Title: Written In The Stars.
Summary: All they had was tonight, and for now, that was enough. [Nalu] [Royalty AU]
Note: The characters and the world of Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. I am only one of his beloved fans who decided to expand upon his idea and twist the characters and the plotline into something new. Thus, this still belongs to Hiro Mashima.
Enjoy!
"It is a travesty when two hearts, at different intervals in life, find each other. And although they would otherwise be perfect for each other, they can't be together, for the timing isn't right." —Unknown.
Princess Lucy couldn't help but fidget nervously as she regarded herself in the mirror. Her eyes—auburn as always—stared back at her through the mirror, agitation and nervousness swirling within those dark orbs of hers. She twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger, staring at the lock as it slowly unwind itself and bounced back to where it formerly hung. She let out a frustrated sigh, a frown beginning to curl at the corners of her mouth.
Why was she anxious? She shouldn't be—she knew that she looked fine. Glancing down at herself, she tried to calm her erratic heart from jumping out of her chest. She was donned in a dress that reached the edges of her ankles. It was a mixture of crimson and white, all blended together to bring out the color of her golden locks that framed the sides of her face. It was low-cut in the back and the sleeves of her dress began from the middle of her upper arm and flowed down, growing drastically in width as it reached the edges of her wrists. A large pink bow was wrapped around her waist, and a white necktie was wrapped around her neck, complimenting each other nicely. It was a low-neck dress, stopping just where a hint of her cleavage could be seen, and lying in-between her breasts was a necklace.
She fingered said necklace, the ridges of her cheeks tinting slightly as she thought of who had given her this necklace. The silver-plated emblem that hung between her breasts was a tiny rose, budded with small leaves, and the words, inscribed so small and intricately against the emblem that it was unnoticeable at first sight, still warmed her heart to this day.
Find your fire.
A small smile dawdled at the corners of her lips. This time, she glanced upwards at the mirror once more, and the woman who stared back was determined, steadfast, and strong. Her blonde hair was curled and pulled upwards to form an elaborate bun, with strands of blonde locks framing her face to bring out her heart-shaped features. Her skin, though fair as it was, complimented her pink lips and her rosy cheeks. Lucy smiled. She was beautiful—she always knew that. But tonight, as she stared at herself amidst the mirror, her dress meticulously conveying every curves that puberty had blessed her with, she was more than beautiful.
She was alluring.
Her eyes twinkling, Lucy nodded to herself in satisfaction. Turning around, Lucy ambled gracefully towards the other side of her bedchamber, where her bed—neat and pristine as it always was—laid. She sat carefully at the corner of the bed, smoothing out any wrinkles that might have formed on her dress and kept her eyes trained on her bedroom door.
As she knew she still had about a few minutes before his appointed time, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. It has been five months, five long and dreadful months since she had last seen him.
Natsu Dragneel, the General Commander of Fiore's army and the most powerful man Earthland has ever known—and her secret lover.
Lucy smiled sadly at the thought. Her secret lover. She hated the sound of that. She wanted the entire world to know who Natsu was to her, what he meant to her. But she couldn't. She couldn't marry a commander—no matter how worthy he may be. She knew her father wouldn't accept the engagement, ever. He wants her to marry someone who was deemed royalty, who was royalty.
She glanced down at the jewel that adorned her ring finger, sadness filling her whole.
She was getting married to Prince Bora, heir to the Prominence throne within a fortnight and she wasn't happy.
Not in the least.
Lucy wished she could decline the engagement, for she didn't love the heartless man at all. But her father had insisted—declaring that if she married him, the two royal families would be able to tie together and the Prominence family would help aid the Heartfilia family in the War.
The War—it brought a bitter taste to her mouth and a cold feeling to her stomach just by thinking about it.
There was a bloody war going on between the kingdom of Fiore and Fiore's nefarious enemy since the beginning of time—Grimoire Heart. With the aid that the Prominence family would be able to give them, they might actually have a chance of winning this war and putting an end to all the bloodshed that stained the lands. Lucy didn't want to marry Prince Bora, but what choice did she have? If she doesn't marry him, his family won't supply the weapons and an army her kingdom needed to defeat and end the Grimoire Heart Empire once and for all.
When Lucy had found out about the engagement, all she dearly wanted was for Natsu to be here with her, to kiss her tears away, to show her that everything was going to be okay. But, alas, he had his duties. He'd been preoccupied, so preoccupied with the War and stationed miles away from the city of Fiore that her heart physically ached for him each and everyday.
Five months, her mind whispered.
He had been gone for five months, and finally, after so much agonizing she had done over the fact that he may not survive another day, he was finally coming home tonight. The moment Lucy heard of the news from her father, she was ecstatic. Of course, the War wasn't over. Not by a long-shot. But—he was alive and he was finally coming home, even if it was temporary, and that was more than enough for Lucy to last tonight, at least.
She hated the idea that her lover was out there, fighting in the front lines, when at any moment a fateful blow might be what would end him once and for all. Natsu Dragneel may be strong—the strongest soldier there ever was to exist upon the lands of Fiore, but even the strongest can fall—and that's what worried Lucy the most.
A small knock drew Lucy away from her thoughts and back to the present. Her eyes flitted towards the door, her breath caught in her throat as she waited, waited with newfound impatience coursing through her blood for the door to open and—
Another knock resounded through the silent room, but it wasn't coming from her door. Lucy pivoted her head slightly, her eyes roaming across her bland vast walls before coming to a stop upon her window, where her vanity resided close by. A shadow crossed over the centre of the balcony, and all Lucy could do was stare. The shadow paused right outside of the window, and Lucy could feel her throat closing up with fear. Before she had a chance to do anything, perhaps call for help from the guards stationed right down the hallway from her bedroom, the shadow moved subtly and the light from the moonlight glinted off of the perpetrator's hair and Lucy caught a sight of pink flashing before her eyes. The next thing she knew, she was striding across her chamber, excitement thrumming through her veins and eagerness clutching her heart with a strong grip.
Lucy paused in front of her window, her lips curling into a smile. She unlatched the locks that held the window open and slowly, ever-so-softly so that no one would be able to hear, she opened the window, letting the darkness and the moonlight spill into her room. A light breeze whispered passed her, bringing the scent of jasmine and lilies into the bedchamber and she had a moment to breathe them all in before Natsu was climbing over her windowsill, his smile as bright as the moon was tonight.
She took a step backwards as Natsu's feet touched the ground. He turned around and latched the bolts that kept her windows locked before turning to face her.
For a moment, all they did was stare at each other in silence. They stood merely a few feet away from each other, and Lucy decided to use this moment to marvel at how beautiful he looked tonight. Even though it's been almost half a year since she last set eyes upon him, Natsu looked almost the same. His pink locks were messy as usual, sitting atop of his head and curling down until the tufts of his rosy locks reached the edges of his neck. His eyes, jet-black, gleamed in the darkness of her room and his lips, his soft lips, was tugged up into a loving smile. There was a new scar that adorned the ridges of his cheek, but it was so small and faded that Lucy guessed that he had received the scar long ago.
"When you sent your letter explaining how you were going to meet me tonight in a clandestine manner, I didn't think you meant, well, this," Lucy teased, a playful smile crossing over her features as she took a step closer to him.
"I'm full of surprises, aren't I?" His deep baritone was melodious to Lucy's ears, and all she wanted to do at that moment was tug him forward and kiss the man for all he was worth.
Apparently, it seemed like that same thought occurred to Natsu as well. His eyes wandered to her lips, staring at it briefly before flitting up to meet her gaze once more. His eyes had darkened, and all the playful banter that hung in the air between them dissipated instantly. He took a step closer to her, his gaze half-lidded. "God, you're so beautiful," he murmured, an unknown emotion flashing through his eyes. Before Lucy could smile shyly or tuck a stray of her golden lock behind her ears, Natsu cupped her cheek, stroking it softly.
He stared into her eyes, an unspoken question lingering within them. Lucy felt all sense of thought leave her, and she knew she wouldn't be able to string any words together to make a coherent sentence, so she nodded mutely instead. She knew what he was asking—there were no words that they needed in order to understand one another. Their souls were linked together as one; both spirit and body intertwined and connected. They didn't need to express to one another verbally; they had each other, after all.
The feeling of his rough, callused hand against her cheek sent shivers running down her arms, and an undeniable heat began to pool in the pits of her stomach.
Natsu was tall, his lean body looming over her small and thin one. Leaning downwards, his face merely centimeters away from hers, he whispered, "Luce—I missed you so much." His voice held an edge of desperation to it. His thumb brushed her cheek gently, and Lucy couldn't help but lean into his touch, her eyes fluttering. She could smell cinnamon emanating from his mouth, and she did nothing but breathe in the familiar scent as it wrapped itself around her heart, tugging her closer to her lover—her soulmate.
"And I, you." Lucy whispered back before reaching upwards and placing her lips against his.
It had been long—so long—since she had kissed him. Lucy's eyes fluttered as she brought her hands up to tangle amongst those undeniably pink hair of his, pulling Natsu closer to her, if that was even possible. He responded with such fervor, emitting a moan from deep within his throat as he let his tongue slightly glide over her bottom lip, seeking for access into that hot, that incredible mouth of hers. Lucy responded easily, her lips parting as his tongue eagerly darted in. She moaned his name over and over again as a prayer—like he was her angel, her savior.
And he was.
With one swift movement, his lips still locked against hers in a battle for dominance, Natsu picked Lucy up, his muscular arms enclosing around her thin frame. She wrapped both of her legs around his waist in response, a small giggle escaping through her lips as she angled her head and tugged Natsu even closer. He crossed the room with long strides, not faltering even once as he reached her queen-sized bed. Gently, he set Lucy down across her duvet covers, her golden locks splaying about. He paused in kissing Lucy as he stood in front of her, gazing at her with such love, with such warmth that Lucy's cheeks reddened at the sight.
"Natsu," she murmured softly, traces of a soft smile crossing over her features.
He grinned back, his salmon-covered locks glinting in the darkness of her chamber. Slowly, he placed his two hands on either side of her face, locking her in as his gaze never left hers once. He crouched over her, his eyes darkening with desire as he let his thumb brush lightly over her plump lips. Lucy's breath caught in her throat; all she could do was watch as Natsu leaned down and ever-so-softly placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth. From there, he left a trail of kisses down her mouth, reaching her jawline and entering the smooth expanse that was her neck. Wherever he placed his lips upon her skin, it left a trail of burning sparks lingering in its wake. It was just a matter of time before those sparks all merge together and become something more—something dangerous, something that wouldn't be tamed so easily.
And she wanted it; she wanted it all.
Lucy wanted the fire to engulf her, to overwhelm her with its heat, with its scorching blaze. She wanted to forget everything, all of her problems, all of her duties as a princess—including the War. Tonight, it was about them. Only them, and she wanted nothing more but to revel in Natsu's heat, to lose herself in his fire and to become one with the man she loves.
Natsu continued to suck and nibble against Lucy's neck, and she elicited a small gasp from within her throat. "Natsu," she moaned, her eyes closing as she relented to his devious ministrations. Natsu continued down her neck, over the silk ribbon, nibbling at her clavicle, before stopping where her cleavage only began. She could feel his satisfied smile against her skin as he fingered the necklace she wore around her neck, the same necklace he had given her all those years ago—a silent promise between them that he would always return.
"Find your fire," he echoed softly, and Lucy couldn't help but smile at the familiar words.
It had taken her a while, a while to realize that she couldn't find the fire within herself. No—her fire was always with Natsu. The sparks in the pits of her stomach were only small, delicate, and they always needed something more. She was merely just sparks, but Natsu was a steady flame, strong and unwavering within the darkest hours of the night. He was her light, her guide. She was an ember, and he was her flame, ready and equipped to ignite the shining light that was hidden within her. She only needed his fire to realize the light—the potential that she carried all this time was in her, ready to be unleashed at any given moment.
A quote, Lucy recalled, came to her as Natsu's hand continued to glide over her body, caressing her soft skin and worshipping her with his hot, beautiful mouth: "Sky above me. Earth below me. Fire within me." She couldn't remember who had uttered those exact words, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she realized how much this quote resembled her.
She may be concealed within this castle, forced to marry a heartless man who didn't care for anybody but himself, but she would let nobody, nobody take her spirit away from her. Lucy had determination, pure tenacity surging through her veins and a fire inside of her that wouldn't be tamed any time soon. Her strength of character rose above all, and she would show the world that she would not be suppressed so easily.
Natsu's hand continued to slid from the apex of her shoulders to her wrists, his callused fingers skimming over the sheer material of her dress. His hands reached her fingers, lacing them in-between, and she squeezed his hands tightly. Then, she unlaced one of her hands from his and raised it up until her palm was touching his chest, where his heart was located beneath the shirt that he was adorned in. Lucy closed her eyes, reveling in the pure prospect that his heart was still pumping with blood, that each beat proved that he was still alive—still breathing.
"I'm alive," Natsu murmured, his breath fanning the sides of her face.
Lucy nodded, trusting herself not to speak. "But for how long?" she wanted to ask. Instead, she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to ruin this perfectly beautiful moment that was being shared between the two of them.
His deft fingers glided over her own, passing the middle finger, before they paused upon her ring finger. She could feel Natsu shift above her, his body becoming taut and rigid. When she opened her eyes, she found that he was staring at what adorned her ring finger, a pained look sliding over his features. Lucy's eyes widened a fraction as she realized the slipup she had caused. She cursed inwardly, wondering how in Earthland had she became so utterly blind and foolish to not take the ring off before Natsu's arrival. Lucy was forced to don it everyday, and she was so used to the damned object sitting upon her ring finger that it had completely slipped her mind to take it off.
"Natsu, I—" Lucy started, ashamed.
"When?" His voice was silent. Quiet.
Lucy winced. "It occurs in a fortnight," she whispered, her heart clenching tightly within her chest.
Natsu didn't say anything.
Lucy felt absolutely horrible. She hated how Natsu suddenly became so quiet, so hushed. It pained her greatly to know that he was hurting on the inside, and all she wanted to do at that moment was to kiss him, to show him that Bora meant nothing, absolutely nothing to her. She reached upwards, her fingers barely skimming the ridges of his cheeks. "Natsu," she says softly, swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat, "I—I was going to tell you, but—"
"I know." His voice was gentle, and when he glanced up at her, she was relieved to find that there was no anger or aggravation hiding beneath his irises. There was only sadness—a whole deal of sadness that made Lucy's heart ache and the burning behind her eyes to intensify. Her hands shook slightly as she touched his scarred cheek and looked past his irises—into his bruised soul that laid beneath. "It's okay, Luce. I understand." Natsu's eyes searched hers as he brought his hand upwards and held hers within his grasp. He leaned into her touch, his eyebrows fluttering closed, his breath barely a whisper over her skin.
"It's for the safety of my people," Lucy whispered, her voice strained. "It's for our future, Natsu. I'm doing this for us."
He opened his eyes, his smile pained. "I know," he murmured softly, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "I know."
Natsu leaned down, pressing his lips softly against Lucy's. And as Lucy responded back, reaching upwards to thread her fingers through those impossibly pink locks of his, she recalled another quote, something she had found within a book a few days prior.
'And there they stand,' she thinks sadly, slanting her mouth against his, hot tears running down her flushed cheeks, 'the innumerable stars, shining in order like a living hymn, written in light.' And as Natsu began to slowly unbutton her dress, sliding the hem of her sleeves down her naked skin, Lucy wondered if their fate was truly written in the stars. And if so, will they ever have a chance to pursue what was theirs before it even began?
A/N: The idea for this one—shot came to me in the middle of the night, and it ended up being a whole lot longer than I was actually anticipating. Whoops! Anyways, I hope you guys, well, enjoyed it? :D Don't forget to review/favorite/follow! It would mean a lot to me! (Also, the quote I used in the last paragraph belongs to N.P Willis! He's amazing.)
Stay beautiful,
—Esha Ali