A/N: A spontaneous idea I had. I hope you like it :)

Finral looked around the main room until his eyes landed on Noelle. He had thought long about asking her and in the end decided to go for it. Approaching her took all of his courage.

"Noelle, can I talk to you for a moment." When she just looked at him, he smiled uneasily "Alone?"

The young royal gave him a confused nod and stood up from her seat next to Asta. While they walked to a couch in the corner of the room and sat down Finral could feel Asta's eyes following them. It was obvious that the anti-mage didn't like that he was taking Noelle away from him. Finral shook his head with a small smile. That guy was so obvious to his own feelings for Noelle that it was almost amusing.

"So what do you want from me?" Her voice broke into Finral's thoughts. "If you want to ask me on a date again forget it, I'm royalty after all."

"I'm a nobleman too, you know and your superior." When he only received an arrogant look from her, he sighed. He would tell her the truth and hope for the best. "My family, House Vaude, is holding a banquet. They didn't technically want to invite me, but they had to for appearance. I told them I would be accompanied by a beautiful girl."

"So in short you want me to play your girlfriend, because you couldn't find a girl who wanted to go with you?" There was anger in her voice.

Finral sighed again. He should have know that she wouldn't make it easy for him, but she couldn't be further from the truth. There was a reason he had chosen her and he wanted her to realize that.

"I didn't ask another girl to go with me. Look, my family thinks I'm a failure. My magic isn't as strong as the one from my little brother and he always lets me know how little I'm worth. I can't show a girl that side of me, can I? Who would want to date someone who even their own family doesn't support."

There was the truth, all out in the open and for Noelle to judge. He was a failure who was too afraid to face his family on his own and had even gone as far as to lie to them.

"I understand how that feels." Noelle's voice was soft. "I'm sure you have heard rumors of how I'm the failure of House Silva and you saw me lose control of my magic first hand. I know how it feels to have a family who thinks so little of you and doesn't want you around. It's painful and the reality of it is harsh."

There was a deep sadness in her eyes that Finral recognized so well from his own eyes. Of course he had heard of the youngest princess of House Silva before she had joined the Black Bulls. The rumors about her were merciless. However when he had met her a little over a year ago, he had known the real Noelle. A young woman who didn't let her family decide her future, who fought alongside the Black Bulls with her heart and soul and became stronger every day.

"I wish I could be more like you in that aspect. I wish I was that strong." He smiled sadly at her and his hand balled into a fist at his side.

"I'm only strong because all my friends support me and I'll do the same for you." Gently she lay her hand over his clenched one. "I'll go with you to that banquet."

"Really?" He asked her hopeful.

"Yes." She smiled at him before she turned her nose up arrogantly. "But you'll buy me a dress for the night and you will do everything you can to make sure I have a good time. These banquets are usually boring."

"Of course my princess." With that he turned his hand around so that it was holding hers. Giving her hand a light kiss he smiled charmingly at her.

While Noelle pushed him away with a blush and a water attack Finral could see that Asta was standing up and leaving. There was something off about the way he walked away, a slightly angry pace in his steps. Finral had to shake his head, that guy wasn't as obvious at it seemed.

The next day he made good on his promise to take Noelle shopping. To his surprise Asta and Vanessa came along. Vanessa wasn't such a surprise when he thought about it, girls always valued the opinion of other girls when it came to shopping, but Asta didn't really have a reason to go with them. Well maybe his reason was to just spend the day with Noelle which would make sense.

When the four arrived at the first dress shop Vanessa showed Noelle a variety of dresses, one more scandalous than the other. Needless to say that the young princess rejected them all. Finally the saleswoman seemed to have mercy and showed Noelle a few decent dresses, that she seemed more comfortable with. Noelle was shy about showing off her dresses so only when she found her favorite dress she came out of the changing room in it. The dress itself was a beautiful white one with golden ornaments. It flowed gently down to her knees and showed of just the right amount of cleavage. Finral and Vanessa immediately complimented her on her choice, but Noelle wanted a certain opinion on it.

"And what do you think, Asta?" She asked shyly with a blush on her face.

"It looks really good on you Noelle." He answered clumsily.

Finral smiled slightly at the two newest Black Bulls. It was true that he thought Noelle was beautiful and an amazing girl, but he would never seriously make a move on her. Not only was she his friend, but her heart clearly belonged already to another guy. Why should he try to taker her away from someone she clearly was in love with and by the looks of it returned her feelings?

Two days later the day of the banquet had come and Finral was nervous. It had been a while since he had last seen his family and their reunion surely wouldn't be too pleasing. Pushing his fear to the side he entered the main room. Noelle was already waiting for him in her beautiful white dress.

"You look beautiful." Finral complimented her.

"Of course I do." She replied arrogantly and flipped one of her pigtail over her shoulder.

Finral sighed at that and summoned his grimoire. A second later they stepped through his created portal.

The mansion hadn't changed at all since he had last been here and his parents greeted him coldly. They seemed a little bit surprised to see that he had indeed brought a girl with him and a princess none the less, but they didn't comment on it. However his brother didn't hold back when he saw him.

"So the failure returns and that not alone." He turned to Noelle. "I heard a lot about the youngest Silva. She should not be able to control her magic. So two failures found each other, how fitting."

"You can insult me all you want, but not my friends or my date. Maybe I'm a failure, but Noelle isn't. She is a strong and beautiful woman. I don't see you with someone now, do I?" Finral replied angrily and stepped in front of Noelle.

Langris only grumbled something under his breath at that before he left, it seemed he knew better than to make a scene.

"Well, isn't he a nice one? He would get along with my brothers just fine." Noelle said when the young Vaude had left. "Banquets are really boring."

"I think this one not so much, because I have you by my side." He smile at her.

"You're lucky I don't want to ruin this night for you or that comment would have ended in an water attack for you."

There was playfulness in their words and Finral found himself actually enjoying his time. It had been the right decision to ask Noelle to come with him.

When the evening ended Finral excused himself and Noelle and the two left the mansion.

"I'm really glad that I ask you to come with me." Finral said when they went outside.

"That's what friends are for."

When Finral was about to open a portal back to the Black Bulls hideout an idea came to his mind when he remembered the last few days. Seeing that Noelle helped him so much the whole day, maybe now was his turn to help her. The young woman's feelings for a certain anti-mage were obvious to Finral, but Asta was too dense to realize it. Coming up with a plan Finral opened a portal and let Noelle walk through it first before following her. It was no mistake that they were close to Asta's training ground and Finral saw that Asta clearly noticed them arriving. However before Asta could welcome them Finral took advantage of the fact that Noelle had her back to Asta. With a quick move he embraced Noelle.

"Asta is really lucky that an amazing girl like you loves him." He whispered to her. In return she stiffened and Finral was sure she would deny it any second so he added quickly. "If you want him to notice you in that way I can help you."

It seemed that it took Noelle a moment to make up her mind, but then she relaxed in his arms.

"You're a flirty idiot, you know, but I guess I'll let you repay the favor I did for you today this way."

"Glad to hear that you're trusting the master of love so much, princess." He smiled gently at her. "Asta can see us right now and by the way he looks at me, jealousy is the beginning of the end of his denseness. Play along, he is coming over."

After that he broke the embrace, but didn't let go of her completely. With his arm around her, he puller her closer to his side and faced Asta, who was now coming over to them. Finral noticed how Asta's eyes lingered on where is arm rested on Noelle's waist for a moment too long. When Asta stood in front of them for a greeting there was an angered looked directed at Finral. The young nobleman shivered a little in fear at the expression in Asta's eyes, after all no one wanted to mess with an angry Asta, but he wanted to do this for Noelle.

"Hey Asta, how was your training?"

"Good."

Never before had Finral heard Asta reply so short and with gritted teeth, but that was proof enough that his plan was working. Just a little bit more provocation and he would succeed.

"We had a great time at the banquet and when I think about it Noelle and I would make a great couple." He pulled Noelle closer to himself with a smile. "I mean we do look good together don't you agree?"

Finral could already see the jealousy in Asta's eyes and his angry response didn't take long.

"You would say that about every girl. Noelle needs someone who looks only at her and wants to stay by her side. She needs someone who loves her and only her."

"Someone like you?" Finral asked slyly. With an angry Asta the chances of revealing the anti-mage's true feelings were high.

"Yes." Asta almost screamed.

"Asta, do you really mean that?" Noelle's soft voice cut into their discussion and she stepped out of Finral's arms, who let her go without protest.

"I do. I might not be royalty or have some useful magic, but I would never look at someone else if you were my girlfriend."

"Well maybe I should give you chance to prove that." Noelle looked shyly at him.

"I'll show you how much better I'm for you." With that the anti-mage closed the gap between them and kissed her.

Finral turned around when he saw Noelle return the kiss. In the end not only had Noelle helped him through the day, he had helped her finally get the guy she was in love with. Now Finral could only hope to find a girl who he could love as much as Asta and Noelle loved each other.

Please review and tell me what you think :)