Keeping Promise

XXII

A dead stare set upon the ceiling. A set of brown orbs belonging to the pale blonde, Lucy Heartfillia. Her limb body lay upon a light wood table, cool upon her skin. Her arms were thin, wrapped in white bandages. She wore a white top with flowing sleeves, tucked under a long flowing black skirt, the skirt tight around her waist and flowed down just above her ankles. Her long hair lay under, some strands falling from her shoulders. Her breath was steady as her chest rose slightly and then fell.
Her mind filled with memories of hours before. Being dragged through the burning halls of the golden castle where she grew up, sheltered by its walls.
Her father's body, lying dead at the feet of his throne, the guards that were to protect him lay around him in large pools of blood. Servants by the exits and corners of the rooms were slaughtered as they had either tried to escape or hide.
In one day, just in hours. A whole kingdom was demolished. It'd be a miracle if the towns of Fiore could still function by trade. Further, in from the shores, those towns will probably be in ruin and turned into slums where the people will slowly die from starvation. Some of the people might resort to cannibalism.
Lucy closed her eyes, tears running down her porcelain cheeks. She bit her lip, holding back her screams for the loved ones she lost. The guards, the servants, even the people of Konzern, and her father; the king of Fiore.
She almost wished to have died inside the castle with everyone else, alongside her father. But instead, she was taken to be the only survivor of the castle's fall. She and one other she hoped had escaped and wasn't lying dead under the castle that had become a large grave.
She averted her eyes to the side, seeing something move from the shadows. Her eyes widened to the sight of her father, Jude Heartfillia. His burned and bloody body lean against the wall of the small room. The scent made her stomach turn as his body decomposed just feet away.
A loud roaring came from beyond the walls of the room making her jump. Her eyes widened more as a new feeling seeped into her body.
Fear.
She was scared.
What was the roaring, thundering noise came from? Though she wondered, a part of her didn't want to find out.
She clenched her eyes tightly, never wanting to open them again. She would cover her ears as well if she could only move her arms.
"Lucille-"

~

Lucy's body burst forward looking around quickly. Her body felt hot, almost to the point of sickness.
She was in a room, a small one. She lay on a bed, the mattress was firm as a thin blanket lay over her lap.
A window with a crisscross pattern and a desk underneath. On the window ledge stood a small flower pot, a yellow flower still in bloom. Beyond the window glass, the storm continued, but the rain looked to be dying down.
She looked down, seeing her body adorned in a white silk robe. She tightened it to her body, seeing it had loosened in her sleep.
A light knock was barely heard on her door, but it was enough for her to hear.
She stood up, straightening out her robe before walking to the door, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes as she walked.
Her hands grasped on to the cold brass doorknob, turning it slowly. She opened the door just a crack, leaning against it.
"Princess," a light voice spoke. She looked up to see Mini and Gemi standing outside her door, "Ah!"
Mini turned around quickly to her twin, shoving her hands onto his eyes.
"Mini!" Gemi growled at her.
"The princess is still in her sleepwear! I can't have people like you to see her highness like that!" Mini yelled.
"M-Mini," Lucy reached out her hand, "It's alright, it's just sleepwear."
"I seem to agree with Mini, princess," another voice spoke from further down the hall of doors from within the inn they were staying at.
"Loke," Lucy looked over at the man who looked to be enjoying the scene.
"You're a princess, and an attractive one at that," Loke stated, crossing his arms.
"Princess is very attractive," another voice spoke making Lucy's head turn the other way to see a woman dressed as a maid with hot pink hair.
"Virgo," Lucy spoke the woman's name.
"And in Princess' current wear... She has become fifty times more attractive," Virgo announced immediately.
"Fifty!?" Mini argued, "I say she looks a hundred times more attractive in a silk robe. She not only looks more attractive, but Princess also looks sexy even!"
Lucy coughed into her hand, feeling weak at the knees suddenly at Mini argument. She leaned against the door more, opening it a bit more, hand to her mouth.
"Princess!" Mini turned towards the blonde.
"I-I'm fine," Lucy waves her hand in the air, "I just didn't expect you to say that with such passion."
"Now look what you did Mini!" Gemi yelled, "Your big mouth always makes trouble."
"Mini, with that much passion, I think that could be taken as a confession," Loke stated.
"Th-That's not what I meant!"Mini stuttered.
"I'm sorry, Mini. I cannot return your feelings," Lucy took Mini's hands, "But I do love you, just not in the same way."
"Princess, that's not-"
"What's going on here?" Erza's booming voice spoke over them, curious about the commotion she was hearing just outside her door.

"Mini's being a pervert towards the princess," Gemi teased his sister making her cheeks red.
"I was just complimenting the princess!" Mini yelled.