Author's Note:Hi Everyone ^^ Before this begins let me say that I completely don'town this story. This is literally almost a complete copy of Riikani's story "Path to happiness" (Very good I love it so much) I just changed the characters for the Zervis fans!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

Chapter 1

"My lady, come back! Please!" a servant called.

Mavis looked over her shoulder while she kept running, her dress held up so she wouldn't trip. "No, I want freedom!" she yelled.

She was currently sixteen and completely fed up with the strict protocols of the palace.

"But, Your Highness!"

"Stop calling me that, you fool," Mavis called back at the little squad of servant.

"But, Princess, we need to get you dressed for the royal dinner this evening!" The servant called exhausted.

You would think that with all the running after the princess they've done, their fitness would improve. But they were as sluggish as always. The Princess had almost always been quite rebellious, ever since she realized her life had been controlled.

"Like I give crap about that!" she yelled. Mavis ran out to the gardens, and made her way to the maze. The servants gave a few desperate cries but soon gave up.

The blonde-haired princess huffed, "wimps," and continued her way through the maze. Although others might call it a maze, to Mavis it was nothing more than a few bushes. She had been there way too much, and it isn't that difficult to see the structure.

Mavis sighed and raised her dress: oh, how she despised those useless things.

She walked to the outside of the maze and pushed her way through the bushes. She had never been off the castle-grounds but she did get off the protected grounds.

Wandering around the castle-village or the training-grounds from the soldiers. Which was what she did this time as well. If you went down the slope (the castle was build on a hill) you'd immediately run on the grounds. There was a commando training down there, the metal clashing onto each other as the swords made contact.

The men had put off their upper-clothing and their bodies shimmered in the heat of the sun, because they were sweating that much. It certainly was a hot day.

Mavis sighed and sat down as best as she could. The dress clearly wasn't made for sitting on the ground but for sitting on the stiff chairs in the palace.

Her attention reverted back to the army commando. The men down there where older, not young men anymore but hardened by war. Even from this distance Mavis could see the many scars, caused by enemy swords and arrows.

This commando was definitely a veteran one.

The princess sighed once again, she would have given anything to be free as they were. But even now, her father was probably arranging her marriage. Finding her a suitable husband, since she had finally come of age for marriage.

She would have to be a loyal wife, and for the rest she would be useless as her husband would be king and ruler. Even her little brother would be of more use as he would be the future general.

"Ah, your Highness, out on a stroll?" a slightly mocking voice said. A shadow loomed over Mavis. She glanced up and pinched her eyes in the blinding light of the sun.

Mavis huffed, "don't you use that tone against me!" and she stood up.

Now she wasn't looking right in the sun, Mavis could take in the man's appearance.

Like the men down the hill, on the training grounds, his upper body was also undressed. He had a smile playing on his lips and his hands in his sides. He had dark hair with the most paralyzing black eyes matching it. He was about her age, he had out-grown the childish roundness, but he had yet to achieve the hardness of the full-time soldier.

"I'm sorry, princess," he said with a light hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Mavis frowned, gosh, he was annoying. "You are a commoner, don't you dare to speak to me like that if you don't want to be hung. Now get out of my sight!" she ordered.

Instead of the usual frightened faces, he laughed. He was amused. "My Lady is cranky," he commented.

Mavis exploded, "Who are you, you...you MEAN PERSON!," she screeched.

The boy made another bow, "Zeref Dragneel, to your service," he said. Mavis doubted if he was to her service. He straightened his back, "I'm a mercenary in the king's army," he said vaguely waving to the men below.

Mavis smiled triumphantly, "Then you're under my command!" she stated proudly. Zeref raised a brow, "technically, I'm under your father's command," he noted.

Mavis huffed and turned away, "So?"

Zeref smiled once again, "seeing that your dress is torn, I found you sitting on the ground and that a herd of servants is looking for you, it doesn't look like you're much of a father's child," he said.

Mavis glanced down at her dress and saw the skirt was torn. Like she cared. "What is it, you're doing here. The new mercenary are always trained and placed somewhere in the country. They aren't placed to go to war," Mavis said.

The boy Zeref laughed shortly, "So you aren't stupid?" he asked.

Mavis wanted to explode right away but calmed herself again. "Please answer," she said calmly.

Zeref scratched the back of his head, "I guess I stood out during the training when the scout arrived, so they added me to the commando that would go to war first," he said.

Mavis gaped at the nonchalant mercenary who was now watching a bird fly.

"You can get so easily killed on the frontline, don't you mind that?" she asked.

Zeref looked back sideling's. "No, not really," he said.

Mavis didn't really know what to say to that, "Why not?" she just asked.

Zeref sighed, "You are awfully curious in such a guy like me, princess, why?" he turned around.

Mavis clenched her teeth, "b-because, you are interesting," she muttered, not really wanting to say it out loud.

He was definitely amused, "I'm sorry princess, I think I didn't hear you."

Mavis's head snapped up at the teen, "Because you are interesting and true, not like the people within the palace," she admitted angrily.

It stayed silent between the two. "Hey Dragneel, Get your lazy ass back down her!" a rough male's voice yelled.

Zeref turned around, "Yeah, I'm coming!" he shouted back.

Then he waved to Mavis, "princess, the life in the castle isn't that bad. Most commoner girls of your age already have given birth to their first child. I have to go, nice meeting you, princess," he said before turning around and walking away at a lazy pace.

"Dragneel, my name's Mavis, call me that," Mavis said softly.

Zeref looked over his shoulder, "I know princess, and I'm just a commoner," he said and raised his hand. In a second he was gone. Like thin smoke.

Mavis pulled a face, she would have to go back inside before an alert was called out, again. Oh the horrors of the memory. She had been scolded big time that time. She turned around and pushed her way through the bushes, knowing this pain wasn't as bad as the dress she would have to wear. She almost envied the girls Zeref mentioned.

"Finally we've found you, your Highness," the servants breathed relieved.

Mavis sighed, "Let's get this torture started then," she said, and limply followed the servants.

"Sheesh, Zeref. What took you so long. I know, you got a break, but I believe this was the longest in your life or so," the captain said when Zeref returned.

"I'm sorry sir, there were some...inconveniences on my way back," Zeref said stiffly.

The captain laughed, "Loosen up, will ya. I was only teasing you. Have you seen a ghost or something?" he said.

Zeref smirked, "A ghost? Close, I think," he said.

The captain shook his head, "you and your mysteries. Get your ass back to work," he said.

Zeref nodded, "yes sir." Then he glanced up at the castle behind him, "a lonely ghost for sure," he muttered before returning to practice.

"Ahhh," Mavis gasped for breath as the dressing maid pulled on the body. "I am supposed to breath thank you," she said but the maid didn't listen and grabbed the underskirts.

"No Mavis, that's the whole point, you are not supposed to breath in a lady's body," the voice of her best friend said.

Mavis turned her head to Lucy, who sat calmly on the bed. "If I could move, I would have kicked your ass, right now. Why do I even have to wear these ridiculous things?" she whined.

Lucy sniggered, "Your dad told you that, didn't he?" she asked.

Mavis rolled her eyes, "You tell me, I stopped listening to him since I was twelve," she said grumpily as the maid put on the third underskirt and it didn't brighten her mood that there was another one.

Lucy sighed, "There are possible candidates invited for this evening, powerful young men. And also this..."

"Wait, what?!" Mavis yelled out in disgust. "Candidates? For what exactly?" she called out. Mavis had a bad feeling about this.

"For you to marry of course," Lucy said as if it was obvious.

Damn, Mavis hated it when her feelings was right.

Author's Note:Aaaand that's chapter 1 :D Hope you liked it