Chap 1: Greetings, Captain of the Guard

A pair of heels clicked against the cobblestone of the street. The sun was hidden behind the blackening clouds, and the light drizzle of rain increased as a dark shadow approached and engulfed the light. The pleasant breeze that had previously played across the skin of the carefree inhabitants of the castle town of Reive, now raged furiously against the locked shutters.

The inhabitants had fled into the safety of their homes upon the arrival of this morose stranger. It was as if they could feel the misery that rolled off of her slender body in waves. Rain pelted against the barred homes as if demanding entry, yet no man was brave enough to open their door.

Tracks of tears mixed with the icy rain made their way down the porcelain face of the beautiful and terrible woman that plagued the streets of Reive. She slowly and deliberately made her way down the middle of the road towards the center of the town which proudly bore the statue of Reive's sovereign. It was a trek that she often made, though she had not been back to this place since the new king had taken his throne.

Rivulets of water trickled through the stonework around the cerulean haired woman's feet. Her dark blue eyes were trained on the path before her, as if she were afraid of losing her way. The eyes of the citizens peered out at her in fearful wonder. They wondered what she could possibly want, yet they were too frightened to ask her. If the woman had emanated less of an angry and sad aura, then perhaps the men of Reive would have swarmed her. Alas, it was not to be.

The howling wind and intrusive rain followed the blue-eyed woman as she came to a halt in front of the statue at the center of the town. Before, the statue had been of a tall man with a scar running down the right side of his face. He was ruggedly handsome with his cape billowing behind him. The crown that was placed upon his head was a replica of the one he actually wore. The woman knew this because it was something her mother had told her. Each time she would visit Reive with her mother, the blue-haired little girl would stare in awe at the statue. Now, the very same statue caused an incredible amount of grief to well up inside the woman who stood before it.

Another statue had recently been erected next to the handsome king. This statue bore the image of the man that would be king. In fact, the citizens of Reive were busily preparing for the joyous occasion of the coronation when they were assaulted by the mutant weather.

Water splashed up around the woman's form as she fell to her knees before the two men. The younger man resembled the older so much that it was uncanny. This alone caused even more anxiety within her heart. The wind picked up and violently tossed carts of fruit and vegetables into the air. The rain turned into a torrent of water being dumped from the sky as the woman cried out in anguish.

"What manner of devil might you be?" The voice cut through the wind like a knife that pierced the heart of the mourning woman.

She turned her head to find a tall young man with silver hair glaring down at her. He was dressed in the Royal Guard's uniform. The rain lessened, and the wind diminished as the woman pulled herself to her feet.

"Juvia is no demon." Tears continued to slide down her cheeks as she confronted the man before her. "Why does a member of Reive's Royal Guard seek an audience with Juvia?" She knew why. It was like this every time she entered Reive. She was unable to control her emotions, and the citizens were frightened of the resulting weather.

Juvia could not control the effect that she had on the rain. When she was a child she was often shunned because of it. Her mother had taken her out to live in a small cottage in the middle of the forest. She had only made one true friend in all of her life.

"Juvia? It is a pleasure to meet you." The young man bent at the waist and bowed to her. The long sword that hung at his waist shimmered in the light, and Juvia found that her eyes were drawn to it. The sheath was decorated with intricate designs of silver inlaid into the leather. The pommel was silver with a giant blue jewel inlaid at the head. The cross-guard was a matching silver with small designs etched into the metal. "I regret to inform you that I have been dispatched to escort you from the city."

Juvia's eyes snapped back up to the young man before her. They had asked her to leave before. Usually they sent a few soldiers to bully her into leaving. She hadn't wanted to cause a stir, and left every time without issue. This time they had sent only one man. Juvia did not believe that they would be so careless. Evidently they were short manned because of the coronation and had sent someone higher up on the tier. They had underestimated her.

"Juvia would like to know by what name she may address you."

"If it pleases you, you may address me as Captain Lyon." Juvia did not hide her surprise. The man before her was captain of Reive's guard. Perhaps they had not underestimated her. However, she refused to let this chance to see her beloved go to waste. "Will you allow me to escort you quietly?"

"Juvia will not." Her answer was straightforward. Captain Lyon didn't have a chance to utter a reply as Juvia had already pulled a sword from inside her coat and leapt at him. Her sword resembled a pool of clear water as it refracted the light into a rainbow of brilliant colors.

'Ching'! Their swords clashed together. Juvia was surprised that the captain was able to counter her attack so quickly. His black eyes were squinted painfully against the brilliance of her sword, and this brought her some small amount of satisfaction.

"Juvia. I request once more that you allow me to escort you from Reive. If you sheathe your blade now I will make no comment of your attack to his Highness Gr-"

His spiel was cut short as Juvia spun backwards and swiped her blade in a curving arc at the captain.

"If that is your reply, then I have no choice. It is the order of his Highness Gr-"

"Juvia will NOT!" Her boot crashed into the captain's chest; catching him off guard and forcing him back a few steps. His heavy boots splashed in the water as he stumbled. Juvia took this opportunity to slash at his face while his sword arm was down. There would be no way for him to guard himself this time. A draw/guard combo was one thing. Being able to bring your sword up from this position in time to parry an attack as swift as Juvia's was impossible.

'Clunk'. Juvia's eyes widened in wonder. Captian Lyon had blocked her attack with the leather bracer wrapped around his left forearm. Her shining blade had sank through the leather and cut a gash into his skin. The blood that dripped from the wound ran down his arm and splashed into the puddles around the pair's feet. Juvia watched the crimson liquid thin out into a pink stream as it ran away from them.

"Juvia realizes that Captain Lyon will not be easily bested." With her sword in hand, Juvia turned and walked away. The rain continued to beat a steady rhythm against the cobblestones as she made her way to the southern exit of Reive. The gates were still up. They would surely draw them closed before the coronation.

Though she lamented the fact that she would not get to see the face of her long-lost friend, Juvia was determined to see him someday soon.

"Captain?" Lyon's stride halted as he turned to face the voice that called to him from the darkness.

He had been making his way back from the last patrol around the castle courtyard that night. Gray had successfully been crowned king, and everything had gone without any major problems. Some small time group of thugs had tried to sneak in, but they were stopped by a few of Lyon's men near the courtyard entrance. It hadn't even caused a stir.

After Gray had received his crown, he had gone off to eat and drink in celebration of the event. As the right-hand man of the previous king, Lyon was invited to the festivities. Gray wanted to get to know the man that he would be trusting the security of his castle and the outlying lands to. Lyon had politely declined, saying that it was his duty to ensure the perimeter was secure. If his men were to be worked to the bone, then so should he.

After a long and exhausting day Lyon had been about to turn in for the night. His sleeping quarters were located in the castle near the king's. They were easily accessible by a hidden staircase located behind a veil of climbing purple Clematis vines. If he were to thrust the vines aside, he would be presented with a heavy wooden door that demanded a key. The key that hung from Lyon's neck would grant him access to the stone steps that wound up to the second floor. His quarters were immediately to the right once at the top of the stairs. If he were to continue down the hallway, he would find the king's quarters just around the corner. This way his Highness was permitted privacy while maintaining the benefit of a vigilant protector.

However, it was now Gray who would reside in those rooms so near to Lyon's own. It wasn't that Lyon didn't like the boy-king. He simply was devoted to his Lordship Silver. Since he was a young boy he had served him. He had worked his hardest to the climb the ranks and claim the title of the youngest ever to serve as Captain of the Guard.

Lyon sighed in frustration as a young man with blond hair, dark green eyes, and delicate features approached him. It was only natural that the younger man would come to Lyon for approval before heading off to patrol the late watch. He couldn't fault him, but that didn't mean he was any less annoyed.

"I'm glad I caught you, Captain. I wanted to make sure of my patrol duties this evening." The soldier before him trembled with nervousness. He was surely afraid that he would forget something on his first night with patrol duty in the courtyard. Although he had just joined, Lyon recalled that the young man had shown incredible potential.

"Right…." He gave the man a questioning look and waited for him to provide his name. He couldn't be bothered to remember every soldier that enlisted in the King's army. Though, he would never forget the names of those that served closely underneath him in directly protecting his Highness.

"Eve, sir."

"Eve. Don't worry too much. You won't be the only one out there. In fact, there are several men that will be patrolling with you who are war veterans." He winked at the boy as his face blanched. He was no doubt imagining the bloody violence that he may one day encounter on the battlefield. Lyon clapped his hand on Eve's shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. " Just walk around starting here and make your way to the southern gardens of the courtyard. That's where we would encounter problems if we were going to have any. The northern city gate is guarded by no less than thirty trained soldiers and employs a two part gate that cannot be opened from the outside. The southern gate is used by the commoners to travel between here and the outer villages." Lyon's fingers traced a path in the air as he explained to Eve. "After you make sure everything is all clear there, then make your way over to the south-east corner. Ultear will no doubt be there as her path will slightly overlap with yours. Report any findings to her, then make your way back here." Lyon indicated the spot they stood on.

They were currently in the western part of the courtyard, where there was no outside access. "There won't be anyone for you to meet up with here, but don't worry about it. This is the safest part of the courtyard as my quarters are just up there." He indicated a jutting portion of the castle. "There are other men patrolling that will come to your aid if you just shout. Continue making this path until Ultear relieves you of your duty and sends you off to bed." Eve nodded at Lyon. "Good. Then I wish you the best of luck." He patted Eve on the shoulder once more before heading towards the Clematis vines.

"Thank you, Captain!" Lyon didn't bother turning around as he heard the man's heavy footsteps fade into the distance. He was beyond ready to turn in for the night.

He pushed the blooming vines out of the way and inserted the silver key from around his neck into the lock. It opened with a 'click' and the door groaned as he shoved his way into the stairwell. After making sure the vines were securely back in place, he locked the door from the inside and began his ascent.

The air was cooler here, just like he preferred. His steps echoed in the darkness as he made his way by memory. He had been coming up and down these stairs for so long now that he didn't bother to light a torch any longer. He could run swiftly down the winding stairs without having to worry about running into anything or tripping over a loose stone. It was the perfect way to travel unknown.

Lyon reached the top of the stairs and pushed his door open. He didn't bother having a lock put on his door considering the amount of security there was here due to the nearness of the king's personal quarters. He leant his sword and sheathe against the wall by the head of his bed and quickly divested himself of his clothing. There was a tub of hot water waiting for him, and he couldn't wait to get into it.

That woman from earlier plagued his mind all evening, and a hot bath should purge her from his memories. Though he did not prefer the heat, he found it was an excellent way to cleanse himself. He stepped into the water and proceeded to scrub away both the dirt and the images of Juvia swinging her deadly sword at his neck.

What do you think? I wanted to do something different! Shall I continue?