Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day was perfect in every way. The sun was shining brightly casting its warm glow down upon the open field below, wrapping every creature, plant or otherwise in its warmth. Fluffy clouds scattered throughout the pale blue sky preventing the sun from being too overbearing. Excited squeals and giggles could be heard if you were anywhere near the two little girls that ran through the open field of wild flowers and daisies.

"I'm gonna get you!" The blonde haired girl giggled as she ran after her blue haired friend.

The little blue haired girl squealed with excitement as her friend nearly caught her in her grasp. They ran around chasing each other until the blue haired girl tripped and fell face first into the soft grass.

"Levy! Are you ok?" The blonde asked kneeling beside Levy as she sat up rubbing her forehead pushing her shaggy bangs around.

Levy's hair was a wild blue mane that framed her chubby cheeks with bangs that fell to her eyes, blocking part of her view. Stray pieces of green grass clung to her pale yellow dress and blue hair.

"Yea, I'm ok, Lucy. My hair gets in my eyes sometimes," she smiled softly at her worried friend.

"You sure?" Lucy asked moving Levy's bang to the side to examine the slight bump that was forming on her forehead. "Your moms here, she can look at it."

"No, she's looking after your mom. I don't want to disturb her." Levy said softly.

The two went into a brief silence, an unspoken understanding hanging between them. Levy's mom was a doctor, best in the entire world according to Levy and Lucy. Since Lucy's mom get sick a lot, Dr. McGarden is the only one Lucy's dad approves to help his dying wife. It also helped that the doctor had a daughter around the same age as Lucy. Lucy and Levy's friendship has flourished since their first meeting. They were practically sisters and family according to the Heartfilia's and the McGarden's.

Returning her gaze to Lucy, Levy shot her best friend a wide smile, placing her hand over hers.

"It'll be ok. No matter what happens, I'll be here." Levy spoke using her free hand to move her bangs from obscuring her view.

Lucy shot her a wide smile, nodding her head. "And I will too." She said untying the blue ribbon that held her side ponytail in place. Pushing Levy's bangs back, Lucy placed the blue ribbon on her friends head securing it at the base of her neck with a knot.

"There, that's better! Now come on! Let's go find Capricorn and see if he'll play with us," Lucy stated grabbing Levy's hand pulling her up.

Another set of squeals and giggles could be heard as the two young girls ran from the field into the Hertfilia mansion.

With them not being able to find the dapper guard and teacher, they took to playing hide and seek in Lucy's ginormous bedroom. Levy was in the middle of looking under the bed when a loud boom shook the entire mansion. Books rained down from the bookshelves, stuffed animals fell off their chairs and the windows shook with such intensity that it nearly shattered. Lucy scurried from her wardrobe running towards an equally frightened Levy.

"GIRLS!" Capricorn yelled as he ran into the room causing them to jump.

"Capricorn!" They yelled in unison running towards him. The tall athletic male wore a suit and glasses with his natural white hair disheveled from running around trying to find the two little girls.

Another load boom shook the mansion but this time shattering the bedroom windows. Capricorn quickly snatched the girls up into his arm darting out into the hallway. They held on tight with their faces buried in his shoulders as he ran through the mansion. He finally stopped when they were in the kitchen.

"Oh! Levy!" Dr. McGarden cried out reaching for her daughter who greatly accepted the invitation as she released her hold on Capricorn and nearly leapt into her mother's arms.

"Sagittarius prepared a horse for you two. Don't worry about your equipment, we'll keep them safe or replace them. Now go before it's too late!" Capricorn spoke in a hush tone as he guided the mother and daughter to the back door.

"Thank you so much!" Dr. McGarden said quickly waving bye as Lucy and Levy shot fearful smiles and hesitant waves to each other.

With the horse received, Levy's mother had one arm around her daughter and the other holding tightly on the reins as the horse raced to their home on the other side of the town.

The noise of metal clanging against metal peeked Levy's curiousness as she peeked past her mother's arm to look behind them. All Levy could see was men fighting to the death as an even bigger man sat upon his black horse, clothed in black and teal blue armor. His black cape behind him draping onto the back of his horse with a fierce teal blue dragon embroidered on it. He looked like death itself.

His wicked gaze flickered from the battle onto her and her mother. His grin nearly split his face as Levy coward in fear closer to her mother. He pointed towards them, causing Levy's mom to dig her heels into the horses ribs causing him to surge forward increasing his pace.

Fear took root into Levy causing her to shake violently and tears form, spilling silently from her eyes. Am I going to die? Are we going to die? I hope dad made it back home safely. Her young mind ran in circles as a picture of her father swam in her head. He was a professor and tutor to children of future rulers as well as the poor children in their town. He received payment from the wealthy but refused payment from the poor, sometimes sending the kids home with a few coins in their pockets. He did it for fun and she enjoyed helping him with his lesson plans.

When their small town was within sight, the seed of fear grew as billows of smoke rose to the darkening sky and the sound of villagers screaming filled their ears. Soldiers could be seen yanking villagers from their homes and even killing them with one single swipe of their swords. The sight was too much for both of them to handle so the doctor started to turn around but a man in black armor trotted in front of them causing Dr. McGarden to yank the reins back nearly throwing them off. Looking around, men in black armor surrounded them, blocking any means of escape.

"What is the meaning of this? Let us pass!" The mother demanded her arm wrapping tightly around Levy.

The men disregarded her question, the man in front of them, who seemed to be in charge, looked behind him asking, "is this them?"

As if appearing out of thin air, a man walked from behind the soldier's horse with Levy's Father, holding him at knife point. "Yea that's them," the other soldier spoke removing the tip of his blade from the father's neck pushing him towards the middle of the circle the soldiers formed. Hurriedly his wife and daughter unmounted the horse, running to his side.

"Oh, Honey, are you ok?" Mrs. McGarden asked examining her husband for any further injury besides the obvious gash on his head and nick at his throat.

"I'm fine. Levy, my sweet child, are you ok?" Her father asked pulling her into his arms hugging her closely.

Levy could only nod, her fear trapping her words and wanting to also be brave for her parents.

"Sorry to break up this little family reunion, but you two will be coming with us," a soldier said with a sickening smile as he placed a hand on her parent's shoulders.

"But what about, Levy!? She's our daughter, we can't just-" her mother protested but was interrupted by one of the soldiers grabbing her by the arms yanking her up and another doing the same to her husband.

Levy was frozen with fear as her parents fought back against the soldiers, yelling for them to let them go. Her mom bellowed her name causing Levy to snap back to reality. Scrambling to her feet she ran towards her parents reaching out to them. Her mom got a hand free reaching out towards her sobbing child.

"MOMMY!" Levy cried, grabbing her mother's free wrist trying to hold on tight. But the contact didn't last long as a soldier pulled her from her mothers, the bracelet her and her dad made for her mother's birthday, being pulled off into Levy's grasp.

"What should we do with her," the soldier asked trying to hold the defiant girl as she fought against the soldier's tight hold on her arm.

"Put her with the other children to be sold off." The commanding soldier spoke with a shrug of his shoulders as the girl watched her parents be dragged away from her into a smaller circle the soldiers had formed a few feet away.

She was short enough that she could see in between the soldier's legs and at that moment she knew exactly what was going to happen. Her resistance stopped as she stood in a trance as if the world stopped and moved in slow motion. The couple was pushed down onto their knees and a sword pushed through both of their backs exiting their chest. Their limp bodies fell to the ground with dull thump, when the soldiers yanked their swords free.

A gust of air was sucked in by the little girl as she stared wide eyed at her dead parents, blood pooling around them. A loud cry tore through her as multiple emotions washed through her small body. Fear. Anger. Grief. Sadness. She fought against the murderers of her parents and her many friends in the village. She screamed, fighting with every ounce of strength she had.

"Someone fucking shut her up!" The commanding soldier yelled over the roar of the small child. A soldier tacking initiative struck her across the face, knocking her unconscious.

Bolting up, panting, Levy frantically looked around as she surveyed her surroundings clutching the edge of her thin blanket. She took a few deep breaths attempting to calm her heart rate as she relaxed back into her twin sized bed.

"Levy," a voice whispered in the dark. Looking over to the bed to the right of her, she saw the bright eyes of her roommate, Faye. "Was it the dream again?" She asked with a worried look.

Levy simply nodded her head breathing out a whispered, yes. She's been having that dream or nightmare almost every night now. At first it seemed like a terrible bad dream but as more and more of her memory pieced together the events of that day, she simply couldn't seem to shake it off.

After waking up after that soldier knocked her out, she was already sold as a child laborer, but was deemed unsuitable due to her size and stature within a few weeks. A sex worker eventually paid a very low price to have her as maid until she came of age. She came of age years ago but lucky for her she haven't been bought yet. That didn't make the fact that she had to be still put on display whenever a man came to her Master's, 'House of Purity'. He had a specialty in virgins if the name wasn't a big enough hint. Some of the girls are either sold as maids or concubines to wealthy lords or royalty. Some lucky ones have been sold and given their freedom after years of service but that's very few. But no matter how Levy looked at it, all she saw was that she will forever be a product for someone else.

Every day she came to terms with that as she woke up sweaty from her usual nightmare, seeing that she was in her small bed with her other three roommates. Each bed was equally spread out from each other in the wide white room with the room door closest to the last bed and a small trunk at the end of each bed containing personal items and clothing of each girl. The room was fairly plain with Levy's bed pressed against the wall where the only window was held.

The break of dawn peered through the thin white curtains, signaled that she had another hour before she needed to be up. But sleep refused to take her under once again, so she got up walking softly to her trunk. The pale yellow paint was starting to peel and a piece of paper with her name scribbled on it was tucked in a faux gold tiny frame by the lock was fading. Unlocking it with a key that she kept around her neck, she reached in under her sparse clothing gently pulling out a small tin box. Sitting cross legged on the hardwood floor, she slowly took the lid off staring at the blue ribbon and bracelet.

Taking out the ribbon she tied her bangs back, being gentle with the slightly frayed ends. She wore it a lot when she was a kid but now she tries to limit her use in order to prevent it from tearing on her. Once her blue locks were secured out of her eyes she traced the outline of the bracelet left in her tin box. The orange and yellow waxy cords twisted together tightly, secured by an intricate knot. It was the only thing she had left of her parents besides her faint memories and their fading faces. When she finally tore herself from the bracelet, she got dressed in her usual faded blue dress that stopped at her ankle and dirty boots, locking the trunk when she was done.

For the duration of the girls stay in the 'House of Purity,' each of them have separate chores maintaining the house and the grounds. For Levy, it was running errands for the Master into town, getting supplies and being in charge of the girls in her shared room since she was the elder of the three. So if any of them got in trouble she was liable for them and got the worst punishment. He doesn't hit them, he doesn't want to scar or bruise his merchandise. He punishes them in ways that makes them want to die. But, so far the other girls have been good and she haven't got in trouble in the past few months.

Grabbing a biscuit from the kitchen along with her list of items to grab from town, she munched on it while reading her masters terrible handwriting that she became accustomed too over the years.

"Good morning, Levy. Up early as always," Joy smiled as she kneaded a pile of dough on the counter. "I packed you a lunch for your walk. It's in your bag."

"Thanks, Joy." She smiled back at the girl as she snatched her bag from the wall near the back door. Taking a gulp of water, before leaving, she waved bye as she headed out the door with her droopy bag hanging on her shoulder.

Stuffing the list into her bag, she greeted all the shop owners that were opening early. Some of them greeted her back, while others sneered at her. The locals were fairly nice to the girls of the, 'House of Purity,' but there are some that will rather see them burn in hell than let them walk their streets.

The 30 minute walk to the bigger town gave time for the sun to dissipate most of the darkness and the usual heat of the summer increase the temperature. She was excited to go to the town, where no one cared who you were or what you do, always made Levy smile. Even the people she regularly visits for supplies knows who she is, always treats her with the same respect as any other paying customer. She felt normal during her times shopping in the big town but when she was done she knew she had to go back to reality.

Even with it being so early in the morning the town was already buzzing with people buying, trading and haggling prices at the stores and open market that took up the sides of the roads. She marveled at the multitude of selections the vendors held at their tables and wished she had the money and time of her own to buy what she wanted. Often enough, she would slip into a fantasy world where she would take on a different personas. Whether it was a traveling doctor looking for new herbs and methods, a professor wanting new study material or even a cook searching for new ingredients for her dishes. She adored the times when she was someone else but also liked who she was. Of course she had insecurities but she knew her parents would want her to love herself more than anything.

"Mom…Dad…I'm really trying," she whispered up to the sky as their hazy smiling faces appeared among the clouds.

"Good morning, Levy!" A voice cheered, breaking her train of thought.

Smiling at the familiar florist, she greeted him. "Good Morning, Droy. How is everything?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he smiled wildly, "good, now that you are here! H-Hey, I-I was w-wondering, i-if you would-"

"Droy," she sighed with a sad smile cutting him off, knowing where he was going with his question. "You know I can't. It's against the rules of my house."

A small chuckle could be heard as a door to the Cobbler's store opened. "Asking her out again, Droy?" Jet asked with a sly smile to his old friend. "You know she could never date us. She told me that when I asked her out years ago."

"Good Morning, Jet."

"Morning, Levy. Here are the shoes your master asked to be repaired." He smiled handing her a brown sack heavy with at least four pairs. Accepting the bag, she thanked him, before saying her goodbyes to them and putting the shoes into the bag she carried.

Skipping along the street, she went from vendor to vendor getting everything she needed off of the list from her master. It was everything she sent two weeks ago to get repaired or re-stitched. With her bag and arms full of items, she made her way to her favorite shop. Entering the book store, she was greeted by one of her favorite people.

"Need some help there, Levy?" the man chuckled taking the items from her arms and placing them on counter.

With a sigh she thanked him, plopping the heavy bag next to her items. "Thanks, Warren that stuff was getting really heavy." She said bending and twisting the stiffness from her back.

"I'll send you back with a small cart to pull to help. Now, what would you like to read today?" he smiled with his hands on hips.

Perking up, she quickly said, "Have anything in Dragonic?" She was ecstatic when he nodded his head leading her to the foreign language section.

Chapter Text

She sat there for hours reading the language she loved ever since her father taught it to her. She often spoke out loud to make sure she kept her pronunciations correct and would repeat a word or phrase until it sounded right to her ears. Language was a passion her father passed down to her, so practicing it relentlessly was like making sure she kept something of her fathers.

“Levy, it’s almost time.” Warren spoke softly, causing her to close her book with a snap. “It always amazes me how many books you can read within a short amount of time.”

“Me too sometimes, but thanks for always pulling me out of my trance. I don’t want to make the Master angry again.”

The look on his face was grave as he remembered the time she got in trouble because she missed her curfew. She told him to warn her when four hours past so she could be sure to leave. He regretfully forgot and haven’t forgotten since. The look on her face when he saw her next was torture enough and caused his guilt to lodge into his heart.

“I put everything on your cart, now go, your curfew is fast approaching. I’ll put the books away.” He spoke, already collecting the books that surrounded her.

“Thanks, Warren! I’ll see you in a week or two.” She hugged him before running to the front of the store to grab the cart her friend supplied her. Grabbing the handle, she pulled it onto the road and towards her home. As she walked at a brisk pace walking on the shady side of the road attempting to avoid the unbearable summer heat, she whistled a tune her parents used to sing to her. The song was in Dragonic and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t sing it correctly. She forgot many of the words but the tune stayed in her head, so she settled for either humming it or whistling it.

She stopped only to give her lunch to a small boy that seemed to be lost and malnourished. “If you go to town, go to either the cobblers or the florist. Tell them, Levy sent you and they’ll help you.” he nodded his head vigorously with his mouth full of bread and meat.

When she made it back to the ‘House of Purity,’ she gave the shoes and clothing to the respective persons then tucked the wagon into the small shed near the gardening tools for safe keeping. When she was back into the house she was rushed by small girls that were used only for housekeeping until they were of age just like her. She tried to help them and give them tips whenever she could.

“Ms. Levy! You’re back!” the small girl with dull red curls beamed as her friend with straight brown hair grabbed Levy’s hand.

Bending down to talk to them softly, she asked, “did you gather everyone?” and she smiled when the girls nodded their heads. “Alright, shall we go?” she asked as her little friends nodded their heads holding her hand.

They walked together to Levy’s bedroom where three other small girls could be found in-between her bed and Faye’s bed. With them now sitting in a small circle, using the beds for cover, Levy begun. She removed a book from underneath her mattress, opening it to a familiar page, placing it in the middle of the circle. Each of the children tried their best to sound out the words in hushed tones with Levy encouraging them in an equally hushed tone. Every day, before or after dinner Levy would do her best to teach the young girls how to read and write. It was forbidden in the house so they snuck around a lot, constantly changing locations, so they won’t get caught.

She was almost done correcting her small students on their writing, when someone bounded in.

“Levy! We must get dressed there’s a suitor com-” Mary, her other roommate stopped when she saw the students and her.

She’s never liked Mary and Mary never liked her. There’s something about her that just makes Levy want to distance herself away from Mary as much as possible. She had a constant bad attitude and was the masters personal tattle teller whenever she saw something that was against house rules. So, of course the smile that quirked her lips made Levy both irritated and fearful. Mary turned on her heels running out of the room and probably straight to the master’s office.

“Quickly, little ones, to your rooms! I’ll take care of this!” She said sternly gathering her sparse supplies as they hurried to their rooms. Thinking on her toes, she hastily stashed her supplies under Faye’s mattress praying he would only flip hers over.

She stood in the middle of the room with her hands behind her back, waiting for the master and Mary to come into the room. Raising her chin high and stiffening her back as the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard, she prepared herself. The heavyset man dressed in fine robes and slick brown hair stomped into the room with Mary following close behind him. It always irritated Levy how he could dress and eat well but he couldn’t spare any jewel when his ‘precious girls’ needed it. He only spent jewel on them when he had too.

“Levy,” he snarled, his breath causing her face to scrunch up in disgust. “Is what I heard, true? Are you teaching my girls to read?”

Raising her chin higher to look up to him, “I do not deny it.”

She watched as his eye twitched and his jaw clench in anger. “What have I told you about filling my girl’s heads with silly thoughts of academics? They don’t need to know how to read or write!”

“It does matter. We have every right to learn as much as you do. Just because we are females does not mean we don’t have a right to education and-”

“SILENCE!” He yelled raising his hand as if wanting to strike her, “I will deal with you and your students once, we are done with our suitor. Now get dressed.”

Panic flushed through her as she thought of her little friends being punished. “NO! Please, don’t punish them! Punish me, give me all of their punishment, please! This was all my idea, not theirs.” She begged her confidence failing. They were too young to go through the punishment he usually inflicted upon his girls and she would rather her take all he had than watch their sweet faces sink in and become frail.

He stood there for a moment pondering it over as he twisted the edge of his thick brown mustache in between his thumb and pointy finger. “This is the second time I have caught you trying to teach my girls and this will definitely be the last.” He spoke a sinister smile forming, causing her to falter. “For a week you will be given Mary’s chores and she will be given yours. You will also eat only one small meal a day in the morning only. You will not meet the suitor today, as well as be dismissed from eating dinner tonight. If you pass out during your work, you will be given an extra day to your punishment to make up for lost time. Am I understood?”

Lowering her head in defeat she spoke, “Yes, Master Everlue.”

“Good, now I suggest you get some sleep. You start at dawn.” He stated as he turned his back on her leaving her and Mary in the room alone.

“Good Luck, surviving in the heat, Levy. I’ll tell you all about the suitor, if he hasn’t chosen me.” she spoke arrogantly as she sauntered to her trunk to get dressed in her finest gown.

Levy ignored her as she slumped onto her bed, waiting for her and her roommates who came in later to finished getting dressed. Once they were gone, she removed her supplies from underneath Faye’s mattress, folding the sparse pieces of paper, placing the stump for pencils, and book deep in her trunk. Sighing, she ignored her rumbling stomach as she forced herself to sleep. Falling into the same the dreamless sleep.

She woke up as usual before the break of dawn, and got dressed in a lightweight brown dress, leaving her feet bare and using twine to secure her hair up into a bun. When she made her way to the kitchen, being greeted with a solemn look from Joy and a plate with only a biscuit and a small apple and cup of water.

As she sat down at the table eating her sparse breakfast, Joy spoke. “Don’t worry about the girls. They didn’t get punished. They did get yelled at but I guess the Master is good for one thing and that is his word.”

Finishing off the remnants of her breakfast, Levy stood up from the table, walking to the back door. “Look after them for me, will you. I know I won’t have the strength to help them for a while.” Joy agreed before Levy left for her work.

Mary’s job was to tend to the gardens and not so lucky for Levy, there were many gardens. Mary was perfect for the job because she was raised on a farm before she was sold and was a very sturdy woman. Much stronger than most of the girls in the house, but you couldn’t tell. Looking around, Levy surveyed the vegetable gardens and the four fruit trees they had. Lettuce, potatoes, carrots, snap peas, tomatoes, apples and peaches. She had to pull the weeds and collect the crops that were ready.

“I’m so glad I read a few farming books,” she sighed to herself as she grabbed the first basket heading to the lettuce patch first.

She slaved for what felt like days under the watchful eye of the sun, causing her sweat to drench her dress. Every so often, Joy would come out to give Levy a drink of water, trying to sneak her pieces of food. Levy would decline, refusing to get another friend in trouble, but her aching body cried for nourishment. All she could do was ignore it, humming her usual tune to distract her from the hunger pain in her stomach, remembering the first time her father sung it to her.

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“Daddy, that was beautiful! Where did you learn it from?” Levy was only a small child, so curious about everything around her. Her father ruffled her hair, before tucking her tightly into bed.

“A student of mine was singing it during our lunch break. He’s a very difficult student to teach, but I think he’ll learn what he has too eventually.”

“Is he nice?”

Her father thought for second before chuckling, saying, “in his own way, he is.”

“Can you sing it to me, again?” she yawned, her eyes drifting close as her father chuckled lightly before singing the song again.

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From then on, her father sung that to song to her until that last night they were together. She wished she would’ve asked more questions about his students, she would’ve tried to track down who he learned the song from. But from where she was standing, she couldn’t do anything except feel her body shake with hunger and fatigue take over every muscle as she walked back into the kitchen with the last batch of apples to be cooked, pressed for cider or sold. Downing another glass water, Levy realized drinking water helped the aching in her stomach somewhat but it also didn’t because she had to constantly go to the bathroom.

Going to the bathroom she shared with the other girls of the house, she hastily bathed so she could finally rest her sore limbs in her bed. And once she was safe under her covers, it didn’t take long for sleep to take her

If you told Levy, that her punishment lasted exactly week, she would call you a liar and insist it lasted a month. The last few days were the toughest, as she desperately wanted to lay down in the field and just go to bed or even sneak into the kitchen to eat more food. She knew exactly what her master was doing with only giving her a small breakfast. It was giving her a taste of what she was missing, causing her hunger to grow and grow. On her last day, the master was waiting for her by her insignificant breakfast of a single peach.

“Why, good morning, Levy. You have done very well for a person of your size. I’m surprised you haven’t passed out, but my dear, you have lost a lot of weight.” He smiled his hands resting on his oversized belly.

“Good morning, Master and thank you.” she spoke as she curtsied, holding out her dress, before straightening. She looked at him, waiting for him to speak, seeing the proud smile on his face from the clear look of hunger and exhaustion on her face.

“Before you eat, I wanted to give you a task. After you are done with the gardens, you must go to the next town over and deliver this message for me. I heard that a King will be riding through these parts soon, and I want to be sure he stops here before he departs.”

Levy, desperately wanted to cry out how ridiculous it was for her to finish the gardens and walk to town before nightfall. But she didn’t have the energy and she definitely didn’t want another day added to her punishment.

“As you wish, Master.”

“Excellent! You may fetch the letter from Joy when you are done and Levy, you may not carry a bag with you. Only the letter.” He said sternly before brushing past her to walk back to his office.

Siting down with a huff, Levy ate her breakfast savoring each bite as Joy examined her.

“Be sure to eat more before you leave,” she whispered.

Shaking my head, “No, I can’t. I know I cannot last much longer but I only have until tonight and my punishment is over. Promise me tomorrow morning that I’ll have a big breakfast.”

Joy frowned at the tired girl, not liking how she looked but agreeing otherwise. She watched as she walked slowly to the gardens leaving the letter on the table. “The Master has gone too far this time.” She spoke to herself.

By great luck and planning, Levy didn’t have much to do, besides pick the snap peas and collect the last remaining fallen apples and peaches. Once she stored the food into the pantry, Joy handed her the letter and a cup of water before sending her on her way. Tucking the letter into the pocket of the dirty apron she still wore, she walked as steady as possible to her favorite town. But this time with every step, her feet felt heavy and she wasn’t looking forward to it.

Her usual 30 minute walk took an extra 45 minutes due to her slow pace and suffering heat, but she was relieved when the town was within sight. She was glad that Jet, Droy and Warren were busy with regular customers to see her walk past, but she’s sure they probably wouldn’t recognize her in her somber state. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the Head of the Town’s office. She quickly deposited into the hand of the secretary stating simply, “this is for the King that is rumored to arrive. Please, by my Master Everlue’s request deliver it to him.” It didn’t come out as smooth as she thought, it was more slowed with her vision blurring in and out of focus and a migraine sticking spikes into her eyes and brain.

“Are you alright, sweetie?” The secretary asked as the starving girl stumbled to the door.

“Yes…just need…some air.” She muttered before leaving. Her staggering increased when she got onto the road as horse drawn wagons dashed beside her and people bumped into her.

She stopped for a moment to only shake her head, trying to get her vision to finally focus, but as soon as she took another step her vision went completely black.

“Hey! Watch out!” a tall man yelled as he pulled the reigns of his two horses, stopping them from stomping on the girl that just collapsed in the street. His horses were of top breed and the carriage he pulled was dark blue with gold flame details. Everyone knew someone important was in the carriage and knew to keep their distance unless called upon. The tall man, jumped down from his seat, inspecting the girl that fainted in his path. Recognition and disbelief painted his face as he scooped the girl up princess style, carrying her to the carriage. Their awaited someone he knew, he had to explain why he stopped, and he knew they would want to see for themselves.

Chapter Text

Opening the door to the spacious carriage, the man had to duck in order to step in without banging his head. Placing the girl gently on the seat across from his Queen, he shot her a glance filled with some many emotions.

"What's wrong and who is she?" the Queen asked eyeing her old friend and the newcomer that was placed across from her. She did a double take when she saw the newcomers face. The Queen quickly stood from her seat to kneel on the plush carpet in front of the seat, looking closer at the face that was smudge with dirt and grime and sunken in from lack of nutrition.

"Capricorn…..it's….."

"Yes Lucy, I think we've finally found her. I must move the carriage out of the road. I'll be back." He bowed, before he left to resume his position.

Feeling the carriage lurch forward, Lucy surveyed her old friend. Noticing how thin and tired she looked. She felt how hot she was and hastily fetched a rag, dipping it in a tub of ice that chilled a few drinks. Ringing the moisture out, she pat her friend down with the cold rag before placing it on her forehead. She sat intently on her knees with her light pink gown fanned out around her, staring intently at Levy. When Capricorn finally entered the carriage, Lucy nearly jumped, surprised by how lost in thought she was.

He kneeled beside her staring at Levy as well. "She's gotten so thin. We will have to fix that." Capricorn smiled as Lucy nodded, planning already what she was going to do once she got Levy finally home. This along with questions she had about what she has been doing since they last saw each other.

When Levy stirred awake, it was like they were both holding their breath, unsure of her recognizing them. With her eyes still closed she sat up slowly, feeling the plush carpet on her sore bare feet and the never ending hunger pain in her stomach. Her stomached growled loudly and she quickly doubled over her arms wrapped around her abdomen as she groaned.

"Here, eat this." A faint voice demanded as a gold platter filled with fruit and cheese filled it. At that moment, she didn't care where she was or if it was a trap from her Master. She desperately wanted food and didn't hesitate in accepting it with a shaky thank you. Looking up as she was about to take a bite from a strawberry, her vision blurred in and out at a familiar face and blonde hair. Levy squinted than rubbed the fatigue from her eyes before returning her gaze to an old friend she thought she would never see again.

"Lucy?" she whispered as the fruit fell from her fingertips and tears welled up into her eyes. She turned her head to see another familiar face, and white hair. "Capricorn?" she muttered as her tears took that as the ok to pour down her face. Lucy was the first to leap towards Levy, hugging her tightly crying with her, then Capricorn wrapped his arms around both of them. He engulfed them in a familiarity of his warmth causing the two girls to sob even harder.

Once, the tears were all shed and everyone stopped laughing hysterically at themselves, Capricorn excused himself to go back to watching over the carriage and leaving the two girls to talk in private.

Levy demolished the plate of food as she retold the events of her life, putting an increasing frown on her friend's face. "Why do you look so angry, Lu?" Levy asked setting the finished plater on the little table top that resided inside the carriage.

"I wasn't there by your side like we both promised and why didn't you tell anyone who you were or who I was. I would've came to your side in an instant." She huffed crossing her arms over her large chest.

"I tried, no one believed me. I was just another deranged kid looking for a way out. And once I heard that your mansion was destroyed during the Great Dragon War, I was afraid I would find you dead too." She fiddled with hem of her tattered apron, remembering the sinister look on who she later found out was the mad King Acnologia.

He wanted to destroy every great family and their heirs so he could rule the world. Being a great ruler over everyone without any hindrance of other royal families trying to take his place, drove him to be mad. He was mainly after the children of his brothers and sister, the baby dragons some people called them. It is said that they have the bloodline of a dragon and their customs depend on what line they're in. The fathers of the baby dragons helped destroy King Acnologia, giving the families the title of Dragon slayers. Some people worship them as if their gods, while others know they are human with outlandish abilities. Since Levy's parents were so intertwined with the great families, they were considered a threat to the King and had to go. It also didn't help that her parents donated most of their family wealth to others who needed it the most, that's why they lived in a small village instead of a mansion filled with empty rooms. They were happier that way, though.

Levy's face twisted in sorrow as she thought of everyone that she's lost, causing Lucy to grab her hand. "I miss them too. They were great to my family all the way to the end." She smiled, squeezing her hand tighter, making Levy smile.

"I see you finally, married…was it Natsu Dragneel the Fire Dragon?" Levy stated, looking at the small gold crown that sat on top of Lucy's head.

Lucy laughed, nodding her head. "Even though it was arranged, I'm glad it was him." Levy giggled, remembering their first introduction to each other when they were kids. Both Lucy and Natsu looked grossed out by each other, stating the other had cooties. He picked on her a lot, by calling her by the wrong name and saying that she was weird. And she, lectured him on his destructiveness.

"I'm glad one of our lives turned out for the better, I'm so happy for you, Lu!" Levy cheered hugging her friend.

"Thank you, but you're not disappearing from me again. I've looked for you and Aquarius for years, there's no way I'm letting you go."

Levy's eyes went wide in shook at her statement. "You've been looking for me? And Aquarius, where did she go?" Lucy's face fell for a few moments before taking a deep breath reliving the day they were separated. Once the soldiers stormed the mansion, Aquarius hid Lucy and ran to lead the soldiers away from her hiding spot. Capricorn was the one that found her after the fight, and said no one knew where Aquarius was. Lucy knew she was alive somewhere, and once she found out all the details of what happened to Levy's village, she vowed to find both of her friends.

"And here you are, and you're coming back home with me." Lucy stated, their hands still together, afraid that if they let go, their friend will disappear.

"I can't. According to the law and papers, I belong to Master Everlue and until I am bought, I belong to him. I read the contract myself one night when I snuck into his office to read my file."

"Then I'll buy you! I hate saying that by the way. You're not an object." She scowled at the thought of her friend being bought and sold like property.

Levy shook her head, "you can't. My Master refuses to sell to women. Even if you are the queen, he won't sell me to you."

They sat in silence, Levy stared down at their hands as Lucy thought of a plan to get her friend back. She perked up at a thought. "I got it! Natsu has a cousin that is looking for a tutor, do you perhaps still speak Dragonic?"

"Of course! The beautiful language of the dragons." Levy swooned over the thought of speaking to someone else who spoke the same language.

"Excellent!" Lucy cheered, "I will get you out of here within the next month. I will talk you up to him and make sure Natsu nags him until he comes and get you. I warn you though, he's a grumpy fellow and stays to himself, so don't take it to heart. That's just who he his."

Levy interest peeked as she quirked an eyebrow. "Who is he?"

"You'll know when he arrives. I want it to be a surprise, but this I promise you. You will not be here forever." She smiled, pulling her friend into another hug.

They talked for another hour before, Levy said that she only had a few more minutes with her best friend until she had to go back.

"What were you doing here anyway?" Lucy asked as they exited the carriage with the help of Capricorn.

"I was delivering a notice, requesting that the King that is rumored to come to the town to visit the Master's house."

Lucy, blushed slightly twiddling her thumbs. "It was probably me they were talking about. I was seen heading this way and I'm sure word spread that someone important, most likely a King was on their way here."

Levy laughed embracing her friend again saying, "I'm glad it was you. I'll see you in a month?"

"I'll see you in a month." Lucy smiled, not wanting to see her best friend leave her sight again.

"Goodbye, Ms. Levy. You will be missed terribly." Capricorn smiled wide embracing Levy tightly causing her to giggle. They bid their final goodbyes and watched Levy walk away.

"We have to try our best to persuade, Gajeel." Lucy sighed smoothing the wrinkles from her dress.

Capricorn nodded, "I will do my best to help, as well. Now let's get home. Now that our sources has confirmed that she was here, I'm sure the King misses his wife."

Lucy smiled fondly at the thought of her goofy husband, as Capricorn helped her back into the carriage before taking his position at the reigns. The horses moved forward, trotting in the direction of home.

Levy walked back to the house with a wide smile and full belly. Once she was back, she quickly made her way to the bathroom to wash up and get in bed. She didn't want any run-ins with the Master or Mary. They would immediately notice her happy mood and assume correctly that she indulged herself. That night for the first time in a long time, her dreams were filled with memories of her and Lucy playing at the Heartfilia manor and nothing more.

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It didn't take long for the pair to reach the dining room, where everyone was waiting. Levy somehow persuaded Gajeel to let her walk into the room instead of him carrying her to her chair, you could say it was her pouting or the puppy dog eyes or both. She smiled prettily to Wendy, Erza and Ms. Carrie as Gajeel pulled out her seat for her. Observing the food on the table, her mouth immediately started to water at the sight of all of it. There was a nice spread of roast beef, vegetables, potatoes, other sides and desserts on the table.

"Sorry it took us so long," Levy greeted, as Gajeel took the seat to her right.

Wendy waved her hand dismissively with a smile. "No need to apologize, I'm just glad you're here. Ms. Carrie made all my favorites, so let's dig in."

It didn't take long for everyone to eat their fill, as they talked excitedly about old memories of their childhood. Gajeel groaned whenever Ms. Carrie or Erza brought up something embarrassing, that made Levy giggle with delight. The small woman was content with not sharing and instead relished in reliving every embarrassing moment Gajeel was a part of. Levy tried to help Ms. Carrie clear the table when dinner was over but was shooed away by the old woman. She attempted to reason with her but was immediately thrown over Gajeel's shoulder without warning, a small yelp escaping her lips.

"She said no helping and you're hurt, so you're coming with me." Gajeel announced, as he took long strides towards the dining room doors.

"Maybe next time, Levy!" The old woman shouted after them with mirth in her voice. Levy's mouth was agape as the women laughed at their retreating forms, Wendy waving goodbye with a wide smile.

When they got back to his room, he placed her back on the ground, in which she immediately started punching his chest. "Gajeel, you idoit! Why did you do that? I didn't need to be slung over your shoulder!" She shouted, as he took the hits with ease.

"You're hurt, so you shouldn't be doing unnecessary work." He argued, grabbing her wrist to stop her assault. He wouldn't admit it, but her hits were actually starting to sting a little. Ripping her hands away, she glared at him until a thought came to mind. "What are you thinking? I don't like that look." Gajeel frowned, as he observed the mischievous smile that replaced her pout.

"I shouldn't be doing unnecessary work, so let's do some that is necessary. How about we continue your lessons instead." She said, trying to contain the smirk that desperately wanted to crack wider at his expression.

"We can go back," he said, quickly turning on his heels, only stopping when Levy grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back towards her.

"Nope, I'm injured remember, and with everything that's been going on we haven't had time to review. So, what's a more perfect time then now?"

She watched as he sighed heavily with a drop of his shoulder as he sulked over to the couch, flopping down dramatically. He snatched the needed supplies that sat on table and placed them on his lap with a dissatisfied huff. He was opening the book when he received a sharp flick to the forehead that caused his head to shoot up and look at the small woman.

"Oi! What the hell, shorty?" he asked, rubbing the spot on his forehead, watching her place her hands on her hips with a satisfied smile on her face.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she simply said, "You were acting like big baby, so I stopped you."

He glared her down as she took a seat next to him, shaking his head at her pleased smirk. He should've seen that coming.

Levy immersed them into their lesson with ease, trying to make up for lost time. The night drawn on with the two so engrossed in their roles of student and teacher that they didn't notice Lily come back into the room to snuggle up in his broken box by the patio doors.

The next morning, Gajeel woke up to a beam of sunlight shining over his face, causing him to grunt and bury his face into the pillow. Content with his new position, he was ready to fall back asleep when he felt something shift beside him. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he tiredly looked down expecting Lily to be curled up next to him but was shocked to see wild blue hair. He froze instantly, his senses going into overdrive as he stared wide eyed at the blue mop. He was laying on his side with his left arm bent under his pillow and his right arm encasing the small woman around her waist. She had her face almost buried in his chest with her arm under his, slung around his waist, and with their legs tangled together.

When did this happen? How the hell did they end up like this? He thought back to last night, remembering that their tutoring sessions ended up with them both being mentally and physically drained. While Gajeel put away his supplies, Levy relaxed on his bed, deciding to rest her eyes before walking back her room. He remembered seeing her peaceful face as she slept, feeling bad about waking her so he just tucked her into his bed. He tried his best to be a gentleman and sleep on the couch, but it was way too small and uncomfortable for him, so he climbed into bed with her, promising to return to the couch when he woke up.

After remembering last night, he tried his best to calm down, praying he didn't wake her up by the sound of his heart nearly beating out of his chest. He need to keep his word and go back to the couch, before she wakes up. When he untangled himself from her and tried to scoot away, she only scooted closer, hugging him tighter a content sigh escaping her lips. If he could melt into a pile of putty he would've at the how adorable she looked.

'Oh dear Mavis, please give me strength,' he silently prayed.

Hearing a soft knock on the door, he cursed when he saw dark blue hair poke into the room. Wendy face split into a wide grin and she slapped her hand over her mouth as she desperately tried to hold in her giggles. "I can explain," Gajeel whispered harshly, earning more stifled giggles.

"Meet me by the fountain," she whispered, before disappearing behind the door. Gajeel, cursed under his breath, frowning deeply as he slowly slipped away from Levy. She let out a low whine as her heat source was stolen away from her, Gajeel desperately wanting to climb back into bed just to make her happy.

Instead he lightly shook Lily awake, the panther cracking an irritated eye up at his friend. "Keep Levy company for me, please." Gajeel nodded, his head towards the bed. Lily quickly understood, standing up with a low stretch before making his way to the bed to curl up next to the woman.

Gajeel quickly changed into a new set of clothes and splashed some water on his face before heading out to the fountain. The castle was quiet as everyone slept in from last night's feast, besides of course the two dragons. It didn't take long for Gajeel to make his way to the familiar spot where Wendy and him would play and hide from their parents. The hedges opened up into a circled area, with a marbled dragon spewing water from its mouth. Wendy sat on one of the two benches that surrounded the fountain, swinging her legs as she hummed a familiar tune.

"You were always better at singing that song than us." Gajeel grunted out, sleep still lacing his voice, attracting the little dragon's attention.

"My voice is a lot lighter than you guys, but I do like it when you sing it." She smiled as he took a seat next to her, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants leg.

How was he going to explain this to her? He could try being straight forward like always, but for some reason it was harder to express that nothing was going on.

"Wendy, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me and Levy. What you saw earlier wasn't what it looked like."

Wendy stopped swinging her feet, to turn and look at Gajeel with an amused look in her eyes which confused him. "I think we should have a talk, Gajeel. The talk." She put an extra emphasis on 'the' causing Gajeel's heart to drop and his face go pale.

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously he stuttered out nervously, "I-I um, I'm not sure I'm the best suited to have this talk with you Wendy, I think-"

"Whoa! What?" Wendy interrupted, her hands flying up in a defense manner. "I'm not talking about that talk, plus Lucy and Erza already had that conversation with me." Her cheeks dusted pink as she averted her eyes.

"Then what are you talking about?"

"Love." Her face was as serious as she stared Gajeel down, both refusing to look away. "We need to have a talk about your feelings."

"No we do not, I'm going back to bed." He growled out as he stood up from his seat, ready to leave.

"Gajeel, I'm serious."

"I am too!" He yelled, turning back to look at her. "Why do we need to talk about how I feel?"

"I care about you and Levy and I don't want either of you too get hurt, because you're not used to loving someone other than your family."

Wendy watched him pace as he ran a hand through his bed head, mumbling under his breath about how stupid feelings are. "What makes you think I like her?" He asked, trying to diverge the subject onto her instead of him.

"When we first arrived, I expected you to roll your eyes and tell Elfman to shut up with his man talk, but instead you greeted him with a smile and let him hug you. You also are really protective of her, and you're only like that with people you love."

His pacing stopped as he stared at her with scrunch up eyebrows and a deep frown, searching her eyes for answers to his own question. She took his confusion as her chance to continue speaking.

"I know you like her, so tell me how she makes you feel."

"I don't know!" He growled out shaking his head, "happy, I guess? My hearts starts racing and I have this urge to pull her close to me. To keep her by my side as much as possible so I can keep her safe. And when she talks, I want to hear more. Especially when she gets really excited and little stars appear in her eyes and she has the biggest smile on her face." He didn't realize it, but he was smiling himself just talking about her as he stared down at his feet.

Wendy continued to ask him similar questions and he answered without hesitation, until she asked him, "So? Do you love her?"

His smile dropped as his mouth formed a perfect 'o' and his eyes grew wide. Wendy watched with pure bliss as Gajeel connected the dots and came to a conclusion. The man lifted his head up to the sky, running a hand down his face, muttering, "Holy shit, I'm an idiot."

Giggling lightly, Wendy hopped off the bench to bounce to her dumbstruck cousin. "W-what do I do now, now that I know?" He asked hesitantly, looking down at the bright smile on the small girls face.

"You confess your feelings or you can just sulk in a corner. It's really up to you."

"But, what if she doesn't feel the same way?" He spoke softly, lowering his head at the thought of rejection.

Wendy shot him a sympathetic smile, hugging him tightly. "You won't know unless you ask." She felt his arms wrap around her in response, before he patted her head gently, muttering his thanks. "No need to thank me, I'm always here to talk some sense into you." she smiled, pulling away from him.

"Thanks for that, little dragon."

"No problem. Erza and I are going to the hospital in few, so tell Levy she's on harvesting duty and you and Elfman are still on laundry duty." Wendy stated, waving bye as she skipped back into the gardens towards the castle. Gajeel stood there for a few minutes, before deciding to leave too.

His mind was a mess as he numbly walked back to his room. He loves her, he's head over hills in love with Levy and he's freaking the hell out. What should he say or do in order to confess his feelings? Is there like some etiquette to these things? Of course there is, he can't just wake her up and say, 'good morning and by the way I love you.' He could do that, but who in their right mind would take him serious? Should he ask her out on a date or wait for the right moment? Or should he try to guess how she feels about him? Gajeel wanted to pull his hair out as he thought over what was the best way to do this.

Opening the door slowly, he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Levy was still asleep. Lily and she were curled up together in an adorable mesh of black and blue hair. Stifling a yawn, he decided to get a few more minutes of sleep before thinking any further. He slipped in behind Levy, effectively throwing his arm over her and the big cat.

'I guess I could get used to this,' he thought, snuggling closer to Levy with a content sigh. He'll figure out a way to tell her, but for now, this is just as good.

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Levy woke up with a yawn, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she basked in the warmth that surrounded her. Black fur blocked her vision and by the sound of soft purrs, she knew that Lily was sound asleep in front of her. A sleepy smile quirked her lips as she reached out to stroke his fur. As soon as she moved, a heavy arm drew her backwards slightly into a warm body, feeling a nose bury in her hair with a deep breath. Looking down at her waist she saw a familiar arm bulging under the dark comforter causing her face to erupt in a bright shade of red. Covering her face with her hands, she desperately tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, desperately trying to grasp how she got into this situation.

She remembered laying on his bed, while waiting for him to take her back to her room. She thought he'll wake her up when he was ready, but guess not. She tried to wiggle out of his arms, but he only pulled her closer grunting incoherently.

"Gajeel," she spoke softly, tapping his arm lightly. "Wake up."

"Five more minutes, Lev." He mumbled into her hair, holding her tighter eliciting a soft whine. He wasn't hurting her, but at this rate Levy is going to pass out from all the blood that was rushing to her face.

Lily lifted his head observing the red faced girl with a sleepy grin, as Gajeel held her in a death grip spooning session. Levy watched as the cat unraveled himself, stretching with a loud yawn before flopping back down on the bed.

"Do you think you can help me?" Levy pleaded, earning a nod from the feline. Lily sat up, slowly moving his paw over her and towards Gajeel.

He patted Gajeel's head lightly earning a groan and a swat from the large man. Levy couldn't help but giggle at the action as Lily's face turned fierce. Lily gave a look and a soft growl as if saying, "He's going to regret that." Starting again, Lily raised his paw high above Gajeel, then slammed it down onto the side of his head.

"FUCK!" Gajeel yelped, jolting up taking poor Levy with him. "What the fuck was that?" Gajeel yelled, rubbing the side of his head. Levy was sitting sideways in his lap, staring up at an angrily confused Gajeel, then over to Lily who was now laying down pretending to be asleep.

Looking back up at Gajeel, she would've been embarrassed by their position, but the laughter bubbling out of her eased the tension. She used Gajeel for support, leaning her head against his chest as her laughter shook her body.

She felt hands grab her cheeks, motioning her head upwards towards the squinting king. "Was it you that hit me?" He asked, squishing her cheeks together as her laughter died down to a soft giggle.

The usual frown on his face tried to remain as it desperately tried not quirk up in a smile. She shook her head no, causing him to ask, "So it was Lily, then?"

"Nope," She said between squished cheeks, as Gajeel eyebrows shot up.

"Then who was it?"

"My loyalty is to the King!" She declared with mock determination in her eyes and a playful smile.

"But, I am the king."

She was quiet for a second, before saying, "oh yea. I blame my still sleepy brain and you nearly throwing me off the bed."

Gajeel squished her cheeks some more, eliciting a giggle from the small woman, "And who's fault is that, young lady?"

Her cheeks hurt from smiling and the light pressure Gajeel had on her face. Her vision was partially blocked from her pushed cheeks, but she didn't miss the small smirk on his face or the way his eyes sparkled with emotion as he looked at her. It felt like her breath was stolen from her lungs, as his eyes stared down at her. It was as if he saw her differently, with the way his usual hard eyes softened. He was still so unreadable, but she could tell that the wall he usually surrounds himself was starting to fall.

If he asked, she would say her sudden red cheeks would be from him squishing them, but she prayed he didn't feel the sudden warmness of her skin.

Raising her hands to circle around his wrist, she spoke his name softly, until she was rudely interrupted by her growling stomach.

Her eyes shot wide as he stared at her for few seconds, before bursting into a fit of laughter. Letting go of her face, she pouted as he shook his head. "I guess you wanted to tell me you were hungry."

"Yes," she whispered covering her stomach as it growled again, sliding off him to sit beside Lily. That's not what she wanted to say, but now that the moment was gone, she'll keep her thoughts to herself.

He ruffled her hair, getting out of the bed. "Alright, I'll go get us some food. Stay here." He said, pointing at her, daring her to disobey his orders.

She watched him leave, closing the door with a gentle click. Flopping down on her back, she turned over to see Lily displaying a small smile. "I would never betray you, Lily."

Stretching her limbs, she saw how wrinkled her dress got from sleeping in it and desperately wanted to shower and change her clothes. Looking over to Lily, she knew he was down for anything.

"Want to help me sneak to my room, so I can shower and change?" She asked, eliciting a cheshire grin from the feline. He leapt off the bed, telling her they better hurry before he got back.

Levy tried her best to suppress her giggles as they ran down the hallways. They started their game, as soon as they agreed to try to beat Gajeel back to the room. When they made it to her room, she quickly grabbed a set of clothes and ran into the bathroom.

"Come on, Lily." She declared, racing out of the bathroom, running a hand through her damp hair. They had maybe 2 minutes before he got back.

Bolting into the room, she was immediately lifted off the ground with a yelp from the sudden movement. "Well, look who's feeling rebellious this morning." Gajeel said with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he looked up at her. His arms were wrapped under her butt, and her hands were placed on his shoulders for balance.

"You disobeyed the King's order, shorty. That is punishable by death," he said tossing her on the bed and climbing over her, "by tickles."

His fingers danced across her torso, squeals erupting from the girl that squirmed underneath him. "G-Gajeel! S-Stop it!" She tried to speak inbetween giggles, trying her best to swat his hands away.

"Say, I'm sorry." He commanded, smiling when she did as he said. "Ok, now say, Gajeel is the sexiest king alive."

"NO!" She yelled, trying to escape from him, only earning my more tickles.

"Say it, and I'll stop." He taunted in a sing-song voice, not missing the way the little woman face flushed a bright red.

"Ok! Ok! G-Gajeel, is the sexiest king alive."

"See, was that so hard?" he asked, stopping his torment to let the woman catch her breath.

"The hardest," She teased with a smirk, earning an equally teasing smirk as she sat up.

"Would it be too hard for you to eat breakfast with me or are you still feeling rebellious?"

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a mocking bow in her seat, "Never for you, my king." He snorted at her, playfully pulling a strand of her hair, calling her a smartass.

She eased herself off the bed, following the king to the balcony where he led them to a small table that had a plate placed in front of the two seats.

They ate in a comfortable silence, the two enjoying the warmth of the morning sun and each other's presence. Once they were done, Levy collected their plates, placing it on breakfast cart that was placed in the corner of the balcony.

"I have a few meetings today before I gotta help Elfman, so try not to get into too much trouble. Wendy and Erza already left for the hospital, so you're on harvesting duty today." He said, helping her get the rest of the dishes onto the cart.

Levy was instantly sadden that she wouldn't be able to go to the hospital, especially after she picked out her outfit specifically for their visit. Looking down at her dark pants tucked into her boots and blouse, she sighed. Guess she was dressed to be outside too.

"Don't look so sad, shorty. You'll get to go again." He promised, playfully tugging her hair again.

Levy swatted his hand away earning a soft chuckle and him promising to bring her lunch later. "Just go," she shooed, watching him back up with his hands up in surrender.

"What are we going to do with him?" Levy asked Lily, after the king left. Lily shrugged his shoulders lazily with a smile on his face, "Yea, I don't know either."

After Levy and Lily dropped off the breakfast cart and chatted with Ms. Carrie, Levy grabbed her basket and headed back out to the gardens. Lily lazed around in the sun, while Levy got to work quickly, not taking long to dive into her work.

"Levy?" a soft voice spoke, snapping the small woman out of her trance. She looked up to see Wendy holding a tray of food and Erza holding a cup in her hands. Levy happily greeted them as she shed her dirty gloves, wiping her sweaty hands on her trousers. "I know Gajeel was supposed to bring you lunch, but I wanted to talk to you, so I volunteered." The small queen placed the platter beside Levy as she sat across from her, Erza taking a seat beside the small queen.

"Oh, what about?" Levy inquired, quirking an eyebrow as she reached for a turkey sandwich. She didn't know how hungry she was until she saw the plate food. "Is everything ok, at the hospital?"

"Yes, everything's fine. I just wanted to ask you something. But first," she said looking over to Lily. "Do you mind giving us some girl time?"

Lily rolled his eyes, standing up with a grumble, saying he was going for a swim. They wished him good luck, watching the feline disappear as he sprinted away from them.

Levy's eyebrows scrunched together in worry and anticipation as she took another bite waiting for Wendy to continue talking. Wendy's face seemed conflicted, as if searching for the right words while Erza's face was unreadably neutral.

"I was wondering how you felt about Gajeel?"

Quirking her head to the side with a cocked eybrow, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Wendy opened her mouth to speak but Erza spoke in her stead, "Do you love him?"

Gasping and immediately sucking in her food, Levy leaned over covering her mouth as she choked, trying to cough out anything lodged in her throat.

"Erza! I thought we were going to ease her into it!" Wendy admonished, patting Levy on the back.

"I apologize, but I think Levy would appreciate a straightforward approach." Erza handed her the cup she was holding, Levy gratefully taking it, taking big gulps of water.

"Thank you," she said wiping small tears away from her eyes. "I-um-I was not expecting that to be your question, but thanks for trying to consider how I would react."

"Sorry about that, but I do have my reason's for asking," Wendy smiled, wringing her hands in her lap. "Gajeel has changed since you've been here, and it's been for the better. He's still my grumpy older cousin, but he smiles a lot more, especially when you're around. And you do too. Your smile is the brightest when he's around."

Levy listened with wide eyes and pink cheeks, soaking in every word Wendy spoke and the small smirk that graced Erza face. It wasn't that she was unsure if she had feelings for him, it was how he felt about her. The small queen didn't know, but she was helping Levy realize that he just may care about her in the same way. She thought back to this morning, causing the blush to brighten her face.

The gardens was quiet as the two women waited patiently for an answer, from Levy. Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, Levy looked at their anticipating faces. "Am I really that obvious?" she asked, watching a wide grin spread across Wendy's face.

Wendy squealed, wiggling in her seated position, causing the other two women to laugh. "I knew it! I knew you had feelings for him. Ah! I'm so happy right now!" Wendy cheered.

"Calm down, Wendy." Erza patted the small girl on the head, a promising smile on her lips as well, "They're not getting married."

For some reason this made them turn on Levy, Wendy quickly grabbing her hands, "Can I help you plan? The ceremony would look so pretty inside the throne room."

"No, Levy looks like a spring bride, it should be outside. Surrounded by pretty flowers." Erza said, with sparkles in her eyes.

"Oh! That would be so much better! I can picture it now."

Levy observed the dreamy faraway look in their eyes, with an amused but equally frightened smile. She never really thought about the result of their love and of course getting married to Gajeel would be dreamy. Imagining him in a tux waiting at the alter put a dreamy sparkle in her own eyes, but it didn't last very long. They couldn't get married, it's not allowed.

Wendy must've noticed the sad look on Levy's face, as she patted Levy's hands she still held trying to get her attention. "What's wrong, Levy? Did we go too far?"

Shaking her head no, Levy kept her head down as she spoke, "I just-I just wish my parents could be there." She couldn't tell them the truth, they looked so happy planning out her wedding, completely crushing their smiles would be too painful.

"I'm sure they'll be there in spirit," Erza smiled softly.

"I'm sorry for dampening the mood. Thank you for bringing me lunch and talking to me."

"No problem, I just wanted to interrogate you a little before we left for the sky kingdom tomorrow morning." Wendy stated, standing up with a brush of her knees.

Levy scrambled to her feet with a sad look on her eyes, "You're leaving? But I thought you needed to make more antidote?"

"I do, but I can mass produce it at home with help and send it back here and to other kingdoms just in case. But, don't worry, we still have dinner to annoy Gajeel."

Laughing at her statement, Levy bid them goodbye, watching their retreating forms.

It didn't take long for Lily to come back wet from his swim, shaking some of the excess water off him. He didn't ask what they talked about, and Levy was grateful for that. Tossing a few scraps of meat to the big cat, Levy laid on her back staring up at the sky. She was pretty much done, so relaxing and cloud watching with her favorite feline didn't sound so bad.

The puffy white clouds looked thicker than normal, but also seemed soft enough to touch. Grabbing a handful of grapes and dropping them into her mouth, Levy frowned at the sky. "It's going to rain soon."

Chapter Text

Rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt, Gajeel made his way outside to the gardens, relishing in the suns warmth. Being stuck in meetings most of the morning, desperately made him want to get out and stretch his legs. And especially see the small blue haired woman that’s been distracting him all morning.

He planned to ditch one of his appearances just to have lunch with her, but Wendy reprimanded him, saying she’ll take the woman food herself. He couldn’t help but agree, especially with Erza backing her up. There’s no way he was going to argue with them both. A cold chill ran down his spine, causing him to involuntary shiver at the thought of Erza’s stern face.

The sound of her soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts, as he got closer to where Lily and her where. He stopped, an amused smirk curling his lips as he observed her. She was laying on her back, knees bent occasionally rocking them sideways or raising her foot to wiggle her toes in the air. Her boots sat beside the silver platter that she stole fruit from, dropping them into her mouth almost comically. Inbetween chews, she talked animatedly to Lily waving her hands around, the feline responding with his own deep grumbles and meows causing the girl to release a string of giggles.

Gajeel approached the two, leaning over the girl with a triumphant smile as she squealed at his sudden presence. She abruptly sat up, clutching her hands to her chest. “Gajeel! You scared me,” she frowned turning around to face him.

He apologized with his unique laugh, watching as the girl rolled her eyes at him. “How was lunch with the baby dragon and the red head?” Sitting with his legs crossed, he watched as her cheeks tinted a pretty pink. He wanted so desperately to reach out and touch her, but knew better. It wasn’t time for that yet, no he wouldn’t ruin his surprise. He has better self-control over himself, at least, he hope so.

“It was fine. I’m sad they’re leaving though.” She pouted with a lowered head, playing with her fingers. Lily noticed the woman’s change in mood and immediately crawled closer to her, rubbing his head on her thigh.

 Smiling down at the panther, she rubbed underneath his chin earning a hearty hum from the animal. Gajeel had to stop himself from being jealous of Lily. He was internally screaming, wishing that Lily and he were in different positions. Curse him, for wanting to lay his head in Levy’s lap and have her run her fingers through his hair. His heart warmed at the thought of something so simple. Oh Mavis, please give him the strength to plan this confession out properly, instead of being a selfish bastard and letting his jealousy get the best of him.

Her voice pulled him out of his trance, “yea, you’re right Lily. It won’t be too soon before they’ll be back again.”

Gajeel watched her golden brown eyes looked up to him expectantly, and instead of him agreeing, his breath was stolen from his lungs. Maybe it was the sun hitting her just right, her disheveled hair from laying in the grass, those big brown eyes and bright smile or her being the reincarnation of an actual fairy. She tilted her head to the side and scrunched her eyebrows, a look of concern coloring her features as she asked him if he was ok. He couldn’t imagine how he looked from her eyes, but he could guess he looked either startled or upset. Who knows with his face.

“I’m ok, shorty.” He smiled, patting her head. He really was using any excuse possible just to touch her, now. “Just gonna miss them as much as you.”

Her startled gasp and hands clasped over her mouth, confused him. “Here I am, feeling down, when it’s your family.”

“No need to worry shrimp. You’re here with me, so you’re part of the family too.”

He didn’t understand the weight of his words, the way he said it or the way he looked at her. “Oi! Levy!” He yelled in a panic grabbing her shoulders, as stray tears ran down her cheeks.

Apologizing rapidly, she wiped her face with the back of her hands and fingertips as she sniffled. “I-I’m just happy right now. Thank you, Gajeel.”

A selfish bastard, a really big selfish bastard, that’s what he was. He tried to hold himself back, but he had to do something. Anything to show how happy she made him. Moving his hands up to the sides of her face, he leaned their foreheads together, a feeling of relief washing over him as she relaxed into his touch. His heart soared as their warmth seeped into each other, filling their hearts with love as they sat there in a comfortable silence. With closed eyes, Gajeel was too afraid to open them fearing Lily’s shocked and knowing gaze. Of course, she didn’t know the true meaning of this, at least that’s what he hoped. This was a true act of love and trust for his family, as if he was officially welcoming her into the family.

Pulling away reluctantly, he shot her fanged smirk admiring the redness that spread across her cheeks as she smiled back. “I better go help Elfman before he comes looking for me,” he spoke softly stroking her cheek with his thumb. “What are you gonna do until dinner?”

“Probably help Ms. Carrie.”

“Walk with me?” He asked, earning a nod, helping the small woman as he stood to his full height. He took the silver platter, while Levy carried the basket as they made their way back into their home, a comfortable silence falling over them.

As soon as they entered the kitchen Ms. Carrie shooed Gajeel away, saying Elfman was waiting for him to get to work. Levy’s face was still beet red as she watched him steal some rolls. Stuffing one into his mouth and holding three close to his chest, Ms. Carrie tried swatting his hand away before he could get more. A smile spread across her lips as he winked at her before running away with his treats.

Turning to look at the older woman, Levy was confused to see her smiling at her with raised brows. “What?” Levy asked, earning a chuckle as the woman turned back to the counter kneading dough.

“Must’ve been really hot outside for your face to be as red as a tomato.”

Lowering her head in embarrassment, Levy quickly went to work separating the herbs that were in the basket. “It-It was a little warm out.”

The cook let out an amused hum, eyeing the girl as she busied herself, Levy trying her best to avoid eye contact. Levy took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm her rabidly beating heart and clear her mind. The stillness of the kitchen with the only sound of flour being spread across the counter and dough flopping onto it seemed to irritate Levy’s ears as her mind and heart refused to slow down.

Tying the last batch of plants together, Levy placed them back into the basket sighing heavily. “Something happened,” she whispered, hearing the older woman stop her movements waiting for Levy to continue. “Something I’m not sure how to feel about.”

Looking up, Levy caught the older woman eyes urging her to continue talking. “He did the headbutt thing,” Levy touched her forehead lightly, a blush reappearing on her face.

Her hand was snatched away from her head, grasped tightly in the older woman’s. When did she get over to her? And how did she move so fast? Was all Levy could think about as Ms. Carrie searched Levy’s eyes with an urgency she couldn’t comprehend.

“Levy,” she whispered, “do you know what that means?” Levy nodded her head. “Does he know, you know?”

Shaking her head no, she slowly took in a breath. “I doubt it and the only reason I know is because he gave me full access to his library.”

Over the time she has been there, Levy found a few books on the mysterious Dragon Slayers. There were only the two that she found, but they were detailed enough for her to learn a lot. Their traditions and stories that were passed down from generations and generations. One of them being how they show affection to the people they loved.  

Ms. Carrie’s laugh caused Levy to look up at her bright smile. “Leave it to you to find some old family secrets in books. So, what are you going to do?”

“I-I don’t know, I have a lot to think about.” She sighed, running a shaky hand through her tangled locks. What were she going to do? Should she tell him that she know or should she confess her own feelings? Was that technically a confession or was it a way for him to welcome her into the family? Everything was starting to get complicated and she didn’t know if it was for the best or not.

“It’s not easy being in love,” the old woman spoke softly, squeezing Levy’s hands reassuringly before letting them go. “But you know what they say; sometimes the heart needs time to accept what the brain already knows.”

Levy shot her a weak smile, nodding her head in agreement. “Want to help me make dinner? It’ll help clear your mind a bit.” Ms. Carrie offered, Levy not hesitating to take her offer.

__________________

The next morning Gajeel and Levy were standing outside, wishing Wendy and her crew goodbye. Wendy hugged Lily goodbye before bouncing over to Levy and Gajeel. They each hugged the little girl, sad smiles curling their lips. Erza and Elfman said their goodbyes as well, before ushering the small queen into her carriage.

“It’s going to be quiet without them.” Levy sighed, waving as they watched the white horses pull them away.

“Yea.” She felt his arm drop on her head causing her to look up. “Maybe one day we can visit them.”

“Really?” Levy beamed at the thought of visiting the baby dragon’s kingdom. “We’ll have to be sure to bundle up though.”

Remembering one of the books she read a long time ago about where the different kingdoms where, she pictured the mountain ranges and snow caps that the Sky Kingdom was located. It sounded like a very beautiful place, almost like a winter getaway.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’ll be a warm shrimp.” She pushed him away rolling her eyes, as he laughed at her.

“So, what now?” She asked, trying to change the subject as they walked back into the castle.

“I have some paperwork to do, wanna keep me company?”  She nodded her head, enjoying the way his mouth quirked into a wider smile. She still haven’t figured out what she wanted to do, but she settled on enjoying his presence before possibly ruining their relationship.

Chapter Text

With the weeks flying by, the two settled into a comfortable routine, neither of them ready to talk about their feelings. Levy would read in his office when her chores were done, while he looked over paperwork. More often than not, she would get curious with what he was doing and would ask if she could help. He would bounce ideas and solutions off of her, the two not holding back whenever it came to a debate whenever they disagreed. Lily would just lay and observe the two with an amused smile, not in any hurry to add his own opinion. Close to the end of the day, they would resume their tutoring before retiring to their own rooms.

This day seemed like any other as Levy straightened the King’s office, putting papers in the right files before wiping down his desk. The sound of tinkling, metal lightly bumping into each other was her first indication that someone was entering the library. She looked over to Lily, who was now sitting up in a relaxed manner, his tail swishing lazily. Guessing that someone familiar was approaching them and not an enemy, eased her worry.

But, Gajeel walking in clad head-to-toe in his armor was not what she expected. She observed him with a raised brow and small smirk, drinking every last inch of him in. For some reason, he looked way hotter in his armor than she remembered. The black and gold metal was polished, so was the sword that was strapped to his hip, his right hand resting lazily on the golden handle.

“I haven’t seen you wear that since the first time we met.” She said, leaning her hip on the edge of the desk. “Why is that?”

“You like what you see, eh?” He teased, earning a light blush and a shrug. She very much did like what she sees, but she wasn’t going to outright admit it, but she knew he knew. Chuckling, he stepped towards her, his form seeming a lot bigger and more regal like the King he was. “I wanted to seem less intimating as possible, while you were getting used to your new surroundings. Plus, this thing gets pretty hot in the summer time.”

“So, why are you wearing it now?”

“Because we’ve been stuck inside for weeks now, and need to get out, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” He declared taking her hand, pulling her lightly away from the desk as if coaxing her to follow him. She did without question, their hands still held tightly together as he led her to his room.

She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell her what exactly they were doing outside his door. As if reading her mind, he spoke, “get dressed, Lily and I will be waiting for you out here.” He opened the door for her, nudging her in with a slight push on her lower back.

Taking the steps needed into his room she was instantly entranced by the light pink piece of fabric that seemed out of place on the black comforter. When the door closed with a click, she stripped out of her maid uniform, before putting on the off the shoulder pink dress. Smoothing out the knee length skirt, she admired the little white flowers that decorated the surface reminding her of daisies. Switching out her black ribbon for the white one that matched the strappy sandals that lay on the bed, she felt an uneasy feeling taking over her.

This is wrong, so wrong. She didn’t deserve any of the things he was giving her. His love, attention, and trust. Not when she was unsure of what she wanted to do with her own feelings, whether that was bottling them or telling him everything. What will she do when he finally did get the confidence to express his feelings? Reject him? No, to reject a King would be foolish and suicidal. Any other ruler would have a girls head on a platter if they denied their advances, but Gajeel’s different. If she did reject him, he wouldn’t hurt her.

A sad smile curled her lips at the thought of knowing he’ll do the opposite. He would probably try to woe her and earn her affection….even though he already has it.

Taking a few hesitant footsteps with these thoughts swirling in her mind, she took a deep breath, steeling herself to open the door. His broad back was facing her, the sound of the door opening wider causing him to turn around. With wide eyes and a blush as pink as her dress, he took her in, Levy shifting uneasily under his gaze. Wringing her fingers, she asked, “How do I look?”

“Beautiful,” he whispered in the common tongue, loud enough for her to hear, getting a wide smile in return. A soft growl made her look down at the feline, Lily approving of her appearance.

Taking the arm he held out, she wrapped her hand around his armored bicep. “Where are we going?” She asked, as he led them out of the castle and towards the waiting carriage.

“Gotta make a few stops in town and thought we would do them instead of one of the errand boys. Plus, Wendy made me some more motion sickness medicine, so I’m all fit for a little travel.” He waggled his pierced eyebrows, Levy giggling at the sight.

She sat across from Gajeel with Lily resting his head in her lap as she peered out the window watching the castle grounds pass by opening up for the town’s landscape. They first stopped at the hospital, Levy happy to hear that the patients treatments were progressing smoothly. As they were leaving, a wagon pulled up, some of Gajeel’s men bringing in the freshly washed linen, Porlyusica directing them where to take it as she met them at the door.

They made a few more stops at the town hall to deliver papers, farmers market to check up on this year’s produce, and the trader’s hall. Levy was at first nervous, knowing the rumors that were circling her sudden appearance in town, but there were a lot more welcoming people than she thought. Not everyone was against her she realized, as she was fawned over by the women at the farmers market. She felt like a little kid going to grandma’s house as they pinched her cheeks, told her how pretty she was and disproving of how skinny she was. They tried to give her fruits and vegetables as presents loading anything they could grab into her arms. Declining wasn’t an option, so a basket full of produce was what they left with when they went on to the next stop.

When they were leaving the trader’s hall, Levy couldn’t keep her eyes off of Gajeel a faint smile curling her lips.

“What?” he questioned, with suspicious squinted eyes. “What’s with that look?”

Shaking her head, she couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face. “You’re a very good King; you care about your people and it shows by how much they trust and respect you. I don’t really know what I expected when you told me we were going to do some of the errands, but I’m glad it was better than I could imagine.”

To be honest, she expected some of the people to be afraid of him or cower from his gaze, but it wasn’t like that at all. Everyone welcomed him with open arms, a slap on the back or a kiss to the cheek.

Whenever someone expressed their concerns he listened intently, giving them his full attention, before giving them a solution or saying he’ll figure out way to help them. It was a big shock, but she was glad he wasn’t perceived as a monstrous king.

His cheeks tinted a light pink as he thanked her, clearing his throat from the embarrassment of her praise. “My father taught me everything I needed to know to be a good ruler. He was even harder around the edges than I am, but he was still a great leader. Always there to lend an ear, no matter how small the problem.”

With them back in the carriage, Levy rubbed Lily’s head as she observed the melancholy look on Gajeel’s face. “Do you miss him?”

A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned his head back admiring the ceiling with sudden interest. “I do. Some days are harder than others,” he admitted, “but, lately it’s been easier now that I have a little fairy bossing me around.”

Levy lightly kicked his shin earning a soft chuckle from him. “I am not bossy,” she murmured, as she turned to look out the window attempting to hide her blush. She was ready to give him another smart retort when something caught her eye, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she leapt closer to the window.

“Is that a bookstore?” she squealed, watching as the building slowly went out of sight to be dwarfed by the other buildings.

A hard knock on the ceiling caused her to turn her attention away from the window and towards Gajeel, feeling the carriage slow to a stop.

“I almost forgot,” he hummed more to himself, thanking the guard as he opened the door for them. “I want you to meet someone.”

Levy wrapped her hand around his arm instinctively, as he led them to the bookstore, her interest peaking as her attention bounced between him and the building. The bell above the door announced their presence as Gajeel opened the door wider so she could walk in first. The soft playing of classical music and faint smell of cinnamon tickled her nose as she observed the store with wide eyes. The inside was bigger than the outside presumed, with the walls lined with books and a few short bookshelves. A few couches and chairs circled a coffee table in the middle of the room, a couple of novels on display for anyone willing to take interest.

“Gajeel! Lily!” A croaky voice exclaimed, rounding the checkout counter. “My! My! Look at you two!” A short old man, dressed in a brown sweater and pants with glasses hanging around his neck approached them with open arms. Levy was stunned to hear Dragonic spoken so smoothly from a regular person, but if he knows Gajeel then there’s no way he’s an ordinary person.

“Mr. Maki,” Gajeel embraced the old man, bending slightly to accommodate for the height. “It’s been awhile haven’t it?”

“You’re a busy man, I can’t fault you for that. Now who is this young lady you have with you?” He asked, putting his glasses on leaning in closer to inspect Levy features. She was still in shock that she almost missed Gajeel introducing them to each other.

“This is Levy McGarden. Levy, this is Mr. Maki. He was one of my father’s closest friends and he used to let me stay here whenever my dad did business in town. I was a huge brat and I’m still surprised he let me stay here.”

The old man dismissed him with a wave, “ah, you were nothing compared to your father. If I could handle him, I could handle anyone.”

The feeling of familial warmth radiated from the two, as if the time the two hasn’t seen each other was nothing but a few days. And if what she read about Metalicana was correct, then this man being a close friend of his was very special and also explains why he speaks the language so well. The former King rarely trusted anyone besides his family and she could swear she read that name before or some form of it.

A guard walking in, interrupted their moment as he stood in the doorway with a bow. Gajeel sighed, clasping the man lightly on the shoulder, “I have one more stop to make, but is it ok if my friend roam around your shop?”

“Any friend of yours, is a friend of mine. You go now and bring us back some dumplings from Yajima’s. I’m sure he’ll be glad to see your face as well.” Gajeel agreed, shooting Levy a wink before leaving with the guard.

Levy turned to the old man that was a few inches shorter than her with him hunched over slightly, a wide smile curling his lips. “I never thought he would be bring a girl over the next time he visited, much less the one that was rumored to be his mistress.” He spoke switching back to the common language.

Her heart sank and her smile dropped at his words. How much has he heard and what exactly does he believe? Does he believe everything he’s heard?

The old man let out a raspy chuckle patting her shoulder. “Don’t worry, child. I don’t believe a word those gossipers say. What I believe is what I see and I see that Gajeel loves you, especially since he brought you here. Quite funny that he would fall in love with his old tutor’s daughter, though.”

“You knew my father?” her voice was shaky as she searched the old man’s eyes. When he nodded, she felt like all the air was released from her body as she leaned forward on a chair for support. Her mind was in even more shambles as she absent-mindly walked around the chair to plop down in it. “How-How do you know him?”

The old man took a seat across from her, Lily stretching out beside her. “I wasn’t just Gajeel’s father old friend; I was his academic advisor. I was the one who suggested your father tutor Gajeel.”

“My father tutored Gajeel? I-I didn’t know. Why didn’t he tell me?”

The old man gave her a sympathetic smile, his eyes softening at her shocked gaze. “Maybe he thought you weren’t ready to know or he was just so entranced by your beauty that he forgot.” Levy’s attention switched back to him, laughing lightly at his suggestion. She knew he said it to make her smile, and she was grateful.

Maybe he really did forget to mention it, especially with Lullaby plaguing the kingdom. How could she be upset with him for putting his attention on more important matters, like the health of his people?

“Can you tell me anything you remember about him? About my father.”

Rubbing the gray stubble on his chin, the old man reclined back in his seat pondering for a few moments before telling her everything he could remember. Her father always gushed about his intelligent daughter, showing anyone willing a picture of the little blue haired girl. He was very good at his job, one of the best even and was the prime choice to tutor the very stubborn prince Gajeel and many others. Any job invitation he got that was too far away from his family, he respectively declined, his reasoning not wanting to be away from his wife and daughter for too long.

“They grow up so fast and I want to be there for everything she experience, before it’s too late.” Mr. Maki said mimicking her father’s voice, making her eyes water, a goofy smile on her face.  

“That’s sounds like something he would say. I only knew him as my father and always wondered what type of man he was as a professional. I did see him work with the kids in our town, but I never got to see him when he was serious.” Wiping a stray tear that fell, she thanked him with a bow of her head.

“No need to thank me. Your father was very kind and I’ll be happy to tell you more, whenever I remember them. Your memory fades with old age, you know.” Standing up with a loud pop of his stiff joints and a groan, the old man chuckled exclaiming, “sounds worse than it is. I’m going to get us some tea and sweets. We have much to discuss.” He declared before disappearing into the back of the store which she guess housed a small kitchen and office.

Lily stretched with a yawn, telling Levy he’ll be back. “Need to use the litter box?” The look Lily shot her clearly saying, ‘how dare you?’ caused a bubble of laughter to erupt from her chest.  

“I do not use a litter box. I am not some domesticated house cat.” He growled out with an irritated swish of his tail.

Raising her hands in defeat she laughed, “I apologize, and please carry on.” Lily left with a huff out the front door, using his mouth to turn the doorknob.

Deciding to stretch her legs too, Levy took to walking around the bookstore observing the array of genres and languages of books the old man carried. She was thoroughly impressed but not surprised by the range of his selection. Mentally, she took notes on the books she would like to borrow from the old man, the next time they came.

The door opening and closing with a soft click, made Levy put the book she was holding back on the shelf. “Lily, that was fast. I thought you-oh, I’m sorry.” She spoke peaking her head from behind one of the shelves, expecting to see Lily, but meeting two men instead. They looked sickly pale, with sweat coating their skin and snot running out of their nose only for them to sniffle it back in. They were both skinny, but looked strong enough to handle their own and by the look of their dirt covered overalls and boots she guessed they were farmers.

Either way she welcomed them while Mr. Maki was busy, “Welcome, is there anything I can help you guys with?”

Chapter Text

“Levy! Did you welcome our newcomers with your bright smile?” Mr. Maki sing-song as he walked out from the back with a tray, stopping abruptly with a sour look on his face. “Lee. Larry. What are you two brothers doing here?” The tone of Mr. Maki’s voice put Levy on high alert; these two were obviously not welcome.

Ignoring his question, the shorter one locked the door, ordering the taller guy with a sly smirk, “grab the old man, I got the girl.”

Panic spread throughout Levy’s body as everything happened so fast, she didn’t have time to react. The man quickly ran over to Mr. Maki causing him to drop his tray with a crash. He fought the assailant with everything he had, before the man punched him, knocking him out cold with a harsh, “shut up, old man.”

“No! Mr. Maki!” Levy screamed running towards him, but was caught by arms lopping around her waist. “Let me go! What do you think you’re doing?!”

******

“Stop squirming so much girl,” the man growled, squeezing her midsection tighter, causing her to gasp for air. Stopping her thrashing, she eyed Mr. Maki laying on the ground by the broken teapot, tea seeping from the broken pieces onto the carpet. She prayed that the hard hit to the head didn’t take him down permanently.

With her still held in the shorter man’s grasp, the other one walked over to them eyeing her with a nasty look in his eyes. “I thought that oversized cat, would never leave. So this is the King’s little mistress or should I say whore?”

“I’m no whore.” She spat, resuming her struggle glaring daggers into the blonde males head.

“Coulda fooled me the way he was flaunting you around today. Showing everyone who lays in his bed, ain’t that right Lee?” The man named Lee, kept a harsh arm around her as he raised his other to stroke her chin, Levy snatching her head away from his grasp. Lee laughed huskily in her ear, causing a shiver of disgust to run down her spine.

“It doesn’t matter what I say, you guys wouldn’t believe me either way.”

“You got that right. Larry and I know you’re his little pet.” Lee breathed in her ear, letting out a string of coughs that caused her to cringe and try to move her head away from him. Larry ignored his brother’s fit, picking up where he left off. “And if you can handle a King than you can handle us.” The perverse glint in his dull eyes, told her everything she needed to know.

She needed to get away from them and fast. Thinking quick on her feet, she planted her feet firmly on the ground before jamming the back of her skull straight into Lee’s nose causing him to release his grip. Stars dotted her vision from the force of the impact, but that didn’t stop her from scrambling to get away from the two. Larry was quick to react yanking her back with a fist full of hair, a sharp yelp escaping from her lips.

He spun her around, pressing her against a nearby bookshelf raising her off her feet by her throat. Clawing at his arms and face, Levy tried her best to get him to release her.

“You’re gonna regret that.” Larry sneered, turning his head away to let out a phlegmy cough. The man’s skin was hot and sticky with sweat, making it hard for her to land a decent hit on him.

“You-need….a….doctor.” Levy struggled to say, watching the man wipe his snotty nose with the back of his free hand. “You’re…sick.”

His grip got tighter as he leaned in closer to her face. “I’m pretty sure you can make me feel way better than any doctor could.” Sticking his tongue out he licked the side of her face, causing her to wrinkle her face up in disgust trying to turn her face away from him.

Looking over the man’s shoulder, she saw Lee clutching his nose, blood oozing pass his fingers at an incredible pace as he groaned on the floor letting out muffled curses and coughs. Levy felt a sense of pride at dealing that type of damage, knowing he would be too busy trying to slow the bleeding of his broken nose to pay attention to her. The feeling of her conscious starting to slip and her strength slowly draining, made her try to think of another way to get away.

******

Larry was smiling wickedly as Levy stopped struggling, thinking he finally gotten her. Mustering as much strength as she could, she raised her knees to her chest and kicked his lower abdomen as hard as possible. Larry curled himself inward, letting her drop onto the floor. A sharp pain shot through her arm as she landed on her side, her head smacking against the carpeted floor. Levy was in a daze as her heart was pounding loudly in her ear and stars sparkling behind her eyes as she tried to take in deep breaths. Her brain was telling her to get up and escape now before it was too late, but her body was refusing to budge from the lack of oxygen. With hazy vision, she watched the man slowly sit up a snarl on his lips as he clutched his stomach glaring at her.

If she didn’t move now, she was sure the men would make do with their promise of making her regret hurting them. Attempting to sit up, everything started to spin, but she pushed through focusing on the man that was standing up to his full height. Her nerves tingled with fear and panic, but she refused to let him know, as she matched his glare with her own.

GET UP! GET UP NOW! BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE! GET UP!

The door being kicked in made the men jump and her cringe from the noise and the bright light pouring in. Before she knew it, Lily had Lee pinned to the floor with a stiff paw to his spine and a growl while, Gajeel held the tip of his blade to Larry’s throat.

“If you don’t want to lose your head, I’d suggest you don’t move,” Gajeel growled out sounding similar to Lily. The man had no idea what the King was saying, but knew it was best to stay still.

Relaxing her muscles, she watched as guards pour into the store with raised weapons pointing at both men. Lily was the first to let his man go for the guards to take, but Gajeel seemed reluctant almost as if he was debating striking the man where he stood. Murderous rage seemed to ooze from him as he kept his gaze locked with the man who she was sure pissed his overalls.

Levy hoarsely whispered Gajeel’s name, causing him to hesitate, the grip on his blade so tight that it was shaking. With a strangled grunt, he snatched the blade away from the man’s throat letting the guards take him. Letting out a breath of relief as he sheathed his sword, Levy felt all her energy soak into the carpet as she collapsed, knowing she was safe and he wasn’t going to kill anyone.

“Are you ok?” he asked, his features quickly changing from murder to concern as he knelt down in front of her. “Did they hurt you?”

Trying her best to clear her throat, she spoke, “I’m ok, but Mr. Maki-”

“Is fine, they’re taking him to the hospital now.” He interrupted, sliding his arms under her back and legs. Picking her up as gently as possible, Levy rested her head onto his breast plate. “And, I’m taking you home.”

How could a piece of metal feel so warm and comfortable? Maybe it was the man wearing it and her feeling so exhausted. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep in his embrace, and then waking up to the sound of a frantic voice.

“Is she ok? What happened?” it was Ms. Carrie’s voice, quickly approaching them. Levy kept her eyes closed listening to Gajeel explain what happened, not missing the old woman quick intake of breath. “Should I get my first aid kit?”

“No, I don’t think she’s injured, but maybe some water and food will be great.” He suggested, her footsteps leaving just as quickly as they came.

Levy stayed still, letting the comfort of her surroundings ease the lingering anxiety. “I know you’re awake, so I’m gonna put you down ok?”

Nodding her head, he proceeded to sit her on the edge of his bed scanning her features for any cuts or bruises. “Just a few superficial bruises that will go away within a few days.” he spoke, moving his hand from her neck to the back of her head. She flinched when he touched a sore spot, and he apologized quickly. “I’m sorry. It’s a nasty bump, but nothing too bad. At the most, you have a concussion.”

She really thought she cracked her head open with that head-butt, but thankfully she didn’t. It sure felt like she did though, that guy had a pretty hard head.

Looking over at the door, she saw Lily sulking near it his aura emitting self-hatred and pity. “Lily,” she spoke softly, causing him to lower his head more. “Lily, it’s not your fault.” He shook his head, slipping through the crack of the door, disappearing into the hallway.

“Please, tell me you don’t blame him!” she urged, looking up at Gajeel as he stood staring at the door. His expression was unreadable, causing her heart to ache. Does he blame Lily?

“I don’t, but I also understand how he feels.” He gritted out with clenched fists, before relaxing slightly. “I know you want to take a shower, so go ahead and use mine. I’ll bring you some clothes in a sec.”

The sudden change in topic caused the sticky feeling on her skin to return. Sliding off his bed, she felt his eyes examine her as she walked towards the bathroom. Probably making sure I didn’t break anything or have any other bruises.

She scrubbed and scrubbed until her skin turn bright red, flashes of them touching her lingering in the back of her mind. Taking a few deep breaths, she did her best to calm her mind, using Gajeel’s soaps as an anchoring point.

When she finally emerged from the shower she couldn’t find a change of clothes anywhere. Looking around for something to put on, she found a pair of clean boxers and dress shirt that Gajeel left hanging on a hook, probably to put on after he took off his armor. Stepping out of the bathroom, she found Gajeel pacing without his armor, only wearing the protective pants and shirt that he wore under his metal. His temper had obviously snapped and risen since she was in the shower and it seemed that calming him down wasn’t going to be as easy this time. No wonder she didn’t have a change of clothes.

“Gajeel, what’s wrong?” she asked, knowing exactly what was wrong. But, what else was she going to say?

“I should’ve killed them, I should’ve took their lives as soon as I walked in.”

“Taking their lives would solve nothing, it’s not worth it.” The look in his eyes when he spun to face her cemented her to her spot. She’s never seen such a fire in his eyes before. Even though it was scary, she knew that it wasn’t towards her. His eyes sparkled a deep shade of blood, his pupils shifting into an oval with a deep snarl, his teeth showing his pointed fangs.

Sometimes she forgets, but right then and there it was hard to miss that he was a Dragon Slayer. She was afraid, but not for her, for those men. Even though they had terrible intentions, she knew that Gajeel would tear them to shreds if they were in front of him right now.

“How could you say that? Of course, it’s worth it! You’re worth it!” He scrunched his eyebrows in frustrated confusion as he took a few steps towards her. Seeing the frightened look in her eyes, caused him to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. It wasn’t working. Taking her hands in his, to use a different tactic, he spoke. “I should’ve never left you alone. I should’ve took you with me or waited-”

Snatching her hands away she felt her own anger rise. “I’m not some precious gem that needs to be protected Gajeel, I can take care of myself.” If he can be angry, so can her.

He threw his hands up turning around shaking his head before turning to face her again. “You’re clearly not understanding what would’ve happened if I didn’t come in when I did.”

“Are you serious?” She screamed, disbelief clear on her features. “Me? I don’t understand what would’ve happened? Of course, I know! Even if they didn’t tell me, the look in their eyes were evidence enough for me to have a clue! I’m not a clueless little girl! And if a broken nose and gut kick I gave those guys wasn’t enough proof for you than I don’t know what is!”

“You’re still not getting it,” he growled, continuing his pacing.

Her eye twitched. “What is it, Gajeel? What am I clearly not getting, because according to the way you’re acting I should be under 24/7 protection?”

“You should!”

“And why’s that?” She argued back, planting her hands on her hips, ready to argue back.

“Because, I love you!” he blurted out loudly, her angry demeanor switching to one of utter surprise. “I love you, Levy! Do you get it now? I fucking love you and when I found you on the floor with those-those guys I wanted to rip their heads off.” Plopping down onto the edge of the bed, Gajeel let out a shaky breath as if trying to reign in his emotions.

With her mouth wide open and her eyes just as wide, she stood still soaking in the man that clearly look defeated as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees with his hands held tightly together. “I don’t doubt that you can protect yourself, but that’s not going to stop me from wanting to protect you. Wanting you by my side everywhere I go, because to me you are a precious gem. One that drives me crazy because it’s so small and yet so mighty at the same time.”

Taking the steps needed to reach him, she stood in front of him, wanting to reach out and embrace him but thinking against it. All she could do was lower her head as well, muttering an, “I’m sorry.” He was right, she didn’t understand, because she couldn’t imagine what went through his head when he walked in.

“This isn’t how I wanted to confess to you, I had the rest of the night planned out but as luck will have it. It didn’t go as planned.” He let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head.

He had a confession planned out for her? He was going to do it tonight? Is that why they made a day of going around town and meeting some of Gajeel’s old friends. In his own way, he planned a romantic date for them and even though it didn’t end the way they wanted, they still enjoyed each other. He loves her and she loves him.

Throwing caution to the wind, she grabbed the sides of face lifting it up to face her, her lips crashing onto his. His initial shock was evident, but it didn’t take long for him to reciprocate, his hands finding their way to her hips. He tried pulling her closer, but before it could go any further, Levy pulled away shaking her head breathing heavily.

“No, we can’t do this.” She whispered refusing to meet his eyes, knowing she would kiss him again if she did. “It’s-It’s not allowed.”

“You really think that I’m gonna let a bunch of old guys tell me who I can be with just because of some stupid tradition?”

Chewing on her bottom lip, she spoke, “I don’t want to cause any more trouble than I already have. I know what they think of me, what some of the townspeople think of me. What would your advisor say if you told them you want to be with me?”

Today was proof of what they thought of her, and if his advisors find out about the bookstore incident she will definitely not be accepted. Her mind swirled with negative thoughts, causing her to cringe slightly from the sharp throbbing in her skull.

“Levy, look at me.” His voice dulled the pain as she did what he said. She knew she was in trouble. Those red eyes, did her in from the very beginning. “I don’t care what they have to say or what’s allowed, but this King says that Levy McGarden is mine and mine only.”

Just earlier she wondered what she would do, when he confessed and here she is going along with him. With the look of unwavering love in his eyes, she knew that her objecting wasn’t going to work. And she was ok with that. Letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, she relaxed her tense muscles. Placing her hands on his shoulders she rested her forehead on his with a knowing smile on her face. “I should’ve known, you knew what that meant.” He chuckled, pulling her closer their lips meeting again.

It was soft and passionate, unsaid promises of them going to do anything to make their relationship work. “Lily,” she whispered when they broke apart for air.

“We just confessed our feelings for each other and you’re already saying another man’s name.” he tsked, earning a smack to the chest.

A smile curled her lips, “Lily isn’t really a man, but what should I do? He thinks what happened is his fault.” Her smile dropped to a worried frown as she remembered a gloomy feline refusing to meet her gaze.

Gajeel abruptly standing up caused her to take a few steps back to give him room, his hands not leaving her hips. “I know where he is. I’ll take you to him.”

Chapter Text

Gajeel lead her outside, to the fountain where Lily laid curled tightly in a ball on the stone’s edge. She didn’t know how he stayed so balanced, but she chucked it up to being a cat thing. Hearing them approached, Levy watched his head pop up and immediately go back under his arm.

“I’ll leave you two, to talk.” Gajeel kissed the top of her head, before leaving.

Walking closer to the feline, she sat down cross legged on the warm ground as close as possible to the fountain, so she could be eye level with Lily. She sat there in silence for a few seconds not really knowing what to say to make him feel better, so she just decided to just let the words naturally flow out her mouth. 

“I know there’s nothing I can say or do to make you think differently, but I want you to know that I don’t blame you and you shouldn’t blame yourself. Nothing happened, I’m ok.”

She watched expectantly as his head raised slightly to look at her, a complex of emotions etching his features. “I still should’ve stayed with you. It seems every time I leave something happens.” He growled out with a frustrated huff through his nose.

“Gajeel and you, do not need to protect me all the time,” she said, Lily’s whiskers twitching at her statement. “And I know you can hear me,” raising her voice, she knew Gajeel wasn’t too far out of ear shot to hear her. “I now understand why you’re so frustrated though, but I still want you to forgive yourself.”

“That won’t be so easy and there’s nothing you can do about that.”

Nodding her head, she knew nothing she said would change either of their minds, but it was worth a try. All she can do now, is appreciate their immense concern and sympathize with them.

“How are you feeling?” Lily growled out, scanning her features, receiving a bright smile in hopes that will ease some of his concerns.

“I would feel better if you came back inside with us, I’m getting a little cold.” She shivered, feeling the temperature starting to drop due to the sun starting to set. Lily leaned forward rubbing his head on her cheek; looping her arms around his neck she hugged him, feeling a purr vibrate from his throat.

Even though, they were both lost for words, they could at least try to move on. Usually, she was so good with proving her point, but her previous argument with Gajeel made her realize that no matter what she says, they’re still going to blame themselves. They just want to protect the person they love.

Feeling a hand on her back, she turned to see Gajeel crouched down beside her. “We’ll keep you awake for a while, just to be sure your head injury isn’t more severe, but I think we all need some food.”

“That sounds like a good idea. You coming Lily?” she turned to face the feline, her hands rubbing the sides of his face, hoping he’ll agree. When she received a tentative nod, her face split into a wide grin. Without hesitation, Gajeel picked her up and walked back into the castle with Lily close to their side.

They met Ms. Carrie back in Gajeel’s room as she was placing a platter of food on the table by the couch, when they walked in. The old woman instantly rushed to the group as Gajeel was placing Levy back on the ground, encasing the small woman in a tight hug.

“I was so worried about you.” The old woman squeezed tighter, before pulling away still having a hold on Levy’s shoulders. “I’m glad to see your smiling face.”

“I’m sorry I scared you Ms. Carrie, thank you for being concerned.”

Ms. Carrie patted her cheek affectionately, “You kids are like my grandchildren, and I can’t help, but be worried whenever one of you gets into trouble. Especially you, Gajeel.”

“What? What did I do?” Gajeel asked, hand over his chest pretending to be hurt by her words.

Smacking his arm lightly she shook her head, “I saw the look in your eyes when you walked in and even though you’ve calmed down it’s still there. We’ll talk about this later, but for now you three need to eat.” She pushed them towards the table, promising to bring more food for Lily before rushing out.

With the events of earlier pressed to the back of their minds, they ate their food chatting about nothing in particular. Sleep came easy to them with Gajeel and Lily both demanding Levy stay in their room for the night, with the two curled around her like a protective cocoon.

————————————-

Levy clung tightly to her mother, burying her face into her chest, the familiar surge of fear shook her body as her mother held her tightly. Peaking her head over her shoulder, she saw the wicked grin of the Dragon King, with murderous intent in his gaze. When he pointed his blade towards them, she buried her head back into her mother’s chest.

As soon as she squeezed her mother’s side, they were ripped apart, the scene transforming from escaping on a horse to a circle of guards surrounding them. The cries of her parents as they were dragged away, grated against her ears as they reached for her. The sound of her name being belted from her mother, made her run and try to reach for them.

“MOMMY!” She yelled, tears streaming down her face as she attempted to grab a hold of them.

Bolting up from the bed, reaching out with shaky fingers as sweat pricked her skin, her breath came out in quick pants as her heart beat against her rib cage as if trying to escape. Feeling a hand wrap around her wrist, made her jump and turn towards concerned red eyes.

“Levy?” His voice was soft, as he cupped her cheek. “Are you ok?”

His touch and voice was so gentle, and with her emotions running high, made her cave into him sobbing. Usually, she was alone when she had the nightmares, but this time she wasn’t. He was there and he promised he always would. She couldn’t talk, all she could do was cry as he pulled her onto his lap cradling her, stroking the mess of blue hair. The feeling of Lily resting his head on Gajeel’s leg, near her hip, eased her sobbing. She not only had Gajeel, she also had Lily too. Her two strong boys, that refused to let her sleep alone tonight, and she glad they didn’t. Her crying slowed, taking a few deep breaths, she rubbed the rest of her tears off her cheek.

“You were having a nightmare,” he said matter-factly. “If you don’t want to talk about it I-”

Pushing away from him slightly, she leaned up to kiss the side of his jaw stopping his words. “Thank you, Gajeel.” He looked down at her confused by her quick change of mood as she shot him a small smile. “I don’t mind telling you, just know that it’s a lot.”

“I have all the time in the world for you.” He kissed her softly. Only with her was he a gentle giant, and her heart swelled at that fact.

Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she leaned her cheek against his chest curling up closer to him, feeling his arms squeeze her reassuringly. Starting her story from the very beginning she spoke without pause, as he listened without interrupting. She ended her story, where theirs begun, with her finally being found by a stubborn king.

“Oi! I’m not that stubborn,” he smiled, squeezing her playfully earning a light giggle. “But, I’m sorry that happened to you, Lev. I’m not really good with comforting people, but I do know how you feel. My crazy uncle tried to kill everyone that was connected to us. He felt like we would overthrow him as soon as my cousins and I got older. Your parents were just innocent victims in his crazed scheme. I never met your mother, but your father was really nice to me; even when I gave him every right not to.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew my dad?”

He was quiet for a moment, as if trying to ask himself the same question. “I-I don’t know. I didn’t want to scare you. You were in a new place with new people and when one of them has information on you, it seems weird when you’re unsure if you can trust anyone or not. I wanted you to get comfortable first and to get to know you, but I didn’t plan on falling in love with you.” Her cheeks warmed, and his blush matched hers as they locked eyes. “By the time I knew it, I kind of forgot mentioning it.”

“That’s ok, Mr. Maki already told me.”

His smile shown, the moonlight glinting off of his fangs. “I knew that old man was going to say something, that’s one of the reasons why I wanted you to meet him. He knew a lot more about your father then I did and I wanted you two to get to know each other.”

“Why is that?”

Running a nervous hand through his hair, his face turned redder than usual as he avoided her gaze. “Can I opt out of answering that question?” He asked, earning an amused, no. “I wanted to bring this up later, but the other reason I wanted you two to meet was, because I want you to take over his old position.”

Take over Mr. Maki’s old position? Wha-What?! What about the person that’s already there? Will she be kicking them out and will they hold grudge against her if she accepts? And, why her?

Her stunned silence and wide eyes, urged him to continue. “There’s no one currently occupying that seat on the council and I thought it’ll be a good way for you to use your brain on others besides me. It’ll also be a way for the council to see you for who you truly are, instead of this fucked up image they have of you. Plus it’ll be cool to have my wife sitting beside me.” He rambled, stopping short at his last confession. Clearly, he didn’t mean to let that last bit of information slip out.

Ignoring everything else he said, her mind focused on that exact slip of information. “Wait, wife?!” She sputtered out, covering her face with her hands as she shook her head in disbelief. “Y-You want to marry me?”

Wife? WIFE?! He wants to marry her, make her queen and…have babies?!

Her mind was clearly in disarray as her blush spread throughout her body. This topic seemed a lot easier with Wendy and Erza, but with the man himself, it was a lot more taxing on her heart.

“When I said I wanted to be with you, that didn’t mean some stupid fling. You’re mine and I’m yours, and I would happily marry you and prove that to others.” Tugging her hands away from her face, she let them slip freely from her view as she kept her gaze on her lap. She was focused on trying to reign in her wild imagination, as he continued. “But, if you’re not ready for that, I completely understand. I will wait forever as long as you stay by my side.”

Fresh tears pricked her eyes, but she held them back, as she met his gaze again. “I don’t know what to say,” she confessed.

“I wasn’t planning on telling you any of this until I thought we were ready, but you’re always so perceptive and you would’ve figured it out anyway.” He shrugged nonchalantly, before looking at her with such intensity she thought she’ll melt. “So, Levy McGarden, would you eventually let this stubborn King become your husband and let him propose to you properly.”

Flinging her arms around his neck, she hugged him tightly muttering, “Stupid Gajeel, of course I will. I love you.” He chuckled softly, holding her tightly against him, saying, “I love you too.”

Feeling a paw pat her on the back, she turned to see a pouting Lily, causing her to giggle. Gajeel reached over, pulling the feline towards them in a big group hug. “Aw, we love you too, Lil.” Gajeel chuckled, earning a soft purr.

‘Mom. Dad. I have a new family now and I think you would’ve love them if you were still here.’ She prayed to herself, a content grin curling her lips.

Their familiar warmth and her earlier cry session made it hard for her to fight the urge to fall back asleep. Letting out a yawn, Gajeel repositioned them so they were laying back down in their positions from earlier. She didn’t get the chance to say goodnight again, before sleep overtook her with her being once again cocooned between the two.

————————

Waking up to a strand of light in her eyes, she stretched her limbs groaning as her joints popped. Feeling around behind her for the usual big man that occupied most of the bed, she sat up when she felt nothing. Seeing a note instead, she rubbed her eyes trying to erase the rest of her drowsiness as she focused on his handwriting.

‘As much as I wanted to sleep in with you this morning, I had to take care of a few things. One of them being, moving your stuff out of your room and into mine. As of now, you are relieved of your duties as a hand maid until further notice, so you should do nothing but relax. If I catch you working, there will be consequences. Fun ones, but still consequences. Have fun with Lily until I come back.’

Turning her pouting face towards the feline that was now stretching and yawning, she lowered the note back onto his pillow. “I’m guessing you’ll tell Gajeel if I do something I’m not supposed to do?”

She huffed out a laugh, when he nodded his head in confirmation. “Well, I say let’s get some breakfast first, then head to the library to read more about the past academic advisors.”

Opening his wardrobe, she found her things just as he said. Changing into a simple dress with a high neckline to hide the rest of her bruises, she brushed her teeth and washed her face before heading towards the kitchen.

Leaving the room, she jumped when she almost ran into a…man? He looked like a ninja with every inch of his body covered in cloth besides his dark brown eyes, holding a staff as tall as him.

Her eyebrow quirked in suspicious as the man bowed at the waist before standing back to his full height. “Good morning, Ms. Levy; I’m sorry to have startled you. My name is Mystagon, I’ve been hired as a personal guard by his majesty, but don’t worry I’ll only be around when he isn’t and you won’t even know I’m there.”

Letting out a deep breath, Levy cursed herself from thinking Gajeel would simply let Lily be her guard. Alas, here they are and as she thinks about it, even Lily needs a break. If this will help ease both of their minds, she’ll put up with it, for now.

“Nice to meet you, Mystagon. I’m sorry you have to babysit me.”

He shook his head, “It’s not babysitting Ms. Levy and it’s my job to protect you. Just go about your day like I’m not here.” Mystogan bent down patting Lily on the head. “It’s nice to see you again, Sir Lily. You’ve grown quite a bit since I’ve last seen you.”

Levy shot Lily a curious glance, watching as the feline voice his agreement. The bodyguard stood back up, stepping a few paces back, so the duo could continue their walk to the kitchen. Giving the mysterious man a bow, she waited until Lily and she got a good distance before she could voice her question.

“So? Who was that?” She asked, with an underlining, ‘how the heck do you know that guy?’ lacing her tone.

“Not allowed to talk about it, but he’s one of the most trustworthy guys we know. When he says you won’t notice he’s there, he means it.” Lily meowed, causing Levy to sulk getting more questions than answers. Maybe she can ask Gajeel later on, until then she has breakfast to look forward too.

Chapter Text

Lily was right, Levy couldn’t tell in the slightest that someone was watching her. She didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. She tried everything she could to figure out where Mystogan was hiding and nothing worked. Lily, laughed at her attempts, comparing her searching to a child playing hide and seek with their big brother. Eventually, she gave up, retiring her search to the library.

After a few hours in the library pouring over books, taking notes and Ms. Carrie constantly checking on her bringing her food, she was lost in her own thoughts bouncing ideas off of Lily. The more time she spent with the feline, the more she understood the different meows, growls and facial expressions he gave her. It was like a different language she didn’t know she was adapting to.  

“How’s the research going?” Gajeel asked close to her ear, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin and him laugh. His laugh was light, as if it was lacking the usual playful tune. “You really get engrossed in those books, no matter what you’re reading, huh?” Rounding the sofa she was reclining on, he sat beside her, peering at the book she was currently reading.

He shot her smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and she knew immediately something was wrong. Sitting her book down, she turned to face him, examining his features. The usual brightness of us red eyes were dull, and the cocky grin that usually curled his lips was only a mere tilt of his lips. His body was tense, and she could feel him willing his body to relax. “What’s wrong?” Gajeel leaned back against the sofa, draping his arms on the back of it, letting out a tense breath.

“I had that talk with Ms. Carrie.” He started, Levy motioning her hands for him to continue. “And, she basically made the same points you did and chewed me out for letting my anger get the best of me. I swear that woman is just as scary as Erza sometimes.” He shivered, at the mention of the redhead.

A light chuckle escaped her lips as she imagined Gajeel nervously rubbing the back of his neck as the short plump cook wagged her finger, lecturing him. Placing a comforting hand on his leg, she scooted closer to him. “That’s what grandma’s are for. They’re here to make sure we keep our head on straight and smoother us in love and wisdom.”

Nodding his head, he leaned his head back staring up at the ceiling as if gathering his thoughts for a minute. She knew there was something else bothering him, but didn’t want to pressure him for the information. The stern faces of old man appeared in her mind’s eye, as the other factor to his rigid demeanor. Ms. Carrie, couldn’t have put him in such a sour mood, but she was willing to wait for him to tell her.

She felt him reach a hand over to her, tugging a piece of hair that escaped the ponytail she placed in order to read better, effectively grabbing her attention. “Can’t you smother me in love and wisdom?”

“I can definitely do that,” she answered watching his face light up, his arms reaching out to pull her towards him. “But,” she started, keeping him away with a stiff hand to his chest, “you have to tell me who this Mystagon guy is, since Lily wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Gajeel deflated with a sigh, shoulders sinking with his head hung low, before swinging it back to look at her. The look on his face surprised her. She never thought she would see Gajeel pout as if he was a kid who didn’t get the piece of candy he wanted. It was pretty cute and dare she say attractive. Biting her lip to suppress a chuckle, she gave him look that said, ‘if you don’t answer my question, I’m going to keep asking.’

“I can’t tell you a lot about him, due to his rules. His name is on almost every bad guy’s assassins list due to him being so good at his job. The less information we know, the less information that could possibly get leaked out. But, what I can tell you is, he’s been around my family for a very long time, so he’s considered one of us. He is contracted out to other clients, but they first have to find him and he has to approve. Finding him is just as hard as getting his approval, but for us he always seems to show up at the right time.”

Levy sat there, mulling over what Gajeel just told her. All in all, this Mystogan guy is a complete mystery to the people that do know him and an even bigger one to the people that don’t. Catching Gajeel’s eyes, she couldn’t help the smile that curled her lips as he looked at her hoping his words sated her curiosity. Not so that she wouldn’t ask any more questions, but so he can get what he wanted. She had the urge to tease him ruthlessly like he always do with her, but she decided against it, her resolve melting under his pleading gaze.

“Ok, you’re off the hook for now.” He moved quickly, pulling her towards him in a tight embrace. Burying his face in her neck, his lose hair tickled her skin as she held him just as close. “Are you sure, you’re ok?”

She felt him nod his head, inhaling her scent as she entwined her fingers into his hair rubbing his scalp. He let out a soft hum, lips moving against the fabric of her dress as he talked. “Just been a busy morning, nothing for you to worry about. But, how do you like your new room?”

“The bed is a little cramped and there’s this loud sound at night, as if someone’s snoring right next to my ear, but besides that it’s good.” Shooting him a teasing smile as he looked up at her, she squealed as he tickled her sides. She begged for mercy, apologizing through giggles.

He relented, pulling her close to him as he reclined back into the couch with her sitting sideways in his lap. They sat there in silence their arms wrapped around each other. It was Gajeel who finally broke the silence.

“How are you feeling?” She knew what he meant, and was glad he didn’t have to say much to understand the meaning of his words. The events of yesterday triggered nightmares she haven’t had in months and she was thankful she had him there when she woke up afraid and confused. He was worried about her mental and physical state, and knowing that she wouldn’t be 100% ok, she was at least happy he was there with her now.

“I’m ok.” She sighed, closing her eyes to focus on the warmth he emitted. “Lily’s been keeping me company and helping me research the previous academic advisors. I think I have a pretty good grasp on my future job. I just hope I’ll live up to your expectations.”

One of his arms left her side, cupping her face, forcing her to look at him. “Lev, I know you’ll do an even better job than I could even imagine and I’m not just saying that, because you’re mine. You’re a very intelligent woman, and if you can handle me, you can handle this country.” He finished his words with a searing kiss, sending sparks of warmth into her belly.

When they pulled away, she ducked her head under his chin to hide her blushing face. “Are you gonna blush every time we kiss?” He chuckled, his deep laugh vibrating his chest. “I’m not complaining though, it’s pretty cute when you’re embarrassed.”

Letting out a soft whine she buried her head into his chest, feeling his chest shake with laughter again. They heard a soft growl, Lily standing on his front paws on the couch, telling Gajeel to leave Levy alone.

“Thank you, Lily.” Levy reached out to pet the feline, earning a soft purr. Lily backed away from her hand almost immediately, sitting up straighter paying attention to the door of the library. She seemed to be the only one confused by the action, watching as the door opened with Mystagon stepping inside.

With a bow, he greeted them, “Sorry to interrupt, Gajeel, but there seems to be a problem in the advisor hall.”

Cursing under his breath, Levy scrambled off of him, watching as he stood up with a stern look on his face. His aura completely changed to one of relaxation to one of irritation, stomping his way towards the door. Thanking Mystagon with a quick pat on the shoulder, Gajeel left with his jaw and shoulders tight.

Levy watched him leave, worried as to what he was about to walk in to. Mystagon took a few steps forward, “he’ll be okay, he’s used to dealing with those old guys.”

“Instead of being formal, you called Gajeel by his name. Why is it?” His eyes creased and his masked moved as if he was smiling. She could’ve sworn she saw something red above and under his left eye, but it was so slight she wasn’t sure if it was a tattoo or scar.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Wendy and Erza, I’m glad it was all true.” Levy was taken aback by his statement, unable to think of what to say. So he knows Wendy and Erza? How deep of a connection to this family does he have, if they were freely talking like old friends? “Gajeel, also told me a lot about you, but you’re right. I did call him by his name. I’ve known the dragon slayers ever since I was a kid, practically grew up with them. Their just as much as my family as they are yours.”

The small woman was really surprised, she wasn’t expecting him to be so honest and sincere with his words. At the most, she thought he was going to talk in riddles and leave her with an even more questions. An enigma wrapped in black ninja gear. He smiled even more under his mask, stepping forward to take a seat in a chair across from her. Taking the book she was reading into his hands, he flipped through the pages, before returning his gaze to her.

“My job is to be a shadow, invisible, even when I was kid I was harnessing my skills. I know a lot more about these men then the books can tell.” Resting the book back on the table, he propositioned, “let me help you.”

“Why?” she asked without thinking, her face erupting into a bright blush as she rushed to apologize for her rudeness. Mentally, she reprimanded herself for letting her manners slip. He may be family, but he was still an assassin, one that she wasn’t sure if he valued manners or not.

He let out a soft chuckle, “don’t worry about it. I only want to help you, because I see the good you have done, and I want you to continue to spread that good. I’ll admit, it won’t be easy to convince the council members to accept you. But, if you show them you can do the job better than they can, they’ll have no reason, but to respect you.”

Shooting him an accepting smile, she nodded her head eagerly agreeing for his lesson. Lily contained his surprise as his eyes bounced between Mystagon and the small woman, curious at weird altercation. Accepting his strange behavior, Lily curled up beside Mystagon’s feet deciding to take a nap. They sat there conversing on the previous advisors experience, what they did wrong, what they did right and how they could they have done better. Levy rushed to write everything she could down, occasionally bursting into fits of laughter at the other side activities some the council members had. Who was she to judge a man’s unnerving obsession with painting explicit body parts?

Chapter Text

The very next day, Levy awoke to a light itch in her throat. Chalking it up to Gajeel, Lily and her talking late into the night, she didn’t think anything of it. It wasn’t uncommon for her to talk herself hoarse, especially when she was in a heated debate with a particular stubborn dragon. That was until it got worse. After two days of the itch in her throat progressing, she also felt an increasing dip of her appetite. It too wasn’t uncommon for her to forget to eat while she was researching a topic, causing her actions to seem more normal than not. The honeyed tea that Ms. Carrie brought in was the only thing that aided her.

Taking her books outside early that morning for some much needed fresh air, she sat with Lily curled up beside her, near the vines of kiwis they found the other day. The warmth did wonders for her, but she wished the sun was out. Thick clouds blocked the sun she wished would warm her skin even more. Summer was slowly coming to end, letting her know that she had only a few more hours of daylight left, if the overbearing clouds don’t release an onslaught of rain first.

Rubbing the feline’s head, Levy collected her books. “I’m going to take these back.” Lily cracked open an eye, meowing lowly his protest.

“There’s no need for you to come with me. Mystagon is here…somewhere.” She motioned her hands around her, knowing that the ninja of a man was indeed somewhere close by. “Plus, I’ll be right back as soon as I put these up.”

Lily was hesitant before letting her go with a, “if you’re not back in a few minutes I’m coming to look for you.” Agreeing with a slight salute, she made her way back to the library. Her body felt sore from the constant curled position she’d taken in the past few days, hoping the walk back into the castle will stretch her tired muscles.

Her eyes started to water and her throat burned as she tried to suppress the sudden urge to cough, as she walked faster back into the castle. Discarding the books onto Gajeel’s desk, she used the edge of the old oak for balance as her body shook with a torrent of coughs. With slow raspy breaths, she raised a shaky hand to her head as she felt light headed and dizzy. Stars sprinkled her vision as she tried to get a grasp on herself. Her muscles felt even more stiff and sore and her mouth felt as dry as cotton, letting her know what she’s been neglecting for the past few days. Her health.

The office seemed to get darker, causing Levy to look up towards the large office window. A streak of lightening brightened the room before it darken once again, a loud crash of thunder and rain following it quickly.

“Oh no. Lily.” Levy breathed, running quickly out of the office. She stopped short of the library doors, Mystagon standing in her way.

The man shook his head, holding his hand up for her to stop her approach. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re clearly sick and going out in the rain will only make things worse.”

“Mystagon, please! We have to get Lily. He’s terrified of thunder.” she begged, using her scattered mind to think of a way around him. He was just as quick to refuse her, demanding she sit down, so he can fetch a doctor. The heavy footsteps of guards interrupted their conversation, bursting into the library. They were looking for her and Lily, most likely from Gajeel’s request. The guards were confused and immediately on guard by the newcomer they haven’t been introduced too, turning towards Mystagon for questioning. She wanted to help him, but she wanted to help Lily even more. Mystagon was a big boy and could handle himself. Taking the distraction as a blessing, she darted out of the library at a lightening pace.

She was already throwing the doors open and running through the pouring rain before the guards and Mystagon knew where she was. It took only seconds for her clothes to soak through, and her coughing fit to tingle her throat once more. The rain felt like mini icicles on her burning skin, as her body shook once again with another coughing fit. Her chest burned and ached with every breath she took, feeling as if a demon was trying to claw its way out of her chest. Even so, she refused to relent her race, ignoring the demon, intense pounding in her head and aching muscles.

When she finally found Lily, he was curled under a nearby bench shaking more than she was. Collapsing in front of the bench, she attempted to catch her breath as she crawled under the bench, wrapping her arms around the large ball of fur.

“It’s ok,” she reassured him, as another crash of thunder filled the air, causing the feline to let out a louder string of whimpers. “I’m here, Lily. I’m here.” Her breathing became more ragged as her vision blurred before her. The need to get them both inside was urging her to get up and drag Lily inside or at least grab the attention of the guards shouting their names in the distance. She attempted to open her mouth and scream out to them, but she could barely lift her head. Everything hurts.

‘I want to sleep. I’m so tired.’ Was the only thing she could think of as her eyelids started to become too heavy for her to keep open. Even though Lily was just as soaked as she was, he was a lot more comfortable then the hard ground. “Gajeel is going to be livid when he finds out what I did.” She muttered, but it sounded more like incoherent grunts.

“They’re over here!” Someone announced, before she lost consciousness. At least she knew they would be safe when she wakes up.

----------------------

Slowly opening her eyes, Levy sat up taking in her new surroundings. She wasn’t in Gajeel’s bed, or even in one to begin with. Plush green grass cushioned her and tickled her bare arms and legs as she sat up, observing the seeming never ending meadow and blue skies.

“Where…where am I?” She asked aloud, standing up slowly unsure of how steady her limbs were. “Am I dead?” A surge of panic seized her as she frantically looked around for answers, anything to clue her in on what was going on.

“Not exactly.” A voice spoke, causing her body to go rigid at the male tone. Turning around slowly, her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the two people she wasn’t expecting to see at all. “Hello, my sweet child.” Her father beamed, as her mother smile was just as wide.

Tears poured down her face as she ran into their open arms, hugging them tightly, committing their scent and warmth to memory. If it wasn’t for her father’s firm hold, she was sure she would’ve crumbled to her knees sobbing with happiness. She’s missed them so much.

“How are…what are…I’ve missed you guys so much.” She sobbed, her mind jumping from one question to the next. Her father shushed her, as he pulled away, all the while still keeping his arm around her. His shaggy blue hair and mustache looking the same when they last saw each other.

“Look at her honey, she’s gotten so beautiful.” Her mother gushed touching Levy’s wet cheek, her brown eye’s softening as she tucked a brown curl behind her ear to analyze Levy’s features.

“She gets it from you, my love.”

Even now, her parent’s love was still apparent, for her and for each other. Oh, how she’s missed them. Hugging them again, it took them another few minutes to let go.

“We know you have a lot of questions, and we will answer them within reason.” Her father said smoothing her hair down. “We only have a limited time with you.”

“When I asked if I was dead, you said, not exactly. What did you mean?”

“You’re in the in-between place; you’re neither dead, nor alive. But, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to fight for your life or let go.”

An image of Gajeel, immediately appeared in her mind causing her to bite her lip in anxiety. She missed her parents dearly and would love to stay with them, but she couldn’t leave Gajeel or Lily. They needed her, she needed them and she would miss Ms. Carrie dearly.

“Thinking about your boyfriend?” Her mother sing-song with a teasing glint in her eyes, causing Levy cheeks to burn from embarrassment. “He’s a handsome one.” She said, looking over Levy’s shoulder.

Looking behind her she saw an oval shape swirl appear before them, an image displaying Gajeel at her bedside, clutching her hand tightly with his head hung low. A lump formed in her throat at the image of herself, laying almost lifeless in a blue and green room she’s never seen before, and Gajeel looking close to breaking. She’s never seen him look so fragile, so breakable. He was cute when he was pouting, but this, she didn’t want to see.

“I’m so sorry, Gajeel.” She whispered, wiping the fresh tears with the back of her hands. As if he could hear her, she watched as he squeezed her hand tighter resting his forehead on their combined fingers.

A firm hand turned her attention away from the image, towards her father. “Of all the people, you chose one of my favorite and most troublesome students.” He said with a sympathetic smile. “I’m glad it was him though, Gajeel is a big softy at heart and I’m sure you’ve brought out that soft side more.”

“How did you know?”

Her mother was the one to answer, “We do get to look on our loved ones and ever since he’s found you, we didn’t need to constantly check up on your wellbeing.” She was thankful they didn’t bring up The House of Purity. Just thinking of them watching her struggle and be punished made her heart ache even more. They didn’t deserve to see their little girl be treated in such a way.

Levy didn’t know what to say or do and her parent’s knew that. “Levy, as much as we miss you, we don’t want you to stay here with us. You belong with him, you deserve to be happy and have a family of your own.”

A soft sob escaped her lips as she embraced them again. “But, you are my family.”

“And, we always will be, but you deserve to live.” Her father, kissed her on the top of her head before releasing her. “You deserve to experience everything life has to offer and it offers Gajeel. You love him don’t you?”

She nodded her head, “I do. I love him so much, papa, mama.” She didn’t really understand the extent of her feelings for him until that very moment. It’s funny how once life gives you a glimpse at what you could miss, everything becomes clear. Hesitation becomes irrelevant and just a hindrance. What a waste.

“Honey, our time is almost up.” Her mother stated to her father, causing Levy to look back and forth between them. No, they can’t leave, not when they just got here.

“Where are you going? Please, don’t leave me.” She croaked, more tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

With a soft pat on the head, her father kissed her head once again. “We’re not the only ones who wanted to see you, plus we will see each other again. Promise.”

They hugged once more, before stepping away from their daughter. “We love you, Levy and remember the choice is yours.” They faded out, Levy crumbling to her knees as a sudden wave of fatigue washed over her. Thinking it better to just lay down in the meadow before fainting and hitting the ground hard, she let her eyelids close.

Waking up again, she was surprised to find herself this time in a forest reclined against the trunk of a tree. The sky was dark with the stars and moon shining brightly in the sky. The familiar sound of a fire, urge her to get up and walk towards it, the popping sound getting louder as she approached what looked like a small campsite. The trees opened up to a small circular area with four logs positioned around the bonfire. One man sat on one of the logs with his back facing her, his presence screaming importance and intimidation.

“Well are you gonna keep standing there or are you gonna come and take a seat?” The man’s voice was deep and it sounded as if it rumbled from his chest like thunder. She let out a small squeak as she hurried to take a seat on a log across from him.

A gasp slipped from her lips as she realized who exactly she sat across from and who else wanted to see her. The campfire was just low enough for them to see each other, while still illuminating their features. A sly smirk curled the old man’s lips exposing pointed fangs at the look of realization and shock on her face. Short grey almost platinum hair brushed his broad shoulders, shaping his angular jaw. Deep red eyes, glued her to her seat as she tried to even her breathing.

“You’re…..Metalicana, aren’t you?” She didn’t even need to ask, him and Gajeel were almost the spitting image of each other. The pictures in the books clearly didn’t do him justice either and also didn’t show the many piercings he had. He and Gajeel had similar piercings decorating his face, ears, and arms.  

“And, you must be the little thing that has my son wrapped around you’re little finger.” He quirked a pierced eyebrow at her, as if challenging her to say otherwise. “Let’s have a chat, shall we?”

Chapter Text

If anyone dared to say Levy doesn’t have a good poker face, they are liars. Even though she was screaming internally and ready to run for the hills, she sat proudly with a stiff spine and neutral look on her face. The only thing that could give her away was the bead of sweat that was starting to accumulate on her brow. But if he asked, she’ll just say it was the fire’s intense heat, even though it was a steady warmth. Metalicana seemed to smile even more at her reaction, eyeing her up and down with a scrutinizing eye.

She wished for him to stop and to finally say something instead of letting them sit there in silence. They say silence is golden, but it was excruciating and grating at her nerves. When a voice spoke, she nearly sighed with relief, if it was coming from the man that sat across from her. No, it was coming from the trees, along with footsteps.

“Yo!” A man yelled breaking through the trees with a boyish grin that looked all too familiar. “You made it hard to find you.” The old man had dark red hair, with a scar that sliced across his right eyebrow and cheek, along with a smile that screamed Natsu.

“Wait for me!” A female voice spoke, following close behind the red head. Metalicana groaned, leaning his head back as he ran his hand down his face, cursing loudly. Obviously, he wasn’t expecting company to join them.

A woman with long white hair seemed to float into their little area, stopping when her blue eyes met Levy’s. The woman was beautiful and held the regal air of a queen. “You’re so much cuter in person!” The older woman smiled, taking a seat beside Levy, continuously to stare down at her with a bright smile.

“What the hell are you guys doing here?” Metalicana growled, glaring holes into the two adults. “I told you two to stay away.”

Ignoring his statement the white haired woman turned back towards Levy asking, “Was he giving you the silent interrogation?” Unable to answer, Levy nodded her head, too stunned to trust her words. She was sure who the other two were, but she wasn’t sure if her eyes were deceiving her or not.

“Melly! I bet you were scaring the poor girl.”

“That was the fucking point, Grandeeney. I don’t want my son dating some wuss and don’t call me Melly, in front of other people!”

The red head, who she could only guess was Igneel slung his arm around Metilacana shoulders, tsking his brother. Metalicana quickly shoved Igneel away from him making him fall off the log and onto the forest floor.

“Uncalled for, Melly.” Ingeel pointed at him from his position on the ground, earning a growl for the nickname. The two bickered back forth, Levy seeing the brotherly love and where their sons get their nicknames from. Metal face and flame breath were obviously passed down.

Grandeeney knocked her shoulders with Levy, catching her attention. “They’re going to go at this if we don’t interrupt them.” She smiled looking down at the small woman before looking towards the fire. Waving her hand slowly in the direction of the flames, the orange hue quickly swirled to life, showing the image of Gajeel again.

He was arguing with Porlyusica and she in return smacked him upside the head for his bad mouthing, telling him shut up and let her do her job. Igneel chuckled shaking his head, “Porly was always a bitch.”

“Iggy!” Grandeeney chastised, Igneel shrugged his shoulders as he sat back besides Metalicana. They turned their attention back towards the fire, Gajeel taking his seat at Levy’s bedside with Lily curled up by her, resting his head on her legs. 

“He still has that nasty look in his eyes.”

“He’s your son, Melly, you both have a nasty look.” Grandeeney teased, smiling when Igneel chuckled at her comeback.

The metal dragon was about to respond when Gajeel’s voice broke through, putting them into a trance. He was singing, and it was beautiful, with his deep raspy singing voice. Her heart seemed to stop and her breath hitched as she realized what he was singing, it was the tune she always hummed since she couldn’t remember the lyrics. The song sounded more beautiful with words attached. It was in Dragonic, and even in the harsh language it was bringing tears to her eyes.

“He’s singing the song of love,” Grandeeney breathed as awe decorated her features. Levy wanted to ask her what she meant but she was too entranced by the heart breaking tone Gajeel sung. The image disappeared as soon as he finished singing. Levy wanting desperately for him to come back, but knowing if she reached out towards him, she’ll just burn her hand from the fire.

All eyes were on her and she immediately felt like she did something wrong. “Do you know what that song meant?” Metalicana asked, a deadly serious look on his face that frightened her. Maybe she did do something wrong.

Unsure of how to answer she only spoke what she heard. “It was about a dragon falling in love with a human and-”

“I didn’t ask what it was about, I asked what it meant.”

“It means, you’re the only one he loves, Levy.” Igneel spoke up for her, an unnatural serious look on his face. It was just as frightening as his brother’s. “That is a song we do not take lightly in our family. When we sing it to a loved one, it means you’re the one they choose.”

“Like a soulmate,” Grandeeney continued. “No matter what happens, he refuses to be with anyone else but you, so if you die, he chose to stay alone forever.”

The weight of their words hit her like a ton of bricks. She would never wish for him to do that and she hoped they knew that. Voicing that would be a great idea, but a sob threatened to interrupt her words as she starred absently into the fire, trying to hold back tears.

Gajeel, you idiot.

“You love him.” Metalicana said matter-factly. “I’ve never seen him care for no one other than his family and Lily, but with you it’s different. So…why’s that?”

“Way to be father-in-law of the year,” Igneel shook his head, but that didn’t deter the intense gaze the older man was giving her.

It took a moment for her to respond, but when she did, she was proud that her voice didn’t waver. “I don’t know, to be honest. I’m still surprised sometimes by how much he cares about me. When I first met him I didn’t really know what to expect from someone of his caliber. He could’ve treated me anyway he liked knowing that he could get away with it, but he still treated me with more respect and care than the past persons that had me in their care. I love your son, Mr. Redfox, way more than you could imagine. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt him.”

Metalicana seemed to stare into her soul as if trying to identify if she was telling the truth or not. When he was satisfied with whatever he was looking for, he shot her cocky smirk, crossing his arms over his chest with a proud huff.

“Well then little fairy, I approve.” Levy let out a breath, Grandeeney squealing as she pulled Levy into a side hug. “He talks a lot about you to me. It was a pain when he was deciding if he should confess to you or not.”

Igneel raised an eyebrow, “Oh really? I remember you ecstatic that he was even interested in someone and wishing you were there to help him.” Metalicana shoved Igneel again, telling him to shut his fiery mouth the two quickly falling into another verbal fight.

“Don’t tell him I told you, but the big bad iron dad over there already approved of you before you came,” Grandeeney whispered. “He just wanted to give you a hard time.”

Levy thanked the old woman, finally seeing how alike she and Porlyusica looked. Before she could comment on it, Grandeeney stood up with a clap of her hands catching her brothers’ attention. “Alright you two, it’s time to go. Let’s say our goodbyes.”

The men followed her instructions with grumbles as they stood up. “It was nice to finally meet you, Levy.” Metalicana grunted out clapping her on the shoulder, a look on his face he didn’t want to voice in front of the others.

‘Please take care of him.’

“It was nice to meet you too and I will, don’t worry.”

Igneel came next pulling her into a hug, beaming a bright smile when he released her holding her by the shoulders. “Welcome to the family, little blue.”

Grandeeney pulled her into a similar hug. “I’m so glad our little mini Melly found someone to share his life with. Take care and be sure to keep us updated.”

As she bid them goodbye, she couldn’t help but laugh as Metalicana and Igneel shoved it each other with Grandeeney groaning, calling them childish as they faded into the trees. Her surrounding immediately changed back into the spring meadow as soon as they were out of sight. Spinning around she was confused by the sudden daylight and even more confused by the woman standing in front of her now.

“Aquarius?!” Levy nearly yelled, as the blue haired woman stepped closer to her. “You’re dead?”

Nodding her head, Aquarius usual stern gaze softened. “I know Lucy has been looking for me, so please tell her if you can that she can stop.”

“But, how did you die?!”

Her blue eyes flared with anger at the memory. “I died that day that crazed dragon king attacked us. I went home to find Scorpio dead, along with a dozen of the kings guard dead around his body. It was all a trap and I was too late to figure it out. I was attacked as soon as I realized what was happening. Taking us out would be easier for him to get to Layla, Lucy and you. ”

“I’m so sorry, Aquarius.”

Shrugging her shoulders, the woman smiled proudly. “I didn’t die so easily and took a great number of his fleet with me, plus I’m with Scorpio so it’s cool.”

Leave it to Aquarius to smile at her own death. Levy would do the same if she was half the badass Aquarius and her husband was. A thought popped in her head of Gajeel chastising her, telling her that she was in fact just as badass as Scorpio and Aquarius.

“I’ll tell Lucy. It might hurt her, but I think it’ll bring her some closer.”

“Thanks, Levy.” She said, patting her on the shoulder, before straightening with a serious look on her face. “Now. Have you decided, whether you’re staying or going?”

Needing no further explanation, Levy nodded her head. It was an easy decision her parents and Gajeel’s relatives reassured. There was no way she could leave Gajeel and Lily alone. “I decided to go back.”

“Good,” Aquarius nodded her head. “This may hurt, mainly due to getting the sickness out of you. You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Taking that as a go, Aquarius cocked her hand back, slamming it into her chest. Levy felt like she was underwater for a few seconds before coming out sputtering, but instead of spitting up water on a beach, she jumped up in her bed coughing.

Lily jumped ready for an attack his eyes landing on her. He meowed loudly leaping towards her, rubbing his head against her face, purring loudly. “I’m starting to have a tendency to make you worry, Lily.” She croaked out, her voice hoarse from misuse as she hugged him with weak limbs.

The door opened, showing a surprised Lucy. “Levy!” She yelled, flinging herself onto the bed, hugging her tightly around the neck. Levy patted her friend on the arm, gasping for air. “I’m sorry! We were just so worried about you. Natsu and I came right away. He finally got Gajeel away so he could get some fresh air.”

“I should get him right away.” Lily meowed, leaping off the bed and out the door. Finally taking a look at her surroundings, she noticed that almost everything was either in a shade of blue or green.

“Where am I?” Levy asked. The bedspread reminded her of a mermaid’s tale with its shimmery blue and green scale designs. The carpet was a pretty dark blue with the walls painted a turquoise green. “I’ve never seen this room before.”

Lucy looked around a small smile curling her lips, “It’ll be better if Gajeel explains that, but how are you feeling?”

Her headache was gone, so was the intense itch in her throat and stiff muscles. Stretching her limbs, she attempted to get out of bed. “I feel a lot better, but I think I need a bath. I don’t want to see Gajeel knowing I haven’t bathed in a few days. How long have I been out, anyway?”

Lucy helped her out of bed and towards the bathroom that was decorated similar to the bedroom with it multitude of blue and green shades. “Three days. Natsu and I got here on the second day.” She drew Levy a bath, helping her into the water before running off to find something for her to wear. When Lucy placed the clothes on the vanity, Levy urged her friend to come sit beside the tub.

“I really thought we were going to lose you,” the blonde sniffled as she kneeled beside the tub, brushing Levy’s wet hair. “You should’ve seen Gajeel. I’ve never seen him look so….vulnerable. He really loves you, Lev.”

Levy was unsure on how to tell her that she knew exactly what he looked like and it broke her heart just to see him like that as well. “This may not be the right time, but I have to tell you before I forget.” Levy said, stilling Lucy’s movement’s with her hair. “I did see Gajeel while he was here. I also saw my mom and dad and….Aquarius.”

Lucy took in a breath her body shaking, her eyes wide with shock. “You mean she’s…dead?” Levy nodded her head, filling in the blanks for her with the information Aquarius told her about how she died. Levy also explained where she was and how she saw Gajeel. Even though it seemed impossible, she knew her friend believed her.

Lucy pulled Levy into another hug, her wet form soaking Lucy’s gown. “Thank you, Levy. I really don’t know what to say, but I’m so glad that you’re here with us. Please don’t scare us like that every again.”

“Can’t make any promises,” she giggled as her friend released her, the two smiling fondly at each other. After a few more minutes of them talking as Levy cleaned herself, Levy chuckled. “I think I’m ready to come out and you’re ready for a change of clothes. I don’t need you getting sick.”

With a helpful hand, Lucy pulled Levy out of the water, just as the bathroom door was nearly kicked in.

“Levy!” Gajeel roared, his eyes landing on her naked form causing his face to turn beet red. Levy let out a scream as she attempted to cover herself.

“Quit staring and get out of here, Gajeel!” Lucy yelled, tossing the hairbrush at him to break him out of his trance. It bounced off his chest, clattering to the floor. He didn’t say a word as he quickly turned around and ran out, slamming the door behind him. “He nearly broke the freakin’ door down.” Lucy muttered as she wrapped the towel around a still stunned Levy.

A bubble of laughter formed in her chest and burst out as she used her friend for support. That was not how she pictured their reunion, but she had to say it was pretty hilarious.

“We’re gonna have a sit down and talk about how all this transpired between you two before I leave.” Lucy giggled along with her friend. “Are you ok to dress on your own?”

Levy nodded her head, already pulling on her underwear. “I’ll be fine and I promise to tell you everything.”

Pointing towards her with an accused finger, Lucy declared, “You better. I want all the juicy details too.” She left to let Levy change so she could most likely do the same, promising to come back with Natsu

Chapter Text

Once dressed, Levy walked into the room to see Gajeel pacing, fiddling with his hands nervously running them through his hair. His amber eyes shot up towards her when he heard the bathroom door close behind her. It only took him one large step to make it to her, lifting her up into a tight embrace. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him just as tightly, breathing in his scent.

She didn’t realize how much she’s missed him until he had his arms holding her close with his face buried in her neck. There were no words, just the feel of each other’s warmth. He didn’t want to let her go and she didn’t want to either. Eyes burning with tears as her emotions overwhelmed her, she refused to hold them back, letting them dampen his dark hair.

“I’m so sorry, Gajeel.” She choked on a sob, hugging him tighter as he backed them up towards the bed so he could sit with her cradled against him. He was so gentle with her, it made the tears pour faster; only she get to see this side of him.

He immediately shushed her with his lips crushing onto her, proving how much he missed and craved her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she kissed him back, their hands tangling in each other’s hair. Taking a much needed breath Levy backed away leaning her forehead against his, a small smile curling her lips.

“You’re here, you’re really here.” Gajeel sighed cupping her cheeks, swiping away tears with his thumb. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you I wasn’t feeling well, it was silly-“

“No, do not apologize.” Gajeel interrupted, pulling back slightly, so he could look her better. His red eyes were burning with so much fear and anger, it made her own eyes grow wide with confusion. “I should’ve paid more attention. I was so wrapped up in what I was doing I wasn’t paying attention to how you were feeling.”

He wasn’t angry with her, he was angry with himself. That broke her heart even more. How could she let this happen; let him carry this burden. “It’s not your job to make sure I’m healthy.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong. It is my job. Lev, I love you and I would do everything in my power to make sure this never happens again.”

Opening her mouth to argue back, she immediately closed it knowing that look in Gajeel eyes. His red irises were sharp and unyielding telling her that he wasn’t going to back down. They could go back and forth all day if they wanted too, but she knew it wasn’t worth it. Knowing that this argument wasn’t going anywhere, with her definitely losing, she nodded her head. She would rather not fight right now anyway now that she was back. Instead, she would rather be smothered by her King and never leave his side.

“Ok, you win.” The smile he gave nearly made her heart stop, reminding her one of the reasons why she fell for him. Averting her pink cheeks from his gaze she took another look around the strange room, asking, “Where are we?”

“This room used to be Wendy’s when she was younger; it’s connected to mine.” Gajeel pointed towards a dark blue door beside the bed. “When she was afraid to sleep alone, I transformed this stupid concubine room to hers. I let her pick out everything, the colors, furniture and did everything myself. Never liked it before I changed it anyway.”

Levy laughed at his comment trying to imagine the almost sea themed room into something more…provocative. It seemed wrong now that it was fashioned for a child, and she was now curious as to why he never liked it before. She always thought the rulers treasured the concubine rooms, knowing they could have their pick of ladies just waiting for them.  

“What didn’t you like about it?”

“I didn’t want a concubine,” Gajeel said flatly as her attention turned back towards him. His eyes softened before he continued. “I wanted a wife.”

His words struck her in the heart causing her face to turn red and eyes go wide. He shot her a toothy grin, his signature laugh pulling a smile from her. Burying her face in his shoulder, she let out a muffled, “dork.”

“As long as I’m your dork.” He chuckled squeezing her sides affectionately earning a giggle.

-------

“LEVY!” Natsu shouted, pulling the small woman into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground. “I’m so glad to see you! You should’ve seen metal face pouting and brooding around the castle. It was like he was walking around with his own dark cloud.”

“Oi! Shut up flame breath! I was not!” Gajeel defended crossing his arms over his chest. Lucy laughed patting Gajeel on the arm shooting him a sympathetic look.

The three including PantherLily and Happy all sat down for dinner, Levy clearly famished. Afterwards, Gajeel took Levy on a walk, never keeping the small woman out of his sight or away from his side. They walked in comfortable silence, Gajeel leading her to a part of the garden she never noticed before, by the hand. She slowed when she noticed a statue of a great metal dragon seemingly made of iron, sparkling in the moonlight. It was beautiful.

The stature reminded her of someone, causing a light chuckle to escape her lips as she smiled warmly at it. She could feel Gajeel’s questioning gaze on her, giving her a firm squeeze on the hand to catch her attention. Without turning around, she kept her eyes on the statue a small smile curling her lips.

She wasn’t sure how he would take her meeting his father, but if he really loved her, he wouldn’t think she was some crazed woman. “I was . . . just thinking that this statue reminded me of your dad.”

“Oh yea, this was made for him by my mom. I’m surprised you caught on to it. A lot of people think it’s just our house symbol.”

“The dragon has his stern face, but I know your dad has a softer side to him. Just like you.” They were both quiet for a moment, Gajeel staring at her in confusion with Levy thinking back onto the conversation she had with Metalicana. “When I was . . . asleep, I guess you could say, I was in between life and death. With the decision as to what happens to me being mine. I was there for what felt like an hour or two, but during that time I was reunited with my parents and I met your dad. I also met Igneel and Grandeeney.”

Gajeel’s eyes were wide and his mouth hung open, with his hand squeezing hers a lot tighter now, but not enough to hurt. “Your dad intimidated and scared the crap out of me, with just a look. He just sat there staring at me and if I had anything in my stomach, I’m sure I would’ve puked right then and there. But then Igneel and Grandeeney interrupted his silent interrogation causing his demeanor to change, slightly. Grandeeney was super sweet and pretty. I can see where Wendy gets her personality from and the interaction between Igneel and Metalicana reminded me of Natsu and you. And, Melly is a super cute nickname for your dad by the way and I’m not sure if I can call him Metalicana ever again. Melly has such a nice ring to it and I’m sure he’s cursing me from the afterlife right now for saying it.”

She wasn’t sure it was possible, but Gajeel eyes got wider and his mouth dropped lower with a hint of recognition in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, before he finally decided to close it blowing a large breath shaking his head.

“You really met my dad, aunt and uncle?”

“Yes, and we watched you sing the most beautiful song. They told me what it meant and how could you make such a promise to me.” She blurted out hitting his chest with flushed cheeks at the memory of him singing.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her flush against him, flashing his fangs with a smile. Her entire body flamed up at their closeness and the predatory smile that curled his lips.

“Because, you’re mine Levy McGarden and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He didn’t even give her a chance to respond before pressing his lips to hers sealing his confession with a passionate kiss. When they finally separated her mind was hazy and her eyes were dreamy, but she had only one thing on her mind at that moment.

“You said that in the common tongue. You’ve been practicing.”

Throwing his head back, he belts out a laugh. “I tell you you’re mine and the first thing you say is I’ve been practicing?” Running his hands through her hair he looked at her with such adoration she was sure she was dreaming again, but this time she got to be close to him. “There’s only one reason why I’ve studied hard.”

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him get down on one knee pulling out a black box from his pocket. “Lev, will you marry me?” Her eyes barely registered the stunning ring that sat prettily in its cushion as she flung herself at him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she cried for the second time that night, a chorus of ‘yes’ tumbling from her lips.

Picking her up, he spun her around, her giggles spreading throughout the garden. After her tears stopped and he put the ring on her finger, she asked him a question. “How did you learn it so fast? I’ve been teaching you for months, but I’m out for a few days and you can speak perfectly.”

She felt him shiver as he twirled her hair while she sat in his lap. “Erza can be quite motivating and I’m sure I have a permanent lump on the back of my head from it.”

Rubbing the back of his head softly she kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, is there anything I can do to make it better?”

Tapping his finger on his chin, seemingly to pretend to think even though they both knew he already knew what he wanted to say. “How about spend the rest of your life with a grumpy dragon?”

Repeating his pretend thinking process, Levy tried everything to hold back the smirk at the little pout Gajeel had the longer she stretched her contemplation. “I think I can do that, only if Lily can be the ring barrier.”

“Deal!” He agreed quickly, this time Levy leaning forward to pull him down towards her to steal his breath away.

This is where she’s meant to be, with him. She may miss her parents, but she has a future right here with the man that showed her she can still have a family of her own and be loved. Pulling away she leaned her head against his shoulder taking a much needed deep breath. “Thank you, Gajeel. For everything.” She didn’t need a response him pulling her closer to him was enough for her. They had the rest of their lives for idle words, but right now all they needed was each other’s warmth and love.