This morning, Erza was sitting at the top of a mountain, leaning against a tree as she wrote in her diary about her incredible feat. When she first woke up in the wee hours of the day, she realized that the wind was not so harsh today and she sensed that all was calm. A Golden opportunity to do something exhilarating, like climbing one of the many mountains in the empire and from the peaks, watch the sun rise. As soon as she was dressed and grabbed her diary, she approached the mountain and searched for notches in the rock to place her hands and feet. Then hand over hand, she slowly pulled herself up the mountain. She stumbled occasionally as a bit of a rock crumbled beneath her feet but she never lost her grip.

As Erza climbed higher, she could see the entire empire below her, the emperor's palace, the village, even the great wall. But when she had reached the top of the powerful rock, she saw something that she could only describe as magic. The sun passing over the mountains, its light turning everything it shines on to gold. The calm but refreshing breeze flowing through her long, scarlet hair. The sound of cuckoos singing a morning tune. It was magnificent. Beyond anything she could ever describe into mere words. Yet she still tried to do so in her diary.

She wrote how it was such a marvelous sight of beauty, a most thrilling experience, and how she would love to stay up here forever. To spend the remainder of her life in this peaceful moment, looking out over the glorious world that she stood above. She also wished that she could have shared this view with her friends and loved ones. She just knew that they would appreciate it in the same way she did.

"Oh I wish Mirajane could see this." She thought. "And Laxus, and the emperor, and Mother."

That's when she finally remembered something.

"Oh no! Mother! The interview! I forgot!"

Erza immediately sat up, placed her diary inside her kimono, and climbed down that mountain as fast and as safely as she could.

"She's going to kill me for this!"

When she reached the ground, she bolted for the stables and jumped onto a horse, riding out into the village at wind speed. The impatient gaze of Irene was the first thing to greet her when she finally arrived.

"Mother I am so sorry-"

"You're late." Irene said.

"I know. I forgot. You see Mother I-"

"None of your excuses young lady. We have only one hour to prepare you."

"Yes ma'am."

Irene ushered Erza into the private chambers where hand maids of the emperor would bathe, anoint, and beautify her for the interview. This was a rare and honorable gift for someone who was just the daughter of a scholar. Normally only an empress, a princess, a concubine, or the close female relative of an ambassador would be allowed to use these chambers. But because the emperor was so fond of Erza, he permitted her to use them in order to impress the head mistress.

"Just look at you." Irene said disapprovingly. "Your hair is a mess, you're wearing ill-fitted clothes. If the headmistress saw you like this, it would be instant rejection."

Before Erza could blink, she was undressed and tossed into a tub of soapy water where her hair was shampooed and her body was scrubbed down. After that she was dressed into a silken, daxiushan with sashes and scarves tied about her waist. Then her hair was brushed and styled upward into an elegant bun while make up was applied. Her face was painted white, her eyelids painted violet and black, and her lips and cheeks painted red. Finally came the jewelry, beads of jade to hang from her neck and obsidian rings latched onto her ears.

"You look beautiful." Irene remarked bittersweetly, seeing her little girl as a grown woman for the first time. "Magnificent. The headmistress could not possibly reject you."

As Erza stood in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection, she thought that her mother was right. She did look beautiful. She looked like a geisha or a young lady of title. But she didn't look like herself.

"Thank you Mother." Erza said. "But I think this is all a bit much. I don't even recognize myself. Did we really have to go so heavy on the make up?"

"Sorry dear but the headmistress believes that if you're not of royal or noble birth, then you can't possibly have any talent or value. In fact she only agreed to this interview because the emperor insisted. She's expecting you to be some dirty commoner, but we're going to prove her wrong."

"I understand, but I don't know. This just doesn't feel right. I don't feel like me in all this."

"I see." Irene said. "Well maybe this will help."

She presented her daughter with a silver chest, lifting up the lid and revealing that a golden lotus oriental comb was held inside.

"It's from the emperor. He's wanted you to have it for a very long time, and when I saw it, I thought it represented everything that you are."

Erza smiled and happily accepted the gift, allowing her mother to pin the comb in her hair.

"There, you're ready." Irene declared.

"Not yet!" Goldmine protested. "You just need one more thing."

He placed a phoenix feather into Erza's hand.

"For luck." He told her.

"Thank you." She said.

"Now remember what you're supposed to do." Irene instructed. "Be graceful, poised, and refined. Express your intelligence and wit through beauty and manners. Show her that a woman of great honor came come from humble birth."

"I'll do my best Mother."

"I know you will."

Irene embraced her daughter and kissed her forehead for luck. Then Goldmine escorted Erza to a litter that would take her to meet the headmistress. Joining her was Goldmine's niece, the lovely and elegant Mirajane, Erza's childhood friend and the fiancee of the emperor's grandson. She was the epitome of perfect femininity. A proper lady of beauty, grace, and modesty. She never lost her temper and she spoke in a pretty tone. She was always meant to someday become a princess. But a kind heart and a humble spirit was behind that pretty face and proper attitude. Yet despite her position, she never acted superior to anyone and she never made Erza feel inferior.

"You'll do just fine." Mirajane assured her friend upon noticing how her hands trembled during the trip. "You are the smartest woman in the entire empire, she has to accept you."

"I maybe smart but I'm no lady. Anyone can tell that I come from peasant stalk."

"That means nothing to the emperor, therefore it should mean nothing to this headmistress."

"That's not what Mother thinks."

"Laxus has assured me, that his father ordered the headmistress to give you a fair chance. You just have to be yourself, in a appropriate manner that is."

"Easy for you to say. She'll accept you the minute she sees you."

"Only because I'm engaged to the future emperor. Not because of any talent I may or may not have. At least you will have rightfully earned your position. That will grant you honor far better than anything I could do."

"You don't give yourself enough credit Mirajane."

"Neither do you. I was just lucky to be born pretty enough to be on Laxus's arm. That's how I got where I am. But you, you and your mother worked your way up into the emperor's good graces. You have real talent and you should be proud. In fact, sometimes I wonder why I was chosen to be Laxus's betrothal. You are clearly more qualified."

"Oh come now Mirajane, I don't feel that way about Laxus. You're the one who's always loved him."

"Yes but do you..." Insecurity flickered in her eyes that were like turquoise. "Do you think he loves me?"

"What are you talking about? Of course he loves you. Don't you know that?"

"No I don't. Not really. Oh Erza, I love Laxus with every fiber of my being. even as child I wanted no one but him to hold my heart. But what if he's only marrying me because it's been arranged? I don't want to force him into matrimony."

"Well it wouldn't be the worse thing in the world. That's pretty much how marriages are done around here. In all honesty, I'm surprised that Mother hasn't tried to fix me up with someone yet. Although it could be because her marriage ti my father was arranged and we all know how that turned out."

"That's what I mean. Marriage is not meant to be a forced union. It was always supposed to be a mutual bond based on trust, honor, and love. I want to marry someone I love and who loves me. And for as long as I can remember, Laxus has never once said that he loves me."

"Never?"

"Never. So I can't help but wonder, maybe he doesn't. Oh I know he cares for me, but you don't marry someone just because they care for you."

"If that's how you feel, why don't you talk to him about it?"

"Oh Erza I could never do that. Question my betroth's devotion to his face? And when he is the heir to the empire? Can you imagine how angry Laxus would be?"

"You have a point there. I still remember what happened when that concubine screamed at him in public for choosing you as his future bride instead of her."

"A decade in a dudgeon. But that's mild compared to what he could do to his future wife if she ever displeased him."

"Well maybe he wouldn't be that harsh. From what I've learned, his grandfather practically worshiped his grandmother."

"But his father practically enslaved his mother and later executed her for defying him." Mirajane shuddered for a moment. "It's so complicated. In my heart, I know he'd never be so cruel but then I hear what people say about his fragile ego and his pride. I just don't want to displease him. I only want to make him happy."

"Oh Mirajane." Erza said, holding her hand. "I had no idea the struggles you faced."

"It's okay." Mirajane smiled at her warmly. "As my uncle always says, life is full of struggle for everyone, but it's easier to face when you have friends."

Erza nodded in agreement and when the litter came to a stop, hand in hand, the two ladies stepped out and walked toward the building to see what fate held in store for them.