"The Proposal"
. . .
Makarov was many things: a caring man, a loving father, and a brilliant inventor, but a skilled navigator was not one of them. For some reason, reading maps proved extremely difficult for the man and on even relatively known trips, like those into Magnolia, he easily found himself off the correct path.
He never told his daughter because he didn't want her to worry. In the past, he always just left himself a little extra time and was successful in finding his way to his destination. So when he looked curiously at his map and then up at the fork in the road, he wasn't too surprised or alarmed when where he thought he was didn't match up to what he was seeing.
"I don't know, Felipe. We must have gotten off the proper route somehow." The elderly man jumped down from the carriage, walking a few paces forward before seeing a large sign with many arrows pointing in various directions. Many of the writings had faded with time so they were difficult to read. So when Makarov thought he found the sign that said, "Magnolia," he was absolutely mistaken.
Jumping back up into seat, he encouraged Felipe to travel the way the sign pointed. His horse seemed hesitant. The path was terribly overgrown and had an aura about it that gave the horse a fright. But at his master's words of encouragement, the faithful steed gingerly plodded down what he was sure was the wrong road.
When fifteen eerily quiet minutes passed, Makarov again tried to refer to his map before huffing, "This isn't right, Felipe! Come on, we better turn around." But as the two moved to reverse their path, they were confronted by a pack of large, ape-like creatures.
Their gargantuan arms and large hands, attached to muscled torsos told the pair that they were not going to be able to fight their way out of this battle. The pack started moving towards their victims and Felipe started to back away in fright. Makarov tried his best to steady his horse so they could make a break for it, but he had no luck. The horse reared up on his hind legs, throwing the small man from his seat onto the ground.
One of the creatures broke free from the group, rushing the downed man. Makarov picked himself up, running as fast as he could to get away from the beast. It snarled and snapped its jaws at the man, trying to get at him. At one point, the monster had gotten a bite on Makarov's cloak, but the man was able to unclasp it, letting the creature momentarily lose his balance and fall to the ground.
Up ahead, he saw a large gate. He knew if he could just make it through, he could close the structure and he'd likely be safe so he could catch his breath. Mustering all his strength for his age, the old man ran through the gate, closing it just as another beast snapped at his leg, narrowly missing him.
He sighed a breath of relief before looking through the iron bars to see Felipe, successfully fleeing the creatures through the woods. His heart ached for the loss of his friend but he hoped the horse had a better sense of direction than he did and might be able to find his way back home.
. . .
"I dunno, Laxus," Bickslow said uncertainly. "You sure this is going to work?" The two of them were standing in the middle of an open field adjacent to Levy and her father's home. Bickslow had slicked his midnight black hair back against his head and was looking tall dark and rather handsome in a black tuxedo. Laxus was also wearing a black tuxedo and had spiked his longer blond locks high on his head, adding to his already impressive height.
"Of course it will," Laxus scoffed, seemingly offended that his best friend didn't approve of his plan. "Every girl I've wanted in this town has come willingly to me, except for Levy. Well that all is going to change." Laxus clapped Bickslow on the shoulder before continuing. "No woman could resist my marriage proposal."
Bickslow nodded in agreement. "Sure, sure. I get that. But, boss-man, do you really want to marry this girl?"
Laxus shrugged his shoulders. "I'm going to need to settle down at some point. And besides," he turned and gave his friend a lecherous grin, "just because I'm married doesn't mean I'm going to stop enjoying the finer things in life."
Bickslow grinned wildly. "I hope you mean booze, brawls and broads."
Laxus smirked, "just not necessarily in that order." The two men laughed together before turning around to address the crowd that had gathered. Laxus raised his voice to speak over the din. "I want to thank you all for coming to my wedding." Cheers went up around the group before Laxus raised his hands to quiet the crowd. "Now if you'll excuse me, I guess I should go and propose to the girl." The townspeople laughed along with Laxus, whooping and jeering as he headed towards Levy's house.
Levy herself was curled up in her favorite chair, devouring the book she now owned. When she'd last left off, Grainne had just spotted Diarmuid at her betrothal dinner and instantly became enamored.
When her could-be grandfather turned to speak with one of his men, Grainne quickly slipped a sleeping potion into his drink. Within a few hours, all of the guests had either left or were passed out from too much drink. She knew Fionn would not wake until morning given the dose of medication she had put into his wine.
She found Diarmuid wandering the gardens and approached him. She was equally enchanting to him as he was to her. However, when she asked if he would run away with her and help her escape this dreadful arrangement, he refused, out of loyalty to his king. Yet, Grainne persisted and threatened Diarmuid with a curse if he did not comply. Diarmuid relented, partially out of fear of the curse but partially because he was truly enamored with this woman, and the two left in the middle of the night, running across the River Shannon to hide in the forest.
A sharp rap at her door startled her out of her reading reverie. She carefully placed the book down onto the table before dusting off the apron she had on over her orange dress from her morning chores.
Opening the door, she found herself facing a smirking Laxus, looking down at her. Before she had the chance to invite him in, he all but pushed her aside to enter her home. "Laxus, what a pleasant surprise," she said slowly, reminding herself to be gracious.
"Isn't it, though?" Laxus said with a laugh as Levy tried not to roll her eyes. "Levy," he said, stalking into her personal space. "Today is your lucky day."
"Oh?" she said with a raised eyebrow, trying to gain space from the man.
But Laxus didn't relent. He continued to prey on her until she was cornered between his outstretched arms with her back to the table. "Today is the day all your dreams come true."
"And what do you know of my dreams, Laxus?" she let slip.
Laxus stood to his full height, adjusting his tie. "Every woman in this town dreams of marrying me," he drawled, "but that dream is only coming true for you, today."
Levy was shocked. "Laxus!" she said, her hand flying to her heart. "I—we don't even know the first thing about each other. How could we possibly get married?" All she knew of Laxus personally were the rumors she had heard throughout town, and if she was being honest, he didn't really seem like the type of man with whom she would have a connection.
"Levy, Levy," he chided, closing the distance between the two as Levy arched herself away from him over the table. "None of that matters. We don't have to know one another to enjoy one another."
Levy had had enough of him invading her personal space and she pushed on his chest, giving herself enough room to duck between his hands to run to the other side of the room. "Laxus, truly, I'm flattered, but—I'm just not ready to get married right now, even less so to a stranger!" She was trying to maintain her composure but the hulking blond kept closing the space between them.
"Levy," he said, gently lifting her chin so she would look him in the eye. "I'll be a good and faithful husband to you. You can trust me."
Levy looked deep into his gaze; it was the first time she had ever truly looked at Laxus. But what she saw did not inspire trust. Looking through his eyes she saw deception and insincerity. "I—I don't think I can trust you, Laxus," she hesitated, not wanting to jump to conclusions. "At least not with such a big decision."
Laxus let go of her chin rather roughly before saying, "Then you're a fool!" Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the house, slamming the door roughly behind him. Levy winced and jumped to hold a picture against the wall that was about to crash down.
The crowd waiting expectantly as Laxus entered the clearing. Throwing his hands up in the air and calming his demeanor, he shouted, "Looks like she's not home," to the crowd. The townspeople all looked rather disappointed (except for three young ladies towards the back) and began milling around.
Bickslow stepped up to his best friend's side and projected, "Who cares? Let's all celebrate as planned at the tavern!" Cheers went around and Laxus looked gratefully at the man, who had a wicked smile on his face. "Come on, man. The three great pleasures of life await us!"
Laxus grinned along with his friend before the two headed into town.
. . .
Back in the house, Levy watched from the side of her window, surprised to see a majority of the townspeople leaving the little clearing next to her home. A little black and white tabby cat jumped up onto the windowsill and meowed at Levy, asking for her attention.
She finally let the curtain fall before scooping the cat up into her arms and brought him to the overstuffed chair. She placed him down, giving him a pat on his head before beginning to pace the room. "Can you believe it, Lily? He asked me to marry him?"
Trying to reign in her emotions before had been difficult and now that he was gone, the floodgates had broken. "I barely even know the first thing about the man! And he wants me to trust him?" Levy turned to look at the little cat. She had found him wandering her father's workshop one day and started putting food out for him. Ever since that day, the little cat had taken up residence in the home. Neither Levy nor her father minded, since he helped keep the mice out of the house and workshop. "Would you trust a man you barely even know, Lily?"
Lily looked at Levy intently before yawning and stretching his front legs out long. Levy just laughed. "Didn't think so." She walked over to pet him once more as he settled down for a nap. Grabbing her book, she decided to take it out to the now empty clearing and catch a few rays of sunshine to help cleanse her mind from the days' events.
. . .
"Gee, boss. I hate seeing you like this," Bickslow mourned, bringing a beer over from the bar and handing it to his friend. Laxus was sulking—to say the least. A woman had never once turned him down before and of all women to do it, it had been the little mousy bookworm, that no one even gave a second glance. She was odd and always had her head stuck in some cloud and by the way of looks many of the other maidens in town far outdid her in that category. He cast a sideways glance at three such maids, Cana, Evergreen and Enno, who were giving him heated stares. He smirked, knowing what he'd be doing this evening. But the little daydreamer irked him. For some reason, someone like her refusing someone like him stung.
"A girl like her, refusing a man like me? Where does she get off?" Laxus glared into the fire before taking a sip of his drink. He was sitting in a large oversized chair he had brought especially to the tavern just for himself. A man like him, as large and as powerful as he believed himself to be, needed to set himself apart from the townspeople.
"I don't think she does, boss man," Bickslow cackled, taking a drag from his own tankard.
Laxus was in a sour mood and wasn't particularly amused by his friend's jokes. He huffed, giving his friend the cold shoulder, but Bickslow persisted. "Come on, Laxus! You've got to pull yourself together!" Coming around to face Laxus, he pointed at the townspeople. "Every man here would love to be you, Laxus. And," he gestured to the three women who had moved to the bar and were still giving the sulking blond heated eyes, "every woman would love to be with you."
Laxus rolled his eyes. He knew that. He'd experienced each one of those three women at one point. He and Cana had been fuck-buddies for a while. "None of that matters when a weak little nobody like Levy McGarden says no to me. It's disgraceful."
Bickslow pulled a chair close to his friend, straddling it before taking another drink. "Come on, man. She's a nobody. Everyone in town thinks she's strange. You wouldn't want to marry a girl like her anyways."
Laxus sighed, but ultimately agreed with his friend. "You're right, Bix. Thanks," he said, raising his beer up to Bix's before taking another drink.
A crazy smile spread across the midnight haired man's face as he said, "Now let's get wild!"
Laxus smirked, downing the rest of his drink in one gulp before getting up to stride over to the three women who were currently lusting after him.
He watched out of the corner of his eye as his friend headed to the other side of the bar. Bickslow himself, with his relaxed attitude and well-built body, had a fair amount of success with women. But lately, Laxus had noticed the man was spending a lot more time in this tavern, especially when a certain short white-haired barmaid was working.
Laxus inwardly chuckled. Ironic that it seemed more likely that Bickslow was ready to settle down with one woman than Laxus, given the days' events. Although, Laxus never really intended on "settling down" with one woman, despite any vows he may take. All he really wanted out of the whole thing was a woman to take care of him at home and someone to bang if he struck out around town—pure and simple.
"Ladies," the blond greeted the three women, offering them new drinks. Laxus had experienced each of these women at one time or another before. Cana was the wildest of all three, followed closely by Enno. Cana was a tall, slim woman with ample cleavage. And to Laxus' delight, she never seemed shy about showing it. A heavy drinker herself, the two had often met up at the tavern before leaving for a roll at one of their homes in the evening.
Enno's mid-length purple hair and matching eyes gave her an exotic look. She had cleavage that rivaled Cana's and to the men's delight, get enough ale in her and you could find her dancing topless on the tavern tables.
Of all three women, Evergreen was the most uptight. But to Laxus, she had the goods to back up her often-cocky attitude. Her long chestnut hair was often tied high against her head, showing off her graceful neck and beautiful breasts. Her favorite emerald dress sat low enough on her chest and high enough on her legs to put those assets on display, much to Laxus' delight. The man knew that she was obsessed with beauty and considered him to be one of the most beautiful men in town, she would do anything he asked of her without complaint.
As the night progressed, Cana moved to sit on Laxus' lap. For as much as the woman drank, she never seemed to be overly affected by it, so when she pulled Laxus' head back and started kissing him fiercely, the man didn't fight her. The woman clearly knew what she wanted and he wasn't going to turn down a night of wild sex.
Enno had become sufficiently tipsy by this time, having shed her top so that she was just wearing her bra. She was sitting up on the bar while many of the men watched her expectantly. But when Cana made her moves on Laxus, the woman got angry. Pulling on Laxus' sleeve she huffed, "Laxus, you and Cana are always all over each other. It's not fair!"
Laxus pulled back from Cana's kiss, earning him a bite from the brunette on his lower lip. He growled at her and she simply smirked at him in response. "Enno," he replied, "there's more than enough of me to go around, if that's something you're up for." He quirked his eyebrow at her.
The violet woman giggled before shimmying her breasts from side to side. "I'm up for anything, Laxus," she drawled his name. Laxus smirked, enjoying the ego boost these women were giving him. He moved to push Cana off his lap, but not before she ground himself against his already stiffening manhood to remind him of her presence. He grabbed her by the chin, giving her a cocky smile before saying, "Behave yourself, woman."
Biting her lower lip and grabbing his wrist with her hand, she moved her core against his again, resulting in her throwing her head back and moaning softly. Laxus couldn't wait to get these women home.
As the three headed out, Evergreen stepped in front of them. "And just where do you think you two are going with Laxus?" she snapped.
Cana rolled her eyes. "We're going home with him, Evergreen, duh!"
Evergreen made an annoyed sound. "If anyone should be going home with Laxus, it's me. I'm the most beautiful woman here."
Laxus raised his eyebrows. This could go one of two ways; the whole thing could go to hell in a handbag or it could be the most fantastic night ever. He was hoping for the latter. "Ever," he cooed. "We all know you're beautiful. No reason to keep it to yourself. Why don't you join us?" He looked between Enno and Cana before saying, "There's always room for one more."
The tall blond smirked when the chestnut beauty flashed him a knowing smile before pushing Enno aside to thread one of her arms through his. Laxus deftly moved Enno to his other side, wrapping his arm around both her and Cana and the four of them headed towards the door.
Before stepping through the threshold, Laxus looked back to give a shout to his friend only to find him rather occupied, pressing the little white-haired bar maid up against the counter with his tongue down her throat. And with that, the man turned his attention back to his three women and escorted them away from the increasingly rowdy tavern towards his home and bed.
. . .
Throwing her book in her satchel, Levy walked to the center of the little clearing next to her house. Sitting down in the soft grass, she plucked a dandelion that had seeded over, blowing on it and watching as its white wisps flew freely through the air.
She sighed, following the flower remnants with her gaze. In many ways she envied those little seeds. They were able to float away from this place and start a whole new life somewhere else. Turning to her book, she realized that perhaps the reason she loved the tale so much was because she identified with Grainne.
Like Grainne, she didn't want to marry just anyone—even if that anyone were Laxus, the most sought after bachelor in the town! She wanted a life of her own making. She groaned, laying down into the grass and allowing the book to fall on her face. Unlike Grainne, she believed that she didn't have the courage to run off in the middle of the night to escape her trapped life. She didn't think she'd ever be able to do something so bold. She was a dreamer, not a doer.
She winced as she thought about the days' events; thinking back to the way Laxus had just stormed into her home and demanded her hand in marriage. She'd been so offended at the time, so certain that he didn't have her best interests at heart, but she was second guessing herself now. Maybe she should have taken him up on his offer.
Laxus was pretty wealthy. His grandfather ran a successful business involving a new invention people were calling electricity and it was rumored that Laxus would be the one to inherit everything when the grandfather passed. Until recently, Laxus had served honorably in the kingdom's military and was currently in the reserve. There was no questioning the fact that he was handsome and could provide for her.
Levy let her hands fall to either side of her in frustration, her book still open on her face. She felt so torn. She was so certain at the time that it was the right thing to do. She tried to remind herself that she wanted more out of life than to be somebody's wife—she wanted to be somebody herself.
Her muddled thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt when she heard the heavy thumping of a horse coming out of the nearby woods. Sitting herself up in the grass, she saw Felipe running at full gallop towards her. She stood, putting her arms over her head so the horse could see her. He ran to her, completely out of breath.
Levy could feel it, something was very wrong. "Felipe. Where is father?" The horse neighed in response, clearly still reeling from whatever had happened. Levy tried her best to calm her friend down before saying, "Felipe, please take me to him." Roughly throwing her book into her satchel, she lifted herself up into Felipe's saddle and the two took off through the woods.
END CHAPTER 3
. . .
Hello my darlings!
We're definitely getting there! I was so tempted to write the Laxus smut scene here but you'll all just have to wait for the next chapter for that. Oh, you didn't think I was going to actually write that scene out? Well then you apparently don't know me all that well. *Grins evilly.
So, the Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne is actually one of my favorite "legend" sort of tales and I thought it would be kind of fun to incorporate that story into this story. Levy and Grainne have some similarities and also some differences that relate to Levy's own insecurities so I thought it would be kind of fun to parallel the tales here.
As tempting as it is to portray Laxus as an insufferable ass in this tale like Gaston was, I'm trying to get away from that for a couple of reasons. The first is that I really don't believe that anyone is 100% an asshole lol. I think that there are always underlying reasons for it and if you dig a little deeper you can generally find the good in a person. For some people, you may have to really dig but I do believe it's there! Second, I really hate stories where the bad guy is just "bad" for no reason. I often find myself asking, why is he so bad? What's his motivation? No one is just evil for the fun of it, so what's his deal? So I definitely did not want to fall into the same trap here. Plus it's a fun challenge to add character depth to someone who is supposed to be superficial.
Also, something very important to me is the way I portray Levy in this. One of the things I LOVED about the original tale was that Belle was always gracious to Gaston, even when he was being terrible. While she stood up for what she wanted, she was never rude about it. I was sad to see that that didn't carry over too well in the live action. Don't get me wrong, I thought the remake was good, but I thought that the graciousness of Belle's character was missing from EW's portrayal. I have lots of opinions about female protagonists. Don't even get me started on Wonder Woman…
Hope you guys are loving this because I am enjoying writing it! Updates should hopefully be soon! I won't promise you a schedule because the moment I do that, I know I won't stick to it!
Thanks to all my initial reviewers! Hearts and kisses to you all!
Love you!
Musicera
PS The cover image for this story is by Blanania. Go check out her work on Deviantart. Really amazing stuff!
