The Guarded Princess

XXXV

Hearing the name of the country that she used to live in, it was a given that her heart was set into a turmoil. After all, it was home to the notorious guild of Fairy Tail that she had been abandoned by. But, compared to the feeling that she thought she would be feeling, it was milder for she had long anticipated something like this to happen. In fact, she had already accepted everything. She had accepted it because the people that she knew - the people that were now her friends - all stood by her. Fairy Tail was no longer a concern to her and meeting them again wouldn't pose a problem for her. The problem instead were the people that she had come to know.

Sighing with a soft smile yet a melancholy gaze, she sipped her tea. 

"Lucy-neesan?" Aladdin looked at her for her nonchalant reaction was what he had noticed first.

Alibaba, too, stopped mid-sentence, his eyes full of excitement had died down and he gazed at Lucy with worry. Morgiana seemed to furrow her eyebrows slightly as her maroon eyes wavered. Even though Lucy appeared calm with a smile on her face, somehow, she felt that she wasn't smiling at all. It was cold and lonesome and it reminded her of how she used to be.

Stiffening his arms slightly, Masrur narrowed his eyes. The greenhouse was silent as they waited for Lucy to say something. Lucy put a hand gently on Masrur's arm, easing his tense self. He relaxed but continued to stare at her, wondering it was that was on her mind. Placing her cup down, she looked at them with a forlorn smile.

"I guess it's time to tell the rest of my story," she said. "Would you mind calling the others, Ja'far? Koumei?"

The two looked at her with concern but seeing the expression she had on, they nodded their heads and went to call the others together. The trip that they had planned was one of joy and excitement but now, they weren't too sure anymore. Masrur stood up and helped Lucy up as they prepared to go to the meeting room where they always gathered together. Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana also stood up as they watched Lucy take her white fur hooded cloak and draped it over her shoulders, tying the ribbon at the front.

"Let's go," she turned back at them before leaving, Masrur following right behind her.

The two exited the greenhouse side by side and Aladdin watched them leave for the meeting room. He looked down at himself and clenched his fists as he held his head high, following them. This was going to be the rest of her unheard story and he knew what he should do. No matter what kind of past she held, he was going to remain by her side. Walking out of the greenhouse, Alibaba and Morgiana turned to each other and grinned before they, too, left. Lucy was Lucy and nothing would change that.

Meeting Room~

As per Lucy's request, Ja'far and Koumei had gathered Kouen, Sinbad, and the others and as Lucy and Masrur arrived, followed along by Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana, they were all present. They all eyed her with worried glances for they had heard from Ja'far and Koumei what had happened. Giving a meek nod of her head, she bowed to them.

"Thank you for taking your time and coming here despite your busy schedule," she said, grateful. "I've heard from Ja'far and Koumei already. The destination of both the Kou Empire and Sindria is Fiore?"

"That's correct," Sinbad said, his eyebrows slightly knitted together as his amber eyes expressed nothing but concern. "Little princess, the reason that you called us here today..."

Walking over to the window, she glanced outside. "It's already been half a year since I came to Sindria hasn't it?"

"It feels just like yesterday that we found you floating amidst the ocean," Kouen remarked. "Time sure does fly by fast."