hello, my pretties! it's LVDYREDFOX with another Fairy Tail fanfic!

This is a Fairy Tail alternate universe, meaning it's set in Fiore, just a different timeline.

This is titled: The King's Mate

obviously, my ship of choice is Gajevy always and forever.

I was itching to get a new story started, so I cracked out the first five chapters to see how you guys like it. You know what to do. Leave comments and reviews, also constructive criticism helps! also, I tend to do research when I write AUs, so please forgive me if anything is inaccurate! If you want, let me know in the comments what I got wrong, and I'll fix it! I'm all about accuracy and continuity!

posting might be sporadic, but bear with me! I have tons of ideas on where to take this story :)

The King's Mate

An Unfit King

The land of Fiore was once the dragon's land.

A beautiful land that homed thousands of dragons that lived peacefully amongst each other. They lived in the mountains and would sometimes nest in the woods, and they would eat wild animals to survive. There was no hierarchy; all were equal, and most of them were peaceful. They had their own culture, their own language, their own way of doing things, and for a lengthy amount of time, things were amicable. Though eventually, the hardier dragons got fed up with the way things were and decided to disturb the peace.

The Great Dragon War lasted one hundred years, a violent and gory battle that nearly destroyed the land. Mountains and foliage were beaten and burnt to a crisp, what was once bright and sunny-yellow was then covered with burnt sienna haze, the ozone layer was completely corrupted, even entire continents and separated cities and towns were created from the earth cracking and splitting. Bloody, but brilliant, the war created a new era. Only the stronger few and their kin remained, and some had good intentions while the others' malicious. And while the residual dragons went their separate ways and decided to take control over the new countries that appeared within Fiore as Dukes or Duchesses, one dragon, in particular, reigned over them all, serving as king.

After another hundred or so years, the dragons then had humans to control. At first, the king didn't very much care for them, so he slaughtered most of the ones that inhabited his area. There was no real reason behind it except for the fact that he hated humans. Why were they in his space? He claimed it, fair and square! They were rude and selfish, not to mention snobby and disgusting. Which was the one thing he had in common with the other dragons.

They hated humans.

Ironically, their kin had the ability to take the form of humans, likely as a result of evolution, but the truth was a mystery. So, with that being said, they used their children as their placeholders in the public eye. They'd give specific orders, while their offspring carried them out. Not a lot of humans knew that they were second-generation dragons impersonating people, and truly believed that every decision being made was coming from them, and not their dragon parents. With that knowledge, imagine their disdain when they learned that their king massacred the people just for the fun of it. Because of that, they were unwillingly obedient, in fear that it would happen again.

The funny thing about it, the offspring hated humans too. And they hated even more that they had to pose as those filthy creatures or suffer the consequences.

Dragons like to be in control, even of their own children.

As life and time progressed, society also progressed, some cities better than others in terms of quality of life, as some Dukes ruled similarly to a dictatorship. The king had his own law and didn't particularly care how the other dragons controlled their towns, as long as they obeyed his law.

Though there were three rules that were more important than the others.

Don't kill needlessly.

Don't mate with humans.

Don't betray the king.

He slipped into his normal attire, a black, tattered sleeveless tunic and khaki pants tucked into studded boots. His fabric headband was taut across his forehead, barely keeping his long, unruly hair out of his face as the length of it reached his lower back. He looked himself over in the mirror, grunting in displeasure before leaving his chamber. He hated this shit. Don't get him wrong, he didn't mind being leadership, but what he did mind was that he was only posing as king.

He was a dragon, and he wanted to be the one sitting on the throne. Not his father. And that was the only reason he was up so early. Another day filled with bullshit, he expected. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he trekked down the long corridor, running into the only other being he tolerated.

"Gajeel! What are you doing up so early?"

"Tch."

"Too early to talk?"

A scowl on his face, he continued walking. He was nowhere close to being a morning person, and this one here was always up bright and early, chipper as a bird every single day. It was annoying, but he was used to it by now. He'd been by his side as his best friend for decades now. It also helped that he wasn't a human.

"Why d'ya gotta ask me dumb ass questions, cat?" Gajeel asked harshly, not intending it the way it came out.

"I still ask myself to this day how I managed to befriend someone with such a brash personality." Lily caught up to him, following him through the large steel doors at the end of the corridor.

"I'm a dragon," Gajeel snorted, heading down the steps seemingly towards town. "Son of 'King Metalicana'. What the fuck else would ya expect from me?"

"Ha, I guess you're right about that," Lily pat his longtime friend on the back, wondering where he was in such a hurry off to. He never got up this early, let alone left the castle. Though he may have had a nasty personality, Gajeel was not his father, but better tenfold. It was for that reason that Lily trusted him wholly. "Would you like to tell me what's going on?"

Gajeel sighed, running a hand through his thick mane as he turned a corner to a particularly abandoned-looking path. "Fucker wants ta see me an' have a talk of some sort."

"Ah, I see. So, we're not going into the city?" Lily had his own reasons for wanting to visit Crocus, but being by Gajeel's side was the most important task at hand, and if he wanted to go on an uncomfortable trek through the woods to have an unpleasant conversation, then he'd be there every step of the way.

"Wow, does it fuckin' look like I'm headed ta the city?" He was in an absolutely foul mood that not much could fix. He paused and looked at a concerned Lily. "Sorry… I ain't mean ta snap on ya. I'm just takin' my anger out on all the wrong shit. The citizens are gonna fuckin' end up dealin' with my shitty attitude, too. I gotta relax."

"It's good that you're self-aware, but if you know your faults and flaws, why not do better to change them? Don't make the people suffer. You're a good dragon, Gajeel."

Gajeel hated cheesy shit, emotions, feelings, whatever. He felt like it gave him a weakness, and as a king? You couldn't be weak at all. The moment you show even a sliver of weakness is the same moment that the other dragons, or even the braver humans, try to overthrow the throne. He'd been "king" for a hundred years. He couldn't have that. "Dad said he wanted ta talk ta me 'bout somethin' important. Makin' me get up all early."

"It must be truly serious if he's actually reaching out to you," Lily said. "Sounds fun!"

"Yeah… 'bout that," Gajeel faced the large cat that was as tall and nearly as buff as he was. "I kinda wanna do this alone. Who knows what that bastard has ta say!"

"As much as I'd like to go into town for some kiwis, I took the position of your personal Knight, and as your best friend, I feel required to tell you that I must be with you at all times when applicable."

Fuck, he really hoped that big dragon had something decent to say. He couldn't take being embarrassed in front of Lily again. Hell would freeze over before he admitted that out loud, though. He cursed under his breath and continued his walk through the tall weeds. Though he could fend for himself, it wasn't wise for him to walk around alone, and Lily had amazing senses. He could tell when something wasn't right minutes before anything even happened. He was also a good sparring partner.

"It's been a while since I've been down this path. I don't remember this area looking so unkempt." Lily followed behind his grumpy friend, using his old sword to cut down any brush that stood in his way. He had only seen Metalicana twice, the last time being almost twenty years ago. "What do you think is so important that he couldn't send a messenger?"

"I been rackin' my brain all damn mornin' tryin' ta figure it out, but with him, it really could be anythin'," Gajeel replied, pausing briefly to stare at the top of the mountain in front of them. "Fucker lives all the way up there. Couldn't even be a decent father an' meet me halfway. Such bullshit!"

Lily stood next to him, dropping a heavy hand on his shoulder. "I know this time of year is rough on you dragons. Perhaps after this meeting, we can spar? Assuming he's going to have you implement some changes, you need to release some tension before you make any decisions that you may regret."

"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel grumbled, heading up the trail. "Whatever, damn cat."

Metalicana was a cold individual, not caring one way or the other about anyone or anything but himself, and the fact that he barely even cared about his son was well-known by the other dragons. If he had things his way, he'd wipe everything out, leaving only himself behind, but… starting another war at his age wasn't a good idea, and the second generation wasn't as gung-ho as their parents. And speaking of his age, there was a reason why he called for his son, though he knew the conversation wouldn't be pleasant, it would definitely pay off in the long run.

He was perched on the top of the mountain, facing away from town and looking off into the distance when he heard footsteps coming from behind him. Dragons had extremely strong senses, able to pinpoint beings just by the way they walked. Not to mention their sense of smell, sight, and hearing being over ten times stronger than humans'.

"So, you brought the Exceed," Metalicana sighed. "You sure you want him to hear what I have to say?"

"Tch." Gajeel was already over it. "Just get this over with, old man! Whatever ya gotta say ta me, ya can say ta the cat!"

"Such big balls to speak to your father that way," Metalicana turned around, his iron scales glistening in the morning sun. He looked over the kneeling Exceed, motioning for him to stand. He'd always taken a liking to that noble cat. "It's nice to see you, son."

"Yeah, yeah! Cut the emotional shit an' just tell me what'cha want!" Gajeel huffed, shooting Lily a death glare when he elbowed him in the side. He already knew what the cat had to say, and he wasn't trying to hear any of it!

The iron dragon turned, his back to his son and the exceed yet again. That boy sure had a nasty personality, but at least he came by it honest. Though it wasn't all his fault he was in such an awful mood; it was nearing mating season, and dragons that haven't mated become a bit irritable for a few months… which was why he chose now to have this conversation. "I'm tired."

Gajeel gave a look of confusion mixed with irritation. He was not a patient dragon nowadays. "So? I'm doin' all the work! How can ya be tired?!"

Metalicana snorted, looking at his son from over his shoulder. Fine. He'll just cut to the chase. "I'm getting old, son. I'm thinking of handing you the throne."

Lily's jaw dropped before sharing glances of surprise with his best friend. He'd always wanted to be king, and now it was just being offered to him on a silver platter! This was too good to be true. He directed his attention back to the dragon in front of them and kneeled. "I don't mean to overstep, Your Majesty, but there has to be a catch of some sort. You wouldn't just give Gajeel the throne… right?"

"Tch," Gajeel had to agree with Lily. He crossed his arms, lightly kicking him in the foot. "Get the hell up! He ain't royalty!"

Lily craned his neck up to look at his angry friend. "Unlike you, I know how to show respect. You should take some notes."

"The Exceed is right, son," Metalicana snickered. He knew he never earned the respect of his son, nor did he care to. It was a lost cause. "You do need to learn some respect, but I suppose that is what makes you a good leader and my son."

"I don't care. Get ta the point," Gajeel grumbled. He'll never be his father. He'd die like a man before he turned into a bastard like him.

"Your favorite time of year is approaching, so I figured I'd have this talk with you sooner rather than later," he began sarcastically, ignoring his son's impatience. "I'd like to step down and move on. I enjoy my solitude, and there isn't much of that here."

"Well, shit!" Gajeel exclaimed, slapping Lily on the back. "I already do everythin' anyway, right? I gladly an' humbly accept!"

"Don't jump the gun there, son," Metalicana said with a shit-eating grin on his face. "There's a catch."

"Aha! I was right!" Lily taunted his partner, the feeling of being right sweet like kiwis.

"Get on with it!"

"You're not fit to be a king," Metalicana said simply. He knew the way he said it would ruffle his feathers, which was always a bonus. His son was a bit on the dramatic side, and he proved to be entertaining from time to time.

"What the fuck did ya say?" Gajeel grit his teeth, his body covering itself in a layer of thin iron scales. His piece of shit of a father loved pushing his buttons! He knew exactly what he was doing when he said that shit! He clenched his fists, unraveling them when Lily put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Ya say I ain't fit ta be King, yet I'm the one doin' all the work, communicatin' with the public, enforcin' rules, cleanin' up the streets. I don't think it's me who ain't fit ta be a king."

"I figured you'd say that," the dragon smirked, his intent to anger his son successful. Why was he so sadistic? Was that why his mate abandoned him all those years ago? Whatever. It was no longer worth thinking about. "But what I said is true. You're not fit to be King, but you could be."

"Fer fuck's sake," Gajeel muttered, dragging a hand down his face in exasperation. "Stop bein' so damn cryptic, an' tell me what the fuck ya want from me!"

Lily had to hold back a laugh. His father was being particularly vague, and it was only to mess with Gajeel. Sometimes seeing him so riled up was amusing. He considered it payback for all the times he fell victim to his schemes. "There may be something you have to do or learn to become King."

"Thanks fer the input, cat," Gajeel dismissed Lily, just wanting his dad to get this over with.

"He's right," Metalicana agreed. "I want to give you the true title of King of Fiore, but before I do that, I need to know that you can properly communicate with the leaders of the smaller regions."

"I communicate with 'em all the time," Gajeel clarified. "Maybe it's through poorly worded letters, but it's still communication."

"Yes, I am aware," his dad rolled his eyes and turned around again, facing away from them. "I get a few choice words from the other dragons every time you decide to send out communication."

"So, what are ya sayin'?"

"I'm kicking you out of the castle until you learn to speak Dragonic. When you come back, you will be fluent in speaking it, as well as reading and writing it—"

"Yer kickin' me out?!"

"Gajeel, he said it was only temporary," Lily tried to diffuse the anger, but it was for naught.

"I don't give a fuck! Why the hell do I gotta leave the castle just ta learn that shit?!"

"Whether or not you like it is not my issue," Metalicana said coldly. "You're nearing the grips of mating season, and with your elevated hormones, this is the perfect time to isolate yourself from society and learn our language. What's the use of a frustrated dragon who can't even communicate clearly to his subordinates?"

Gajeel knew he was right. But it still sucked! "Ya know, if ya were even half a decent father, ya woulda taught me Dragonic when I was growin' up! But ya were too busy startin' wars ta give a damn 'bout yer own kin!"

"While that may be true, it doesn't change the fact that you need to learn it. How you choose to go about learning is up to you, but it starts today. That is my order."

Gajeel couldn't do anything but stand there with his mouth agape. Today? He was kicking him out today?!

"Relax, Gajeel," Lily saw the plethora of emotions radiating from his dear friend. "I'm sure we can go back and get your things. And think of the bright side! By the time you come back, you'll be King!"

Yeah, but he hated boring stuff! Who knew how long that would take! He sighed, kicking a few rocks around him. He obviously wasn't getting his way. "Who's gonna run this place since yer kickin' me out?"

"I will," the dragon said plainly, ignoring his son's snorting. "Take as long as you need to learn. Just keep me updated on your progress. Now go. I want to rest in peace."

"How rude!" Gajeel kicked a rock particularly hard, narrowly missing his dad. "Yer the one who called me here!"

"Watch where you kick those rocks, son," Metalicana growled. He'd take whatever verbal abuse his son had to throw at him, but let him act on it? He'd easily put him in his place, kin or not.

"Tch. Whatever," the young dragon turned on his heels, in even more of a foul mood than he was when he woke up this morning. "C'mon, Lil."

"Your Majesty," Lily said, kneeling one final time before taking his leave. What an amazing turn of events! Granted, the conversation could have gone a bit better, but still! He caught up to Gajeel, who was glaring at everything that stood in his way. He pat him on the back in excitement. "What good news! You're going to be King! How do you feel?"

"Not anytime fuckin' soon! I gotta learn that dumb language, taught by some dumbass I assume," Gajeel shook his head. "Who fuckin' knows how long it'll take ta find a teacher?!"

"You could have one of the other dragons teach you," Lily suggested, knowing he wouldn't go for it.

"Fuck no! I'd rather step down forever than have one of those fuckers teach me," Gajeel spat, ducking under a low tree branch. "Put an ad out for a teachin' job. I don't care who ya find, as long as they're the best there is. I don't wanna take any longer than I need ta."

"On it," Lily confirmed. "You have all the time in the world to learn Dragonic since you're stepping down for the time being."

"Against my will! What the hell am I gonna do ta make the time go by? Where the hell am I gonna live?" Gajeel was starting to panic slightly. He was going to be exposed! "People recognize me as the king of Fiore, an' I can only disguise myself so much! I gotta stay off the grid, Lil. The more hidden I am, the less vulnerable I'll be."

"No worries, Gajeel. I'll find you a teacher and a fine place to live. Now, for the job, you'll need an alias."

"I got one, an' ya know what it is, too."

"Good. Now, do you want the teacher to live with you for the time being? That might be difficult to achieve since people tend to have lives of their own," Lily explained. Logically, it'd be smart for the teacher to stay so as to not give away their position, but it was Gajeel's choice.

"Tell 'em they'll get double the pay if they stay," Gajeel knew it would be wise for them to stay, but he couldn't hold anyone against their will. "I'll just explain that it's a safety concern fer 'em ta be comin' an' goin' every day. Unless ya find a sweet spot ta where no one can find us."

"I'll do my best, Gajeel."

She slammed her glass down on the counter, a drunken arm around her best friend's shoulders as she declared another drink. It was the end of a particularly long week, as she'd just taken a pretty lengthy job with two of her other friends and hadn't been home in three weeks. This bar was her second favorite place outside of home, the first being the library. It was owned by one of her good friends and her fiancé, and it was one of the hottest bars in Magnolia because of the quality of the liquor. Of course, that meant the prices were a bit on the higher side, but luckily for her and her blonde friend, they drank for free.

She frequented it often, mainly because Lucy always wanted to go to numb the nuisances of her journalism job, but also to see her other good friend Cana, the owner of the place. She had a back area that was quiet enough for Levy to do some work or reading… well, not during business hours, but after closing? With her being a night owl, it was sanctuary number two. Now, depending on the difficulty of the work and whether or not she could tolerate distractions, she'd do her work in the library. It helped that one of the closing employees had a thing for her, so she was allowed to use the facilities after hours, as long as she locked up.

A perk she'd definitely taken advantage of.

She found that she got her best work done in the evening, headed into the nighttime and she wasn't really sure why. All she knew was her team hated it because it left her up all night and exhausted during the day. Speaking of, on her way home, she found a flyer that said something about a teaching job. With Jet and Droy breathing down her neck the whole time, all she was able to read was that it had something to do with another language, which immediately piqued her interest. She shoved the flyer into her bag before they could start asking questions and hoped to Gods it was a job she could do on her own. But she'd just gotten home and as much as she didn't want to go out again, she needed to do this job if she wanted to pay her rent for the next few months! Ugh. Responsibilities.

She was getting bummed from thinking about working again so soon when she was brought out of her thoughts by a glass that was put on the counter in front of her.

"Drink up, bitch! No babysittin' allowed in my bar!" Cana exclaimed at her little blue, her good friend since high school. Sure, they were opposites, but they were tighter than ever. "You're already three drinks in, might as well down the fourth!"

"Yeah, Lev!" Lucy leaned into her before taking a long swig of her undeniably delicious-looking drink. "Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!"

Levy rolled her eyes and grinned before turning the glass up to her lips, chugging it all and spilling some down her chin in the process. Slamming that glass down with a heavy exhale, she giggled drunkenly with her girlfriends. She didn't always drink like this—in fact, it was kind of rare, and they were definitely taking advantage of it! She waved her hand, signaling the end of her drinking for the evening.

"C'mon guys~" Levy slurred, standing from her stool at the counter. Whoa. She hadn't been this drunk in a while. "I needa go home!"

"Let me help you," Lucy laughed, supporting the majority of Levy's weight. She drank a bit more than her blue-haired friend, so holding her alcohol came a bit easier for her. It was a good thing because she could help Levy in times like these… when four drinks got her absolutely plastered.

Lucy turned, dumping Jewel in the tip jar. Even though they drank for free, they still liked to tip well. With how much work Cana and Bacchus put into the upkeep, they deserved it and then some. She gave a wave before hoisting Levy up a little more against her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cana! Gotta get this one home!"

"Alright, Blondie!" Cana called to her besties. "Bacchus is cookin' tomorrow, so you two gotta stop by for some grub~"

"Will do!"

Lucy stepped through the wooden double doors, greeted by a fresh, early fall breeze, which felt amazing due to their elevated body temperatures. Though the more they walked, the chillier it got and the more sober they became. Thankfully, Levy didn't live that far from the bar, but where she lived was a bit isolated, so they always had to be on alert for any strange men lurking around and looking for drunk women to take advantage of.

"I dunno why you chose to live in such a secluded area," Lucy complained, turning down the same dimly lit path they always took to her place. "It's a miracle nothing has happened to us yet!"

"I'd like to see them try~" Levy mumbled, waving around her script pen. "I'm teaching myself how to use my script magic without my pen, so I'm looking for a nice test subject!"

"You probably can't do much in the condition you're in right now," Lucy boldly stated. "You're completely drunk! You can barely even walk!"

"Hey! Can too! Watch," Levy unhooked her arm from around her tall friend's shoulder and stood up straight, trying to walk in a straight line. It was challenging, but she was a lot more sober than she was ten minutes ago, thanks to the chilly air. She took a few steps and stumbled a bit, giggling when she realized Lucy was right. "Fine."

"See!"

"Yeah, yeah," Levy said, draping herself back around her chaperone for the evening. "Just get me home, Blondie!"

It was close to midnight, and the walk back to Levy's place was quiet and dark. The streetlamps they passed every so often made the stars in the sky obsolete, yet the dark navy sky still held the crescent moon beautifully and proudly. As they walked, a gentle breeze flowed through the pathway, making Lucy wish she wore a sweater. She didn't think the alcohol would wear off so quickly! She was definitely going to have to crash at Levy's tonight.

Another trip from the bar to the apartment, and nothing happened as usual. Lucy was always a bit on the paranoid side, living life with low expectations while expecting the worst. This was a life where shitty things happened, where certain towns had certain rules. She couldn't afford to be as carefree as her blue-haired friend. Which, speaking of, she was thinking of finding a job to do on her own! With how small she was?! Anything could happen! As much as she hated those two, she needed them to go with her!

Levy was hardheaded and set in her own ways, so it was going to take some serious convincing to get her to change her mind.

Lucy turned down the walkway that led to her apartment, almost there. 'Gods, she's getting heavy! What is she eating?' Levy may have been small, but she definitely had weight in the right places! Which… made Lucy kind of jealous since she didn't look nearly as good in bottoms as Levy did.

"Hey, you don't have any plans tomorrow, right?" Lucy asked, walking up the steps to the front door of her building. Pushing the door open, she thanked her silently for being on the bottom floor.

Levy was starting to remember why she didn't drink so much. Every time she did, Lucy or Cana had to lug her home like a sack of books, and it always felt like she was being thrown around like a ragdoll. It made her head hurt. Thankfully, she was blinded by the bright lights in the hallway, so she knew she was home and could relax soon.

"Nah," she flapped her hand drunkenly, dismissing the idea of plans tomorrow. She was going to be hungover, no doubt about it. "Just Bacchus and Cana's cookout."

"Good, then I'm crashing with you tonight. It's cold and I'm tipsy," Lucy said, digging her spare key out of her purse and letting herself into the apartment.

"Sure," Levy said, stumbling through the entryway and to her room. "See you in the morning."

With that, Levy closed her bedroom door and fell face-first onto her bed. Oh, how she missed her soft blankets, the rustic smell of her room, the books. Maybe she was crazy for wanting to jump back into another job. 'I'll just wait and see how I feel about it in the morning.' For now, she just wanted to relax, and that usually consisted of a book and a bath, but this time she was a little too drunk to trust herself with one of her precious books in the tub.

She learned her lesson the last time!

But that was a thought for later. She'd just have a quick bath this time around and crawl into bed.

She stripped out of her clothes, deep in thought while she prepared her bath. She was in her late twenties, and she'd been in the same town her whole life. Sure, she wanted a change, but she was too set in her ways to actually consider doing it. She had a nice apartment that she snagged for cheap, she was within walking distance of everyone and everything and she wasn't sure she wanted to give all that up.

Eh, she'd cross that bridge when she got there.

She slid into the warm water, sighing heavily. She always used a specific lavender body wash and bubble bath combination that had special ingredients that helped loosen her muscles, but this time it wasn't doing its job! She didn't like enchanting her bath because the effects didn't last long, but honestly, since she was just going to go to bed, it might not be such a bad idea.

She reached up and grabbed her pen from the windowsill – she kept a pen handy in each room, just in case – and waved it in a small circle, a golden light emanating from the water for a second or two. Satisfied, she began her routine, starting with her legs while she sorted her thoughts as best her drunken mind could.

She was excited; soon, she wouldn't need her pen any more! Training herself to manifest her abilities without a conductor was mentally challenging, but it was definitely paying off! She could only do basic things without it, like summon light or water or things of that nature, and she couldn't yet defend herself without it… not that she ever really needed to. Not with Jet and Droy up her butt constantly and treating her like she's made of thin glass.

She inhaled deeply before sinking under the water completely, coming back up with a soft exhale. When she thought about it, Lucy was kind of like that too. She never said it out loud, but with the way she would phrase things? It was clear that she didn't want her to take a job by herself ever, nor did she want her to move out of the city to be alone. She would constantly bring up how small she was in statute, not caring that she was a pretty strong mage. She was nimble, she was quick, and she was extremely smart, and knew how to detect trouble before it happens.

But did Jet, Droy, or Lucy care?

No.

Which was honestly one of the few reasons why Levy wanted to leave the city and be off on her own. She had no family keeping her in Magnolia, anyway. 'Maybe I should move to Crocus.' She finished her business and stepped out of the tub, reminding herself to clean it in the morning while wrapping herself in a towel.

"Crocus, huh?" She mumbled to herself as she wrapped her wet hair. She didn't harbor any negative feelings toward the Duke of Crocus, so it wasn't a half-bad thought. The Duke of Magnolia was a mystery, though. His rules were simple, not too over the top, but no one has ever met him in person. Due to all the extensive reading she's done, she knew what he looked like, but that was it. "Whatever."

She opted for leaving her hair wrapped up since she was too tired and lazy to dry it, and plopped on the bed again, staring at the ceiling. She truly didn't care which city she ended up in. As long as she didn't end up anywhere near the king!

She hated the king!