Chapter 3: Duels
I decided to add an OC. Tell me if she's getting too much of the spotlight.
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Little Juvia and Little Jellal were talking to each other when Ikaruga burst in through the doors. "Is there a problem?" Little Juvia asked.
"How would you feel," Ikaruga said, ignoring her comment, "If you had a stepfather?"
Little Juvia and Little Jellal gaped at her. Their father went missing just a few months earlier. How could she move on so quickly?
"This," she continued, not bothering to hear their answer, "is Faust. King Faust, now."
"So you already got married?" Little Juvia's jaw was practically touching the floor.
"Yes, darling," Ikaruga said sweetly.
"Nice to meet you," Faust said in a deep voice. "I hope to get along with you," he said looking directly at Jellal.
"I'm sure we will," Little Juvia said politely.
"I wasn't talking to you," Faust snapped. "You're useless."
"And darling," Ikagura said to Little Juvia. "You're turning into a spoiled girl. You can't come out of you're room unless it's mealtime."
Little Jellal had to take a moment to process this. What was going on? Why are they being so rude to Juvia?
"I agree," Faust said. "Girls are supposed to stay at home anyway. Come along, Son." He gestured to Jellal.
Little Jellal didn't want to go with him. He really didn't. But he didn't want to get on his bad side.
They waked out of the room together.
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Jellal sighed as he remembered that memory. How he didn't stand up for Juvia. He was about 10 years old then. Juvia was 8. He remembered Rosemary, their older sister. She was 12 years old, when she went out to go hunting. They had found her body in the forest. There were many arrows sticking out her back. It's been 10 years since she died.
Jellal was now 19.
Juvia's 18th birthday was today.
Jellal hated himself. He knew his stepfather's arrogance had rubbed off on him. He tried to go back to be the person he was before. It didn't work. He wondered what Erza, his old friend, would think if she saw him now. Would she think of him as a selfish jerk, or childhood friend?
Jellal wondered if Erza still remembered him, Juvia, and Rosemary. He wondered if she knew Rosemary had died. Rosemary's death was very heartbreaking for him and Juvia. She was a fun sister. You had to make sure that you didn't get on her bad side though. Even though Jellal and Juvia sometimes bickered with her, she loved them both dearly. She was extremely careful around Ikaruga though.
"She seems nice," Little Jellal had said to her once.
"Yeah, but she just gives of a bad vibe," Rosemary said, "you know?
"But it's nothing for you to worry about," she said smiling and ruffling his hair. "Come bring Juvia, we can go play outside."
Now that he thought about it, Ikaruga married Faust after Rosemary died.
The point was, that Rosemary would have stood up for Juvia that day.
"Prince," A servant said interrupting his thoughts. "His majesty wishes to see you."
Jellal rolled his eyes. when he was younger, Faust had got him to like him, but now, Jellal saw through his actions.
When he got to the throne room, Faust said, "we need knights. I have a question for you, Son."
"Shoot," Jellal said impatiently.
"What if we made a duel. Between you and whoever wants to compete. If you lose against him, he will become a knight."
"So," Jellal said slowly, "Whoever wins against me will become a knight? That's fine, I guess."
"Good, because you didn't have an option. There are flyers posted all over Fiore. They actually say that whoever beats the head knight will be crown prince's trainer, but that would attract more people."
Jellal sighed. He wanted his older sister with him. She would think of the right thing to say in a situation like this. She was quick witted and clever. She was also very strong and used to train with the knights.
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A bird flew in through the open window of Juvia's room.
"Are you hungry?" she asked it softly. She cut the apple that was on her desk and gave the bird the apple seed. Juvia wondered if she could go outside today. It was her birthday after all.
She crept downstairs to go see her mother. Ikaruga was sitting elegantly on her throne.
Juvia walked over to her. Ikaruga motioned for her to sit next to her.
"Oh, Stepmother, could I please go outside? It is my eighteenth birthday after all," Juvia pleaded.
Ikaruga nodded and said, "I should, shouldn't I? After all, you've caused me no problems. You've always been sitting in your room quietly. Maybe I should let you go outside."
Juvia's face lit up.
"But," Ikaruga continued. "I don't know. I guess it's that irritating voice you have, or your ugly hair." Ikaruga said. "I know! It's the hair," she said pulling Juvia's hair.
"Go back to your room," Ikaruga said sternly.
Juvia sighed and slowly walked back to her room.
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