A few days had passed since that night.
In daylight, nothing had changed: courtly formality, polite distances, the usual routine of royal life. But when darkness fell, the quiet chamber became a sanctuary where the distance between them vanished.
Tonight, the corridor lamps flickered against the polished stone, throwing long shadows ahead of them as they walked side by side through the silent halls.
Hisui glanced sideways at Rudra. He walked with his usual relaxed stride, eyes on the courtyard where the night sky stretched dark and clear.
"Can't you just... stay?" Hisui asked, her voice barely louder than the rustle of her dress. "Must you really leave when this is all over?"
Rudra stopped, turning from the open window to look down at her. "Why ask a question when you already know the answer, Princess?"
Hisui lowered her head. She did know. Rudra wasn't the type to be tethered to a single place, not even a palace.
Rudra's expression softened at the dip in her shoulders. He reached out, his fingers lightly brushing through her green hair before resting on her head in a gentle pat.
"It's not as if I'm disappearing into thin air," he said softly. "I'll come back. You know that."
Hisui looked up, meeting his eyes. "You promise?"
"Have I lied to you yet?" He smiled, leaning in to pinch her cheek between two fingers. "Besides, you look much better when you smile."
Hisui's face flushed, and she puffed out her cheeks, swatting his hand away with a quiet huff. "Stop treating me like a child. We're going to be late if you keep lingering."
Rudra chuckled, letting his hand drop as he fell into step beside her again. "Right, wouldn't want to keep the King waiting."
Ahead of them, the heavy double doors leading to the main hall stood open, spilling warm light and the muffled hum of music into the corridor. The King was hosting a grand banquet tonight for all the mages who had fought to protect Fiore during the Eclipse Gate crisis.
Hisui smoothed down the front of her gown and took a breath, straightening her posture to match the crown she wore. Before the final steps toward the light, she paused and glanced back at him.
"Just... don't disappear in the middle of the feast," she murmured.
Rudra smirked, offering his arm with a mock bow. "Lead the way, Princess. I'm on my best behavior tonight."
The doors opened wide, and the announcer's voice echoed across the vaulted ceiling of the grand hall.
"Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Hisui E. Fiore, accompanied by the mage, Rudra!"
Conversation ground to a halt. Mages from every prominent guild across Fiore (Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Fairy Tail) turned toward the entrance. The hall held hundreds of guests, but as the pair stepped onto the polished floor, all eyes settled on them.
Hisui walked with regal grace, her head high, while Rudra strolled beside her with a posture far too relaxed for a royal court. Together they made their way down the long carpet toward the dais where King Toma E. Fiore sat upon his throne, flanked by Arcadios and the royal guard.
At the foot of the dais, Hisui offered a graceful, practiced bow. "Father."
Beside her, Rudra remained upright, hands resting casually at his sides, dark eyes scanning the room.
Arcadios's brow furrowed in outrage. He stepped forward, hand on his sword hilt, ready to bark out a reprimand for the lack of respect shown to the crown—
"Ah, Rudra," King Toma's voice cut through the air, warm and full of relief as he raised a hand to stay Arcadios. "It brings me great joy to see you on your feet. We were told you were recovering from a truly fatal injury following the Eclipse crisis."
Rudra blinked, pointing a finger at his own chest. "A... fatal injury?" He glanced sideways at Hisui. "When did I—"
"Indeed," Toma continued smoothly, nodding with deep sympathy. "Princess Hisui informed us that your wounds required her utmost attention and round-the-clock care over the past few days. A burden, but a necessary one for the hero who helped save our kingdom."
Rudra looked down at Hisui. Her shoulders were tense, and a furious blush was spreading from her cheeks down to her neck as she stared at the marble floor.
A sharp, familiar glint entered Rudra's eyes. A lazy smirk spread across his face.
"Ah... that injury," Rudra said, laying it on thick as he bowed his head with mock solemnity. "Yes, Your Majesty. An ordeal of catastrophic proportions. Truly touch-and-go for a while there. I honestly don't know what I would have done without the Princess's... thorough hands-on care."
Hisui's head snapped up, her eyes flashing as she glared at him.
"In fact," Rudra continued, leaning slightly toward the King, "the treatment she administered night after night was so intensive that I—"
Thud.
Hisui brought the heel of her slipper down squarely on Rudra's toes with every ounce of force she could muster.
Rudra's voice cut off. His jaw twitched, though he kept the smirk glued to his face and subtly shifted his weight off his crushed foot.
King Toma, oblivious to the silent assault, clapped his hands together with a delighted smile. "Wonderful! I am glad to see our royal medicine worked such wonders on you."
The King stood, sweeping his arms out to address the silent crowd. "Mages of Fiore! Tonight, we celebrate your valor, your sacrifice, and our victory! Let the banquet begin!"
A roar of cheers erupted from the guilds. The hall came back to life as music swelled and servants began carrying out trays of food and drink.
Hisui took her place on the dais beside her father's throne and cast one final, sharp glare at Rudra.
Rudra offered her a brief, playful salute, then turned on his heel and sauntered into the crowd, heading straight for the loud, chaotic table where the Fairy Tail guild was already causing a scene.
He wove his way through the bustling crowd, dodging a food tray hurled from Natsu and Gray's usual brawl. Across the hall, Mirajane spotted him and waved, tapping the empty seat beside her. Lucy was already there, sipping punch.
"Over here, Rudra!" Mira called out with a warm smile.
Rudra strolled over and dropped into the chair, reaching for a plate of roasted meats. Before he could take a bite, two more figures pulled up chairs: Erza and Kagura. Both wore serious, concerned expressions, their eyes sweeping over him as if searching for hidden bandages.
"Is it true?" Mira asked, leaning forward. "The King said you were recovering from a fatal injury. Are you hurt anywhere? Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine," Rudra said lazily, piling his plate high. "Just palace exaggeration."
He began digging into his meal, but the silence at the table made him pause. He looked up, chewing slowly, to find Mira, Lucy, Erza, and Kagura all staring at him with suspicion and concern.
Rudra raised an eyebrow. "If you guys have something to say, just say it."
Erza crossed her arms and sighed. "There's no point asking. Even if we push, you won't give us a straight answer anyway."
Rudra's eyebrow lifted. "Well, well. I never knew our Erza, the Titania, could be this understanding."
Erza didn't rise to it. She picked up her fork and speared a strawberry. "Keep talking. You'll run out of compliments eventually."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Accepting that they wouldn't get a real explanation, the women turned back to their food and slipped into easy conversation. Occasional sideways glances still flicked toward Rudra, who had returned to devouring his plate.
As he finished off a drumstick, his gaze drifted across the table. Erza and Kagura were chatting closely, their usual guarded demeanor replaced by something sisterly.
Erza caught his stare and smiled proudly, gesturing toward Kagura. "Ah, Rudra. In case you were wondering, Kagura and I have grown quite close. She's practically my little sister now."
Rudra paused, a smirk spreading across his face as his eyes shifted to Kagura.
"Is that so?" he drawled, leaning his cheek on his palm. "Your 'little sister,' huh? Kagura, I had no idea you were looking for family. If you wanted one, you should've come to me. I'd be glad to be your hus—"
Kagura's breath hitched. A flush exploded across her cheeks, and she clutched her fork so tightly the metal creaked.
"R-Rudra!" she stammered, glaring at him, unable to hold his gaze. "Watch your mouth!"
Erza blinked, looking between Kagura's flush and Rudra's smirk. She had seen them interact during the Grand Magic Games and assumed they were mere acquaintances. Now she wasn't so sure. "Did something happen between you two?"
"You could say that," Rudra replied vaguely, leaning back with a shrug. "We've crossed paths a few times. Had some very... thorough interactions."
Kagura kicked him sharply under the table, catching his shin. "It was strictly business!" she hissed, turning her head away and taking a sudden, intense interest in her salad.
"Right, business," Rudra chuckled, barely flinching as he reached for another plate. "Whatever you say, little sister."
Erza looked at them a moment longer, sensing a story she wasn't being told, but Kagura looked flustered enough that she let it go.
__
By the time the plates were cleared, the banquet had shifted gears. On the dais, King Toma was calling up one guild after another, handing out rewards for their part in the Eclipse Gate crisis. Applause rolled across the hall with each name, followed by the clink of medals and the scrape of chairs as each guild's representatives climbed the steps.
In a far corner, a small cluster of figures sat hunched together under their own personal rain cloud. Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, Sting, Rogue. Even Laxus had been dragged into it, arms crossed, staring at nothing. Wendy was pushing a single pea around her plate.
Rudra stopped mid-chew and pointed his fork across the hall. "What's with them? Somebody die?"
Lucy glanced over her shoulder and winced. "They don't like taking rewards for something they didn't do."
"They fought in the crisis."
"They're Dragon Slayers." Lucy set down her cup, as if that explained it. When he only stared, she sighed and rubbed her temple. "They didn't slay a single dragon. Not one. They went in to take down the dragons from the Gate, and none of them landed a finishing blow."
Rudra swallowed, frowning, and stroked his chin. "Weird. I'm pretty sure a few dragons died."
"Yeah," Mira said, folding her hands under her chin. Her smile stayed sweet. "You killed them."
"Did I?"
The table went quiet. Erza lowered her fork. Kagura's eyebrow crept up. Lucy leaned in until she was nearly across her plate. All four of them studied his face, waiting for the punchline.
There wasn't one.
"You're serious," Lucy said flatly.
Rudra's eyes widened a fraction. He and Sparda had cut down a handful of dragons during the fight. But with his attention fixed entirely on Sparda, the rest had barely registered. Background noise. Cannon fodder.
"Ah." He scratched the back of his neck "Right. Those guys. Totally forgot they were there."
"You forgot you killed dragons?" Lucy hissed, throwing up her hands. "They're over there having an existential crisis, wondering if they're even Dragon Slayers, and you didn't even notice!"
Across the hall, the gloom cloud over the Dragon Slayers got noticeably darker.
Eventually the ceremony wound down, and the guilds began filing toward the doors in loud, scattered groups. Rudra pushed back his chair and left with the Fairy Tail crowd, hands in his pockets.
"Rudra."
Hisui's voice came from behind him, quiet but clear. "Keep your promise."
He didn't turn around. He tilted his head just enough for her to catch his smile, lifted one hand over his shoulder in a lazy wave, and walked out with the rest of the guild.
On the dais, Arcadios and King Toma watched their princess, usually so composed and bound by royal etiquette, raise her hand and wave back, bright and unbothered, long after the doorway had emptied.