- Challenge One: Worth More than Gold -
Theme: Family, Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 2 231
"No!" The blonde shouted, fighting back the tears of frustration. "Why? I've only just turned sixteen!"
Lucy screamed inside her head, she had the urge to just rip everything up and kick and damage everything in this house, including her father. She was so sick of this. Months before she had turned sixteen her father had already told her she was going to be engaged to a rich stranger, but now it was happening and it was all too real. She was going to meet the person she was mean to spend the rest of her life with - Someone she had never even talked to, let alone knew.
"Because you are a Heartfilia and you are to be the heiress of this company." The man replied, his back turned away from his daughter whose face was a blotchy red from the tears and anger.
"I refuse!" She shouted, stomping her foot and turning on her heel to storm out of the room.
"LUCY." He boomed irately, "You will do what I say or you are not my daughter!"
The blonde froze in her tracks, the tears which were brimming her lids now rushing down her face. She tried forcing out her voice to say 'fine', but her throat was clenched up and if she let out anything in the slightest bit audible, it would only be the sobs which she was currently muffling and the one shaky word. Realising this, she bit her lip and bolted for the door, slamming in on her way out of her father's office. Removing her heels, she dashed down the hallways, getting worried looks from her maids whom she considered to be her dear friends.
She ran down the stairs and quickly opened the door, dashing out of the mansion as fast as she could and out of the courtyard to the nearby town. Her golden hair whipped her face as it mixed with the tears and sweat, she tripped on her rose coloured ball gown once or twice, almost falling face first but not caring about anything or anyone who she was catching attention from. There were murmurs in the street as they saw the extravagantly dressed girl running through the roads.
Finally she came to a stop outside of a florist, where she saw a bouquet of lilies, her deceased mother's favourite flower. She brought her hand up to her eyes and dropped to her knees, sobbing as she thought about her mum, her best friend. It had only been a year since she had passed and her life had already gone wrong. So horribly wrong.
Metres away, unbeknownst to the blonde, a carriage came to a halt and a suited man stepped out.
"Excuse me, have you seen a young, blonde male come this way?" he questioned.
She quickly used her thumbs to brush away any excess tears and glanced at him, shamefully looking down as she realised her face was puffy from the tears. "I'm sincerely sorry, but no, I have not." She managed to croak, bowing.
"That is quite alright. Thank you for your help." The man replied. Not taking a second look at the blonde, he stepped back into the carriage, travelling down another street.
Lucy sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. Picking up the bouquet of lilies, she had the intention of paying for it to bring to her mother's grave, but realising she had no money on her, she sighed and placed it back onto the rack. She contemplated whether to go back to the place she had meant to call 'home' but quickly brushed off the option, seeing as she may have had to see her father within the mansion.
The blonde let out an even bigger sigh. She didn't plan for anything, it was just the result of reckless action from her anger. She wasn't thinking and now she didn't know what else to do apart from going back. Clenching her hand around the lamp post, she took a step forward. She was definitely not going back now. Maybe later, but she didn't have the guts to face him yet.
Her legs brought her throughout the roads, taking random turns. After what she had estimated to have been 20 minutes she felt in a much better mood, although whenever she thought about what had happened, she cringed a little and a small lump formed in her throat and at the bottom of her chest before she quickly brushed it away.
She heard the clopping of the horses and turned around to examine the carriage being pulled along and a well dressed man getting out to question a bystander. Her eyebrows raised in realisation when she put the pieces together. They must've been part of the company whose heir her father was trying to marry her off to. Registering this, she realised that she were still wearing her gown, and if they happened to suspect her of being the Heartfilia daughter they would more than likely take her back to the mansion.
The blonde quickly ran into the nearest alley and behind a bin, where she bumped into another figure and fell backwards.
"What the fuck?!"
Lucy looked up in shock of the fact that there was another person there and the rudeness of that specific person. Her mouth was open to ask two things but she couldn't decide which to ask first - Why he was here and what was his problem?
"Shit you're not-" The man quickly picked her up and covered her mouth. Lucy's eyes had grown wide as she angrily talked against his hand, telling him to let her go. "Don't you dare go and tell them you saw me or I will personally make your life a living hell, do you understand?" He threatened, as examined the girl in front of him who was too shocked to signal a response. He realised that her eyes looked slightly puffy and red as if she had been crying and her gown by the bottom of her feet were dirtied and slightly crumpled but he didn't take too much concern into these examinations. "Do you understand?!" He repeated again, this time more aggressively and the petite blonde nodded quickly. He released his hand off of her mouth and turned to run away but she grabbed his wrist and quickly said, "Who are you?"
The blonde looked back at her, irritated. "What?"
"I asked who you were," She replied.
The male had a blank in his train of thought when she'd said that. He was sure that the town which he was currently in were one of the poorer towns on the way to this estate by observation of the clothing which the people were wearing and the only ones of wealth and class to wear a gown in this town would the people of his company. The fact that she didn't know who he was confused him for a second, until he decided to drop the notion and accept that she wasn't from his company.
"Well?" She pushed.
"First, tell me who you are." He replied.
Lucy grew annoyed as she replied "I asked first."
He sighed, "Sting, Eucliffe. And you?"
"Lucy Heartfilia. Those people in the carriage looking for you..." She said drifted off, "Who are they? Who are you actually?"
Sting cursed under his breath. "They're the people of my company. My parents are trying to marry me off to some snobby girl of some company to benefit their own needs."
The blonde's jaw dropped as her eyes grew larger, "Wai- You- I- You're the one I'm supposed to be married to?!" She stuttered.
A silence filled the conversation which the two were having as Sting looked her up and down.
"I suppose so. I guess if I'd be marrying you that wouldn't be so bad. You have a great rack after all." He said, smirking at her chest. Lucy's face grew red as she snapped back, "There is no way I am marrying a superficial jerk like you!"
Sting chuckled, "Relax, I'm not that bad."
"I think you've proved how bad you are and there is no way I am abiding to this!"
"Are you sure? You'd be missing out on my deviously good looks." He added.
The blonde blushed furiously, she did admit that he was extremely attractive but she couldn't possibly get along with somebody that cocky and rude. "Yes I am sure!"
"Really? Your face doesn't seem to be agreeing with you, Miss Lucy Heartfilia." He retorted, as he stepped closer to her.
She quickly stepped away, "Be quiet! I've already said that I'm sure." She shouted as she turned away and stormed away from him, muttering under her breath. It was obvious that Sting Eucliffe was a cocky, arrogant jerk who was definitely not boyfriend or husband material; but she had no idea what she could possibly do to escape the marriage apart from leave home forever. Although she had contemplated it many times she had always backed down from the idea, as she was much too afraid of the consequences if her father ever found her. Especially right now, seeing as she had no belongings and no where to go.
Sting snapped out of his jokes as soon as he'd realised that the blonde was genuinely upset at him. "Wait," He yelled out whilst walking towards her quickly "Wait. Lucy I'm sorry." Sting sighed, usually these types of things wouldn't bother him in the slightest bit. But as long as they were both here and talking, he figured that he'd at least try to make this arranged marriage a little less dreadful.
Lucy stopped in her tracks and paused before turning around. "Look, I don't want to be married to you as much as you don't want to be married to me. The idea of spending my entire life with someone I've never even gotten to know- someone like you... It scares me, okay?"
Sting looked at the woman in front of him before turning his head away without saying a word.
"...But now that I've actually met you, I think I feel a bit less afraid." She admitted, before quickly following her sentence. "But just because I've said that doesn't mean I'm still not completely opposed to this marriage which my father selfishly arranged. I just think it'd be easier than trying to get out of it."
"So you're saying we play along to this charade to please our parents." The blonde uttered. Yes, he had just thought about the possibility of marrying Lucy Heartfilia if it really came down to it, but the thought of her giving in to the idea so quickly and the marriage actually happening felt weird to him.
"...Yes"
Sting clicked his tongue before he looked up at "Well I guess I'd better get back to the carriage. You too, you better be there when I arrive."
Lucy wasn't sure whether to smile or frown. One part of her was glad that she'd gotten to meet him beforehand and know that although he seemed to be a complete jerk, he wouldn't be that bad. The other part of her was annoyed at how easily she was going to give in to her father's plans. But that didn't matter, she had already agreed that they would go along with the plan and she needed to be back at the place she called home, clean and ready to 'meet him for the first time'.
.Eight Months Later.
The day before the wedding the two blondes were in the gardens of the mansion enjoying a peaceful warm day and relaxing from all the decisions they had needed to make in order to organise the next day. Lucy had been playing with one of the many lilies from the bouquet which she had bought from the florist of the nearby town.
"Isn't it weird how we're getting married?" She blurted.
"It is?" The male replied.
"We were both so opposed to it, don't you remember?" She laughed, "When we first met I still remember the first words you said and they were certainly not pleasant - 'What the fuck?' they were."
"Oh yeah. I didn't think anyone would find me back there and I'd thought you were one of the brats trying to rat me out" He replied "Well, you are a brat so my assumption wasn't much different."
Lucy shot a glare towards the blonde which was lying down on the grass. Without another word she tugged on his ear, causing him to shout in pain, "What was that for?!"
The blonde didn't reply and instead stuck her tongue out at him before getting up. "I'm glad I met you. Even if it was only because of the money."
"You're worth so much more to me than money." He smirked, grabbing her waist and pulling her towards him.
Lucy blushed before stuttering out, "G-God you're cheesy." Before pushing him away and grabbing the bouquet of lilies. "Come on, I want to visit my mum before we go."
Sting chuckled before walking next to the petite blonde. Things had ended up okay. Much better than okay, because this woman he was with was the best thing that he thought had ever happened to him. She really was better than money, and better than riches because to him she was worth more than gold.
A/N: Oooppsss super cheesy ending sorry about that. I just thought it was a good way to incorporate the title, hahaha. So, yeah I moved accounts and reuploaded this as a first story. I edited it as I was copying it over because when I reread it I realised how out of character and rushed the ending seemed.
Well I think that's about it. Sorry if there are any mistakes or miswording because it is late at night and I really cannot be bothered rereading and editing this. The next theme is apparently 'Don't Go Away' (and I lost the list for the themes so I'm going to try find it again) I wouldn't expect another chapter uploaded anytime soon because when I don't know what to write I just completely put it off until I feel like it again, but feel free to review/favourite/follow! :)