Previously
Lucy giggled a bit more, she found that her friend was a bit funny in all her emotionless state. But that was what made Juvia, Juvia.
At the end of the night, Juvia left, leaving to go to her own home. Lucy thanked her repeatedly for all that she has done for her father and her. Juvia just replied with a "Juvia will see you tomorrow, you tatoe."
Lucy was content, she left the fire on, slipped off her shoes after undoing them, and had climbed into bed next to her father. The covers were simple sheepskin, but Lucy would soon warm up thanks to the fire. Lucy shivered a little bit as she got comfortable. She felt for her father's hand, it was warm and that reassured her that he was alive.
"Goodnight Papa."
# # #
The village was awoken at five. Well, those who were not already up were. The baker, Mako was the first to emerge from her hut, in haste, wiping her hands on her apron. Her stone home was across the way from the Heartfilia's. Juvia was out by the river when she noticed the unwelcoming scream.
Lucy Heartfilia emerged from her own cottage, in hysterics, still in her beige nightgown. Hands filled with blood. She screamed out as tears fell down her face, she fell to her knees at her door and screamed even louder.
"Lucy!" Mako cried out, as she ran across the stone pathway, past the stone wall. Mako too fell to her knees beside Lucy, watching as she cried in hysterics. Mako didn't know what to do, and yet she didn't lay a finger on the girl.
Lucy's hands dripped with the red blood, as she held them out before her, her tears mixing in with the aqueous. "HELP HIM!" Lucy's screams became blood-curdling. "HELP MY FATHER!"
Juvia came running up the pathway, her skirt bundled in her hands. Other villagers began emerging from their huts.
"Jude?" Some asked.
"What's happened, Mumma?"
"Look away sweetie."
"WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING!?" Lucy screamed out as she stood up, trembling and walking into the centre of the village. "HELP MY FATHER!"
Juvia collided in with Lucy, hugging her and holding Lucy's head in her hands. Lucy reciprocated, hugging her friend back.
"HE'S SPITTING UP BLOOD! HE'S-" Lucy's sobs stopped her plead. And Juvia hushed her.
Someone ran past the two and then Mako as they burst into the home. Mako watched from her position on the stone pathway. Hands covering her mouth as she began to quiver from the scene she had witnessed from the previously small crack in the door.
Blood was everywhere, the man was convulsing, throwing up blood and vomit, just staring at the ceiling, shaking and choking. The scene was horrible. "Mama?"
The voice made Mako snap out of her spell. Her little girl Miko was there, beside her looking concerned. "What's wrong with Ms Lucy?"
"Look away!" Mako enclosed her daughter in a hug as she stood up, picking up her daughter with her and running to the well.
Lucy was still sobbing, now back on her knees, shaking and wailing into Juvia's shoulder. The man that had entered the house; Kaby Melon, had emerged shaking slighting before yelling out.
"Send for some sheets." He mournful spoke, head lowering.
Lucy wailed and screamed even louder.
"Your Highness." A small voice squeaked out from behind a large oak door.
"Enter." The reply came.
A small blue haired girl walked into the room, her skirt neatly pressed and blouse clean, her cap covered most of her 'foreign' hair colour. She bowed slightly, holding a tray of food in her palms.
Apples, tarts, bread, a small milk jug, a wooden cup and grapes. The layout was simple, but a most nutritional meal for the Noble Lord Natsu Dragneel. She placed it down on his desk, besides all of his letters and papers.
"Thank you, Levy." Natsu spoke. He was standing at his window overlooking his field of grain, wheat and a small potato patch. His hands were behind his back as he scanned the open field.
Busybodies bustled about, picking the latest harvest from this spring, cutting down stalks with the scythes and bundling the produce with twine. It was nine in the morning, and already the workers had made a lot of bundles. But there was more work to do.
"Do tell me, Levy," Natsu asked, turning his head to face the maid. "Does it look like all my workers are here today?"
He sounded generally curious. As if he had lost his mind, the worker count seemed smaller than usual. Not by much, but the amount of attention Natsu had paid to this field over the past couple of years became a tool.
Levy scuffled her way over to Natsu, her slippers rubbing on the hard stone beneath her feet. She looked out the window, and tilted her body side to side as if to get a better view.
"I don't know my Lord. The tally should be here soon, they will tell you."
Natsu nodded, placing his head in one of his hands as the other supported his elbow. "Agreed."
Levy stood there. Flattening her lips, and looking down, as if she was expecting something. "My Lord."
Natsu raised an eyebrow and looked down on her. He turned and began to walk towards his desk, he stood there and replied to her prompt. "Yes, Levy?"
She made her way over to his desk to join him, where he now sat down. "We have known each other for a while now my Lord." She stood straight.
"And I would greatly appreciate it if I could take a month or two's leave." She spoke confidently, her head on her shoulders.
Natsu just sat there, still a grape sitting in between his lips. "What?" he mumbled, staring at her.
At this Levy got a little bit sheepish. Maybe she shouldn't have been as confident as she had been. "I mean to go see my family."
Natsu snapped out of this shock and chewed on the grape. Intensely staring at her he then swallowed. "What back to Ca=elum?"
Levy nodded slowly.
"You've never been there! Have you forgotten that we are currently at a standstill with that god forbid of a country!" Natsu had risen to his feet. Slamming his fist on the desk in anger.
"My father saved the likes of you from that awful place! They were going to sell you into slavery! Do you really wish to go back to people like that!?" Natsu was furious and upset, Levy he had known since he was seven, when the war was at the front door of the Dragneel Manor.
Trade ships had abruptly found away to Fiore from Ca=elum, where they held illegal objects like slaves, forbidden drug plants and; magic. They hid in the marshes once they got out of open water, the trip was dangerous, the war was on the water too. Levy was on that ship, chained and crying like a small child, malnourished and told to shut up.
Igneel Dragneel, Duke of Magnolia and Lord of Hargeon, Magnolia being where the ships were travelling through on the river from Hargeon port. He led a stealth mission and planned to sink the ship until they discovered innocent people were on it.
Igneel rescued the slaves, and captured the Ca's, putting them into his dungeon, where they were publicly executed as war criminals, smugglers and illegal magic wielders. Levy was saved from that and could live on the Manor as a worker, until this day. Since she is from Ca' descent with a war raging at a standstill, she was not allowed to have the same privileges as the other house workers.
She had thought that since she had known Natsu for so long, that he would trust her to go visit her family, the same family that sold her to the smugglers.
"It wasn't like that Natsu!" Levy spoke back, desperate. She was getting worked up now. "They wanted me to have a better life!"
Natsu seemed to ignore the fact that she didn't address him correctly or the fact that she was getting feisty.
"A better life without you in it no doubt! They traded you for money." Natsu spat out, walking out from behind his desk, towering over the girl.
Levy held strong still. Staring at him right in the eye, challenging him. "Family is family, no matter what." She hissed out.
A knock on the door interrupted the two. Natsu was seething. This girl, no woman that he had grown up with had challenged him so daringly. Wasn't he apart of her family? Did he not make her feel welcome?
"My Lord the tallies." Came a voice.
Natsu glared at Levy before he whipped around approaching the door. He pulled the door open to see a little boy holding the tallies. "Here my Lord."
"Thank you." Natsu disgruntledly took the tallies, always never forgetting his manners. "You can leave now."
The boy did, he turned around and left. Levy stood in the room, her head down now.
Natsu placed the tallies on his desk and just stood at his sister like friend. He spoke again.
"You can go anywhere in Earth land, just not that…" He stopped to think. "That pathetic piece of a country."
Levy shook, "I want to quit."
Natsu looked up. "You what?"
"I want to quit!" She spoke even louder, her whole body shaking.
"You can't quit! You're my property! You are the enemy, if you want to quit I will have you put in chains!" Natsu yelled at her. He was beginning to shake, he was becoming the villain to her story. He couldn't risk letting her go, she could leak important information to the enemy.
"Do it, just try to do it," Levy whispered, lowering to her knees.
Natsu stood, unable to understand just what was going on.
"I'm a traitor," Levy spoke. "To my Country, to my Kingdom and to you."
Natsu was blank.
"My country being Fiore, my Kingdom of Queen Hisui E. Fiore and my Lord Natsu Dragneel."
She looked up at him. "I received a letter from my cousin. She is here and wants to go home."
"What did you just say?" Natsu questioned, leaning forward in confusion.
Another knock on the door. "My Lord, we have some news from the village."
Natsu sighed and glance back to Levy. "Come in."
Levy remained in a kneel on the floors as Natsu went back and sat down at his desk. In entered the worker known as the 'Land Lady'. She was fat and wore purple. She waddled over to Natsu, her hands were up, and fingers curled over, making her look posh.
She bowed once she reached Natsu's desk. She noticed Levy on the floor, a slightly snarled at the sight of her. She herself had purple hair, she was from the neighbouring country Bosco, the countries have been friends for centuries.
"My Lord." She cooed. "We have some unfortunate news. One of the workers has passed away, dreadful. He was sick for a while now. Blood everywhere I heard. Just dreadful."
Natsu nodded, he remembered a couple of months ago being notified that someone was awfully sick.
"He is still there in the hut. I was wondering if we could send down someone to grab him?" The landlady smacks her lips together. She oversaw managing and reporting to Natsu on all news regarding his village.
Natsu nodded again; "Make it an inspection whilst we are there."
"Oh, so wise my Lord, just what I was going to suggest." The Land Lady smiled.
Inspections where her favourite. She got to rummage through people's belongings and exploit them.
"I'll have my general assemble men, we shall be ready in half an hour." Natsu stood up now, looking at Levy just at a glance.
"Take her to her room. Have someone watch her, she is not to leave until I come back."
"Yes, yes of course." The land Lady bowed, and grabbed Levy by her arm, picking her up and dragging her out of the room. Levy didn't fight.
A/N: Sorry this wasn't too interesting, this is all so that you guys get a bit of background on characters, the war and what different relationships and views these characters have with one another, but I still want to make it a bit surprising and new. The next chapter will be much more interesting I assure you! Thank you for putting up with me, when I haven't posted I should be able to do more now. Please leave a review as it encourages me to write more, and helps you guys with more chapters!