The Dragon's Princess

Lady Countryrose

Ch. 10

Lucy had left the throne room to follow her servant friend, Levy through the castle. They traveled across the massive stone covered walls and floors. Lucy noticed that they were making their way towards the tower of where her rooms should be. When they got to the door, of which Levy had stopped in front of. It was Lucy's room.

"Levy, why are we here?"

"Lady Catherine is in this room, Princess Lucy."

It caused the princess to feel a bit fearful. She didn't mind that your cousin was in her room. But she had an issue of her being locked in her room. Lucy turned to Levy to see her digging a key from her pocket and unlocking the door. Allowing her to rush into the room, where she saw Catherine kneeling on the floor crying.

When Catherine turned around after hearing them enter. She raised her head to see her cousin before getting onto her feet. Catherine's lovely long copper hair that went along with her green eyes. To Lucy, Catherine hadn't changed. Except for the amount of time that had passed for the two of them, since they hadn't seen each other in years.

Lucy ran towards Catherine after she had gotten upon her feet. Allowing them to hug each other. Knowing that at least one of them needed it. Lucy pulled Catherine away from, in order for her to look at her. "What happened?"

Catherine let out a sigh, as she glanced into Lucy's brown eyes. "It was horrible, Lucy." She shook her head with sorrow in her eyes. "Uncle Jude brought an army of men into my father's kingdom, Lucy." Her eyes leaked as she remembered what happened. "His men demanded that I came to the castle, as insurance that you would come back with a worthy husband…"

"What did Uncle Chris do," Lucy asked with worry in her voice.

Catherine closed her eyes. "He declared war on your father before one of your guards killed him…"

"Aunt Clare?"

The copper haired woman cried in sorrow. "Killed by the same man, when she blocked him from taking me…" She closed her eyes. "My kingdom is without a lord, Lucy." Her tears leaking out even more. "Why did Uncle Jude do this, other than insurance?"

Lucy brought Catherine towards the bed and allowed the two of them to sit. "Father hasn't been well since mother died." She saw the anger in her cousin's eyes. "But it doesn't give him the right on how he treated you or me…" She laced her fingers with the girl next to her. "He was forcing me to marry and I ran away… I wanted to find my own husband and I found him."

Catherine sighed, "I guess I can't be angry with you…" She shook her head. "Uncle Jude made me want to hate you and he was getting close for me to do so…" A sigh left her lips, as they formed into a smile. "I'm just glad you came back. Hoping that your future husband can save us all."

"Natsu will," stated Lucy with warmth in her voice. "From what little I have known him, he is full of a fireball of hope…" Causing the two girls to giggle. Even Levy smiled from where she stood at the door.

The three girls were enjoying the silence for many moments. Before hearing footsteps rushing towards them. The three girls glanced towards the open doorway, to see a massive of pink and maroon hair rushing into the room.

Lucy turned to see Natsu rushing towards her. Causing Catherine to get up on her feet to get away from the unknown male to her eyes. He came and kneeled before her with sorrow in his eyes.

A hand rushed towards Lucy's lips, "Please…"

Natsu shook his head, "Sorry Lucy." He took one of her hands into his own. "Your father died, killing Silver…" He leaned into her. Wrapping an arm around her neck to bring her closer, to where their foreheads touched. "No more pain…"

Lucy nodded, allowing the news to hit her. She pulled away from Natsu to glance up to her cousin to see her in the arms of Cobra. Her eyebrow raised when she saw that Catherine had stopped trying to push him away from her. As if she was allowing the man to comfort her, knowing that she needed it.

Cobra brought his nose to her neck, rubbing it as he took in her scent. "Lady Catherine," he purred with his deep baritone voice. "Let me take care of you, as your loving husband?"

She pulled away with tears in her eyes. "Are you going to run away again," she asked with deep sounding pain in her voice. "You left without telling me…"

"I'm sorry, darling but I had to hide." He shook his head, while he gave her a heartwarming smile. "After turning into what I am, I had to hide and I had to protect you by leaving."

Natsu grumbled, "You two know each other?"

Cobra turned towards the two that were at the bed. "Yeah, you have a problem with that?"

Lucy shoved Natsu away from her, who fell onto the floor, not bothering to glare. She made her way towards the couple with a smirk. "So, when did you two meet?"

Catherine glanced towards the floor with a blush across her cheeks. "We met some time ago," she glanced towards Cobra with a smile that seemed to brighten the room. "We ran into each other in my family's garden. He was looking for an herb for his studies. While I was there to get away from my studies…"

"You fell in love," stated Lucy with wonder in her voice. "Was it love at first sight?"

"No," stated Cobra with a chuckle. "We fell in love during a heated debate…" He leaned in towards Catherine without much thought and gave a heated kiss. Showing the passion that the two held for each other.

Natsu huffed from where he sat. "I see why he wanted dibs for your cousin…" This caused Lucy to look at him, which made him grin. "I know that a wedding is the last thing on our minds right now. We should head down to throne room to calm the people."

Lucy nodded, "That would be the best." She turned towards the kissing couple. "You two can kiss later," she hissed out, causing the two to jump away from one another.

Natsu smiled as he had gotten onto his feet. He made his way to Lucy and wrapped an arm around her. "We should head downstairs. Lucy has a kingdom to maintain." Everyone gave a nod before making their way down to the throne room. Once there, Lucy sat upon her father's throne.

Gray Fullbuster came and kneeled before Lucy. "Please forgive me, princess. I didn't know my father had done that to your mother."

Catherine, who was standing near Lucy had turned to her. "Your mother?"

Lucy closed her eyes. "Silver Fullbuster killed my mother because of her being friends to dragons." She opened her eyes to see Gray looking up towards her with his eyes. She raised her hand to wave it. "You're not at fault for your father's crimes, Gray. We were mir children when it happened."

Gray stood up and gave another bow before walking towards the wall, where he was before. Where many knights and guards stood. Waiting.

Lucy turned towards Natsu, "Plans?"

"I have people reading your father, as we speak."

"And Silver," she asked with fear in her eyes.

Natsu sighed, "I'm taking care of that. Young Mr. Fullbuster gave consent for it." Lucy could tell from the sound of his voice that it was a bit hard to sound formal. When she knew that it wasn't him.

"Understood," she stated just as formal. Lucy turned towards her people in front of her. She could see that everyone looked lost and confused as she was. Because she never pictured her father to die, at least not the way it had happened.

"I'll allow our kingdom to mourn for the amounted time," she stated as she glanced around the room. "As I have been away for awhile, I have found myself a husband." She waved her hand towards Natus. "His name is Natsu Dragneel and we will marry within a couple weeks."

Natsu stepped forward before the masses before him. "Since I'm not yet king, but I'm asking for all but my own guard to leave the room." Massives of voices spoke up but he raised his arm, causing many to become quiet. "Until the kingdom has come back for your period of mourning. The princess will assign you your stations…"

A man with ginger hair stepped forward with a glare in his eyes as he faced the throne. "Forgive me, Natsu but what gives you any right to tell us what to do?"

Lucy stood up made her way forward, where she stood next to Natsu. "You're talking to the man that I will be marrying, Loke." The ginger haired man gasped. Lucy smiled, "Please show your support for me by listening to his wishes as if they were my own." She glanced around. "Everyone please understand… This castle has seen its share of darkness, I wish for it not to continue. Let us face this mourning together…"

Lady Catherine came and stood next to Lucy with a sad smile on her face. She turned to Loke before them. "You see Sir Loke, Princess Lucy had found her love and will be marrying the man that you will be calling king, soon."

Loke bowed his head. "Please forgive me for speaking out of line." He glanced up towards the three before him. "Please forgive an old friend for wanting to protect our princess."

"You're forgiven," stated Natsu without any heat behind his words. "I would have done the same if I have been you." He glanced at a couple of his men. "Believe it or not, we do want to make this kingdom better. My men and I are willing to retrain your men to be better…"

He glanced at the man known as Loke and saw a challenge in his eyes. "...and willing to change ranks around or offer different jobs altogether. Even the princess has voiced her wishes for the people." He laced his fingers with Lucy, who gave a smile towards him. "I decided when it comes to the people, Princess Lucy is in charge. But when it comes to the guards and knights. That falls under my supervision with my men."

Loke stood up strong, while he glanced towards the surrounding wall. Seeing that every one of them had agreement across their faces. He turned towards the three before him with a small smile. "We are in agreements with these wishes," he bowed from his neck. "We shall leave…" He turned, leading everyone who wasn't part of the noble family or guests, had left.

Once the room was cleared. Natsu's men went around and closed all the doors and locking them before standing before the throne. Lucy turned towards Catherine with a question in her eyes. "I'm going to need you here. Do you think your younger brother will take care of things from your home?"

Lady Catherine smiled, "I think that will be managed. I'm just glad that Jason was out on a hunting party when your father's men came."

"Who killed your parents," asked Natsu with heat in his eyes but calmness in his voice.

"Silver."

Cobra made his way over and wrapped his own arms around her. "At least that monster was dealt with." Catherine shiver in his arms, allowing him to provide whatever comfort that she can from him.

When Lucy had seen all Natsu's Dragon Guard glancing towards Catherine. She allowed a small giggle to leave her lips. "This is Lady Catherine, my cousin. I just found out that her and Cobra were old friends…"

Laxus grumbled, "Doesn't look like old friends."

"No shit," stated Gajeel from where he stood, with his arms folded over his chest.

Cobra turned towards the few that were within the room with a smirk on his lips. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But I was a scientist in her lands. It was during one of my studies that I ran into her." He glanced towards her with kindness in his eyes. Something that none of them had seen before. "But we fell in love. After I made the mistake of turning myself into a dragon halfling that I was forced to leave…"

Catherine smiled as tears left her eyes. "Please… Don't do that again…"

"I won't love," he purred, causing her to shiver.

Lucy gave the two a worried look. "Should I just call a priest to marry you two tonight?" Causing the two to glance at her with surprised looks in their eyes. "I mean… You two have waited for so long to be with one another."

Cobra smirked, "Can we get back to you on that?" Causing Catherine to hit him before walking away from him. "What?"

"We can WAIT," she walked out of the throne room without looking back.

Cobra glanced at Lucy with a worried look in his eyes. "What did I do wrong?"

"I think you should have said, 'Whatever you wish…' It would have gone a lot different." She turned to where Catherine had left the room, allowing Natsu to deal with everything else. Lucy had an angry cousin to deal with.