The Celestial Princess and Her Suitors

Chapter One: Runaway

Lucy sat on the red covers that lay atop her large bed. The black curtains that hung from the corona above her canopy bed were pulled closed. The blonde teenager looked up from her book at the curtains and smiled. They were a gift from her mother before her death. The black curtains had a starry design on them, all eighty-eight of the night sky's constellations mapped out with golden threads sewed into the black, mesh fabric. Lucy reached out to one of the slits on either side of her bed and pulled back one of the curtains. Her brown eyes looked towards the large window that sat across from her.

She could see the full moon.

It was time.

The young woman sat her book down, stepped out of bed, and walked across her expansive bedroom to her large closet. Opening it, she reached in and pulled out an outfit that she had stashed in the back of her closet. She quickly walked back to her bed, laying the outfit down. She quickly slipped out of her nightdress and into the sleeveless, white-and-blue shirt, the short blue skirt, and tall, black leather boots. She fastened her brown leather belt around her hips, making sure that her whip and three keys, two gold and one silver, were fastened to her belt.

She made her way over to the large window. The pushed it open, looking down at the grassy ground below her. Steeling her resolve to escape this lavish prison, she walked back inside and grabbed a rope that she had managed to sneak away from the gardener's shed. She tied one end of the rope to her bedpost. Once secured, she went back to the open window and through the other end of the rope outside, watching as the end reached just a few feet above the ground. Lucy smiled, happy that her calculations were correct.

She took the rope in her hands and stood upon the window sill, turning her back to the outside world. Taking a deep breath, she began scaling down the mansion wall, going slowly so as to not lose her footing or grip. Once she reached the end of the rope, she let go, allowing herself to land on her feet. Lucy looked around, making sure that none of the guards had appeared. When she ensure that the coast was clear, she made a break for the forest that surrounded the estate.

She knew where she was going.

For she had long been planning this.

The blonde ran until she reached a town that had a train station. She stopped on the platform, leaning back against it as she breathed heavily, beads of sweat sliding down her pale skin. She waited a few minutes to catch her breath before walking over to the booth where she bought a ticket with the money she had tucked into her boot. She boarded the train and waited for it to take off towards Crocus.

Looking through the window, she could see the sun peeking above the horizon, just slightly. She knew that her father would notice her disappearance soon. She laid down as best could on her seat, closed her eyes, and tried to get as much sleep as she could.

"Now arriving at Crocus!"

The loud boom of the conductor's voice woke Lucy. The blonde sat up and rubbed her eyes. With a yawn, she stood up and walked off of the train. She exited the train station and stepped into the warm sunshine. Looking up, she squinted and saw the sun was directly above her in the sky. She looked back at her surroundings.

Crocus was the same as when she last visited a couple of years ago. All around her were large houses, stores, and restaurants. Lucy smiled, excited to be away from the mansion that her neglectful father had trapped her in. She began walking, searching for a magic shop. She hoped to not only buy a few new keys, but to also found out where the nearest apartments are.

After searching for some time, the blonde finally came upon a large magic shop. She dug out the money that she had tucked into her boot before entering. She was greeted by a middle-aged woman behind a counter as she scanned the shelves and glass casings, her brown eyes peeled for any keys.

By the end of her search, Lucy had found two silver keys. Happy that she was able to find any, the young mage walked to the counter to pay for the keys. "Ah, a celestial spirit mage, I see." The woman observed. Lucy nodded, smiling broadly. The older woman gave her a warm smile before asking, "Which ones are those?"

Lucy answered, "Horologium the Clock and Pyxis the Compass."

The woman nodded as she spoke, "that'll be forty-thousand jewel, dear." Lucy handed over the money, knowing that she had saved up enough for her first week in Crocus. That was enough time to find a place to live and a job.

Just before she turned to leave, Lucy asked, "do you know if there are any apartments for rent nearby?"

The woman nodded. "Just two blocks north, dear." Lucy thanked the woman and with a wave of goodbye, she walked out of the store and headed north.

By the end of the day, Lucy had successfully found a place to live. Now with that done, she had to find a job. She sat in a bakery that also functioned as a cafe, sipping her iced coffee, and looked through a newspaper, looking for jobs that she was qualified for. Eventually, she sighed and set the folded newspaper down on the table she was sitting at.

The owner of the cafe approached her, folding her arms across her chest and donning a kind smile. The woman had greying brunette hair pulled into a tight bun. She was plump and clothed in a blue dress and white apron. Lucy looked up at the woman, raising an eyebrow. The woman spoke, "if you're looking for a job, then I can employ you. I've been looking for an employee for some time now." The woman pointed to a "help wanted" sign that sat in the window.

Lucy mentally face-palmed. How did she not see that sign? She looked up at the woman, asking, "what would I be doing?"

The woman answered with a bright smile, "you'll be taking orders, serving pastries and drinks, boxing to-go orders, making drinks, making deliveries, and running various errands."

Lucy sat her iced coffee down. "I won't be doing any baking, will I?"

The woman shook her head. "I will be doing all of the baking."

"So, basically, I'll be a waitress and a gofer?" The woman nodded her head at the blonde's question, causing Lucy to smile. It sounded like a job she could do. She decided to ask one more question, "how much will I be paid?"

The woman answered, "100,000 jewel a week."

Lucy raised her eyebrows at that. It was definitely enough to pay her rent and groceries. She nodded her head, accepting the job offer, as she questioned once again, "when do I start?"

"This Monday."

Lucy nodded her understanding and thanked the woman for employing her. The woman walked away and into the back of the bakery to tend to her baking pastries. Lucy picked up her cup and left the bakery. She was quite surprised at her luck. As she walked back to her apartment to retire for the day, she became more and more excited about her first job in five days.

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Please tell me what you think. The next chapter will be published in a few days.