Summary: After Lady Minerva discovers she has magic, she runs away with the help of the little Druid girl, Wendy Marvell. She arrives at the Druid camp where she is welcomed with open arms- but King Faust and the others think she's been kidnapped...

~ ~ ~

"This is Lady Minerva Orland," Wendy formally introduced, sweeping her hand graciously toward Minerva.

The old man stared at the royal stranger, frowning. "Why have you brought the king's daughter-"

"Ward," Minerva corrected. The word "ward" always made her cringe. She wasn't a daughter or a niece- she was a ward. Almost as if she were..an object. "I'm his ward."

The man stared at Minerva in surprise. She was surprised with herself, to be fair. The feelings of hatred and disgust quickly disappeared.

The little girl beckoned the man to come closer. Standing on tip-toe, she whispered, "She has magic."

Minerva flinched. Magic. She had magic. She had to face it. She couldn't hide from it.

"I see.." the man said thoughtfully. "That's unfortunate."

"Wendy!" a boy yelled, launching out from behind one of the tents and tackling her to the soft ground. "You're back!"

Wendy smiled so wide Minerva thought her very own heart would crack. Wendy was loved and cared for, despite her ways. She hadn't realized until now. The boy looked up, his visage crinkling. "Is she another Druid?"

Wendy smiled and nodded. "This is Minerva. Minerva, this is my friend, Romeo."

Romeo bowed. "Your Majesty."

Minerva hesitantly ruffled Romeo's hair. "No need to do that. I want to be one of you, now."

"Come," the man said. "We need to talk, Minerva Orland."

~ ~ ~

"Erza!" Jellal shouted, throwing open the door and stepping into my room.

I shot up, throwing the covers off my bed, causing a book or two to fall to the ground. "Jellal..What now?"

He stared at me for a moment then flushed a light pink. "Uh.."

Silence filled the air, and the few seconds of shock that I was left in gave Jellal the wonderful advantage of gawking at the way the nightgown barely covered my mid-thighs. His green eyes didn't waste a moment as they slid over my figure, drinking in every detail of-

I snatched up the quilt from the ground and held it to my chest. "What?" I snapped irritably. "I'm glad you finally noticed I'm twenty times better looking than you, but you just woke me up from a very good dream. There better be a good reason or I'm going to bury you alive."

Jellal blinked. "Minerva.."

"Yes?" 

"Right! Minerva! She's been kidnapped!"

"It took you that long to tell me?" I yelped. 

~ ~ ~

A meeting in the council room was immediately called. Guards, knights, and a few servants stood before the king, all rocking back and forth anxiously.

"Porlyusica," King Faust said quietly. Everyone leaned in, eager to be reassured.

I, on the other hand, felt like screaming. Even though I stood right beside Porlyusica, Faust refused to acknowledge me.

Porlyusica bowed. "Yes, sire?"

"This was found in Minerva's chambers," he said, holding up something. I squinted, and backed away slightly, realizing it was a piece of hair.

Long, blue hair.

"How did you find this?" she asked, not missing a beat.

"I ordered some guards to look around the room. This was caught on the underside of Minerva's bed. For god's sake, my ward has been kidnapped! I'd do anything to find her!"

Wendy..She was back..But Wendy and I..we were friends right? Wendy and I? Or maybe..Wendy and Minerva know each other more than I though..

I hoped desperately that no one would realize that it was the hair of Wendy, the Druid girl. If they did, Faust would attack their camp. Kill them.

I felt myself tremble as I thought of their voices speaking in my head.

Zarina..Your destiny..

No. They wouldn't be able to find the camp. It moved every month. Then again, knowing Faust..he would tear apart his entire kingdom to find his ward.

"That's the hair of the Druid girl we were searching for last month!" Jellal exclaimed. "I remember very clearly, her dark blue hair! The Druids! They must have kidnapped her."

"Surely a thirteen-year-old can't kidnap a twenty-six-year-old woman?" inquired the king.

"Y-yeah!" I agreed. "That's like..the girl kidnapping Prince Jellal!"

Jellal frowned incredulously. "You insult me, Scarlet. I'm only twenty-five."

"Silence!" Faust yelled, glaring at us. Of course. Every time I speak Faust yells. "Jellal! Send out a patrol and find and destroy the camp! Tear it down! I'm tired of those magic users being on our land, anyway!"

Jellal raised his eyebrows. "But the whole camp isn't responsible-"

"Do it! I want the whole camp destroyed by tonight!"

Jellal stared at his feet. "Yes, sire."

~ ~ ~

Igneel flew down from the high cave, his chains clinking against each other.

"Young sorceress..Do nothing rash."

"The Druids think of me as..their hero. They said.."

"You will be the one to guide Prince Jellal..He will become the greatest king Fiore will ever have. He will unite the lands of Albion..Bring freedom and magic to Fiore..We will be free..I will be free!"

I frowned, realization hitting me. Hard. "You only care..about yourself?"

Igneel said nothing.

"All those times you helped me..were for yourself? So you could be free? You're doing this for your own freedom!"

Igneel growled. "I only want-"

I could feel anger bubbling up within me. I pulled out my sword. "You don't care for Fiore! You only care that Faust should be dead! That you should be free! You just want petty revenge!"

The dragon's nostrils began to smoke. "We are kin.."

I wanted to kill him, right then and there, but I knew I couldn't kill a dragon. I was no dragon slayer, those brave men that old Fioran legends told of. Riding on horseback, wielding swords of steel...

I turned away.

"Remember. You promised to let me free..soon..you will need to uphold your promise.."