The castle was...different than what Levy expected. It certainly looked like the castles from the stories Metalicana told her and Gajeel, with its tall towers and pointed roof. A red flag flew on each corner and on the topmost peak of the highest tower. The red and green tiled roof and the white plastered walls were cheery and welcoming, but the tranquil atmosphere disappeared the moment two uniformed men opened the door for the prince.
The large, front room was a cacophony of laughter and yelling. Numerous fights had broken out among the dozens of people crowding the room and Levy was certain she saw a woman drinking straight from a large barrel.
Laxus marched her across the room and she hardly had time to take in anything other than the noise. He led her to a hallway to the side and up a flight of stairs. Paintings and tapestries hung on the walls and Levy slowed to look at a large wooden board with at least a dozen papers tacked onto it.
"Quit you're staring and hurry up."
Levy grimaced at the man next to her, wondering how in blazes she was even related to the irritable person. He rolled his eyes at her glare and knocked on a thick wooden door. Not waiting for an answer, he opened it and tugged her inside. She was certain her arm would have bruises from his grip, but she supposed it was her own fault for trying to run away. The cause of her capture shifted in her arms and blinked lazily at it's new surroundings.
"I've brought her, Father. But she's given me a lot more trouble than I expected," Laxus said as soon as the door was opened. Her gaze immediately snagged on the older man seated at a desk across the room.
"Well, she is related to us, so that's to be expected," the man laughed, looking at the two of them with shining eyes. Levy stared dumbly at the man, Laxus's hold on her arm the only thing keeping her from running to the door.
It was her first time seeing her father in over 10 years and all they did was stare at each other. The king broke the silence first.
"Do you remember me, daughter?" he asked gently, moving around the desk. His receding hairline held testament to his age, but Levy was even more surprised to see he wasn't any taller than herself.
I wonder where Laxus gets his height from then…
Levy shook her head in answer to the king's question. He gave her a gentle smile. "That's alright, you were hardly old enough to remember anything when you left. I wish I could have come sooner."
"Then why didn't you." She ground out, holding the kitten tightly against her. It squirmed against her arms.
"Politics, war councils, that sort of thing. It would bore you to tears, but please believe me. I do regret not bringing you home sooner."
"You could have just left me there. I was happy."
"Happy living with dragons instead of your own family? Levy." He said her name like she was a child and she could feel her hackles rising. He patted her cheek and stepped back around his desk.
"Now tell me, how was your time with the Iron Dragons? What's Metalicana doing these days?"
He might not know how much home meant to me, but his smile is nice. Maybe he isn't all bad? Maybe once I get to know him a little more...
Levy took a deep breath, still trying to puzzle out the mysterious person. "Metalicana has returned to the sky."
"Oh, that's a shame. How long ago?"
"One year."
The king sighed and slowly sank into his chair. "I would have liked to see him one last time, to thank him again for all of his help. He has my eternal gratitude for what he did for me and of course his son will always be welcome here at Fairy Tail."
Lightning and raised swords, and Gajeel's panic filled eyes flashed through her mind. Levy glared daggers at the prince. "Too bad Laxus here killed him then."
"What!?"
The entire castle thundered with the king's shout. The kitten lept from her arms and Levy covered her ears, blocking out the sounds of the prince and king shouting at one another. She backed away toward the door but bumped into a warm body. She pivoted on her heels, seeing a young, blonde woman standing behind her.
"Lucy! Take the princess to her room and get her familiarized with the castle. I have to deal with my son for just a moment."
"Yes, Master." Lucy bowed her head to the king and gestured for Levy to leave the room.
Levy gratefully complied, looking along the hall for the scared kitten.
"He's under there."
Levy followed Lucy's pointed finger and saw a black ball huddled beneath a small table. After several minutes of cooing and kissing, the kitten finally left it's hiding place and allowed her to pick it up again.
"If you will follow me?" Lucy asked and walked down the hall. As soon as they reached a good distance from the open door and the yelling match within, Lucy spun and clasped Levy by the upper arms.
"I am so glad to finally meet you!" Levy drew back from the girl's smiling face, shocked at her changed behavior. "I heard so much about you and I was so excited to be chosen as your lady in waiting!"
"Lady in...what?"
Lucy drew back, one hand on her hip and the other pointing to Levy "Lady in waiting," she said as if reading from a book, "A woman chosen to become the personal assistant of the royal court, specifically to the female members of the royal family."
"So...what does that mean?" Levy asked, holding the kitten closer.
"It means that I will help you with whatever you need! Getting dressed, walking through the gardens, showing you around the castle. It was quite the competition, let me tell you, but I finally beat those other yahoos on account that I'm a Celestial Mage." She thrust her thumb at her chest and beamed, pride written across her face.
"Celestial Mage?"
Lucy nodded and shook a key ring hanging by her hip. "I have a magical ability to use these rings and call upon the spirits in the Celestial realm to come help me. They're my friends, you'll love them."
Levy followed the energetic girl down the hallway, intrigued despite her unfamiliar surroundings. She had never heard of Celestial Magic before. "Do they have names?"
Lucy nodded and looked at her over her shoulder. "Yep and they're all very nice. Well, except for Aquarius. She can be a real pain sometimes, but she's very strong. I absolutely adore her, but I think she just tolerates my presence because I let her spend time with her boyfriend." Lucy's laugh was infectious and Levy felt the corners of her mouth twitch.
"So what's his name?"
Levy stumbled. "Huh?"
"The kitten," Lucy said, moving to stand next to her. She wiggled her fingers at the kitten's nose. "What are you going to name him?"
Levy thought for a moment. She had forgotten the furry bundle would need a name, something she could use when training him to come to her. When they were younger, she and Gajeel would stay up late thinking of all the names they would call their pets, once Metalicana relented and allowed them to have one. Levy kept a list of all their favorite names, but one always managed to stay on top.
"Panther Lily," she said softly, stroking his soft head with her nose. "Lily for short."
"You do know that it's a boy though, right?"
Levy shrugged, soaking up the kitten's deep purrs.
She heard Lucy sigh next to her. "Alright, then...Lily it is. Hopefully he'll grow into the panther part...he's a bit on the small side."