The Fairy-Tail Bride

Chapter 5, Part 1: The Announcement

Hehehehehe! I'm a little stinker. Sorry about last time. But not really. ENJOY!

Five years later, the Great Square of Alpha was filled as never before. It seemed the whole kingdom had turned out, awaiting the introduction of Prince Sting's long awaited bride-to-be, Princess Lucy of Keysmith. The crowd had begun to form some forty hours earlier, but up until about twenty-four hours before, there were still fewer than a thousand. But in the five hours prior to the announcement, the numbers soared. No one had ever seen this Princess, but rumors of her beauty flowed continually nonetheless, and each was more impossible than the last.

Lucy sat up in her room, a whole flock of maids fluttering madly around her. They had awoken her some twelve hours before, promptly scrubbing her skin to within an inch of her life, washing her hair, and rubbing her down with all manner of oils and creams.

Now they were chirping noisily, arguing about how to best do the young woman's blonde locks. Exasperated, Lucy turned to the one maid who sat off to her left, doing nothing. One with light blue hair.

Levy patted her friend's arm. "It'll be alright Lu," she said, "They're just trying to help."

Ah, Levy. The blonde sighed. At least she was here. The bluenette had been with her from the beginning. They were there for each other in the tragedy of The Dread Pirate Igneel's attack, then again, Levy was there two years later when both Lucy's parents passed away. The blonde couldn't imagine going through with any of this without the blue haired girl by her side.

At last, the attendants filed out, informing Lucy that she was to be escorted to her place for the introduction by a guard who would arrive shortly. Soon, only Levy remained.

"Is there any way out of this?" The blonde wondered aloud.

"I'm afraid not..." Came Levy's reply. "You gave your word."

"But I don't love him!" Lucy moaned. "I don't even like him. I don't even know him!"

The bluenette only nodded in sympathy.

"I wish every day that our beloveds had not set sail, but now more than ever..." She trailed off.

"I know." Replied Levy.

The guard's knock came at the door, and Lucy fastened her chorded belt, fixing the loop of her antique Keysmith keys thereon.

~~~~~~~

As the sun reached the height of noon, Prince Sting emerged to the balcony of his father's castle overlooking the Square. He raised his arms high above his head and the crowd slowly quieted.

"My people," he began, "Today is to be a glorious day of greeting. As some of you may have heard, my honorable father's health is not as it was in his youth. He is, after all, eighty-five, and really, we could not ask more of him than the faithful years he has already bestowed upon us."

At this mention of the King's failing health, the crowds stirred uneasily.

"However, do not despair! For I shall be king in his place whenever it is that he is called to his fathers. And, of course, for every new king, there must be a new queen!" saying this, Sting made a wide sweeping gesture, and the doors of the balcony opened grandly and Lucy took her place beside him.

"My people! The Princess... Lucy!"

This Princess was far superior to the Mourner who had emerged from her bedroom so long ago. Her figure faults had faded. Her hair, which she had once tended to herself, now had five full~time hairdressers to wait upon its proverbial hand and foot. (This was well after hairdressers. In truth, ever since there have been women, there have been hairdressers. Adam being the first, though the King James scholars did their best to muddy the point.)