AN:Funny fact about this story chapter: it was originally an AU, but I changed my mind while writing.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
His most precious treasure
Once upon a time, there was a noble girl who craved company. The girl had beautiful blonde hair and brown eyes and stories about her beauty were told through the kingdom, as she was hardly seen because of her overprotective father.
And there was also a mighty beast, feared by many, who lived in the woods. A fire dragon with scales the color of blood and piercing green eyes. Eyes so ferocious that stories said that if you looked for even an instant into the beast eyes, you would die very soon.
One day, the noble girl was passing through the forest path when she heard a whimper of pain. Without thinking much and worried about the source of the noise, she got out of her carriage and followed the whimper.
When she found the source, she was stunned for a moment. There in the middle of the clearing was the feared dragon and he was badly hurt. The girl approached the dragon and showed him she meant no harm. When he finally acknowledged her, she started working on his wounds, cleaning them and nursing him the best as she could.
After that day, the girl came back often, until the dragon was fully healed. It became a common occurrence to see the dragon guarding his benefactor, even from a distance. It didn't take long for them to become friends, even if the dragon couldn't talk in the same language as the girl.
And soon rumors started spreading that the noble girl had tamed a dragon, and not any dragon, but the fire beast nicknamed Salamander. The rumors spread far, until they reached a blooming empire in the west and caught the interest of the emperor himself. The emperor was a serious young man and the story intrigued him. He called his wisest adviser and made preparations to visit the girl's family state.
The girl's father was really pleased in receiving the visit of the emperor. The girl was beautiful and was in the marring age, and the emperor was yet to marry and get himself an empress. So he gave the duo some space and let them do whatever they wanted.
To the girl's surprise, the emperor was interested in knowing more about the whole dragon story, so she took him to the dragon. The so called dragon was stunned and a bit uncomfortable when he saw the emperor, as if they already knew each other. The girl ended up leaving the two of them alone to talk and the duo talked for a long time. The sun was starting to set when the emperor came to the girl and they went back to the residence.
Some time went by after the emperor's visit. Everything seemed to be normal, until one day the dragon went missing. The girl waited and waited, but her dragon friend never came back. The girl's feelings were in shambles. She missed the dragon way too much and longed to see and be with him again. It also didn't help that her father kept pressuring her to choose a husband soon, something she didn't want to do.
At the same time, things were hectic in the empire. Rumors that a dragon had been seen were spreading, but good news about the royals made them fall into oblivion. The emperor had chosen an empress and the prince who had disappeared for years had finally come back home.
Once the prince got used to his new situation, he asked his brother to help him. There was this girl he loved and longed to be with, but he needed to negotiate with her father to be able to see her. After all, even though he was a prince, he had become human again for only a short period of time.
And the emperor contacted the noble girl's family, saying he wanted to discuss some topics with them and that he wished to negotiate in their state. The prince and the emperor arrived at the state, and while the girl's father and the emperor talked, the prince got to spend some time with the girl.
The girl was reluctant in spending time with the prince. She had lost count of how many suitors she had had to spend time with, even when she showed she wasn't interested in them. But the prince wasn't like the other suitors. He actually cared about her opinions and feelings and made it clear that he didn't see her as just a pretty face.
Little by little, the girl started to care for the prince the way she had once cared for the dragon. And the prince, who was already in love with her, fell even deeper in love with her. But she felt guilty, as if she was betraying the dragon who did so much for her.
The prince could see the girl's struggle and the secret was a burden that was becoming way too heavy for him, so he decided to tell her everything. They went to the same clearing where they once met for the first time and he told her everything, from how he was turned into a dragon to how he was able to become human again.
The girl was paralyzed, but it didn't take long for tears of happiness to start falling from her eyes. They hugged each other and the prince opened a bright smile, soon getting on his knees and asking the girl if she wanted to marry him.
"And what happened after, Mama?" Asked the little girl sitting on the blonde woman's lap.
"They got married, had a couple of kids and the dragon prince lived happily ever after with his most precious treasure, that was the girl, his wife." Answered a third voice that belonged to a man.
"Papa! Not fair! You can't come and steal Mama all to yourself!" The little girl pouted.
"Now, now, Ember, there's enough of mama to both you and your father. There's no need to fight."
"It's like Luce said, Ember. But you have spent quite the time with mama, now it's papa's turn."
A voice called for the little girl, Ember, and she got up excitedly and chased after it, leaving her parents alone. The couple got closer to each other and the woman started to question her husband.
"I know you love spending time with me, Natsu. But there's no need to tease Ember about it. You know she's as possessive as you can be overprotective sometimes."
"But Luceee, she makes such a cute face when she's pouting, I just can't resist it." Natsu whined. "But you know, there's something that bugs me in this story of yours."
"Which is...?"
"You never said that the dragon missed his girl so much that he couldn't stop thinking about her. And that he would never be able to forget her."
"And why is that?"
"Because once a dragon holds something dear to his heart, he never let it go."
"I wonder... what's your treasure, Natsu?"
"You, Happy, Ember. My family is my treasure. That one year was really hard to bear, you know? There wasn't a single day I didn't think or miss you and Happy didn't let that slide, that is, when he wasn't sulking with me."
"The same with me. I longed so much to be with you..."
"Who would have thought we would someday be in this position... You know, Luce, it's really more fun when we are together." Said Natsu, with a smile and while hugging Lucy tenderly.
And the couple stayed there in their little bubble of happiness, as didn't need to longer to be with each other anymore. After all, they were right there, side by side, and that was something they wouldn't let anything interfere or try to ruin. Because after a dragon made something his treasure, he would never let it go. And the same could be said about his family.