The reason why Natsu was on his way to the castle was because today was the coronation of King Faust's only legitimate heir, his daughter Erza. For ten years she had been kept confined in a tower, forced to wait until the day her father's death would set her free and finally the day had come. Her father was dead and now she would be queen, a position which she had spent those miserable years in isolation preparing for. Studying all the royal laws and documents, knowing England's history by heart, and learning about other nations as well. The day the king sent her to that tower, she made a sacred vow to God.

"When I am queen I will atone for my father's sins and restore England to its former glory."

She entered the throne room that day, now a wise, firm, well-educated, regal, embittered young woman but not without a kind heart. She had dressed herself modestly in garments of black and grey for she did not view herself as shining yet. Not until she had right the wrongs of the king. Though time had made her remarkably gorgeous, even more so than when she was a girl and her scarlet hair was practically flaming in the light, stunning her subjects.

"Princess Erza of England." The archbishop Makarov Dreyar announced. "We graciously welcome you back to court."

"I am grateful to return." She said. "My father is dead and cannot send me away ever again. Archbishop."

"Yes my lady?"

"You were at my mother's side when she passed. What were her last words?"

"Do you not mean to know your father's my lady?"

"No. When my mother took ill, my father did not let me go to her, nor did he allow me to attend her funeral. I never had the chance to say goodbye. So I must know, what were her last words?"

"With her last breath she uttered a curse upon your father and then cried out 'Long Live Queen Erza.' "

Erza only allowed one tear to be shed when she heard those words. Then she knelt down before the archbishop and all within the court rose to their feet. A crown on a velvet pillow was brought to Makarov, the golden circlet once worn by Erza's late mother. She insisted that she wear that instead of her father's.

"I crown thee Queen Erza of England." Makarov announced as he lowered the crown upon her head.

When she stood up, all bowed before her.

"No." She said. "It should be I who bows to you. For now I am a servant to the people of England. From this moment forward, I shall undo my father's cruel methods and be the ruler he should have been. My people shall be fed before I sit to feast. I shall not take my rest until I know they are safe. I shall always think thrice before I make a request. I am not only a queen but a trusted friend and protector. As long as I live, England shall never again know a reign like my father's."

All within the court cheered for their new queen. All except for one. Mard Geer he was called, a former officer of the court but now a judge in parliament. He was also a parasite yet cunning too. He used his wit and intelligence to make himself popular with the former king. In the king's last few years of life, the wretched creature had actually tried to convince Faust to revoke Erza's birthright to the throne and make him his heir, and the king almost did it too. But luckily, the archbishop was loyal first to the late queen and her children, so against his better judgement but necessary for the good of the court, he paid a young prostitute to become the king's new mistress and distract him from making that change until he died.

But Mard would not be undaunted. One way or another he would have the crown. He just needed to manipulate the queen just as he done the former king. Unfortunately for him, she was not naive or foolish and she hated him. She hated him because he was responsible for her getting locked away in the first place. She hated him because she could see through him. She knew that underneath his charisma and proper way, he was nothing more than a social climbing worm. She would have dismissed him but she had no proof of his wretched ways and he did perform an act of "kindness" a long time ago.

"Your majesty." He bowed before her. "I pledge my eternal loyalty and servitude to you."

"You." She said with contempt. "I hate you. You remind me of my father. Never come anywhere near me. Do you understand?"

"Absolutely your majesty but why so cross with me? What have I done to offend you so?"

"You know very well what you've done and you should count yourself lucky that I am allowing you to keep your position here at court." She said. "Speaking of your position, where is my sister? She should have been here."

"Oh yes, my apologies your majesty but I had trouble locating her in time for the ceremony. You know how girls are at her age."

"Actually no I don't. When I was seventeen I was confined to a tower and cut off from the world."

"Oh...Right."

"So you couldn't find her and yet you dared to attend the ceremony without her?"

"Your majesty-"

She raised her hand.

"I'm not interested in excuses, just bring her to me and then get out of my sight." She ordered.

The "act of kindness" that I referred to was that eighteen years ago prior, King Faust had taken a mistress who later bore him a daughter. The child was no more than two when her mother died of the pox and she had no one else. The king was merely going to send the girl to an orphanage or even the workhouse but Mard convinced him to let the girl live in the palace and that he would assume guardianship of her.

"If she's a beauty like her mother, then she could be of use to you my lord." He had said. "Imagine the noble households that could join your own through a marriage to her."

Lucy was that child, and because she was a "royal bastard" she was rarely allowed to leave the castle. She was raised in solitary, behind stone walls, knowing very little happiness. Her stepmother and half sister had treated her with love but her father had treated her like a dirty secret while her guardian had treated her like a pretty ornament to be used. Still she felt in debt to Mard, for if not for him, she may have died out on the streets alongside her mother.

Many would have succumbed to depression given a life like this. But Lucy had a powerful and strong spirit, one that she refused to let be broken. She may have been a bastard but she wouldn't act like one. She'd find a way to find light and companionship in this dark and lonely world.

This morning she was especially happy because she was sitting on top of the castle roof, gleefully watching the fair begin. Already the band's music was turning up and the tightrope walker was putting up his rope. What she wouldn't give to actually be down there and to see the show up close.

"Where were you?!" A harsh voice snarled, causing her to fall over.

"Oh! Hello Mard." She said nervously. "I was just...Well, I was standing...Well, of course, I was standing. I mean, I haven't always been sitting.

That would be stupid, I guess."

"It would seem that you don't know what today is."

"Sure I do. It's Friday."

"Does the phrase coronation mean anything to you?"

All at once she froze in terror.

"Oh no...No I'm so sorry. I forgot."

"I know you forgot you stupid girl!" He snapped. "And your sister blames me for it! You know that if you ever do anything wrong, I'm the one who pays for it!"

"I'm really sorry."

"What were you doing up here anyway?"

"I..." She stammered fearfully. "I wanted to watch the fair."

Mard made a look of disgust.

"Again with your foolish interest in that fair! It's nothing but thieves, cutpurses, and the dregs of mankind, all mixed together in a shallow, drunken stupor. Doesn't the sight of them make you ill?"

"No, and all honesty I think they're just regular people trying to have a little fun."

"They're undesirables Lucy. Beggars, cripples, freaks. They're not our kind. They don't belong here. If I was king I would expel them from our fair city."

"I think they're no different from you or me."

"Shows what you know. Why if you were ever down there, one of them would cut your throat to get the pretty necklace you wear."

"Surely they can't all be like that."

"Oh yes they can and the street performers are the worst. The men are blood-thirsty thieves who kill before they rob you and the women are shameless whores who will degrade themselves for even just a half-penny."

"If they are all truly that way." Lucy thought to herself. "Then it is only because my father's tyranny made them that way."

"Well enough talk! If we keep your sister waiting, she'll have a lash be taken to my back." Mard said.

"I still can't believe she's become the queen." Lucy said. "I mean always knew it was going to happen but it still seems unbelievable."

"Yes I myself find it hard to accept."

"I know she'll make England great again and I have some ideas that might benefit the people very much."

"Ideas?"

"Well just some suggestions. I was thinking-"

"Thinking?" He laughed. "Not your strong suit my lady. No, it's mine. Your job is to just stand there and look pretty."

"I can do more than that."

"Like what?"

"Well...I...I can't think of anything right now but I know that there's-"

"Please, I'm not in the mood. Just get to the throne room already."

"Yes Mard." She complied before following him down the stairway.