A/N- Hi everyone! I'm going to start a new series! I really am a sucker for a royalty type AU and recently I have been reading a lot lately and I just wanted to try one out. This is kind of an experiment of sorts. I hope mine differs from all the other ones out there, I'll try to plan it that way anyway.

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters.

I really hope you all enjoy the first chapter of Twisted Fates!

"Advisor Gajeel! Advisor Gajeel!" Princess Lucy Heartfilia yelped as she ran down the empty halls of the castle of Magnolia. Her Advisor, Gajeel Redfox, turned to her with his usual gruffness in his eyes. Though Lucy paid no mind. She had a huge grin on her face when she came in ten feet of him. Finally stopping and shoving something in his face.

"The hell is this?" He grunted, taking the object and holding it in front of him. It was a book. He raised a pierced eyebrow at this. What could she possibly want to tell him? And what did it have to do with a book?

"Its the new addition to Zekua Meron newest series. Father just bought it for me!" She swiped it back from him and held it securely to her chest with a giddy smile. "I just wanted to show you is all." Gajeel chuckled to himself. Lucy was just as bright and upbeat as she always was. He put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. Getting her to pout.

"C'mon, bunny girl. Let's get started on our studies." He hummed, turning down a corner and leaving her behind. She gasped and ran after him.

"I wish you wouldn't use that dastardly nickname. I've told you just to call me Lucy a million times." Lucy sighed dramatically.

Gajeel snorted. "I've used that nickname since we were brats, bunny girl, I don't plan on stopping now." Lucy pursed her lips. They had been best friends since she was just a child. She remembers that day too. The day he came stumbling into the palace gardens, beaten and bloody. Her mother, oh her kind-hearted mother, took him in and fixed him up.

He explained that his village was attacked by Zeref worshippers. And that he was the only survivor. He was the only child out of the whole village that made it out alive without being caught by them, and forced to do their bidding. Her mother took pity on him and allowed him to work for the castle until he grew older. He decided to stay after meeting Lucy.

They were fast friends, despite his rough attitude. He liked having someone so cheery around him. It made him feel less lonely. Eventually, he begged the king and queen to deem him Lucy's advisor. He made sure he was the smartest person in the entire castle, just so he could be with her.

It was a quick yes, after he showed them both the knowledge he had. And just like that, he became Lucy's long time friend and advisor. She smiled to herself at the memory. He gave her a sideways glance and narrowed his eyes at her. What crazy thought was running across her mind now?

"You're awfully quiet." Gajeel muttered. Lucy giggled and leaned on his arm as they made their way into the library.

"Oh I'm just thinking about you, you're my best friend, you know that?" Gajeel felt his ears burn. Why did she say embarrassing things like that? He scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Whatever, let's just get this over with." Lucy bit her lip to stop her from smiling wider as they took a seat. He grabbed a few books and set them in front of her. She picked one up and skimmed through it. She groaned and slammed the book on the table. Her happy expression turning sour.

"Mathematics? Again? You know I'm atrocious at this subject."

"Yeah, that's why were focusing on that today. You're gonna need math in the future you know. Being future queen means being smart. And being a tactician comes with working with numbers." Lucy puffed up her cheeks and opened the first book she could grab. He slid her a pencil and a piece of paper.

"I'm not like my great grandmother, you know? Mavis was a pro at this, I feel like a fish out of water." She sighed as she wrote down the first problem. She was jealous of her great grandmother. She was known as the Fairy Tactician in the Kingdom of Magnolia. She won many battles using her strategic thinking. How she wished she was that smart.

"I know ya ain't like Mavis, but you should have at least some knowledge," Gajeel said in his usual rough tone. "And ya did that wrong. You divide 2x from 6, not the other way around." She grit her teeth as she erased her original answer and wrote the new one. It wasn't as if Gajeel was a bad teacher, she was just a horrible student. She was too busy off in her own dream world instead of paying attention. It wasn't as if she wasn't smart either, she just had an attention span of a goldfish. Her mind was constantly bouncing from one thing to another.

She mostly daydreamed about leaving the castle. Being free, and being able to use her keys freely. She was sick of the stuck up life as a princess. She wished she could take her keys, grab Gajeel's hand, and run away. But she knew what that would result in.

Gajeel being fired and hung, and Lucy being severely punished by her father. He would never forgive her for running away. And she probably wouldn't go through it anyway. She loved her father too much to abandon him. But she could still dream, right?

Once they were finished up, Lucy excused herself to go back to her room. She bid Gajeel a goodbye and allowed him to do his other duties. Oh how she wished to spend more time with him. But, he had a life too. She slammed her body on her body and twirled her keys on her finger.

She gathered ten of the twelve zodiac keys. And she could call out two at a time. She even had a few silver keys too. So yeah, she would say she was pretty skilled in magic. Though not as skilled as Gajeel. He was ten times better than her. His powers always had her in awe each time he used them, which was rarely.

She stared outside and watched as her butlers tended to the garden. She supposed she could go for a small stroll. No one would know. She would come back by dinner. She smiled and grabbed the front of her puffy dress. She made a quick escape, avoiding guards and maids. Once she was outside, she sat down on the garden fountain and stuck her hands through the water.

Watching it trickle through her fingers. No one was allowed in the garden, except butlers caring for it. Not even she was allowed. It saddened her. She just wanted to be where her mother was most. But her father wouldn't allow that. Not after what happened.

Lucy stared down at the beautifully crafted pathway around the fountain. Seeing a flower stick up from between two stones, she leaned over and grabbed it. She brought it to her nose and deeply inhaled. The smell bringing back memories from her days in this garden, playing with her mother. It was something that made her happy, but sad at the same time.

Just as she was going to feed the small ducklings that wandered into the garden, a loud crash made her jump out of her skin. Commotion began to take place in the castle halls, getting her to run back inside. She was immediately thrown to the ground, an explosion going off above her. She opened her eyes to see Gajeel on top of her, back sizzling. Her whole body shook as Gajeel stared down at her with a smirk.

"Sorry for pushing you, bunny girl. You were about to be blown to smithereens," She snaked her arms around his torso and touched the bare skin of his back. It even felt charred. He winced and flinched away from her. "Shit that hurts. But nothin I can't handle." He stood up and picked her up.

"S-Sorry! I-I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it. For now, just run away. Some dark guild was able to sneak their way on castle grounds. Lots are hurt. I won't allow anyone to touch a hair on you head, so go! It's too dangerous!" Lucy, tears streaming down her face, shook her head. She could fight too! She wasn't just some helpless damsel! She went to tell him off, but stopped when she saw another blast of magic come their way, aimed at Gajeel's head.

"Get down!" She screamed, tackling him to the ground. It just passed her head, hitting a door behind her. Through the explosion, she glared down at Gajeel. "I just saved your life. You owe me. So let me fight alongside with you!" His eyes were wide and fearful. Tear drops hit his cheek, making him flinch. "I won't stand by and allow my bestfriend to fight for my sake. I won't allow you to die alone!" She yelled, hauling herself up and pulling him.

Her back hit his as members of the dark guild surrounded them. A smile came to his face. "You're one hell of a princess, bunny girl." Sucking up a breath, he released his iron dragon roar on the enemies in front of him. They weren't weak, but they weren't near his strength either. The only reason they got them earlier was because he was caught off guard.

"I know I am, open! Gate of the Lion; Leo!" A man dressed in a suit appeared from seemingly nowhere. He gave Lucy a seductive smirk before going into battle, blasting the last of them away with his regulas impact. More were seen down the hallway, but they didn't look as if they wanted to fight. Lucy raised an eyebrow at this.

"Hey! Were retreating for now. Remember this was just a warning for the kingdom." A man said to the group around Gajeel and Lucy. They all nodded and ran off, leaving the two alone. Loke disappeared as well.

"This is their warning? Attacking and probably killing our people?" Lucy whispered, tears stinging the corner of her eyes. Gajeel frowned, no one made Lucy cry without paying for it. He placed a reassuring hand on her upper back and gave her a rare smile. She wiped the lone tear that strolled down her face and looked up at him.

"Don't cry, Lucy. We'll figure this out. For now, let's just check on the king." Lucy sniffled and nodded, following him to her father's chamber. Only after they arrived, did Lucy register what Gajeel had said. He used her real name. Which means that he was serious about whatever was going on. This brought the tears back.

"F-Father? Are you there?" She opened the door slowly, cringing at the way the door creaked. She stepped in to see her father staring out at the window. He was just as beat up as she and Gajeel were. He turned around to see her soot covered face, and the waterworks started. He ran to her and hugged her to his body.

"Oh Lucy, I was so worried." Lucy hugged him back, tightly, as if she believed he was leaving.

"Father, why did they do this? I just don't understand!" Her father looked to the ground, a vein popping from his forehead. Gajeel clenched his fist. He felt the king's anger. And he wanted to do something about it.

"I don't know, but we will get to the bottom of this. For now, we need protection. We need more than just Gajeel to rely on," he looked up at Lucy's advisor. "You're strong, I don't doubt it, but it would be impossible for only one person to defeat an entire set of dark guilds. There is only one guild out there that can take on dark guilds properly."

Lucy tilted her head to the side in confusion. "And who would that be, father?"

"Fairy Tail."