Previously…
"That's enough getting on with it." He hissed out, it seemed that the Lord was getting impatient too.
The knight bowed in apology and moved on.
It was then that Lucy noticed the big man kicking at something under her bed, and to make matters worse, the first knight walked into sight holding her apron, the same one that held the wheat she forgot to hide. His hand was in that very pocket.
And together in unison, they both said.
"What is this?"
Lucy stood there for a moment, mouth gaping open and struggling to close. She looked between the two men. She must have looked awful, red eyes from crying, hair dishevelled, her nightgown a mess. Lucy wouldn't blame them if they sent her straight to the gallows.
"Answer them." Lord Natsu hissed out between his teeth. He was getting impatient with this whole situation. His hand was still around her arm, holding her firm next to him.
Lucy wasn't going anywhere soon.
She decided to answer for the apron first. Pointing to the apron slightly, she lowered her head.
"The ears of grain were left over at a harvest. The Lord wouldn't need them anyway, they were of no use –"
"You stole from me?" Lord Natsu harshly spat.
"It's not like you need it! I barely stole any!" Lucy had turned so she was facing his face on. His grip on her was painful now, but she didn't care. She knew she was in major trouble anyway. Adding fuel to the fire wouldn't make a big difference.
"My father was sick! What was I supposed to do!?" She yelled out, throwing her free arm around.
Natsu bared his teeth. "You could have dealt with it."
Lucy snarled at him.
"My Lord, I'm afraid this may be worse." The larger mad spoke out, his arms now crossed over as he gestured with his head to the wooden bed.
Natsu narrowed his eyes on the bed. He made his way over, dragging Lucy along with him. He threw her to the ground, just by removing his grip on her. Her knees contacted the dirt floor. She flinched but was unbothered.
"Move this bed." Natsu Spoke.
The larger man obliged with the other Knight joining in to move the bed over.
Her potato patch was looking rather sad, yet it was evident something was growing under the bed. Lucy began to shake in frustration, anger and the knowledge that her life was just plain unfair. Raising to her feet, she kept her head lowered.
"What are you growing here Miss?" The larger man asked.
Natsu was completely quiet. He held his hand over his mouth and he slightly shook his head. He probably thought she was pathetic. He stepped away and decided to stand in the doorway, now looking out to the village.
No way he could stay here in a room with a rat-like Lucy.
Lucy was sure that once he felt slightly sorry for her, with the loss of her father, but thanks to the inspection, Lucy would be surely hanged. There would be no mercy for her now.
"Potatoes." She quietly answered.
The larger man grunted. He looked up at Lord Natsu as if asking what to do next. The Lord just waved his hand.
"Ms Lucy, under the protection of the Dragneel Lords, you will be held at the Lordship's Manor until the time your trial determines your fate."
Lucy just bit her lip, fighting back the urge to snap back a hateful remark.
She had been led out of her house with a rope tied around her wrists, being tugged at by the large man. She felt the rope was useless, it wasn't like she had shown any intention of fleeing. Lucy was still in her dirty nightgown, but Mako had graciously given her a coat, so she could look at least a bit presentable as she was headed to her imprisonment. Lucy was thankful though. Lucy had also learnt the name of the man guiding her; Black Steel.
She decided it wasn't the weirdest name she had heard of.
She was led to the horses, where other knights where holding two other members of her village. Probably caught for the same reason. Lucy didn't acknowledge them, to preserve the humanity of course.
Black Steel mounted his horse, one that was conveniently next to the Lord's. He tugged lightly so that she jostled forward a bit. She watched as the Lord Natsu Dragneel sat tall and proud on his horse. She could tell in his face that he was in fact, not proud of anything now, which made her jealous of his ability to look powerful in any situation.
The Lord raised his right fist, as he looked forward. It was quiet for a second before he bellowed out; "Assembly forward!"
And the campaign began to walk. Lucy didn't know what to expect. She had half expected that they would all march in a union, for some reason. Yet there was no rhyme or rhythm to their walk. Luckily for her, the walk wasn't fast either, the rope that was attached to her restraints and her 'supervisor' was loose, meaning that she wasn't being forcibly dragged around.
At least they were nice in this way.
Lucy usually walked this way with her friends or father to work, where they would plough and plant, and harvest all season long. Others would tend to the livestock, but as a woman, Lucy was tasked with farming the land.
Lucy would have loved to explain the reason why she had grown potatoes underneath her bed if it wasn't for the fact that she was already in so much trouble and torment. She could hear the dodgy wooden wheels of her father's "funeral" cart behind them.
She could hear every squeaky turn of the wheels, every rock that was hit, and the sound of her father being jostled violently along the path.
It was enough to make her cry.
Small, tears poured from her eyes, tears that seemed to leak from the windows to her soul rather than a pour of emotions. Sad, painful and sorrowful tears only for her father and her to share.
Minutes pass, and soon the tears had stopped, and Lucy had learnt to drown out the terrible noise of the Grim Reaper. Partially because something had caught her eye up in the mountain.
To her right, just a little up the mountainside, Lucy could have sworn she had seen Blue. Blue hair, and clothes.
Had Juvia found out so soon?
Or was Juvia watching from afar?
Lucy began to search the trees for signs that she could have been mistaken. Yet sure enough, just a couple of rows from where she had originally seen her, was Juvia.
Hiding behind a large oak tree, peering out slightly. Juvia pointed further down into the bushland. Then to Lucy than to the lands again.
Lucy was confused, and soon, Juvia was behind her, drifting into nothing and blending in with the trees.
Around the bend, Lucy could see the Lord's estate and the fields where she previously worked. This was it, the part of her life she never thought she would ever experience. It may not be the way she had expected it, but Lucy had always wondered what the inside of the Lord's manor looked like.
She had hoped that one day she would have a chance, she never thought this was the chance she was going to gain.
Unfortunately, Lucy did not get to see much of the manor. Rather, they were led around the back of the residence, to where a back door was waiting. Lucy had to be held firmly still by two of the guardsmen.
A few minutes prior, when the route divided, Lucy had noticed that her father was being taken to another path. She disliked this and had begun to spit out spiteful words to the Lord.
"You promised me that I could see him off!" Lucy had yelled, throwing her bound fists at him. She had caught the Black steel off guard, as she launched at the great stallion the Dragneel Lord was sitting on.
Natsu had just raised an eyebrow at her as he caught her third throw at him, holding her wrists and grabbing the run-away rope. He tugged it towards him, and Lucy tripped a bit, so that she was firmly planted on the horse's flank; stuck.
She was in shock for a moment,
"Do not put words in my mouth Ms Lucy." He had breathed out heavily. "I never promised that."
"Yes you, did!" Lucy had yelled back, wriggling a bit, and disturbing the horse.
The horse moved so that Lucy now had room to move "You told me I could see him off, won't you give me that courtesy?!" She had sobbed out loud, keeping her voice raised.
She was going to let the whole world how upset she was.
The rope didn't pull her that time, as the Lord dismounted his steed.
"I made a promise that you could see where he would be cared for." He spoke softly to defuse the situation. "He is only down that path."
Lucy had shaken her head. "He is the last thing I have of my family." She spoke almost to quietly. But she was sure the Lord had heard it.
"He will have a proper resting place."
For some reason, Lucy just couldn't comprehend why her life was so unfair in that moment. She had lost her mother at an early age, had starved, been bruised, had been close to death, had lost hope, she had been abused, broken and fragile. And she had lost the last thing that was helping her push through it all.
In that moment, Lucy fought.
She kicked.
For her father.
Screamed tears.
For her mother.
She scratched.
For all she, had endured.
Until she was held still by her opposition.
And they had walked her down into the ground via creaky wooden stairs that harboured stone a few inches beneath the steps. The Lord didn't accompany them down there. The two other men where behind her, behaving better than Lucy. By this stage, Lucy was still all over.
She didn't bother to move, which she thought would make it hard for the guardsmen. It didn't, simply because they were much stronger than she.
Probably because they ate much more nutritious food and were healthier than she.
She was led down a dark hallway, lit by some flamed torches flickering along the wall. It was damp there and Lucy had smelt something like mould nearby.
This was quiet elegant for a fancy house, Lucy thought.
They soon stopped and Lucy was led into one of the irons cells, where there was a window high above in the back wall, and stone surrounding the other two side panelled walls. Hay, laid there on the floor, with a little wooden 'bed' that hung from the left wall. Just big enough for an uncomfortable experience.
Leading her in, the Gauds sat her down on the 'bed' and removed her constraints. They stepped back and out, locking the iron door.
"Supper will be served in a couple hours." One of them spoke.
They then proceeded to walk back out the way they came.
Lucy just sat there, still unwavering.
She had thrown her tantrums, and now was the time for her to reminisce on her day. A day full of twist and turns. She knew it was going to be a while before she ate, since it was still day light outside, so she decided to lay down.
And soon, she had drifted off into a slumber.
Hi guys thanks for waiting so long, hopefully I can post more often now, also apologies for how short this chapter is, I just didn't want to add anything else too this chapter. Stay tuned for more!