A/N: I don't own Fairy Tail and this plot. The story belongs to Francine Pascal's Elizabeth Series. Remember Sweet Valley and Fearless? If you read the book you'll understand the story. ^o^ The character used in this story is owned by Hiro Mashima, not mine. Credits to Milady666 for the cover photo. ^o^ Feel free to leave reviews; it would be very much appreciated. ^o^
Thank you so much for those who visit and viewed this story. :)
I just proofread this so pardon for the wrong grammars and tenses that you may find in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, it solely belongs to Hiro Mashima, our hero.
Two
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Erza turned to see that the speaker in question, twenty-one-year old Gray Fullbuster, had evidently just wheeled around the balustrade of the main stairwell at top speed and practically knocked Lucy off her feet.
"I'm sorry," Gray repeated, concerned and awkwardness vying for dominance in his face. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. It's okay, really," Lucy protested with a sweet smile as Gray moved to steady her with a hand at her elbow.
"I'm afraid it's my penchant for ice cream," Gray explained sheepishly. "When I get my after-dinner cravings for cherry chocolate, I just bullet down the stairs, and just run on anyone who gets in my way! Pretty rude really, sorry."
He laughed a little, nervously. So did Lucy. Erza rolled her eyes. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that there was some chemistry happening here. From the anxious, rather idiotic smile on Gray's chiseled face to the ways his dark blue eyes darted up and down, drinking in Lucy from head to toe, he was clearly quite taken with her. And as for Lucy, well, her flushed cheeks combined with the embarrassed yet at the same time curious looks in her eyes was a dead giveaway. We have a love connection, Erza thought. How fascinating.
And how utterly unrealistic!
"Who was that?" Lucy whispered as Gray walked down to the kitchen.
"You haven't figured it out?" Erza was skeptical. "You're not half bright then, are you, Lucy? It's Gray Fullbuster. Son of the earl. The future Lord Fullbuster himself."
"He seems much nicer than I expected," Lucy remarked as the girls took the final flight of stairs to the fourth floor.
"That's just an act," Erza explained. Not that Erza had any proof of that. But then again, she'd been here only six months. He still had time to show his true Fullbuster colors, and Erza did not doubt that he would.
"An act? Really?" Skepticism flickered across Lucy's face.
Only three seconds of meeting and already she wants to defend him! Erza wrinkled her nose in disgust as they made their way down the corridor. "Do yourself a favor, Lucy," she warned sharply. "Forget Gray. For one, he's what I believe is known in your country as a jerk. I'm afraid they're born that way. For two, he's engaged to be married in six months' time to Juvia, the duchess of Bosco*, and trust me, you do not want to cross paths with her. It's their royal wedding we'll be slaving over for the next six months, by the way."
"But he looks so young," Lucy replied doubtfully.
"Twenty-one," Erza confirmed as they arrived at a small wooden door. "Old enough to get hitched to the witch. Who is herself only nineteen. A child bride by modern standards. Practically on the shelf by noble tradition." Erza took a key from her pocket. "The duchess," she continued, "is, shall we say, a chip off the old ice block. Her father, the earl of Bosco - thankfully dead - was a dreadful man and Lord Fullbuster's bestfriend. The duke of Bosco was feared by all, despised by anyone brave enough to have an opinion. . . ."
Tone it down, Erza's inner voice suggested as she continued to enumerate just how hideous Juvia and her father were. ". . . So I'd stay far from Juvia if you're at all allergic to snake bites." Erza concluded as they entered the bedroom. "And this is our plush suit," she uttered sarcastically. "Bathroom in corner, your bed and closet are to the far left. We share with Aries, who is mostly Ooba Babasaama's help but ours too. Aries is dull as block of cement, very shy and polite, but she minds herself, stays out of the way. In the other room, were the Strauss siblings, Mirajane and her sister Lisanna. Here's your key," Erza added, shoving her hand into her pocket and tossing Lucy a gold key.
Lucy caught it. "Thanks." She looked warily around her and then mustered what Erza could see was a brave smile rather than a genuine one. "And thanks for showing me around. And for warning me about witchy Juvia," Lucy joked weakly.
Somehow this annoyed Erza. Was Lucy going to continue to attempt to chum up to her?
"It's not a joke," Erza retorted coldly, "unless you find unemployment funny. Juvia will have you out on your bum in not time if you don't take her seriously, Lucy. And that goes for the rest of these people." She leveled her cold eyes at Lucy, who was by this time sitting on her bed, looking somewhat hunched and anxious. "You think Juvia sounds bad?" Erza continued nastily. "Well, she is an angel of mercy compared with Wendy, the earl's spitfire of a daughter. You stay out of her way," she added, "and while you're about it, stay out of mine too!"
With that, Erza turned and made for the door. As she turned, she couldn't help the tweak of sympathy that snaked through her insides. Lucy really looked the worse for wear. Worn out. Dark circles. Alone. Erza knew that feeling only too well.
Too bad, she thought, hardening herself against any impulse to pop off a kind word to help Lucy deal with her first night in the house. But Erza wasn't exactly the kind-word type, the warm-welcome type. She was more of the though-cookie type.
What have you gotten yourself into, Lucy Heartfilia? Kissinger! Lucy corrected herself again. She's still not used to her new surname. It's Lucy Kissinger now. Lucy Heartfilia is out of the picture! You didn't want to give your real last name, and you'll have to remember that!
Her eyes moistened with tears, tears that had been threatening to fall for over forty-eight hours. Tears she'd managed to swallow back. Until now.
It had all been too much, and Erza's chilly presence was the last straw. Lucy lay back on her bed after an evening spent walking miles through her soundly massive new home. She let out a loud sob, she tried to get a hold of herself, but the single bed was somewhat unforgiving. Especially compared with the queen size bed with extra padding she was used to at home . . .
Home! A feeling of longing washed over her, and Lucy's eyes burned. She was absolutely exhausted. She was jet-lagged from the flight to Hargeon then riding the train to Magnolia she'd taken a day earlier and emotionally ravaged by everything that had happened. . . .
Home. Suddenly the word seemed less appealing and luckily far, far away and at least a year ago. Was it really only a day since she'd had such a blowout with her father in the Veronica* airport?
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FLASHBACK
My flights being called! Lucy realized, bolting up.
"Father," Lucy began. "I have something to tell you. Earlier this year I applied to a semester-abroad program. I've been accepted to St. Mavis University for the fall. A semester away from Veronica is exactly what I need. And I've decided to go." She raised her ticket so that he could see it. "And now my flights being called."
"I don't care what you've decided," Mr. Heartfilia said, hands on hips. "I'm your father, and I've decided that you're coming with us to see Yukino and settle things."
Her father wasn't even listening to her. All he cared about was Yukino. Yukino, Yukino, Yukino.
Lucy slung her backpack over her shoulder and gripped her ticket. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry we have to part like this. But I'm going to Magnolia."
She turned around and squeezed shut her eyes, walking slowly toward the line of people who were waiting to board. She half expected her father to tackle her, Ms. Supetto to drag her out to the waiting car . . . but there was nothing, except the frantic screams they directed toward her.
"Lucy-sama! Come back!" her nanny cried.
.
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But Lucy didn't. She took a deep breath, handed the ticket to the flight attendant, and boarded the plane.
Really only a day since she'd hopped for her semester abroad on scholarship at the St. Mavis University, only to find that she hadn't responded by the deadline and that her place had been given to another student?
Lucy half sniffed, half sobbed at the thought of that disappointment. And there was no one to turn to either. For the first time in her life Lucy couldn't simply pick up the phone and called a friend, much less a family member. While waiting for her next flight, she used her free time to take leisurely walked around Hargeon. Her phone was grabbed by a pickpocket while taking pictures. And what's worst, she misplaced her plane ticket when she stopped by a restaurant to eat. It was supposed to be a connecting flight from Veronica to Hargeon, and Hargeon to Magnolia. What a bad luck! Totally penniless, she'd ended up riding the train to her last hope, a youth hostel where she'd hoped to hook up with a friend she'd made at the airport. Fullbuster House had shone in the distance, and she'd headed over, praying they'd let her spend the night for free. She'd ended up with a job as kitchen maid, with room and board in addition to small salary.
But you're lucky, Lucy reminded herself as she pushed a tangle of tear-soaked blond hair from her cheek. It was true. The job as a kitchen maid was, through unglamorous and hardly what she'd come to Magnolia for, nevertheless a lifesaver.
And Lucy needed to make it work. It was either that or accepts defeat and goes home to Veronica. Home to her family. Home to Yukino, who'd, forced her to runaway in the first place.
At the thought of Yukino a fresh swell of tears rose up through the back of Lucy's throat. Finding Yukino, her cousin, her best friend as well, all over Sting Eucliffe. My boyfriend! And they were clearly about to have sex! It had been a total moment of shock for Lucy. For one, Sting and Yukino had always hated each other. Yet now they were both prepared to betray Lucy for each other?
It was dreadful. It was ridiculous. It was . . .over. Lucy shuddered, and then forced her mind away from the things that were hurting her. She needed to take a bath and get a good night's sleep. And she needed to keep her thoughts from wandering down paths that only gave her pain.
Think about the positive, Lucy ordered herself, you're here, and you're Lucy Kissinger. After all, who would want to be Lucy Heartfilia? Lucy asked herself as she stands up. It's not as if that girl had anything going for her!
Lucy winced, but though it hurt, the truth was the truth. Lucy Heartfilia did indeed have nothing left. Because everything she'd thought had was destroyed in one single moment . . .
Enough of that! Lucy walked over to her luggage, unzipped it quickly, and got busy. Unpacking would take her mind off things. It was exactly what she needed. She picked up the Nikora plushie she brought from one of the shop in Hargeon. I almost spent my last money from buying this cute and adorable stuff toy. Blame the store owner. He said that his shop only sells this stuff and only the last stock available for sale. Purchasing this order will take two months, she recalled.
Well, if I know, he really just wants me to buy from his shop. Lucy hugged and squeezed the plushie and made her smile. At least she found comfort with new her stuff toy in absence of Michelle, her little doll at home.
Still. Lucy was worried as she hung up a sundress. Caustic Erza had managed to get under her skin. For someone as pretty her, it was a shock to see what a sharp tongue she had. Sure, it was obvious the girl was just trying to scare her, but there had to be at least some truth to all the things she was saying. Lucy swallowed. No question about it, she had good reason to be fearful. Fullbuster House's elaborate hierarchy and code of etiquette was as confusing as its floor plan. The world of polo clubs and servants' staircases and arranged marriages and people with complicated titles. Except, she's not new to this kind of world since this was also where she came from.
At that, Gray Fullbuster's handsome face swam into Lucy's thoughts. He'd seem pretty down-to-earth, though. With his black jeans, white long sleeves leaving four buttons unbuttoned, bare feet, and sheepish grin, he certainly didn't seem like someone Lucy ought to fear. In fact, he'd seemed like just another very cool, very charming guy. The kind of guy she wouldn't mind getting to know.
Here, he's a sir to you! Lucy admonished herself. As she placed her one pair of heeled sandals in the back of her closet, Lucy forced herself to stick to the facts of her situation. Like Gray being out of reach and the pretty shoes – completely useless now. This was a new world with new obligations and new rules. But that didn't mean she had to hate it. After all, the room could have been much worse. Lucy concluded that it was time to give up pipe dreams, time to get with the program.
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Lucy Kissinger, scullery maid. This was her life now.
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A/N: Quick information about Bosco and Veronica.
The country of Bosco, located east of Fiore. First mentioned in Chapter 1 by Bora in the manga & anime. So in my story, Juvia Loxar is the duchess of Bosco.
The Principality of Veronica, a small country located in the mountains north to Fiore. First introduced, in the FT Movie – Priestess of the Phoenix.
The story is inspired by Francine Pascal's Elizabeth Series. The story line is exactly the same as the book. I really wanted to write it as my own version of the Elizabeth Series - that's when Fairy Tail came into picture. Still, disclaimer is highly applied. But as the story goes you'll find that there is a twist so hope you all bear with me. ^o^
Unto the next chapter! :)
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