On the surface, Zash appeared to be the respected and benevolent vizier of Lazan City, a loyal adviser to the sultan who always acted in the city's best interest. Beneath this facade, however, he was as deceitful and venomous as a cobra. An evil magician, Zash had once been a student of Zeref, but like Selene, he was overlooked as one of Zeref's chosen due to his evident greed and lust for power. Resentful of this slight, Zash coveted Zeref's greatest magic, plotting to seize it for himself and become the sultan, thereby taking control of the city. This powerful magic was entrusted only to Zeref's wisest and kindest student.

In a bid for power, Zash devised a plan to incite a great war and seduce Selene into joining him. With the city embroiled in conflict, he intended to use the chaos as a distraction to steal Zeref's magic from its current wielder. He successfully imprisoned the user with an ancient artifact that would enslave its bearer, but Zash was ultimately defeated before he could exploit this power. Banished to a desolate and scorching desert, he refused to abandon his quest for dominance. Upon escaping the wasteland, Zash employed his skills in illusion and sorcery to manipulate his way back into the monarchy.

"I just don't understand where she gets it from, Zash," the sultan lamented one day. "Her mother wasn't nearly so picky."

"Women," Zash replied with a shrug. "Each one a mystery."

"I'm in desperate need of your wisdom, Zash."

"My life is devoted to serving you," he said, offering a tight, thin-lipped smile.

"Lucy refuses to choose a husband. I'm at my wit's end."

"Awk! Wit's end!" squawked the parrot perched on Zash's shoulder, feigning ignorance.

"Oh, hello," Jude greeted the bird, pulling some crackers from a china bowl. "Have a cracker, Pretty Polly."

If there was one thing Nebaru the parrot despised, it was crackers—especially the dry, stale ones the sultan always offered. He nearly choked as Jude shoved the crackers into his beak.

"Your majesty certainly has a way with simple creatures," Zash remarked, earning a glare of pure disdain from Nebaru. While Selene may have been just as twisted as Zash, at least she treated their henchman with respect.

"Now then," Zash continued, "perhaps the solution isn't marriage at all."

"What do you mean?" Jude asked, puzzled.

"With all due respect, my liege, perhaps the princess isn't meant to inherit the throne. She certainly doesn't act like it."

"I beg your pardon!" Jude exclaimed, anger rising. "Are you suggesting I should disinherit my own daughter?!"

"It pains me to even consider it, but I've heard the princess express her desire not to succeed you. Sure, you could force her to become the next Sultana, but we both know how you feel about such matters."

Despite his strict demeanor and controlling tendencies, Jude had never once considered forcing Lucy to marry any of her suitors, even though he had the power to do so. The laws and traditions of Lazan City granted fathers the right to choose their daughters' husbands, compelling them to submit to their decisions. Yet Jude genuinely loved his daughter and could not bear the thought of forcing her into a marriage with someone she despised.

"You're right, Zash. Lucy is a strong-willed girl, and there are times I wish she would listen to me and understand that I know best. But I don't want to break her spirit. I want her to be as happy with her husband as I was with her mother."

"Exactly," Zash replied. "But with tensions rising between our realm and others, we need to act swiftly. We require a young and vital ruler who can maintain peace. With your daughter still unmarried and unprepared for that role, perhaps it's time for some changes."

Zash had spent years trying to convince Jude to disinherit Lucy and name the vizier as his heir, but his efforts had always failed.

"Moreover, there are rumors that the Tiānkōng Empire covets our land. If they attack, your armies alone cannot withstand them; the warriors of the Tiānkōng Empire are trained samurai. You must do what's best for your people."

Zash was about to propose that his magic could easily defeat any army, but Jude quickly arrived at a different solution.

"You're right, Zash. Things must change. I need to be firmer with Lucy. I never wanted it to come to this, but I may have to choose a husband for her. If what you say about the Tiānkōng Empire is true, for the good of our people, I shall arrange for her to wed the prince of the Verdenshav Kingdom."

"What?!"

"The Verdenshav Kingdom still trades with us, and if my house were to unite with theirs through marriage, the empire would think twice before attacking. This would ensure peace between our realms."

"But what if the princess refuses him? Do you intend to force her into marriage?"

"No, but at the very least, she should meet him and get to know him. Summer is approaching, and I know the royal family of Verdenshav has a Summer Palace in the Magnolia Nation where they spend their holidays. This summer, I will request that Lucy and I spend time there with the prince, allowing them to get acquainted and perhaps even fall in love."

"But the prince is barely a boy. I'm sure he's not ready for marriage."

"He turns eighteen in a week. Not only that, but he is honorable, courageous, and well-bred. He would make a fine husband. I will write to Lahar and make the arrangements."

"But sire—"

However, the sultan had already retreated to his study. Zash sighed in defeat as he left the throne room. Nebaru began to spit out the crackers.

"I can't take it anymore! If I have to choke down one more of those moldy, disgusting crackers, I'll grab him by the neck and—"

"Patience, Nebaru, patience," Zash said to his imp servant. "Soon, I will rule this realm, not that foolish man or his insufferable daughter! I just need to find a way to delay the princess's impending nuptials."

"Well, they're not engaged yet. For all we know, she might not even want this prince. She rejected the others."

"Yes, but the prince of the Verdenshav Kingdom is different from those pompous fools. He seeks marriage for the same reason as the princess: true love. Ugh, the foolish dreams of youth," he said, disgust evident in his voice. "I'm sure she'll be head over heels for him before the day is out. Once they're married, she'll be the Sultana, and I'll have to serve under her, complicating my schemes."

"How so?"

"She's not as easily fooled as her father. With her in charge, it won't be long before she grows suspicious of me. I need to keep her from meeting that prince until I find the lamp."

"Oh, you're not still obsessed with that magic lamp and the genie, are you?"

"I will have that lamp, Nebaru! I must have it! The throne of Lazan belongs to me, not that girl! According to my research, the cave containing the lamp will soon open again."

"Remember what happened last time we tried to get it? The moron you sent down there was eaten by a dragon."

"Yes, but I've learned from my mistakes. This time, I'll send a descendant of Zeref, for only one of his bloodline can enter the cave and leave alive."

"And how do we find this descendant?"

Zash smiled, a sinister plan forming in his mind.

"I think it's time we pay a visit to an old friend—someone just as desperate for the lamp as we are."

The friend Zash referred to was none other than the fortune teller who had revealed Natsu's lineage. He often bullied her for answers.

"I know nothing!" she protested when he confronted her. "If I did, I'd be trying to get to the cave instead of lingering in this marketplace."

"You lie!" Zash snapped. "Other vendors told me you were chasing after a young man yesterday."

"An old lover of mine."

"Nice try. I remember you swore you'd never take a lover, marry, or allow yourself any joy until he was free! The only reason you'd be that desperate for a man is if he's the only one who could set that imbecile free."

"How dare you! He's no imbecile!" she cried, anger flaring. "He's more than you'll ever be!"

"Spoken like a truly devoted daughter," he chuckled sinisterly. "Tell me, Cana, do you really believe you can save your foolish father from an eternity as the lamp's slave? Not likely."

"Says you! Someday my father will be free! And when he is, he'll destroy you and that witch once and for all!"

Zash suddenly seized her by the hair and pressed a knife to her neck.

"Tell me who he is, or I'll slit that pretty throat of yours!"

"Go ahead! I'd rather die than help you!"

Just as Zash was about to drag the blade across her flesh, Nebaru squawked.

"Wait! Zash! I have a better idea!" He flew from Zash's shoulder and snatched something from Cana's chest: a golden scarab beetle medallion. "Use the tracking spell! Transfer her consciousness into this, and when we get close to the descendant, it'll glow, using her knowledge to find him."

"What an excellent and far more useful alternative, Nebaru."

He released Cana, and before she could react, he pointed his staff at her and chanted a spell. In a flash, her body transformed into a stream of gold dust that flowed into the medallion.

"Like father, like daughter!" Zash laughed, picking up the medallion. "Trapped in a magical item to serve me! Come, Nebaru, we must find this descendant of Zeref."

An evil grin spread across his face. Soon, his waiting would be over, and he would have everything he ever desired: his own realm to rule, a palace, treasure, slaves, and a harem.