Lucy wasn't sure how she managed to get herself caught up in such crazy antics all of the time.

As the daughter of the goddess Athena and a king, it was sort of expected that she would be the cause of much mischief—after all, demigods were notorious for wreaking havoc—but Lucy was much more of the gentler soul. At least, that's what her father tried to convince her of.

Considering her mother was the immortal deity of wisdom and strategy, Lucy grew up without her mother around, but that didn't stop the stories her father told her. Jude had met her under the alias of Layla, a beautiful seamstress who had been commissioned to develop a new robe for a party he would be hosting. It wasn't long before the two fell in love and Lucy was born.

Athena was forced to leave shortly following Lucy's birth, but the young girl often fantasized about her mother. As she grew, she was often told by her father and servants alike that she was the spitting image of Layla herself.

She supposed that it was only a matter of time before the mischievous side of her personality showed itself, much to her father's dismay. Apparently he wanted her to remain the prim and proper princess of Crete that he needed her to be, but that changed the moment he began having suitors, whom were also well-off demigods, court her.

Gray Fullbuster, son of snow goddess Khione, was a bad match from the beginning considering they were best friends from childhood. Jude thought twice on the matter when at the age of twelve the two managed to turn the first two floors of the castle into an ice rink.

Laxus Dreyar, son of Zeus, wasn't much better. He was too serious and had a bit of an anger problem. One small comment on Lucy's part and suddenly lighting had destroyed an entire corner of the market.

Loke, son of Aphrodite, was much too pushy for Lucy's taste, but he had been fun to walk around town with if only to see how much they could get away with using his charm speak powers.

But this had to take the cake for the biggest screw-ups Lucy had ever been involved in. She had been casually picking out some apples from a market pin-up (even though she wasn't supposed to) when a sudden cacophony from behind her caught her off guard and then suddenly someone was crashing into her head on.

"Ow." Lucy rubbed her forehead slowly, her eyes focusing in on the boy in front of her. Somewhere behind them, she heard an angry masculine voice yell, he went this way! and the crowd began to clear down the middle for who she guessed was the owner of the voice.

She barely had enough time to get a good look at the jerk who knocked her over, let alone process the situation, before he was frantically on his feet again with a palm extended out to her. "Come on!" he yelled impatiently.

Lucy was ready to scoff in his face. Like she was going to go with him?

But the urgency of his green eyes and small grin that was forming almost put her in a trance. Hesitantly she reached up to grab his hand, but he closed the gap faster than Lucy could have anticipated and nearly got whiplash from how fast he pulled her down the cobblestone street.

They bobbed and weaved through the market traffic for several minutes until the boy pulled her off the main road between a pair of buildings. Even though Lucy considered herself to be in pretty decent shape, the extended amount of running left her so winded to the point that she didn't even care that she was with some stranger somewhere secluded. She was just happy to catch her breath.

"Awh, yeah," the boy laughed. He pressed his back to the wal and slid down until he was on the ground. His face was red, but whether it was from running or laughing, Lucy couldn't tell. He was barely winded meaning he was probably pretty active...active at dodging the authorities at least.

"Did you," Lucy panted, placing a hand on her rapidly beating heart, "did you want to maybe elaborate on what you just dragged me into back there?"

The boy grinned up at her, finally giving her a good look at him for the first time; he had unruly pink hair and intense green eyes. He wore a simple, worn out black robe and sandals, confirming her suspicions that he was what those in the castle would call a plebeian.

"Ah, just some guards were picking on my cousin Wendy and her friends so," he grinned devilishly, "I may have set their clothes on fire."

Lucy stopped breathing, keeping her eyes lowered to the ground. She wished she hadn't been so impulsive and followed him somewhere witnesses were scarce. She needed to get out now! Come on, Athena, give me a way to escape….

"Aren't you going to ask me how I did it?"

The softness of his voice made Lucy halt in her thoughts, automatically looking up at him. Despite the kindness of his tone, he had the most smug look that she wanted to slap right off of his face. "What are you talking about?"

"How I set those bastards on fire?" He raised an eyebrow. "Most people are more interested when I share little tidbits like that."

Lucy rolled her eyes. Suddenly, this guy didn't seem as off-putting as before. Trouble for sure, but he somehow made her feel comfortable as if she were with Gray. "Someone sure sounds egotistical. Fine. Tell me how you did it."

The boy held up his index finger and a flame spontaneously blossomed. Lucy had seen several demigods in her nineteen years, but this was the first time she had met one that had powers over fire. "Are you a son-?"

"The name's Natsu Dragneel," he said, his whole hand erupting into flames, "and I'm the son of Igneel."

Lucy felt her impressed grin fade instantly. "Igneel? Don't you mean Hephaestus?"

Natsu shrugged, waving his hand back and forth in disinterest. His hand was no longer smoldering. "Yeah, yeah. Igneel is just who he appeared to my momma as. He stayed with us up until I was about eight and then he just disappeared."

Lucy nodded glumly. Just as most demigods were, she also was familiar with the absence of a parent. "The gods are busy."

"Yeah, but one day I'm going to become a great hero worthy of Zeus, and then I'm going to go to Olympus to find Igneel and show him how strong I've become."

"At least you got to know your father," Lucy grumbled quietly, her tone coming off as a bit jealous. "My mother left before right after I was born."

"You're a demigod?" Natsu perked up slightly.

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, tell him he's an idiot if he couldn't even recognize the princess of his own country, but he narrowed his eyes and leaned close to her face. Lucy felt her breath hitch—he was so close! She was almost convinced that their noses were going to brush when all of a sudden he leaned back with a wide grin. "Daughter of Athena?" he asked smugly, coming across as more of a statement than a question.

Lucy stuttered, trying to recollect her thoughts after having her space being so rudely invaded. Her face was probably pinker than his hair, and that made her even more embarrassed, especially since she was mostly accustomed to people in her castle keeping at a distance. "H-how would you k-know?" she snapped.

Natsu shrugged as if he hadn't just been within kissing distance of Lucy's face. "You have the same brown eyes as my cousin, Wendy. She's a daughter of Athena. Also the same eyes as a buddy of mine—Levy—also a daughter of Athena."

Lucy willed herself to not be embarrassed again, but it was kind of hard when she had challenged him so harshly only for him to provide a quality reason for how he could determine her parentage. "Oh."

Natsu smiled softly. Lucy shifted her eyes to the ground to keep her composure, but she nearly jumped out of her skin when Natsu rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Ah, relax ya weirdo," he said good naturedly. "I never got your name though, daughter of Athena."

Lucy laughed. "I'm Lucy."

"It's good to meet ya. Well, I guess it's time for me to bounce. Can you get home from here?"

Lucy peeked her head out from around the corner of the brick building they were hiding behind. She recognized the Temple to Artemis up the road, a landmark that meant she was closer to the palace than when she was in the market. "Yeah, I know the way from here," she said, retreating back into the niche.

Using a window sill as a step stone, Natsu took a running start and then leaped onto the roof of one of the shack buildings. His head appeared over the side, showing off the big smile that Lucy had quickly grown used to. "I'll see you around then, Luigi!"

"It's Lucy!" she yelled back. He giggled, then he was gone, jumping over rooftops she assumed.

Straightening out her dress, Lucy tried her best to brush the dirt and mud off of the white fabric as she hurried down the street toward the palace. She wasn't sure why, but she was really sad to see Natsu go. Initially he had reminded her of Gray, but after talking to him she could tell that he was different.

Secretly, she hoped that he was right and that they would run into each other again. Surely he gets into trouble regularly and it won't be hard to pinpoint his location if the army is after him most of the time. Satisfied with her plan, Lucy allowed herself to to calm down. In fact, perhaps she would go out to the market to see him tomorrow!

But she didn't see him the next day, nor the following week. By the time three months rolled around, Lucy had lost hope that she would ever see the son of Hephaestus again.

…

"Are you coming downstairs or what?"

Lucy rolled over onto her side, purposefully ignoring Gray. "I don't want to."

"You know you have to, so you might as well not try to fight it." Even without seeing him, Lucy could tell that her friend had an exasperated frown. "If you were really adamant about not having to attend this tournament, then you would have married me when you had the chance."

Lucy shot up in bed, ready to chew her friend out for all the reasons he would have made an awful husband when she saw the smug look on his face. "You did that on purpose!"

Gray's grin widened. "It got you up didn't it? In fact, I'm even a little hurt by the fact that you think I would make such a terrible husband."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You and I both know that you're not built for family life." She purposefully left out Juvia to refrain from his outbursts of denial.

Gray shrugged. "True." He turned to the elegant white dress and laurels laid out on the sofa. "So are you coming down or do I have to carry you down there?"

Groaning, Lucy flopped down into her feather pillows. Her heart felt like a stone was setting on it. "Fine, I'll come down. Since you won't leave me alone."

"Good," Gray waved his hand airily as he headed towards the door, "I was afraid that I'd have to get Erza."

"DON'T GET ERZA." Lucy's eyes bulged, pleading with the back of his head like her life depended on it. And, in a way, it kind of did. If Erza found out she was going to miss the tournament, then there would be hell to pay. "I'm coming!"

Gray closed the door on his way out, still smiling evilly. Sometimes Lucy really hated that guy.

It didn't take too long for Lucy to get ready; she took a bath, put on her dress, and then set the laurels on her carefully braided hair. She couldn't help the funny feeling that churned her stomach as she stared at her reflection. By the end of today, she would be the wife of whoever won the tournament.

No longer would she get to go on errands with Gray, braid Erza's hair, gossip with Mirajane on the castle grounds… or aimlessly walk the market in hopes of running into Natsu again.

In less than a week, she was going to be whisked away from her friends, family—her home—and marched to someone else's castle and be expected to play the housewife.

For the first time in a while, Lucy wished that she had been born a Spartan. They may be way more brutal than the intelligent, art-loving Athenians, but at least they were free.

Coming to terms with her fate, Lucy met with her father in the halls that led to their specially crafted thrones that overlooked the arena and the tournament. Gray met them down there, offering his arm to escort her. "Nervous?" he asked when she had looped her arm with his.

"W-what?" Lucy tried to stay calm, but even she knew she wasn't convincing.

"You're shaking." Gray patted her hand, and Lucy felt her heartbeat slow a tad. "Don't worry. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, okay? That's what friends are for. Besides, I think you'll be satisfied with the participants." He smirked.

Lucy raised her eyebrows, mildly curious now. He had the smirk that he always got right before he did something stupid, like freeze over the floor in the dining hall when dinner is served. "What do you mean?"

Gray shrugged, touching his finger to the tip of her laurels, giving the gold leaves a dusting of crystallized snow. "Guess you'll have to see." He stuck his tongue out at her childishly, running ahead of her.

"Gray Fullbuster, you better get back here!" Lucy gathered up her dress and chased after him, knowing damn well that she looked like an idiot to anyone who could have seen her.

Upon entering the arena, Lucy felt her tummy twist again. There had a to be a million people gathered around the arena, sitting in the stone bleachers. Lucy and her father, along with Gray, Erza, and Mirajane had front row seats on a special platform that was elevated and shaded.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Lucy murmured. She could barely hear herself think over all of the screaming. She noticed that a few people, who she assumed were tournament contestants, were sparring separately on the dirt field.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump. "Fine day for a tournament," Erza grinned, taking a loving breath. Lucy couldn't understand why. It smelled like sweat and animal manure and it was hellishly hot out.

Lucy flopped down in her chair, fanning herself. Jude set himself down in his own throne as well. Gray rubbed his nose subtly and the columns and the ceiling iced over, effectively lowering the temperature to where Lucy could function again.

A big guy who looked kinda like Mira bounded out onto the field, yelled something about how today boys will become MEN! YEAH! SO MANLY, and then announced that tournament was beginning. The crowd cheered. Mira tittered into her palm. Erza nodded, her grin betraying her normal stoicness. Gray was busy staring at Juvia who was sitting in the bleachers not too far away.

Lucy slumped in her seat. Looks like it was too late to turn back now.

An onslaught of young men advanced each other. She found it odd that none of them bore weapons until one of them blasted a brilliant spear of light from his palm. Lucy instantly recognized the intense blond as Sting Eucliffe, son of Aether, god of light.

So, they were all demigods. That would at least make things a little more interesting.

Loke dodged a direct attack from Hibiki, son of Eros, god of desire only for Dionysus' son, Bacchus to trap both of them in a wreath of grape vines. Cobra, son of the goddess of poison, engulfed Zancrow, son of the god of death, in a mist of toxic poison that could kill a mortal in one inhale.

Dan, son of the rainbow goddess, smiled as he shoved the newly free Loke away. "Oh Lucy-kins! Did you see me! I can't wait for our—" he was cut off as Max, son of the goddess Demeter, sent him sprawling against the ground from a dust storm attack.

Lucy sighed, resting her chin on her palm. Most of these guys didn't even want to marry her and were being forced into it like she was. She could tell that nearly everyone on battlefield were merely putting on a show for the spectators and not fighting seriously, except for that of Loke and Dan.

Lucy reaaaaaally hoped Dan wouldn't win…

Gray came up beside Lucy, kneeling beside her throne with his arm propped up on the arm of the chair. "What's he doin' over there?" he growled.

Lucy followed his gaze to a boy wearing a dark cloak leaning up against the wall of the arena. He looked...well, bored. It was kind of amusing, but apparently Gray didn't think so. He stormed down the steps of the platform so that he was in shouting distance of the boy. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yelled, "Hey Flame-for-Brains? What kind of pathetic shit are you pulling right now?"

Lucy held off a laugh. The boy snapped back, "You know I'm always down for a good fight, Snowflake, but I don't want to win in a tournament that's going to make me get married!"

Yep, she had been right. They weren't fighting legitimately because they were being forced into it. This kid even refused to fight! Luy expected Gray to drop the subject, but he just kept egging the boy on. "Don't give me that bullcrap. You can't help yourself from fighting. It's like you're addicted to it, ya Pyro. The only reason you don't want to fight is because you know these guys are a league above you."

The son of Khione grinned devilishly when the cloak on the boy in the arena began to smolder and smoke. Wait...smoke? Fire demigod? Lucy only knew one guy…

Suddenly, the cloak combusted into flames and disintegrated into ash, leaving behind a pink-haired boy. He was dressed differently than she remembered—he sported traditional Greek army-wear opposed to his shabby rags. "No way," she breathed.

The boy she had been secretly developed a little crush on all those months ago...was in a battle fOR HER HAND IN MARRIAGE?

Natsu seethed up at Gray, the tips of his hair glowing with red flame. "I'm not afraid! You know damn well I could wipe the floor with them!"

Gray leaned his elbows on the concrete wall, casting a condescending sneer. "Prove it, Fire Princess."

"I will you blundering Snow Fairy!" Natsu roared, flames bursting from his body and creating a heat so massive, it melted the ice that Gray had covered the columns with. All of the other contestants regarded Natsu with intrigued gazes.

"Finally," Sting enthused, "things are going to get interesting!"

Lucy blinked, barely believing what just happened. All of a sudden, the random guy she hadn't noticed turned out to be Natsu? And then he joins the fight and then suddenly everyone was giving their all? She wasn't sure if she should be impressed that the fire demigod demanded so much respect from the others or if she should be offended that when they were fighting for her they had been going less than half of the power.

"Quite impressive," Jude mumbled, inclining his head forward.

Lucy wanted scream. Is this what Gray had alluded to earlier?

Scooping up the tail of her little dress, she hurried down the stairs to where Gray still leaned up against the railing, watching Natsu blast flames at other competitors. She hit him on the arm, but he barely looked at her. "H-how? What? I don't-?"

"Please," Gray rolled his eyes, "I knew it was Natsu you had run into all those days ago. He wouldn't shut up about you. And then I saw how mopey you were when you stared out the window. He doesn't know you're the princess here because he's a dumbass. He only joined the contest because his brother made him. That's why he hasn't been around—he's been training."

Lucy felt like she could faint. "And you didn't tell him because?"

"Because it will be hilarious when he sees you."

Lucy socked him in the shoulder again, only to receive a disapproving look from both Erza and her father. "Who's his brother?"

"Zeref."

Yep, definitely going to faint. "Prince Zeref of Alvarez? Commander of the Nine Demons and the Spriggan Twelve?"

"That's him."

"Natsu is his brother?"

"That's what I just said, yes."

"They look nothing alike!"

Gray laughed. "That's what you're worried about?"

Something smashed into the wall below them. Lucy gasped as Natsu shook rubble from his hair. "Oh my gods, Natsu, are you alright?" she screamed.

Natsu ruffled his hair. "Yeah, I'm fin—no way, Lucy?" The pink haired son of Hephaestus broke out in a grin. "What're you doing here?"

"What am I?" she repeated exasperated. "I'm the freaking princess of Crete Natsu!"

Natsu's face blanked and then took on one of utmost surprise. "You, a princess? Really?" Lucy gave him a hard look. "Guess there's only one thing to do then," he said cheerfully before his face contorted into one of determination. "Win."

Lucy blushed a deep crimson as Natsu charged back out into the center of the arena, fire shooting off of him like a firework as he fought. Gray leaned his elbow on her shoulder. "Want me to cool you down? That blush might set your ears on fire."

"S-shut up!" She stammered, of course only making her blush harder and Gray laughed harder.

When the dust cleared, Natsu was victorious but that was to be expected. Her father made a big speech about how bravely everyone fought and how he respected them all for wanting to wed his daughter. Lucy had laughed at that since she was pretty sure that the only ones that had actually cared were Dan and Loke who had slunk off with Bacchus to a bar.

Jude finished his speech by inviting Natsu to dinner and then left with a swish of his cape. Mira and Erza followed behind him. Gray had ducked out early when he caught his brother approach Juvie for the unkept time.

Slowly, the arena began to empty. Lucy knew she should retreat to her room to prepare for dinner, but she couldn't remove herself from the concrete railing of the arena. Natsu leaned up against the side of the arena, smiling up at her. She knew he was waiting, just as she was, for the noise level to die down enough to have a conversation.

When it finally did Lucy blurt out the question that had been nagging at her. "Why me?"

Natsu blinked. "Uh, what?"

"Why'd you choose me? You had no interest in that fight until you realized I was the princess you were fighting for. We've only met once before! Why me?" she pleaded softly, resting her head in her crossed arms.

"Aw, Lucy," Natsu smiled. "I did it because you're a nice person. And we had just only met once—did you really think that I was going to let some other guy take ya when I was just getting to know ya?"

Lucy laughed, a lump forming in her throat. "Yeah." Her eyes focused in on a group of people who had yet to clear from the arena, but didn't look like they planned on it any time soon. "Um, we have an audience."

Natsu turned, his smiled softening. "That's the other thing," he nodded towards the group of people, "I'm going to be a part of your family now, but I'd also like for you to be a part of mine."

Lucy looked on at the unfamiliar faces of a short elderly man with a mustache, a pretty tall brunette with a pint in her hand, a pair of short girls with blue hair and a scary raven haired boy who stood behind them. And among them were familiar faces; Gray, Juvia, Erza, Jellal, and Mira all smiled back at her.

Tears brimmed in Lucy's eyes. Natsu smiled, reaching his hand up to her. "Whaddya say, Daughter of Athena?" His eyes sparkled. "Ready to go on an adventure?"

Lucy took his hand.

12/2/16