WHY HELLO THERE AUDIENCE!

My GOSH it feels so good to be back! After a long hiatus, yes, I have officially returned to redo and complete TPOP! YAY! I'm so excited to share what I have in store for you my Duckies, I can hardly contain myself ;) Anyway, in the wise words of Shang, "let's get down to business!" So TPOP will now be broken down into three parts. This particular story will be rated down to "T" for now. THAT'S RIGHT YOU GLORIOUS LEMON LOVING NASTIES! No hanky panky between our favorite ships in part one, I'm sorry ;( There will, however, be some implied oogilly boogilly due to the nature and themes of the revamp. AS SUCH, the rating will more than likely change for part one the farther we progress with the story. That being said, the themes in the story are as follows...

**ATTENTION! PLEASE READ THIS NEXT PART!**

Biggest themes in this three piece story include slavery, rape and discrimination (mostly against women). If these topics trigger you, then I would suggest that you don't read. Part one will be dealing mostly with the discrimination aspect, but the second and third parts of the story will be relatively heavy with the other two themes.

Anywho, now that that's out of the way, let us get on with it!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail or things associated with the manga/show, but everything else in the story belongs to me, such as SOME characters, places, items, misc. as it was originally based off of a story I've been working on for forever. :) If someone finds something that they like and they wanna use it in their own stories (such as a character, item or place or whaaateverrrr) please let me know!

ENJOY~!

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Chapter 1

"Lucy…!"

Screaming.

"Lucy!"

The acrid stench of smoke as it rose high, higher into the air and kissed the ceiling as angry orange flames consumed everything in their path.

"Lucy-" a harsh cough and fit of hacking, "-where are you?!"

A little girl, huddled on the ground in absolute terror, arms covering her head as a means to protect herself as the fire ravaged her home.

More screaming, this time out of desperation, not of pain and fear.

"P-Please, Gods…"

A little girl, shakily rising to her little feet as she catches a glimpse of her mother. The woman is limping and covered in scarlet ash… but she sees her young daughter through the haze and watches with bated breath as the tiny replica of herself dashes madly to her side. She barely avoids a falling wooden beam, but luckily the little girl's mother scoops her up into the safety of her arms.

"Lucy! Thank the Gods you're safe… come, we must hurry to the tunnels-"

"My queen! Please, this way!" a new voice shouts. This one is always unfamiliar to Lucy. She never sees his eyes, but she sees the treachery upon his lips as he grins once the queen turns her back… once she turns to face her beloved daughter…

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Lucy opened her eyes slowly as she came to, a heavy grogginess settling in deep into her muscles and bones. She ached. She had been awoken by the sound of rain pattering an old sightseeing tower she quietly barricaded and secluded herself in. The ceiling had begun to cave in years ago and therefore it was deemed unfit for civilian use… but of course, Lucy was no civilian, and even if she had been, she had always been rather rebellious. As was in her nature, a trait she had inherited from her mother. A trait that she embraced with open arms.

She lay now on a makeshift bed of soft hay – although damp now from the rain – and listened quietly as she gazed up at the mournful grey skies that blanketed Crocus. Were the Gods watching her at this very moment? Could they see into her dreams… her memories? Did they shudder in horror as they too recalled that dreadful day?

Golden brown eyes squeezed shut, pushing back against the pain that threatened to overwhelm her cool exterior. She struggled to remain calm and opted to remind herself that she was in the present, not the past. Lucy inhaled deeply… no longer did the sting of smoke bite her nose. Instead, the scent of barley and alfa alfa permeated the fresh air. The droplets of chilled rain that danced across her face replaced the heat from the fierce flames of her memory. The whimsical sounds of children laughing and playing in the streets below filled her ears instead of the shrill cries of the people she loved, as they were either burned alive or-

Lucy sat upright, her eyes opening once more as she heard the tell-tell signs of soldiers marching. Their armor clanked and shifted about as they moved, causing quite a bit of noise, albeit desired. The children stopped laughing, stopped playing their game of what sounded like Posie, and suddenly fell into a subdued hush as they more than likely observed the soldiers in quiet wonder. It was then that Lucy decided to peer over the broken edge of the tower she now crouched in to make some observations herself.

And what she had envisioned held fast: the children clung to the side of the street and watched in awe as the soldiers marched on, closer and closer to her tower. A few soldiers seemed to be arguing amongst one another, but at the distance they were now, it was hard to discern what was being said. Lucy crept to the very edge of the tower and strained her ears to eavesdrop on the hushed conversation.

"…the third time this week alone," a young soldier was saying. "At this point I feel like a dog, playing fetch with his master."

"Silence your tongue or I'll do it for you," another hissed quietly, nudging his comrade sharply in the side with his elbow.

The other seemed unbothered by the gesture however and ignored his companion, "I didn't sign up for this only to become an animal and blindly follow orders. Have any of you actually seen the king? As far as I know, no one has laid eyes on King Jude Heartfilia for over ten years. Not since-"

"Enough," came the deep voice of a knight, a man that Lucy recognized as Marcus Speer. He was a highly decorated knight, and took charge for the Captain of the Guard whenever said man was unavailable to command his men. Sir Marcus was also popular with the people, as he often acted as their conduit to voice their concerns to the king. It was something he had been unable to do for quite some time; not because of his increased duties as a substitute for the Captain, but because the king had become increasingly… recluse.

The older man was leading the small platoon, and slowed his pace to look his men in the eyes. His aged and pale face was serious, and his tone severe as he said, "Right now, none of this is our concern as his Majesty's men. What is our concern is locating the princess and bringing her home safely."

It was then that Sir Marcus stopped the platoon altogether and turned to face his men completely, holding his arms to the sides and gesturing towards the colorful buildings that flanked them all.

"We split up and search here. We check every building – house and shop – and reconvene in ten minutes. Dismissed."

By that order, the men dispersed and carried out the command they had been given, even the young soldier who had been complaining.

Lucy inhaled sharply through her nose, knowing her time was almost up. They had been searching for hours now… searching for her. They always managed to find her, no matter how hard she tried to hide, but she was getting better at concealing herself every time she escaped from Mercurius. At the thought of the Flower Light Palace, Lucy glanced up from her kneeled position in the crumbling tower and eyed the tall spires and great rounded domes, the painted glass and dancing light that made up the exterior of her home. The entire structure, even the colorfully immaculate and well-manicured gardens, were visible from this distance. To most who lived in the country, it was known as the Heart of Fiore. To Lucy however, who now stared at it in distaste and annoyance, it was a prison. It was ridiculously large, and housed not only the royal family, but also the staff and soldiers that loyally served them.

The princess wrinkled her nose at the thought. She would be labeled a liar if she said she enjoyed the pampered and overbearing treatment she received as per her title demanded. It stifled her spirit, her wild heart and energy, her oftentimes overactive imagination… which were only a few reasons to name why she fled the palace so often. The escape meant the return of her sanity, as well as her patience, poise, and her grace. Ultimately, it was only a carefully constructed mask of protection. A mask that she forced herself to wear every time she interacted with another member of high society. It was a heavy, meddling, cumbersome thing that would act as more of a burden these days than an actual aid. Her patience was slipping, and her mental health was failing her as she struggled with the duties imposed upon her from birth.

Lucy sighed when she heard the breathless grunts of men, struggling to shove open the doors to her hideaway. The end was near. She stood to her full height in resignation and crossed the small space to retrieve her black hooded cloak she had discarded earlier. As the rain continued to fall, she pulled the hood up and concealed her long golden locks of hair to protect them from the steady onslaught.

Now she was to wait.

Suddenly, the young soldier's words from before struck her out of nowhere. It was like a bucket of ice water had been thrown against her bare back, which caused her to involuntarily shiver uncontrollably.

"Have any of you actually seen the king? As far as I know, no one has laid eyes on King Jude Heartfilia for over ten years…"

Those words ignited her royal blood in fury, but her resentment was not directed at the man who dared utter them. No… although he had indeed been disrespectful, her anger was directed toward her father, the king. The men searching for her were on edge for very good reason. Civil unrest had begun to erupt within Crocus due to the people's unheard pleas and requests. The incomparable beauty and vast outer wealth of the Flower Blooming Capital efficiently masked the underlying darkness and strife that ravaged its streets and commoners. There were only a handful of Districts that were considered "safe" from radicals and heretics, a fact that saddened the princess deeply.

What could she do? She was merely a princess, and worse yet… a woman. The clergy who worked alongside the royal family, the men that aided Lucy's father in making decisions that had the potential to cause either great harm or great good to the country… they would never listen to her ideas and opinions regarding her country, simply because she was a woman. Lucy felt her bitterness and frustration boil over at that point. She kicked her booted foot into the collapsing wall with considerable force and forced herself to stifle a howling shout of both physical pain and outrage that threatened to tear from her lips in the process. She knew that the gesture had been immature and uncontrolled, but mastery of her emotions was the furthest thing from her mind.

As the soldiers finally forced open the wooden door to the princess's enclosure, Lucy limped forth from the shadows to grudgingly accept her fate.

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Of course her father hadn't been the one to greet her as she had returned to the palace, but that was to be expected. The king was far too "busy with kingdom affairs" to be bothered by his daughter's antics, so the chances of seeing the king himself after each retrieval of the princess was less than zero.

Not that Lucy minded.

Now she sat in her study, watching as Ainslee Carlyon, King Jude Heartfilia's steward, entered to speak to her.

"Milady, I have instructions for you from Milord."

Ainslee was a tall and thin man, with dark graying hair. His dark brown eyes were usually filled with an open warmth that made one feel safe, but with the way he was looking at the princess, she could tell he was apprehensive with what he was about to say. And for Ainslee to deviate from his usually sunny temperament… it was clear he was torn about something. But what?

"Ainslee," Lucy replied calmly, inclining her head toward the man in indication that he should continue. Her practiced posture and grace had returned, her regal mask officially donned. She was ready to handle this situation.

"The king has requested that you prepare yourself in the coming days for… a surprise ball he wishes to throw. In… honor of you."

Lucy allowed the sudden shock of surprise to flit across her composed face for a split second, before she reined herself in to process Ainslee's words. A surprise ball? For her? Something wasn't adding up.

'What is my father playing at?'

"…While I'm honored the king would hold me in such… high esteem, why now of all times, Ainslee?" the princess spoke slowly, deliberately, trying to gauge the man's reaction as she spoke. But the royal steward's own dutiful mask of perfection had replaced the apprehension that had been on his face. He cleared his throat and adjusted his pressed white collar, his black vest, and brushed imaginary dirt off of his deep blue coat. He readjusted his white gloves once more, and if Lucy didn't know him well enough, she wouldn't have known that he only fiddled with his clothes when he was about to do something he really did not want to do.

'Oh no…'

"By the authority given to me by King Jude Heartfilia of the Royal Heartfilia Family, you, Princess Lucy Heartfilia, are to attend and host your Debutante Ball in one fortnight from now. Royal parties from the countries of Seven, Joya, Caelum, Stella, Desierto, Sin, and Pergrande will be in attendance. While you mingle, you will be expected to…"

But Lucy wasn't listening anymore.

She was ready to handle the situation. Was. She had not anticipated this. She had not anticipated her father to go through with her Debutante Ball…

Celebrated on the year they came of age, Debutante Balls were thrown for every young prince and princess – or noble that held a recognizable name or title in high society – typically on their sixteenth year. Princess Lucy Heartfilia had been quite the talk of the city; no doubt, she was the talk of the entire country, and perhaps whispered in gossip around the entirety of Ishgar. Why? Because she had been one of the very few esteemed names in the history or Fiore to not have been celebrated on her sixteenth birthday. That was not to say that it would never happen. It had merely been postponed… until now. Until her seventeenth birthday, a fortnight from now. These balls were primarily conducted to debut young people into members of fine society.

An announcement that the person being celebrated was of good breeding and marriageable age.

Lucy felt the panic start to rise in her chest and interrupted Ainslee as he was still talking.

"What- Um… What was this about- Um… Joya? I-… I-I wasn't aware that the king and queen had borne a son."

'Engage in conversation… good. Calm yourself Lucy. It's going to be okay. Just… just breathe. You will figure this out.'

At first, Ainslee looked surprised – because the princess had actually involved herself in the conversation? Because she wasn't rejecting the idea outright? Perhaps because she wasn't screaming like she wanted to? – but he recovered himself and managed a smooth response.

"Yes milady, the queen bore a son seven- seven years ago."

Lucy flinched slightly. Not only due to the fact that her potential marriage candidate was merely a boy on his seventh year of life, but… seven years ago, her mother…

The princess shook her head and cleared her throat, quickly shoving down the depressing thought before it could overwhelm.

"And the prince of Stella? As far as I knew, there was only one prince, and his Ascension was to take place some time within the next year."

Ainslee nodded approvingly, "I am glad to see you are taking your current studies very seriously milady. Yes, he is to Ascend early in the next year. But he has expressed great interest in meeting 'the mysterious and rebellious princess of Fiore', which, as I recall, were his exact words."

Lucy couldn't help but look down at her wringing hands. Mysterious and rebellious? To have heard of her reputably wayward spirit in another country, a country as renowned as Stella no less…

'How embarrassing!'

Though, as embarrassing as she indeed found it, she knew she would never be able to change what was in her heart. She could suppress it, stifle it, for the sake of royal duty, but the fire in her soul could never be quenched.

'By anyone,' she thought stubbornly.

Ainslee gently cleared his throat, clearly expecting her to ask something else Lucy realized with a start. But what? She quickly racked her brain.

"S-So… the prince of Stella… He's-… He's interested in meeting me is he? Do you recall how old he is, Ainslee?"

Lucy rose from her plush chair that sat behind her heavy dark wooden desk and took to pacing her spacious study, only half listening to what the lord steward was saying. Internally, the panic that had been building within her was nearing a boiling point.

'Father wants my Debutante Ball to take place… Now, think rationally Lucy. That doesn't necessarily mean he desires to marry you off for political gain. He hasn't even partaken in country affairs – or taken any interest for that matter – for quite some time now.'

The thought made her brow crease in renewed frustration, but she chose to let it go. Right now, she needed to figure out what the Mad King, Jude Heartfilia, was up to.

"Ainslee," Lucy interrupted thoughtfully as something suddenly occurred to her. She had her back to the man, but she could imagine his miffed expression.

"About the envoy from the Pergrande Kingdom. I thought our spies informed us that their prince was missing? It seems silly to voice this aloud, but surely the High King doesn't take an interest in someone like me. There is virtually no political gain from… from a union between… our two countries. If anything, we gain."

"Yes milady, you are accurate on all accounts. However, there is some new information we have gained in regards to the Pergrande Kingdom that I believe you will find interesting."

Lucy whipped her head around to glance back at the steward in obvious curiosity. While every established country/nation in Ishgar was ruled by a single king and their lords, each king answered to the One True King who had made his ancestral home in Pergrande. But the royal family had always been reclusive and reserved about the going-ons in their clan and country. Even the country. It was a land shrouded in obscurity, and there was only so much intelligence the Dossier Keepers had that involved the enigmatic nation.

It was a mystery that truly perplexed Lucy and made her overactive imagination leap at the chance to learn more.

"Do go on Ainslee," she said eagerly.

Pleased that he had captured his princess's attention so thoroughly, the steward continued, "As you know, Pergrande is home to the High King and Queen of Ishgar, as how it has always been time immemorial."

"Correct."

"The identity of the current High King has been a mystery to us for the past forty seasons, although this hasn't been or much concern considering every king is afforded his own right to rule over his country however he chooses… within reason of course."

"Yes, of course."

"Now, as you know, the current High King has a son, born from an unknown mother. At this time, we do not have information regarding a High Queen of Ishgar."

"Yes…"

Ainslee looked as if though he couldn't contain himself; a small grin flickered across his lips as he watched Lucy struggle reel in her open curiosity. He too was a sucker for mystery and gossip.

"Not only has the High Prince disappeared as you mentioned earlier, but according to one of our spies, the High King himself has gone missing as well. He believes it to be a coup to overthrow the royal family, but unfortunately no one inside or outside of the kingdom knows all the facts."

Lucy felt her eyes widen in shock and she stopped pacing at once.

"Missing? Both the High Prince and King?" she breathed in shock.

"Yes," Ainslee affirmed with a somber nod. "For how long, we cannot say. I have informed your father, the king, but… well, there's nothing we can do with this information. The facts are that they are missing. But we simply do not know how or why. At this point, we can only assume. The lord steward of Pergrande has not released an official statement of course, nor has he requested the aid of the other kingdoms to help locate them. But it is the lord steward who would be in hopeful attendance of your Debutante Ball, in place of the royal family."

The princess nodded slowly and continued with her pacing, occasionally looking outside her bay window.

"I-… I see. I won't be surprised if he does not attend. None have seen the current High King or High Prince before, so the lord steward could just as easily pose as either one… but of course we are not the only country with spies roaming across Ishgar. Some may know the identity of not only the royal family, but the lord steward as well…"

Ainslee nodded and stroked the neatly trimmed hairs on his chin in thought.

"It certainly is a delicate and… precarious situation."

"Indeed, it is," Lucy replied quietly. "Fiore is allied with Pergrande, yes, but not all of Ishgar is in a similarly united front. If word got out that the High King was missing – as well as his heir – technically the throne is open for anyone to try and-…"

Lucy cut herself off, shivering as thoughts of war and bloodshed filled her mind. Memories. Screaming. Long and tangled blonde hair, usually done up so elegant, filled with soot and debris. Whispers of goodbyes… a promise. A broken promise.

The princess hugged herself and squeezed her eyes shut. It had been seven years since the death of her mother. Since Fiore had been attacked by their supposed allies; and yet the memories still felt as raw and fresh as if though it had happened only yesterday.

She felt a thin but firm hand clasp onto her shoulder then.

"'War is an ugly thing, truly. It ravages our home and scars our people… but in the end, all wars come to a close. We may lose people we care about, as well as those we have not yet had the pleasure to meet, but it is up to people like us to lead the survivors out of the darkness and into the light. To pick up the pieces of a shattered life and move on with what has been left behind, to build a better and brighter future for the next generation.'"

Lucy couldn't help but smile weakly as she listened to Ainslee speak. Bless the man by all the gods above. He truly was someone she could always rely on to help calm her torrential mind and emotions.

As her breathing evened out and the memories finally receded, the princess nodded and grinned cheekily back at the man.

"And where oh where did our beloved steward read that particular line? An old epic? A drama perhaps?"

A love of books was something Ainslee and Lucy had always been able to share. Although Lucy favored fiction involving fantasy, adventure and romance over Ainslee's much preferred history, biographies and memoirs, the two had always been able to convince the other to "read just one" of the other's fancy. Of course, "just one" had always managed to turn into multiples, but the fact remained that it had only served to strengthen their relationship.

Lucy held Ainslee very close to her heart, and although the man could be infuriating sometimes, she loved him dearly like a father.

Said man was smiling now as he considered her question with a quirked grey tinged brow.

"…Honestly, I do believe that is a quote from the High King himself. And yes, before you ask milady, I did get that information from our Keepers classified biographies. One should always be well educated."

The princess couldn't stifle a giggle as she watched the steward retreat from her and pull a document from his coat. The smile on his face was slowly replaced by a seriousness she didn't want to acknowledge… but knew she had to.

"Milady… this here is the formal invitation to your Debutante Ball. Please look it over, and per your approval, I will have our scribes mass produce the final product so that we may get things underway for your debut."

Lucy heaved a resigned sigh and glanced down at her desk where Ainslee was placing the document. Of course the good parchment had been used, even though it was only a rough draft, and it was folded neatly. Golden ink had been used to elegantly decorate the four corners of the parchment, while pale but bold yellow ink had been used to address the invitees. In this case, Lucy's own given name had been used as an example.

Based upon the exterior of the invitation alone, Lucy liked it and admired the way the scribes had constructed the decorative lines and swirls of the border pattern as well as the penmanship of her name.

"With your permission to speak freely milady," Ainslee started, knowing full-well he never had to ask, but simply did out of professional courtesy, "I understand that this… this is certainly not something you desire to actually do, but I must ask that you keep an open mind and… and think of your father. This will put his mind at ease, knowing that-"

"I am not human cattle, Ainslee," Lucy interrupted sharply, knowing exactly where he was going with this. "I am not something to simply be auctioned off to the highest bidder. If my father expects me to marry, I will do it out of love and not for political gain. I refuse to be considered 'for use' in this game of land grabbing."

The lord steward winced but nonetheless bowed at his waist as he made to leave Lucy's study, knowing that the conversation between them was now over.

"Unfortunately milady… you may not have a choice."

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!

Ah... this was so much fun to write. I kind of struggled to create a completely new opening (I literally re-wrote it five times... Dx) but thankfully I finally came up with something I'm proud to share with you all! A MASSIVE shout out to the fabulous lillykleaf for not only being a fantastic editor, but for having a crap ton of patience with my... ahem... absence. LIFE. What can I say? xD

Thank you all for your support and your patience as well over the years as I've struggled to figure this story out. You guys are the best, and I cannot thank you enough for you positive feedback. It truly means a lot to me.

As always, please drop a comment and follow/favorite if you want ;) Let me know what you guys wanna see or what you're curious about! Let's chat!

Cheers Duckies~!