"The people have no food," Jellal said, kneeling before the king's ivory throne. His head was bowed, but his eyes burned with frustration and anger.

Twin thrones stood on either side of the ivory seat, while a smaller, more delicate looking throne was positioned off to the side of the grand room. This throne was currently occupied by the king's ward, the Lady Minerva Orland.

King Faust looked down at Prince Jellal from his throne, "What do you mean? I sent knights to visit the towns yesterday! The crops were thriving!"

"Well the crops are all dead," said Jellal. "And we're short on water."

The king looked at Porlyusica, "Do you know the cause of this?"

Porlyusica sighed, "Sire, I am your physician, not-"

"Is it a disease?" he demanded, rounding on the elderly woman.

"I'm afraid not," she said, looking straight at me. "It's impossible for a disease to spread so fast. It could be the work of dark magic."

So this is the stuff the dragon was talking about...Dark magic..

Prince Siegrain, who had been standing near the doorway, didn't look surprised. Dark magic always seemed to plague the lands of Fiore.

King Faust turned to his two sons, "Siegrain, take a couple of the knights out and guard the castle's supplies. Jellal, give a quarter of our supplies to the towns."

Jellal motioned for me to follow him.

"A quarter of the castle's food?" I whispered desperately. "How's that going to feed a town? That's not enough!"

"They're lucky we're giving them food," he said vaguely.

"Jellal!" I whisper-yelled. "He's the king! He needs to help them! Like, completely help them!"

He looked at me with amusement, and asked his favorite question once again. "Do you know who I am?"

I decided to vary my answer this time. "Yes."

"Who?"

"An idiot who's too scared to speak up against his father."

Jellal frowned, opened his mouth as if to argue, changed his mind and instead said, "Trust me. He may be my father, but he's still my king. And it's Prince Jellal, by the way."

"Whatever," I muttered.

~ ~ ~

"Finished so soon?" Porlyusica asked, as I walked into her office. This had become a daily routine, talking to the physician at the end of the day. I hardly ever saw Mira Jane, and I trusted no one else.

"Yep," I said, sitting down on the moth-eaten sofa. "Not everyone got food, though. It was horrible. Little kids crying their eyes out. Adults clearly starved."

I closed my eyes, relieved to be out of the sun.

"What are you reading?" I asked.

She looked up from the leather-bound book, "I'm trying to figure out what caused this."

"Porlyusica?"

"Yeah?"

"Yesterday, I went hunting with the prince and he killed a unicorn."

"Mm."

I looked at her with surprise, "You already know?"

"Prince Jellal presented the horn to his father, yesterday," the old woman said. "Are you saying that killing the unicorn was a curse."

I nodded, "He said it was just an old story."

Porlyusica closed the book and leaned back in her chair, "You must find the Unicorn Keeper."

"He exists?"

She smiled, "Just take the prince to the spot where he killed the unicorn. The Keeper should greet you there."

"ERZA!" Jellal yelled, banging on the wooden door. "WHY IN FIORE DO I HAVE PINK STUFF ON MY FACE?!"

~ ~ ~

That's how I ended up having to clean the wooden floor of the crown prince's room. Which was a mess.

Jellal looked in the mirror, trying to wash off the magenta spots on his cheek, "How the hell do you get this stuff off?"

"It'll wear off tomorrow," I said, hiding my grin.

He turned around and stared at me in shock. Then he smiled sweetly.

"I think you missed a spot, Scarlet," he said, waving his hand towards a vague area on the ground.

"Where?"

He pointed to the ground again.

"I already did that part!"

"Here, let me  do it."

"You know how to clean?" I teased.

And that's how I ended up with a bucket of water poured on top of me.

TO BE CONTINUED