AN: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima! XD

Just a little surprise update for you! Hope you enjoy this! My wonderful friend Kaiisan helped me with the summary! XD

Levy sat quietly on her sofa, her book open as a warm breeze drifted in through the open window. It was a particularly hot day, and she was using that fact as an excuse to read her book, for what else should she do while she lazed in the shade? She'd been reading all morning, much to her aunt's annoyance, but there was little else she wished to do. She could go get some wool to spin for making new clothes, like her aunt had suggested, but her book was more interesting. Her books were usually more interesting than her life, really.

She had lost her father at a young age and her mother had passed away only six years ago, leaving her with her aunt and uncle and their family. She could not really remember her father, but he had been a soldier in the army. He had been part of the cavalry regiment of some General, but she could not remember which. Her aunt never spoke of her brother, so it was more than a little difficult to find out anything about her father. As for her mother, her death had not been particularly easy for Levy.

It had started not long after Levy's eighth birthday. Her mother had began complaining of mild headaches, but she had been determined that they would pass, trying not to be a burden to her sister-in-law's family. However, they slowly became worse, leaving her mother barely able to stand at times, but that was when the abdominal pains began. She had noticed her mother beginning to look pale, but as an eight year old girl, she had not quite realised what was happening. Now, however, she realised that her concern for her mother had been well placed. A doctor had been approached as she began to develop a noticeable fever, having apparently waved it off as due the summer heat for some weeks, however, by then it was too late.

"Levy?"

Levy glanced up from her book, gesturing to her aunt to enter her room, a smile now in place.

"I have just had a letter from your uncle, and he wishes to press the matter once more." She began, Levy fighting the building dread. "You have already turned down two potential husbands, and he wishes that you would find one as soon as was reasonable. We do have three daughters of our own that shall need husbands soon, but that only makes our concern for you greater."

"I shall agree to marry when I find a man who will love me." Levy replied, turning back to her book.

"And how shall you find one if your nose is always in a book? Who would want a wife that does nothing but read?" Her aunt returned, taking the book from her hands. "You rarely help in the kitchen and you only help spin the wool when you have no choice but to replace your clothes! You do not even show any interest in how to manage servants!"

"You only have one servant, Aunt – what is there to know about managing one servant?!" Levy huffed, reaching her short arms out for the book.

"As of last week, we have two." Her aunt nodded, moving the book further out of Levy's reach. "You would know that if you actually paid attention instead of letting your head float around the clouds."

"Oh, and what does the new servant do? The other girl helps you cook and clean, so what does this new girl do for you? Is she here to help the first?" Levy sighed, folding her arms in front of her small chest.

"The new one is a man and he helps with the animals." Her aunt explained, a superior note to her voice.

"Oh, so we have a man servant that helps with the animals? I will bear that in mind for if I ever decide to help slaughter one. I do not want to suddenly find some strange man behind me with a knife." Levy replied with sarcasm.

"Well learning to work with the animals would be a better use of your time than reading these books." Her aunt snapped, turning to leave the room. "And he has another use too."

"What would that be, Aunt?" Levy asked, annoyed that her book was being taken away.

"He is to escort you whenever you leave the house, instead of your cousin – your cousin has not the time to take you out on a whim anymore, so you will have to play nice with the young man." Her aunt smiled, the irritation clear in her eyes.

Levy smiled sweetly back as her aunt left the room, sighing as she closed the door behind her. They got along wonderfully until the subjects of husbands or books were brought up. She was only fourteen, and the girls in her books were still out on adventures at her age. Obviously so were the boys, but she was not ready to marry and all she really wanted was to curl up next to her mother again, listening to her soothing voice as she read. Her aunt had never quite approved of Levy's love of books, but only acted on her disapproval if Levy's book was not teaching her something new. Levy loved learning, so that was not a problem, but every so often, she liked to just lay down and read the books that her mother had spent so many hours devoted to reading to her.

She sat up as she heard a knock on the door, expecting one of her younger cousins to enter. After a few moments of silently waiting, she called to the person to come in, deciding that perhaps it was her elder cousin. He had a habit of not just walking into rooms, unlike his younger sisters – as shy as the youngest was. The middle daughter was cute and very lively, but the youngest was shy and sweet. The eldest, of course, was her best friend though. She had been there for Levy while she had grieved over her mother, and if she remembered correctly, had even been there for her after she had heard of her father's death. They had been close for as long as she could remember.

"Good afternoon, Gray." Levy smiled, beckoning her eldest cousin into the room.

Her cousin was fairly tall and considered very handsome, even at the young age of sixteen. He had a head of medium length, straight midnight blue hair that tufted out a little around the sides, and dark shielded eyes that were always friendly to the people he trusted, except for his best friend. He was always fighting with his best friend, but neither of them would ever admit to even being friends. Really, the two were probably closer to brothers than friends.

"Afternoon, Levy." He smiled back, walking up to her and offering her his hand to help her up. "Mother has sent me to introduce you to the new servant. She was telling me that you had no idea that we had a new servant."

"Well, I have been reading since the hot weather started – I am prone to burning." She replied, taking his hand as he pulled her up.

"And that is the only reason." He smirked back, knowing she had really just been enjoying her books. "Now, just a warning, this new servant is a little rough around the edges – Father brought him back from another country."

"So he is a foreigner?" She asked, only mildly surprised as she followed Gray out of her room.

"Yeah, and he does not talk much – I do not know if that is a language barrier or he just does not want to talk." Gray explained, leading her down the corridor towards the front door.

"Where did Uncle bring him from?" Levy inquired, stepping out into the unusually clean cobbled courtyard. "And what happened to the courtyard?!"

"The new servant." Gray smirked, pushing her in front of him in the direction of the stables.

"Wha- Oh my god..." She gasped, her eyes falling on the giant man as he stepped out of the stables, his attention clearly caught by their sudden appearance.

He stood at almost six foot tall, a whole half a head taller than her cousin. His skin was the colour of the dirt track that led to their fields. His eyes were the shape of a lizard's and the colour of the brightest, perfectly cut ruby, black slit-like pupils cutting through their centre. The sharp ridges that formed his eyebrows and nose held strange silver-coloured metal spheres, three on each, his bottom lip holding two similar silver spheres. His hair was the darkness of shadows on a moonless night after the fire of the oil lamps had been extinguished. It fell from the top of his forehead, slicked back bar a few longish strands that had fallen forward over is hardened features, to his tailbone in a matted-looking mass.

"Ah, this is the new servant, which I am sure you have realised." Gray began, silently laughing at her while she gaped up at the giant man.

"H-He-Hello..." She stuttered, gulping as she stared up into his peculiar eyes.

The servant nodded and pushed back the strands of black hair that had fallen forward, causing more metal to catch her eyes. He wore five more pieces of metal in his ears, along with the metal around his wrists. A servant. His metal cuffs were currently free of each other, but still clung tightly to his wrists, a strong reminder of his position in their society. Levy knew without looking that there would be those same cold, dull metal cuffs around his ankles. How had her uncle come across this man? How had he even captured him?

Not only was he at least as tall as her uncle, this man clearly had very muscular arms in comparison to the men she had seen before. This man had been made to work through his life, his tanned skin further evidence. Perhaps he came from a savage country, one where one had to fight to survive? Where one had to live outdoors in all weathers? Perhaps one had to be strong just to survive, unlike their country? They lived in a country of scholars, and the military for those stronger born. This man would easily look in perfect place in the military, except for his other rather startling features. Perhaps this man had come of his own free will?

"What-What is your name?" She asked cautiously, earning a mild look of surprise from the giant – clearly he had not been asked by many.

"Gajeel." He replied, his voice rough as if he were chewing upon gravel, either from lack of use or perhaps that was just the way he sounded?

"Gajeel." She repeated, trying to get the sounds right, earning another stern nod from him. "Gajeel, where are you from?"

He stared at her, his face completely emotionless. Had she said something wrong? Had he even understood her? Her cousin had informed her that he did not say much, so perhaps it was a language barrier? She glanced up at her cousin, apparently signalling to the servant that he could leave as he turned back to the stables. She quickly turned back to him and followed him to the door, standing on her toes to peep over the top of the door as he shut it between them.

She heard Gray laugh quietly behind her and turned to glare at him, making him laugh a little harder. This should not be so amusing to him. She was just curious, and she could not help her short stature. This new servant had apparently cleaned their courtyard to the point of it being spotless, looked like a barbarian, and seemingly spoke next to no Fiorian. Of course she was going to show some interest in him, and she was not going to let her height, or lack of, get in the way. Perhaps this man would be able to tell her tales of adventure that rivalled those of her books? Perhaps he could teach her something new? She already knew many languages, she just needed to know which one he spoke...and of course, it would help if it was indeed one that she already knew.

Hope you enjoyed this! ^_^ Obviously there will be another chapter at some point, but I am still technically on hiatus :P Please let me know what you think! *bites lip nervously* Hope you're all keeping well!? ^_^