Fanfiction - Odds and Ends: Royalty
Fanfiction series: Odds and Ends
Title: Royalty
Pairing: Mystogan (EdoGerard)/EdoErza
Rating: T
Word count: 2192
Summary: Because their duty to their country comes first for both of them.
Notes: I realize EdoErza's not the most popular character out there but I'm stubborn enough to push it. So there. My last and the most favourite piece in this collection, due to my obsession with certain issues within.
"...and finally, the representative of Meduzerd will arrive in three days to pay homage and renew their vassal's oath to the Kingdom of Edolas."
The scroll was rolled up and placed among many similar ones. The chancellor and all of the members of the Royal Council looked at their young ruler, awaiting his response.
Gerard looked tired. Ever since he had succeeded his late father - in a rather dramatic fashion - it had been one thing after another. There were the matters of foreign relations; the matters of national security; peace and trade treaties with other nations; the matters pertaining to the state of the Edolas' army; and the matter of magical resources seemed to pop up almost constantly. It was enough to drive a single person mad.
It wasn't enough to delegate some of the duties and responsibilities to other people because in the end, he was the one who had to approve of everything. And everyone kept demanding his attention for both important and insignificant matters alike. Still, the distribution of duties among the Council was the most effective method so far.
"Darius," he motioned his secretary over, "Reserve some time for an audience with all of the emissaries who are to arrive to the renewal of the vassal's oaths. Then leave a spot open for the peace talks with Sengar representatives. Imaren," he turned to the chancellor, "You will check up on the Magic Restoration project and send me the results from it. Yunami, you will attend the meeting with the Exceed; tell them I send my apologies for being unable to attend. Pavel, you..."
It went in a similar fashion for some time. After everyone received their orders and Gerard dismissed them, they started leaving the throne room. Before they were gone, though, he called out.
"General Knightwalker. Stay behind."
The red-haired woman paused and then returned to her seat. Gerard sent his secretary away as well and waited until the room emptied out completely before speaking.
"There is something I want to ask you," he started.
"You need me to clarify something from my report?" the woman asked, her haughty demeanor intensifying.
"No. Your report was well done, Erza," he assured her and Erza relaxed slightly. When he used her first name, it meant the talk was to be informal. She didn't exactly know when or how these talks between them had started but she had come to expect his request for her to stay behind after the Council meetings. Maybe it had to do something with their age and the fact all of the council members were at least ten years older than them. Or it might be because she was a familiar face though she had never voiced that thought aloud. She didn't want to think about the other world and its people who were so similar and yet so different. She didn't want to think she was a replacement for a woman who had bested her twice.
But such thoughts weren't appropriate right now because he had just handed her an opening she had been waiting for ever since reporting on the state of the army earlier on.
"Then you must realize the necessity of regrouping our forces in the Northeast region. Othrori is amassing its forces and a revolt against Edolas' rule might erupt soon. We need to be prepared for that eventuality and deploy more troops to subdue them from the very start."
Gerard closed his eyes briefly.
"Maybe I want them to revolt and to succeed. No," he held up a hand to forestall her protests. "You know I have never agreed with how my father did things. Brute force is not an universal solution. Not while I'm in charge."
"It took us years to bring Edolas where it is now," Erza stood up angrily but without any real heat behind her words. All of this had already been played out between them many times. He would argue for the peace, she would insist some things could be solved by military means only. "We didn't become the strongest nation in the world by letting the others walk all over us."
"We have become the strongest nation in the world by crushing everyone who stood in our way, whether they were a threat or not. That's not the right way to do things."
"It was for the sake of our country, of our people."
"It was for the sake of power, of fulfilling an insane man's ambitions."
"Ambitions that aimed to bring Edolas to an age of stability and prosperity."
"Prosperity that is gained at the cost of other people's lives is not worth the effort. If you want to prosper you have to do it by your own hands, not by using someone else."
It was a tie. They stared at each other, Gerard calmly and Erza angrily. It was as if the colour of their hair matched their tempers. Calm blue and fiery red.
"Why are you here, Erza?" Gerard finally asked and this, too, had been a rehearsed question. He had asked her that after she had accepted the position of the Chief of Staff of the Edolas' army and her answer had never once changed. "Why did you accept this position?"
"Because I serve Edolas," she replied, the fires in her eyes dimming but not disappearing. They never disappeared. "My loyalty is to the country and to its king. If my king wishes it, I will do any sacrifice necessary; be it my blood or my life, I'll give both willingly if it is for the sake of the country. You are the king of Edolas. Your first duty is to the country itself. Even if I do not agree with your decisions, I have to believe you wish only the best for Edolas. And that's enough for me to follow you."
"Your loyalty is a scary thing," Gerard said frankly. "But I'm grateful for it all the same. Let's stop arguing for today, all right?"
"Of course, Your Highness," she allowed herself a small smile. She knew their arguments served as a means of relaxation for him. But more importantly, they served to keep him in check. Very few people would have a courage to argue with the king. But if no one ever opposed you, there was a possibility of making grave mistakes because you always thought yourself right. As Gerard was forced to defend his opinions and solutions against her differing ones, he had to make sure that they were truly sound and logical.
"I am to meet with an envoy from Othrori in two weeks time. We will discuss the possibility of their peaceful separation from Edolas while still keeping some of the ties between the countries intact. I think you should join in on that meeting."
One of her eyebrows raised as she voiced her doubts.
"DO you expect any trouble?"
"No, but in case we don't come to an agreement, there will be a need for the deployment of troops in that region and I want the other side to know we are prepared for any situation."
"I thought you were against the deployment."
"I was against using them to subdue Othrori. I want them deployed there to protect our citizens against any attack from behind the border."
Erza nodded. It made sense since the defensive warfare was the only kind of fighting that Gerard approved of.
"I'll prepare a plan, then and have it delivered to you by noon tomorrow."
She nodded at him briefly and turned to leave the room, thinking they had concluded the business for that day.
"Wait!"
Erza paused, looking at her king who moved to her side.
"There was something else I wanted to ask you about."
She turned to him fully.
"What is it?"
Gerard looked to be uneasy for the first time since he had taken the throne.
"You haven't been at the last Council meeting, right?"
"No, I was on an inspection tour in the western ports. But I saw the report and couldn't see anything that could pose a problem."
Gerard made a face.
"Not everything is put into the record, you know and this was just an off-hand comment. But I have been hearing comments like that for quite some time now."
"What kind of comments?" she quickly ran in her memory over all of the conversations she had been involved in with the other members of the Council. What kind of remark would cause the king to behave like this?
"It first came up when we were discussing the possible alliance with Amrothis and later on when means for the further stabilization of my rule were considered."
And Erza suddenly knew what he was talking about and why it was making him feel so awkward. It was easy to forget how young the both of them were, what with the responsibilities they carried.
"You mean your marriage."
"Yes," Gerard confirmed. He turned and strode towards the throne, motioning for her to follow him. "I know it's expected of me, either to seal an alliance by marrying the princess of the other country or to improve my public image with my own subjects, giving them hope for the continuation of the royal line. It's just-"
"Just what?" Erza prompted him when he paused.
"It's so cold and impersonal. I always remember my mother, how she stood at my father's side, not because she chose to but because she had been chosen. And it killed her in the end."
So that was the crux of the matter. He was unwilling to subject someone else to the fate of his mother, the former queen.
"As you are so fond of reminding me," Erza said, "You are nothing like your father. The woman at your side wouldn't die of broken heart."
Gerard sat down at the throne and regarded her seriously.
"So what should I do?"
"Your duty," she replied because that was the only thing that made sense to her.
"Would you do that if you were in my place?"
"A king has to do what's good for the country. His personal wishes are secondary. If I was a king and getting married would be for the good of the country, I would do so without any hesitation."
Gerard stood up suddenly and crossed the space separating them in two strides. Taking her hands, he raised one to his lips.
"Then marry me, Erza Knightwalker and rule at my side as the queen of Edolas."
Nothing in the world could have surprised her more. She stared at him, truly speechless for probably the first time in her life.
"What did you say?" she asked finally.
"I asked you to marry me, Erza."
It was dawning upon her that he was truly serious.
"Why me, when there are so many others?"
"None of them are so loyal or strong. None of them are willing to sacrifice their all for Edolas. None of them understand their duty so well."
She pulled her hands away from his grasp.
"And none of them look like her, right?"
He appeared confused for a moment before he understood.
"Do you think this is about Erza Scarlett?"
"Is it not?" she countered sarcastically but didn't give him a chance to reply. "If you, as my king, think I am the best choice for your queen, then I agree to your request. I will marry you but... I won't be a replacement for her. The face might be the same but the person behind is different."
He was smiling gently and it irritated her for some reason.
"I am perfectly aware of the differences, Erza Knightwalker. I'm not in love with Erza Scarlett. I respect and admire her but that's not love. Love is not a part of an equation when it comes to the royal marriages. You said it yourself - this is about the duty to my country. I owe it to Edolas to consider my people's needs first. And what they need right now is a proof that the kingdom is stable and will remain so. My marriage is the easiest way to do so."
"And you want to marry me."
"Yes. I want to marry you."
"Because I'm loyal and strong and willing to die for Edolas."
"Exactly."
Erza took a deep breath and then let it out. For Edolas, she told herself. Her blood and her life, that was what she had said she was willing to sacrifice. Blood, she had shed countless times on the battlefield. Now, she was being asked to give her life, to prove the words she had said many times. Love was not a part of it, on either of their sides. Only their duty to their country and it was clear what the said duty asked of them. And if there was one thing that Erza Knightwalker knew, it was what exactly her duty was.
"I believe I already said yes, Your Highness."
The king of Edolas smirked a bit, taking the hand of his new fianceé again.
"I think that under these circumstances, you may start calling me Gerard."
Title: Royalty
Pairing: Mystogan (EdoGerard)/EdoErza
Rating: T
Word count: 2192
Summary: Because their duty to their country comes first for both of them.
Notes: I realize EdoErza's not the most popular character out there but I'm stubborn enough to push it. So there. My last and the most favourite piece in this collection, due to my obsession with certain issues within.
"...and finally, the representative of Meduzerd will arrive in three days to pay homage and renew their vassal's oath to the Kingdom of Edolas."
The scroll was rolled up and placed among many similar ones. The chancellor and all of the members of the Royal Council looked at their young ruler, awaiting his response.
Gerard looked tired. Ever since he had succeeded his late father - in a rather dramatic fashion - it had been one thing after another. There were the matters of foreign relations; the matters of national security; peace and trade treaties with other nations; the matters pertaining to the state of the Edolas' army; and the matter of magical resources seemed to pop up almost constantly. It was enough to drive a single person mad.
It wasn't enough to delegate some of the duties and responsibilities to other people because in the end, he was the one who had to approve of everything. And everyone kept demanding his attention for both important and insignificant matters alike. Still, the distribution of duties among the Council was the most effective method so far.
"Darius," he motioned his secretary over, "Reserve some time for an audience with all of the emissaries who are to arrive to the renewal of the vassal's oaths. Then leave a spot open for the peace talks with Sengar representatives. Imaren," he turned to the chancellor, "You will check up on the Magic Restoration project and send me the results from it. Yunami, you will attend the meeting with the Exceed; tell them I send my apologies for being unable to attend. Pavel, you..."
It went in a similar fashion for some time. After everyone received their orders and Gerard dismissed them, they started leaving the throne room. Before they were gone, though, he called out.
"General Knightwalker. Stay behind."
The red-haired woman paused and then returned to her seat. Gerard sent his secretary away as well and waited until the room emptied out completely before speaking.
"There is something I want to ask you," he started.
"You need me to clarify something from my report?" the woman asked, her haughty demeanor intensifying.
"No. Your report was well done, Erza," he assured her and Erza relaxed slightly. When he used her first name, it meant the talk was to be informal. She didn't exactly know when or how these talks between them had started but she had come to expect his request for her to stay behind after the Council meetings. Maybe it had to do something with their age and the fact all of the council members were at least ten years older than them. Or it might be because she was a familiar face though she had never voiced that thought aloud. She didn't want to think about the other world and its people who were so similar and yet so different. She didn't want to think she was a replacement for a woman who had bested her twice.
But such thoughts weren't appropriate right now because he had just handed her an opening she had been waiting for ever since reporting on the state of the army earlier on.
"Then you must realize the necessity of regrouping our forces in the Northeast region. Othrori is amassing its forces and a revolt against Edolas' rule might erupt soon. We need to be prepared for that eventuality and deploy more troops to subdue them from the very start."
Gerard closed his eyes briefly.
"Maybe I want them to revolt and to succeed. No," he held up a hand to forestall her protests. "You know I have never agreed with how my father did things. Brute force is not an universal solution. Not while I'm in charge."
"It took us years to bring Edolas where it is now," Erza stood up angrily but without any real heat behind her words. All of this had already been played out between them many times. He would argue for the peace, she would insist some things could be solved by military means only. "We didn't become the strongest nation in the world by letting the others walk all over us."
"We have become the strongest nation in the world by crushing everyone who stood in our way, whether they were a threat or not. That's not the right way to do things."
"It was for the sake of our country, of our people."
"It was for the sake of power, of fulfilling an insane man's ambitions."
"Ambitions that aimed to bring Edolas to an age of stability and prosperity."
"Prosperity that is gained at the cost of other people's lives is not worth the effort. If you want to prosper you have to do it by your own hands, not by using someone else."
It was a tie. They stared at each other, Gerard calmly and Erza angrily. It was as if the colour of their hair matched their tempers. Calm blue and fiery red.
"Why are you here, Erza?" Gerard finally asked and this, too, had been a rehearsed question. He had asked her that after she had accepted the position of the Chief of Staff of the Edolas' army and her answer had never once changed. "Why did you accept this position?"
"Because I serve Edolas," she replied, the fires in her eyes dimming but not disappearing. They never disappeared. "My loyalty is to the country and to its king. If my king wishes it, I will do any sacrifice necessary; be it my blood or my life, I'll give both willingly if it is for the sake of the country. You are the king of Edolas. Your first duty is to the country itself. Even if I do not agree with your decisions, I have to believe you wish only the best for Edolas. And that's enough for me to follow you."
"Your loyalty is a scary thing," Gerard said frankly. "But I'm grateful for it all the same. Let's stop arguing for today, all right?"
"Of course, Your Highness," she allowed herself a small smile. She knew their arguments served as a means of relaxation for him. But more importantly, they served to keep him in check. Very few people would have a courage to argue with the king. But if no one ever opposed you, there was a possibility of making grave mistakes because you always thought yourself right. As Gerard was forced to defend his opinions and solutions against her differing ones, he had to make sure that they were truly sound and logical.
"I am to meet with an envoy from Othrori in two weeks time. We will discuss the possibility of their peaceful separation from Edolas while still keeping some of the ties between the countries intact. I think you should join in on that meeting."
One of her eyebrows raised as she voiced her doubts.
"DO you expect any trouble?"
"No, but in case we don't come to an agreement, there will be a need for the deployment of troops in that region and I want the other side to know we are prepared for any situation."
"I thought you were against the deployment."
"I was against using them to subdue Othrori. I want them deployed there to protect our citizens against any attack from behind the border."
Erza nodded. It made sense since the defensive warfare was the only kind of fighting that Gerard approved of.
"I'll prepare a plan, then and have it delivered to you by noon tomorrow."
She nodded at him briefly and turned to leave the room, thinking they had concluded the business for that day.
"Wait!"
Erza paused, looking at her king who moved to her side.
"There was something else I wanted to ask you about."
She turned to him fully.
"What is it?"
Gerard looked to be uneasy for the first time since he had taken the throne.
"You haven't been at the last Council meeting, right?"
"No, I was on an inspection tour in the western ports. But I saw the report and couldn't see anything that could pose a problem."
Gerard made a face.
"Not everything is put into the record, you know and this was just an off-hand comment. But I have been hearing comments like that for quite some time now."
"What kind of comments?" she quickly ran in her memory over all of the conversations she had been involved in with the other members of the Council. What kind of remark would cause the king to behave like this?
"It first came up when we were discussing the possible alliance with Amrothis and later on when means for the further stabilization of my rule were considered."
And Erza suddenly knew what he was talking about and why it was making him feel so awkward. It was easy to forget how young the both of them were, what with the responsibilities they carried.
"You mean your marriage."
"Yes," Gerard confirmed. He turned and strode towards the throne, motioning for her to follow him. "I know it's expected of me, either to seal an alliance by marrying the princess of the other country or to improve my public image with my own subjects, giving them hope for the continuation of the royal line. It's just-"
"Just what?" Erza prompted him when he paused.
"It's so cold and impersonal. I always remember my mother, how she stood at my father's side, not because she chose to but because she had been chosen. And it killed her in the end."
So that was the crux of the matter. He was unwilling to subject someone else to the fate of his mother, the former queen.
"As you are so fond of reminding me," Erza said, "You are nothing like your father. The woman at your side wouldn't die of broken heart."
Gerard sat down at the throne and regarded her seriously.
"So what should I do?"
"Your duty," she replied because that was the only thing that made sense to her.
"Would you do that if you were in my place?"
"A king has to do what's good for the country. His personal wishes are secondary. If I was a king and getting married would be for the good of the country, I would do so without any hesitation."
Gerard stood up suddenly and crossed the space separating them in two strides. Taking her hands, he raised one to his lips.
"Then marry me, Erza Knightwalker and rule at my side as the queen of Edolas."
Nothing in the world could have surprised her more. She stared at him, truly speechless for probably the first time in her life.
"What did you say?" she asked finally.
"I asked you to marry me, Erza."
It was dawning upon her that he was truly serious.
"Why me, when there are so many others?"
"None of them are so loyal or strong. None of them are willing to sacrifice their all for Edolas. None of them understand their duty so well."
She pulled her hands away from his grasp.
"And none of them look like her, right?"
He appeared confused for a moment before he understood.
"Do you think this is about Erza Scarlett?"
"Is it not?" she countered sarcastically but didn't give him a chance to reply. "If you, as my king, think I am the best choice for your queen, then I agree to your request. I will marry you but... I won't be a replacement for her. The face might be the same but the person behind is different."
He was smiling gently and it irritated her for some reason.
"I am perfectly aware of the differences, Erza Knightwalker. I'm not in love with Erza Scarlett. I respect and admire her but that's not love. Love is not a part of an equation when it comes to the royal marriages. You said it yourself - this is about the duty to my country. I owe it to Edolas to consider my people's needs first. And what they need right now is a proof that the kingdom is stable and will remain so. My marriage is the easiest way to do so."
"And you want to marry me."
"Yes. I want to marry you."
"Because I'm loyal and strong and willing to die for Edolas."
"Exactly."
Erza took a deep breath and then let it out. For Edolas, she told herself. Her blood and her life, that was what she had said she was willing to sacrifice. Blood, she had shed countless times on the battlefield. Now, she was being asked to give her life, to prove the words she had said many times. Love was not a part of it, on either of their sides. Only their duty to their country and it was clear what the said duty asked of them. And if there was one thing that Erza Knightwalker knew, it was what exactly her duty was.
"I believe I already said yes, Your Highness."
The king of Edolas smirked a bit, taking the hand of his new fianceé again.
"I think that under these circumstances, you may start calling me Gerard."