Lucy threw herself back onto her bed kicking the door shut with her foot. She winced as her aching feet made contact with the wooden panels. These new heels made her poor feet ache like crazy!
"That stupid party!" she muttered to herself irritably, "Stupid boys!" Her face glowered as she remembered the recent events of a young man getting way too close for comfort whilst they danced.
"I'm never getting a boyfriend." She whispered to herself laying back in bed still in her incredibly frilly pink dress. It would've taken her a good couple of hours to squeeze herself back out of that evil corset on her own and then she had no chance of escaping the demonic device which strapped her chest up because the skirt was that frilly her short arms couldn't reach the back clasp, so not bothering to change before she slept seemed like the best and easiest alternative to the issue. She was so sick of all these prissy parties, being used as a chance to show off how much money people had, it was a constant battle of who had the fanciest clothes and cars. She was only invited because her father was a duke; Lucy was more of an accessory to him, like a Gucci handbag he could flog to whoever would pay the most and make him look good.
"Fuck that." She thought, untying her hair in the dark before closing her eyes. She didn't want to be some trophy wife, she wanted to go do something with herself; something meaningful and powerful and creative. She so desperately craved adventure and new people with different outlooks and views. All she wanted was to take control of her life. She wanted to be someone important and change the world and make a difference and- *snoring*.
- the next morning :)
Knock knock.
"Lady Lucy?…" a high voice came, "M-miss?"
Lucy rolled over reluctantly; the sunlight beamed through the curtains practically blinding her. She hated this place.
"Lucy? ... Princess?" The voice came again through the door.
She jumped, "Huh? Oh yeah, come in." The sleepy blonde replied as the dark wooden door creaked open and a little pink haired maid walked in; her chains rattling softly as she held a dainty china mug.
She smiled, "Good morning, V." Lucy yawned. The maid nodded, smiling back placing the mug of strong coffee beside her on the table.
"Your father would like to see you, Princess." She said, as she moved Lucy's shoes from last night to one side and pulled out a casual blue dress with golden lining and a big gold heart along the top. It was one of Lucy's favourites and she knew it would help brighten her mood a little.
"W-what does he want?" The blonde stuttered, shocked. This was strange she went weeks without saying a word to her father, the house was so damned big she could never find him…
Not that she ever looked.
"He didn't say, Princess." The girl mumbled as she helped Lucy pull off the disgustingly pink frills and change into the comfy simple blue dress.
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that!." She cried, before sipping her coffee then brushing her teeth and hair quickly.
She had to look like 'Jude Heartfilia's daughter'.
She looked at herself in the mirror scowling at the girl she saw staring back, then sighing and moving away from as she applied another coat of lip gloss nervously. The blonde left the maid with an anxious smile and wave and then began walking down one of the many bleak grey corridors looking in the studies and the libraries and the dining halls and the sitting rooms. She even searched the staff wings in the house.
"Where the hell is he?" She muttered, her blonde brows furrowing.
The only place she knew she hadn't checked was the garden, he hated the garden. It was filled with beautiful flowers of all kinds, it had long white benches and amazing statues and birds. It was Lucy's favourite place as she could sit by her mother's grave and write stories or read books. The blonde had unconsciously walked through the garden thinking about all the time she'd spent there these past few years and the bench by her mother she loved so much. She now stood in front of the grave staring at the bright yellow roses that surrounded the pretty headstone.
She sighed lightly gently running her finger along the stone before walking on and making her way back to the house. She needed to find Jude.
Then she saw him.
Something wasn't right, why was he in the garden?! Frowning at a bunch of daisies, he stood tall in a brown suit with his arms folded as a butler with dark glasses stood silently by his side. "Father." Lucy spoke curtsying. He looked at her, his frown deepening. "Lucy." He boomed motioning to a white bench, "Please, take a seat." Lucy nodded sitting down on the very edge of the bench, her father stayed standing. He looked at the butler for a moment then waved his hand shooing him away. The butler bowed and then scurried off without a word.
"Ahem." He began turning to face her, "Lucy, as you are now seventeen, I -" Lucy cut him off,
"Eighteen, Father." She whispered.
He scowled, "That's what I said!" he hissed.
"Y-yes, Sorry Father." She mumbled looking at the old stone tile floor. He sighed irritated.
"As you are now eighteen, I think it's time for you to carry on our legacy and… get married." He said.
Her eyes went wide, "M-marry?" she said, "But…. Who?" she frowned.
"He's a great man, it will give us a lot of press." Jude said, excitedly.
"Y-You already p-picked someone?" Lucy shook, partly with fear and partly with anger.
"Of course I did! I choose you a husband! I'm doing you a favour!" he scowled, looking her up and down in disgust.
"I don't want to get married." Lucy said, her eyes still wide with shock. He laughed at her,
"You think you have a choice in the matter?" he sniggered. The blonde sat silently hating her father.
"You'll be meeting him tomorrow, I expect you to be polite and do as I say… or you'll face the consequences, do you understand?" he hissed at her. She nodded, unconsciously touching the back of her shoulder feeling the raised lines on her skin that would be there forever. With that Jude walked away, stepping on the daisies as he left her there.
- the next morning :)
Her eyes were heavy and dark as she regretfully pulled herself up into the small golden carriage at the gates; it rattled lightly as the door shut behind her. It was a mild day and the sun was just rising so the sky was bright and a light pink colour but Lucy was most certainly not in bright and light pink colour mood this morning.
Understandably so, too.
She sighed sitting down gently onto the crimson velvet seats in the empty carriage. Jude had a separate carriage to her as he didn't like to sit with her - something about her being too annoying.
"Are you ready, miss?" The driver smiled through the small window; it was the same butler as yesterday, he wore his dark glasses over his eyes, Lucy could see her puffy reflection in them. She nodded wishing she could wear them to cover up her sleepless night but instead she plastered on a smile; and with that he turned around and whipped the rains.
The horses hooves thundered behind her father's carriage on the hard morning ground. She stared out of the small glass window at the Heartfilia mansion slowly but surely getting smaller and smaller as she wondered what this Lord Laxus would be like.
"How does he expect me to marry a man I've never even met!?" she muttered to herself angrily as she clenched her fists.
"How does he expect me to marry anyone!"
She tried to imagine Lord Laxus and what he would be like; probably some fat red faced old man offering her father a few billion, with the deeds to a few exotic lands ready for factories and other money making businesses.
She watched the trees swaying in the wind; it was still early morning and Lucy was still incredibly tired due to her lack of any good sleep last night. After a few long boring hours of tree spotting she found herself dosing off to the beat of the carriage on the bumpy road.
A long while after that she was very suddenly jolted from one end of the carriage to the other, slamming against the wall as it came to a sudden halt.
"What the-..?" She mumbled with a mouth full of floor.
A minute later she pulled herself up, disorientated. The butler opened the door and began patting down her dress that V had picked out for her. It was a sparkly deep red with a sweetheart neckline and the skirt fell just above her ankles. It looked amazing along with the red strappy heels she'd found at the back of her closet.
She gasped as she stepped out of the carriage and stared at the beautiful mansion before her. She was gazing at the sandstone walls that surrounded the house. It was extremely baronial, (A building or room that is large, impressive and built or decorated in an old-fashioned style), with great wooden beams and a stained glass window depicting a colourful symbol above the front door.
The garden out front had tall grass surrounded by yellow daffodils and pink tulips that blew gently in the wind.
Her mouth hung open when she saw the roses!
Big red roses climbed up the sandy brick work by the front door their vines curled around cracks and clung to corners of the building.
"Close your mouth!" Jude commanded quietly, swatting Lucy's arm. She flinched at his touch, snapping her mouth shut. Jude walked up to the large wooden front doors and slammed his fist against it a few times before Lucy followed meekly.
"Jude Heartfilia!" A pleasant voice rang out as the door swung open…
No one was there.
Lucy raised a brow.
"Uhh… H-hello?" Jude called out. He looked back at Lucy who had the exact same confused expression on her face.
"D-down here…" it came again, dejected. Lucy looked down to see an incredibly short man with a grey moustache. He wore a rather silly looking outfit with blue and orange stripes going across it. He smiled nervously, showing the wrinkles in his skin.
"O-oh… Greetings… Sir Dreyar." Jude said, nodding his head, slightly embarrassed. 'Oh god! This is him! It really was an old man!' Lucy cried internally.
"Just call me Makarov!" the short man replied, smiling wider when he saw Lucy.
She was confused and relieved at the same time so she had a very contorted expression, probably not making her look the prettiest when paired with dark circles and the 'I just flew across a carriage' look she was currently serving.
"Ahh and you must be Lady Lucy!" he chirped, grabbing her hand and kissing it politely.
"Welcome to my wonderful home!" he exclaimed as he stepped aside making way for the pair to enter the beautiful old mansion.
They found themselves in a bright hallway with shiny wooden floors and a cream banister that spiralled upwards magnificently. The walls were cream too with a pretty light blue flower print dotted along the top and bottom, however that was quickly outshined by the amazing high arched windows, framed with white velvet drapes.
"This way, please!" Makarov grinned, going through an oak door on the left of the light hallway.
Lucy uncertainly stepped in the room being followed closely by Jude. She was nervous and still furious with her father for what he'd done. She'd tried to think of different ways out of this marriage until 4am that morning; the thing is she had nothing.
The wall paper was plain white along with the fluffy carpet that sunk slightly under their feet whenever they took a step. A giant golden detailed framed mirror that covered the whole wall hung majestically. There was a wooden bookcase filled to the brim with paperbacks and a cabinet full of dainty looking china. Lucy turned from the mirror to see a brown sofa with heavy oak arms, and right in the middle sat a beast of a man.
"I'm Laxus." He grunted standing up and reluctantly shaking Jude's hand before awkwardly kissing Lucy's then sitting back down next to Makarov.
Lucy internally groaned. 'At least he's not old.'
Laxus was quite tall with broad shoulders and dark blonde hair that spiked upwards. His green eyes looked Lucy up and down, then her father.
He looked almost bored with the whole thing; you could tell he hadn't agreed to this marriage either. So what was the whole point in this? Makarov didn't seem like a man who valued money the same way Jude did; Makarov seemed kind and like he cared about others. So why the hell was she stood there staring at her future husband who seemed to not want to be there even more than she did?!