{Warning: If you haven't read past Chapter 436 in the manga (it hasn't happened in the anime yet) THERE WILL BE A SPOILER ABOUT ZEREF}
Chapter 4
Lucy's eyes flutter open and she becomes aware of her surroundings. She is lying down on a comfortable bed and tucked under soft sheets with a pleasant scent to them. "So it was all a dream…" she muses as she closes her eyes. Her body stiffens in an instant as it floods with panic. She is incredibly sore. It should be impossible for her to feel this way all because of some dream. Besides, she should be in a carriage.
The blonde pushes up on her hands and eases herself into a sitting position, noticing some bandages on her arms. From the looks of things, she received proper treatment for her injuries. She removes the blankets covering her and looks at the rest of her body. There are more bandages and a wrap around her sprained ankle. It is easily swollen compared to her other foot. All of the dirt and mud have been washed away where her skin is visible. Lucy is clothed in a cream colored slip that reaches her thighs. Clearly she is wearing it so she feels not so exposed and at ease.
But she feels uneasy. At the very least, someone cleaned her and treated her injuries while she was unconscious. She thinks back to the four guys she encountered last night. She gasps as her mind races. Was it one of them?!
To calm herself, the blonde takes in her surroundings, beginning with what she is on. The bed is easily able to fit three people comfortably and has lavish sheets and pillows. The wooden frame is made from dark, polished wood that gleams. The white curtains hanging around the bed are pulled back and Lucy can see the rest of the room. Large rugs cover the floors and tapestries with the royal family crest hang from the walls. Around the fireplace is a cozy sitting area with couches and a table. This place reminds Lucy of one of the many spare bedchambers her castle back in Fiore has.
A door opens and a little girl with long dark blue hair down to her waist pokes her head inside. When she spots the blonde with her russet brown eyes, her face lights up with a smile. "You're awake!"
Lucy nods. "I am."
The dark-haired bluenette slips into the room and closes the door behind her. She walks towards the blonde, carrying a green bundle in her hands. "You look much better compared to the last time I saw you."
Lucy gestures down to herself. "Do I have you thank for this?"
The girl stands by the bedside. "I stripped you down to the last layer of your undergarments so I could help you. We were the only ones in this room so please don't be alarmed. I needed to check for any other injuries and treat you."
Clearly she knew what she was doing and age was not a hindrance. "Who are you?" the blonde asks.
"Oh, I'm Wendy Marvell. I'm Porlyusica's apprentice and she is the castle's head medical physician."
Castle? How could Lucy possibly be in a castle? She was out in a dark forest the last time she was conscience. "Where are we?"
"We're inside of Draconia's castle. This is a spare bedchamber. Prince Natsu and his–"
"Prince?!" the blonde interrupts, not meaning to be rude. "Prince Natsu?!" Thoughts race through her mind. Prince Natsu of Draconia. King Igneel is his father and Prince Zeref is his older brother.
A couple of years ago, the first prince and Lucy had met in hopes they could wed. It was clear to all they would not have a relationship together in their future. She took no offense when Prince Zeref declined because he wished to marry for love. Along with King Igneel, she felt the same way and has always hoped she could marry for love someday. Of course, that dream was shattered when her father announced he had found a husband for her.
"Yes," the dark-haired bluenette says with a nod. "Prince Natsu wanted a night out away from the castle so he was with his guards. A "guys night" as they called it. No one expected them to return during the middle of the night with a girl who survived bandits though."
Lucy would have guessed they waited until early morning. Actually, she was not sure what they would have done. The only thing she did know was that she felt safe with the pinkette by her side.
"Prince Natsu carried you to this room while Gray fetched me," Wendy continues. "You needed medical attention and I am glad they did not wait to bring you here."
The blonde smiles at her. "Thank you. I appreciate your help. I feel much better already!"
The dark-haired bluenette beams at the praise. "I'm happy to hear that!"
Lucy swings her legs over the side of the bed and stands, wincing at the pain that shoots from her left foot.
Wendy glances down at her wrapped ankle. "You sprained it badly and it's pretty swollen from the walking you did. I recommend you keep off of it."
"No promises."
"Oh, this is for you." The dark-haired bluenette holds out the bundle. "The slip is temporary because what you were wearing before was no good. Prince Natsu had someone fetch these for you."
The blonde takes them from her. "Thank you."
"Will you need help dressing?"
Lucy realizes this a time she will not need aid in such a simple task. Being raised as a princess left her quite pampered, but she still wanted freedom to do things. "I believe I can manage on my own."
Wendy nods. "I'll wait for you outside then." After a quick curtsy, she leaves the room and closes the door behind her.
The blonde takes a deep breath and looks at the bundle in her hands. She feels excited to perform such a simple task all on her own. A sense of new freedom washes over her as she dresses herself for the first time she can remember.
A/N Part 1: Wooooo. This was mostly a filler chapter. Some background was given. And Wendy was added ^-^ Now to write the next one~
A/N Part 2: I have an announcement to make! *ahem* Through the supportiveness and encouragement of my boyfriend, we created a Account for me! He knows I want a second job so I can increase income, but if that happened I wouldn't be left with much free time to write. Anyways, feel free to check it out and help support me if of you like my writing! I don't want to push or force anyone to donate because I want you lovely people to make the decision yourself to help support me and pledge! Now don't worry, I'll still be posting on here as regularly as I do. However, I may have bonuses and extras on my Account should all go well!
A/N Part 3: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE ATTENTION THIS FIC HAS RECEIVED SO FAR! I am absolutely floored it has more than 85 Follows only 3 chapters in (as of now)! The almost 40 Reviews and 40 Favs haven't gone unnoticed either. SO THANK YOU :D
Lessthanthreeanime: I have been debating myself what to do about the betrothed… At first I was gonna have it be Dan Straight, he woulda been a royal of some sort. Then I thought about that one duke guy Jude was practically selling Lucy off to in the manga/anime. For now, I'm leaving the betrothed unnamed. Plus, I ain't sure if he'll make an appearance or not (as of now, I'm still thinking!).
Sara lovelymusic: Yukino, huh? *stuffs dollar down bra* Yeah, totally. She'll make an appearance later, probably with Sting and Rogue. I'm not sure what part that trio will play, but they'll be involved somehow! And yessss, Erza is part of Team Natsu ^-^ (I have a list going for what characters belong to Team Lucy and Team Natsu so I can keep everyone straight haha!)
PuddyKatz: Ayeeeeeeeee, sirrrrrrrrr!
OrbitalTM4: My schedule kinda varies. I'd like to update every other day or so. Sometimes it ends up being 3, 4, or even 5 days later. I don't wanna update once a week though! Well, when you think about it, the guys don't know Lucy's identity while she doesn't know theirs XD
Celestialite: Luckily the next chapter is up :D
Leahcar-Soutaichou: Nopeeeeeeeee XD
DIGIKO12: Noooo, don't do that D: If you do then you won't be able to read more chapters XD
Guest: Oh wow! Thank you so much! O/O
FireShifter: (Chapter 1) Woooo, glad you're on board! (Chapter 3) Aye, sir!
TokyoTeddyWolf: NaLu moments are always good ^-^ (maybe I'll look into that fic if I have free time to read!) As of now, nobody knows who she is. And I made him call her a fairy because I could and it seemed sweet of him XD Gajeel calls her Bunny Girl so Natsu needed one too! I'm sure I'll find a way for him to call her weirdo like he normally does though haha
Pinklove8303: Thanks! :)
Rainbowpoptartcat: Haha, not creepy at all XD
kiteou-kun: Hmmm, that could be something! I'm still thinking of ideas XD
12Rayne: Good timing on your part I guess ^^ Yeah, I know the feels. Staying up waaaaaay past bedtime with my phone to keep reading XD
Destructive_diva: Aye, sir! I'm still thinking of the group name myself XD I'm still deciding who gets to name it. Between Lucy, Natsu, and Gray in the story. Depending on who names it in the story, could depend if it's humorous or not. Like Gray would consider themselves the Babysitter Brigade or something… Anyways, it makes me happy you're enjoying this fic :3
Koko: THANK YOU SO MUCH :D
Fazuu: Thanks! I like it a lot myself :) I changed my writing for this fic to match the setting/plot. Maybe I'll find a way to add it into Right Place, Right Time or something. (And your English is totally fine!)
fanficlove2014: Wooo, thank you so much!