Author's Notes: First of all, thank you all for the feedback so far! I've received some reviews here and in my other website asking if this was a story about Lucy and Gray as a couple... It's not! As you can see in the story's filters, the main couple is still going to be Natsu and Lucy. Gray and Lucy's relationship is gonna take another turn that you'll find out later, I just wanted to give their dynamic a little introduction in the story and apparently got some of you confused, sorry about that! Haha, anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and here's another chapter! I know it's short but bear with me, there's another one already being written for tomorrow!
I didn't want to believe what I was seeing... Gray was safe and using... magic? I had no idea that he possessed magic; in fact, I had no idea who he really was or what kingdom he belonged to, not even who his family might be. He was sure to keep it all a secret and for a reason. As soon as he looked at me, I had no reaction, I didn't know if I should run to him, I didn't know if he was protecting me, or if he was with the blue haired man and was simply protecting me out of courtesy. I could not say a single word, I just stared at him like it was the first time.
"Really, Gray? Protecting the girl? I didn't know that you still had a weak spot for blondes."
"Leave her alone, she's not part of the plan."
Plan? So he was definitely with that man. Part of me thought I was an idiot, for trusting the first man who was the least nice to me and asked me for a stupid walk, who offered me a dance and still made me fall through his gaze. I can't believe I could be so stupid at this point, I always thought that all my strategies to protect myself from men were infallible and I was able to lose all my defenses on a single night. I felt like an idiot, I did not know what to think or what to do. I looked back and saw my father again, trapped by those strange black currents that I could not explain, and further down was Virgo still lying on the floor, not moving. I had no choice but to look into Gray's eyes one more time and ask.
"What the hell is going on here? Who are you and why are you with that man? Tell him to let go of my father immediately!"
He looked at me without response, not even an expression that told me that all this was a lie and that he was just trying to fool the blue-haired man and that he would help me out of there and that none of this was happening. None of that happened, he just looked at me with eyes that seemed to say "sorry" and nothing else. I heard a chuckle behind me.
"Did you really get the girl to fall for you, Gray? It seems that she still believes that you're on her side." He laughed again, "Very well... in that case, why don't we take her too? This castle must be too lonely for a girl alone."
"We're not going to do any of that, we just take what we need. There are no more distractions, we already took long enough and the master does not like to wait more than necessary."
"Always so boring, Gray... I just wanted a little extra company on the way back... Of course, you could do whatever you wanted with her after, maybe sending her to the wolves would be a good idea, so you wouldn't have anything to worry about."
My body shivered and I heard a moan coming from my father. He was trying to move to get rid of those chains, but with no success. It seemed that the more he moved, the more he got stuck and I was starting to run out of options... I could not see my parents in that state and I could not believe what was happening... I did not even know who I could trust anymore, I didn't know who Gray was, I didn't know the man in front of me, not even the woman I met outside, who cut my breath with every step she took."
"Can you stop moving? It's useless, my chains are not so easy to break... not even for a king."
"You will not take my daughter!"
"Don't be selfish, everyone has the right to meet a princess, don't you think? She will love the new environment in our castle. It's much more... cozy." he smiled at me and I just wanted to get away.
"Jellal, enough! Ask them where the stone is." Gray demanded.
Stone? What stone was he talking about? Every word they said still confused me more, it seemed that everyone knew what was happening, except me, as if all these years I had lived in this castle without even knowing what was happening inside or outside of it. I felt completely empty and strange, none of it made sense and I even wished to wake up, I wished that all was just a nightmare and when I woke up I would see my parents safe and all my maids reading me the books that I liked so much. None of that could be real, I was dreaming... As soon as I woke up, everything would go back to normal. I felt something close to me, touching my arm and suddenly I awoke from my thoughts and backed away from that dark presence.
"Hey, little princess, wake up! If your parents do not cooperate, you are next."
"Do not touch my daughter! Argh-!" the chains around my father tightened even more, I tried to run to reach him but I knew that as soon as I did, that man could hurt him even more. I looked at my mother and she did not even have any reaction, it seemed like she just wanted it to be over and fast, just like me.
"Where... is... the stone?" the man leaned close to my father.
"You will never find it!"
"I said... where is... the stone?" he closed his hand and tightened the chains, if he had continued, my father would probably not be able to move anymore.
"Enough! We don't know where it is!" my mother finally managed to protest.
"That's not what it seemed to me, my queen... Your precious king here knows exactly where it is, he hid it after the great battle... So, tell me... where is it?" he looked at me and grinned, "Maybe your daughter will be more cooperative... I have never known any king who would sacrifice his own daughter's life, but it seems she will- "
"No! She has nothing to do with this! She doesn't know anything!" my father still tried to find the strength to fight back.
As soon as I heard my father's words, reality fell on me. I really did not know anything, not that story about a stone, nor who these people were, nor anything! I was completely in the dark, if this man involved me in his chains, it would not change anything, I already felt trapped in a world where I was merely a pawn and everyone around me knew everything while I knew nothing.
"I'm being rather mild. If our master was here, he probably would not even spare the princess's life and still force you to watch. So... be a good king and tell me where you hid the stone." my father tried to answer, but something stopped him and he screamed, as if something invisible had struck him in the chest,"Well ... I wish things had been different... " he looked in my direction, "Now, will you be more cooperative than your miserable parents?"
He walked towards me and I wasn't sure what to do. Should I run? Should I let him come to me and end it all? I really wanted to help my parents and Virgo, but what could I do? I did not know how to fight, I did not know what to do to free my parents, I did not even know what they were talking about or even the location of the stone they wanted. The blue-haired man was about to reach me, I could almost feel the vibration of his steps louder and closer... I felt a breeze at my feet and suddenly it seemed that everything was starting to get dark, I could feel the same gloomy presence I'd felt a few minutes ago and my body was out of reaction, it was almost like a hypnotization. I knew that this was the power of that man, even though my body was pratically frozen, my mind was still able to think, and I knew perfectly well that it was some kind of spell that would make people stop thinking, lose their souls and become empty, but for some reason, I was still able to resist and I was sure I could still move my body if I knew what decision to take next. Suddenly I felt another presence next to me, but this time it was cold. In the blink of an eye, a transparent, icy barrier appeared before my eyes. The ray of ice that passed me before crossed my memory and I remembered that it was from Gray. He came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.
"The girl is not our problem, she was not part of the plan. She probably doesn't even know anything."
"Gray... please, let me work." the man looked at him with an angry look.
"Like I said... the girl was not included in your job. We must return immediately and inform our master that we already have what we were interested in, he will know what to do with them."
The blue-haired man looked at my parents and what I feared the most was happening, they were about to take my parents away from me "Hmm, you're right. If they do not tell us what we want to know, the master will have the information he needs in his own way." he went back to my parents and involved my mother in the same type of chain that my father had. "I tried... but you're too stubborn to listen." he smiled wickedly and casted a kind of spell on my parents that before they could scream at me or say anything, they fell asleep completely. "Let's go! Gray, move, we have nothing left to deal with here."
As soon as my senses returned to normal and I finally realized the reality before my eyes and what was really happening, I quickly brushed Gray's hand off my shoulder and tried to run to reach my parents, but the only thing I felt after that was Gray's hand again grabbing my arm and pulling me to him. I tried to push him away, trying not to even give him a chance to stop me, but he was too strong and the more I tried to let go, I was running out of strength. I just wanted to cry, I just wanted everything to be like before and wished that everything was... a mere... nightmare.
The blue-haired man, who was apparently called Jellal, turned back toward us and made a bored expression. "Seriously, Gray? You can't even control a little girl? Hurry up with that before I lose my temper and deal with it myself!"
"Lucy! Lucy, stop!" he pulled my arm harder and my strength disappeared, I could not escape.
"Leave me alone! I will not let you take my parents, I will not!" I fought as hard as I could, trying to hit him in the chest and deflect my arms so he would finally let me go, but he pulled me one last time close to him and whispered.
"You can't do anything!" I stopped, looked at him, not knowing what to do. "The only thing you can do now is trust me... Believe me, I never wanted this to happen." I grew more and more confused and tears came to my eyes. He seemed to realize my state of helplessness and opened my hand, "Listen well... when it all calms down... Look for a boy... he's a sorcerer and is said to be living somewhere in the mountains now. I know it's not much information, but when you think you've found him, give this to him..." he put a sort of pendant on the palm of my hand. It was a transparent snowflake pendant, and I had no idea what it was for or why I should show it to the boy he mention, but I couldn't do anything more but listen to it at the moment. "The rest... will depend on you."
I tried to ask him more, I did not even know if his name was really Gray, or if all that information was real or just an attempt to keep me from going after my parents and taking them. Jellal's voice echoed again in the room and Gray only had time to look me in the eyes as if apologizing again, leaving that pendant in my hands, completely lost. I stood for a moment watching him walk away and Jellal opened a black portal with one hand and something told me that this was their exit, and that as soon as they passed that portal, my parents would disappear and nothing would guarantee me that I would ever see them again. I would be completely alone with no one to tell me how to save them or where they would even be going. My body seemed to act on impulse and I started running towards them.
"No! Stop!" I ran and ran, suddenly my body seemed to gain energy again, as if my desire to save my parents had spoken louder than the impotence I was feeling inside. I tried to reach my parents, but the only thing I could feel was a heat rising in the palm of my hand and suddenly a huge beam of light struck the guards who were next to the passage. I covered my eyes from the light, and as soon as I could see again, most of the guards were on the ground, stunned and only Jellal and Gray were intact, both with protective shields in front of them like the one Gray had created to protect me before. Jellal's eyes glared at me.
"Enough! I've wasted enough time with you, brat! " he stretched out his hand toward me and I just stood there with wide eyes, there was nothing more to do.
"Jellal, stop!" Gray grabbed Jellal's arm and luckily, the black orb that was supposed to hit me, went the other way and I just had time to look at Gray, as if asking for help in what to do next. "Lucy, run!"
I did not think twice and ran. I did not know where to. I could go to my room, where I would try to hide from all this or out of the castle, where I would not survive for a minute, even if I wanted because I had no idea what was in store for me. As I ran to the door, I looked to the floor and saw Virgo, I could not leave her here. Fortunately, thanks to Gray, who was now in a dispute with Jellal to give me some time to escape, I managed to reach Virgo, who was slowly regaining consciousness and tried to ask me what was going on, but I didn't have time to explain. I wrapped her arm around me and tried to transport her out of that room, back to the throne room, back to the castle, where I hoped it was all quiet and back to normal.
