Levy gaped at the man. His face was shadowed, but she could see the wild mane of black hair and the glint of red eyes. "Who are you?" She whispered. He didn't answer, instead opening the lock of her cell and stepping inside. His rough hand grabbed onto her arm, pulling her to her feet. She gasped in pain.
"You hurt?" He held a candle to the bandage on her arm.
"I'm okay, really." She drew her arm away, and he let go. Levy heard voices somewhere down the hall, and her savior cursed under his breath.
"We have to go, Princess." He turned, breaking into a run down the hall. Levy hurried to catch up with his long strides. The thumps of footsteps- many footsteps- were getting closer and she could see the flicker of light from candles around the corner. They stopped at a small door, and the man shoved it open. Levy pushed through it, and the cold night air blew against her cheeks. They were outside. They stood in front of a castle, the dark turrets stretching into the night sky.
"Wait." The man turned to Levy at the sound of her voice. "I'm thankful you got me out, but I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me who you are." She crossed her arms, drawing herself up to her full- albeit rather unimpressive- height. He snorted.
"I'm Gajeel Redfox. From the castle of Kind Igneel in Magnolia." Levy's eyes widened. Gajeel Redfox? The cousin of Prince Natsu? "Now, we have to go before they find us." He grabbed her arm- the uninjured one this time- and pulled her towards a clump of trees. A single horse stood hidden in the brush, dark coat blending in to the night. Levy gulped. This horse was big. Gajeel turned to her. "What are you waiting for, Shrimp?" Levy flushed.
"Shrimp?" She asked incredulously. He nodded.
"You're tiny." Levy stared at him. "Now come on, Princess. We're going to Magnolia." He mounted the horse with ease, pulling Levy up to sit in front of him.
"Why Magnolia? Can't I go back to the castle?" She adjusted her grip on the horse's mane, shifting around on the saddle.
"You were set up." Levy whipped her head around.
"What?" Admittedly, it had seemed weird that the carriage coachman had disappeared, but who would set her up?
"Someone at the castle is trying to deliver you to the Dark Council. You're the heir to Fiore. 'Course you would be a target." Levy didn't reply. She wasn't the princess. Why had the Council at the castle sent her to be captured? She couldn't tell Gajeel she wasn't the princess. It was undoubtedly safer for Lucy to be at the castle. They weren't even allied with the dragon castles.
"Alright. I accept." Levy said, steadying herself. Gajeel grunted, and the horse shook its head, and galloped into the forest.
The two stopped by a trickling creek, and Levy slid gratefully off the horse, her legs instantly buckling as she touched the ground. They had been riding all through the night, and sunset was almost upon them. Levy had barely ridden as a maid, and she was sore and uncomfortable. Gajeel dismounted, tossing a package to Levy. She caught it awkwardly, fumbling with the twine wrapped around it. Inside was a dried brown object. She sniffed at it. "Meat?" She asked. Gajeel nodded in affirmation. He stuck his own in his mouth, sharp teeth ripping into it. Levy watched him curiously. She could see him in the sunlight better than in the night before. Gajeel was tall, taller than anyone she had met before. He had long, dark hair, messy like Levy's in the morning. His eyes were a strange shade of red that Levy had never seen him before. But the strangest thing about him were the piercings. Silvery studs decorated his face and scarred arms. He noticed her staring, and cocked a studded eyebrow. She coughed, averting her gaze. Looking down at the dried meat, Levy experimentally tried to take a bite out. Her teeth got promptly stuck in it, and her eyes widened in surprise. Gajeel let out a short, strangely high pitched laugh.
"Forget it, Shrimp. I'll start a fire and cook something." Levy flushed in embarrassment, managing to free the tough meet from her teeth. Gajeel disappeared into the forest, returning some time later with an armful of wood. Within minutes, fire was licking at the logs, and stew was cooking in a clay pot.
Levy lay back against a log, eyes fixed on the sky. It was completely dark, save for the sliver of the moon. Star Day was soon, along with her 17th birthday. Most people would be happy to see stars again after ten years. But for Levy, it only brought back pain. She absentmindedly touched her leather wristband.
"Shrimp?" Levy turned her head. Gajeel was watching her, the flickering fire casting orange light onto his face. "You're crying." Levy raised a hand to her face. She was.
"I-I don't know why I'm crying." She sniffled, wiping her eyes. Gajeel cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm okay. It's probably just the smoke." She pulled the blanket over her. "I should sleep." Gajeel grunted, and Levy lay there until her eyelids drifted closed and sleep claimed her.
Something bright was blazing into Levy's eyes. She frowned, cracking her eyelids open. The sun? Levy sat up. Oh. She turned her head. Gajeel stood a ways off, putting the saddle onto the horse. Levy rose, her sore legs crying out in protest. She joined Gajeel, bundling her blanket into his pack.
"We should reach Magnolia by afternoon." He said, pulling the last strap on the saddle in place. Levy sighed, stretching.
"Oh!" She exclaimed. Gajeel turned to look at her. "Should I wear these clothes? They're so messy." She wrinkled her nose. She didn't really want to wear a smelly, torn, and filthy gown to meet King Igneel for the first time. Gajeel shrugged his shoulders.
"C'mon. Let's go." He ruffled her hair. Levy put a hand to her head, feeling her cheeks redden- again.
They did reach the city by afternoon. Levy stared in awe at the bustling streets, colorful shops alive with people. Gajeel's horse trotted down the street, and Levy was painfully aware of the hordes of people staring at the. She shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. "They're watching me, not you." She jumped a bit at Gajeel's voice. She let out a nervous laugh. Through the weaving streets, she could see the towers of a castle. As they drew closer, Levy's mouth dropped open. The castle was long and flatter than a traditional one, with engraved golden pillars lining the entryway. Flags waving from the towers had strange pointed emblems on them.
"Those are fairies." Levy turned her head. Gajeel was looking at the flags.
"Fairies?" He grunted.
"With tails." Levy smiled a bit, fairies with tails, huh?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice below her. She looked down. A small man, with white hair stood in front of them. "Princess. Welcome." He looked at Gajeel. "Looks like you made it back, dumb brat." Gajeel laughed.
"What's up, Pops?" Levy looked at Gajeel in shock.
"Pops? Is that Metallicana? The king's brother?" She whispered at him. To her surprise, Gajeel threw back his head and laughed again.
"Nah. This is Makarov. He takes control of everything in the castle." Levy nodded in understanding, turning back to Makarov.
"It's nice to meet you." She smiled at him. He shot her a grin back, waving them forward.
In front of the castle, the two dismounted, and a stable boy took away Gajeel's horse. As Levy walked through the door, she was immediately surrounded by maids. She stammered as they grabbed her arms, turning around to look at Gajeel. Eh? He's gone? And then Levy was pulled into a room, and she was helped out of her ruined clothes. A maid approached her, dropping into a curtsy. "Princess, we have prepared you a hot bath." Levy dipped a foot into the steaming water, sighing in pleasure. She turned to the maid.
"Thank you." The maid flushed, bowing her head at Levy's words. As Levy soaked, the knots in her hair wore combed out, and she sighed in bliss. She missed being clean, she realized. Stepping out of the now lukewarm water, she wrapped a thick cloth around herself, drying off her dripping skin. The maids dressed her in yet another fine dress, this one pale blue with green ribbons. A knock on the door startled her, and she turned. Makarov stood there, his hands behind his back.
"Princess. The king and his court would like to meet you." Levy licked her lips nervously, standing up. She followed the man down the halls, the deafening silence closing around her. What if they didn't believe her? Makarov stopped at a door, and opened it. A voice inside called out.
"Announcing Princess Lucy Heartfilia of Fiore." Levy stepped through the door apprehensively, aware of the many faces turned to her. She walked down the room, eyes fixed on the table at the end. Gajeel sat there, she observed. He looked cleaner as well, a gold circlet perched around his unruly hair. She ceased walking in front of it, curtsying.
"Who are you?" Levy's head shot up. A pink-haired man stood in front of her, his face inches away from his. "You're not Luce." Luce? Levy paled as the crowd erupted into hushed whispers. It's all over now.