Erza couldn't recall the last time she had ever been so nervous. Morning seemed to have come much too soon for her liking and waiting for Jellal to arrive was torture to her. She wasn't sure what to say to him, of course she was probably going to accept his apology but she didn't know what she would say after that.

She combed her long red hair in front of the slightly cracked mirror that she owned and did everything she could to make herself appear more presentable. She really wished that she owned a little make up, at least some powder and a little rouge. Something to make her obviously not as beautiful as the many princesses and noblewomen he had met but pretty enough to make herself be seen as young woman instead of bandit.

When she heard the knock at her cottage door she held her breath and did not release it until she opened the door. There he stood o n the other side looking so very regal and handsome. Now that she thought about it, his position as a prince was rather obvious based on his appearance alone. Made her feel silly for not figuring it out sooner.

"Hello your highness." She said in a respectful tone of voice.

She was just about to kneel before him but to her great surprise he beat her to it. He took her gently by the hand and was on one knee, his gaze turned toward the floor.

"A thousand apologies my lady." He told her.

"My lady?" Erza blushed at the comment.

"I was entirely wrong to lie and deceive you. Although I meant no harm or ill will toward you it excuses nothing. A true prince is not deceitful or dishonest especially to those he considers a friend or ally. I beg your forgiveness my lady even though I am undeserving of it."

At the moment Erza was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe what it was she was seeing and hearing. The crown prince of Northern Fiore was on his knees, apologizing to her a peasant woman and begging her forgiveness. Such a display was completely unheard of. At least to her that is.

"You...You are forgiven." She said when she found her voice again. "Your highness."

He finally looked up from the floor to see her face. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. It was strange really, being a prince he had seen many noblewomen, queens, and princesses who were fair of face yet not fair enough for him to show any interest. However this peasant woman had a beauty that he could not erase from his mind.

When he stood up he gave the most relieved smile that she had ever seen on a man's face. As if a great burden had been lifted off of his shoulders just because she had forgiven him. But why was that? Why would the prince care if a peasant held any ill feelings toward him?

"So your highness-" She started.

"Please do not refer to me as that." He pleaded. "Call me by my name. Jellal."

"With all due respect, peasants are forbidden to speak familiarly to royalty."

"Unless they give their consent. You have my consent to be familiar with me."

"As you wish. So Jellal, if I may be so bold as to ask why did you lie to me about who you were?"

"Forgive me but I couldn't risk anyone finding out that I had left the palace or that I was masquerading as a royal guard."

"Why?"

"If I tell you, you may think me foolish."

"Perhaps but we all are guilty of acting as fools at least once in our lives."

"Really? Because I find it hard to believe that you have ever done anything foolish."

"Oh no? You forget you were a witness to such an occasion when we first met. I robbed the wrong carriage."

"Oh that." He chuckled. "Yes that was a mistake."

"So even if your reason for masquerading is a foolish one it's nothing to be too ashamed of."

"Very well. I disguise myself as a guard so that I may leave the palace once in awhile and explore the lands and kingdoms. Observe my people. Learn about them and their problems, their needs. I am to one day be king and because of that position I felt that it would be best if I were to find out what I could do to better the lives of my subjects."

"Well that doesn't sound so very foolish. Except for the disguise. Why not just go as you are?"

"Two reasons. Number one no peasant will actually tell the prince if he or she has any problems with how things are being run in the kingdom and number two my parents only allow me to leave the castle occasionally. They believe that I should learn my duties from books and scriptures and I should but I should also learn them from experience. Reading isn't the only way good knowledge can be gained. I want to know more than just my kingdom's history and how to run it. I want to know how I can make my people happy and safe."

"You sound like you really care about your subjects."

"I do. I must. A king is not just a powerful ruler, he's also a trusted friend and a devoted guardian. His sole purpose is the well being of the people he reigns over. Everyone makes the mistake of assuming that the subjects must serve the king but in actuality it is the king who must serve his subjects."

"Astonishing really."

"What is?"

"That you are a monarch who sees his position as one that must be completely selfless. If I am not mistaken most people in your position would be eager to ascend the throne as a means to gain power."

"Being royalty has it's perks but it's is mostly a burden. I am defined by my title alone. My people hardly ever see me as who I am instead what I am. I must always do what is required of me and make sacrifices. My parents were the same. Once they became king and queen they had to pretty much stop caring about their own needs and wants."

"Does that bother you?"

"Of course not."

"It's alright if it does."

"It shouldn't bother me. I have been told since age five that as soon as I am king what I want no longer matters. This has always been expected."

"But just because it's expected doesn't mean you can't be upset about it sometimes."

"A prince cannot listen to his emotions. He must listen to reason."

"Agreed. But while you are a prince you are also a human being and emotions are a natural part of being human."

"Yes but my humanity has now become privilege. My fate is no longer my own to control. When the moment is right I shall succeed my father and become a servant to my people."

"And marry the Princess Mirajane of course." Erza added.

"Oh...right...Her."

Erza looked away from him to hide the discomfort in her eyes.

"You are very lucky." She said. "She is very beautiful."

"Indeed. She is the heir to a glorious and wealthy kingdom. A union between us would be perfect in political terms. However in terms of love I'm not entirely sure."

"What do you mean?" She asked facing him. "Are the two of you not in love?"

"Not yet as my father puts it. To be honest we were engaged before we even met."

"But you have gotten to know her the past season correct?"

"No. Not really. We've been much too busy with our duties to really connect. We see each other at dinner but all we can really talk about is politics and how we can better our kingdoms. We don't talk about our interests and what we enjoy in our lives."

"Do you know anything about her other than her status?"

"I know that she is a gifted harp player and that she adores the opera but that's all I know and while I do love good music, I find the opera rather dull."

"I see. So what do you like to do for pleasure?"

"Well it's been many years since I've done anything for my pleasure but when I was a boy I loved to ride horses over the country side. Every Sunday morning after church my father, mother, and I would ride our steeds up to a very special hill in the country where a great big sycamore tree stood. There we would picnic for lunch and I would climb that tree as high as I could so I could see a view of the entire country side. Mother would fret terribly about me having a sudden fall but it never occurred."

"Sounds lovely."

"It was. It was a our special place because that hill and that tree is the exact spot where my father proposed to my mother."

"How romantic. But was the marriage not arranged?"

"It was secretly arranged. Back then many lands were facing war and invasions, my mother had been sent to live in my father's kingdom for her own protection. My grandparents agreed to it in hopes that a marriage could come from it. By the time they announced it my parents had already fallen in love and Father had already popped the question."

"Lucky them. My parents had no such luck."

"How so?"

"Their marriage was arranged but they never loved each other. In the beginning my father was a master troll slayer, one of the best ever known and my mother was the daughter of a rich nobleman. With the troll wars raging so fiercely at the time, my grandfather offered my mother to my father as a potential bride to ensure that the family would be protected from trolls. Well my father was rich in battle but not so much in gold so he accepted."

"Were they amicable at least?"

"From what I was told no. I don't remember my father but the members of my house hold always told me that when he lied he and my mother were always fighting."

"About what if I may ask?"

"Mainly their treatment of creatures. My father had a strong hatred and prejudice to all non human beings. Trolls, dragons, beasts, fairies, wraiths, giants, to him it didn't matter if they were good or evil. In his mind they were all better off dead. My mother on the other hand sympathized with some of them. Mainly the dragons and the fairies. She showed them compassion and tried to find a way for humans to live in harmony with them. In fact before she married my father she had two non human best friends, one was a dragon and the other was a fairy. When I was born they were invited to my christening but eventually my father forced my mother to break all contact with both of them."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you remember them at all?"

"I don't remember the dragon she was friends with but I do remember the fairy. She served as my nurse for a little while. I was only a toddler last time I saw her so I have a few bits and pieces, I remember her comforting me some nights when I would wake up to hear my parents shouting at each other and I can recall her playing with me a few times. And I could be wrong but I think the very last time I saw her, she was carrying a child."

"You mean she was pregnant?"

"Yes. At least I think she was."

"But that's impossible. Fairies don't have children. They're all female and immortal so they have no means or reason to bear off spring."

"I know that but I remember her belly being swollen."

"Could she have just been fat?" He joked.

"Fairies don't get fat. Because of their natural goodness and light magic they're always beautiful and nothing about them is ugly. So I truly believe she was with child."

"But how is that possible? Fairies have no male counterpart and unless nature has changed drastically, two beings of the same gender cannot conceive offspring."

"Well a male was definitely needed to have impregnated her but he didn't need to be a male fairy."

"Odd. I've never heard anyone getting romantically involved with a fairy."

"Stranger things have happened."

"I suppose...Wait a minute you can't remember your father but you can remember that your nurse was pregnant?"

"After my christening my father never laid eyes on me again. I would hear his voice when he was angry but that was it. I don't even remember what he looks like."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright. It's probably for the best that I don't remember him."

Jellal glanced out the window of the cottage and saw that the sun was at it's highest peak. Meaning soon his father would be sending for him for a fencing lesson. He needed to return to the palace.

"I must go now Erza but I shall return tomorrow. With your kind permission that is."

"As you wish but why?"

"Let's just say I've recently thought of something interesting that you may like. I'll be back at noon." He bowed before her in a rather charming way. Then he gently took her hand again and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Until tomorrow my lady."

...

Siegrain and Elkis were both seated at a table that was candlelit and set with cloth napkins, silverware, and champagne glasses. Very romantic for a date however the two were determined to keep this professional.

"This is very nice." Elkis said observing the atmosphere. "Although I could never afford to eat in this place."

"Then it's a good thing I'm paying." Siegrain chuckled.

"Oh you really don't have to."

"But I want to. I live by a gentleman's code you know."

"A gentleman huh? You don't find many of those nowadays." She glanced down at her feet nervously before speaking again. "So...You said you might know a way that could possibly help me locate one of Griege's or Nasha's biological parents?"

"Sort of. I have some information that might prove useful to your little investigation."

"What is it?"

"About ten years ago, Minajane came to my office to ask me a question in regards to a woman's psyche. She told me that one of the doctors she worked for was seeing a female patient who was having irregular menstrual cycles. But when she examined her she discovered that patient had minor vaginal scarring."

"Which can be obtained in childbirth." Elkis deduced.

"Correct and that hospital had no history of any woman giving birth so Mina asked if she ever had a baby. The patient denied it."

"The scars could have been caused by vaginal surgery."

"Mina didn't think so. She said the patient had no medical record of ever having surgery and there were no signs of stitch marks only tissue tearing which very likely means this woman birthed a child."

"But she denied it?"

"Not only that but she denied that she also had those scars. Said that it had to be a mistake."

"So Minajane thought she was lying?"

"In a way. She believed this patient had a child but was psychologically convinced she did not. She visited my office to find out if such a thing was possible. I told her that sometimes when a woman gives birth the shock and trauma of it if it's brutal can cause her brain to forget the whole thing and act as if it never happened."

"Who was the patient?"

"She didn't tell me. Confidentiality."

"Oh right."

"Minajane wanted to make sure that this woman wasn't so mentally ill that she actually harmed her baby."

"And you think this woman could possibly be Greige's mother?"

"This discovery was made ten years ago and she said that he scarring was still fairly new. Greige was born ten years ago. It is possible."

"In that case we need to figure out who that patient was."

"Elkis you know she won't tell us. Doctor-patient confidentiality is a law."

"But Mina isn't a doctor. She's a nurse."

"Even so I don't think she would tell us."

"Could we at least talk to her about it?"

"I suppose."

"Okay." Elkis then picked up a menu and started reading. "Before we continue let's order something because I'm starving."

"Agreed." He said grabbing his own menu.