The Lost Heir

Summary: Novali and Laxus' first encounter isn't a good one… She literally crashes into him with a tray full of hot tea and cake, which makes Laxus furious since he has to leave for work. Novali then meets him again when she goes out to have a drink with her best friend Vivian at Fairy Tail, the local bar-which much to Novali's utter shock, the bartender is none other Laxus. After going home that night, both are surprised to find out that they live in the same apartment complex. After a few more incidents, they start getting closer and bump into each other more often. Soon Laxus asks Novali out on a date, not taking no for an answer. But on their way to the restaurant they get attacked by men in black suits. They're cornered when they try to get back to their apartment, but get saved by Freed, the butler of the Dreyar Royal Family. How will they both react when they learn Laxus is actually Prince Viktor Reyson Dreyar the lost heir of the Ikazuchiryū Kingdom?

Translations:

Japanese

Gensoryū – Elemental Dragon

Ikazuchiryū – Lightning Dragon

Seinaruryū – Holy Dragon

Spanish

Mi casa es su casa – My home is your home

Chapter One – Tall, Blonde and Muscular

It was another morning in Gensoryū Kingdom. I, Novali Holiday, sat at my bureau and brushed my medium length, straight, white-blonde hair with darkish purple tips, and then applied light make up around my violet eyes and heart shaped lips. My thoughts wandered back to previous night. I was at a party at the Glass Palace, and it seemed like something out of a dream… But now my life was back to normal.

But everything would change when I meet him

"Hey Super Nova!" My best friend Vivian tackled me into a hug as soon as I opened my front door.

"Good morning to you too, Viv!" I giggled, "Come on in!"

I had a rare day off from working at the Take Over Bakery and Café that I ran with my cousins, Mirajane, Elfman and Lisanna Strauss, so I invited Vivian to come over and hang out at my apartment. Vivian's an old friend from our hometown, but now she worked close by as a fashion designer. Ever since we had bumped into each other and reunited, we had been hanging out a lot.

"Hey, I know I just got here, but you mind if I turn on your TV?" She asked, flipping her long, bright orange hair out of her pale grey eyes.

"Sure, mi casa es su casa, remember?" I answered, "Is there something you wanted to watch?"

"Yeah. There's a show on called the 'Royal Families' that reports on royals from all over the world." Vivian replied, "I completely forgot to record it, so I thought maybe we could watch it together."

I gave her an amused look. Truth be told, I'm good friends with almost all of the princes and princesses, but Vivian didn't know that yet. I wasn't sure if I could handle the bombardment of questions she would throw at me.

"Alright. You really are a fangirling over those princes." I said, "Which was your favorite, again?"

"Prince Sting of the Seinaruryū Kingdom, of course!" Vivian replied with a huge grin. "Hm? Oh, today's show is about the Dreyar Family of the Ikazuchiryū Kingdom."

The Dreyar family was on I didn't know much about unfortunately. I prepared some hot chocolate and sweets, and sat down beside her.

"Yay! You make the best cakes and candies!" Vivian cheered.

"Well, I do work at a bakery." I said, smiling in amusement again, and looked at the TV.

The screen was showing the luxurious interior of the palace while playing elegant music in the background.

"How lovely…" I murmured. "Just the kind of magnificent palace you'd expect for such a powerful country."

"Yeah, it's amazing and all, but…" Vivian frowned, "There are some rumors that both Ikazuchiryū Kingdom and the Dreyar Family are struggling."

My eye widened slightly as I looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Fifty years ago, Ikazuchiryū was prospering under a fine king… King Makarov." She explained.

"Uh-huh…" I hummed.

"His son, King Ivan succeeded him for a few years, and things were good for a while until his and Queen Reina's only child, Prince Viktor, was killed in an accident." Vivian continued. "Lady Reina was so distraught and fell ill, passing away shortly after, while Prince Ivan went mad and just suddenly disappeared. King Makarov is back on the throne, but he's been on bedrest for a while now."

"Oh, yeah… I remember hearing about that." I said, nodding.

"So since then, the royal family's power has been in decline." Vivian added.

"That's…not good." I murmured.

"It's not." Vivian agreed, "No capable politicians have emerged to fill in for the King. The country seems to be in a state of confusion. In the middle of all that, the mafia seems to be gaining power."

"The mafia, huh…?" I mumbled. "That sounds dangerous…"

'How terrible for King Makarov to practically lose all his family like that.' I thought, 'And on top of that to fall ill himself…'

As I looked at the picture on the TV screen of the smiling faces of the once happy royal family, I felt sad. Suddenly Vivian and I both jumped from the noises that suddenly came from out of nowhere.

"What in the world was that?!" Vivian exclaimed.

"No clue. It sounded like it came from outside." I answered as I got up from the couch to look out the window.

I could see the back of a large, muscular man picking up pots and pans that fell out of a cardboard box.

"Oh, looks like someone's moving in." I said.

"This apartment complex has vacant rooms?" Vivian asked.

"I guess? I wasn't aware of any though…" I muttered, "I thought they had all been filled."

I was a little curious about my new neighbor, but I went back to the couch and plopped down.

…A Few Days Later…

I was decorating a birthday cake when all three of my cousins hurried into the kitchen looking nervous and excited.

"Novali, there's a phone call for you!" Elfman said with wide eyes.

"Okay. Who is it from? Is there an emergency?" I asked in concern.

"Well, he said his name is Gray, and he's a butler at the Glass Palace." Lisanna said.

My own eyes widened in surprise.

"Gray? Does he need something?" I asked.

"He said that he wants you to make a strawberry cake for the Princess Erza, Princess Wendy and Prince Natsu!" Mirajane all but shouted.

"H-He wants me…to make a…cake…for their majesties?" I repeated, and my mouth dropped open in shock.

When I arrived at the Glass Palace, Gray greeted me with a respectful bow.

"I'm glad you granted my request, Miss Holiday, and I apologize for sudden how sudden it was." Gray said.

"Oh, not at all!" I answered with a bright smile, "After all, it is a huge honor to be asked to bake for their majesties."

I handed over the cake box I've brought to Gray.

"Yes, well, Princess Erza and Princess Wendy absolutely loved your strawberry cake from the previous party." Gray said. "When Princess Wendy told Prince Natsu about it, he wanted to have some."

"Really?" I asked, feeling pleased.

Just then I heard the sounds of people coming down the corridor towards us.

"There are a lot of people around the palace today." I commented absently, "Many of them are civilians, too."

"Oh, that's because an esteemed university professor is holding a political lecture." Gray replied, "Attendance was opened to the public by lottery. Princess Erza, Prince Natsu and Princess Wendy will be attending the lecture too." He smiled at me, "Would you like to take a look, Miss Holiday?"

"Sure, why not?" I replied, "Best to take an opportunity when offered."

'Wow… There are so many people here…' I thought in awe.

Along with the prince and princesses, the room is crammed with young students. The professor, Jura, was up on the grand stage, lecturing animatedly and enthusiastically.

"…and that's why we can actively pursue methods such as privatization and deregulation that will put the market in the people's hands." Jura said, "This cultivates strong individuals, and strong individuals shape the market."

Suddenly, a man stands up from his seat. He's tall and muscular, with blonde hair and blue-green eyes. But the most peculiar thing about him is the lightning shaped scar over his right eye.

"Excuse me. May I make a comment?" He said in a deep, gruff voice.

"Of course. I welcome opinions from the audience." Jura answered.

The blonde man crossed his arms.

"Individuals shape the market, but in countries that don't have that foundation, wouldn't it be difficult to actually implement the policies you mentioned?" He spoke in a serious tone.

Jura's grin widened at the excellent question.

"The citizens come from many class backgrounds." The man continued on, "Even if the market is left to them, there will be those who can't shoulder that role."

"Of course, that is a vaild point." Jura nodded.

"In that case, the government should undertake public works and fiscal investments." The man said

"Well, in those cases…" Jura spoke, but was interrupted.

"Don't you agree that it is necessary to determine polices based on the needs of our citizens?" The blonde asked, narrowing his eyes.

All eyes are focused on the blonde haired man.

'Wow, that guy is amazing… He looks to be the same age as me, but he's like a whole other level!' I thought in amazement.

I was totally captivated by the aura that surrounded him. Before I could stop myself, I was asking the girl sitting next to me about him.

"Who is that guy?" I questioned.

"I don't know either, but he seems to know a lot about this." She said, seeming just as awed as I was. "Maybe he's a grad student."

"I see." I murmured.

After that, a debate flares up and the atmosphere became very heated.

"Miss Holiday, are you really okay with this?" Gray asked, following me.

"Yes, go ahead. Please don't worry about me." I said smiling, "I remember where the room is."

After the lecture is over, Gray and I were supposed to go to the room where Princesses Erza and Wendy and Prince Natsu were waiting. But Gray was called away on another matter… He sighed, handing me the tray of cold water, hot tea and strawberry cakes, and I head to the room on my own.

'That lecture was really interesting.' I thought, 'The content was heavy, but the debate really got going after that tall, blonde guy spoke up…'

I turned a corner and…CRASH!

I let out a yelp at the same time the guy who ran into me cried out. The things on my tray went flying, and the guy into is drenched in hot tea and cake.

"Hot! Hot! Damn, that's hot!" He swears.

It's the blonde guy from the lecture.

"I-I'm so sorry!" I stammer, "Are you okay?!"

"Does it look like I'm okay?!" He snapped, "Watch were you're going!"

He scowled at me harshly.

"I'm sorry… But you were running and came out of nowhere…" I said helplessly under his glare. "A-Anyways, your clothes are ruined!"

"No kidding!" He said sarcastically.

The man took his shirt off and squeezed the liquid from it. I grabbed a clean towel and wet it with the cold water from the tray. I pressed it to his stomach where the hot tea hit.

"Are you burned?" I asked in concern.

The man sighed quietly at the coolness, "No, I think I'm okay." He said in a softer voice.

"Thank goodness…" I sighed in relief.

As I pressed the cool clothe to his stomach, my eyes were drawn to the man's muscled stomach.

'Whoa! He must do sports or weightlifting or something!' I thought, trying to keep my face from blushing.

Then I spotted a peculiar dark colored mark on the right side of his abdomen. It was different from the tattoos he had around it, like a birth mark or a bruise or something. It kind of reminded me of a fairy with a pointed tail.

"What are you staring at?!" He snapped.

"I-I wasn't staring!" I snapped back, tired of his attitude. "I was just curious about that bruise-like mark on your stomach. That didn't happen just now, did it?"

"Obviously not." He snorted. "It's a birthmark. I've had it since I was born. People say it looks like a fairy with a pointed tail…"

"That's what I was thinking…" I murmured out loud, and involuntarily stared at it again.

"Jeez, did you bump into on purpose so you could get me undressed?" He teased.

I turned bright red and sputtered indignantly.

'Ugh! This guy seems completely different now than when he was at the lecture!' I snarled mentally.

I looked up at him with a scowl, and then smiled sweetly, "Did you hit your head or something? But then again you are a bit of a giant, and the ceilings are so tall…so it must be a mental problem." I said with fake innocence.

"Wha-?! You… Watch your mouth!" He snapped.

I was about to retaliate when I heard the sound of footsteps from down the corridor. I saw the prince and princesses coming our way.

"Hey, Nova!" Natsu greeted cheerfully.

"Hi, Novali-san… Um, what going on?" Wendy asked shyly.

"Is this guy bothering you?" Erza asked narrowing her eyes at his appearance. But then she zeroed in on the mashed up cake. "Did he make you drop your delicious cake?!"

"N-No…I was just leaving!" The blonde said, "I'm late for work…!"

The man hurriedly put on his shirt and walked off.

"Wait, your clothes are still wet…!" I called after him.

"It's not hot anymore, so it's fine." He said rudely, "Jeez, I can't believe some chick caused so much trouble for me…"

"Wha…?! Why you-?!" I snarled, but the man left before I could finished my sentence.

"What was all that about?" Erza asked, as Natsu helped me up off the floor.

"I'm so sorry… We slammed into each other, and everything's ruined now…" I said, sighing helplessly.

"It's fine, so long as you're not hurt." Wendy said, smiling kindly.

"I'm okay…and I think he was, too." I said.

Just then, another butler with long green hair and blue eyes appeared from behind the royals and grasped my shoulders.

"Did you get that man's name?!" He asked insistently.

"Wha-Wha…?! I… N-No, I didn't…" I stammered nervously.

'Who is this guy?! His eyes are so intense, it's scary…!' I thought, pushing him off me and stepping behind Natsu.

"Nova, this is Freed Justine, a butler who works with the Dreyar Royal family." Natsu introduced me, amusement heard loud and clear in his voice.

"Freed-san's a serious and intense butler. He's been here at the Glass Palace to train the new butlers." Wendy continued.

"Freed, what is the meaning of this all of the sudden?" Erza asked sharply. "You're frightening our friend, Novali."

"Oh…" Freed murmured and softened his features, before bowing deeply. "Please forgive me, I didn't mean to scare Lady Novali. It's just the man you ran into… Could he have been…?"

Freed trailed off and gazed into the direction of our mystery man's exit, deep in thought.

"Majesties, Lady Novali, I'm very sorry. But please excuse me." He said, bowed and then hurried off in the direction the man from before went.

"Um… What's was that all about?" I asked, still stunned.

"No clue…" Natsu said, looking bored. "More importantly, come with us to the dining room."

I started to protest, "But what about-"

Natsu put his arm around my shoulders and started to lead me away from the mess I made.

"Someone else will clear this up and bring us fresh water, tea and strawberry cake." Natsu said.

"I really am sorry about all this…" I said, bowing my head.

"Please don't worry about it!" Wendy said cheerfully.

"Yes, come. Let's go." Erza agreed.

I was about to come quietly when I noticed a book that's been dropped in the corner of the corridor.

"Oh… Just a moment!" I said, slipping under Natsu's arm.

I picked up the book and saw that it was small and old looking. When I opened it, it seemed to be about politics.

'That man must have dropped it when we ran into each other…' I thought absently.

"Nova…?" Natsu called out to me in concern.

"Oh! Sorry, I'm coming!" I said, tucking the book into my messenger bag.

'I shouldn't make their majesties wait!' I scolded myself.

I caught up to Natsu, Wendy and Erza and walked with them to the dining room.

After having tea and cake with my royal friends, I leave the Glass Palace. I sighed as I walked through the court yard.

"Things were all over the place today…" I complained to myself. "I was happy to eat with their majesties, but… I dropped the tray, and then that stupid, blonde, giant… Ugh! He was so rude to me!"

I kept ranting to myself as I made my way to the gate, when a serious looking man stopped me.

"Excuse me, Miss Holiday, right?" The man asked, "May I have a moment of your time?"

I eyed him warily. He had green hair so dark it almost looked black and eyes that mirrored mine, and was wearing an expensive suit. He also had a strange air of authority surrounding him.

"…Yes, what can I do for you?" I said tensely.

The man smiles, laughing a little.

"Please don't be scared, I'm not someone suspicious. My name is Lahar." He said reassuringly. "I was at the lecture today."

"I see." I said softening my tone, but still keeping my guard up.

"You spoke with that tall, young man, didn't you?" Lahar asked, "The one who argued with the professor. You ran into each other in the corridor, right?"

I narrowed my eyes, wondering how he knew that.

"I bumped into him, yes, but we didn't actually talk much." I said, "Just an exchange of a few words is all."

"I see… So you didn't get him name, then?" He stated more than asked.

"No, sir." I said.

"Hmm… Well, thank you for your time. I hope you enjoyed the lecture." Lahar said, "Sorry to have bothered you. Excuse me."

I stared hard at the man's back as he walked away.

'What was that all about? First Freed and then him? Why are they so interested in that dumb giant…?' I wondered, 'He didn't stand out much, but I wonder if there's more to him…'

I glanced at my watch and gasped, realizing it was way past the time I said I would be back at the bakery.

Hours later, it was finally closing time at the end of a very busy day. Vivian came by the store just as I walked outside.

"Super Nova, you finished?" She asked, "Let's go grab a drink!"

I gave her a tired look, "Can we go tomorrow night?" I mumbled.

"If you're tired, then a drink is what you neeeeeed!" She sang.

I smiled, "Alright, alright." I agreed.

"Yay! It's settled!" Vivian said excitedly, "You made the right choice! I totally found a place with a mega hot bartender!"

"Boy-crazy as usual… What am I going to do with you?" I said fondly.

Vivian laughed, "Well, it's fun to look sometimes, riiiight?" She asked meaningfully.

"Oh, right! Viv, I've got lots to tell you actually!" I said with renewed energy.

"Really? Something happen today?" Vivian asked.

"You bet'cha!" I said and launched into my time at the Glass Palace today.

"No way! You had cake and tea with Princess Erza and Wendy, and Prince Natsu?!" Vivian exclaimed. "And you're friends with most of the royals?!"

"Yeah, I did, and yes, I am." I said, having confessed my secret.

Vivian and I are walking down the nighttime street, chatting as we head to the bar.

"Whoa…! I can't believe it!" She said. "I'm so jealous! What are they like?!"

"Kind and proper, although, Natsu and Sting get scolded for their lack of manners and over friendliness sometimes. Rouge and Cobra, on the other hand get scolded for their anti-socialness. Wendy is sweet and shy, the total opposite of Natsu. Gajeel talks and looks tough, but he's a big softy. And Erza… Um, Erza is strict and kind of scary, but she always fair and has a big heart. She loves strawberry cake." I looked at Vivian with a smile that screamed I had a big secret.

"What? What?!" She said excitedly.

"This is strictly a secret." I warned seriously.

"I won't tell! I promise!" She said solemnly.

"They all have fiancées! Well, Wendy is too young, but she's dating Romeo, the son of Lord Macao Conbolt." I said. "Natsu is with Lucy Heartfilia, the romance novelist and heiress to the Heartfilia Railways. Sting is with Yukino Aguria, she's a commoner but she saved Sting's life and they fell in love. Rouge is with Minerva Orland, the heiress to the Sabertooth Dojo. Cobra is with Kinana Hiss, she's another commoner, but they grew up together. Gajeel is with Levy his castle's librarian. And Erza is with Jellal, the Captain of the Scarlet Royal Guard."

"Aww! I'm so jealous you know all this and are actually friends with them!" She said, and then turned on me, "How could you keep this a secret from me?!"

I laughed, "Sorry, sorry." I said.

"Hmph, well at least the guy at this new bar is on the same level of hotness as the princes!" She said, in a good mood again.

I followed Vivian into the bar. I smiled smugly at her.

"Remember, I know the real deal. So I'm going to be a tough judge on this guy's hotness." I said.

"Don't worry, he won't let you down." Vivian giggled. "Oh! In fact, there he is!"

I looked towards the person Vivian is pointing to, and tall, blonde and muscular looked right back at me.

"It's you! The giant with the rude attitude!" I yelled before I could stop myself.

"And you're the clumsy girl who threw boiling tea on me!" He scowled right back at me.