AN: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima! ^_^
Hey! Happy New Year! Hope you had a great holiday! So, this story wasn't quite all me, so can I just thank Rachel Ongaku (won't let me put the name properly?) and RubyMen's Coffee for your help and support! ^_^ I wouldn't have managed to start this story without them – Rachel Ongaku helped with the casting of characters and convinced me that I should try writing out the idea that had floated around my head for months! RubyMen's Coffee (my best friend IRL) accidentally helped me with how to start the story – I was telling him about one of my childhood memories and his response was to tell me it sounded like something out of a Jane Austin novel, and ta-dah! We have the idea that started the story! So thank you so much both of you! ^_^ Hope everyone enjoys my little Fairy Tail parody of a sequel to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin!
Chapter One – Oh To Be the Last
Levy sat on the wooden swing that hung from the branch of the giant oak tree in front of the house, her nose buried in her book. She had been there for some time now, subconsciously swinging back and forth gently. Every now and then she would glance over the top of her book to watch a passing insect, busy in the quiet garden. She looked up as the new gardeners quietly walked in, clearly trying not to disturb her. She smiled at them as they nodded politely to her. They sometimes gave her reason to smile, so she didn't grudge them a little one. The house had been so quiet since three of her sisters had married.
Mirajane and Erza had had a beautiful joint wedding a few years ago, and Mira even had two little girls now. Erza was with Mr Fernandes' child, and only a few months from finally giving birth. Millianna, their youngest sister, had married only a few months before the eldest two, leaving only Levy and Lucy at home with their parents. Levy was a bookworm. She was bold and confident but she had always lived in her sisters' shadows. Mira was the kind, motherly one. Erza was the bold, confident, witty one, and of course both of them were beautiful and talented. Levy was never considered beautiful or talented. Then of course was Millianna. Millianna was the bold, loud and bubbly favourite child of their mother, she was also the youngest. Millianna had got married at the young age of sixteen to a young man from the military, Lyon Vastia.
Lucy was different however. Lucy had always followed. She had never followed Levy, obviously, but she had happily followed both their elder sisters and their youngest. Now they only had each other, and it was definitely a shock for both of them. They each had their own room now, Levy having moved into Mira and Erza's room, but as there were only the two of them, Lucy had to make do with Levy's company...and Levy had to put up with Lucy's much more outgoing and lively personality. In the last few years the sisters had definitely grown much closer; Lucy learning the piano, as well as learning how to sit quietly without being bored, while Levy had learned to read more than just the bible, and had learned that following the latest trends maybe wasn't just about exposing innocent young women to the brutish male race.
The problem Levy now had to think about, of course, was how she was going to persuade Lucy that they did not need to go to the last ball before the season ended completely. Levy still did not like them. She was never considered beautiful enough or interesting enough to be chosen as a partner of interest at a ball, but Lucy would be danced with all night. However, as their father had introduced the new rule a few years ago, just before their eldest sisters were married, Lucy was not even allowed to go to the ball without Levy – their father had decided that forcing Levy to dance with the men Lucy found for her was maybe being slightly unfair, and had decided it was fine for Lucy to dance without Levy, as long as Levy or himself were nearby.
Levy sighed and looked down at her dress. The current fashion drew perfect attention to how small her chest was, while it made her younger sister's seem even larger. Levy had never been blessed with a large chest, and at the age of five and twenty, she was unlikely to continue growing. She would remain short and almost completely chest-less for the rest of her life. She knew she still needed to find a husband, but she had nothing to fight with. Lucy's previous silliness had cost her many potential suitors, but then again, she had been in the shadows of Mira and Erza. She had never stood a chance as a seventeen year old girl as she had attempted to gain the eye of either Mr Justine or Mr Fernandes. Rich men did not want silly young girls. Lucy was now two and twenty, and very accomplished. Levy doubted it would be long before she was left completely alone.
Levy stood up and brushed out the creases of her dress. She had made it herself out of plain, dark brown light-weight material. It had not been complicated for her, not even making the long sleeves fit perfectly, but she had felt slightly bitter as she had fitted the dress to fit just under her almost nonexistent bust. Lucy had persuaded her that she should attempt to make a dress that was slightly out of fashion for this final ball, just as an attempt to gain some positive attention for a change. Lucy loved the current fashion, so Levy had been highly surprised, but she had agreed and had started to make the dress. That had been months ago, and Levy did not necessarily regret following her sister's advice; she was actually very pleased with the dress – she just did not want to go to the ball.
She laid her book down on the swing and headed towards the gate where the two gardeners had just come from. She was going to go for a walk; she would be back before anyone even noticed she was gone. She slipped through the gate, glancing behind her before shutting it quietly. Erza had used to wander off like this, and Levy now understood why. She ambled up the hill, lifting the hem of her dress above the damp grass. She smiled when she reached the top; she had arrived at the edge of the trees. On the other side of the trees was her little place where she could go to think. She slipped into the trees and made her way down through the growing nettles, careful not to get stung.
She heard a voice before she even heard the gentle bubble of the river. She stopped in her amble, really to make her way back home if the voice came towards her. She stood in silence, trying to decide which way the voice was going. She had been there for a few minutes before realising there was more than one. She crept forward soundlessly, trying to find out what the two voices were clearly arguing about. There was both a male voice and a female one, maybe she should turn back? She took another step forward and the river became visible through the trees. She stayed hidden behind the trunk of one of the trees as she watched the blue haired woman arguing with someone just out of sight. She was tall and beautiful, what could they be arguing about? Levy strained her ears, curiosity getting the better of her.
"...look after Juvia! Juvia does not need you to worry about her! Juvia knows what she is doing!" Who was this woman in front of her? And for that matter, why was she arguing with a man about someone called 'Juvia'?
"Juvia, just calm down! You're going to end up in the damn river! I don't care if you like this 'Mr Fullbuster' or not, I just don't want you getting hurt! Just get your damn ass home before your parents realise you're missing! Feel free to do what the rest of the women in this town do! Be silly over the damn fool, try to win him! I don't care! I just refuse to be responsible for the mess after he breaks your damn heart!"
Levy stood completely stunned. Gentlemen do not use that sort of language, and certainly not in front of a lady, never mind directed at a lady! Levy knew who 'Mr Fullbuster' was, everyone did. He was the current most eligible bachelor in town, and her mother had encouraged her and Lucy to do everything they could to gain the man's affections. Levy had sat back quietly during their introduction to the young man, letting her sister try for him. He had not seemed to object to her; in fact he rather seemed to admire her plentiful bosom, even if he had blushed slightly as she had pushed it out towards him – although, looking at this 'Juvia' lady in front of her, Lucy certainly had some competition. Juvia certainly looked like a tall, beautiful and elegant young lady in her beautifully fitting long blue dress that hugged her bountiful chest so annoyingly.
Levy sighed before turning to walk back home. Her turn would come. One day she would find a man that was not upset about her love of books and her flat chest. It did not take her long to walk back to the gate, only to be met with an enthusiastic Lucy asking where she had been, while telling her that they had a visitor of the very handsome variety. Levy instantly knew who Lucy meant and calmly followed behind her younger sister, thinking of the poor young woman currently down by the river. She placed a false smile on her face, as Lucy had taught her, and walked into the drawing room as the eldest Miss Conbolt, Miss Lucy Conbolt following directly after her. Her eyes met Mr Fullbuster's instantly as they walked in, for some reason challenging him to say something that would give away the true intentions of this unexpected visit. She was not about to let her sister get hurt by this man who had already led another on. He greeted them politely and continued to talk amiably with their father as they curtsied and sat down.
Levy would start then.
"Mr Fullbuster, what brings you out here today?"
"Miss Conbolt." He nodded, smiling at her, "I wished to share company with your father, is that not a good excuse?"
"Oh, but I had heard tell of a young lady by the name of Juvia that you liked to keep company with?"Levy enquired innocently, not failing to notice his flinch at the name 'Juvia', while her sister stiffened slightly.
"...Juvia? Perhaps you are referring to Miss Loxar? She is a very intriguing young woman. As to keeping company with her, I must deny all knowledge of. I have business with her father most days, so I regularly find myself within the same room, however I have yet to have an in depth conversation with her, as I have managed with you on several occasions."
Levy thanked him for his compliment before turning to her sister who was still sitting stiffly on her stool. Levy smiled at her, waking Lucy from her daze. The blonde could only smile back at her sister as she realised she had a potential rival. She had to ask about her, but now was not the time, not while Mr Fullbuster was here. She could not let her family down again. It had been some time since a rich bachelor such as Mr Fullbuster had come to the area, and she knew she did not have forever. Levy had firmly implanted into her that a flower only blooms once – and it was not as if there were going to be many more bachelors while she still 'bloomed'.
The ball was her last chance.
Who is this mysterious 'Miss Juvia Loxar'? And who was the ungentlemanly man she was arguing with? Will Mr Fullbuster lead on sweet Miss Lucy Conbolt and break her heart? Or will he break the mysterious Miss Loxar's? Can Levy convince her sister not to go to the ball? And will her turn ever come?
Hope you enjoyed this first chapter! ^_^ Please let me know what you think! It's my first attempt at this sort of story and I'm trying to write a Period Drama of all things! Any pointers would be great! ^_^ Chapter 2 will be up next Friday but I'll be back at uni so it may be a little late! :P
Sunday One Shot: 'Waiting' (A GaLe/Gajevy)
Tuesday's One Piece story: 'The Twisting String that is Fate' Ch2