Because she knew, as her dark orbs met his now evil ones, that her most important mission would be to save him from absolute darkness.

And for that, she was more than ready to stay by his side and work in the shadows to free him.

''Are you at ease, love?''

Why wouldn't she? She was treated like a goddess.

''You know, I don't need all those complicated things...''

The look he gave her was of absolute worry and she soon regretted those words.

''My dear love, you know I only want you to be comfortable. Please, tell me without fear.''

Oh. There was the problem. She was scared. Even if the time she passed with him as his equal proved it to be an unfounded fear. He would never, under any circumstances, treat her with ill motives. The look in his eyes, the way he would touch her with the upmost respect and tenderness... and never did it change nor waver. She was a treasure to protect and love no matter what. She was the queen of the Tower - his queen - and she ruled by his side as much as he did. For him and for all, she was the light, the goddess shining in a dark place.

So why was she scared? He would never hurt her. He would never treat her less than a divinity.

It was because of the way he treated those who awakened his anger.

He was a perfect lover.

He was also a terrifying king.

How many times did he kill out of anger? How many times did she see this look in his eyes? The look of pure evil. The look of a demon confined in the handsome body of a young man.

His murders were only frequent in the beginning... when he was but a young child. To see such an adorable face contorted by absolute cruelty was something Erza could never forget as it haunted her day and night. The young lady even asked herself - after nightmares in which this horrifying look on her lover's features returned to her too many times - why did she stay after such seeing...

Because she wanted to save him.

She wanted to see the old Jellal, the one who would never hurt anyone. The one with shining eyes, upmost respect for life and a high sense of justice.

Now he was but an evil mastermind with desires greater than the high kings' in the old legends she read in books he gave her.

But there was hope. Every other dwellers of the Tower would say it. Her presence by his side was acting like a soothing drug on his violent and aggressive self. When she wasn't in the throne room, everyone was scared of their king. But once she took place by his side, it was as if the atmosphere lost all heaviness. Because the queen - no, the goddess of the Tower was there to calm the savage storm that was their lord.

She remembered, the day she realized the effect she had on him, the hope that she could save him from the darkness.

How she was on the verge of crying...

She didn't even remember what the messengers said to Jellal - she was too preoccupied by the way his muscles clenched under all the layers of fabrics covering his body - to anger him so much. She saw him raise, heard both potential victims let a wail escaped their lips and felt all the energy - a dark and cruel magic ready to take lives - surrounded him.

Time stopped.

She couldn't even think straight at this exact moment.

So she abandoned her seat and, just as Jellal made a movement to give a first murderous blow, placed herself between him and the other men.

''No'' She said.

She was terrified. Those eyes weren't his. Those weren't the eyes of her loving and gentle friend. But they were still looking at her. His tyrannical eyes were looking right into hers.

''Jellal, please, don't do that!''

How many seconds passed until his glowing gold orbs returned to their normal soft ones? Was it even seconds? Was it more like minutes?

But she could see him realize what he was about to do to her if his hand didn't stop the moment she appeared. He could have killed her. He could have killed his light, his goddess!

Once the look of pure distress left his eyes, anger returned to him as he looked to the messengers - once again moaning in fear. But he took many breathes as those present in the throne room were on the verge of collapsing due to the too great tension.

Erza being the first.

After a long time with his eyes closed, Jellal opened them and, with a look mixing too many emotions - going from destructive anger to pure love - raised his hand to touch her cheek.

She had flinched.

Out of fear.

Thus he realized, it seemed, that he made her scared of him.

With a final caress, he left the room with a sound of flowing robes as his cape enveloped his broken self.

The more she remembered this moment, the more she realized it didn't only changed her but also him... deeply.

She has never really been able to recall in details what happened once he left... she heard screaming, saw the two messengers crying like children and... felt an impact with the floor. But nothing else, only darkness surrounding her soul to finally wake up in her room.

Her perfectly white room.

A room designed for a pure lady Jellal would said.

The cerulean haired man didn't come to see her for days after all of this. Even when he learned about her weakness after his hasty departure.

''He doesn't want to taint your light'' Reported Simon when she asked for him.

The next time she saw him, she was ready to go to bed after a long day. She had heard a knock at her door and, thinking of Millianna and her love for cuddling with her big sister at night, had opened it, smiling and all.

''You want us to sleep tog-''

In front of her wasn't the adorable girl with her pigtails.

It was him.

With tiredness in his pale orbs.

''Jellal...''

She had wanted to scream at him, angry at this idiot for disappearing from her face for such a long time, but she couldn't.

Not when he gave her that look.

He had said nothing. When he saw that he wasn't getting rejected, he closed the door and took her hand in his as he knelt in front of her.

''My love...''

It was the first time he called her like that and she was too petrified to act or even move as he kissed her fingers.

''My love, my light...''

He looked so dejected, so ready to cry.

The evil lord was on the verge of crying.

''Please, my love... I don't deserve to be by your side nor your respect after such behaviour... but please, my darling, let me offer you my upmost apologize... let m-''

But he couldn't finish. Because he broke. He broke like a child would. Like a distressed and depressed man.

Finally, with those so sincere tears streaming on the cheeks of the most cruel man she knew, she also knelt and took him in her arms.

Her long made promise to herself - the one to save him from Zeref - repeated itself in her head as she kissed him for the first time. Because this was the proof that her old Jellal, the young slave she met back then, was still there. Sure, it was but a too small part of him, imprisoned in the complicated mind of a man possessed by darkness. But it was still there. And it would only resurface around her as much in the light of the day than in the intimacy of their relationship.

The memories of this long week would always haunt her. And when she realized he never once again let his anger win over him when she was at his side, she felt happy. And proud. She knew he could still act with terrifying cruelty once his queen wasn't with him, but it was still a good beginning.

There was hope.

She was hope.

She was the light, the Guardian Goddess of the Tower as would call her its dwellers. And she knew better than to not use it at her advantage.

To save Jellal.

''My love... please, I ask for your honesty...''

There they were. Back to the present. With him in front of her as she showed him the pure white dress he chose for her.

It was true, he would never hurt her. But she was still scared of him for what he was able to do to others.

''Jellal... why white of all colors?''

Why even ask... when she already knew the answer.

''Because you are the pure queen at the side of a dark king, my love... and the way your hair stands out even more with this color is absolutely gorgeous.''

Only with her would the most evil demon in existence be such a sappy lover.

''I look like a bride...''

He simply looked at her with this mischievous smile only her long lost friend would have.

''Do you want a veil and a ring? Because if you ask I would gladly make you my wife.''

''Jellal!''

''What!? It's not as if we weren't already acting like a married couple!''

It was true... they were everything like husband and wife... even acting as such in bed... even if it was rare because of Jellal's tendency to refuse to taint such ''purity''.

''So, your verdict, my dear?''

She turned to her mirror once again, admiring the intricate design of the dress.

''A dress for a queen!'' He added.

It was definitely a beautiful piece and she would wear it as it perfectly suited her - damn his hands that knew her too well to choose a piece of clothing without her help.

She finally accepted with a sigh as he took her slowly in his arms, once again too afraid to break the most precious treasure to his heart.

''You are so beautiful, my love!''

As he kissed her with tenderness on her temple, she let herself be won by his warmth, the same warmth he would only show to her.

She knew it wasn't the most healthy relationship on Earthland, but it was a sincere one, a strange love between light and darkness, right and wrong.

A goddess and a fallen angel.

The witch couldn't let this go. Sure, she had let time do its work, thinking that her control on him would win over the love of an idiotic girl.

But it didn't.

Thus she was enraged. She was absolutely furious at this little queen of his for being so powerful with her stupid love for him. And as she watched him help her remove the damn piece of clothing through her lacrima, she let a laugh escaped her painted lips.

Let them appreciate this moment as it would be their last.

Because her silent fight with the goddess would soon come to an end at tomorrow's sunset.

Because in that throne room, in this damn Tower, the witch will take the queen.

And end her dream.

It's been a long time since I began to think about this AU. I finally decided to do the first part for the Jerza week, using the theme Cardinal - 27th May as it represents Erza's hair and the upmost importance for her to save her dear friend.

I would also like to create other parts for this AU (not necessary in a chronological order) and, if many of you love this AU as much as me, it will be a pleasure for me to continue! There's many aspects I want to explore such as their beginning as rulers of the Tower, their training, their relationship with the rest of the team, etc.