"Has she come to a decision yet?"
"You know she made her decision when you first offered it. As long as she doesn't find anything too scary in those document of yours…"
"Of course, not."
Natsu watched as his brother paced around the throne room. Everyone had been busy making the palace Heartfilia-appropriate ever since Zeref had proposed, dusting all the corners and getting bloodstains out of the carpet. Natsu himself had been set watching her all week, protecting her from anyone that might have uncovered her future link to the dark mage and thought to use her as a bargaining chip. It was still strange, the thought of his brother getting married. Of course it wouldn't be a happy, loving, traditional marriage full of children and arguing over whose turn it was to clean the dishes, but still.
"What are you really doing, Zeref?" the demon asked, his green eyes almost onyx in the darkness of the room.
"I don't know what you mean, little brother," the black mage said with a barely restrained smirk.
"You know what I mean. You don't need to marry her, and all this nonsense about peace…"
"She's hot, maybe I just want a piece of eye-candy to take to bed."
Natsu snorted. For some reason the idea of his brother actually bedding her made him uncomfortable, and not just because it was his brother.
"That's even less believable than the peace."
"What can I say? It was love at first sight," his brother teased.
"Really, though. You're not going to…do anything to her? Are you?" Natsu's wings swayed nervously behind him.
"Are you jealous? She truly is beautiful, I'll give you that, but don't expect anything from her, brother. She may be a friend to the mages, but you're no mage, and she's a lady nonetheless. She'll have certain expectations for her suitors… and I doubt they entail horns," Zeref smiled cruelly, but Natsu just glared at him.
"I'm only teasing, Natsu. Lighten up. Of course I won't harm her, she's a vital part of my plan. Without her, the mages will never come to me. My marriage contract forbids me from hurting her, and besides, I need her pretty for our outings. She's to be the face of my new empire. If you're really good, though, I may let you play with her," Zeref insinuated darkly.
"The mages will come to you? That's what you want?" Natsu said, ignoring his brother's banter about the blonde heiress.
Zeref frowned slightly, an expression that would terrify any demon other than END. The fire demon knew he was too valuable to his brother to be destroyed for anything trivial. He was the only one who could talk back to the black mage, a position he rather coveted.
"Natsu, I know you don't believe me, but I am building a brighter future. Not just for us, but for all mages. It's not just a catch-phrase for me, it's an ideal I seek to implement, and I think I can, with Lucy at my side."
Natsu continued to glare at his brother for another few seconds before turning to leave. He knew better than to expect the whole truth from him, but Zeref was lying to his face. For all his faults, his brother had always been truthful. An uneasy feeling settled into his stomach.
"Little brother," Zeref called behind him. Natsu looked back, glancing between his wings at his brother's form still pacing amongst the shadows. "It goes without saying, of course, that I'd prefer if sweet little Lucy weren't troubled with any of your conspiracies. As much as I hate the vulnerability of it, I do need her to trust me."
The demon nodded curtly, recognizing the order for what it was. As a demon, he knew there was no denying an order from his master, no matter how much he disagreed. At least he trusted that the girl wouldn't be harmed by Zeref, though he'd have to keep an eye on the other demons.
The fire dragon demon didn't know why he was so concerned for the young mage. He'd killed hundreds just like her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that none of them were really just like her. Something about her was unique, there was a spirit about her that was unshakable. The demon feared that a small part of him had begun to hope. Hope that she could change Zeref or change the war, he didn't know, but either way it was a huge burden for such a small girl, and he felt guilty placing it on her.
Besides, he'd learned long ago that hope was useless.
Still, he hated the idea of his brother corrupting her, wearing down on her soul gradually until she just faded away. She was so bright, so alive, like one of her stars, and in his eyes, just as untouchable. He knew she felt fear around all these demons, he could smell it in her, but even still she had held her ground. Natsu understood why the mages would follow her, why she was a symbol of hope to them. There was something about her that was indomitable, and in a world that was ruled by ruthless domination, that was something people needed to believe in.
Natsu landed quietly on the grounds of the estate. For a large and obvious demon, he was rather good at sneaking around as his brother had been having him do since returning Lucy to her home. He was to "keep an eye on her"; simple enough instructions, though such a strange thing to waste your most powerful demon on. Surely any of the lower demons could have done just as well, but alas it was Natsu who was relegated to creeping amongst the shadows and shrubberies, watching as the girl made her decision.
Or more as she accepted her decision. She'd made it instantly; there was no way she would pass up the opportunity to save the world. However, since then Natsu had watched as she'd desperately tried to find a good reason not to go ahead with it.
She'd searched for any tricky wording in the documents and thought up unexpected scenarios, consulted with lawyers and her spirits (all under oath, of course), and at one point the girl had even tried convincing herself that perhaps she was truly in love with one of the suitors her father had tried to set her up with, even though the man was at least twenty years her senior and his own son from a previous marriage had tried making a move on her.
As the week came to a close, Natsu was sure of two things: that she would take the deal and that she talked to herself way more than any normal person did.
Now, shrouded in leaves as he perched on a tree by her bedroom window (in a completely uncreepy way, of course), it was time for her answer. Zeref would be appearing any moment now, and Natsu was hiding out as back-up in case something went wrong.
The young lady entered the room and turned on all of the lights, careful to eradicate any shadows that the dark mage could hide in. Natsu watched with a light blush as she unbuttoned her dress and removed it, leaving her in only her corset and petticoats. He turned his head to stare at the ground while she changed, but not before he caught a glimpse of her curvy form.
Her breasts nearly spilled over her corset, protesting their imprisonment. Natsu had the urge to fly in and touch her just to see if she really was as soft as she looked. Her skin glowed in the low light as she picked out another dress, a pretty aquamarine one with gold accents, and fastened it to herself. Natsu peeked back up to ensure she was dressed just as she finished with the ribbon at her waist.
He hated to admit when his brother was right, but she really was gorgeous. She looked like the milk and honey she smelled of. Her eyes were bright and fierce within her lovely face framed by her gold-spun hair. He couldn't deny he felt drawn to her; a strange, instinctual attraction, like a moth to a flame.
But he was an ugly moth, with scales like shiny red scabs all over his body, grotesque wings protruding from his back, and those awful twisted horns, so demonic in appearance even other demons had a hard time looking at him. And that was to say nothing of his history, his reputation of evil and destruction, even if it was at the command of his brother. In a fairy tale she'd be the princess, and he'd be the evil dragon that held her prisoner.
Still, he found himself drawn into the kinds of fantasies that had always eluded him. He'd never cared for women in the way men typically did, but Lucy aroused something deep inside of him. Something like him had no business thinking about someone as beautiful and angelic as her. She was everything good in the world, and he was everything bad, broken and forgotten.
As he sat on that limb, however, watching her pace anxiously about her room, his mind kept falling into strange dreams. Lips, his upon hers, and breaths, bated, frantic. Her smooth, soft skin underneath his sharp claws, her hands wound around his horns pulling him in for more…
His thoughts shifted as he saw his brother materialize in the room and he shook his head, berating himself. He was such an idiot. He'd gone four hundred years without ever looking twice at a woman, and here he was fantasizing about the very one that was going to marry his brother. And why? He hardly knew her except for what he'd seen through the windows of her estate. Perhaps he really was just a disgusting demon, a lowlife like the rest of them drawn to beautiful things just so he could destroy them.
But he didn't want to destroy her. No, he growled at the thought of even a hair on her head being harmed. He wanted to protect her, shield her from the world, from evil, the demons and his brother. He wanted to see her smile, laugh, be happy. Maybe this is what Igneel used to talk about…
He closed his eyes roughly at the thought of Igneel. There was no use thinking about the past; it was gone, and he was here. He clenched his jaw and looked back to his brother and the celestial mage through the window; on the outside looking in, as always.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Everything was going so fast.
Literally. The ground was zooming beneath them as Zeref's cube swept them to his castle. Lucy was anxious to arrive and be introduced to the other demons. The ones she'd met so far had been less than thrilled with their master's new alliance, except for END, who was cryptically stoic. He had been assigned as her body guard of sorts; apparently he was the only one the black mage actually trusted to not rip her head off when he wasn't looking.
She looked back across the horizon to where she'd just left. After accepting Zeref's proposal, he'd allowed her a few moments to gather any particularly important items and say goodbye to her staff. Her father had been at a dinner party; she never did get around to telling him about her marriage. Solemnly she wondered how he'd take the news when he heard. Would he be sad that she didn't say goodbye? Or angry that she'd married without his permission? Perhaps he would be worried that Zeref would hurt her. Or maybe he just wouldn't care, and go about business as usual. Maybe he'd even be glad she was gone…
"Lady Heartfilia? Is something wrong?" a masculine voice from behind her asked.
She turned to see END staring at her, his pretty green eyes concerned. She reached up and felt tear-trails on her cheeks. She hadn't cried in so long, and the action rather confused her. Surely she didn't still care what her useless father thought of her?
The blonde wiped her face hastily and gave an unconvincing smile to the demon.
"No, nothing," she said, and he didn't press her. "How much further to the palace?"
"We're nearly there," END replied. "You should be able to see it…Yeah, right there."
He pointed to a jagged black mound in the distance, its shard-like silhouette defiant against the oranges and pinks of the sunrise. As the cube neared the castle, Lucy found it was quite impressive. Dark-stoned towers jutted into the air, and she could easily imagine how it could double as a military fortress. The building stood alone, not surrounded by homes and shops like the royal city of Fiore, and even in the morning light the place seemed dark, fitting for Zeref.
Finally the cube came to a stop, and END flew Lucy down to the entrance of the palace. Her legs shook slightly underneath her, but she walked gracefully into the fortress with Zeref's lead demon right behind her.
It was clear that the black mage wasn't one for unnecessary decorations, though everything was clean and of the highest quality. A few servants stood orderly along the side of the entrance hall, waiting for their command, and Zeref himself was standing in the center of the hall. After she'd formally accepted his proposal he had disapparated back to the castle with his own magic to make sure everything was complete. Lucy wondered darkly if there were bodies stuffed hastily into a closet somewhere, and desperately hoped the thought was absurd.
"Lady Heartfilia, welcome to my humble abode," Zeref said as Lucy curtsied.
"It is quite lovely," she said, and Zeref smirked.
"You don't have to lie to me, my lady. I'm afraid I've neglected it for far too long, and I never put much effort into making it look nice. I'll trust you can help me on that front, now that it is your home as well," he said, and Lucy just looked around in a daze.
He was right, it was her home now. She wondered how long it would be until it felt that way.
"Your room has been prepared, and we have food ready. Would you like to eat first?"
"I'll take my food in my room for now, I'm rather tired," she said. It was true enough, though part of her just needed a minute to process everything. Signing a document and moving into to a cold, dark castle were two very different things.
"Of course," Zeref said, nodding to one of the servants who practically sprinted back to the kitchens. "This way."
Lucy followed him through the castle, which was a confusing maze of fire-lit, dreary hallways, all made of dark grey stone. The blood red carpet was the only color, and the whole place felt like a dungeon of sorts, with few windows for sunlight to filter through. She shuddered to think what the dungeons were like.
"I really do apologize for the state of this place," Zeref said quietly, glancing over his shoulder at his new wife. "I had this place built about three hundred years ago, but never got around filling it up."
"I'd imagine waging war is a time-consuming business," Lucy said. Behind her, Natsu stifled a chuckle at her cheekiness.
"Indeed," Zeref said, his eyes bright with amusement at her daring. "This is your room. Mine is at the end of the hall over there, but I'm rarely in it. Most of the time I'm in my study. I'll let Natsu give you a tour later, though. I'm sure you're exhausted."
He opened the door and stepped in. Lucy was glad to see that her room was very unlike the rest of the palace. Vibrant tapestries hung over the stone walls, lots of oranges and reds to compliment the red carpeting. The furniture was all exquisitely carved, deep brown wood. In the corner a fire raged, its much-needed warmth gracing the room. Along one of the walls was a large bookshelf full of various tomes she couldn't wait to jump into. To the side she could see a wardrobe fully stocked, and a bathing room connected through a door to the side.
"I hope it is to your liking," Zeref said. "If there is anything at all you need or desire, it will be provided. You are neither a guest nor a prisoner here, but rather the Lady of the house, and I want you to be comfortable. Ah, Meredy!"
Lucy turned to the door where a short girl with pink hair stood holding a tray of food.
"May I enter, my lady?" she asked, taking Lucy by surprise by addressing her directly. She nodded, and the girl walked across the room, setting the tray down on a desk.
"This is Meredy, one of my best maids. She has been assigned directly to you, so if you need anything just ask her," Zeref said, dismissing the girl with a wave of his hand. She bowed low and exited the room.
"For the time being, Natsu will be assigned to your personal protection. He'll stay outside of your room as a guard, but please don't misunderstand. He's not keeping you prisoner, and if you want to explore the rest of the place you're more than welcome to. I just want him close to you until the others…adjust to your presence," Zeref said.
Lucy frowned slightly, not crazy about the idea of a powerful demon standing outside her door 24/7. However, at least that powerful demon seemed to kind of like her, whereas all the other powerful demons didn't, so she said nothing about it.
"What happens now?" she asked.
"Well I assume now you eat and take a nap," Zeref said playfully.
"I mean bigger picture," Lucy said, too tired to catch his teasing.
"Well, the first order of business is getting you settled in and prepared to speak to the king. For now, all of my forces have been recalled from battle and have been ordered not to attack. We will discuss the treaty in length later, and then sometime next week you will present it. First impressions are the most important, so we'll be working on how to explain the deal and our marriage not just to the king, but to the people. They will be the deciding factor in all of this."
Lucy just nodded her head, unsure of what to say. It was all so unreal. She was really going to end this war!
"Good. Natsu will escort you to breakfast in the morning, and we'll go from there."
Lucy nodded again.
The dark mage walked over to her, taking her hand in his. She looked at him in shock as he smiled kindly.
"I know this is an arranged marriage, and we have many larger issues to tend to," her husband said. "But I also want us to get along. I doubt we'll ever fall in love, I'm far too old for that, but I do think that we could be good companions. I'd hate for you to reach the end of your life and regret having wasted it with me."
"If I can help my people find peace, there will be nothing to regret," Lucy said softly.
Zeref leaned down and kissed her hand tenderly. "I'll see you tomorrow then," he said, and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Alone in her room, Lucy took a deep breath. Her heart and mind were rapidly trying to adjust, but her body was merely tired. She hadn't slept at all as she waited in anticipation for Zeref to arrive the day before, nor had she managed to relax on the cube surrounded by demons who looked like they'd like nothing better than to see her fall to her death.
You can do this, Lucy, she told herself. Maybe if she kept saying it, one day she'd actually believe it.
Without even touching her food, she laid back on the bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.