The Star Queen
Chapter Four: The Dragon's Bride
Time Skip - Three Months
Lucy Heartfilia has faced many terrifying things - and people - in her lifetime, she has squared off against foes who she was sure could and would kill her, and come out as victor more times than none. While it was often with the aid of her fiance and her guildmates, some of them she managed to pull off by herself without any assistance required. Throughout all the battles she has ever confronted, all the hardships and fears she has subdued and conquered, nothing scares her as much as today does.
Today is her wedding day, today is the day she binds herself body and soul to one man, and finally receives her Mark. Well, to be truthful it would probably be tomorrow since they still needed to get to their honeymoon location. At the moment, she sat in her Bridal Boudoir in Magnolia's Kardia Cathedral staring at her reflection, her bridesmaids fluttering about and finishing her makeup. The women around her seemed to understand that she was nervous, that much was evident on the cool pallor of her skin, so for the most part they did everything themselves. Levy however, slowly made her way over to her and knelt in front of her, silently thankful she wasn't in her dress yet.
"Lu? Lu honey you have to snap out of it, it's time to put your dress on. Clara and Bianca finished it last night, would you like to see it before you put it on?"
Lucy turned to look at her, startled out of her thoughts by the bluenette's hand on her arm. Her wide brown eyes looked into Levy's with such tangible fear, that the woman gasped loud enough to draw attention away from her beautiful wedding gown and to the shaking bride-to-be. Bianca and Clara both rushed to her, the paleness of her skin making the Ice Slayer pause. Her cool hand pressed to Lucy's flushed cheek, a frown forming on her face when she noticed the heat of her skin.
"Lu-nii-chan? Little dove why didn't you tell me you were feeling ill? Wendy could've helped you."
"I-I'm not ill… I just.. I just feel…"
"Terrified, of both being a bride and becoming his Mate. Is that what you're trying to say?"
Clara regarded Lucy was a look of understanding, when the idea of being Laxus's mate first sunk into reality, she was terrified as well. It broke her heart that Lucy feared being his Mate as much as she loved and needed him, it broke her heart to see how fearful the blonde was to give her life away once again, this time for good. Bianca stepped forward, her ice-blue nails glowing softly as she poured a small amount of magic into her hands She gently laid her hand on Lucy's face, slowly cooling her fever to a more manageable heat.
A soft sigh escaped her as she felt herself cooling, the flush of her cheeks returning to their normal shade of sun-kissed tan. Slowly, she took a deep breath and felt the tension ease out of her slim frame, as her eyes cleared of their cloudy indecision she found herself suddenly seeing her reflection. Her upper part of her hair had been pinned back to form a spectacular half-bun that allowed the lower portion of her hair to cascade freely down her back in waves, her bangs had been curled gently to frame the side of her face and give it a more heart-shaped look.
Her makeup was done in a more natural fashion, her eyeshadow was done in browns and blacks to give her a smokey eye, while her lips were painted a dusk rose color. Her complexion needed no fine-tuning or touch-ups seeing as she was naturally clear skinned, her nails were polished and shaped to perfection and her jewelry was both simple yet elegant. Her earrings were pearl tassels secured to a silver chain that just kissed the tops of her shoulders when she looked down, and around her neck was a sapphire teardrop pendant surrounded by diamonds. Lucy smiled and ran her fingers over the silky tassels, her chocolate eyes turning into the warm caramel shade that usually happened when she thought - or looked - at her fiance.
"Lucy, come on we've gotta get you into your dress. You can fawn over your appearance later."
Chuckling to themselves, her bridesmaids gently eased the magnificent bridal gown off the hangar and helped the heeled blonde into it. The gown was made with a mix of form-fitting silk and sheer satin, the bust was corseted with sheer ties that formed a long bow at her backside, but flared out at the hips into a pool of silvery-white around her ankles. Golden filigree stitching adorned the hem and created a barely visible entanglement of flowers and leaves, the design was a sweetheart neckline with a built-in sheer train that stopped a foot from the hem of her gown. Seed pearls decorated the waistline and climbed toward her chest in a triangle-shaped pattern, the sheer straps were mainly for show and hung elegantly around her shoulders. Her bouquet was made of white lilies and roses and was perfectly complemented by her veil, in all, Lucy Heartfilia was a stunning beauty.
"You look beautiful Lu… I think you're going to give every man in there a heart attack."
"Poor Natsu won't know what hit him.."
Lucy beamed at her friends, her nakama. She loved the five of them dearly, and she knew deep down in her soul that they would do anything for her, just as she would do anything for them. As the other three bridesmaids got into their dresses, Levy and Clara pulled her to the side to give her a last minute chat about the Marking Ritual. They both knew from experience how painful it could be, but they also knew how much it was worth it in the end.
"I doubt he told you anything about the ritual, but I want you to know it hurts, it hurts bad and sometimes it can feel like he's ripping you apart. But I also want you to know that it's absolutely worth it… If I had a choice to go back in time and tell Laxus that I didn't want to go through with it, that I couldn't imagine the pain of having his magic burn through me… I'd choose this, I'd choose him over and over again. No matter how hard marriage is, no matter how painful it might be, the knowing that comes with it is worth every little ache."
"I agree, Gajeel doesn't believe in marriage, but when he asked me to be his mate he made sure I was as comfortable as I could be through the entire process, even going so far as giving me a massage afterwards before we consummated the Mark to relieve most of the pain."
"Uhh Levy I think he did that for a very different reason, not just to relieve your pain.."
The two of them giggled while Levy's face flamed with embarrassment, even though she had lived with Gajeel and Pantherlily for almost two years, she still got embarrassed by sexual innuendos just as easily as she did when she was younger.
"W-While that might be true, it was still a very nice gesture a-at the time.."
"I can imagine, besides, how else would you allow Ironhead to rub oil all over your body if not with a little bit of fun to look forward to later?"
"LU-CHAN!"
The two of them burst out laughing, prompting Levy to turn away and hurry toward the crimson dress with her name on it. A knock on the door alerted them that the ceremony was about to start, and quickly the girls got into position. Levy and Gray were first to go up the aisle, as Maid of Honor and Best Man they were required to be the opening pair. The bluenette looked gorgeous in the strapless crimson evening gown, she had tied her hair back into a tight chignon and left her bangs to frame her face. Gray looked dashing in a black tux with a scarlet undershirt and red pocket rose, Natsu had offered him the role without hesitation or intent to hear him say no. So, naturally, Gray had denied for three days before giving in. Bianca and Gajeel followed after them, then it was Clara and Laxus with Erza and Jellal bringing up the rear. Wendy and Romeo were the last to walk down the aisle as the Flower girl and the Ring Bearer, and as her cue came, Lucy took Gildarts arm and allowed him to lead her down to the podium.
It was customary for guild members to have the Current Master officiate their wedding, and since her father had passed away long before she had gotten married, Lucy had asked the only other father-figure she trusted to be her stand-in. Makarov stood on the podium, tears flowing from his eyes as he took in the sight of the bride coming towards him knowing deep in his heart that she would be the only one for the dragon slayer before him, and he knew that if anything ever went wrong, Natsu would not survive the loss of her.
As she walked toward her mate, Lucy felt her doubts and insecurities melt away with each step she took toward the love of her life. His back was to her as was customary, but she still felt his eyes on her just the same. When she reached the final four steps, Gildarts stopped and Natsu turned around. The multiple emotions that flashed through his eye made her eyes water, through him, she could truly see their future. It was never more clear than it was now, with him she could have everything she'd ever dreamed of and more. Gildarts passed her hand gently to his, then took his place as the final Groomsmen beside the other three.
Hand in hand, the two of them turned to face Makarov and begin the ceremony that would forever tie them together.
"We are gathered here today to bear witness to the marriage of Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia, and as was begin I feel I should speak of something before we begin the vows. Marriage is not easy, just as life itself is not. To some the path is joyous and light and needs no partnership to bear the load, but to others it is a necessity. Your partner should be your guide, your strength and your friend throughout your lifetime. If you have any doubts in your heart that this is not the right step to take, please have the courage to call off the wedding now."
Natsu and Lucy both looked at each other, searching for any signs of doubt or fear, but instead they only found endless love and adoration upon the others face. With a smile, they both turned back to Makarov and answered in complete unison.
"Please proceed Master."
"Very well, I will take this opportunity to say the words no officiate wants to say. ''If anyone has any reason as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.'"
"I OBJECT!"
Every head whipped around to face the glowering face of the one and only Lisanna Strauss. To say that she wasn't surprised about the appearance of the Take-Over Mage would be an understatement, actually she was surprised she hadn't spoken up sooner. It was no secret that the white-haired beauty had feverently loved Natsu in her youth, but when she had moved on to Bickslow and seemed to accept Lucy's relationship with her previous love interest, they had hoped she would have let him go.
"Natsu I love you, I've loved you for almost twenty years and I can't let all that time be wasted while watching the man I love marry someone else. Please… Please give me another chance!"
Natsu looked at her sadly, then resolutely shook his head.
"No, I love Lucy. I would never choose you over her, she's the world to me and I know deep down in my heart that she and I were meant to be… I'm sorry if I lead you on Lisanna. But what you and I had in our childhood, stays there. I'd never jeopardize true happiness for a passing fling."
Lucy smiled at him and felt a tear slide down her cheek, and since she couldn't kiss him yet, she merely rested her hand on his warm cheek. He turned his head and kissed her palm, then reached up and brought her hand away from his face and held it in his, understanding the words she couldn't say. A choked sob escaped Lisanna as she bolted from the Cathedral, tears pouring from her eyes. Lucy felt a little bad for her, but her guilt was quickly dissipated when she felt Natsu give her hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance.
"Well, now that that little hiccup has passed, are you both still ready to proceed?"
"Yes Master."
"Alright then, I am told you wrote your own vows, so Natsu my boy would you mind reading yours to Lucy?"
Natsu nodded and faced the golden-haired beauty before him, a soft smile on his face.
"Luce, you mean the world to me. You have since we first met in Hargeon all those years ago, and throughout the years I've slowly begun to notice exactly how deep of a love I felt for you. I'd do anything for you Luce… I'd kill a thousand dragons for you, I'd follow you anywhere in this world if it meant I could look at you and smell your scent again.. I'd even find a way to give you the moon on a string if you asked me to. I can't imagine my life without you in it, and I don't ever want to. I love you so much, and you'll never know how happy you make me everyday you're with me."
By the time Natsu had finished, Lucy and a few other guild members were almost in tears. With a nod in her direction from Makarov, she cleared her throat and began her own speech.
"I was reading, and I came across a line that made me think of you.. 'Love is made up of three parts, Acceptance, Understanding, and Cooperation.' You accept me for who I am, you take the bad with the good and never seem to care about the bumps in the road that come our way. Even when I felt I wasn't good enough to be with you and our guild, you never once let me walk away until I was sure I was making the right choice, and even then you waited so patiently for me to come home to our family. You refused to believe that I would stay away, and fought anyone who tried to tell you otherwise. You understood that this was my home, that I belonged here even when I couldn't see it myself.. Throughout our relationship, you and I have never worked as well as we do now, in the ten years we've known each other. Like you, I can't imagine a day without the love of my life beside me, I know that we'll continue to work as such a fantastic team in the many years to come.."
If the guild wasn't in tears by that, they were certifiably heartless. Even Gildarts looked misty-eyed when she finished, and he didn't show emotion very often. Makarov smiled at his children, trying to quell the joy building inside him.
"If you're ready, let us proceed. Romeo? Will you bring forth the rings please?"
The black-haired pre-teen made his way forward carrying an ivory pillow with two wedding rings tied to it with a sheer ribbon, he stopped in front of Natsu, who took Lucy's ring and gave it a gentle tug to untie the loose knot around the band. Then Romeo turned to Lucy, who took Natsu's ring and did the same.
"Repeat after me: 'I, Lucy Heartfilia, take you Natsu Dragneel to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, or for worse. Be we richer or poorer, in both sickness and health. I promise to love and cherish you from this day forward, till death do we part.'"
"I, Lucy Heartfilia, take you Natsu Dragneel to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, or for worse. Be we richer or poorer, in both sickness and health. I promise to love and cherish you from this day forward, till death do we part."
As she spoke, she pushed the golden wedding band up his heart-line finger and smiled the smile she only saved for him. Then it was Natsu's turn, and like her, he pushed the rose-gold band up her finger as he spoke, smiling fondly at the squared diamond at its center. Very slowly, he lifted the veil covering her face and watched the brown of her eyes soften into that signature shade of caramel they always held when she looked at him.
"I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Natsu Dragneel, you may kiss the bride."
He crushed his lips to hers and lifter her up, spinning her as she giggled and wrapped her toned arms around his neck. The Cathedral erupted in cheers as the guild members all stood and bellowed their congratulations, ecstatic that the two were finally married after all the years of waiting. Had anyone been paying attention, they would have seen Cana collect a few hundred Jewel from Mira after an apparent bet had been won. The two of them ran towards the front doors as rice and ribbons were thrown at them, laughing the entire way. Natsu and Lucy were lead to a white and gold carriage and helped into its padded interior, a quick Troia spell from Wendy made it so Natsu wouldn't feel overly-ill during their trip, and off they went.
Headed for Akane Resort, the two just-wed lovebirds waved goodbye to their friends and loved ones as they rode off toward the setting sun for their two-week honeymoon vacation. Which of course, provided their nakama with the time to get their ultimate wedding gift started and finished before they got back.
A gift neither of them were aware of.
Hey everyone!
Sorry its been so long, and I'm sorry to say I've been procrastinating ALOT when it comes to writing... I sorry. Please don't be mad at me T-T
The next chapter will be a lemony chapter that will greatly explain the mate mark and how the mate gets it.
Love Always,
BlackRose999