Summary: Continuation of my Battle of the Rose's series.Natsu lets his temper get the better of him while Lucy finds it harder to stay angry.

Pairings: Implied Natsu/Lucy, parental Igneel/Natsu, Lucy/Virgo friendship, Natsu/Virgo friendship, implied Jellal/Erza, Capricorn/Lucy friendship, sibling Erza/Gray/Natsu, sibling Ultear/Gray/Lyon, and a few other family/friendship feels.

Author's Note: First, this is for everyone who requested the next chapter, which in the last couple weeks have been quite a few of you, I hope this satisfies your needs. Secondly…..OH MY GOD! OVER TWO THOUSAND REVIEWS! THANK YOU! Seriously, thank you guys so much! I've never had a fic with this many reviews before.

Natsu stormed out of the castle with great determination.

He wanted so much to run back in, scoop his wife up into his arms, kiss her, and apologise for being such an ass to her. He had let his temper run away from him and now she wasn't ever going to forgive him.

He had accused her of all sorts, and she shouted some things back, he yelled back, and she burst into tears, slapped him, and then ran away.

He didn't go after her.

His cheek still burned slightly from the full force of her slap but it was nothing compare to the shame and guilt that was incinerating his insides. As soon as he calmed down he just realised how stupid he had been to think those things of her.

Lucy had been nothing but supportive, she had been nothing but kind, and she had stood by him thick and thin despite that it was her people she had to stand against. She wouldn't have betrayed him. She wouldn't have tried to lead a rebellion against Gray, she was too smart and nice for that! And there had been nothing to suggest that she did it either, she hadn't sent letters, she hadn't seen anyone….so how could she have been able to do that?

"Give her time," Natsu blinked as he realised Lucy's manservant Capricorn actually spoke to him. "Lady Lucy is a great deal like her father in certain respects, and her temper is certainly one of them, she shall rage for days, brood and sulk, and then she will forgive you."

"Erm….thank you?"

"Though," Capricorn had a terrifying glint in his eye, "it would help if you apologised to her."

"A-aye!" Natsu agreed mildly worried for his life. Capricorn suddenly reminded Natsu a great deal of Erza….Jeeze. Scary as hell. "I will. As soon as I come back."

Capricorn nodded and smiled slightly before he returned to his duties. Natsu continue to prepare his horse as he strapped his tent and saddle bags on.

He looked up and caught sight of her in the window, she was clutching tightly to the curtain, and he could almost make out the redness round her nose and eyes. He ducks his head down sharply and rode out without a second look.

He had to deal with this and then he could apologise.

FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT

Lucy was still sitting at the window several days later. She couldn't help it. She was stuck mopping about her argument with Natsu and was drawn to the last place she had seen him before he rode off to put down the rebellion she apparently caused.

How could he think that she had been plotting? The thought crossed her mind for the thousandth time as she closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Tears were fighting to pour out and she refuses to cry over this….again. This was the stigma she feared. Lancastrian traitor. The plotting, the fighting, the never-ending battle for a chair that she never wants to sit in…..

And she lost her very best friend, the man she might even be in love with, to this never-ending battle. He will always think that she betrayed his brother for a chair of all things.

She opened her eyes and caught sight of pink hair in the glass pane of the window, and almost fell out of her window seat out of shock.

"Virgo!" Lucy cried out as she grabbed her chest. Her heart had taken an almighty leap and was now racing. "You scared me."

"Apologies, Hime," Virgo bowed her head, "you may punish me if you wish."

"No, no, that's okay," Lucy said in an attempt to be reassuring. "What….what are you doing here?"

"If Hime permits me," Virgo stared directly in Lucy's eyes. Her wide, expressionless, blue eyes penetrated to Lucy's very soul and almost made her shiver. "I wish to discuss something of a delicate matter."

"Of course," Lucy blinked in attempt to shake off Virgo's stare. "You can tell me whatever you wish."

There was a very long moment of silence that dragged out as Lucy and Virgo were staring at one another. Lucy opened her mouth in order to prompt Virgo to speak when -

"Have I told you that Master Natsu is my cousin?"

Lucy stared at Virgo in shock. "No," she said eventually, "You have not."

"His mother is my mother's sister," Virgo explained her relation. "I cannot tell you anything about my aunt because she died before I was born in childbirth to Master Natsu. I never knew Master Natsu until recently when he tracked us down to learn more of his mother's family. I can tell you though that the surname Dragneel belongs to my aunt's husband, Natsu's stepfather."

"His stepfather?" Lucy repeated in surprise. "I….he allowed that?"

Bastards usually had three choices for a surname; their mother's own, a made up one pulled out of thin air (Lady Erza's surname Scarlet is a good example of this), or one of their father's names with the name 'Fitz' added to it. Very rarely a man would give his name to a child they know to not be theirs.

No man liked to be a cuckold. No matter what their status was.

"Lord Igneel loved Master Natsu," Virgo said as if that explained everything. And when Lucy thought about it, she suppose it does. "It didn't matter than Natsu was another's man's child, he was the boy that Lord Igneel taught to read and write, who he ensured as fed and dressed, who looked up and called him Father. Lord Silver did not choose to acknowledge Master Natsu personally until he was eight years old, and that was only to move him into Earl of Warwick's household to learn to be a nobleman. Lord Igneel still kept in touch and fought for the Yorks no because he wanted Lord Silver to be king but because he wanted Natsu to be safe. He was a good man."

Lucy tried to recall Lord Igneel. She might have glimpsed him at Court, perhaps even spoken to him, but she could not remember him. She knew one thing for certain know, he was no longer in this world or she would have met him at her wedding. She doubted, even if he disapproved of her, he would have missed such an opportunity to see the boy he called son. "What happened to him?" she asked curiously.

"He died in the battle of Wakefield with Lord Silver," Virgo said sombrely and Lucy's heart went out to her husband. She lost one father in battle but the ones that raised her were still alive and working in this castle. Natsu had lost both fathers at once, in the same battle. "They were both executed."

Lucy grimaced and shuddered at that. She remembered that execution. She hadn't seen it, oh heaven forbid! But she had heard all the gory details. Her own father was amused that Lord Silver finally got the crown he desired as Queen Karin crowned his head with a paper crown as it sat on a pike. It was a gruesome, horrific, and disgusting thing to execute your enemy and then mock his remains.

This was what made the people rally behind the York banner in Gray's favour. Lord Silver had become a martyr that day and his son was an avenging angel.

"But you see," Virgo continued as she reached the point she was obviously trying to make. "Master Natsu has very little to love. His mother died, his father all but abandoned him, and the man that raised him had been taken away most cruelly. He was left with only the king we have now and their sister to love. He is very overprotective and jealous of them. If he thought there was a threat….." she trailed off meaningfully.

"I understand," Lucy said softly, "I do, but I am his wife! I made a vow to be obedient and loyal to only him! Could he not trust me to keep my word? Can he not….love me too?"

"Oh Hime," Virgo sighed. "From what I have observed and been told by others, Master Natsu was always a passionate child quick to temper….he never means it. He will spend this campaign regretting his words to you, I can assure you that. Besides….he already does, so very much. Otherwise he would not want to be with you every second."

Lucy whole-heartedly wanted to believe Virgo but she couldn't quite bring herself to. If he did love her, then why didn't he believe her? Why didn't he come back and bid her goodbye, asking for her blessing, before he left, like he should have? Why did he turn his back on her when he saw her in the window?

Much to her irritation, she realised that she was no longer angry with him, thanks to Virgo's words, and now desired nothing more than to sink in his embrace and cry.

Cry for him, cry for herself, and to cry for them…..how pathetic, she was. She seemed to be made of nothing but tears. She may even cry some more on his behalf if he does not come home….and that was what she dreaded the most.

Lucy closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the cool glass of her window.

Just come back alive she thought desperately, please Lord, she prayed, let him come back alive so that I can fix everything.

FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT

The campaign had been nerve-wrecking.

It was nothing like Towton, nothing can beat that horrendous battle that finally gave Gray his victory, but it was difficult and frustrating. Viscount Dryer was not one to underestimate on the battle field, and before they knew it Gray had been captured and held captive in Warwick castle which had closed its gates to its own lord, the Earl of Warwick.

Natsu couldn't tell you who was more furious, himself, Gramps, Erza, or Ultear.

The battle died down pretty quickly after that, Natsu was able to put down some of the rebel forces, Lyon handled the situation with parliament fairly well with Ultear, and Erza and her new husband proved themselves to be formidable pair as they sieged Warwick Castle until Gray was free.

Dryer tried to rally support for Lucy to be Queen politically as well as using militant force. It was a quickly dying dream as he didn't have Lucy to speak on hr own behalf. The people of England may be uneducated, superstitious, and narrow-minded majority of the time, but they weren't idiots. They knew Viscount Dryer wanted to be King in everything but name using the last Lancastrian heir still living in England as his puppet.

It wasn't that he didn't try to get hold of Lucy.

Oh he bloody well tried!

People had been sent, they had been intercepted by Lyon's forces, Gajeel caught a few and beat the living daylights out of them, and, much to Natsu's horror, some of them had managed to get on the estate. They didn't get very far on the estate, Lucy had written (in a stiff formal manner that told him she was still very angry with him) that Capricorn and Taurus had dealt with most intruders, and those they had missed were definitely scared off by Aquarius.

Good, God he didn't want to know! Aquarius terrified him by just being there, he hated to think what she had done to scare these soldiers off.

But Gray was now free, and safe, having managed to escape Dryer by being his simply obnoxious and pompous self, and they all stood together against the Viscount. Even his father and son stood against him. What sort of man, Natsu thought disgustedly, would alienate his own family like this? Gramps looked disappointed and furious while Laxus….looked like the emotionless turd he was, but that didn't matter, they still stood at Gray's side.

Natsu stood formally at Gray's right hand as they received the Viscount. Natsu glowered at the slimy sleaze bag as the arguments, the debates, and all the speeches were being made around him.

"….However we are not without mercy, cousin," Gray's voice broke through Natsu's ire, "we have taken in consideration that you have acted out in an attempt to remind us that we should listen to all of our advisers."

"Indeed, Your Majesty," Viscount Dryer said in what, Natsu felt, was a false apologetic voice, "I have acted most foolishly."

"Hmm," The Earl of Warwick hummed in agreement.

"And therefore," Gray said firmly, "we shall grant you mercy."

"What?!"

"Natsu," Erza hissed warningly, "Hush!"

"You are most gracious and merciful, Your Majesty," Viscount Dryer said, "I am humbled and honoured."

"Then you will gladly join us for Christmas Court," Gray said, "and contribute a large sum for the entertainment."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You are dismissed."

"A fine?!" Natsu raged. "He started a rebellion again you, captured you, and was going to dethrone you in favour of Lancaster, he was a traitor, and all you give him is a fine?!"

"Do not question my judgement, Lord Norfolk," Gray said coldly, "Viscount Dryer has been pardoned. The matter is closed."

Viscount Dryer bowed deeply before Gray and mockingly bowed to Natsu and the others. "I thank you all for your mercy," he said insincerely, "and I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused you, Your Grace," he said to Natsu, "and to Her Grace, the Duchess of Norfolk but I must give you a warning." It was then when all pretention of politeness fell away from Viscount Dryer's face. "Just so you know, Your Grace," Viscount Dryer sneered Natsu's title, "that until your wife is dead, there shall always be people rebelling in her name. You will never be able to trust her. If I were you I would throw her into the Tower and lock the door before it's too late."

Natsu roared furiously at that and lunged, hands first, in order to strangle the obnoxious creep. Erza grabbed him round the waist and hauled him back, his head collided against her cold armour, but the pounding headache didn't stop him from struggling against his sister's grip in order to tear that bastard's throat out!

"Natsu!"

"Let me go!" he yelled. "Let me punch that bastard's lights out!"

"Natsu, you have to stop!" Ultear ordered from Gray's other side. "Stop it!"

Natsu jerked his head to glare at Gray. "Why are you even letting him go?" he demanded to know. "He betrayed you. He committed treason!"

"He is part of my council and a trusted advisor," Gray said as if that explained everything. "I have pardoned him and I will not overturn that. I am not Henry and his she-wolf of a wife, Natsu. Besides what can I arrest him for now? For being an ass? If I did that most of the country would be locked away including Laxus."

Laxus grunted to show how very much unamused he was at Gray's attempt of being witty.

"Yeah," Natsu grumbled, "but at least Laxus is a silent ass."

Laxus rolled his eyes but said nothing…..kind of proving Natsu's point, if you asked him.

"Natsu is right though," Ultear spoke up which was rather surprising as she never agreed with Natsu. "We cannot trust Ivan will not try again. As long as you favour anyone that is not him, and continue to be heirless he will try to find someone else to take your place. He fancies him the Kingmaker though he has nothing to do with your ascension. Lady Lucy's name will be used to cause trouble if Gray remains childless, so you know what that means?"

Laxus smirked at that, his grandfather chuckled delightedly, Natsu and Lyon blinked at each other dumbly as they couldn't unravel Ultear's subtle hint, while Gray (as he was taking off his doublet) widened his eyes in horror.

"Oh crap!"

"Yes," Erza nodded in agreement with Ultear, "we need to find Gray a wife."