et·y·mol·o·gy

/ˌetəˈmäləjē/

noun

1. the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.

love

/ləv/

noun

1. an intense feeling of deep affection.

2. a person or thing that one loves.

verb

1. feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone).

Origins: Old Fiorian lufian "to love, cherish, show love to; delight in, approve," from Proto-Minstrelian *lubojan (cf. Old High Minstrel lubon, Minstrel lieben), from root of love (n.). Related: Loved; loving.*


In the beginning, Lucy's knowledge of Love is mostly encapsulated in the dreamy romance novels she carefully filches from Mrs. Spetto's bedside table, as the Heartfilia library's extensive collection of literature was mostly comprised of classics celebrating honor and duty. Leafing through the well-worn books, Lucy imagines the powerful rogues and plucky heroines and she imagines what a life full of freedom, magic, adventure and passionate kisses might be like. Sighing, sometimes she would clutch the books to her chest and try to imagine what life might be like outside of the vast Heartfilia estates and sumptuous parties.

Lucy knows that these books are silly fantasy. In her life so far, Lucy has met many princes and counts, and rarely do they resemble the dashing and handsome men the books describe. Guts and bad manners abound, and the Prince of Seven, though handsome, is an unbearable prick, so utterly full of himself that Lucy feels like he would be a most unsuitable partner for adventure. Reality, though, is a harder pill to swallow – Lucy knows that she is expected to do her duty as the Heiress of the Heartfilia Konzern and marry one of her rich royal suitors, and that Love will not be part of the deal.

It is not the prospect of a loveless marriage that terrifies Lucy. After all, Lucy knows that there is a dark side to love because she has seen it, felt it. She thinks that losing love might be worse than having had love at all. She remembers, fleetingly, how deeply her father loved her mother; how his face would light up when they were altogether, how he became more alive every minute he spent in her mama's presence. Lucy knows the danger of the death of love, how it turns papas into strangers who seem to have never been capable of love at all.

The day that Lucy hears of her engagement, she understands, with the utter certainty of a teenager, that her father must not love her anymore. The warm care of the servants cannot fill the void where her parents' love once bloomed and filled her heart. Lucy takes action: she casts off her silly fantasies of Love and decides to rescue herself from a fate worse than death, and grabs her keys and plots her escape. She does not need to wait for a prince to achieve her share of magic and adventure.


Quick notes: Obviously, I do not own fairy tail or it's characters, and this is a simple fanwork. Also, the (slightly modified) definitions above are taken from online dictionary of etymology.