"With the dragon defeated and the kingdom saved, the princess and her knight rode off into the sunset. Where they lived happily ever after."

"Again, Mommy! Again!"

"That's enough for tonight, honey. It's time for bed."

The crickets outside chirped, their whistling songs setting the mood for the starry skies blanketed over the capital city of Crocus. Within the hallowed Mercurius Palace, the Queen of Fiore tucked in her beloved daughter, Hisui. Normally one of the palace staff – namely Arcadios – would tuck in the spirited young Princess, but on this night her mother decided to do the honors.

It was rare for the Queen to be seen outside of her room aside from formal gatherings, so the sight of her walking down the halls of the palace to her daughter's room was a welcome surprise to the castle's staff.

Despite her young age, Hisui knew full well that her mother was occupied with her duties along with her father - King Fiore - to properly see her. As such, she savored every moment with them that she could. It was because of their tireless work that the people of the country were safe, and understanding that ensured that Hisui held no ill will towards her parents.

The Queen pulled the top blanket over Hisui. "All tucked in?" when the emerald haired child nodded the Queen smiled softly, gently rubbing her hand over her daughter's hair. "Good night, darling." The queen rose to leave, but was stopped by a question from her daughter.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Did the Princess and the Knight get married?"

Her mother smiled and nodded. "Yes, they were married and had lots of children. Everyone was happy."

"Does that mean you were happy when you married Daddy?"

The Queen paused on this question for a moment. It was a brief silence, but long enough for young Hisui to notice. Seeing her daughter's confused expression the Queen quickly regained her senses and smiled. She placed her hand on her daughter's head.

"Of course, dear. I love your father with all of my heart." She leaned in and lovingly kissed Hisui's forehead. "Now it's time for you to rest, ok?"

"Ok." Hisui settled into her bed. "Goodnight, Mommy."

"Goodnight, my love. Sweet dreams." The Queen turned from the bed and walked to the door. "I'm ready." At her words the guards slowly opened the rather large doors of the Princess' room into the hallway of the palace.

Hisui looked down, her anxious fingers loosely ruffling the fabric of her white silk stockings. Her vision had gone hollow from looking at the floor so long, but she didn't seem to care. Why that memory now of all times? It was a rather odd thing to reminisce about all things considered. Hisui had not thought of her mother in years.

"Princess?" Her coiffeur called. "We're finished."

Hisui blinked – her eyes refocusing - and she tilted her head up and looked at the mirror in front of her. Her emerald locks were waved to perfection. Tied into a ponytail that beautifully flowed down her right shoulder. When her eyes turned further up, she noticed the diamond encrusted tiara adorned on her head.

She looked over to her dress - which was dressed on a mannequin close to the door of the room. It was an elegant, flowing white dress with green accents to match the color of Hisui's hair and eyes. By all accounts she would look as beautiful as a bride should on her wedding day - perhaps even more so given her station as royalty - but even still the Princess could not bring herself to find joy in this.

The hairdresser caught Hisui's gaze – ignorant of the conflict going on within her - and smiled.

"You will look exquisite tonight, my lady." A playful smile tugged at her lips. "Mr. Dragneel won't be able to keep his hands off of you."

While Hisui wasn't at all comfortable at what the young lady that fixed her hair hinted at, she pretended to be amused if only to make herself feel better about the situation. A fake smile - one learned through years of training as a member of the royal family - appeared. "Is that so?"

The wedding was in eight hours, and Hisui was nowhere near mentally prepared for the ceremony with such little time to arrange the ceremony. Though even given a year she wouldn't be any more prepared.

She knew nothing of her husband to be outside of his name and the guild he was affiliated with.

Hisui was grateful to Natsu – and the other wizards – for fighting off the dragons and closing the Eclipse Gate, but outside of that gratitude she felt nothing for him. It wasn't out of spite - far from it, she admired and respected his strength - she just saw no merit in marrying someone that was completely alien to her.

However, her father's - the King's - orders were absolute no matter Hisui's personal feelings. She would do what was best for the kingdom.

She stood up from her chair and walked over to her dress. Running her fingers over the smooth fabric as she thought of the future.

"Natsu, stop fidgeting!"

"But this thing is too tight! I can't breathe!"

A swift blow to the back of the dragon slayer's head effectively stopped his whining.

"Did she really need to hit him so hard?" Lucy asked, her worried eyes set on the now unconscious Natsu as she watched from the sidelines with the rest of her team.

"If you ask me she didn't hit him hard enough." Gray commented.

"Well it's a good thing she didn't." Carla retorted.

"Aye." Happy agreed.

Erza looked to the tailor – who was understandably frightened by the redhead's display of force – "Can you still do your measurements while he's like this?" she pointed to the dazed Natsu.

The elderly man quickly nodded. "Y-yes ma'am. I can." In fear of being assualted next he quickly returned to his work. Erza walked back to where the rest of her team was sitting.

She sat next to Lucy, crossed her arms, and then crossed her right leg over her left. "Now we should be able to get this over with and quit wasting time."

Erza had been rather moody since the announcement of Natsu's engagement and subsequent marriage to the Princess. No one really knew what brought about the redhead's change in demeanor, but everyone in Fairy Tail agreed to give Erza a wide berth until she calmed down.

Lucy was of two minds about the situation. On the one hand she was happy to attend a wedding – she had never been to one before, and the added luxury of it being held in the royal palace only added to the appeal. But on the other hand she was just as uneasy as Natsu.

It was clear to the blonde that neither Hisui nor Natsu wanted this ceremony to happen, and if she was honest she held some reservations of her own. What good is a marriage if the people in it don't love each other? She thought to herself.

"I hope Natsu will be alright." Wendy spoke up.

Lucy looked to the young girl seated to her left and smiled. "I wouldn't worry, Wendy. Erza's hit him much harder than that."

Wendy looked to Lucy with surprise. Apparently she was unaware that she had said those words out loud. Gathering herself she flashed a nervous smile to the blonde. "Oh…I know. That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean?" Lucy inquired.

Wendy quickly looked away from Lucy, her characteristic blush painted on her cheeks as she stared once more at Natsu. "It's nothing."

Lucy was struck with further confusion by Wendy's deflection of the topic, but if she had to guess Wendy was having the same problems with the marriage that Lucy was.

"He's coming too." Carla pointed.

Everyone watched Natsu slowly awaken. A noticeable knot on the back of his head. The tailor was finished as well; having stripped Natsu in his sleep before placing the tuxedo on a hanger.

The dragon slayer sat up – in his underwear no less – on the platform in front of the tri-fold mirror and rubbed the back of his skull. "What happened?"

"Get dressed." Erza ordered Natsu as she stood up from her seat. "The ceremony is in six hours." She walked towards the door of the shop.

"Where are you going, Erza?" Lucy asked.

"To see Mirajane. She has our dresses."

Lucy's eyes widened in realization. "You're right!" Lucy quickly stood up. "I have to catch up with Hisui and see what I'm doing."

Wendy held Carla in her arms and followed behind Lucy and Erza, but not before bowing to the boys. "See you at the wedding."

"Hurry up, Wendy!" Erza called.

"Sorry! Coming!" The young dragon slayer rushed out of the room.

Once the girls were gone Natsu began getting dressed. As he put on his pants, he watched Gray and Happy walk up to him.

"Erza's way bossier than normal. I wonder what's wrong." Happy commented.

Gray shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. I think we should just let her be for now."

"Yeah." Natsu replied. "She'll be fine if we just leave her alone for a while." Natsu reached for his tuxedo, but hesitated before grabbing it.

"You alright?" He heard Gray ask.

"Yeah." The dragon slayer grabbed the suit and held it behind his shoulder, following his friends out of the shop.

"What the hell was that?!"

Natsu was furious, and he had every right to be. It was just announced – with no prior word given to him – that he was to be married to Princess Hisui. At first he shrugged it off as a joke, but he soon realized that this was anything but.

In his anger he followed the king through the palace.

Arcadios stepped between the angered dragon slayer and the King. "You will address his majesty with respect, you Insolent, unkempt-"

"Enough, Arcadios." The King stepped forward, calling off his stalwart knight. "Leave the boy be. I understand his frustration."

"So are you going to tell me what it was you just pulled out there?" Natsu demanded.

King Fiore was none too pleased with the young man's disrespectful tone, but he answered his question. "Was I not clear the first time? I would like for you to marry my daughter."

"I heard that part loud and clear out there, but why me? I don't even know her."

"I know it may not seem ideal for you but trust me when I say that you have all the qualities that make for a king, my boy."

Natsu raised an eyebrow in skepticism but allowed the King to continue his pitch.

"You're strong – possibly the strongest in the entire kingdom. Both the Grand Magic Games and the Eclipse incident showed that. You are unwavering in the face of defeat. And most important of all you inspire all around you through both your words and your actions. You, Natsu, are a natural born leader. That is exactly what this country desires of its King. We could make do without your pig-headedness, and your slovenly appearance, but we can always fix that."

Natsu fought the urge to punch the diminutive king and instead ask another question that bugged him. "Is that what Hisui wants?" He thought back to the Princess' face after her Father made the announcement. She was surrounded by nearly all the patrons of the ball, and though she was smiling, Natsu knew that she was putting on airs. She didn't want this "marriage" any more than he did.

"My daughter will do what is best for the kingdom."

The King's word lingered in the air between them, increasing the tension as Natsu stared him down. After a few seconds the dragon slayer turned on his heel and walked away.

"I'm not doing it. Find someone else."

"Get back here!" Arcadios aimed to follow Natsu but once again the King stopped him.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Natsu." The King said ominously. "If you refuse to marry Hisui, then Fairy Tail will suffer the consequences."

Natsu stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What did you say?"

"Even though you and your guild were instrumental in saving the kingdom, that does not excuse the crimes you committed in the city during your stay. Breaking into Sabertooth's lodgings, assaulting members of the Royal guard, breaking into the palace and endangering my daughter's life; all of these transgressions are grounds to incarcerate both you and your guild for a number of years."

Arcadios remained stone-faced while the King made his threats known. While he may not have been the biggest fan of Natsu, he knew that the King was being unfair in his accusations. Nonetheless he played his role and remained silent.

Natsu turned back around, his eyes red from anger as he ran back to the King. He grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air. "You bastard!"

Arcadios could take no more. He unsheathed his sword and readied to strike. The King held out his hand and for the third time the knight reluctantly relaxed.

His unwavering stare collided with Natsu's rage. Despite their obvious gap in size and power the King was not afraid.

"It is your choice, Natsu. You can hit me and brand your guild as traitors to the kingdom, or you can marry Hisui and become the next King. It all relies on what you do now. Which will it be?"

Natsu briefly tightened his grip on the King's collar before letting him go. He didn't care what happened to him. He could handle being labeled a traitor, he never held any special pride as a citizen of Fiore, but he couldn't let the guild get hurt because of a selfish action.

"My king!" Arcadios caught King Fiore before he hit the ground, pacing him safely on his feet.

"Thank you, Arcadios." The King patted himself off and fixed his collar before looking back up to Natsu. "I'm pleased you made the right choice, Natsu. Now I suggest you prepare, the wedding will be here soon." The King turned and walked away from Natsu, Arcadios following behind.

Natsu, Gray, and Happy walked the city streets, each of them looking around at all of the decorations strewn about the shops and roads they passed.

After the announcement of the marriage, the citizens of Crocus spared no expense in preparation for the event. Numerous shops and restaurants were closed in honor of the ceremony, and those that remained open raised their prices to get the most out of the tourists that would no doubt be showing up in the city.

On the main road there were barricades on either street made up of royal guards. This was because after the wedding – which would be broadcasted throughout the kingdom via lacrima-vision screens – there would be a parade through Main Street highlighting Princess Hisui and her new husband.

The words of the King still fresh in his mind, Natsu did his best to keep up appearances for the sake of his friends.

He told Master Makarov and Erza of the conversation with the King and what would happen if he disobeyed, and both of them had wildly different reactions to the news.

Master Makarov – while upset with the King's actions – accepted the terms and told Natsu to go through with the marriage if only to appease the King and keep Fairy Tail safe.

Erza on the other hand vehemently refused, wanting to confront the King about what she described as a "blatant abuse of power and station". Master Makarov denied her. Stating that she would only make things worse. The redhead reluctantly accepted her Master's words.

Honestly Natsu was all for Erza's plan, but he knew that Master Makarov was right. A battle against the kingdom was not one that they wanted - or one they could win.

As for the rest of the guild, some were confused, others were happy to be attending a wedding, hell some were even jealous that Natsu was marrying the princess. Only one reaction surprised Natsu. Lisanna's.

When the announcement was made she was just as shocked as everyone else, but eventually she returned to her normal attitude. She even congratulated Natsu on the affair. Which only worried Natsu even more.

Things with Lisanna were odd when she returned from Edolas, but over time they began to return to how they were. Natsu would even admit that things were actually going better than before, but this marriage threw all of that into disarray. It was jarring, and Lisanna smiling through it all only made him feel worse.

"We're here." Gray said.

Natsu craned his neck upward, his eyes resting on the sign of the Honey Bone Inn. The King offered the guild the chance to stay in the palace until the wedding, but for obvious reasons Natsu refused.

Gray looked to the clock on the tower across from the inn. "We have about four hours until we're supposed to be at the Palace. We should start getting ready."

"Aye." Happy nodded.

"Yeah." Natsu added.

The lights above were bright enough to blind those that looked at them long enough. What was formerly just a ball room in celebration of humanity's victory over the dragons just a few short weeks ago, was now an elegant wedding hall.

Thousands of people were in attendance for the event. From the guilds that participated in the battle, to high-ranking members of the magic council, to even some of the most influential families in all the kingdom. It was a regular gallery of the most important people in Fiore.

In the middle of all of this power and wealth was Natsu, standing at the altar with his best man – or cat – Happy at his side. A good number of the wedding guests found it more than a bit unorthodox that a cat would be chosen as the future king's best man, but Natsu wouldn't have it any other way.

Hisui really had no close friends, so Lucy offered to be her Maid of Honor. Surprised at first by the gesture, Hisui accepted Lucy with open arms, thanking her for her help once again.

As the three Fairy Tail members stood at the altar, the band began to play. Signaling the start of the ceremony.

Natsu glanced over the seats of the guests, his eyes catching Lisanna's. They looked at one another for a quick moment before the youngest Strauss smiled and turned her head. Natsu felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. Is she mad at me or something? He thought to himself.

The doors of the hall opened and Natsu's head snapped at attention. Flanked by Arcadios, Princess Hisui stepped forth into the ball room, her wedding dress dragging along behind her. She looked through her veil, watching as all of the guests stared at her in awe.

Any normal woman would have blushed at the attention, but Hisui only showed her fake smile, hoping that no one could see through her ruse. She didn't want to disappoint her father or the people in attendance.

Natsu and Hisui briefly caught the other's gaze, and for the first time they were able to take a good look at each other. They had yet to have one conversation since their wedding was announced. Neither knew what to say, but at this moment there was a subtle blush on both of their faces.

As Arcadios gave the bride away to Natsu, his eyes giving off the not so subtle threat of bodily harm to the dragon slayer should anything unseemly befall the Princess. At the same time Natsu's eyes held the promise of destruction should Arcadios do anything to harm Fairy Tail.

The bride and groom now shared the altar, and the guests all took their seats so the ceremony could properly begin.

The priest cleared his throat and began to speak. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness Her majesty, Princess Hisui E. Fiore and Natsu Dragneel be joined in holy matrimony…" While he gave the traditional speech, Natsu and Hisui had a conversation of their own.

"I deeply apologize for all of this." Hisui whispered. "I'm sure this is not what you wanted to happen."

"Yeah, but it's not your fault. Can't do anything about it now." Natsu curtly replied. He didn't mean to react that way. He genuinely believed her apology, but he didn't know if she apologized because she didn't want this either, or because she was trying to make up for what her father said.

He visually scanned her dress without turning his head. She filled it out quite well. "You…you look nice."

The princess was caught off guard by the sudden compliment, and her cheeks faintly glowed pink. "Thank you. You look handsome as well."

The priest began to draw his monologue to a close as the ring bearers brought the jewelry to the newlyweds. Natsu grabbed Hisui's hand and slid the diamond ring onto her slender finger. When he was done Hisui did the same to him, her eyes briefly widening when she touched his hand. His hands...they're warm.

"If no one objects to this union, then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The priest finished.

Natsu gulped as he and Hisui faced one another again. This was the moment of truth. His hands shaking from anxiety, he slowly pulled back the Princess' veil. Emerald eyes looked into his black ones and his heart skipped a beat. He didn't want this marriage, but he would be a fool to dismiss how beautiful his bride looked in this moment. Hisui felt a thup in her chest as well. Natsu's nervousness was proving to be contagious.

Natsu looked at Hisui for what felt like an eternity, his eyes asking if it was ok to proceed. She gave a short nod and Natsu leaned forward, his lips roughly pressing against the Hisui's.

It was awkward, clumsy, and lacked any and all romance, but nonetheless the guests – who were unaware of the laughable display of affection really was - clapped in celebration. Natsu and Hisui mercifully broke apart from one another and turned to the crowd. Both of them waving in gratitude despite their hearts begging to be free of this union.

ONE MONTH LATER

FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST

Natsu drove his flame covered into the abdomen of his opponent, sending him flying into the rest of his dark wizard comrades at a frightening speed. With a loud crash – caused by the collapse of a few buildings caught in the blast – the wizards were defeated and Fairy Tail stood triumphant once again.

Natsu rubbed his hands together in victory and proudly stuck out his chest. "That takes care of them all."

"Did you really have to cause so much damage, Natsu?" Lucy sighed. She placed her keyring back in its pouch and walked to his side. She could practically feel the reward money slipping out of her fingers.

"Aw come on, Lucy. Cut me some slack. It's been forever since I've had a chance to cut loose."

Lucy sighed in exasperation. "Fine, but you better help me with my rent if we get shorted because of this."

Natsu smiled and gave his partner a thumbs up. "You got it."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Let's just go. Come on, Happy!"

"Coming!" the exceed soared down from the skies above, landing on Natsu's shoulder. "We're leaving now?" he asked.

"Yep." Natsu nodded. "After we get the reward money, we're on our way back home."

After collecting the money for the job – which was a little more than Lucy predicted, but still short because of the damage caused – the trio were on their way back to Magnolia. Luckily the town they were in was only a few hours walk from their home, so they had no need to take a train.

Lucy counted her share of the reward for the third time and sighed ruefully. "So much for that new dresser."

"Cheer up, Lucy." Natsu smiled, patting her on the back. "You got enough for rent this month, right?"

"That's all I have enough for thanks to you." She snapped. "Can't you hold back just a little bit from time to time?" she begged.

Natsu shook his head, his smile still plastered on his face. "No can do. Not my style."

"Of course it isn't." Lucy crossed her arms in a huff.

Natsu felt bad for his friend. "You want some of my share? I don't pay rent so I don't really need this much anyway."

"Really?!" Lucy's eyes lit up at the suggestion, but she quickly remembered herself and waved off Natsu's offer. "No. Keep your money. We completed the job together. So it would be wrong for me to take all of it."

Natsu shrugged indifferently. "If you say so." He handed the money to Happy. "Can you put this in my bag, buddy? We can put it in our bank when we get home."

"Aye." Happy grabbed the money and flew up to Natsu's pack, placing the money in his bag as he walked.

As the sun began to set, Lucy's eye caught a glimpse of Natsu's wedding ring. She wanted to ask if he had talked to Hisui since the marriage, but she knew asking him would only put the dragon slayer in a bad mood. The last person to ask him about Hisui was Loke. Lucy couldn't summon the Lion spirit for two weeks after Natsu was done with him.

The trio entered the Magnolia by nightfall and went their separate ways upon reaching the marketplace. Natsu and Happy waved to Lucy until she turned down the street where her apartment was before proceeding to make their own way home.

"Man I'm beat." Natsu yawned, stretching his arms overhead.

"Aye. Today was a really long day." Happy agreed.

The two reached their door and turned the knob, but when they entered their home they were greeted by some unexpected guests.

"Welcome home."

"It's about time you showed up."

Inside Natsu and Happy's house were Princess Hisui and Arcadios. The Princess sitting politely on Natsu's couch with a smile while Arcadios stood straight up with his hands behind his back. There were also numerous luggage bags stacked neatly against the walls of the small house.

Natsu and Happy looked to one another in shock before looking back to their impromptu house guests. Natsu was the first to speak.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Well enough of you guys asked so here it is. The second chapter of Stuck With You! I didn't realize how popular this story was going to b with some of you, but I'm glad you all liked it.

For those keeping score this is my second Christmas Present to you all (The first being the third chapter of "The Dragneel Family Album").

I do have some ideas to expand this story, its all about the format really. But I will keep you all in tuned when I update this story further. As for updates, this story isn't my main focus at the moment so this will have much more sporadic updates than say "7 Pieces" so I appreciate you all being patient.

As always leave a comment/review letting me know what you think and thanks for reading! :)