Ch: 3 The mind is a good place for torture.

"Wake up, blondie."

Somewhere distant Lucy heard the voice she quickly grown to hate, but she couldn't see where it came from.

"I said, WAKE UP!"

Lucy sat upright on the rocky floor of her cave prison, as the distant voice suddenly turned into a shout. She hit her right shoulder against one of the portruding rocky spikes on the cave wall, causing her to flinch and automatically grab her shoulder and she started rubbing it.

"Now don't hurt yourself. That's my job."

Her attention drawn by his words and the devilish chuckle that followed it, she looked up at Gajeel, who seemed to make a habbit out of crouching in front of her. Seeing her agony and shock, he smirked, and raised his hand to caress her cheek. Lucy tried with all her might not to shiver in disgust at the contact. His hands were warm, and rough, worn with violence. She tried to turn her face away from his hand, but he grabbed her chin, squeezing it tight with his thumb and index finger.

"Time to get to bussiness, princess."

And with those words he pulled her up by her troath and pushed her against the wall, lifting her of the ground as he choked her. Lucy's hands pulled at the hand blocking her airways, but his strong fingers would not budge. This was it. He was going to torture her, untill she told him everything she knew, and then he would kill her. She was done for. He took one of her hands, pinning it against the cave wall above her head, and out of nowhere an iron cuff appeared around her wrist, sealing it to the cave wall. He did the same with her other hand, before he let go of her troath, leaving her hanging on the wall, several inches above the ground. It strained on her arms and shoulders, and her back grazed against the rocks, bruising and damaging her skin, even though she hang there motionless.

The wolflike man took a step back to admire his work with an aprreciative grin on his face. Their faces were on eyelevel now, and the look in his eyes unnerved her. He rested his hands in his neck, looking almost relaxed as she could do nothing but just look at the beast in front of her, hungrily eyeing his prey, like he was going to eat her.

"I'll explain the rules. We'll start slowly. I'm not a monster; I realise you must be tired, so probably that little brain of yours will have a hard time remembering anyting usefull. So for now, I won't hurt you too much, and I won't ask what I really want to know. That way you can get used to the whole process. However. If you don't tell me what I want to know, refuse to answer, or take to much time in answering, you will get hurt. Understood?"

Lucy nodded, struck with fear, and tried her best not to let it show. But before she could even comprehend what happened, his fist struck her face, smacking her head against the rocks behind her, and all kinds of colors flashed in front of her eyes.

"I said answer! Didn't the king teach you any manners?"

He strained the word king in a mocking way, and for a moment Lucy wondered if he would try to kill her father, and take over the kingdom. It seemed like he didn't think King Jude was fit to be king in the first place. But she remembered she was suposed to talk, before she would get punched again, and managed to smile trough her pain and dizzyness.

"My father didn't really have that much time for me."

She knew what she said was dangerous, because she was obviously mocking him, and as soon as she said it she realised this might very well get her punched again. But Gajeel just stood in front of her, smirking at her snarly response.

"Well, what do you know. Seems father and daughter don't get along that well. How did that happen? Is father too busy with ruling to spend time with his own daughter?"

Lucy bit her lip. She didn't intend it that way, but actually he was right. Her father was always busy, even when she was a child, and he never had time for her. After her mothers death, Lucy was raised by her nurse and maids, and entertained by her guards. Especially the captain, who, she now realised, gave his life protecting her. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, but she still remembered she had to answer.

"The King is a good king. He works hard for his kingdom and his people."

Gajeel stuck out his arm to the side, and a metallic chair appeared out of nowhere. He turned it backwards and sat down on it, resting his arms on the back.

"Does he now? That's not what we think, princess. Tell me, have you ever spend time with commoners?"

Lucy shook her head.

"No, ofcourse not. I'm a princess, I have no bussiness with commoners."

" And such is the answer of the girl who's suposed to become Queen."

To her surprise he actually sounded dissapointed.

"You're no better than your father. You see princess, he doesn't care for his subjugates. The only thing that heartless king cares about, is living in welness, surrounded by his riches, and expanding his kingdom. He violently takes what he wants, to become even richer, while his people perish of poverty."

He lifted his left hand to his chin, resting his thumb under his jaw, and his indexfinger on his upper lip, as he watched his words take effect. Lucy looked back at him in shock. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to say that about the king.

"You're lying!"

Gajeel got up with a jolt and kicked the chair aside, taking one big step to stand right in front of her. She couldn't help but flinch, as his face was only an inch away from hers, as he snarled.

"Watch it princess. You should be smarter than to raise your voice to me like that."

She swallowed audibly, and he stepped back, turning his head to look over his shoulder, looking at the space between the bars, the hole he made to enter her cage. She hadn't even realised he left it open. She was pinned to the wall anyway, so he probably didn't bother, knowing she wasn't going anywhere.

"WENCH!"

His voice thundered trough the cave so loud, it sounded like the roar of a monster, and Lucy could just feel her eardums vibrate at the power behind his roar. Shortly after the echoes died out, she could hear soft, light footsteps, running trough the cave corridors. A small, short, and strangely bluehaired girl appeared and stopped in front of the bars, not coming in.

"You called for me?"

Her voice was soft, almost shy, and her face was sad, something Lucy could see, even though she humbly looked at the ground, as to avoid looking at them, and even though the light was dim. Gajeel hardly payed attention to her, other than giving her an order.

"Get me the lacryma that shows Fiore."

Lucy's head turned towards him when he mentioned the capital of Magnolia Kingdom, the city where the castle was. Her home. But did he seriously speak of something that could show her the city? How was that possible? What was this Lacryma he spoke of?

The girl nodded, pointed her finger in the air, and started writing ancient runes on nothing but air. Lucy watched her in shock, not able to comprehend how the girl did this, and even more incapable to understand the ancient language she was writing. The girl muttered a few words.

"Summon!"

The last word was clear as her bell like voice ringed trough the caves. The next second there was a flash of light that forced Lucy to close her eyes, and when the light dissapeared and Lucy opened her eyes again, the bluehaired girl was holding a small, pink orb, that seemed to glow. Gajeel held out his hands towards her, and the girl stepped inside the cage, holding it out to him. He reached for it with both hands, but as his left hand took the orb from her, his right hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her against his chest.

"Thank you, Levy. You know you're my favorite slave, don't you?"

"Yes master."

Lucy could see in her eyes how uncomfortable Levy was in his arms, but she didn't put up a fight, didn't try to get out of his strong grip, and kept her voice soft and humble. Lucy couldn't help but have respect for this petite and fragile girl, who miraculously seemed to hold her own in front of him.

"Now, now...Don't be so distant. I've already seen all of you anyway. Look at me."

His voice almost seemed to purr, and Lucy's eyes popped wide open in disbelieve. This terribly fearsome man changed his attitude and his personality in a whim, and for a moment he almost seemed charming. But Levy, knowing better, hesitantly looked up, her lower lip trembling, and his familiar smirk appeared again.

"Do you fear me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good girl."

He bent down and forcefully kissed her on the lips, as the hand that had pulled her towards him entangled in her blue hair, pulling it to tilt her head back and to the side. His lips caressed her cheek and jaw as he lowered his head to her neck, and smirking against her skin while he looked at Lucy with red, glowing eyes, he bit down on her neck, piercing her skin. Levy whimpered in pain, trying not to scream out in agony. Gajeel kept his eyes fixed on Lucy, who quickly looked away in emberassment and disgust. Amused, he chuckled and released Levy.

"Take care of that wound, and go to my room. I feel the need to unwind, and release some stress."

With tears in her eyes, Levy nodded as she held her hand pressed against her neck.

"Yes, sir."

After she left, Gajeel finally closed the bars behind her, once again locking Lucy in with him. He smiled at her, as Lucy quietly cried for the fragile bluehaired girl. Gajeel softly laughed.

"You know, the funny thing is. She was once in exactly the same place as you are right now. Also pinned to a wall I must add. It didn't take long to break her. Treathening to kill everyone she loved, was enough to make her do everything I say."

He chuckled at his achievements.

"And she won't even run. It's perfect."

Lucy responded only with a sob, and he came closer, still holding the pink orb.

"If you're smart, you might end up like her."

Terrified, Lucy looked at him. She didn't want to end up like Levy at all. She could only guess at what he meant with 'releasing stress', and the most likely possibility was not something she wanted to think about, let alone experience it for herself.

"You shouldn't hate it too much. My loyal spy told me how much you like to toy around with your guards. Naughty little princess."

Angrily remembering the face of the guard that turned out to be on the robber's side, she knitted her eyebrows together in a frown.

"I never gave myself to any of them."

"Good. I prefer virgins."

He smiled at her deviously, as he watched her face go pale. But to his surprise she turned red the next second, and spat him in the face.

"I will never give myself to you like Levy does! I'd rather die!"

His hand snapped up to catch her troath again as he pushed her up by the neck.

"Carefull what you ask for, blondie. Your wish might come true when I'm done with you. I must warn you not to anger me, though. When you do, I might decide to violate your body in every way I can think of, to show you your place. You have no choice. And you have absolutely nothing to say about it. You're mine to use as I see fit!"

He released her and she dropped down, and the impact made her shoulders hurt as her full weight dropped down on the cuffs on her wrists. She groaned as her back slammed into the wall again. If what he said was true, he did this to Levy as well. Who was she? Why was she important? What made him abduct and torture her? What would he do to her, as she was locked up in this cave now, where he once tortured Levy?

Gajeel relentlessy continued what he came for, and pulled up the chair again, raising the pink orb so she could look at it. She felt a short surge of power somehow filling the cell, and in the orb there was now an image. Lucy loudly gasped as she regonised her home. The castle looked brilliant in the morning sun, showing it's full glory, and Lucy eyes burned with tears at the sight. How she wished to be there now. She had wished to escape the rules of the castle, the laws that decided that she was to be married off by her father. But now she'd gladly marry that unknown prince to go home again.

"You obviously regonise the castle. But you don't know that this is a realtime view. It's morning as we speak, and whatever you see, is happening exactly at the moment you see it in the Lacryma."

Lucy shook her head.

"Impossible."

"Really? Then explain this, if you can."

But he knew very well she couldn't. Lucy never saw anything like this,just as she never saw a man command metal, or a girl write ancient runes in the air to summon this glowing orb she now beheld. And he knew that. And her silence confirmed that, untill she had to admit she couldn't.

"I can't explain it."

"It surprises me, how ignorant you seem to be to magic. But I supose we have your father to thank for that. He's the one who banished all magic from Magnolia after all."

"Magic doesn't exist."

Gajeel laughed out loud at her statement.

"Foolish girl. You've been surrounded by magic ever since I brought you here. The man you saw when you first woke up? That's the strongest dark mage I know. You've seen me control metal, you've seen Levy summon a object by writing runes in the air. All of that is magic, princess."

Lucy still couldn't believe it. She never heard such thing. But she couldn't ignore the fact that a lot of strange things had been happening since she was abducted, and there was no other explanation for it. She wanted to ask about it, but she wasn't sure if she could. She was in a ridiculous situation here, hanging on the wall, locked in with someone who used magic to control metal, and showed her her home in an orb. But she was also his prisoner, and asking questions might get her punched again. Gajeel sighed.

"Just ask already. I can see you want to."

Surprised by his strangely normal behaviour, like he wasn't her kidnapper, she stayed quiet for a while. Gajeel raised his eyebrows at her.

"Well, do you want to know or not?"

Hesitantly, Lucy nodded. As long as they were talking that would at least mean he wasn't hurting her. Her sight was still blurry from the first punch. Gajeel seemed to be sattisfied with her response, even though Lucy couldn't understand why. She thought she would be tortured for hours. But he talked more then she expected. He didn't exactly seem talkative at first.

"Well, let me tell you a story then. Magic has been around since the dawn of time, but not everyone realised it and even fewer were able to use it. I think you've heard of witches, or maybe read about them?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Bloody hell, that no good king erased every trace of it."

His words hit her like a ram.

"My father erased every trace of magic?"

Gajeel restlessly pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed again.

"Yes, that's the biggest part of the problem. Magnolia used to be overflowing with magic. Until the Queen died that is. I'm surprised you never noticed anything. I know you were just a kid, but bloody hell, your mother was one of the best."

His words didn't make any sense to Lucy, who didn't know what he was talking about.

"The best what?"

His head jerked up in surprise, clear on his face that he might have said too much.

"Doesn't matter. After she died, your father banned everyone who could use magic from Magnolia, burning all the books, shattering the Lacryma..."

His voice trailed off, and he seemed to be pained by the memory.

"And he had all the dragons slaughtered."

"Dragons?"

Lucy squealed in surprise. This didn't make any sense. She must be dreaming. This was all a nightmare. She was safe in her own bed, or maybe sleeping in her chariot, and there was no wolf man. There was no magic, and this story was all a lie. It just couldn't be true.

"Yes dragons. There used to be plenty. Now, I don't know how many are left."

Lucy didn't dare ask anymore. It seemed like even though she never noticed, her father was well acquainted with this magic, and never told her. He kept her ignorant. Only now she realised how captive she had been in the castle. He never showed her anything he didn't want her to know. She remembered now, more than ever, how distant he always had been, except for the rare trips, where he would take her to the most beautifull places in the kingdom, showing how wealthy their kingdom was.
Ignorant to her thoughts, Gajeel interupted her.

"Either way, after magic was banished, the kingdom started to die. I'll show you."

The lacryma's image started to shift, and the castle seemed to slide to the left, as the city came in view. At first, Lucy regonised the wealthy and beautifull white streets that she had been allowed to go to with her guards. She even saw an alley that she once used to mess around with one of her guards. But the image kept shifting untill it showed houses that seemed to be almost falling apart. There were huge cracks in the stone walls, the roofs were partly collapsed at some points and kids were playing in the streets, clothed in rags. This was Fiore?

"This is the outer rim of Fiore. Far away from the castle. Far away from your eyes. You really didn't know this did you?"

Lucy looked away from the lacryma to look at him as he studied her face. She didn't realise she was crying, untill he got up, put the lacryma on the chair, and walked up to her, lifting his hand to wipe a tear from her cheekbone. It was a strangely gentle gesture.

"Did you know this?"

"No."

He rubbed his chin in thought, and turned away from her, seemingly planning to leave, when he suddenly grabbed his head with both hands.

"Ugh! Dammit!"

Not knowing what was happening to him, Lucy watched him as he grunted in pain, untill suddenly he straightened his back and turned back to her again. His face once again had the wolflike snarl around his lips, and he smiled.

"Now, I told you something, now it's your turn. What do you know about the kingdom? I can hardly believe you spent your entire life in that castle."

Lucy nervously bit her lip, and shook her head.

"I don't know much."

He came closer again, like a predator stalking his prey. His hand moved up to his cheek and as he extended his finger, it shifted shape and turned into a small blade.

"Tell me what you do know. What did the king show you?"

Lucy shivered almost impercievably, and thought about what she could possibly tell him.

"He showed me the bigger and richer cities. The meadows and vineyards. The hill of water and fire., and the falls of.."

"Stop. Hills of water and fire? Tell me about that."

Surprised by the sudden interest in something that seemed so unimportant, she thought hard to remember what it was like, and how to explain. When she took too long, he suddenly grabbed her right arm with the hand that had the blade-finger, and quickly pierced the skin of her lower arm. She screamed as the blade seemed to burn in her flesh, and when he pulled his hand away again, she felt her own blood drip down her arm. She sobbed as she could feel the wound throb, but he didn't give her time to rest.

"Start talking."

Still sobbing, Lucy started to tell all she could remember.

"It's in the south. The hills are more like mountains, and they seem to guard the only way to Tenroujima."

"Do you know what that name means?"

He interupted her again, and she shook her head.

"It means Tenro Island. Is it an island?"

Lucy shook her head again.

"No, but maybe it's called that way, because it's secluded from the rest of Magnolia. The passage between the mountains is the only way to get there."

She paused and Gajeel frowned in thought, no longer looking at her. He got back to the chair, put the lacryma on the floor, and sat down again.

"Why are the mountains called water and fire?"

"Because of the flowers."

When Gajeel frowned at her, she hastily continued.

"Nobody seems to know why, but the flowers and plants on the left mountain are all blue. Different shades but still. It makes it look like a stormy ocean. The flowers on the right mountain are all shades of red and orange. But nobody can explain it. Either way it seems like the mountains are made of water and fire. Also because there is water on the blue mountain, but desert sand on the red mountain."

Gajeel crossed his arms and leaned back.

"Your mother would have known."

"How would you know?"

"I used to live in Fiore."

His answer, even though it didn't really answer her question, surprised her. He used to live in the capital? That meant that he had been banished at a very young age. If her father really did banish all magic after her mother died,he was banished at the age of ten maybe. He couldn't be much older then her.

"Is that why you hate the king?"

Gajeel got up from the chair and picked up the Lacryma, turning towards the bars and made a hole to step trough. He closed the bars behind him, leaving her alone in her cell again. Before he left he turned his face towards her.

"I have plenty of reasons to hate him. And so do you. Maybe you should ask yourself if it was really the black plague that killed your mother."

And with those last words he left her alone in the dark.

...

...

...

"Cobra."

The purple haired man that had called out his name in the meadow stepped out of the shadows of the main corridor, far away from the princess's cell, closer to where the gang of robbers recided. Gajeel didn't even bother looking at him.

"What's on her mind right now?"

"Doubt. It's remarkable that she doesn't seem to notice the physical pain at all. She's...crying I think. Thinking about her mother. And she's...trying to remember.'

"Remember what?"

"Magic."

Gajeel's head snapped to the side to look at Cobra's concentrated and thoughfull face. He closed the distance between them, only an inch away from Cobra's face.

"What do you mean?"

Cobra didn't seem at all impressed with his treathening stance.

"She's not sure if she believes you and is trying to remember if she ever noticed something strange."

"And the king?"

Cobra sighed,

"She doubts him."

Gajeel smirked and backed away from him.

"Good. Very good. Doubt is the best torture. Let her doubt him. I'd be satisfied if she tells me what I want to know, but it would be even better if she turned on him. She has potential."

Cobra frowned.

"How so?"

"She has magic. She just doesn't know. But being Queen Layla's daughter, it's only natural. If she turns on the king, maybe I can give her the push she needs to use magic herself. That would be a stab to the heart for that old geezer. It would be perfect."

He turned away from Cobra and put his hand on the doorknob to the left, slightly opening it.

"Now, I'll be in my rooms. There's a maid waiting for me, and I need to unload. Don't disturb me."

Cobra smiled and nodded.

"Understood."

A/N: This was a longer one than I expected, but also there's a few small things, that are important to get to bigger things. I'll do my best to keep this story flowing smoothly, without cramping too much into one chapter. I have alot of ideas for this story. Please leave a review, it is very much appriciated, because I like to know your thoughts on this story.

Thanks for reading and till next chapter!