Have some Frelu, I do truly adore them together. I'm very excited to write this story.

"I have arranged a marriage for you."

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek and folded her hands in front of her, giving a small bow. "Yes, father."

It was sickening, the fact that he would sell her off to the highest bidder like this. She wouldn't be surprised if it was some sleezy old man that was going on to his fifth wife. If her mother was still around, perhaps she could have joined a guild by now. She loved that her mother had taught her how to use Celestial keys before she passed, it had become such an important part of her life. She loved her spirits like family, and she wished that she could give them, as well as herself, freedom.

"May I know his name, father?" She lifted her head from her bow to stare at his stiff back.

"His name is Freed Justin, and he is the first born son of the Justine family. I have even went out of my way to agree to a meeting between the two of you before the wedding." He stated, turning around and giving his daughter a firm stare.

First born son, at least he won't be some old guy. However, that could still mean he could be somewhere in his forties and that his father was nearing his death bed. She hoped he wasn't some pervert that would leer at her until he got the chance to jump her after their wedding. "Thank you, father. That is a very kind gesture. When will this meeting be, if you do not mind my asking?"

He sniffed and turned back around to stare out of the window. "It will be tomorrow at noon, do not be late. You are dismissed."

"Yes, father." She gave another curt bow before turning and taking her leave. She gently closed the door behind her before letting out a deep breath. She felt the sing of tears in her eyes and quickly made her way down the hall, ignoring all of the pity stares that she got from the servants. She arrived to her room and shut the door, practically ripping her dress from her body.

Lucy stood there in her underwear and let out a sob. Maybe she could run away, being homeless would be a lot better than this hellhole. She sniffled and shuffled her way over to her dresser, opening her underwear drawer and rifling through it until her fingers brushed over the familiar cool metal. She pulled out her set of keys, smiling at the set of three golden keys glimmering in the sunset that filtered through her window.

Aquarius and Cancer, gifts from her mother, and Taurus, she heard a rumor about his key and snuck away to grab it before anyone else could. That day was the main reason she could not sneak out again, she tried sneaking back home but was caught by her father. He had been furious and hired more bodyguards for around the mansion.

Her fingers brushed over one of the golden keys, placing it in a cup of water that she had left on her dresser earlier that day. There was a bright light and she smiled up at the scowling face.

"What the hell do you want?" Aquarius demanded.

Lucy's smile widened, her lips trembling. "My father has arranged a marriage for me."

The spirits scowl instantly fell and she floated down to wrap her arms around the blonde. She felt the mage trembling in her arms and hushed her. "It will be alright, Lucy. With us around, no one will ever hurt you. Even if you don't like it, I'll kill your nasty husband before he can even touch you."

Lucy sniffled and let out a small laugh. "Of course you would." She pulled back and gave the frowning spirit a weak smile. "Who knows, maybe he'll be a handsome gentleman." They both knew it was extremely unlikely, but she wanted to try and lighten the mood. She wanted Aquarius around for comfort, she felt the safest with the mermaid even if she was angry most of the time.

"Why don't you have Crux do some research on this guy?" Aquarius lead Lucy to her bed for her to take a seat before floating back over to the dresser to search for some proper clothes.

"There's no point." Lucy sighs, "I'm going to be meeting him tomorrow anyways." She reached behind her to unclip her bra, tossing it to the ground.

Grabbing some loose clothing, Aquarius floated back over and placed them on the bed. "What if he's a secret killer." She snickers.

Lucy rolls her eyes and stands to slide her panties down her legs. "Don't make me start crying again." She teases and grabs the white nightgown before pulling it over her head, the ends falling to her knees. She sighed and climbed into bed, snuggling under the warm covers and looking up at her spirit. "Stay with me while I fall asleep?"

Aquarius smiled and sat on the bed. "Of course."


"Hearfilia?"

Freed sighed as he flipped the page in his book, his younger brother spinning a globe that was placed on a small nightstand in the corner of his room. "Yes, that is the family name of the woman I will be marrying next week. May I inquire as to why you are in my room?"

Martin shrugged, giving the globe another spin. "I'm bored and wanna know more about this girl. Is she cute?"

Freed gave another sigh before shutting his book and placing it on the nightstand beside his bed. "I do not know, I only know of her name. I will be meeting her tomorrow afternoon."

The younger green haired boy huffed and turned to face his brother. "That's stupid, what if she's super ugly and annoying?"

The older man glanced at his brother before shutting his eyes. "Then it is what I must deal with for as long as I am supposed to. It is for the good of the family and father's order."

"Even if you act like this is your duty, I know you don't want it to happen." He gave Freed a pointed look.

Freed tsked and glared at his brother. "You should be heading to bed now, Martin, it is getting quite late and I need to be well rested for my betrothed."

Martin sighed and made his way to the door, glancing back and giving him a sad look. "I wish you all the best, dear brother. Goodnight."

The door shut and Freed frowned. He was right, he didn't want this marriage. But there was nothing he could do. He wanted nothing more than to run away and join Fairy Tail, but it wasn't that simple. He had been keeping contact with a man named Laxus, running into him during one of his outings and finding out he was a mage. He couldn't keep his excitement at bay when he saw how the blonde fought, it was breathtaking.

He had bombarded the mage with questions about the guild he was in, saying he would love to join one day in order to get an even better handle on his own magic. He had been training in secret, but there was only so much he could do since his father practically had eyes everywhere. Laxus had insisted he came with him back to Fairy Tail that day, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He regretted it now, as he had not found another opportunity like that again. It had been months.

There was flashing in the drawer of his nightstand and he quickly opened it and reached for the flashing lacrima. Sending a burst of magic into it, he was met with a rugged, bored face. "Hello, Laxus."

"Hey, Freed, any luck with finding a way out?" Laxus asked.

Freed shook his head with a sigh. "Unfortunately not, there has been a complication that was brought to my attention today."

"Oh?"

With a deep breath and a sad look, he said, "My father has arranged a marriage for me."

Laxus' eyebrow shot up to his hairline. "You shittin' me? That's nuts! He's just gonna take away your rights like that?"

Freed let out a breath and gave a small nod. "Yes, that is how things go in wealth. I am not certain if I will be able to live out my dream as a mage anymore." He frowned.

"Do you even know anything about this chick?"

He shook his head. "I know her name; Lucy Heartfilia, but that is all I am allowed to know until tomorrow when I meet her. I am lucky to even get that chance, most people have to wait until their wedding day."

Laxus scoffed and crossed his arms. "You rich people are something else. Want me to do some research on her so you can know if she's not some ugly ass old lady?"

Freed gave a small chuckle and rolled his eyes. "I appreciate the offer, but I must decline. I will be meeting her tomorrow anyways so there is no point."

The blonde shrugged. "Suit yourself. Maybe you'll be lucky and get a busty hot blonde." He grinned.

"Hardly, things like that are very rare in high class."

"Right." Laxus chuckled. "Well hopefully she won't be too in your face and annoying, you're not that bad in the looks department and it would be sad to see you go to waste on some crazy lady. I wish you the best of luck tomorrow."

Freed smiled and gave a small nod. "Yes, thank you very much." He glanced at the clock and sighed. "Well, I must be off to bed now so I do not feel tired during tomorrows meeting. Goodnight, Laxus."

"Yeah, night, Freed. Keep me updated."

"I will." He said before the lacrima went dark.


Lucy internally cringed when the carriage came to a stop. She was far from excited for this meeting, already noticing that these people had more power than her father did. Their home was larger and there seemed to be a lot more servants outside than they had. No wonder her father chose this family as a suitable marriage candidate.

"You better be on your best behavior." Her father stated as the door was opened for them.

"Yes, father." She watched as he stepped out first before one of the Justine servants offered a hand to her to help her out of the cart. She thanks the kind looking old man and made her way to the front doors with her father. The large wooden doors opened and they were greeted by a smiling maid.

"Welcome," She said sweetly, "we have been expecting you. Please follow me."

They followed the short woman down a long hall before stopping in front of another pair of large doors.

Lucy's heart was pounding, she didn't want this. She didn't want some creepy guy that was twice her age that will most likely be unfaithful to her. She glanced down the hall, wondering if she should just run. But that would look bad on her father, the marriage would be cancelled and he would catch her. What if he locked her up because she messed up this agreement and-

The doors opened and she blinked when all she saw was green. There were three sets of heads with green hair, two were long and one was short. The woman, who she assumed was the mother of her betrothed, was the only one with white hair.

She scanned the men and her eyes landed on one of the ones with long hair. His eyes were wide as he stared at her and she couldn't seems to tear hers away. He was absolutely gorgeous. His posture was straight and she could tell he was well built, his hair so silky and pulled back into a low ponytail. The red tailcoat he wore fit him extremely well, it was definitely his colour.

"Lucy." Jude said quietly, but firm. "You're being rude by staring."

Lucy shook her head as a small blush tinted her cheeks. "I apologize." She said before they started walking closer to the family. They stopped once they were close enough and both gave a bow. She couldn't help but let her eyes keep glancing towards the beautiful man while the two father's spoke.

"Welcome, Mr. Heartfilia. It is a pleasure to meet you." Mr. Justine said.

"Likewise." Jude says. "You have a lovely home."

"Many thanks. Now, shall we have the two betrothed go for a private walk while we discuss further contracting?" The eldest green haired man stood and motioned Freed forward.

Oh sweet lord, he's actually going to be my husband? Maybe this won't be so bad. Let's just hope his attitude won't ruin how attractive he is. Lucy thought as she watched the man she had been admiring step forward.

Freed couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her walk in. Maybe you'll be lucky get a busty hot blonde. Laxus' words echoed in his head and he couldn't believe his luck. She was stunning, her golden hair tied neatly atop her head, such a slender waist and beautiful brown eyes. He had noticed how she stared at him the same way when she walked in, and it sent a shiver rippling through his body knowing that she was looking at him even though she had no idea which one of them she would be marrying.

He subtly swatted at his brother when he heard his choke at the sight of her before he walked up to the blushing blonde. He gave a deep bow before grabbing her hand and placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. When he looked up at her through his lashes, he internally groans at the sight of her blush deepening in colour. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. My name is Freed Justine." He raises his body.

Oh God help me, his voice is so sexy. She brought her hand to her chest and swallowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Freed. My name is Lucy Heartfilia."

Freed offered his arm to her a felt her slender arm slide into his. "Shall I give you a tour of my home?" At her nod, he smiled and led her out of the room. A sigh of relief left them both at the same time when the door closed. They glanced at each other and both let out small laughs.

"I guess we were both stressing in there. I was afraid you were going to be some old man." She chuckled as he led her back down the hall where she entered from.

"Ah yes, I suppose it's more common for a young lady to be paired with an older man unfortunately." He opened the front door for her and she smiled at him in thanks as she walked through it. He quickly caught up to her and they started walking towards the garden. "You're very strong for being able to pull through the way you did. You must care for your father dearly."

Lucy gave a small shrug. "I wouldn't really put it that way." She sighed, running her fingers gently over the roses as they walked deeper into the garden. Aquarius' words popped in her head and she gave a small giggle.

Freed raised and eyebrow. "What is so funny?"

She looked up at him and smirked. "You're not a killer, are you?" She let out a full blown laugh at his shocked expression.

"Wha- why would you ask that?!" He was so shocked, but he understood. If he wasn't an old man, then there had to be something else that had to put him off from a regular man.

"Sorry, sorry!" She laughed. "My spi-" she stopped and and pressed her lips together tightly. She can't let him know that she's a mage. "My maid was teasing me and said that if you were handsome then you might be a killer."

Freed chuckled and shook his head. "Well, I am no killer, I can promise you that." He glanced at her and gave a smirk. "Does that mean you find me handsome if you asked me that?"

Lucy stumbled and blushed brightly. "W-Well I mean, it should be quite obvious that you're not ugly. I mean, you do have beautiful eyes and a strong jaw and- oh what am I saying! I'm making a fool of myself." She stumbles over her words.

Freed couldn't help it, teasing this woman was so much fun. Her reactions were very cute and he could tell that there is a side to her, her real self, that he would love to expose. "You are very beautiful yourself, no need to be embarrassed."

Her face felt like it was on fire at that point. "Th-Thank you very much."

They came to a stop and a small clearing surrounded by bushes filled with flowers and trees, in the middle sat a fountain with a bench off to the side. He turned to her and decided to give her one final push. "I could tell by the way your eyes never left me when you arrived that you thought I was handsome. Tell me, what if I was not the man you were marrying? Would you still have come to me if I called?"

Lucy's heart hammered so hard in her chest that she thought it would burst out at any moment. He leaned closer to her with a smirk and she couldn't help but lean back in surprise. He was so forward, and if she was being honest with herself, she probably would go to him if he did call for her, even if he wasn't her betrothed. She saw that he was reaching a hand up and she took a step back, not seeing the stick below and gasping in surprise when she slipped on it and fell backwards.

"Oh my, are you alright?" Freed panicked and reached for her. This was his fault, he shouldn't have teased her so much. He heard jingling of metal hit the ground and brought his eyes over to the sound. They widened in surprise at the shining gold keys that lay there. "Those are.."

Lucy gasped and quickly grabbed her keys, pulling them to her chest. "Please, don't be mad. They're very important to me and my father doesn't know I have them. I'm so very sorry, please don't make me get rid of them, they're my friends and-" She blinked when she felt his hand press over her mouth.

He gave her a warm smile before helping her up, dusting her dress of any dirt. "I am far from upset, my lady." He brought his hand down and grabbed hers, opening them to look at the keys. "Just as I thought, Celestial Gate keys. Marvellous."

"You really think so?" She breathed. She couldn't believe it, he wasn't mad that she was a mage. And he was amazed at her keys. She watched as he inspected them with an interested smile and couldn't help but give a smile of her own.

"I heard these are very hard to use, that they pull on your magic the entire time that they are out. How long can you keep them out for?" He glances up at her.

She blushed once more at the excitement in his eyes. "I haven't really seen how long because I don't have much time to practice. But just having a conversation with one, I've had one out for about forty-five minutes."

His eyes widened. "That's incredible! You must have a great amount of magic flowing through you."

Lucy twiddled her finger and gave a nervous laugh. "I suppose so. My mother was a mage before she passed and gave two of them to me. Are you a mage as well?"

Freed nodded and looked around. He moved his bangs away from his right eye and activated his magic, smiling at the gasp she let out as she stared into his purple eye. "I use something called Dark Écriture, it involves a lot of rune magic."

"Wow," Lucy smiled and couldn't help but reach her hand up to gently touch his cheek below his right eye. "It's beautiful."

He blushed and pulled his bangs back in front of his eye when she took her hand away. "Thank you." He led her to the bench and they both sat down. "I've wanted to join a guild for a long time now but have not found an opportunity to flee as of late."

She placed her hand on top of his and gave a smile. "I've wanted that for a long time as well. I've been reading in magazines about this guild called Fairy Tail, it seems like such a wonderful place."

"Really?" He gave her a smile. "Well, I have actually been in touch with a Fairy Tail member." He watched as her eyes widened and she bounced in her seat in excitement. "He says that it is open whenever I am able to join, I'm sure it would be the same for you."

Lucy couldn't believe her luck. First he's handsome, then he's sweet, and then he was a mage, and now he's been keeping contact with the guild she wants to join most? This had to be a dream! "That's amazing, Freed!" She grinned. "Maybe after marriage, we can run away together. I'm sure we can get our father's to lower their guards enough and make them think we'll stay, and then we can slip out."

Run away together. Freed didn't know why that idea pleased him so much. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small lacrima. "Why don't we give my friend a call and see what he thinks about it."

"Yes!" She nods excitedly. She wondered if it was someone she's seen in the magazines. Mira? She seemed so sweet. Max perhaps? Or maybe even the Salamander!

Freed sends a burst of magic into the small orb and waits. He smiles when Laxus picks up. "Hello,"

"Freed! How did the meeting go? I thought it would take all day?" Laxus blinks in surprise at the excited squeal.

"Oh my God! It's Laxus!" Lucy leans closer to Freed to get a better look, not noticing his blush at their close proximity.

Laxus raises an eyebrow. "You know me? Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She laughs. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia. I've read about you in magazines, you're one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail!"

Laxus felt his jaw drop. "You're the girl Freed is marrying?!" She was hot as hell! He was only kidding when he said maybe he would be lucky with a hot blonde.

She nods quickly, her eyes shining in excitement. "Yes, I am. I'm also a mage!"

"Really?" He sat back in his seat. That green haired bastard had some kind of crazy luck on his side.

She bobs her head and Freed chuckles. "She was hoping she could join Fair Tail as well. What do you think?"

Laxus brought a hand up to rub at his chin. "Well, if you think she would be good, then I don't see why not."

"I think she would be perfect." He smiles at his fiancé. Lucy blushed and smiles back at him.

"Then it's settled." Laxus grins. "When you two have a chance, I'll be waiting for you."

Lucy claps her hands together and give him a bright smile. "Thank you so much, Laxus! I won't disappoint."

Laxus chuckled at the determined face on the girl. "I expect great things from you two. Have fun, Freed." He winks before hanging up.

Freed blushed and puts the lacrima away. "Looks like everything is ready to go. Now all we must do is wait."

"And wait we shall." She scoots closer to him and wraps her arms around his left one, pressing close to him a giving a contented sigh. "With all this wait time, we can use it to get to know each other better. Though, I'm not sure if they'll let us see each other again before the wedding." She frowns.

Freed swallows as he feels her breasts pressing against his arm. "P-Perhaps not, but I'm sure we can do plenty today. The wedding isn't too far away, so we won't have to wait long to see each other again."

"You know when it is?" At his nod, she sighs. "Wow, my father couldn't even spare me that detail."

Freed frowns. "Really? That is quite rude of him. It will be held next Saturday in the afternoon."

"I see." It was Friday today, which means she wouldn't be able to see him again for over a week. It surprised her that she would be upset about it, they barely knew each other. However, after learning that he was a mage and that he wanted to take her away from all of this, she couldn't help but feel a certain pull towards him. She felt like she belonged with him, that he would be the one to give her true happiness.

Perhaps her new favorite colour was green.