Mystogan/EdoErza fanfiction
Series: Arrangement
Title: Announcement
Pairing: Mystogan/EdoErza
Rating: T over all, K+ for this one
Word count: 1000
Summary: Jellal announces his engagement to Erza and Erza muses on the path she is to take.
Notes:For those who read Royalty and Duty, you might have noticed there was a time skip between the two fics. Antispiral a.k.a partyinwhite, who continues to inspire me regarding my Edolas AU, asked me about that gap and this is my answer to her. A drabble/vignette series choke-full of EdoJellal/EdoErza goodness and now part of a bigger series called Restoration.
Disclaimer: This is Mirime-chan playing with Hiro Mashima's characters. No money goes to Mirime-chan, only a satisfaction from spreading the love for her favourite pairing.
The Council meeting was nearing the end. Jellal decided to announce his engagement to Erza Knightwalker as the last order of business. Knowing the councillors, Erza could only agree with the timing. They would blow their collective top over it, not out of any dislike for her personally but because every single one of them had their own candidate for the coveted position of the queen. Having chosen Erza, Jellal had upset the carefully designed plans of at least half of those present, if not more. The less time they were given to protest, the better for everyone.
"One last thing," Jellal started and Erza sat up straighter. Time for the big show. "The matter of my marriage has come up several times in the past and I have decided to heed your advice and pick a wife. After carefully considering my options, I chose a woman whose dedication to the kingdom is beside any doubt."
"If I may interrupt, Your Majesty?" the chancellor, Imaren Gand, spoke up. He had a niece who had come of age recently, Erza recalled. "There are many things to be considered when choosing our future queen. While dedication to the country is an admirable trait, others, no less important must be present as well."
"Oh?" Jellal leaned back in his chair. He was going to play along for now, Erza saw. "Could you enlighten me as to what those traits are supposed to be?"
"Her family, sire, for one thing. She must be of a noble blood."
"Her family is one of the oldest in the kingdom, so that's not going to be a problem."
"She must also be of an appropriate age, handsome and pure," the chancellor ticked off the points. Jellal looked over the table, catching Erza's eyes. They were already narrowed angrily and he gave her a nod, letting her enter the conversation.
"Are you suggesting something, chancellor Gand?" her cold voice resonated throughout the room. He turned in his seat, surprised by her contribution to the topic on hand.
"Suggesting? What do you mean, General Knightwalker?"
"I'm barely twenty, definitely handsome and if you so much as question my 'purity' again, I will decorate the room with your entrails," she finished seriously. Gand gaped at her like a fish out of the water and the other councillors made similar impressions.
"Y-you mean..."
"General Erza Knightwalker is my fianceé as of two days ago," Jellal put in calmly. "I believe there are no protests to my choice of a bride?"
No one would dare to protest, not with the way Erza kept glaring at Gand.
"Good. You are dismissed, then. We will reconvene in the usual time."
One by one, the councillors trailed out of the room. Erza, though, remained seated, a small smirk on her lips.
"You have finally learned," she said as the door closed behind the last of the councillors.
"Learned?"
"Not to let them get a word in. You are the final authority, they shouldn't even think about questioning you."
"Yet you seem to have been doing that on regular basis," he sounded more amused than anything.
"Because you let me do so," she replied. "There are times when you need their opinions and then there are times when you don't. The matters of the kingdom, especially those where their experience is greater than yours, are necessary to be discussed. The matters of your personal life, the choice of a wife, for example, are not up to discussion unless it threatens the stability of the country."
Jellal was leaning forward in his chair, listening to her attentively.
"I thought you were a soldier," he said at last. "But you understand the court proceedings better than me."
Erza leaned forward as well, looking directly into his eyes.
"I could point out your absence in the times when you were supposed to learn the workings of the court," she let it hang in the air for a moment, "but I won't. The truth is that this is just another battlefield. It's harder to recognize the enemies because they tend to change their allegiance daily but the basics are the same. And I am a superb soldier."
"I know that," he said. "That's why I picked you as the Chief of Staff."
"Regarding that," she spoke up. "I'd like to keep my commission until the wedding."
Jellal frowned a bit at that.
"But wouldn't you be busy with the wedding preparations?"
"Jellal," it was the first time she used his given name. "We haven't picked a date yet and I'm not good with things like that anyway. I'd rather spend the time choosing my successor and taking care of any loose ends in the army."
"Good reasoning," he admitted. "I'll find someone to take care of the wedding, then."
Erza stood up.
"I'll be going. The vultures are waiting."
Jellal looked at her questioningly.
"The vultures?"
"Those of the councillors who have already reconciled with the idea of me being the next Queen. They'll be waiting for me to try and gain my favour. I'm not looking forward to that."
Jellal looked at her before beckoning her to him.
"Come here," he led her over to a hanging tapestry, pushing it aside to reveal a small door. "It leads to the gardens. In fact," he mused, "I think I'll join you."
He offered her his arm. She looked at it blankly before her almost forgotten court manners kicked in and she accepted it gracefully. She would have to get used to that - as his fianceé and later his wife, she would be accompanying him frequently.
Stepping through the door into the short corridor with the stairs at the end, she thought how symbolic it was - stepping into a new life with this man at her side. Now that the engagement was announced publicly, there was no turning back. Then again, she didn't want to turn back. She was looking forward to the unknown future, with all it might bring.
Title: Announcement
Pairing: Mystogan/EdoErza
Rating: T over all, K+ for this one
Word count: 1000
Summary: Jellal announces his engagement to Erza and Erza muses on the path she is to take.
Notes:For those who read Royalty and Duty, you might have noticed there was a time skip between the two fics. Antispiral a.k.a partyinwhite, who continues to inspire me regarding my Edolas AU, asked me about that gap and this is my answer to her. A drabble/vignette series choke-full of EdoJellal/EdoErza goodness and now part of a bigger series called Restoration.
Disclaimer: This is Mirime-chan playing with Hiro Mashima's characters. No money goes to Mirime-chan, only a satisfaction from spreading the love for her favourite pairing.
The Council meeting was nearing the end. Jellal decided to announce his engagement to Erza Knightwalker as the last order of business. Knowing the councillors, Erza could only agree with the timing. They would blow their collective top over it, not out of any dislike for her personally but because every single one of them had their own candidate for the coveted position of the queen. Having chosen Erza, Jellal had upset the carefully designed plans of at least half of those present, if not more. The less time they were given to protest, the better for everyone.
"One last thing," Jellal started and Erza sat up straighter. Time for the big show. "The matter of my marriage has come up several times in the past and I have decided to heed your advice and pick a wife. After carefully considering my options, I chose a woman whose dedication to the kingdom is beside any doubt."
"If I may interrupt, Your Majesty?" the chancellor, Imaren Gand, spoke up. He had a niece who had come of age recently, Erza recalled. "There are many things to be considered when choosing our future queen. While dedication to the country is an admirable trait, others, no less important must be present as well."
"Oh?" Jellal leaned back in his chair. He was going to play along for now, Erza saw. "Could you enlighten me as to what those traits are supposed to be?"
"Her family, sire, for one thing. She must be of a noble blood."
"Her family is one of the oldest in the kingdom, so that's not going to be a problem."
"She must also be of an appropriate age, handsome and pure," the chancellor ticked off the points. Jellal looked over the table, catching Erza's eyes. They were already narrowed angrily and he gave her a nod, letting her enter the conversation.
"Are you suggesting something, chancellor Gand?" her cold voice resonated throughout the room. He turned in his seat, surprised by her contribution to the topic on hand.
"Suggesting? What do you mean, General Knightwalker?"
"I'm barely twenty, definitely handsome and if you so much as question my 'purity' again, I will decorate the room with your entrails," she finished seriously. Gand gaped at her like a fish out of the water and the other councillors made similar impressions.
"Y-you mean..."
"General Erza Knightwalker is my fianceé as of two days ago," Jellal put in calmly. "I believe there are no protests to my choice of a bride?"
No one would dare to protest, not with the way Erza kept glaring at Gand.
"Good. You are dismissed, then. We will reconvene in the usual time."
One by one, the councillors trailed out of the room. Erza, though, remained seated, a small smirk on her lips.
"You have finally learned," she said as the door closed behind the last of the councillors.
"Learned?"
"Not to let them get a word in. You are the final authority, they shouldn't even think about questioning you."
"Yet you seem to have been doing that on regular basis," he sounded more amused than anything.
"Because you let me do so," she replied. "There are times when you need their opinions and then there are times when you don't. The matters of the kingdom, especially those where their experience is greater than yours, are necessary to be discussed. The matters of your personal life, the choice of a wife, for example, are not up to discussion unless it threatens the stability of the country."
Jellal was leaning forward in his chair, listening to her attentively.
"I thought you were a soldier," he said at last. "But you understand the court proceedings better than me."
Erza leaned forward as well, looking directly into his eyes.
"I could point out your absence in the times when you were supposed to learn the workings of the court," she let it hang in the air for a moment, "but I won't. The truth is that this is just another battlefield. It's harder to recognize the enemies because they tend to change their allegiance daily but the basics are the same. And I am a superb soldier."
"I know that," he said. "That's why I picked you as the Chief of Staff."
"Regarding that," she spoke up. "I'd like to keep my commission until the wedding."
Jellal frowned a bit at that.
"But wouldn't you be busy with the wedding preparations?"
"Jellal," it was the first time she used his given name. "We haven't picked a date yet and I'm not good with things like that anyway. I'd rather spend the time choosing my successor and taking care of any loose ends in the army."
"Good reasoning," he admitted. "I'll find someone to take care of the wedding, then."
Erza stood up.
"I'll be going. The vultures are waiting."
Jellal looked at her questioningly.
"The vultures?"
"Those of the councillors who have already reconciled with the idea of me being the next Queen. They'll be waiting for me to try and gain my favour. I'm not looking forward to that."
Jellal looked at her before beckoning her to him.
"Come here," he led her over to a hanging tapestry, pushing it aside to reveal a small door. "It leads to the gardens. In fact," he mused, "I think I'll join you."
He offered her his arm. She looked at it blankly before her almost forgotten court manners kicked in and she accepted it gracefully. She would have to get used to that - as his fianceé and later his wife, she would be accompanying him frequently.
Stepping through the door into the short corridor with the stairs at the end, she thought how symbolic it was - stepping into a new life with this man at her side. Now that the engagement was announced publicly, there was no turning back. Then again, she didn't want to turn back. She was looking forward to the unknown future, with all it might bring.