A loud noise was the first thing she registered. It was like metal spikes being dragged over stone, making her feel as if someone were pounding nails through her skull.

Then she noticed the pillows pressed to her cheek, the silken sheets beneath her skin. Her mind snapped to attention as she remembered where she was, and she felt her heartbeat pounding faster in her chest. She had awoken in his nest, the Iron King, "Black Steel" Gajeel. He wanted to take her as his queen in an effort to end the war and bring peace. And he terrified her.

But he also intrigued her, captivated her. She wanted to learn everything about him, wanted to know every part of him. So she lay there for a bit longer as the scraping continued, her curiosity nearly forcing her to open her eyes and figure out where it was coming from. But if it was in fact Gajeel there, she didn't particularly want him to know that she was awake yet.

"How are your wings?" Came a gruff voice from beyond the walls of the nest. Of course he was here... This was his Aerie, after all, so it was somewhat foolish of Levy to believe he'd be elsewhere. Instead of responding, Levy merely opened her eyes and shifted into a fetal position against the mound of pillows she was propped against. She shuffled her wings slightly, only feeling faint soreness in her joints. The skin along the bones felt tight with the promise of new feathers within the next few days or so.

"Come on little fairy," he called, his words followed by the muffled sound of rustling leather and a soft thud beside her a moment later. "I knew you were awake even before you did."

Giving up the act, Levy slowly rubbed the sleep from her eyes, keeping her gaze fixed on the gold embroidery of the pillow beneath her cheek. From her periphery, she knew the dragon was sprawled next to her, one elbow against the side of the nest to prop up his head as the other raked through that unruly mane of his. He seemed so content, lying there with her, while she held her breath in anticipation for what he'd do next.

Using the hand that wasn't beneath his head, Gajeel reached out to gently run the tips of his fingers along the top of her wing. Levy jumped at the contact, not expecting him to make such a bold move only two days after meeting her. She recoiled, moving away from him and glaring as she did. Not many among the Avis would allow someone to touch their wings so...intimately. Unless absolutely necessary, the only fae who allowed such contact were lovers, and he was certainly not that, much less even her acquaintance.

"What's wrong? Did that hurt?" A look of pure confusion crossed his sharp features, as he surely didn't know what he did.

"Please..." Levy muttered. "Unless I tell you otherwise, don't-" her voice caught in her throat. The weight of her current situation seemed to crash down on her all at once, and her eyes teared up. Here was the dragon who had started the war that had killed so many of her kind, looking so...so normal and almost friendly. Yet his actions brought a very real fear into her mind that she had only glanced over last night: he not only stole her from her people, he stole her future from her as well. If everything went according to his plan, as it very well might, she would never get to have a future with Jet, or see her friends anymore. She wouldn't be able to do most of the things she had always dreamed of, and it was all because of him. Curling even further into herself, she tried her best to keep the tears from falling, but nevertheless she felt the fabric beneath her skin dampen.

"What? Don't do what? Why are you crying?" He sounded genuinely worried as he came closer, seemingly not knowing how to deal with a fairy crying on his bed. After a moment, his fingers came to brush back her hair as he tried to find her eyes. But Levy simply covered her face with her own hands, hating to show him how weak she could be. As her memories of the previous night replayed in her mind, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

Gajeel made an attempt to shift her onto his lap, believing he could help comfort her at least slightly. If she wanted to be angry with him, so be it. But he couldn't stand to see the little bluenette crying and looking so helpless. So when she shoved him away, he was more than a bit confused, and that confusion slowly changed to anger as she moved to the opposite side of his nest with a tear-filled glare.

"You took everything..." She choked out. Had it not been for his heightened hearing, he would have had difficulty making out what she said. But considering he could make out her racing pulse, her whispered words weren't much of a challenge. "I was supposed to have a future, I had friends, a man who loved me. And you took that all away from me. I can hardly stand to look at you right now, much less even consider the possibility of marrying you. Even if it would save my people a hundred times over..."

Her words stung, made his heart feel things he didn't expect to feel. Her declaration felt more like a dull knife slowly dragging across his skin, and he wasn't sure why it hurt so much. He took a moment to consider all the ways he could respond, before deciding this wasn't an argument for today. So instead, he stood once again and stepped out of the nest to return to his previous business.

Levy couldn't help but stare in befuddlement as he simply walked away. It was as if her words hadn't even phased him, but merely bounced off his steely exterior. She couldn't help but wonder if he even heard her, though surely he must have. He calmly strode over toward the pile of treasure that ringed the massive space and picked up a wooden chest filled with scrolls and leather-bound books. Scanning the pile for something else, he shook his head and turned back toward her.

"I have things I need to attend to, but this all should tie you over until I return," he grumbled as he made his way up the dias steps. "Hopefully you won't find it too difficult." He grunted softly as he set the chest down with a dull thud. It was solid looking, as broad as his shoulders and lined on all corners with heavy looking metal. The top looked as though it had been torn off, judging by the mangled hinges that connected to nothing on the back edge of the container.

"I'm sure it can't be anything I've never seen before," Levy mumbled, letting some of the tension release from her limbs.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, little one. These are Draconic texts," he chuckled.

"Please don't call me that," she demanded softly. That was what Jet always called her, and this dragon king had no right to the same courtesies as the love of her life. "Do you have anything in Fiorean? I can try my best to decipher these, but it would take me days to do on my own without your help..."

"Unfortunately, to get Fiorean texts, I'd have to go to Fiore. And the only times I ever did that , there was quite a bit of fire involved," he responded in a snide tone. "Fire and paper don't really go well together."

Levy wrenched her gaze from the silk beneath her to glare at Gajeel. "Don't patronize me, dragon," she hissed.

"Then don't test my patience, fae. Be curt and honest with me," he growled, leaning down to place his large hands on the edge of the nest as his eyes narrowed slightly. "Dragons aren't like you fae, we don't twist our words and act without reason. If something is wrong, you're going to need to tell me, because honestly you're a bit hard to read. For instance, what was I not supposed to do earlier that upset you so terribly?"

Levy stiffened at his words. It was true, fae are often taught how to mask emotions and thoughts from a very young age, especially in higher tiers. She hadn't been sure how to tell him about the meaning of such intimate wing touching before, but unless she told him he would likely never know of such a custom, and may try to do it again. "I apologise for not communicating clearly," she began, trying her very best to keep eye contact to show her sincerity. "I was just overwhelmed by waking up to everything all at once. I got upset earlier because you..." Her voice trailed off as she began to lose her nerve. Her eyes drifted away from his, and he shifted before her.

"Did I do something wrong, princess?" The way he said her title made a shiver run down her spine. His wings rustled, the leathery sound causing Levy's eyes to snap up to focus on them in unintentional curiosity.

"You...you touched my wings..." she whispered after a moment.

"And what's wrong with that? I was seeing how they were healing," he asked, sounding somewhat confused.

"It's very...inappropriate. Touching someone's wings without asking and receiving permission first is something reserved for family until reaching a certain age, and..." She choked on the last word, shifting her gaze to look at her hands as they rung in her lap. "It's reserved for lovers," she finally blurted.

She heard a soft, sharp inhale pass through Gajeel's lips, and felt her face heat up. There was a moment of stunned silence before Gajeel let out a small sigh and let his head hang. "I apologize but I'm not very well versed in fae customs. I suppose there will be a lot we have to learn about each other in the future, won't there?" He looked back up at her with a softer expression. "I won't do it again, princess. Not until the day you give me permission." With that, his lips quirked into a small, rakish grin.

As if I'd ever give it to you, Levy thought. "Thank you. I promise I'll try to be more forthcoming with my thoughts in the future. Though it will take a little time. Being taught my entire life to hide my emotions makes it hard to break the habit," she grimaced. Levy gently drew her eyes over the old, slightly worn parchment he had placed before her before meeting his crimson gaze. "Thank you for the reading materials, they should keep me busy for a while. Draconic texts are hard to come by in Fiore, even as the princess, so I look forward to trying to finally decipher it." She returned his grin with a small one of her own.

"I'm sure it won't take a bookworm like you too long to figure it out. It's much easier than Fiorean," he scoffed. "Like I said, the Draconis are a very direct people, so our language reflects that. If you have any difficulties figuring it out let me know when I return later today and I can try to help. I'm no linguist, but I know how to speak my mother tongue." He straightened to his full height, but his eyes never left hers.

"That sounds wonderful," she nodded, her voice coming out softer than she expected.

There was a pause of silence that stretched on for a moment longer than was comfortable, and Gajeel was the first to break his eyes away. He raised his hand to scratch the back of his neck, looking somewhat sheepish. "Well then, I'll leave you to it. If you need anything just let Pantherlily know, he'll be around. I'll be out for most of the day so, uh... I guess you can feel free to explore if you'd like."

"Alright, thank you." Levy looked down at her hands once more. The tension in the air was growing unbearable. Just moments ago they had both been so upset, and now she didn't know how to feel. She appreciated that he was trying to be accomodating, but she also felt anger, despair and a pang of loneliness at being stuck here without her friends. "I suppose I'll... see you later then..." she trailed off, unsure of what else to say as he just stood there awkwardly.

"Yes, until later then," he nodded resolutely before turning toward the steps of the dias.

"Gajeel," Levy called as a thought crossed her mind. He stopped halfway down the stairs to look up at her, and she had to move to the side of the nest to see him fully, crossing her arms on the rim and resting her chin on them. "Should I stay away from all your treasures?" She motioned to the myriad of things on the perimeter of the room.

He hesitated for a moment, as if he were going to tell her yes, she should not touch anything in the Aerie, before he closed his eyes with a sigh and nodded. "I'd be willing to bet you're going to explore anyway, given how curious your kind are, so no, I guess you can look around. But try to put things back where you find them. I have a system," he grumbled as he turned back away and headed for the towering door.

Levy smiled to herself. At least if she was going to be stuck here, and with the king of the Draconis no less, she would have some entertainment between the scrolls and books, the treasure trove surrounding her, and exploring the caverns she currently had to call home.

Author's Note

Hello reader's, both returning and new. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of Avis Draconis, and I hope you'll stick around because I plan on continuing it in the future! I know it's been almost two whole years since I've published new chapters, and I'm so very, very sorry about that. I know from first hand experience that it can be super upsetting and frustrating when authors don't update for long periods of time like this, but I just wasn't feeling inspired for the longest time. With the latest season of Fairy Tail, my inspiration has returned. I ask that you bear with me, because it usually takes me a while to write quality chapters that I'm happy with, since I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but I hope to get more chapters out here soon in the future. I won't give a solid time line because I know I will probably not meet it, but hopefully within the next few weeks.

Once again, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!