A/N: My sister (AmityStarrlight) and I wrote this story awhile back and we posted it on Wattpad. After careful consideration, we decided to post on it on FF website since there are a lot of readers here. There are a lot more chapters to come. This story is a prequel to the trilogy "The Golden Keys." We hope you like and enjoy reading the chapters. :)

Warning: The characters are ooc, especially Natsu and Lucy. Also, this fanfiction is an AU.

Disclaimer: We don't own Fairy Tail. However, we do own our original characters for this story.

The Golden Keys Origin

Book I

There were some things Lucy Heartfilia could tolerate such as floral arranging pink daises and white roses together, personally hand picking gold trimmed plates with delicate champagne glasses, and advising what color table cloth and ornaments to set in the dining room in preparation for whatever big event her father was having during the night.

The things she couldn't tolerate the most was how she had to dress in the finest quality dresses, how she had to walk around her home with her back straight, that every hour she was booked with studies or learning how to act like a lady, and she had to quietly obey her father's every command.

A lady is not to be heard but to be viewed and admired, she recalled her father saying numerous times.

"My lady," a male's voice broke her from her reverie. She blinked her eyes as she saw the colors of pink and white from the bouquet she put together. She placed the flowers into a crystal vase before looking up at the butler. The man was tall and a bit on the slender side. His dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and was sleeked back with gel. His attire was a black suit, which could almost pass as a business suit if it weren't for the long tail on the suit jacket or the bow fastened at the man's neck. He wore a white buttoned up shirt under his jacket. His black shoes were finely polished.

"My lady," he iterated.

"Yes, Sebastian," she answered him lightly. She slightly tilted her head in gesture to let him know she acknowledged him.

"Master demands that he sees you immediately." He bowed his head in respect and she almost huffed at his proper behavior. It wasn't like she didn't know Sebastian at all for him to act all formal with her. He was her friend and one of the closest servants she considered her family unlike her father. But her dad, Jude Heartfilia, had promoted Sebastian to butler to replace Hernan, the other butler who had retired. And Sebastian's personality changed. He was colder and more formal with her. He gave her the title of lady in the Heartfilia mansion and he commanded that all the other servants addressed her as such.

And then her world narrowed. Her family treated her like she was a stranger. She couldn't have breakfast in the kitchen with the house staff. She was forced to endure her dad's overwhelming presence in the dining room, like having to eat dinner with him wasn't enough torture. Whenever she walked into a room and greeted servants informally, they averted their attention to the floor. The most annoying part about the drastic changes around her home was how Sebastian hovered in the background. He followed her wherever she went and he stood outside her bedroom door when she had free time. She could no longer make trips to the garden or visit her mother's grave.

She became a prisoner in her own home.

"My lady. Are you ready?" he asked her.

Lucy nodded her head and let him show her the way. After all, in high society, ladies were to be accompanied at all times. They had no business with wandering in the woods alone or practicing magic. But Lucy did those things, which meant she wasn't qualified to be a lady. Did her father know? Maybe that's the reason he had Sebastian keep an eye on her.

The butler led her from a narrow hall to a grand staircase with a massive glittering chandelier hanging from a beautifully painted ceiling of angels. He walked upstairs, peering over his shoulder to make sure she was fine. Lucy halted for a moment to gather her dress in her hands. She lifted the skirts to reveal high-heeled sandals and slender calves and immediately she could see her father's disapproval shining in his pale eyes.

You're not acting like a lady, he would remark. Your mother would be ashamed of you.

Only her mother died a few years ago and all the warmth and love he felt for his family vanished.

Quickly and gracefully as she could muster, she walked up the stairs until she was on the second floor. Sebastian was already waiting down the hall, standing before a grand doorway that led her to her father's side of the mansion. She kept the folds of skirts in her hands as she rushed unladylike to catch up with the butler. He turned his back on her and led her down a huge hallway lit by candles in the candle holders. And Lucy wondered why her father never used electric lamps since they could afford it.

She wasn't paying attention so she didn't notice when the butler stopped moving. She bumped into him and almost spiraled backwards if it weren't for his large hands grasping her shoulders. She looked up at him and she thought she saw a flash of the old Sebastian gazing back at her but when he backed away, she knew she was imagining things.

He knocked on the door. "Master, Lady Heartfilia is here to see you."

They heard somewhat of a grunt and he took it as an assent to open the door. As the door opened, he stepped back. He gave her enough room to let her into the office but he wasn't going to follow her inside. Instead, he was going to be lurking outside the door because her father believed that servants had no business knowing what engagements went on in his office.

The moment she entered her father's domain, she took little note of the fine furnishings in the room. What mattered was her father, Lord Heartfilia, was seated behind a magnificent desk that faced the door. Behind him was a huge window draped with red curtains laced with gold trimmings. The window let the light from the sun peer through it. The man's beard and his finely groomed hair shone in the sunlight as he raised his head at her entrance.

She froze in her spot. Her heart thundered in her ears. In front of her was a crumbled newspaper but the headline was clear enough for her to read it. 'Another Celestial Wizard Found Dead.'

What the heck is going on? Why does Father have such a newspaper? she thought.

Before Sebastian started watching her like a hawk, she used to walk down the friendly streets of her town and she knew the current events of Fiore. There was a rumor about celestial wizards being targeted. However, no one knew the reason for them being attacked. Lord Heartfilia always demanded that she kept her powers a secret. He went as far to fire her tutor because he taught her celestial magic. The house servants were forced to keep their mouths shut about her powers. As far as they knew, she no longer held such powers.

But she knew differently. Her mother was a celestial wizard and possessed three golden zodiac keys that summoned three strong sprits: Aquarius, Capricorn and Cancer. The golden keys were passed down to her without her father's consent. They were entrusted to her mother's closest keepers and when Lucy reached appropriate age to handle the spirits, she received them. Physically, she held three keys to her heart. They dangled from a gold chain and were tucked safely between the valley of her breasts. No one had permission to see her chain, not even her servants.

"My dear daughter. I was expecting you to come sooner."

Lucy fists tightened and she realized that she never let go of the skirts in her hands. She loosened her fingers from and felt the material fall around her feet.

"I only recently received a message from our butler," she said with a cool voice. It wasn't normal for her to be so relaxed around him. The moment someone let down his or her guard, Lord Heartfilia was quick to attack.

He leaned back in his chair, playing idly with the quill of his pen. "Then maybe I should let him go as I did to Hernan."

"No."

"He's just another servant like all the rest of them. But you, my dear, have far more worth than that."

Lucy clamped down the anger she felt boiling to the surface at the man's words. Loss of control would put her at a disadvantage.

"My apologies, Father, for my tardiness. It won't happen again."

His brows arched at her.

She realized he wasn't going to tell her the reason for her calling her into his office so she asked him. "Why do you insist on seeing me?"

Lord Heartfilia smiled lazily that Lucy almost retreated away from him. "As you know, there is a big event going on tonight. Important guests will gather from all different parts of Fiore and I want you to be on your best behavior."

"And what exactly are we celebrating?"

"You don't know why you're in charge of decorating for you own event?" he returned with another question.

"No, from what I gathered, it's your own event."

"Are you sure about that?" His eyes narrowed on her.

Lucy almost hesitated. Another thing she couldn't tolerate the most was being in her father's office. She was in his territory. Whoever he met, he played mind games with them and he was ruthless with it. Her intuition was on high alert -she saw no purpose as to why he insisted on seeing her and she couldn't think of a reason as to how the event related to her besides being his daughter.

Lord Heartfilia raised a hand to his desk. She stared incredulously at him until she saw a newspaper in his hand.

"Do you have any idea what this is?"

She shook her head. The print on the paper was too fine to read.

"There is an interesting article about another celestial wizard's death. His name is Callous Bero. Does that ring any bells for you?"

Lucy gasped and she suddenly collapsed on the floor. Mr. Bero was her celestial magic tutor until a few years ago. Tears gathered into the corner of her eyes and she fought to hold back a sob. She could feel the heavy weight of her father's stare. She imagined the contempt in his eyes.

But there was the sickening pleasure that he was capable to bring someone else to their knees, radiating from his aura.

"And I heard you haven't been following the rules in this house." There was a clicking noise of his tongue hitting his teeth in a condemning matter.

Lucy daringly looked up at her father, but she could not mask the emotions she felt towards him. She didn't say anything and intently listened to her father's words.

"So for your improper behavior, I decided to move along with a business proposal. It will help expand my financial assets and you will have a secure home. It's a win-win situation for the both of us." Lord Heartfilia tilted his head while his laughter roared throughout the room. He extended his hands in triumph.

"What did you do, Father?"

"Nothing really," he answered. He slowly stood up from his chair.

Lucy knew about her father's habits and when he said he did nothing, it was something big. It was his "nothingness" that expanded his business in the Heartfilia railroads, his merchandise in the money guilds, and the Heartfilia estate. The man's ambitions had no limit.

There was a knock on the door that startled Lucy. Her father walked around the magnificent desk and called for the servant to enter. She rose to her feet as gracefully as she could while she wiped away the moisture at the corner of her eyes. She wasn't astonished to see Sebastian moving toward the lord with an envelope in his hand.

"For you, Master," the butler replied.

"It's about time." He tore open the envelope and read the contents in the letter. His smile turned menacing. "Tonight will be a grand occasion, indeed. Lucy, my dearest daughter, I need you to finish the preparations for tonight. We are expecting a very important guest."

"Is it someone I know?" Lucy asked, curious and at the same time feeling dread build in the pit of her stomach.

"Yes and no. You know him more by reputation than by face."

"Who is it?"

Her father swiveled on his feet. Slowly, he strolled past his desk to face the large window. The sun cast his shadow along the polished marbled floor. His hands clasped behind his back. A breath was stuck in her chest. She remembered how he stood in the same posture before the window countless times and each time it was a gesture of her dismissal.

"Sebastian, take Lady Heartfilia back to what she was doing. She needs to finish her preparations for the arrival of her fiance tonight."

The butler bowed to her father. He shifted over to Lucy to gently grab her arms and haul her out of the office. But Lucy didn't know what was happening around her. Her mind was still trying to register the fact that she was getting ready for an engagement; her engagement.

Then a thought crossed her mind. It was enough to send chills through her body. She was only fifteen and she was getting married to a complete stranger.