Summary: Gray is finding it difficult to be married, Juvia is heartbroken and lonely, Lyon is besotted with Juvia and is unwittingly causing trouble, Ultear is worried, plots are at work, and Lucy is more determined than ever to have a child.
Pairings: Natsu/Lucy, Sisterly Virgo/Aries, implied Aries/Unnamed Character, Lucy/Aries friendship, Lucy/Virgo friendship, Gray/Juvia, one-sided Lyon/Juvia, sisterly Ultear/Gray, sisterly Ultear/Lyon, implied sibling feels between Gray/Natsu/Lyon/Erza/Ultear, Gray/Lucy friendship, Gray/Lucy (in Juvia's mind), implied parental Aquarius/Lucy, implied Jellal/Erza,
Millianna/Cats, sort of Jose/Ivan friendship, and lots and lots and lots of Natsu/Lucy.
Author's Note: Warning…..I go quite high T, bordering onto M, with this oneshot.
When the King went on progress, Natsu and Lucy went home.
It had been almost two years since she stepped into Farmlingham and Lucy had missed it. She missed the green rolling fields, she missed the tall, spiralling towers (some of the tallest in the country), and she definitely missed her library.
Their visit was not as bad as the last one, the people might not be content with Natsu as their duke but they no longer shouted Lancastrian propaganda as he passed them. It was easier to get on with the administration of the land and Natsu never noticed any glares he got as he happily took Lucy out for mini-adventures.
Their summer was filled with picnics, playing games, visiting far corners of their lands, and spending lots and lots of time in bed.
Lots and lots of time, like whole mornings, or all afternoon, or immediately after they had eaten for the entirety of the night, and even the whole day and night on a couple occasions…..
Aquarius was not pleased with that and was made even more displeased by Natsu when he had suggested it was because she had not had much time with her lover.
The slap mark was prominent on his cheek for hours after.
Natsu did not mind, and claimed that he had worse from Erza (very believable) but he did sulk when Lucy was unable to stop laughing at his face. It took a lot of kissing and time in bed to cheer him up again.
Which caused a disapproving comment from Aquarius, another bawdy joke at her expense from Natsu, and then another slap…..Natsu never did pay attention to history, apparently.
The only problem Lucy had that summer was the very strange, and constant, disappearance of her maid in waiting, Aries. It was not noticeable at first (after all, Lucy had been very busy) but as time went on Lucy could not help but notice Aries was never there when Virgo and Aquarius helped her dress in the mornings, and was not around during the days, and would slip out of the castle, cloak hood up, in the evenings…
"She has a lover," Aquarius said with blunt disapproval, "it is obvious, and now she is neglecting her duties doing God knows what. I suspect by autumn she will be in trouble and you will have to let her go. As if you could afford to reduce your household, the people already find it odd that you have only three ladies to serve you."
"I hardly give a fig what people think about my household," Lucy sniffed disdainfully, "I do not need hundreds of people waiting on me hand and foot. I am not Queen."
"You are still royalty," Aquarius pointed out, "and should be treated as such. Dismiss the girl before she shames you."
"Hime," Virgo suddenly fell to her knees, "I beg of you. If you find Aries remissive in her duties then punish me not her. I am her older sister, I should be the one that keeps her in line."
"No," Lucy said as she tried to pull Virgo up, "I will not be punishing anyone….but perhaps I should have a word with Aries about doing her duties first and then meeting with friends."
Aquarius snorted at that but Virgo smiled, sort of, and soon as possible Lucy did indeed have her word with Aries. The poor, shy, flustered girl immediately went into a never-ending stream of apologies and promised that she would focus on her duties only in the future.
"Oh no!" Lucy said worriedly, "you can still have fun just after you have done your tasks."
"I am sorry!" Aries wailed. "So sorry! It will never happen again! He is gone now and even if he was to return I will never neglect you again, Your Grace, I am so sorry!"
A little unsettled, as nothing she tried to do would calm Aries down, Lucy felt the situation had resolved itself and never bothered to think about it again. After all Aries had proven to be hardworking, obedient, and good company (when she did not look out of the window mournfully and sigh heavily), and as September turned to October, there was no sign of a babe.
For Aries that is. Lucy was very pleased to say that her courses had stopped in August and she was fast approaching a third month without them.
That was, of course, when her happy summer came to a shattering end.
Summons arrived from Gray for both Natsu and Lucy to return to Court (and even if it had only been Natsu, he would not have left without her – he said loudly enough whenever Lucy brought up the idea of her staying behind), and they had to make the uncomfortable, jarring, journey back to London.
Their welcome was fine, even if the Queen was a little frosty towards Lucy, and there was no whispers following them as all eyes were on the Queen's belly as all hoped for an announcement any day now.
Apparently Mistress Cana was running a betting pool on it.
It had been wonderful to see everyone again and Lucy was surprised when Gray greeted her warmly with an embrace and kiss on the cheek, as well Erza and Jellal, and Ultear even manage to smile in Lucy's direction as Lyon winked at her, and the Warwick family greeted her kindly (Viscount Dryer was not included in this), and when they all dined together privately, everyone but the Queen happily included her in the conversation.
For the first time ever she felt as if she was really part of the family now.
It was the next day when everything went to hell again. not the actual day, that had been fine, they had all gone hunting, and the Queen stiffly asked Lucy to visit her the following day to discuss her appointment in the Queen's household, and after Natsu and Gray somehow managed to wrestle each other of their horses (which caused Lyon, Ultear, and Laxus to all roll their eyes with exasperation), Erza made the kill, and they all dined on deer that night…it was at night again when it happened.
She just gushed blood.
It was horrific and terrifying and heart-breaking all at the same time and as the physician and midwife tried desperately to save her baby, she wept with the agony of it all.
Then she went numb as everything went from hellish to even worse….no more baby, she barely felt Natsu's arms around her as he lifted her out of the bed. She definitely cannot remember when Aquarius had come in and helped her bathe, or when the woman had taken Lucy into her arms and started to stroke her arms, and it was all to a blur as to when she was tucked back into bed, with clean sheets, as all she could think about how there was another life in which she would never see….a smile to never be shared….a child to never be loved….
She woke up in Natsu's arms and it had looked as if he had been crying as well. His eyes were suspiciously red and there was tear stains and snot on his face. Unable to go back to sleep and desperate for some fresh air to clear her head, Lucy lovingly kissed his forehead and left him to sleep.
She had no doubt that everyone already knew.
There was little to do at Court other than to gossip and there was nothing juicer than someone of great importance being in crisis. Undoubtedly someone would have seen Natsu calling for help and undoubtedly half of London already knew that the Duchess of Norfolk had suffered a miscarriage.
They would not be cruel about it, but the pity would have been so much worse than the whispers, and Lucy just wanted to be alone.
So she wondered through some of the older, more abandoned, corridors, the ones that she had played in when she was a child.
She took a sharp turned round a corner and bumped into something.
A naked something.
She screamed.
He screamed too.
She then lashed out and tried to hit her attacker as he desperately dodged her. "Lucy!" he cried out. "Lucy it's me-OUCH!" she got him, hard, in the jaw. "Is this what do you and Natsu do all day when you are home, learn to punch really hard?"
"Gray?!" Lucy blinked rapidly. "I mean, Your Majesty," she curtsied deeply, "I am so sorry I did not mean to-"
"Oi," he interrupted her in a bored tone, "what is with this 'Your Majesty' crap? I thought I told you to call me Gray, after all we are brother and sister now."
"Ah," she said flustered, she had forgotten about that, it had been so long ago….he had been so cold towards her since then and she never felt truly part of the York family until recently…..then she realised exactly what Gray was wearing, which was nothing at all, and her eyes bugged out. "Why are you naked?!" she screeched. "And in a dark, abandoned, corridor as well?!"
"Well that was why I was in a dark, abandoned, corridor," Gray said huffily, "I suddenly found myself naked. I have no idea where my clothes have gotten to."
"So you decided to hide away and look like some sort of perverted creep?"
"You know you sound exactly like Natsu, and Erza, and Laxus, and….you sound like a lot of people," he finished off sheepishly. Lucy decided not to point out that maybe that meant he should work on his problem. They may be 'brother and sister' but that did not change the fact that he was her King. Instead, she stared at the floor awkwardly, and they stood there in silence until Gray suddenly burst out with; "How do you cope?!"
"Cope?" Lucy frowned.
"with being in arranged marriage," Gray explained, "how do you cope being married to a stranger and expected to be intimate with him and to…to….be happy."
"Why are you asking me this?" Lucy asked curiously. "You have a brother and sister who were both in arranged marriages."
"Not really," Gray squirmed, "Erza might have had to marry a Flemish prince but she got to pick which one she liked. They all tried to woo her, Jellal was the one she fell in love with, before she signed the contracts and secured the treaty."
"Oh," Lucy thought that was rather sweet, in a weird, sort of creepy, way, "but Natsu did not have a choice," she pointed out, "you literally handed us to one another on platters."
"Not what Natsu said," Gray grumbled, "according to him, you were what he wanted." Lucy flushed with embarrassment, and happiness, and overwhelming affection at that. Natsu had always wanted to marry her? She would have to ask him about that one day. "I see it was not the same for you," Gray observed, "so….how did you cope with it all?"
"I….well, I am not going to lie," Lucy said, "I had it very easy. Natsu made it so easy. He was so kind and loving and funny and….I had the advantage of a long engagement of sorts with him, we played games, we talked, we danced, and we went out on walks together, I considered him a friend by the time we were wedded."
"Damnit!" Gray swore. "That is not helpful at all!"
"Well….I am sorry," Lucy shrugged, "but Natsu was easy to love. Our only problems came from outsiders who wanted to stir up trouble and even then we managed to get through it."
After months of separation where Natsu could have died in battle but Lucy really did not like to think about that….
"Are you having difficulty with the Queen?"
"I…..she's really nice, all right?" Gray snapped, "And she is everything a man would want in a wife I suppose, obedient, pretty, accommodating, and certain buxom in bed and board." Lucy wrinkled her nose in disgust at that. There were some things that she did not want to know. "But….I….she's a stranger, and I do not do well with strangers, and she wants to know everything and be with me all the time, and that makes me uncomfortable. I am not used to being so-so-so- URGH!" He screamed and pulled at his hair. "I do not know! I just know that what I have with her is not what you have with Natsu or what Erza has with Jellal, there is no happy confidence that we love each other. There is no easy affection! I….want what you have with Natsu, that stupidly, dopey, utterly, besotted feeling…..and….I have not felt it yet."
"That's fine," Lucy said reassuringly, "some marriages are not successful in love as others. They have been arranged, without a thought of people's likes and dislikes and personalities. Just strive to be her friend, and maybe everything else will fall into place. But as long as it does not end like Edward II's marriage, you are doing a fantastic job."
Gray chuckled at that. Their shared ancestor's marriage had been an utter failure because he had been probably the worst husband, and one of the worst kings, in English History. "Thank you," he smiled, "I needed that," and then he pulled her into a brotherly embrace. Something she had not been given in years, and with everything she has been through, she couldn't help but lean in and return the hug.
Until she then realised he was still naked.
"GO AND PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Juvia struggled with her new life.
England was still too cold for her even when the sun shined and everyone around her sweated disgustingly. The food was horribly rich and Juvia missed oranges and lemons and other exotic sweet and bitter fruits that made wonderful juices, English apples were unbearably plain and only seemed to make cider and nothing else. If Juvia did not want to drink alcohol then her choices were limited only to water and milk, she missed Spain more and more when it comes to her appetite and thirst. Then there was the fact she missed her mother and father and all of her sisters, and her language.
Apart from her ambassador not a single person in Court could speak Spanish and it made her intolerably lonely.
Her husband, she adored, but he certainly did not return the affection. He preferred the company of his own sisters, the women he spent all of his time with at meetings, meals, and many, many other activities that Juvia was most certainly not invited to, over Juvia, and there was little time actually spent together, alone.
Even when they did their duties as husband and wife, he was in, out, gentle as possible, but not actual loving touch. He did not embrace her or kiss her very often, and there was no love returned though if Juvia could, she would shower him with kisses and prolong their time together.
He never stays the full night either.
But at least when they were on Summer Progress they were together. They rode side by side, so the people could see them and cheer for their new Queen, they sat together under the dais for all to see during the tournaments and feasts held in their honour, they opened the dance together, and they always entered and left the room together. A united front for all of England to see.
Then it started to get cold, and they returned to London, and Gray-sama was too busy with stately affairs to bother spending any time with Juvia.
Juvia began to see more of Gray-sama's siblings than she did of her own husband, and that was beginning to get really depressing, though Ultear's restrained and polite company was welcome, and Erza and little Edward made her smile, and Lyon played up the courtly knight act in order to entertain her…..it was not the same.
And then she came back to Court.
At Gray-sama's request.
He wanted Juvia's Love Rival back at Court, in his presence, to serve and entertain him in any manner he chooses….Juvia hated the Duchess of Norfolk more and more as she had been left to stew about it for days.
To make matters worse, the Duchess came back more beautiful and radiant than ever before. She literally glowed, while the Spanish Infanta struggled in the cold, country, air, and started to wither away near the end of the summer, the Duchess flourished, and appeared to be a true Queen in her golden glory.
She had been welcomed like a beloved Queen as well, the people of London could be heard cheering for her from Juvia's bedchambers.
They dined privately together though Juvia might as well not have been there. Ultear was quiet by her eyes were forever fixed on the Duchess with an assessing look, Lyon teased and tormented the Duke of Norfolk, Erza and Jellal were eager to expound on their son's latest achievements, the Earl of Warwick and his family threw themselves into any discussion (well apart from Lord Laxus who sat there sullenly until his wife placed a hand on his arm and smiled, then, much to everyone's shock, he actually smiled back), and Gray-sama seemed solely focused on his brother and sister in law.
Juvia might as well not have been there.
She gripped her knife tightly and fantasised carving up Love Rival's pretty face so then no one would want to look upon her anymore. Maybe then Gray-sama would pay her the attention she was due as his wife.
She felt ashamed then, when she realised exactly what she had thought about, and swore to confess and make penance as soon as she could.
She was the Spanish Infanta, the Queen of England, one of God's anointed representatives in the world….she was not a violent, devil-spawned, criminal.
Soon enough, everyone left to rest. The Duchess looked a little pale and tired by the end of the evening which, much to Juvia's shame, she had gloried over this fact as she watched Gray-sama's eyes follow the Duke and Duchess out of the room with a look that she had never seen on his face before.
Juvia too, stood to leave, and her attending lady – the Lady Mirajane – waited for her at the door. "Go back to your husband, Mira," Gray-sama ordered curtly, "I will see the Queen back to her rooms and I am sure her ladies there are more than willing to perform their duties."
Juvia was too busy revelling in the fact that Gray-sama wanted time with her that she barely noticed Lady Mirajane bobbing a curtsey and leaving.
"You were quiet tonight," Gray-sama observed, "are you well?"
Juvia was delighted that he cared, so delighted that she smiled and nodded. "Juvia is fine," she lied, "Juvia was just unsure what to say. Juvia's English is still not very good and no one wanted to speak in French or Latin."
"Natsu is too lazy," Gray-sama snorted, "I'm certain he still doesn't know more than five words of Latin and they all include food."
Juvia tried to laugh at this but it came out weak and terribly false.
"Juvia, when we are hunting tomorrow," Gray said quietly, "I wish you to invite the Duchess of Norfolk to be part of your household. Appoint her Lady of the Bedchamber like Erza and Ultear."
Juvia felt as if she had been stabbed repeatedly with a dagger made of knife. Her body trembled as she felt a horrible chill down her spine and her eyes burned dreadfully with tears.
Juvia's father was not perfect, no man was apart from Gray-sama, and whenever his eye was caught by a pretty lady, he too would ask her mother to place her in her household.
Easy access for sinful activities.
"Why?" Juvia whispered. "Why her?"
Gray-sama looked at Juvia in surprised. "Do you not like the Duchess of Norfolk?" he asked, and Juvia couldn't help but sense a trap in his question, and hurriedly reassured him that she did like the Duchess (though privately she wanted nothing more than to tear her golden hair out and them maybe Gray-sama would stop looking at her). "Good," he smiled, and Juvia's heart, tattered and bruised as it was, melted at the sight. "I ask you of this because she is the Duchess of Norfolk, if she was to be snubbed it would cause unwanted questions and opinions. I do not know if you know this but Lucy is Lancastrian born, she is perhaps the most important lady in the Lancastrian dynasty after that French she-wolf. We would want the people to think Lancaster and York are beloved cousins again, that the Cousin War is well and truly over, that peace under my rule is possible, which means I need Lucy to be well placed in Court for people to think this. And," he added more hesitatingly, Juvia's breath caught in her throat, "she is family. She should be treated with favour."
"Juvia understands," and hated it utterly, "Juvia will do whatever it takes to make Gray-sama happy. Juvia will ask for an interview with the Duchess tomorrow, and then at their interview she will offer a position."
At this point, they had arrived at Juvia's room, and Gray-sama smiled down at Juvia (it was so beautiful, and adoringly, and Juvia could almost imagine him thinking of her affectionately), "Thank you," he said gently before he pressed a rare kiss on Juvia's forehead. "Goodnight, Juvia."
And he then left her, alone, untouched, and desperately longing for him.
The next day was difficult. The Duchess looked radiant as ever and accepted Juvia's awkward invitation with such grace and dignity that Juvia felt like a fumbling peasant in her presence.
It was made worse as Gray-sama's eyes barely left the Duchess and the Duke as they acted like children during the entire hunt and the dinner afterwards, the Duke carried his wife away jokingly to throw her in the pond, and Gray-sama's eyes tracked it all with envy in them.
Juvia boiled with jealousy and hate for her Love Rival.
She disliked the woman even more the next day when she missed her interview with Juvia. Juvia was Queen of England, she was the Spanish Infanta, her mother was Queen of Castile and her father was King of Aragon, which made Juvia doubly royal. She was more royal and important than this Duchess with Lancastrian blood (from one of the bastard lines at that!) could ever hope to be.
How dare she miss an interview with Juvia?!
Unable to focus on her embroidery in peace, Juvia was decided to go on a walk, and once she slipped away from her ladies, she stormed away in a fury, half planning to hunt down the Duchess of Norfolk and give her a piece of Juvia's mind!
That was when Juvia got lost…and then that was when Juvia saw it.
Gray-sama's beautiful naked body in a passionate embrace with the beautiful, golden-haired, Duchess of Norfolk.
Juvia ran away before the tears came.
She ran and ran, she ignored the worried shouts, and yells of indignation as she pushed past her courtiers, and carried on running until she found herself alone, and surrounded by bushes, and that was when she let out a heart-wrenching wail and sobbed madly over her husband's betrayal.
"Your Majesty?" she ignored the annoying voice in order to keep on sobbing. "Your Majesty? Are you hurt? Are you unwell? Your Majesty?"
"Go aw-oh," she blinked back her tears rapidly, "Lyon-sama, Juvia did not realise….please ignore Juvia!" she bowed her head. "Juvia was….Juvia is…."
"You are trembling," he murmured, and Juvia flushed as he suddenly draped his cloak over her in the most gentlemanly manner, took her hands into his, "I know you do not cope with the English climate, you should have taken your gloves, I would have died of heartbreak if your lovely, elegant, fingers suffered frostbite," at this he pressed warm kisses over her fingers. "Do not cry, Your Majesty, I know you miss Spain but England is your home now and you are loved, so very loved, here, and it would pain me to see your beauty despoiled by your sadness."
"Do….do…you really think Juvia is beautiful?" Juvia asked shyly, and startled, "Juvia thought…..Juvia thought the English preferred ladies such as the Duchess of Norfolk."
"Oh they do," Lyon-sama said cheerfully, "But I," he stressed, "am not English. And to me, you are the most beautiful lady in the land. Please, do me the honour of escorting you in safely."
Flattered, cheered greatly that not everyone thought Love Rival was so pretty, and overcome by a wave of affection for a friend who would say anything to make her smile, Juvia accepted his arm and allowed Lyon-sama to escort her back into the palace.
For some reason, from that day onwards, the entire Court whispered loudly about Lancelot and Guinevere…
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Christmastide had come again, and the atmosphere was so much different from the year before.
Last year had been so tense with the rebellion being so recent, and Ultear and the others so demented in finding Gray a wife, and the negotiations with Spain had been such a pain, and not to mention all eyes were on Lucy at the time.
This year, however, was far merrier. The peace had settled in, Gray had a beautiful wife who would surely give birth to an heir in the foreseeable future, and the Viscount was not lurking in any corners of the room, plotting.
Actually, Ultear could not help but be worried at that. Viscount Dryer went on a diplomatic mission to France, at his own insistence, and the thought of that slimy, convening, man in near vicinity of Henry of Lancaster's French wife alarmed her.
What also alarmed her was Lyon's behaviour.
While Gray was working tirelessly to keep the peace, Erza had moved her attentions on her toddling son (who did look adorable as he perched on his mother's lap and took in the festivities with a wide innocent expression he must have inherited from Jellal), and Natsu was disgustingly adoring of his wife (in fact, instead of sitting at the dais like they were supposed to, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk could be spotted in the far back, and the Duchess was most certainly on the Duke's lap as they fed each other….Blergh), Lyon had focused his attentions on the Queen.
Which would be fine….if they were at all platonic, brotherly, attentions….but they were not. His over-flowery compliments of her beauty, his ever-hungry expression when he stared at her, his never ending need to touch her…..Ultear would have to be blind, deaf, and stupid to not realise her younger brother had fallen in love with her youngest brother's wife.
(There was no such thing as a peaceful and quiet Christmastide was there?)
And sadly, as foolish as they all were, the whole Court was not blind, deaf, and stupid. There were a lot of rumours and unpleasant innuendos going around Court about the Queen, Lyon, and Gray.
Ultear can see it leading to dangerous waters, and it had to be stopped. Now.
Which was why as soon as she could, especially after Wakaba – this year's Lord of Misrule – made one insinuation too many about Ultear's brothers sharing everything, she forced Gray into escorting her out for some fresh air.
"What is this about, Ultear?" he asked tiredly. "It is Christmastide, the Twelfth Night is almost upon us, and I want to enjoy myself before the world returns to its horrible self again."
"The world does not stop being horrible because it is Christmastide, Gray," Ultear said gently, "as we speak now, your enemies are luring your allies away by pointing out your weakness."
"God," Gray groaned, "Henry is locked up in the Tower, his wife is in France, and there has not been any trouble since last year."
"That does not mean trouble is not brewing," Ultear shook her head, "Gray, you should get Lyon a wife."
"What?!" Gray looked horrified. "Is this what this is about, Lyon's marriage? Are you kidding me?"
"He needs a wife to look to," Ultear said firmly, "so he would stop looking at your wife."
"What are you trying to imply?!"
"That Lyon is besotted with the Queen," Ultear explained, "that the whole Court has noticed, and that if you paid attention you would know people have been whispering how weak and ineffective you are to not notice your wife has made you a cuckold. The Lancastrians are rallying again, this is the exact same tactic your own father used against King Henry!"
"Yes, I never liked that," Gray frowned, "it was not exactly fair but…..come on," he exploded in frustration, "this is Juvia were are talking about. I may not know her well but even I can tell she would not do that. She is loyal."
"She is passionate, and lonely, and incredibly affectionate," Ultear listed many of her observations of the last six months serving her sister in law, "and Lyon behaves outrageously around her which she responds to innocently….it is enough to cause damage."
"If the people are going to overthrow me over some rumours about my brother and wife," Gray rolled his eyes, "then there really is no hope for this country. You are worrying over nothing."
"You," Ultear said flatly, "are impossible, and when something terrible happens, I do not want you come running to me."
"Do not worry," Gray said, "I will not….as there is nothing to worry about."
And with this he decided to return to the Great Hall, and left Ultear to fume over his ability to bury his head under the sand and ignore everything. This was exactly what led to Viscount Dryer's attempted rebellion.
You make it impossible, she thought to herself, for me to look after you.
It was days like this that she really wished her stepfather never made that bid for the throne…..
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Juvia had come to a realisation that her husband had a stripping habit.
It had become very obvious that when he was agitated about something his hands itched towards his fastenings and before anyone knew it, doublets and hoses, and shifts fell to the ground.
With this realisation, Juvia learnt that it was very likely the scene she saw when the Duchess of Norfolk first arrive was purely innocent….on Gray-sama's side of things. She still did not trust Love Rival.
And she still had that sinful, burning, urge to scratch Love Rival's eyes out.
Being served by this woman was becoming more and more intolerable, and each and every day Juvia was finding herself dismissing Love Rival earlier and earlier.
Today, she had dismissed her before the morning was out. "Juvia does not wish to be served by you," she said coolly, "you will leave Juvia's presence now."
And much to Juvia's frustration, Love Rival merely curtsied deeply, gracefully, and made Juvia feel ten inches tall. "As Your Majesty wishes," she said courtesy.
Juvia was sure she saw a smile on the harlot's face as she swept out of the room.
Her day continued without any interest until, much to her surprise, Mistress Millianna, the Duchess of Somerset's trusted maid in waiting, approached her timidly. "Y-y-your Majesty!" she stuttered. "I-I-I am sorry," she curtsied clumsily, "B-b-but I thought you should know."
"Know what?" Juvia blinked.
"Where the King is."
And that was when Juvia's day got a lot more interesting as she allowed a strange girl lead her through the dark maze of corridors to a well-lit one. "The King is here?" Juvia asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the girl murmured, "past those doors."
Hesitatingly, Juvia made her way towards the door, and slowly she reached out for the handle, and gently pushed it open to see….
…..no one.
At first.
It was a smaller version of Juvia's rooms, a cosy outer chamber that would lead into the bed chambers. Juvia took in the rich furnishings, the sword left carelessly on the floor, a golden veil thrown onto a chair….
A very familiar golden veil, in fact, Juvia had seen it this very morning….on the Duchess of Norfolk's head.
Heart in her throat, Juvia moved towards the bed chamber, her hand closed over on the doorknob as she pressed her ear against the door.
She froze at the noises, it was….it was….it was….
Animalistic.
All she could hear was panting, moans, groans, and throaty cries. And then a voice, made unrecognisable by the pleasure he was obviously experiencing, growled; "God, Luce!"
Juvia pulled away and stumbled back.
She could not bear to see what she knew she would see, Gray-sama in the arms of Love Rival. Happier, more passionate, and more loving than he ever had been with Juvia.
She pushed past the maid, and began to run back to her rooms, ignoring any call or shout as she uncaringly pushed her way back to her rooms, and as soon as she could, she flung herself onto her bed and burst into a floor of tears.
Juvia's heart was completely and utterly broken.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
"Well?"
He stared down at the horrid child, she was mousy haired, filthy, and her clothes were slightly torn. If it had not been for her breasts, he would have thought her no more than thirteen summers. She was, in fact, only a year or two younger than the Duchess of Somerset and was supposedly quite high and favoured in the said Duchess' household.
How, he would not know, nor did he care to find out. She was only a means to his end.
"I have told the Queen that the King is in The Duchess of Norfolk's chambers," the stupid child said sulkily.
"And she did not look in?" he pressed.
"She went into the outer chamber but she did not go any further, she heard enough."
"Good," he smirked. "I am glad to see that this nation has not besmirched the Infanta too much."
"What would you have done if she had gone in and seen it was not the King?" the girl asked curiously.
"None of your business," he said curtly.
As he did not want to admit that his plans would have been unhinged if the Infanta had been a little less prude and a bit braver. It was a terribly conceived one but they were desperate. They needed the Infanta to push out the Duchess from York's protection in order to go forward.
"Fine!" the girl huffed. "Now uphold your side of the bargain and give me back my cat."
He smirked, and with a click of his fingers his servant held out the mangy thing by the scruff of his neck.
The child gasped worriedly and held her arms out for the cat which the servant dropped uncaringly into. "Oh kitty!" she murmured as she petted the cat's ears. "I had been so worried about you." She then shot a poisonous glare at him. "Never comes near us again."
"I think not," he said smoothly, "this is not your only cat and you do let them run around the palace carelessly. I can easily pick up another one and make you do whatever I wish."
"You are a monster!" she gasped.
"And you are a foolish child," he shrugged, "but you are a useful fool and I will exploit that to my advantage. Before you leave, I have one question."
"What?" the child said rudely.
God, how he hated the English and their poor manners. He could not wait to go back to his home country where everyone was polite and respectful to their betters.
"The King is in a meeting with some ambassadors from the Scandinavian lands," he said, "so who exactly was the Duchess of Norfolk with when you tricked the Queen?"
"Well," she frowned at him as if he was the idiot, "her husband, the Duke of Norfolk, of course."
He frowned at that. He had been under the impression that the Duchess' marriage was unwanted, unconsummated, and easily annulled. "I see," he said tightly, and then he realised the obstinate fool was staring at him curiously. "Away with you, girl!" he barked. "And keep your cats under better care or you will find them drowned as the mongrels they are!"
She squealed, horrified, at this as she held her cat tighter and ran away.
"For a man whose occupation is founded upon diplomacy," a dry, amused voice said from behind him, Dryer, Porla rolled his eyes. The dark, sly, Viscount had hidden himself in the shadows while the Spanish Ambassador interviewed his little troublemaker, "you are sorely lacking the skill."
Jose Porla scowled at that, "and for someone whose occupation is solely to be loyal to his King," he counteracted, "you too are in the wrong position."
"Now, now, Signor," Viscount Dryer chided him, "there is no need for such lies. The occupation of a Courtier is only to serve his own interests, and my interests are no longer with York. That boy has turned out entirely useless to my agenda, while his Lancastrian counterpart works perfectly well for me. He cares little of giving his own orders."
"I do not see how your plan will work now that the Duchess' marriage has become ironclad," Porla frowned, "you will have great difficulty to annul her marriage now."
"Oh Signor," Dryer chuckled coldly, "I never planned to go through with my own propaganda. That would be most foolish, a King should marry for political alliance with other countries, not within his own nation. It would only cause divisions within and we would see another Cousin War within months. No," he shook his head amused, "we only need the Duchess to be her beautiful, beloved, self, obviously a damsel in distress at the York's cold mercy, in order to rally the people. Once we have our army, the Duchess' only use left is her land, wealth, and men, and we do not need the Duchess married to the Prince of Wales for that." He smirked. "We just need her in our mercy."
"And you are certain that is enough to take the throne?"
"Oh yes," Dryer purred, "do not worry my Spanish friend, the French are building us an invasion force, the people are rallying under the red rose, and soon enough you can take your precious Infanta away from here and return to your lovely, sunny, home country. Far from these troubles."
"And be richly rewarded," Porla smirked to himself.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
With one last final cry, they finished together, and Lucy slumped forwards slightly as she rested her forehead against Natsu's hot, sticky, shoulder.
Every inch of him and her was slick with sweat and….other substances, her thighs felt glued against his, her chest was pressed against his strong one, and their intimate parts were still….intimate.
There was no escape either, Natsu held onto her for dear life as he panted into her hair. They were thoroughly entwined and that was exactly how Lucy liked to be.
They spent every afternoon, when Natsu could get away from politics or some moron challenging him to a duel, making love these days.
The Queen did not want Lucy in her presence and Lucy had no problem obliging her by spending her time closeted away with Natsu.
She smirked against Natsu's skin, she was so certain there was no other wife in the land, perhaps in the entirety of Christendom, whose husband wanted her each and every day.
"What are you smiling at?"
"You," Lucy pressed a kiss on his shoulder, "and what I would quite like to do with you."
"Again?" Natsu choked on his laughter. "You have become insatiable."
"I'm surprised you know what that means."
"Hmm…"
"It's your fault," she peppered kisses up his neck, along his jaw, and then nips his ear gently, he moaned, "you get me all fired up," she teased him.
"God, Luce," he groaned, "give me a moment's rest and then I promise you, you will not be able to walk for a week."
Lucy flushed with pleasure and embarrassment at that and contented herself with snuggling into his shoulder again while he had his 'rest'.
This, all of this, was perfect.
Lucy no longer heard whispers about her person or the state of her marriage, the Queen may dislike her but there were other ladies happy to include her, she had Natsu, in fact she had the very best and loving relationship with Natsu, and, her smile grew against Natsu's shoulder, another life was growing in her belly.
She had heard third time was the charm.