From their viewpoint, exactly twelve soldiers were perfectly lined up before the waters, preparing their welcome greetings.

Georg looked briefly thoughtful. "I haven't been in this country for too long, so correct me if I'm wrong…" He folded his arms across his chest and turned to Sialeeds. "…but isn't this kind of a pathetic welcome for the Queen's sister and the Prince?"

"Yeah, well, what else can we expect?" Sialeeds said. "In Falena, male royalty aren't in line for the throne, so they aren't very important. And neither am I, apparently."

Beside them, Frey looked downcast.

Lyon, noticing his behaviour, waved a hand in front of her charge's face. "Prince?" she said worriedly. "Are you all right?"

Frey snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile.

The ship eventually came to a stop a few minutes later, rendering Natsu free of his suffering. In no time he was up and about, looking ready to cause trouble. Erza, however, beat him to the punch.

"Hold it," she said in a dangerous voice as she grabbed him by the back of his clothes. "Do you remember what I said about manners, Natsu?"

"Yes, Erza!" Natsu immediately said, sweating profusely.

"Good. The four of us have to work on being unnoticed. We will stay at the back, understood?"

"Yeah, we hear you, Erza," Gray said, grabbing Natsu's sleeve and dragging him down the stairs. "Hey, flame brain. If we screw up, Erza will kill us both. Got that?" he whispered.

"I know!" Natsu said, annoyed.

"I'll just hide behind you, Natsu," Happy said, perching on his best friend's back.

Consequently, trumpet music began to sound from the soldiers who were lined up a few feet apart beside them, temporarily deafening Natsu's sensitive ears. Gray and Erza, on the other hand, were observing their surroundings, looking both awed and guarded at the same time.

"His Royal Highness Prince Freyjadour and Lady Sialeeds have returned!" an envoy announced after the greeting music stopped. "Prince Frey! Lady Sialeeds! Welcome home!"

Both royals gave prompt nods.

"So, back from Lordlake! You must be exhausted. How was your trip?" the envoy asked.

Georg closed his eyes. "Don't even ask…"

"Ugh! I just want to pretend it never happened," Sialeeds said, looking faintly stressed.

The envoy looked understandably confused. "Pardon?"

"Just… Never mind!" Lyon said, forcing a smile.

"I… I see…Uh, about those three—"

"They're with us," Georg said promptly. "Don't worry about them."

"A—Ah, I see," the envoy stammered. "Ahem! In any case, Queen Arshtat is waiting. Please, if you would make your way to the Sun Palace…"

"Oh, that's not necessary," Sialeeds said, waving her hand dismissively. "We can go there ourselves. Besides, we would like to give our guests a tour of Sol Falena since they're new here."

"Is that all right with you?" Lyon added with a smile.

"O—Of course, Your Highness!" was the eager reply.

When the envoy and the soldiers went on their way and disappeared around the corner, Sialeeds heaved a sigh.

"Whoa, so this is your home?!" Natsu said in awe, effectively breaking the ice. "It's so cool!"

Lyon gave him a smile. "Yes. It's basically like a floating land on the seas of the Feitas," she said proudly.

"…F—Floating…?" Natsu turned into a sickly shade of green. "Wait, this isn't like a boat, is it…?"

"Hey, this isn't transportation, you moron," Gray said snidely.

"What did you call me?!"

"Why? You wanna go, huh?" In no time, Gray balled up his fists, looking ready to fight.

Natsu did the same. "Yeah!" he roared.

"That's enough out of you two!" Erza said, grabbing them by their clothes and banging them by the heads. "We are in the presence of the Royal Family, you fools! If you get out of line one more time, I will personally make sure that you won't have any limbs left to use!"

Both boys seemed to cower under her gaze. "Y—Yes, Erza!"

"…They're sort of too much to handle, huh?" Lyon said, giving a nervous laugh as she stared at the seemingly large bumps on Natsu and Gray's heads.

"All it takes is a just a little push," Erza said proudly as she watched the two cautiously and quietly walk a few steps behind them.

When they reached the main bridge, they walked for a few minutes, with Sialeeds and Lyon providing tour guide introductions to the four mages. By that time, Happy was already flying about, watching the bustling crowds doing their business in town from afar. When they reached the main plaza, the four foreigners already had their mouths agape in awe and wonder as their eyes surveyed the beautiful town of Sol Falena.

Time flew by and they finally got to their destination: the Sun Palace. It was every bit as majestic as the four mages imagined; it was like a huge castle that looked far more wonderful than their plain-looking guild.

"His Royal Highness the Prince and Her Royal Highness Sialeeds have returned!" a soldier by the front doors announced.

A man who was standing by one of the pillars in the gigantic main hallway instantly went towards them, a smile lighting up his face as he did so.

"Ah, Frey! You're back!" he greeted. He was a rather handsome man, with his shaggy brown hair that reached the nape of his neck and his warm, friendly brown eyes which radiated a disarming sincerity. His rogue-ish appearance, along with his tanned skin, seemed to slightly contrast with the Queen's Knight uniform he wore. But his clothing had understandably subtle differences from the others; Ferid Falenas was, after all, the Commander.

"Mmm! You're looking well, my boy!" he exclaimed, immediately bringing Frey into a playful headlock and shaking him affectionately, unconsciously using his brute strength.

"H—Hey!" Frey sputtered out, startled. "That hurts, Dad!"

"What, this?" Ferid laughed. "This is nothing, my boy! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Uh, Your Majesty?" Sialeeds began tentatively. "I think perhaps you'd better stop before you crush him!"

Ferid ceased his antics at the sound of her voice, giving Frey ample time to breathe normally.

"Ah, Sialeeds," Ferid greeted, smiling. "I'm glad to see you looking well, too!" Then he turned towards the two bodyguards. "Georg, Lyon, thank you for seeing the Prince home safely."

"Yes, of course, sire!" Lyon happily responded, feeling pride at the implied praise of her superior.

"Your Majesty, Commander of the Queen's Knights, Georg Prime returning to post, sire!" Georg announced, stepping forward and firmly placing a fist against his chest as a form of salutation.

Ferid stared at him for a little while, then opened his mouth to speak. "Georg, what in the world's gotten into you…?"

Even Lyon and Sialeeds were nearly gaping at him at the side.

"Eh, I dunno," Georg said, slackening his posture. "I was told to 'mind my manners'."

It took only the briefest of moments to register, and Ferid laughed in response. "Ha ha ha ha ha! You never were one to listen to other people's advice, so why start now?" he said, shaking his son in the process. "…But on second thought, though, a little bit of prudence might be in order while you're back in the Imperial Capital." Ferid finally removed his grip on Frey as he continued on. "More than a few nobles aren't very happy with you, being a newcomer and all."

"All right. I'll try to watch it," Georg conceded. "Wouldn't want to get you in trouble, Your Majesty."

Ferid laughed once more, his voice becoming slightly more rampant. "Ha ha ha! Thanks, Georg, but I don't think you will have to worry too much about that!"

Suddenly, an imposing-looking Queen's Knight approached Ferid. His oblong-shaped face was stern and his eyes were perpetually narrowed; coupled with his long,dark-grey hair, he gave an intimidating, rough exterior. "Uh, pardon me, Your Commandership. Shouldn't we…?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes. You're right." Ferid turned to his son. "Your mother — I mean, Her Majesty — is waiting for you. You should hurry along and see her now."

Lyon immediately stepped forward, her posture bent into a slight bow with her hand on her chest as a sign of respect. "But, Your Majesty…" she somewhat implored, "We, uh…"

Ferid interrupted, "Sorry, now's not the time." His expression was serious, implying that he knew exactly what it seemed. "I know what you've all seen, but there's nothing I can do about it right now."

There was a brief silence before Ferid continued on, "Our first priority is to see Her Majesty."

After he said it, he turned his head towards the gigantic doors up ahead, the pathway lined with a luxurious red carpet with gold trimmings. To the right of the entry was a Queen's Knight, his white hair and aged yet serious face giving him an aura of seniority and capability, the latter because of the way he held himself in his posture which made him appear guarded and careful.

"His Royal Highness the Prince and Her Royal Highness Sialeeds have returned!" he announced, his voice echoing along the walls of the enormous hall.

"Her Majesty is waiting for you. Please proceed." For a moment, Ferid looked dubiously thoughtful. "By the way, those people behind you…"

"We found them in the outskirts of Lordlake," Georg explained.

"Ah, I see." Ferid's face cleared. "We shall talk about their issue later after you give your report to Her Majesty."

* * *

When Frey and the others entered the Audience Chamber, they were greeted by the sight of the majestic Queen in all her splendor. Arshtat Falenas looked truly worthy of her crown; with her silver hair, warm sapphire-blue eyes, and dainty, feminine features complementing her royal clothing, she appeared to be inviting and authoritative at the same time. What struck all those who saw her, though, were the large crown atop her head, which signified her supreme position as the Queen of Falena, and the distinct red mark on her forehead.

As soon as she saw her son, she emerged from her seat, immediately making her way towards him with a gratified smile on her face. "Ah, I've been waiting for you, Frey!" she greeted, quickly descending the small flight of stairs. "Don't be shy now! Come closer. Let me get a good look at you!" she prodded in an affectionate tone, apparently disregarding formalities at the moment.

"Your Majesty, I have returned," Frey said, bowing in respect.

"Oh my! Such formality! You can call me 'Mother', you know," Arshtat said. "But, then again, it does indeed make me proud to hear you speak so gallantly!"

The Queen then turned to her sister with a soft smile. "Sialeeds, thank you for all you've done. I wasn't quite so worried about the Prince knowing that you would be with him."

Sialeeds raised her hands briefly, dismissing the thanks out of modesty and casualness. "No need to thank me. I love my nephew too, you know."

Arshtat gave a brief chuckle and turned to the tallest of the group, still all-smiles. "And thank you too, Georg. I'm grateful that you took on this task hardly worthy of your talents."

"No thanks necessary, Majesty," Georg said dutifully. "Protecting the royal family is my sworn duty as one of the Queen's Knights."

Arshtat, pleased, turned to the last one. "And you, Lyon."

The young girl immediately snapped into attention, her large eyes holding the weight of nervousness. "Y—Yes?"

"You're doing a fine job as the Prince's bodyguard. Well done," Arshtat praised gently, her gaze almost motherly. "I'm sure the day will soon come when you'll be promoted to a full-fledged Queen's Knight."

"But, Your Majesty!" Lyon immediately protested, her expression now firm and determined. "I already consider it a great honour, one I hardly deserve, just to be allowed to be His Royal Highness' bodyguard!"

"Ah ha ha… It is such a great relief to me to know that the Prince is in such good hands," Arshtat mused, satisfied. "Please continue to take good care of him."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lyon said proudly, bowing in appreciation.

"Now then," the Queen said, reverting into business-mode. "Please report on your visit to Lordlake."

A tense silence was then what met her words, something which diffused into the air and made it seem heavy. The grim looks on their faces did not go unnoticed by the Queen, either.

"What's the matter? Simply tell me what you witnessed there."

"Arshtat…" Sialeeds managed to say, but her phrase hung in the air.

Frey looked up at his mother, his expression that of sadness as he recalled the events that happened back in Lordlake…