. Inside, Hisui sighed.

"Not particularly," she answered, placing her pen down and standing. She finally caught sight of the minister staring at her curiously. As if being scrutinized by said stare, Hisui turned to examine the brick of the fireplace in her office, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

Certainly, there was no way that Darton could have perceived what was on the young princess' mind. Well, perhaps that was because Hisui was no longer a young princess, which meant her thoughts no longer trended towards dress-up or tea parties or spending the day with daddy. She was a full-grown woman now. July seventh had proven that, despite her mistakes. Of course, being a young woman also meant that she felt certain other things towards certain people that some may or may not have considered inappropriate.

"If there is something bothering you, I can call the castle doctor to see if everything is okay," Darton offered. The green-haired woman jerked. She hadn't realized just how long she'd been absentmindedly touching the brick whilst thinking to herself. It almost reminded her of-

"No!" she answered, perhaps a little too forcefully. It worked, though, and banished the (to her) wickedly dirty thoughts from her mind. That was unbecoming of a princess. "I think I am simply tired from signing documents all day. It is not the most exciting of activities."

"Ah, I understand," Darton chuckled out. It was only at this moment that Hisui noticed Darton reading a book instead of the documents that he was supposed to. "After those dragons, anything would seem a bore."

"Indeed," Hisui responded. Her eyes glanced down to the book the minister was reading and noticed the picture of a dragon emblazoned on the front cover. Well, that would likely keep him occupied for hours. "Forgive me, Darton, but I am retiring to my chambers."

"Hmm," Darton acknowledged, obviously not caring enough about the documents to stop her. Hisui strode to the office door and began to make her exit, but paused a moment. Should she ask Darton, or would he simply dismiss her? The pause was enough to make Darton look at her in curiosity once again. She simply offered him a smile and went on her way. Well, that was one disaster averted.

Now sighing outwardly, Hisui walked around the castle halls, heading for her chambers, the sun overhead sinking lower. She was still angry, and there was only one man she could speak to in order to abate that anger. This made it rather fortuitous when she saw a soldier jogging down the hallway. She raised her hand and the soldier slowed in order to speak to her with a salute.

"Is there something you need, your highness?" the soldier asked.

"Yes, could you find Colonel Arcadios and send him to my chambers, please?" she asked. Her heart fluttered wildly as she made the order; it all sounded so scandalous. She really hoped she wasn't blushing.

"Princess?" the soldier asked, obviously befuddled by her request.

"Oh, I must simply ask him something about defenses," she said. The soldier seemed to buy it, for he ran off without another question. Hisui took a breath of relief at the fact that he hadn't suspected she was lying, considering that her twiddling thumbs had given her away. Satisfied, she continued on and briefly reached her room. Her eyes briefly drifted to her bed as more scandalous (and, admittedly, sultry) thoughts filled her head. She pushed it away and instead went to her wardrobe and changed into her, like almost everything else about her, jade nightgown.

That was when the knock came and all Hisui could squeak out was a mediocre, "Enter."

"You wanted to see me, princess," came Arcadios' voice as he opened the door and stood in its entryway.

"Yes, please close the door," Hisui said, stepping forward in her nightgown. "I don't wish the soldiers to see me in my bed clothes." If Arcadios was bothered by this request, he didn't show it, for he stepped into the room and shut the door. Then he stood at attention like a proper soldier and Hisui felt her eye twitch just a little. Really? Was he just an iron wall in her presence?

"What was it you wished to speak with me about, princess?" Arcadios asked stoically. Hisui's shoulder sagged just a little, her nightgown sliding down a little to reveal her bra strap. Arcadios gave no reaction, and that proved to be the breaking point for the princess.

"Us," she finally answered. To her vexation and dismay, Arcadios only narrowed his eyes, as if he didn't understand.

"What do you mean, princess?"

"Hisui," she corrected. "We have known each other far too long for you to keep calling me 'princess'."

"It would be improper," he responded. Again, Hisui's eye twitched. He really was an iron wall. She just wanted him to call her by her first name. Was it really that hard? "Is there something troubling you, highness?"

"Yes!" she said exasperatedly. Though, to be fair, it was more of a screech. "July seventh."

"How many times must I say this?" Arcadios said with a small smile. It was her turn to let her eyes narrow, but not in confusion. Rather, she was staring at Arcadios in suspicion. A small bead of sweat was trailing from his temple, and she could swear he sounded more than a little relieved at her topic of conversation. Her heart beat just a little faster at that possibility. "It was not your fault. That man…Rogue…he pulled the wool over all of our eyes. It was him that brought those dragons, not you. Besides, Natsu Dragneel and all the other wizards were able to finish it. You need not concern yourself with it anymore."

"That's not what I'm talking about," she snapped. Arcadios clearly didn't understand the source of her anger.

"I-it's not, princess?" he stuttered out, confused. It was also the first time in the whole conversation that he sounded nervous. Hisui decided she would have to be more pointed in her statements and questions.

"Why did you look?" she asked. That should be clear enough, she thought. But when she looked at him, his brow was furrowed in even further confusion. She chose to elaborate. "When the dragon Zirconis blew off Miss Heartfilia's clothes, why. Did. You. Look?"

"Oh…" he sighed out for a moment before realization hit him. "Oh! Well, t-that is to say…she is an attractive woman and there wasn't much room…" It was almost adorable, watching him stutter like that, if she weren't so peeved at him.

"There was plenty of room to avoid it, Arcadios," she said icily. He seemed to catch on to what she was saying, because he shut his mouth and began to look thoughtful. It made her pensive, as well. Sucking in a breath, she quietly asked, "Has it been that long since you've been with a woman?"

"I believe you are mistaken, princess," Arcadios answered, his tone now firm and confident. "I have never been with another woman." Something about the way he said "another" made her blush. Certainly he didn't mean what she hoped he meant. She had to find out.

"Then…" she began timidly, her nightgown sliding down just a little more, "am I not attractive?"

"Quite attractive, princess," Arcadios answered. She sensed a slight choke in his voice. "I am certain that given certain proclivity, you could have all the men in the country at your feet."

"No…am I attractive to you?" she asked. At the same time, her nightgown slid down almost all the way, baring both her skin and her feelings for the man in front of her. That handsome, maddening, trustworthy knight who she loved so much. Part of her was hoping he got the message as the article of clothing continued to slip; the other part was embarrassed at showing so much skin. She didn't have time to think because Arcadios' hands were soon on her…pulling her nightgown back into its proper place. There was his answer.

"A princess should not show that kind of skin to any but her husband. It would be improper."

"Improper?" she laughed out, hoping to brush away the sting of continually hearing that word from him. "Is our relationship not improper?"

"From the beginning, Hisui." His answer made her snap her neck upward to look at him. It wasn't even his agreement that made her so surprised, but his use of her name. "I am not blind. I've known of your feelings for a while, but thought it best not to push the boundaries."

"Then what do you feel?" she asked softly, her hand against his still armored chest.

"What I always have," he told her. "From the day I met you as a young soldier in the military and you the pre-teen princess, I have felt the same. I am yours, always. Do you ever doubt that?"

"No, I have never doubted your loyalty," she responded with a smile.

"Then do you doubt my love?" The word actually made the princess stop. Never in her wildest dreams or fantasies had she actually believed (though she had hoped) of hearing that word from Arcadios. "I have never doubted your love, particularly when you informed me and no one else of the Eclipse Cannon. And if you trusted me enough to tell me that, why do you doubt me now?"

Hisui had to consider that. Was it because Lucy Heartfilia was younger than her? Prettier? Or was it that she felt that as each day passed, they were pushed more and more into the roles of princess and knight? "Perhaps, I feel as though you and your love are moving further away from me."

"Princess…Hisui…" he corrected as he took her hands in his. "I can be many things for my king, princess, and country. I can be its hero, its villain, its knight, its protector, anything. I am adaptable and changeable. I can mold to fit the times.

"But the one thing that I am, that will never change, is yours."

"Mine?" she said, choking back a tear. Arcadios knelt before her, her hand still clasped in his and kissed its top. Hisui closed her eyes and felt all of Arcadios' love flow through her.

"Forever and always." His lips then drew away as he stood. "Good night, princess."

"Good night, Colonel," she whispered. He was out of the door in seconds. "I love you…"

She was certain that had he heard, he would have said the same thing back. As she sat to brush her hair for the night, she did so with a smile. True, it wasn't the most conventional, expected, or perfect romance, but Hisui was pleased. After all, now she could look back on all their moments and see the young Arcadios still loving her from afar. It made her far too giddy.

Of course, fairy tales always had their happy endings with the dashing knight saving the princess and the two of them ending up together, but Hisui no longer cared for fairy tales. This was reality, and even if the princess and her knight weren't quite together, she no longer had any doubts to their real love. And that was good enough.

Fín

Author's Note: A few quick notes here. 1) I imagine that Hisui is in her mid-to late twenties, or at least around the age that Lucy would have been had the whole debacle with Fairy Sphere occurred. Likewise, I imagine Arcadios to be in his early to mid-thirties. So, a romance between the two isn't totally out of range. 2) I purposely avoided mentioning Hisui's feelings in her internal dialogue throughout to show the fact that even she can't quite come to terms with them and denies them until the end. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this since I think it might be the first fic for this pairing. For my new readers of Warrior Watchers, expect a new chapter next week for certain (I'm well on my way to completing it). In the meantime, I'd really appreciate a Review and, as always,

Dare to Be Silly,

Epicocity