Set in a medieval AU where Lucy is the princess of one of the most powerful kingdoms, Wengale. Galvin is another powerful kingdom and has been at war with Wengale for years. There are other kingdoms but for my story these are the two most important ones (or they are for now). Okay enough rambling - on to the prologue.
Princess Lucy of the Wengale Kingdom is the first and only born of the King Jude and Queen Layla. When Lucy was 6 Queen Layla was returning from a diplomatic outing, but her company was attacked by the Kingdom of Galvin, one of the kingdoms warring with Wengale. She was killed, since then Lucy was sent to the castle of her uncle Lord McGarden in the north.
The King said he was doing it to protect her. But Lucy knew better, she would be in danger no matter where she was. Her father just wanted her out of the way. She never had a connection with her father anyway. There was one upside of living with Lord McGarden, her cousin Lady Levy McGarden. She and Lucy became best friends over the years, almost like sisters.
It has been eleven years since the death of Queen Layla and since then the war between Wengale and its surrounding Kingdoms has only escalated. With the fighting growing in intensity and the kingdoms becoming more despite for leverage over each other Princess Lucy is in more danger than ever. King Jude hired a guild know as Fairy Tail to protect the McGarden castle. And this is where our story starts.
Lucy and Levy were running along the streets of the town outside the McGarden castle.
"Hurry, or we'll be late." Levy said.
"I know." Lucy said turning and twisting through the crowded market place. It wasn't easy because she had to keep the hood of her cloak up and her head down. If she and Levy were recognized by someone it would certainly get back to Levy's father and their secret escapes into town would be over for good. Neither girl could imagine being stuck behind the castle walls all day and night.
Lucy was in such a hurry that she didn't see the horseman racing down the road as she crossed. The horse startled and raised on its hind legs. Lucy was frozen in fright as the animals front hooves fell towards her. At the last second someone pushed her out of the way. They rolled in the dirt road and Lucy landed on top of her savior.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Lucy looked down at a pink haired teen. He was giving her a sloppy grin.
"Y-yes. I am." She said, still a little shaken. She stood up quickly and dusted herself off.
"That's good, you need to be more careful. Someone may not always be around to save you." He said. He turned his head away from her. "My friends are calling me."
She could hear someone calling, but she couldn't make out the name in the noise of the market.
"Bye, take care." He said brightly disappearing into the crowds.
"Wait!" Lucy was going to follow him but Levy caught her shoulder.
"Are you hurt?" She asked frantically.
"No, that boy he saved me." Lucy couldn't see him anymore.
"Good, I was sure you were going to be crushed for a moment there." Levy said. "Let's go."
Lucy stopped trying to spot the boy's pink hair and followed Levy down a path that came out along a river bed. The river ran back up the castle and lead to an underground path. These paths were only known by a select few. Levy and Lucy were not supposed to be among these few. But they had discovered them when they were younger. These passages were made to be a quick escape if the castle was under attack, but the girls used them as shortcuts to get place from place in the castle and the occasional trip into town.
They stopped as a thick patch of grass with a bush that looked like a heart. Lucy pushed her hands between the braches and pulled put a chain. She and Levy pulled the chain together revealing a trap door under the bush. They slipped into an underground tunnel cast with grey quarry stones.
Levy pulled back her hood. She pulled the trap door closed and started toward the castle.
"You sure you're alright." Levy asked when she noticed Lucy still hadn't pulled down her hood despite they were in the safety of the tunnel.
"Yeah, I was just thinking about that boy who saved me,"
"Oh, what kind of thoughts?" Levy asked poking Lucy in the side. Lucy giggled and pushed her away.
"It's not like that. I just didn't get to say thank you."
"Is that it?"
Lucy nodded.
"Well you may see him town again. You'll have your chance then." Levy said. Lucy didn't answer. They moved along the passage and came out in a cupboard full with musty robes. Lucy opened the door and walked into one of the empty rooms in the castle. She pulled off her cloak and hung it in the cupboard. Levy did the same. Then after a quick glance in the hall they ran back to their rooms. Even though they were back in the castle, it would not bode well for them to be found in street clothes. They had barely managed to get back and change when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Lucy called when they finally managed to get Levy's dress over her head. A servant walked in a bowed to both of them.
"Good day, Princess, Lady levy." He said. "Lord McGarden as asked for you. He is in his study."
"Do you know what he wants?" Levy asked. Normally when her father wanted to see them, it meant he had found out about one of their escapades. The servant shook his head before leaving. They headed down to the study a little apprehensive. They knocked and entered.
"Good Morning father." Levy said with a bow.
"Morning Uncle." Lucy said.
"Morning girls. I have to talk you. You know today the guild your father hired will be arriving." He said to Lucy. "I want you both to join us when we dine this evening."
"Of course Father." Levy said suppressing her sigh of relief.
"It is customary for us to dine with our guest." Lucy said equally relived.
"Very good, I shall see you then." He said. The girls quickly left the study.
"Thank heavens it wasn't anything else." Levy said.
"What do think these mages will be like?" Lucy asked her cousin.
"I imagine quite fearsome and valiant. I heard this guild once took on a Hilgar army one thousand strong and destroyed them. The only Hilgarians who survived still shake in terror when they tell the tale." Levy said.
"That can't be. Hilgarians are known for their fighting skill. How large is this guild?"
"It can't be more than a hundred men,"
"And they defeated an army ten times their size?"
"Those who face Fairy Tail and live claim they command several dragons." Levy said. Lucy grew quite.
"Did you hear the rumor that Galvin has gained a dragon?" Lucy asked quietly.
"I'm sure that is all it is, a rumor…no truer than these Fairy Tail mages having dragons." Levy said placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder. She knew that Lucy was bitter towards Galvin because they had taken her mother from her. She suggested going to the library to spend the time until Fairy Tail arrived. They spent most of the day there. It was about three hours after lunch when a trumpet announced the arrival of someone at the gate. Lucy walked to the window that looked down onto the castle grounds. She saw five horse men riding up the long gravel path to the castle.
"Let's head down. They will enter the main gate soon. We can get a better view of them." Levy said. Lucy nodded and led the way. The girls slipped into a secret passage and moved quickly in the castle walls. They emerged onto a narrow room with a balcony overlooking the courtyard. Below the Fairy Tail members rode up on their horses where Levy's father and his men waited to greet them.
"Lucy…does something seem off about them?" Levy asked. Lucy noticed it too, but could quite place it. She watched as the five horses pulled into the courtyard one by one. She looked each rider with interest. The first was a man with blonde hair and a scar on his face. Behind him a dark long haired man who had a stiff manor around him. The third was a much slimmer build than the first two and had dark hair, but it didn't appear as dark as the man in front of him, he looked younger too. The fourth had pink hair and was sitting on his horse with an easy air around him. When Lucy saw the man at the end of the line she gasped realizing what was wrong.
"They aren't wearing armor!" She said. She was right the first four didn't have single sign of metal plating on them. The last was wearing on his torso but that was it. Then the last person swung of his horse causing Lucy and Levy gasped. The he wasn't a he! It fact they now saw she was an imposing red haired girl who couldn't be more than a few years older than they were.
"A girl?" Levy looked shocked and excited. She and Lucy shared an eager grin. It was an unusual thing in Wengale (or any kingdom for that matter) for a girl to engage in any kind of fighting, let alone magical battles. So to see a woman among this company trilled both of them.
"And they are supposed to have the strongest mages in all of earthland. And she's one of them. Have we ever met a girl who uses magic to fight?" Lucy said.
"We both use magic,"
"Yes, but neither of us can use that alone in a fight. Not to mention we learned it in secret,"
Apparently the guards won't as impressed by the woman. Lord McGarden's second in command, Jander, stepped forward to the girl.
"My apologies but I wish talk to your leader, not the servant wench." He said addressing the men still on horses. From where they were Lucy and Levy saw the girl stiffened.
"You are speaking to the leader." The woman said.
"Impossible? A woman your leader, is this some kind of joke. Do you take me for a fool? I refuse to addr…." Jander's sentence was cut short as the girl gripped his arm and flipped him over her shoulder and in a flash her sword was drawn and against his neck.
"Do you still question if I am in charge of this party?" She asked. All the guards in the court yard readied their weapons. The four men were off your horse before Lucy could blink. She watched as they faced the guards ready for a fight. The blonde man had lightning sparking around him. The long dark haired one's hands had become metal, while the smaller dark haired boy had a sword in his hand, made of ice. The last was completely on fire.
"Please, we are not enemies." Lord McGarden said rising his hands. The guards slowly lowered their weapons. It was only after they had all dropped their weapons that the Fairy Tail members relaxed. The girl stood up and turned to Levy's father, ignoring Jander.
"I must apologize for my men, but you can understand it is a little strange to see a woman in a guild and their leader no less." McGarden said. The girl didn't say anything right away instead getting on one knee. The other members followed her lead.
"I am Erza Scarlet, the head of this company, standing in for our master. It is a pleasures to serve" The girl said.
"Please, rise. It is a pleasure to welcome you. But tell me, do you usually serve your employers by attacking them?"
"I didn't attack your man, I just incapacitated him." She said. The short dark haired man spoke.
"Trust me, for someone with third rate skills like your man, if Erza had attacked them they would be dead." He said slipping his hands into pockets.
"I understand why you att…incapacitated Jander, but you were ready to attack my soldiers. Do you act like this with all your employers?"
"We are here to protect the Princess, not your men. If one them were show any threat to one of us we wouldn't show restraint."
"Not a very smart way to gather clients…"
"Yet your King hired us to protect the Princess." The long darked haired man said. Levy's father let out a booming laugh.
"Right you are. Well then come in and dine with us. You must be tired after your journey. We can continue our talk inside." He said. Fairy Tail followed his lead inside.
"Let's go, we'll be expected to join them." Levy said, slipping into the passage. Lucy was about the turn and follow her when the pink haired mage looked up and spotted her. She realized that he was the boy who saved her earlier. He grinned and waved. Lucy was stunned for a moment. Most persons didn't greet her with a casual wave. Did her recognize her from earlier? Despite this she waved back. He grinned once more before following his companions inside. Still a little stunned she followed Levy into a hallway that branched off from the main dining hall.
Okay, let me know what you think of the story so far. I haven't written for Fairy Tail in a while so I'm still polishing som rush off.
P.S. I may change the title of this story, (unless you guys like it).
Nardragon~ until the next page.