The Divine Empress

Chapter 21

Laxus saw the scene and came strolling over to where they were. Mirajane also followed upon seeing Lucy for the first time since forever. Wendy and Carla also followed. Soon, there was a huge crowd gathered around Lucy and Kouen. Each one of them wanting to know who he was and what was the relationship between them, too.

"What's the matter here?" Laxus asked upon reaching the table at where they were seated.

"Laxus! It's been a long time," Lucy said, smiling.

"It's been a long time, too, Lucy," Laxus replied with a soft gaze in his eyes as he stroked Lucy's hair. Kouen raised his eyebrow, seeing the two's interaction. He pulled Lucy towards him and away from the prying hand of Laxus.

Laxus glared at him. "Is there something you want?"

"To glare at our Kou Empire's Emperor! How dare you!" Koumei immediately rose up, banging the table as the cups clattered and fell.

The room gasped in surprise besides the one's that already knew.

"Kouen, don't be so rude," Lucy said, sitting back up.

But, even so, he still held Lucy close to him, not letting her go. Lucy sighed knowing that he wouldn't budge no matter what she did.

"Lucy, what's your relationship with him?" Mirajane asked.

"I want to know, too," Wendy said shyly.

"Oh. I'm just his fr-" Lucy was about to say but soon got cut off by Koumei.

"I, Ren Koumei, shall tell you. Lucy-sama is the peace of our kingdom. No, the very heart of our kingdom! She's our Kou Empire's one and only Empress!" Koumei declared and soon he started going on and on about the beauty and how virtuous Lucy was. He kept on dabbling on and on until Lucy's ears started to hurt from all these compliments.

"That's enough, Koumei," Kouen said as he noticed Lucy cringing.

"Ah, yes, Kouen-niisama. Please excuse my rudeness, I lost myself for a moment there," Koumei said, sitting back down.

Kouen nodded, forgiving him.

"So that means you guys are married?!" Mirajane exclaimed, squealing.

"No, I'm just the Empress in title. We're not married. I'm going to be marrying someone else. Remember the guy from the other day?" Lucy said, shaking her hands in denial.

"Ohhhhhh. Well, either way, I'm sure you're babies will come out to be pretty just like Nagi," Mirajane said cheerfully.

Lucy sweated. She really didn't hear anything I said now, did she?

With all the questions done, Sting rose with a cup in his hand. "Let's give it to Lucy! The mage who wiped out more than half of the guilds!"

"Yeahhhhhhhh!!!" everyone shouted, besides those that disliked her from Fairy Tail.

Jura came up to the two. "Lucy, Kouen-sama," he bowed, respectively.

"Did you come to pay your respects?" Lucy asked.

Jura nodded. "As one of the ten wizard saints, I welcome you to Fiore, Ren Kouen-sama."

"Thank you," Kouen nodded, smiling. "Last time I saw Jura-dono was when you were about ten years old. You still have the same personality and demeanor as you did back then."

Lucy mused at the smile on Kouen's face. "Kouen, you must really have taken a liking to Jura-dono, huh?" Lucy said once Jura left.

Kouen looked at her and slightly nodded his head, giving Lucy the answer that she needed. "It's rare for you to like someone. Especially a human mage."