Here I am at last! Finally updating. :D
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Dear Mum,
Sorry it has been so long, but Natsu and I have just had one crazy adventure after the other. And it has been very hard to write this story with him hovering around me like Happy.
(Sigh)
Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with Natsu, but sometimes he can get so... (physical?)... (no) uh... He can get so close and not be aware of what that might look like to others. I'm just so tired of all the false stories going around about me and him dating. I mean they're not even real! Do people actually think I could like Natsu in that way, after everything we have done together. Starting a relationship with Natsu would be a bad thing. We annoy each other to much and he's always so... Blunt.
I'm absolutely certain that I'm going to fall in love with an intelligent man, who loves reading, and is tall and handsome, and who enjoys eating meals, (instead of inhaling them. Natsu!) who would be encouraging and gentle, and noble, and love me for who I am.
That would be the ideal man for me mum.
Don't you think?
Oh, well, here goes, Chapter 4.
I love you mum,
your daughter
Lucy of Fairytail.
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A Burning Heart 4: Inside the Palace
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Goldenbell Castle, what a magnificent place. It seemed more like a palace than a castle in my eyes.
My Cousin Levy had insisted that I would come with her in the morning to the castle. It was apparently the best time to see it. 'What with sun rising in the east', she said, 'it will be behind the stained glass windows in the Glass house, and the light from them will reflect on the water in the giant pond, and the oaks' leaves will be falling, and everything will have a golden, red colour. Her smile and sincerity made it hard for me to refuse her. She was just so happy and energetic it rubbed off on me, and soon I too was giggling and laughing with her, even though I had no idea of what was going to happen, or what the gardens were supposed to look like.
We had arrived at the servant's gate, but it was locked and a very scary looking man was guarding it. He was dressed all in black and had a rough and bitter countenance, as if he hated everything. However, just as I was about to ask Levy if we had better go back, she called out to him and started running to the gate, her yellow lacy dress whipping about in the speed of her run. I was shocked by the difference in his attitude. He went from looking serious and evil, to looking as if he actually cared about... Levy... (did he like her?) I walked slowly toward the pair, observing them. The guard was frowning while measuring Levy's height against his chest with his iron clad hand. It was obvious with how intent his gaze was that he enjoyed listening to her talk, and then smirked at something Levy was talking about. They look so strange together, I thought, but at the same time they would make a really cute couple. It was clear to me what the guard thought of Levy, but she didn't seem very aware of it.
It wasn't long before Levy had convinced the guard, Gajeel, to let us through into the Gardens.
It was safe to say that anything I could have imagined would not have been able to do this justice. Everything in this place was magical. It was as if I had stepped into a Fairyland.
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Meanwhile, in Goldenbell Castle itself. There was a princess. Not a shy and lovely princess, nor an old and ugly princess, not even a fat and jolly princess. No, this princess was smart, straightforward, and the sort of princess that always got her way. She could act so lonely at times and make everyone feel sorry for her. And of course they would be obliged to entertain her until she was happy again. For her situation was a sad one. She had been cursed by a witch from before the day she was born, that whenever she was sad or upset it would rain in the city of Goldenbell, and when she was happy the sun would shine. So, her servants did anything that she asked of them. For it was her alone that controlled their fate. She controlled the weather.
Thankfully, today was a good day. That was because the Princess was in a good mood. She had been called by her father, the king into the main hall, and that could only mean one of two things, that the knights had returned from the Dragon hunt, or that her suitor would be soon announced. She was hoping for a combination of the two. The some of the Knights had returned the day before, and had spoken to her father then, but the king had decided to wait for the other knights before announcing a noblemen assembly.
"Oh!" she fell into her chair at the vanity box infront of the mirror. "What a beautiful day to get married!" She watched her reflection blush in the mirror and shook her head back and forth, "I wonder if he will propose to me." She lifted her beautiful, magically, blue hair up in the mirror making it look very bizarre.
"Princess Juvia," called the handmaiden. "May I come in to help you dress?"
"Yes, of course." answered the princess. "I want to look my best!" She stood up and twirled around in her nightgown. "I want to look like a goddess! and make all the knights love me."
"Well, you might not want all the knights to fall in love with you. Some of them are older than your father." the maid said while bringing the princess to her chair, and starting to brush her hair.
"No!" the Princess agreed, "I could never fall in love with someone as old as my father. Besides," she sighed, "I have already chosen who I want to marry." She blushed as the memory of her beloved came back to her.
"You have chosen already!" the maid seemed in shock, "but your not yet seventeen, you don't need to marry yet. The kingdom is at peace and you can enjoy your youth and freedom." The princess hadn't seemed to have heard her and carried on.
"I wish to be married on Winter's Day the snowiest day of the year." She started dreamily, "and I will have a new gown of embroided white silk and purple velvet, with a blue sash, and my silver tiara, And we will be walking down the castle halls with snow falling outside the windows, and he will take me away to our..."
"Princess, would you like the purple ribbon, or the silver hair pins decorating your hair today?" the maid bravely interrupted.
"Both!" the princess called out, "Wait, no! Today is the day when the whole court sees me as the future queen of Goldenbell. I will have just the pins," she announced with certainty, "and make sure my hair is perfect! Nothing must be allowed to be out of place." She looked into the mirror again, and smiled at her beauty.
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The Princess of Goldenbell
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Yes, it was true, the Princess was fair,
with silvery eyes, and long blue hair.
With perfect, immaculate, white, paucline skin
No one could imagine the thoughts far within.
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Her smile, oh so pure and terribly sweet
Dreaming of the day her love would meet.
When she had a hold, of a knight of her own
And dreamt of a night when it was just them alone.
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Alas she had a jealous and spiteful air,
and for other girls' hearts she hadn't a care.
Maybe, from the curse this was a part
To own a man and keep his heart.
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She will not defer, she does not care
She has no friends, and hates to share.
The Princess of desire, by whatever means,
Will bind herself to the man of her dreams.
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He could not escape, and he would not dare
For refusing her would bring him despair.
Far better maybe for his soul to be sold
and for him to wear a crown of gold.
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And so there it was, a beautiful Princess in an enchantment in which gave her absolute power. One that she found she had a liking to considering how everyone obeyed her every wish. This Fairy Tail Princess curse it would seem was not to be solved by a true love's first kiss. Indeed in some cases people believed it would only make matters worse. however the Princess would get her way in the end. She always did.
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Back in the Garden.
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Being anywhere near a Castle had always been as remote as a dream. And yet here I was in the castle gardens there was a small river running through them, and many large trees on either side. They far enough apart to let the light hit the river, but also closer enough to look like they belonged together. It really was like a dream land. Where I was from there were many wind gusts and cold fronts that hit the hillside blowing and smashing against the trees. Here however, there was very little wind at all, and the air was warmer and everything felt calm. I subconsciously took a note of how late these trees were losing their leaves.
The Castle Gardens were everything Levy promised they'd be. There were lots of flowers still blooming and the trees were red, brown, and golden loosing their leaves. The hollyhocks lit up the garden walls in yellows, and reds and stood strong and tall. And then I sighted on of my favourite flowers the Snap dragons by the hedge-like maze further down in the well grown garden.
"Lucy! Come here." Levy called out, she was standing in front of one of the largest blue ageratums I had ever seen. One of the many flowers to bloom in the autumn months (most people believe that all flowers die in the autumn, but that isn't true, the Ageratum is also called the floss flower because of it's puffy clusters.) Levy made her way towards an orchard of fruit trees. Where she reached up and snatched one for herself.
"These apples are really very delicious." She said through her bites. "You should try one."
"Are you sure we're allowed." I looked around, was anyone watching us? My eye caught sight of the watchman, Gajeel, whose eyes seemed to be fixed in our direction. He's so creepy, it makes me feel nervous.
"Levy? Doesn't Gajeel make you nervous? He's just staring at us." I asked.
"Well, not anymore," she said cheerfully, "he's always been like that. I was scared of him at first, but he has a very kind heart, and is worthy of being trusted." she bent down and picked up something.
"What sort of flower is that?" I asked, seeing a few orange flowers in her hand. They had really tough looking stems, but such gentle flower heads.
"I didn't cut them okay." she pouted at me as if I was going to tell on her, "I found them on the ground." She smiled down at them. "I think this is called the Canna Lily, one of my favourites, it has a really strong and bulky stem, but it then opens out into this really beautiful and delicate flower. Some people mistake it for a weed." She snapped off a bit more of the stem, and stuck the flower into her hair.
It really was a shame that the gardens weren't being admired as much as they should be. I had never seen anything so well kept before. The delicate, red Fuchsia's were hanging down and looked like people wearing red skirts, dancing on an invisible floor, while still holding onto the green canopy from whence they had come from. I carried on looking for more amazing beauties. There was the Penstemon glowing with a dark red-like passion, and then there were one of my favourites, the snap dragon, growing like a weed in-between the rocks looking shockingly beautiful in the morning sunrise. I bent down to do what I always do when I find a Snap Dragon. I pinched the flower gently on either side of its head to open its mouth. I couldn't find any other way of discribing it. It was like a mouth. It had been called the Snap Dragon for a purpose, and it most certainly lives up to that name.
"Cousin Lucy! It's time now come on!" She called down to me. She was at the highest part of the garden making her way down to the other side. I walked up to her and looked back down the way I had come everything looked breathtaking the view must be magnificient from the castle. The view from up here held a very broad perspective of everything around, and I couldn't get enough of it. "Look at the glass house." Levy said pointing. What I saw next was almost unbelieveable. There was a marble building in centre of the garden with a waterfall in the distance outlining it and letting it stand out. However that wasn't what was so breathtaking, the light from the morning sun had just started to hit the roof of this marble building, and that's where you could see the difference. The roof was not marble, instead it was stained glass cone was spiraling up, catching the light of the sun and reflecting it in every direction. It was stunning.
We both waked into the Glass house, and sat down on the benches that were on the inside, looking up and admiring it's splendid craftsmanship, and enjoying the colours that were being to fall on us as the sun rose higher.
"Cousin?" Levy asked sounding a bit nervous. "Can I get your advice in something?'
"Well, I don't know if my advice will be what you want to hear, but sure I'll listen."
She was lightly touching her dress and brushing the few if any specks of dirt off it. "What do you think of Gajeel?"
"Well, I don't even know him well enough yet to give any good answer for that question," I answered truthfully, "He does scare me a little bit, but I think he is being really kind to you, and I think that it was really sweet of him to let us into the garden the way that he did."
"Yes, he is. He's really nice." What was this? Levy was getting feelings for the black giant.
"Levy … do … " How was I going to ask her this question? I leaned back onto the marble post. "Do you admire Gajeel? Do you … want him to court you?"
She blushed and looked out the window. "Yes, … I don't know … Well yes, I admire him, and I like him, but I don't think he would like the idea..." she seemed sad and lost in thought, "and he wouldn't want to marry me even if he did like me, I'm too small for him. He doesn't like that about me."
"No, don't believe that." I answered calmly. "Your just shy, if you were to go up to him right now and tell him how you feel I don't think you would be disappointed in his response." and she blushed and looked down at her feet in utter embarrassment. I'm not the sort of person who really thinks that much about the idea of a romantic destiny so to speak, but I did believe that people were attracted to each other for a reason. "So when did you meet?"
Levy sighed, "There was a time, last year, that the noble families and merchants of this town were invited to the castle for a banquet in the great hall. The king was being very generous and because my father thought that a time like this might never come again and that I might not ever be able to come to a place quite like this afterwards, he dressed me up and made me look older than I really was, and told me to wear these really weird shoes that made me taller, because he was afraid that I looked to childish and my father would be told to take me home." she paused for a bit and nervously pulled at her hair. "Because it was only supposed to be entire families from a certain age range, and I was within that line, but I just didn't look it."
"Well, after the banquet, I was curious about the layout and history of the castle and when I asked about it I was shown around by a few of nobles that had come on that day. I travelled everywhere, and everything was elaborate and limitless and beautiful, but unfortunately I got separated from the others and became lost. That's when I came upon these gardens and found my way to the Waterfall." She pointed off in the direction of the cascading, thunderous falls.
"That's when it happened," she cringed.
"What happened?" I started sensing a foreboding end to this tale.
"Well, I had been fortunate to see the river and 'falls from above, from that balcony up there," She pointed high up into the castle. "and when I tried climbing down the slope to get a better look, my strange shoes, that had started to hurt my feet, just broke, and I fell down the steep slope and hit my head on the rocks at the river bed, and landed in the water. The river is quite deep, and my feet couldn't touch the bottom, and I started sinking."
She paused again in her story, and I felt sympathetic and worried about her. It must have been a terrible accident.
"My dress was heavy and kept on taking in more and more water, and I couldn't get myself out." Her hands came together again and were tightly woven together, "and that's when he came. He reached in with just one arm, and pulled me out of the water by the back of my dress and just dropped me on the grass. I had never felt so scared ever, I never thought I would die drowning, or that it would be by accident. So I cried a great deal.
"Then he pulled up off the ground and carried me to the castle servants courters as if I weighed nothing. He told them I needed help getting cleaned up, and immediately left. At that time I didn't even know his name. But after talking it over with some of the servants, I found out who he was, and spoke to him. And he has been my friend since. But Lucy, I don't know what to do." she put her head in her hands in frustration and shook it back and forth. "He is really fearless and courageous, and I'm just hazardous, and fragile. I like him, and I don't know if my father and mother will approve, but I like him, and he might not... in that way, but I'm not sure."
"Well, if you're not sure why don't you ask him?" I said with energetic purpose. He differently liked her.
"No! No! I couldn't. He might laugh at me, and call me a hopeful kid. He likes teasing me, and I don't want to give him a reason to avoid me. I really like him, he's... no I really can't tell him.
"But Levy, you might not get another chance if he gets reassigned to another duty around the castle, you might not get a chance to talk to him again."
She sighed, but shook her head. Her decision had been made.
The time that we had in the bountiful seas of colour seemed to be over all to briefly when the dark haired Watchman, Gajeel called us over. His had a very intimidating presence and the look of someone who I'd imagine could kill very easily. But, this was the man Levy looked up to and admired. I caught a glimpse of her and looking nervous and timid, and then she reformed back and became my little cousin Levy again, and ran up to him in joy and thanked him for 'watching over us,' as if our conversation hadn't happened at all. Seeing them together was like seeing a wolf protecting a kitten. He simply dwarfed her. By just knowing their story, I was now unconsciously wanting them to work this out between them. I wanted them to fall in love. It would be a very beautiful thing.
Gajeel walk us back the way we came and opened the gate for us. "Gajeel?" Levy said questioning the giant man.
" …" Gajeel said nothing and just waited for her to continue.
"I... would really like... to work in the castle." I felt my jaw drop for just a second. What was she talking about. She looked up at him and shifted her feet, "I want to become a Scribe, and I'm working really hard at it, but I'm up for doing lots of other jobs as well. Do you think you could put a good word in for us. To the... well … I'd just like to get an opportunity to work in the castle.
Gajeel looked flustered at first then the frown fixed back onto his worried face, "I'm not sure that would be a good idea. You don't really look like the sort of woman that would adapt to castle life and besides your mother wouldn't want you working as a … "
"Well, … " Levy interrupted him. "to tell the truth, I just want to work at the castle so I could see yo… I mean the gardens more often. You do always watch this side in the mornings don't you?"
"What do you mean by that?" He looked flustered. These two were embarrassing to watch. I turned away from them making my way out the garden gateway.
"Why don't you ask your aunt?" I heard Gajeel say as he ushered Levy towards the exit.
As we were about to leave Levy pulled out the flower from her hair and put it into his hand. "I'm not supposed to take anything away with me so I'll leave this with you." she folded it into his hands, and leaned up to embrace him goodbye. If his blushing face was any indication of his feelings I'd think that Levy was very close to making him her's forever.
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And so I spent the day with my cousin being spoiled and shown around the upper lever of the city. Levy it appeared was not allowed to travel any further down without an escort. The thought of walking through all the levels of the city now by foot seemed a bit weird. Especially, when I looked at the guards of the gates to the higher levels, that would have been very intimidating. Thank you again Sir Fullbuster. I could feel myself blush when I remembered his generosity. How could he do so much for a stranger. I wonder if I'll ever see him again.
We eventually came home with many different items, some that I had no idea of how to use, and also a few extra helping hands that Levy had paid to help us carry the items back again.
My aunt, Lady Elaima, was glad to see us back as she had a few places she wanted to go. So being the wife of the Steward of the city hall, she considered herself quite a Baliff(a) and had made another business of sorts from it. She walked with us into town again, but this time took us to the main city hall. It was really interesting to see how she ran it, but it was a little confusing. She had somehow remembered everyone's names from the first time they introduced themselves, which I found hard to get my head around. How someone could remember that many names all at once was quite beyond my capacity.
Levy lost interest much to her mothers disprovable, and decided to sit down quietly in the corner and read a book while still keeping an eye out to look like she was still interested. After many hours of what seemed like none stop noise I finally got a chance to ask my aunt a question that had recently been born from curiosity.
"Excuse me, Aunt Elaima." I said sitting down beside her. "May I ask you a work related question?"
She looked puzzled by this, "What is it child? Is there something you don't understand?"
"Well, as you know, I don't come from a wealthy background, and although I love the idea of not doing all the work I have had to do in the past. I'd like to remain useful. Do you know of anything that I could do that you would consider as right for me?" I wasn't sure if the idea of a young lady working outside the house was at all respectable, especially when taking into account all the servants that the McGardens had.
She thought about it for a moment then said, "I'm not sure, you could be a chamber maid, in the castle, or an assistant for the ..." she broke off her train of thought when she saw Levy making her way to the door. "Levy dear, we are not done yet, this is what you need to be learning for your future!" Her mother had already decided her future?
"Um, Lady Elaima? Levy spoke to me earlier about how fun it would be to work in the castle. I was thinking it would be good fun if we could work together."
My aunt looked shocked, "Levy said that? She was actually serious about it?" She grabbed my hand and walked at a very fast without looking like she was rushing, and got a hold of her daughter as well.
"Come with me young ladies-in-waiting, I think I have the perfect job for you."
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It wasn't to long 'til we arrived at another location a Tavern(b) next to a spinster's cottage, where apparently according to Levy you could get the best Tawdry(c) from. Like a lot of places the tavern had a lower level and an upper level. The downstairs, apparently reserved for the servants or simply those manners did not make for polite conversation, and the upstairs of the lords and ladies or those who just breathed of upper classmanship.
My aunt pulled us up the stairs into a room that had apparently been kept in free for two young women, both looking very alike and calm, one was sitting quietly on the windowsill mending what looked like a shawl while the other was seated in the centre of the room looking about to play the musical instrament she held in her hands. Both looked up as we entered. They both had the most beautiful and amazingly white skin I had ever seen, and striking blue eyes that were framed by long white blond hair that was held up with coloured ribbons. If there ever was such a thing as an angel I'd have thought that these two girls were the embodiment of angelic beauty.
"Oh, Elaima!" called out woman on the chair, and stood up immediately to great her. "It's so nice to to see you." she embraced her. "How are you doing?"
"Very well, thank you MiraJane." My aunt said.
"It's been such a long while. Oh!" MiraJane turned around and presented the smaller woman. "This is my younger sister by six years, I don't believe you've met her."
"No I haven't." My aunt answered.
"Well, may I present my sister, Lisanna, and Lisanna this is Lady Elaima McGarden. The small, and perfect girl got up from her windowseat and curtsied gracefully to my aunt.
My aunt in turn introduced us. "This is my daughter Levy, and my niece Lucy Ebony." She continued, "I remember hearing that you have been placed in charge of organizing the chamber maids at the castle, am I right? Do you have room for two more? My two girls have just expressed a wish to get involved with new affairs."
"Oh, this is wonderful news. I have just been talking about this with my sister. The Princess has been asking for more personal assistants or ladies in waiting." She smiled. "and Lisanna didn't want to go by herself," She looked back at her younger sister. "but if you were going with someone you could trust it would be better."
Lisanna nodded her head looking bashful.
"It's settled then." MiraJane stood and wrote down something in a book at her feet. "I'd like to take you young ladies-in-waiting to the head of staff. I'm quite sure he would be very happy to allow you to work in the castle."
Well! I'm back again with this story. :D What do you guys think? Good. Ok, needs more work. If you like it give me a review. :D