Chapter 2: We Meet Again

It had been about a week since Lyon had started serving under the new king. While Silver-sama was not ailing or particularly old he had willingly stepped down from the throne. In fact, he had gone out of his way to find his son so that he might one day reign.

That was a long story indeed. Lyon sighed and swirled his wine around in his cup as he listened to the prattling of useless women come to take a piece of the crown for themselves. The boy had barely been king a week and they were already circling like vultures over a rotting cadaver. It made Lyon sick to his stomach.

When Lyon had first earned the title of Captain of the Guard he was merely sixteen years old. Many of the older men serving in the Royal Army didn't take well to being bossed about by a lad such as him. However, Silver had been adamant that he was the best fit; and he had been. Where so many others had failed, Lyon had excelled. The army grew stronger and more disciplined underneath the juvenile captain.

It hadn't been long after that Gray had been brought home amongst cries of joy and the blaring of trumpets. He had been just a poor country lad then. His clothes were ripped and ragged, and his face was covered in dirt. Lyon admitted that had he not seen it for himself four years ago, he wouldn't have believed it.

Gray was a completely different person. He held himself as if he had been raised in the castle his entire life. Instead, he was barely 20 years old and had spent the majority of those years struggling to get by. Lyon had to expect him for that.

After Silver had stepped down from the throne and declared Gray to be King of all of Reive, he had simply vanished without a word. Lyon knew it was coming, but he held his tongue when Gray came to him in anguish. Had Gray never wondered where his mother was? Had he never question why, as a prince, he was abandoned to be raised out in the wastelands?

"Captain? Did you hear me?" Lyon started so violently from his musings that the wine splashed from his cup. A blushing maid with vibrant pink hair and blue eyes rushed to clean the mess up. It was always like this. Women fawned over the two powerful young men.

"Forgive me, your Highness. I was lost in thought." The maid finished sopping the mess up and rushed off to dispose of the soiled linen. Another maid filled his glass again. Lyon briefly wondered if Silver-sama had purposely employed so many beautiful young women. They were certainly more attractive than those currently vying for Gray's attention.

"Worry not. I simply asked your opinion on the current situation with the Dreyar domain and that of Minerva." Gray waved his hand in the air as if it were no big deal, but Lyon immediately stiffened. Though Gray's kingdom was not yet involved in this conflict, it was only a matter of time. Thankfully Reive was a smaller territory and not of much interest to the vile Queen Minerva.

She wished to be Empress of all of Fiore. By uniting all of the lands underneath her rule she would become a goddess of sorts. She sent hordes of murderous soldiers into Makarov's kingdom, and employed dark magicks to her benefit.

"I believe that it is best that Reive stay out of such matters. It is as your father wished, Sire." Though he knew that answer would not please his young king, Lyon felt obligated to speak the truth. The two women seated at the table with them whispered at the audacity of the Captain.

"Yes. You are correct, Captain. Reive is such a small territory. Though I wouldn't mind expanding my rule, I wouldn't wish to do it through bloodshed. My father was wise to keep your counsel, Lyon." Lyon bowed his head in humility at the praise Gray gave him. Silver was also wise to leave the kingdom to his son during this strife. Gray would take care of his people from the castle while Silver did so from outside the walls.

Gray pushed his empty plate away from him with a groan and signaled for another glass of wine. It seemed that he wished for Lyon's company for a while longer. He waved a slender hand to one of the guards posted at the door and waited patiently as he clanked over in his heavy armor. Lyon was glad that he was no longer required to wear such cumbersome armor. He preferred the fitted leather he wore instead.

"Please escort these two ladies back to their carriages. I believe it is time they be getting home." Lyon did not miss the fact that Gray seemed to have forgotten the names of those particular women.

"As you wish, Sire." The guard that Lyon recognized as Eve motioned for the women to follow him. There was much whining and begging to be allowed to stay longer, but Gray ignored it all until the heavy oak doors closed behind them.

"They were getting to be a bit of a nuisance." Lyon nodded in agreement. They had been downright pests.

"If you would forgive my audacity, your Highness; might I ask why you entertain them?" At least once a week Gray entertained another woman, and sometimes multiple. It was always the same. They would have dinner, and Gray would invite Lyon. After dinner, Gray would send them off and comment about how annoying they were to him.

"Well, I must marry. Every king needs a good queen to stand beside him."

"Of course, Sire." He would let it go at that. Of course Gray would be thinking of women. He was at that age. Lyon supposed that the only reason he didn't was because he was so immersed in his work. It was his life, truly.

"What about you, Captain? Are you not interested in women?" The implication caused a fiery blush to stain Lyon's cheeks.

"O-of course I'm interested in women!" Gray laughed raucously and slapped the table in merriment.

"I am only teasing. It must be hard to think of a woman when your job entails the safety of the kingdom. Not to mention the impending war." Lyon nodded in agreement. If he were to fall in love then march off to die in war, he would leave behind a widow. He wouldn't want that.

The oak doors swung violently open and two guards rushed in, surprising the remaining guard that stood watch over the two men as they conversed over their glasses of wine.

"Sire!" The men rushed at Gray.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Lyon leapt to his feet and addressed his men. He could not imagine what could have gotten into these men that they would dare interrupt the king's meal.

"C-captian." The men quailed underneath Lyon's stern gaze. "I-it's Princess Lucy. S-she has come with a message from M-magnolia!" Gray stood to his feet and the two men fell to their knees in fear. They truly thought they were about to die.

"Ren! My cape and sword!" Gray's personal assistant rushed to retrieve the items where they had been discarded on a couch near the far wall. The clicking of heels on the castle floor could be heard advancing from beyond the oak doors as the dark-skinned man shook Gray's cloak and placed it upon his shoulders as Gray fastened his sword and belt on over his trousers.

Lyon nearly choked in amusement. Surely his Highness did not take women so seriously? Perhaps it was because Lucy was the princess of a large and important kingdom. Nevertheless, Gray looked stunning enough for any woman to drop dead.

"Her Highness, Lucy Heartfilia!" One of the guards announced the arrival of the princess as she entered the dining hall with a guard following closely behind.

"Your Highness." Lucy's blue gown swept across the floor as she bent her slim waist in a respectful curtsey. Lyon admired her large breasts that strained at the material of her dress, and her wide brown eyes. She certainly was beautiful. "Forgive me for interrupting, but I bring urgent news."

Gray bowed to the woman before him and pulled a chair out for her. "Do not fret on the matter, Princess. What news do you bring?" Lyon glanced at Gray to see if he should leave, but Gray motioned for him to sit as well. Once all three were seated with Lucy's personal guard standing behind her chair, she spoke.

"I regret to inform his Majesty that Minerva's army has advanced into Magnolia's borders and holds my kingdom in siege. I have come to beg of you to help us." Lucy's eyes filled with tears, and Lyon held his breath. Would Gray enter the war for this exotic beauty before him?

"Princess, I cannot endanger the lives of my people so easily." He shook his head sadly.

"But you must! If you do not, then countless innocents will die! We require your aid to defeat that horrible witch!" Lucy was visibly shaking at this point.

"Your Majest, if I may?" Gray inclined his head to allow his captain to speak. "I believe that the most prudent thing would be to send a small contingent of men to the aid of Makarov. We cannot spare to weaken our defenses lest Minerva decides to strike at us as well. However, she will not be expecting an outside attack."

Gray folding his hands underneath his chin and closed his eyes in contemplation. It was a risky decision. Lyon knew that he would have to lead the contingent if there were to be any hope of a successful campaign. At best they would break the siege to allow Makarov and his men through. Perhaps Minerva's company would only retreat to regroup. All that mattered was that Makarov knew that Gray was on his side. If Makarov's men were besieged for too long, the citizens would begin to starve to death.

"As always, Captain Lyon, your counsel is true. I leave it to you to gather a group of twenty of your most trusted men. You will depart in the morning."

"Oh thank you!" Lucy reached forward and grasped Gray's hand in gratitude. Lyon did not miss the way Gray blushed at the contact.

"As you wish, Sire." Lyon stood to his feet and turned to leave. He heard Gray telling Lucy that it would be best for her to remain in his castle where it was safe until the matter was resolved.

Lyon chuckled to himself. Perhaps it was fate drawing the two together in this manner, but Lyon had never seen Gray blush from such a simple thing.

Juvia paced the length of the forlorn dungeon as she raged at the injustice of life. That bastard of a captain had stolen away her chance to see Gray again. It had been so long since she had seen his face. Seven long years.

When she was a small child, she traveled the lands with her mother. She had never had a father, and she had never bothered to question why that was. On their way through a small dirty village, Juvia had come across Gray. She was instantly in love, and begged her mother to take her there often. Sometimes she would even stay in the village with Gray and wait for her mother to return from her business in Reive.

On the days that she accompanied her mother to the town, Gray would beg to go along. Juvia always found it strange that Old Woman Ruka refused to let him. She was adamant that Gray was never to go anywhere that 'cursed place' as she called it.

Juvia was content to spend her afternoons playing in the dirt with Gray as often as she was able. This is, until the day she visited the village with her mother to find it completely demolished. All of the little huts were burnt to ashes, and bodies lay strewn about the mess. Juvia had screamed in anguish and began searching through the smoldering remains of Gray and Ruka's hut. Her mother had to drag her away and hold her tightly against her chest for hours before her sobs subsided.

Juvia would never forget that day. From then on they had taken a different path to Reive. Juvia would sit underneath the statue of King Silver while her mother went off to do whatever it was that she always did there.

One day, Juvia's mother didn't return. Juvia waited all through the night and into the next day, but her mother wasn't coming back. Eventually, a soldier came to shoo her away calling her an 'urchin' and 'filth'. She didn't understand. Whenever they came to Reive before they had been treated with the upmost respect. Juvia had even dined with the king once!

Juvia wandered through the outlying villages of Reive in dismay. She had no one. She had nowhere to go.

With tangled blue locks and a dirty face, Juvia stumbled into the Dark Lands one day. It was the wasteland that separated Reive from the evil Witch Minerva's domain. Juvia didn't care that it might bring her death. She willed Minerva to emerge and slit her throat. She wanted the pain to end.

Instead of finding Minerva, Juvia stumbled across the body of Old Woman Ruka. She was barely breathing, and sliced to ribbons. Her blood stained the charred land crimson.

With her last breaths, Ruka told Juvia that Gray had been taken from her. She told her to seek him in Reive.

Juvia closed the woman's eyes and said a prayer for her before setting off for Reive once more. Upon entering the town she was surprised to find that she was again treated with disdain. They didn't want her here, and they wouldn't tell her anything about Gray's whereabouts.

Juvia had left the town with a steady staccato of rain accompanying her. A tall man with blond hair and a scar racing across left eye in the shape of lightening striking the earth found Juvia wandering aimlessly on the border of Reive. He took her in and taught her the art of swordsmanship. He took care of her, and nurtured her.

The rain never left, but when she was with Laxus it lessened. Over the years, others joined them, and they eventually built a base in the dungeons beneath an abandoned watch tower. It was believed that it was once to be the site of a get-away castle for when the king or queen of Reive wanted space from their adoring citizens but the plan was discarded for one reason or another. Regardless, it made an excellent base of operations for the bandit group known as 'Devil's Eye'.

Juvia had come up with that name herself, and Laxus had shrugged his shoulder when she suggested it. That was the name they had gone by ever since.

"Juvia?" A quiet voice called to her from the stairs leading up the tower. "Juvia it's time to eat."

"Juvia is not hungry." She replied curtly.

"Juvia, you must eat."

"Leave her alone, Levy." Juvia glared at the crimson eyes and turned back to her pacing. She would not join her friends for dinner this evening. She was too angry to eat. She needed to become stronger if she was to push her way through to see Gray. She needed to train her body and mind to obey her every command without fail. She needed to beat Lyon.

Hello there! Did you enjoy this chapter? I love Lyvia, and I wanted to put a different spin on it! Let me know what you think so far. Is it worth updating?