It was around noon when I woke up shivering, my blanket wrapped around me tightly. I'd had the dream again, but now I was freezing cold. I looked to the small window next to my bed and I realized why. Snow was falling in great heaps outside, already covering the ground in a white sparking sheet.
"So much for going outside today." I murmured to myself cheerlessly. I drew in a deep breath and got out of bed, letting it out as my feet touched the ground. I quickly changed then padded out to the kitchen and grabbed a piece of bread before sitting down. I groaned as a knock resounded from the front room. Getting up, I set my piece of bread down and headed towards the door. I looked through the peephole to see Laxus standing there with a grin on his face. I slowly opened the door.
"Yes Laxus?"
"How is everything? I heard your father left last night to go somewhere."
"Everything's fine, now if you'll excuse me I have some things to do." I started to close the door but for some reason unbeknownst to me he decided to take that as an invitation inside as he pushed past me and walked to the kitchen. I glared at him from where I was standing then walked in after him, shutting the door behind me.
"What do you want Laxus? You know, it's very rude to just barge into someone's house."
"Ah but you're not just someone, you're a girl and you wanted me in here anyways."
"No Laxus, I didn't and I'd really be happy if you left." He looked up at me, looking genuinely shocked that I'd said that.
"Why of course you don't want me to leave." He laughed " Any girl would be overjoyed to have me in their house... Alone at that."
"Well, I'm not any girl. Now, please leave." He ignored me and set his feet up on the kitchen table, taking my piece of bread and eating it whole.
"Laxus..."
"I simply just came by to talk about the wedding." I raised an eyebrow as he picked at his fingernail.
"What wedding?" He laughed again.
"Why ours, silly!"
"I don't remember agreeing to this."
"You didn't, I just knew you would if I asked so why take the time when I could just start planning right away... Well you'll be planning it of course, that's always the girls job."
"Laxus we are not getting married, and I have no idea where you even got such a silly idea."
"Why of course we're getting married." I glared at him once again.
"No Laxus, we're not. Now, I'm going to ask you this one more time. Please. Leave." He looked up at me again and got up.
"Whatever you say Levi, you know that you'll have to accept me soon enough." He stated and walked away. I looked towards the counter and seeing a small cup of water left over from yesterday I smiled, quickly grabbing the cup and hiding it behind my back.
"Laxus would you hold on a second?" He turned around and smiled at me.
"I knew you'd change your mind." I nodded and walked up to him.
"Actually I just thought it would be nice to walk you to the door." His smile faded.
"Oh, well okay..." I smiled and walked with him to the door and opened it slightly before slipping out my hand holding the water stealthily while still holding the door slightly closed so he couldn't see my arm.
"About the marriage..." I said while slowly dipping my hand, letting the contents of the cup slowly pour out and on to the steps below.
"What about it?"
"If we were to get married... How many kids would you want us to have?" He grinned widely.
"Well... I would want us to have at least have six or seven." My eyes widened and he smirked.
"Yes I know that would be a lot of work but just think of it... They'll all be strapping lads... Like me!" I nodded, hoping that with how cold today, that the water would have frozen over already.
"Yes well... I'll think about that marriage, now I have to go do some things so I think it's time for you to go." He nodded happily then walked out proudly; and slipped, falling on his face. I tried to suppress a laugh as I shut the door. I heard him curse as he got up and I walked back to the kitchen and wiped off the table before getting another piece of bread, eating it contently.
After searching the house for my winter dress, a long dark blue dress with fur cuffs, I slipped on my fur boots and walked outside, my book in hand. I walked out to the back of the house, a large field partially occupied with a hen house and a small garden. I quickly walked over to the hen house after grabbing a bucket of food just inside a small cabinet next to the fence. I walked into the small house and spread the seeds around in front of the chickens then went back and bulled small sheets over each of them. I smiled to myself then walked out to the field, stopping in my tracks at sound of quickly approaching hoofbeats as I saw our horse, Philippe running towards me. My heart began to beat wildly, just about matching the sound of his hoofs. If he was here alone without father, or the carriage then that meant that something had happened to father. I rushed towards Philippe.
"What happened what happened?! Where's father?!" I gasped out, holding onto the horse fearfully. The horse neighed loudly, as if by answer and rubbed his nose against my leg. I took this as a sign that he'd take me to him so, trying my best not to slip, I quickly hoisted myself up onto his back, almost falling off because my hand were shaking so bad. I grabbed the reigns, in my shaking hands and help onto them as tight as possible.
"Come on Philippe, go to father!" I shrieked. He reared back and rushed off to the path that father had taken just the night before. I held my head down against the back of his neck as low hanging branches seemed to grab at my hair, trying the pull me back. He suddenly took a sharp turn and I was almost flung from his back but I was quick enough to wrap my arms around his neck, holding my legs tighter against his sides. We were going down a dark path full of dead trees that soon led off the another, small path, overgrown with weeds and moss. It was then that I began to see the faint outline of what looked like a great castle. When we were only halfway down the path to a large gate Philippe came to a halt. Without bothering to try to get him to go the rest of the way, I jumped off his back and ran to the gate. It was opened slightly and in front of it was father's hat. I shook my head and looked up at what I could now see was a large dark castle overgrown with weeds.
"Father..." I dashed to the the doors and threw them open.
"Hello? Is anyone here? Hello? Father? Father, are you here?"
I frantically searched around, trying to find where my father had gone. I entered a large living room with a fire still lit. He must have been here... He has to have been! I continued to look through the rooms. I went down a narrow hallway and sighed in relief as I saw a small door open, slightly with a dim light streaming through. I quickly walked to the door and opened it, only to gasp in shock at what I saw. The room was full of cells, and my father, breathing heavily, and completely pale was sitting in one of them, leaned up against the stone wall. I ran towards him as he looked up slightly.
"Father!" I whispered loudly in slight relief.
"How did you find me?" He asked softly, reaching his hands through the bars as I held onto them.
"Oh Father! Your hands are like ice, we need to leave this place." He shook his head as fear seemed to suddenly seep into his eyes.
"No no Levy, I need you to leave this place." I held his hand tighter.
"No I can't! Who did this to you?"
"Please Levy, just go, you can't be here. He'll come back."
"Wh-" I was suddenly cut off as a hand grabbed my shoulder yanking me back, an angry growl filling the room.
"What are you doing here?!" I scrambled away from the hand on my shoulder, a slight pain as I scrambled I felt something scrape my shoulder. I whipped around, about to yell at whoever had done this. Before I could get any words out my breath hitched and I froze. Those eyes... They're from my dream...
