Hello Minna! This is my very first fanfic! I know I started this a few years ago, but after going through my chapters, I realize I should probably shape them up since my writing has kinda evolved since I first started. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!

Anyway, DISCLAIMER! I do NOT own Fairy Tail! All those rights go to Master Hiro Mashima! I only own the plot! Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Gray's POV

The hot sun glared down on me, burning the deep scars on my back. The water I was sent to fetch weighed down on my neck as I brought it to my cabin mates working in the sugarcane field. Although it's not heavy, you may as well say it was with Cobra screaming threats of whipping me. I shifted the wooden bar across my shoulders, beads of sweat momentarily blinding me as they dripped in my eyes.

"Come on! Keep it moving, you worthless bistro!" he yelled from atop his horse. He brought the stallion close to me, to the point where he just about trampled me. I ground my teeth and kept walking. He cracked his whip against my lower back. Just keep walking, I thought to myself. He cracked it again.

We lived on a Plantation with many different cabins of slaves, crops and one Master: Igneel Dragneel, a mortu. It wasn't bad; it's just that each cabin was assigned certain Authority. Cobra was just one of four hellions in charge of my cabin, Fairy Tail. I continued to block out whatever said mortu was saying until I finally made it to the field where my cabin worked. I placed the water down and settled next to it, wiping the salty sweat from my brow.

Cobra dismounted and shouted, "Water break!" He wrapped his whip in a circle and hooked it to his waistband. He looked down on us all in disgust and crossed his arms.

Everyone rushed over to get their share. We only get two half hour water breaks per day. If we misbehave, they cut down the minutes. I scooped some from the bucket with my dirty, calloused hands, trying to get the water while it was fresh. Someone tousled my hair from behind, nearly knocking over my frail body. I turned around to yell at them, but stopped short. It was Mirajane.

"Thanks for the water, Gray," she said sweetly. I nodded in reply. I was too tired to talk. Most of us were. We worked from seven in the morning to seven in the evening and the summer's heat only made it more difficult to bear. Things couldn't get much worse.

"Gray-sama!" A body launched itself on me, knocking me over, almost dumping the bucket. I turned my head and saw Juvia clinging to my back. To avoid making a scene, I pried her hands off me. She already got whipped today and she and I don't need more trouble.

"Juvia, you know what they said about calling me that," I told her frantically. I glanced around to see if the Authority were watching. Thankfully, our friends are covering for us.

"Juvia forgot! Juvia is so sorry! Juvia just wanted to talk to Gray. Juvia overheard the Authority talking, saying the Master is returning with his son."

"And that involves me how?"

She blushed and glanced down sheepishly. "Juvia just wanted to talk. Gray-sa…Gray looked sad and tired and Juvia wanted to make him feel better." I smiled weakly. Juvia was sweet, but she was so clingy.

"Did you hear?" a voice suddenly said. I turned and saw Cana standing there, a smirk on her pretty face.

"What?" I asked.

"The Master is coming back, his heir in tow. They're going to tour around the fields. You know what that means?"

"Juvia knows!" Juvia declared happily. "Authority will be nice to us!" The standard punishment of the plantation is we are to be whipped if we misbehaved in any way, shape or form. Other forms of punishment were determined by the Authority in charge of the cabins. None of the slaves liked it, but we knew there was nothing to be done about it. We all did what we could to avoid it as much as possible. However, our Authority cracked down the most compared to the other cabins that I have seen. It gave us a relief for at least a few hours when the Master was around.

"All right, get back to work!" Racer shouted. "Hop to it!" A couple others groaned, but rose to their feet. "Move it, damn it!" he yelled. He cracked his whip at one of the girls, slicing through her grey tattered uniform. Upon closer look, I identified her as Wendy. I bit the inside of my cheek and began to walk over to her, but Erza beat me to it. She picked up the blue haired girl and took her to her post before Racer could do anymore harm. I walked over to my post instead. Only four more hours to go, I thought to myself.

Natsu's POV

I peered out the carriage window in attempt to ease my churning stomach and skull splitting headache. It didn't work. In fact, it only made it worse. I moaned, ready to hurl what was left of my lunch. When will I get off the evil thing? I wondered.

"Straighten up Natsu and stop complaining. You're a gentleman, act like it." I glanced to my father, Igneel Dragneel, in annoyance. Unlike me, he doesn't get motion sick. I told him I didn't mind walking back to the Plantation Manor. So what if it was a three hours away? Taking a carriage was so much worse than just getting some dust on my shoes.

I moaned again in response. He sighed, brushing back his greying pink hair. "It's only a few more minutes, Natsu. You can last a little longer." I moaned again, clutching my stomach.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Plantation came into view over the hill. It consisted of an overly large mansion, several slave cabins spread out all over in the back, and acres upon acres of land. The Dragneel Plantation was the largest in the country, producing some of the most products.

When the carriage lurched to a halt in front of the huge front doors, I toppled out and dragged myself away from it. The world spun around me, hindering me from standing.

"Natsu, stand up! You're getting dirt on your uniform!" dad yelled from the door. He stepped down from the stoop and reached towards me.

Screw the uniform. A little dirt wouldn't hurt anybody. I have the summer off from Fiore High school; a big private school for rich snobs. My dad sent me there to 'sophisticate' myself in the common knowledge of being a 'gentleman.' Ha. What a load of crap. Don't get me wrong, I love my dad, but I was getting sick of 'do this or 'tell them that' or 'come on now. A bath is healthy! It's only water!' Just thinking of that gave me a worse headache.

"Now you need a bath," he declared, echoing my thoughts. I shot up and ran straight for my room, ignoring all the exclamations from the servants.

Once in my room, I slammed the door and locked it. Relieved, I turned around and took in my surroundings. It all looked the same. Nothing was moved and no dust. Although I was making a trail of dust myself. I stripped down and put on my most comfortable clothes: a white shirt and some sweatpants and dad's scaly scarf. I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes, hoping to get some sleep. It was impossible to do so on the train ride to Magnolia or the carriage to the plantation. Over nine hours of traveling with motion sickness is not easy to ignore.

Unfortunately I couldn't get that bliss because only minutes later someone came knocking on my door. I turned away from the noise, hoping whoever it was would go away. However, they kept knocking persistently until I got up and opened the door. Ready to burst in anger, I opened my mouth, but closed it immediately. There stood dad, pissed.

"I told you, you need a bath. Now look at your room! It's a mess!"

"It's fine dad. I'm tired. I want to sleep-"

"You can sleep later. First you need a bath. Then you need to get into your finest clothes. You're going to meet you fiancée."

"What fiancée?"

"You have an arranged marriage with the Heartfilia's Daughter, Lucy Heartfilia. I told you before you left I was going to find you a suitable wife," he said, slightly annoyed.

"What?!"

Well, I'm glad you made it through the first chapter! Feel free to keep going! Leave a review if you can, all comments are welcome! Anyway, until next time, Scarlet out! Loves y'all!