A/N: Damn, I'm really getting worse in updating quick now. Apologies to all my fellow readers but I'm just so caught up in work which I hope you all will forgive me. Here's a chapter before I go celebrate my birthday this weekend^^

The Princess and the Dragon Slayer

Chapter 21

My eyes were like dinner plates now as I was so stunned on how Mystogan knows I am a dragon slayer. There was no way he could found out with the way I used my magic earlier since I was really careful. I concentrated with controlling my magic during the whole fight! I looked down to think and concentrate hard when I saw my sleeves were torn up and that is when how I realized he found out.

Dragon scales were appearing on my hands and arms. I was freaking out now so I looked over to my right where Loki and Capricorn stood. They looked startled as well so it clearly shows that there were dragon scales appearing on my face as well.

I was so distracted that I didn't realized when Mystogan managed to get behind me and gave a kick on my back which got me to fly before skidding on the floor. Due to my sensitive hearing, I overheard the conversation between Loki and Capricorn since I was thrown as their side.

"Tch. Damn Capricorn, we didn't see this coming." Loki commented.

"We need to go and help him."

Before they could, I overheard people from the crowd throwing comments here and there.

"Oh my god, what's wrong with his hands and face?"

"Wait, I recognize those. Those are dragon scales right?"

"You're right! Kyaah! Is that a dragon slayer?"

I slowly stood up as I ignored the comments. I was so disappointed with myself that all I want to do at that point was face down and wait for my charge. I balled my hands into fists at my side as I let my bangs hovered over my eyes.

"Good heavens, they are right. What is a dragon slayer doing in my castle?!" I heard the king said aloud as he bent over the balcony railing. "Guards! Capture him!" The king ordered and this got the crowd to start running out from the battle arena, screaming. He stood up straight and turned around to find his daughter but only to see she was gone. "Lucy?" The king went frantic as he looked around for his daughter.

The guards were marching towards me with spears in their hands. Before they could come any closer, Lucy dashed in front of me as she let out her hands in a way like she was protecting me.

"Please don't hurt him! He is not who you all think he is. He's a good friend and has been a loyal service to the castle!"

"Luce?" I looked up at her, stunned.

"Lucy Heartfillia!" The king was now on the battlefield too as he roared and marched towards us. "What do you think you're trying to do?! Defending a low-life creature like him?!" The king now stood in front of us.

"Father!" Lucy screamed. "That's not the way to call anyone!"

"He's not a normal human being Lucy! You know it! He's a dragon slayer, harm to us all! More disappointing, how could you let him work in my castle?!" The king answered back angrily. "Now don't be a stubborn daughter and come with me!" Before the king could grab Lucy's arm, I quickly went to their side and grabbed the king's arm instead.

"She doesn't want it." I didn't know where the courage came from for me to talk back to the king in such a way. Furthermore, I gave him my most deadliest look as I grabbed his arm quite tightly.

"How dare you touch me? I'm the king you treacherous fool!" The king looked at me quite deadly as well as if he was about to kill me anytime.

"Father no!" Lucy pushed the king back which made me let go of him.

"Lucy?" I could see the king was appalled by her action but that didn't keep from Lucy looking at her father with determination in her eyes as she stood between us.

"I love him father! I love him so much!" Lucy shouted with agony. Tears were threatening to fall from the corner of her eyes.

There was a dead silence for a minute as the king looked at Lucy with his eyes wide like dining plates. I guess upon hearing what Lucy said to him, he wasn't able to process it in his brain.

"No, no, no, no! Lucy, you can't! How could you? When Layla, your mother! She was killed by one of them!"

"No father, you listen! Mother wasn't killed by one of them! She got killed by people who wanted to kill dragon slayers father!"

"Listen to yourself Lucy, you've got brainwashed by him." The king pointed at me with his index finger before he continued again. "Guards take him to the prison, we're going to hang him on the next sunrise." The king announced before marching passed me.

"NO FATHER!" Lucy screamed as she tried to rush to my side but she couldn't as she was pulled away by her very own guards.

"LUCY!" I could see Virgo was trying to push the guards away from Lucy but failed to. Capricorn and Loki came in to push the guards away from me as well but there were just too many of them.

I guess fairy tale ceased to exist after all since that dream was simply fading away as we were pulled away from each other in the opposite direction.

It was cold as I sat against the prison floors but it didn't affect me due to my abnormal body temperature. I felt so lost once I got separated from Lucy. Since I got thrown into this prison cell, the guards chained me up like I'm some beast so all I could do was leaned my back against the wall as I sat on the floor and with my knees to my chest.

To be honest, I think I am stone cold right now due to the event that occurred earlier. It was also heart breaking that after so long, I was treated like this again. A monster that needs to be tied up and locked away forever but maybe not this time for me since I'm going to be exiled in the next few hours or so. I actually thought I could run away from the fact that I'm a dragon slayer and live a normal and peaceful life like any other human being but I guess I chose the wrong place to dwell on such a fairy tale.

When the guards gave me food or even water, I didn't even try to reach for it. I was actually angry that they bothered not to starve me. Why give me food when you're going to kill me the next day? I just wanted to see Lucy so much right now since I won't get to see her tomorrow after I get hang. I won't be able to tease her anymore, make her laugh, see her lovely smile, hug her in my arms, kiss and make love to her like there's no tomorrow and most of all, protect her.

When I thought about all this, I didn't bother to control my emotions and instead I just let the tears flowed down my cheeks. I tighten my grip onto my arms as they rested on my knees. As I was crying softly, there was a knock on my cell door but I decided to ignore it like how I did to the rest because the guards were the only one who came to 'pay' me a visit.

"Natsu! You there?" The person on the other side called for me quite softly but I managed to hear it. I took a sniff to be sure it was the person that the voice belonged to and it was Loki.

I looked up and saw his face through the small window on the cell door.

"Shit Natsu, you looked like hell." I heard Loki said before he proceeded to fumble with the cell's door knob. Once I heard the click sound as if the door has been unlocked, the cell door swing open and there stood Loki in a mess like he has just been in a fight. He panted heavily as he stood there for a moment and stared at me before coming to my side.

"What are you doing?" I asked quite hoarsely since my voice was dry with the lack of water. I felt the chains around my wrist were getting loose.

"What else you idiot? I'm getting you out of here. Furthermore the castle is under attack."

Under attack? That was the only words I managed to catch. I think I was chain free since Loki was now putting my right arm around his neck while he held the side of my waist for support.

"Come on Natsu." Loki dragged me out from the cell and with the way he's moving, it's obvious that he's having difficulty but he wasn't giving up. I could see we were going to the direction of this prison's exit.

To be honest, I didn't have any more energy left to move after the whole drama that happened earlier. The battle that I had with Mystogan wasn't so dreadful unlike how I was fighting my way with the guards when the king mentioned to separate me and Lucy. Lucy… I wonder if she's married to him already. Just by mentioning that word, really aches my heart.

After a few turns and a long walk up, I think we have finally exited the prison as I concluded from the sight of the flooring. We stopped moving and I could hear Loki was panting. I guess he was trying to catch a breather before we continued. During that time, I decided to gather whatever strength I left to look up and damn, the castle was in a bad shape.

My eyes turn wide with my mouth agape as I tried to take in the surroundings. The curtains that hang on the castle wall repetitively were either torn or shredded into pieces. Even the carpets that were placed on the castle floors as decorations were definitely slashed by a sword and then all this sight suddenly dawn on me about the one person I truly love, Lucy.

I pushed myself away from Loki's grasp and started to walk slowly ahead.

"Oi Natsu! You're not in the position to go by yourself!" Loki shouted for me but I decided to ignore him as I walked towards the flames that was burning at the corner. I stood in front of it and sucked up all the fire I could into my stomach. Once I was full which actually means that my power and energy has been recharged, I licked my lips and wiped my mouth before I turned around to face him.

"Let's go."

A/N: And that's it for this chapter! This chapter have different kind of emotions don't ya think? First it was really sad that I myself felt like crying but now it's getting thrilling. Like who attacked the castle? Will Lucy be alright? All this will be answered in the next chapter folks!