Chapter 4

Escape

Sitting in silence, no longer chained up but still locked away, Lucy wrapped her arms around her legs, buried her face in her knees, and cried big crocodile tears. She was sure that this was going to be way worse than dying. Being married to Hades was probably her worst nightmare.

And producing an heir? With him? She shuddered.

"Hey, Lucy… What happened?" It seemed her partner in incarceration was just as curious as she was.

"I think…" she took a big steadying breath,"…I think they're going to make me marry Hades."

"That won't happen." His response was immediate. He sounded so sure. When she raised her head from her knees to look at him she saw the confidence in his voice reflected on his face.

"I wish it could be stopped, but I'm just a criminal now." A murderer. Treason and murder were probably the two worst crimes she could commit. Lucky her for accomplishing both in one fell swoop.

"You didn't do it though." Again with that unerring confidence.

"You don't know that." They'd never spoken about the reason she was there. Lucy always managed to curve conversation in a different direction.

"Yeah, I do." Natsu was so sincere, she could see the truth in those deep golden eyes, but even that wasn't enough to convince her.

"Natsu, I don't even know if I'm innocent. How could you?"

He closed his eyes like he was thinking. "I can just tell. I've got awesome instincts and all of 'em are telling me you're a good person." He opened his eyes and gave her a big grin. "Good people don't murder other people, no matter how bad they are."

Lucy could feel her tears drying on her face as she conjured up her best smile for him. "Even though I smell gross?" She sniffled.

Natsu laughed. "Yeah. Even if you smell gross."

Lucy laughed a little too but, in all honesty, she really needed a bath and a change of clothes. Levy usually made certain she kept up with her personal hygiene. Come to think if it, Levy hadn't come to visit her since she was arrested. That concerned her. What if her best friend thought she'd murdered her own father? No, surely Levy wouldn't think that. Then again, Lucy herself almost believed it.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked, noticing the look on her face.

"Just worrying about a friend. She hasn't been to see me since…you know…" she looked upset.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she just got caught up trying to help you is all."

Lucy shook her head in disbelief. "Geez. Where do you find all that confidence?" Seriously. Could she get what he's been having?

Natsu just laughed again and shot her a cocky grin, "it's a gift."

"Okay. So, let's go over the plan one more time." The small bluenette looked at the over-sized man sitting across from her in frustration. He was currently picking his teeth with a nail-a freaking nail! Like a metal one! He wasn't even paying attention.

"Gajeel! Focus!" His blood red eyes shot to her own deep brown in annoyance.

"We've already gone over it three times, shrimp. I think I got it." He stood up and his strange appearance threw Levy off. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to it. He was large with metal piercings running along his face and arms. She'd noticed he had some in his ears too, but those weren't the strangest things about him.

It was the wings and the claws that really got to her.

Behind his broad back a pair of large black wings were folded up and below those was a black scaled tail that disappeared under his tunic-like top. The first time Levy had seen him in the torchlight, she thought he was some kind of monster and was ready to run for her life. She'd find another way to help Lucy that didn't involve being eaten by a giant man lizard, but he quickly set her straight.

He said he'd inherited the blood of a drake, an ancient magical cousin of dragons. Apparently, it wasn't uncommon for magical creatures to take on human or semi-human forms to mate with normal women, and creatures like him were the results of such unions. (He added that he didn't know what the "old geezers" saw in "weak human women" which earned him a deserved kick to the shin) It had all been a bit much for the bluenette to take in and she'd had to make him explain it multiple times before she could accept the fact the man before her was part flying lizard. Levy had quickly hidden him away and told him to wait while she came up with a plan. It had been an excuse of course, so she could have some time to clear her head and get her confused thoughts in order. Also, she'd admit, they definitely needed a plan. She wasn't going to be able to come up with one if her thoughts were all jumbled from the new information. He'd insisted that he just needed to "beat the shit outta some guards" but after some well placed threats that the small girl wasn't sure she could actually follow through on, he finally consented.

Now here they were, crammed into a storage room, sitting at a cluttered table, trying to come to terms about an escape plan. Levy didn't want anyone hurt, especially Lucy, and Gajeel obviously didn't care who got in the way, he was taking his 'not-friend' (he made that very clear) out of those stupid dungeons so he could kill him for getting caught. Levy would be lying if she said she wasn't intimidated by him, but she'd be damned if she let him know just how much he'd shaken her up.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Levy gave the man a stern look, "Oh yeah? Then tell me, Gajeel, what is the plan?"

He was smug as he recited it back to her, "you go get your friend, take her to get a bath, which gets you access and her clean. That's very considerate of you, by the way. You distract the guards while I spring the salamander, on my way out you want me to grab blondie and take her with me and the dumbass. That sound right? We sneak away while the guards are distracted?"

She was impressed. The bluenette really hadn't thought he'd been listening. "Right. The signal will be the guards running out. You just slip in behind them."

He nodded but then gave her a serious look, "What if things don't go according to plan? How're you gonna get out if they catch on?"

Levy gave him a confident grin and pointed a thumb at her chest, "I can take care of myself. You just worry about getting Lucy out."

Gajeel scoffed. "Fine, but don't expect me to come save your ass when shit goes downhill, you got it?"

She continued to smile, adrenaline beginning a slow pump through her veins. Scary man-beast or not, they were going get to Lucy out of there. "I wouldn't expect you to." She cracked her knuckles, "Let's do this."

"Gihi."

"The decision has been made." Lucy stared through the thick iron bars at Councilor Seam as he delivered the news that would decide her fate.

"You will be in the custody of the new regent until which time an heir to the throne is born. At that time, your life will be forfeit. You will marry the regent so that he maintains his good name amongst the kingdom and your son can have stronger ties to the throne. There will be no illegitimate heir. You will obey his every command or be prepared to receive what ever punishment your new husband deems suitable for you."

Seething with helpless anger, Lucy threw herself against the bars as she reached for the councilor. She wanted to grab him, shake him, ask him if he realized the fate he was condemning her to, but he stepped back just out of her reach.

"My, my. Who would've imagined the princess was so violent. I can see the woman who murdered her father in those evil eyes of yours." Lucy could feel tears threatening again, but she held them back. He wouldn't get the joy of watching her break down.

Councilor Seam leaned in, but still just out of her reach. "I don't understand why the king didn't kill you the moment he saw those eyes. Kindness, I suppose. I woul-" a deep growl from the next cell over cut him off.

"Don't talk to her like that." Lucy stared in shock as Natsu bared his abnormally sharp teeth in her defense. "She's a way better person than you could ever hope to be. I can smell a rotten scent coming off you, you fat old fart. There's something nasty inside you." If the situation hadn't been so tense, Lucy might have laughed at the childish insult.

"Bite your tongue, beast." The councilor said, but he did make to move down the hall, away from the princess. "You will not live long enough to regret those words. Your execution will take place tomorrow." He laughed, "I hope you've made your peace." With that, Seam made his exit and Lucy found her legs were no longer fit for supporting her weight and sunk heavily to the ground.

"Luce, don't let that shit-head get to you. There's no way you're gonna marry that asshat."

Lucy him a hard look, "How can you say that? You're going to die tomorrow and I'm going to marry Hades! There's not really much hope at this point." She certainly felt like they were doomed.

Natsu brushed off her hard tone and gave her a pointed stare, "I can say it 'cause I know it. Help is already here."

Now she was just confused. She crawled to the side of her cell closest to him. "What help?" She whispered, hope edging into her voice.

"Just some metal head I know. I've been smelling him around since yesterday. Not sure why it's taking him so long to bust me out, but I'm gonna make sure we take you with us when he does." His handsome face was a hard mask of determination that left no room for argument.

Lucy gave him a wry smile. "Those senses of yours are very confusing."

"What? You don't believe me?" He sounded offended so Lucy brought her hands up in a placating gesture.

"No, no. I believe you. Your nose has been pretty spot-on so far." she thought of the conversation with Councilor Seam and smiled, "I just don't understand…well, you I guess." He was a mystery. With his strange hair, golden eyes, sharp fang-like teeth, and his weird senses, she just couldn't peg down what exactly he was.

"It's better to show you than to tell you. Guess you'll just have to wait until we get out of this place." His smile was teasing and Lucy felt herself returning it more easily than she thought would be possible at this point.

"Then I have something to look forward to. Solving the mystery that is Natsu Dragneel." His grin got bigger, obviously taking her words as a compliment.

"That's me. Mysterious." This elicited some much needed laughter from the girl which Natsu reluctantly interrupted by shushing her softly.

"Someone's coming." Lucy's face immediately hardened as she stared back down the hallway.

To her surprise and relief, it wasn't a member of the Council coming to rub it in her face that her life was officially over, but her wonderful missing maid.

"Levy!" Lucy was reaching for her friend through the bars before the bluenette was even halfway there.

"Lucy!" She put down the arm loads of stuff she had and gave the blonde an awkward hug through the gaps before pulling back, her fingers pinching her pert nose.

"You stink."

Lucy gave her weak glare. "That tends to happen when you're thrown in jail in the same clothes you apparently murdered someone in and left there for days at a time." Levy giggled.

"Good thing I'm here to get you cleaned up." The nasally response had Lucy back to grinning. "There should be a guard on his way to unlock the cell."

As if on cue, a burly man in armor came clamoring down the hall, key in hand. He unlocked her cell and turned to Levy.

"Prisoner showers are that way," He pointed the opposite direction from which he came, "I'll be back down there. Just yell if ya need somethin'." With that he made his lazy retreat back to his station.

"Come on." Levy slung open the gate and grabbed her by the arm, holding up a bulging bag Lucy just noticed she'd been carrying. "I've got everything we need right here."

Lucy gave Natsu a little wave as Levy pulled her off towards the showers. He wiggled his fingers in response and gave her a thumbs up in approval as she disappeared down the hall.

It didn't take long for Levy to have stripped down and soaking under the lukewarm spray of the prisoner showers. The bluenette wrinkled her nose as she started stuffing the ruined gown into a spare laundry bag. It couldn't be salvaged, she was sure, but it wasn't like it mattered anyway. With confidence, the smaller girl turned towards her bathing friend.

"I'm getting you out of here."

The words surprised the princess so much she nearly dropped the soap she'd been vigorously scrubbing her arms with. "What?"

Levy gave her a determined look. "I've got a plan that will definitely work." she paused, taking a deep, steadying breath. "As soon as you're clean and dressed, I'm going to tell the guard you fainted. Which means you need to act like you did." She gave her a look that let her know she better not screw it up. The blonde had never been the best actress.

Lucy just waved her on and Levy cautiously continued. "While the guard is gone, I've got a friend who is going to sneak in and let your pink-haired buddy out and you're going with them to wherever they decide to escape to." It wasn't a request. She was determined to get the princess out, no matter what.

Lucy fully faced her friend, hands on her hips. "I'm not leaving without you. When they find out we're gone, it won't take much to trace our escape back to you." She gave the bluenette a pleading look, "I can't escape just to have you locked up in my place. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"I can take care of myself." She wasn't going to argue about this. Levy may have technically been a servant, but Lucy was more like her sister and while she was taller, Levy was older. It was her job to make sure her naive princess was safe.

"No! Please, tell me you'll come too." Lucy wasn't prepared to leave behind the only person she had in the world.

Levy smiled with genuine affection at the blonde. This was why they were best friends. Lucy loved her and she loved Lucy back. They cared about each other when no one else did.

"Lucy, you've got to trust me on this one." It was hard to say 'no' when the bluenette was making a face that would turn a battle-hardened soldier to mush. Lucy was no exception.

A deep sigh escaped the princess's lips as she silently regarded her friend. Levy was very capable, but she was outnumbered. By a lot. They had swords and armor and Levy only had herself. She studied the other girl hard, weighing her options. Would she even be able to change the bluenette's mind on this? The maid's eyes were hard and unyielding, a look Lucy had always associated with a battle lost. Short of knocking her out and dragging the smaller girl away, the blonde doubted she would get her to change her mind.

Another heartfelt sigh. "Okay." The smaller girl broke out into a smile and Lucy quickly amended, "but I'm coming back for you as soon as the coast is clear."

"But-" Levy tried to argue, but the blonde held up a hand to silence her.

"No. I will not leave you here." And that was final. She may have lost one fight, but she wasn't one to lose the war. This battle would be her's.

Levy pretended to pout a little before giving Lucy a bright warm smile. "That sounds fair, but don't put yourself in danger for me."

"I'm a princess. I'll do what I want." She stuck her tongue out and went back to bathing.

After getting clean and putting on some fresh, more durable clothing, (traveling in a dress wouldn't be optimal) it was time to put the plan in motion. There was only one guard on duty in the dungeons that day which was perfect. As soon as Levy cried out desperately for help he came running down the halls only to find the murdering princess lying in a heap on the ground, her face pale and her body still.

"W-what happened!?"

Levy turned a hysteric face to the man. "I don't know! One second she was fine and the next she collapsed."

He bent down and tried to rouse her but nothing seemed to work. "I need to go get the physician. Will you stay with her?"

"Of course!" With a nod, he ran back the way he entered.

Lucy swiftly pulled herself off the floor. "Now what?" She turned to Levy.

"The guard leaving is the signal. My friend should be here any minute. We need to go wait for him at the cells." She grabbed the blonde by the hand and they made their way back to the locked cages nearer the front of the prison.

"Gajeel! What took you so freaking long?" Natsu grouched as the larger man stood examining the bars that separated them.

"Shut-it, Salamander. I'm here now, ain't I?" He carefully took the metal in his hands.

"Yeah. Whatever. Just get me outta here..." The other man grumbled irritably.

"I'm working on it." He put one metal bar in his mouth and bit down hard, shattering what was between his teeth and repeated this process of biting and chewing the bars until he could effectively remove a couple lengths of iron to create a makeshift opening.

"I hear the shrimp." Gajeel mumbled as he approached the pink-haired man still bound by chains.

"Dunno who that is, but you don't seem too worried." Natsu grunted when the other man yanked on his arm. "Hey, watch what you're doing."

"I thought I told you to shut up. The shrimp is bringing that princess girl." He took a bite out of one restricting chain.

"Lucy?" Natsu looked at him hopefully. "She's coming with us." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah." Another bite, another free appendage. "Somehow I got roped into saving two dumbasses today." Chomp. Just one foot left.

"Lucy isn't a dumbass. She's just got bad luck. And hey! I'm not a dumbass either, nails for brains!" Chomp. Freedom.

"Whatever you say, ash breath. Let's get outta here." As they ducked through the hole Gajeel had created, the two women came jogging around the corner.

"Natsu!" Lucy almost jumped for joy at seeing him free for the first time since they'd met.

"Hey, Luce. Good to see you smell better now." He laughed and she puffed out her cheeks indignantly.

"Stop flirting. We gotta get outta here before that stupid guard comes back." Annoyance seeped into the larger man's voice.

"Gajeel is right." Levy brushed a stray hair from her face. "I'll go first and keep him busy while you guys slip out." She made sure to make eye contact with all three of them before saying, "try not to get caught." They all nodded.

"Good." She took a deep breath. "Showtime." Before she could march past, Lucy pulled her in for a tight hug.

"I'll get you out of here, I promise." She whispered. Levy tightened her arms a bit before pulling away.

"I know." Walking away from her friend, she was stopped again by a bigger hand on her bicep.

"Be careful, shorty." and she gave her partner in crime a confident smirk.

"Good job showing up all not-reptile. Helps not to draw attention." He scoffed and looked away.

"I'm just as intimidatin' in this form."

Levy giggled. "Yeah. Not much of a difference." She gently pulled away from his grip and lightly patted his arm. "I'll be fine."

"I'm serious." He grumbled.

"So am I. Thanks for your help." With that, she disappeared around the corner and out of sight.

Gajeel turned to his charges. "Alright, blondie and Salamander, Let's get out of here. Shrimp insisted I try not to hurt anyone on my way out so I figured the window would be our best bet." He gestured to the barred opening high in Lucy's open cell.

"That's not very big." She pointed out.

"Big enough." And he was tall enough to be face level with it. Again, he used his teeth to bite through the bars with ease and Lucy gasped in shock.

"Are you okay!?" She was about to rush to his side before Natsu put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"He's fine. He's like me-not quite human." Reluctantly, she let him hold her back and watched as the tall, dark man ate the metal separating them from the outside world.

"Why does all the iron here taste like shit!?" He spat.

"How did you-?" Lucy began.

"No time, blondie." Gajeel cut her off, pushing her to stand in front of the opening. "I'm gonna lift you up first, then send the salamander out after you."

"What about you?" She didn't think he'd fit.

He gave her a sharp grin. "That short girl is gonna need someone to back her up when things go south. Not like they could lock me up anyway." His teeth gleamed dangerously.

The blonde gave him a genuine smile. She startled him as she threw her slender arms around his torso and whispered, "take care of her."

Gajeel blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Whatever. She's just too small to handle all that shit alone. Wouldn't feel right about leavin' her alone." Lucy pulled back and smiled at him before turning back to the window and holding her arms out. His hands grabbed her tightly under her shoulders and lifted her up. She grabbed the edge with all her might and pulled herself out with a grunt.

"Just stay down. This window goes out into the gardens and behind a bush." Lucy nodded down at him as Natsu prepared to exit the same way.

"You are not lifting me up." The pink-haired man warned before hoisting himself up and over the ledge.

"Be careful. I'll see you back at the village."

Gajeel smiled darkly, "I'll be there. After I bash some heads in here." Natsu nodded and disappeared.

With both the fugitives out of the way, Gajeel chuckled to himself as he cracked his knuckles. "Looks like I'll get to hurt someone today after all, shorty."

AN: Here it is! As previously mentioned, I went back and added in the Page breaks that didn't. So, overall, this is far easier to read now. I hope you're all enjoying SiHE and look forward to the next chapter.

Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome (and needed). They make me happy.

Thanks again to my beta, evil-is-here on Tumblr. She keeps me going.