"No."

Natsu's tone was firm and surprisingly cold as he folded his arms across his broad chest. He glared down at the petite human girl staring back up at him, her nonplussed expression only egging on his anger.

"But why not?"

"I don't want you anywhere near those Northern Dragons, especially Dragoness Bethela. She's a nasty piece of work! She's even worse than her father - that bastard Field Marshal Hershel - as impossible as that may seem…"

"I hate to disappoint you as well, dear Lucy, but I have to agree with my brother." Wendy interjected softly. "The Lady Dragoness can be very unpleasant and she's always been especially hard on Natsu and those he considers dear to him. Her words alone can be very cruel, but combined with her magical ability to manipulate the emotions of those around her, she can quite easily scar you emotionally."

A somber Carla spoke up from her perch on Wendy's shoulder. "Usually I would say that Wendy is being a little overprotective out of the kindness of her heart… But I'm afraid that in this case, she is not. The Dragoness Bethela is just as despicable and terrifying as Wendy has described her. You would do well to heed Natsu and Wendy's warning and decline this dinner invitation!"

"Aye." Happy added softly from his own comfortable perch on Natsu's head.

Lucy just gazed at the siblings and their exceed companions for a long moment, a smile of affection hovering on her lips.

"You truly honor me, by worrying so much." She began gently, speaking slowly as she measured her words. "But if it is her emotion-based magic that has you so worried on my behalf, I can assure you that I do have magical tools to combat that. Cana has this potion I can drink to negate the effects of any emotion-based magic."

"No!" Natsu growled. "Her emotion manipulating ability is an added pain in the ass, but it's nowhere as deadly as her sick, twisted mind and black heart!" He exclaimed.

"That's oddly melodramatic, Natsu." Lucy retorted, amusement coloring her tone.

"Take this seriously, goddamit!" Natsu snarled, clasping Lucy's arms as he stared into her eyes, willing his fear and anger to affect her.

"What's going on here, children? Why are you assaulting our guest, Natsu?"

Igneel's booming voice floated into the chamber as he and Grandine entered, striding gracefully towards the group.

Natsu released his hold on Lucy, instead grabbing her wrist possessively as he turned to snap at his sire.

"I'm not assaulting her, you old bag of bones! She's just being unreasonable! Wendy and I have been trying our hardest to help her understand why she's better off refusing tonight's dinner invitation from that Dragon-bitch Bethela! That dragoness is a heartless whore who'll do her damned best to try and harm Lucy… All because she likes to toy with 'lowly humans'..."

Wendy, Carla and Grandine let out identical noises of disapproval.

"Whatever she may be, you must not use such terms to describe our Northern brethren, Natsu!" His mother chided gently.

"But he does have a point." Igneel sighed.

"Igneel!"

"He could've expressed it better, of course, but the fact remains that Bethela is planning on singling out Lucy as her victim tonight - why else would she specifically send her a dinner invitation to a dinner that we are hosting, Grandine?"

Grandine sighed and shook her head slightly, but did not argue. Wendy glanced at her parents before turning to Lucy once more.

"Why are you so eager to attend this dinner, Lucy? Even after all that brother and I have said to try and dissuade you?"

Lucy smiled softly at Wendy. "As much as I probably intrigue the Lady Dragoness Bethela, she intrigues me in return. I've heard so many rumors and stories about her from Grandine and Gajeel that I can't help but be curious…"

"Curiosity killed the cat." Happy quipped, earning himself a groan from Carla and a few titters from the gathered dragons.

"It is my good fortune that I am not a cat, then." Lucy retorted with a grin. "Nor an exceed!"

The group broke into a round of good-natured chuckles, all except one glowering exception. Natus let out a huff of irritation as he rounded on Lucy.

"Don't try to evade the subject, Luce! You are not attending this dinner. I don't care how 'curious' you are… It's not worth risking your happiness."

Lucy huffed as well, giving up on her polite pretenses to glare openly at the Dragon Prince.

"Stop coddling me, Natsu! I am not some naive little hatchling who has no idea what she is getting into! I'm a grown woman and I can handle myself quite well in a battle of wits! This is an excellent opportunity to talk to Lady Dragoness Bethela and I refuse to let it pass by!"

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying you want to talk to her? Do you have something specific you want to say to her? Or maybe ask her?"

Lucy clamped her mouth shut and scowled as she looked away from Natsu, her body language betraying how close to the truth he was.

"It doesn't matter." He continued cooly. "Whatever you may want to ask or say to her can be done by proxy - tell me the information you want and I'll get it for you. If you need to pass on a message, I'll be your messenger. Just… don't ever, ever meet her in person. Please, Lucy…"

The pitiful whine that escaped him softened the young Princess's stiff pose. She looked closely at her dragon best-friend, genuine concern swimming in her eyes as she took in his worried, panicked expression.

"I have to agree with my boy, Princess." Igneel interjected gruffly. "I can't imagine why you would want to meet Bethela, but it's better that you don't. Some scars just can't be healed…" The older dragon-man shuddered, instinctively inching closer to his beloved Queen.

"Please Lucy." Wendy added, her voice soft and laced with concern. "We are only trying to protect you from a being that even we dread interacting with. 'Tis only one boring supper, so please stay away…"

"That's three votes against you, Lucy." Natsu declared, his gaze steely. "By dragon law, that means I can forbid you from attending this dinner."

"Oh, you can't trick me like that, Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, her own eyes flashing with determination. "That rule changes amongst dragon royalty! If even one of the four dragon royals gathered here were to grant their permission, I would be allowed to attend your banquet!"

Igneel raised a brow, clearly impressed by her knowledge. Even Wendy let out a surprised gasp.

"Grrr… I should never have let you read my textbooks when we were younger!" Natsu whined.

Lucy flashed him a triumphant smile. "Too late! All those 'study sessions' where I helped you learn about your own dragon heritage have served me well over the years!"

Her look sobered instantly as she regarded the four royal dragons standing before her.

"The moment of truth is nigh." She said softly, her piercing gaze focussed on the one dragon who had been the most silent of the four.

"Grandine? Will you allow me to attend this dinner? And to interact with the Dragoness Bethela as I see fit?"

The majestic queen of the dragons steadily returned the young monarch's gaze.

"Lucy. What have you planned to discuss with her?"

Lucy's gaze fell to the floor, but she remained stubbornly silent.

Grandine sighed, her worry-filled eyes hardening into something inscrutable.

"Princess Lucy of Pergrande. If I allow you to attend this dinner, will you honor our dragon code of conduct?"

Natsu gawked.

"Why, in the name of all the dragon gods, are you asking Lucy if she'll behave?! That damned Bethela is the problem here…"

"I promise Lady Bethela will only get what she deserves. Nothing more, nothing less."

Lucy's tone was light and cheerful, but the cold look in her eyes gave Natsu pause. Grandine said nothing in response, merely searching Lucy's expression for something the others could not understand. After a few moments, she seemed to find what she was looking for - for she let out a defeated sigh.

"Very well. As the Queen of Alagesia, I give you permission to attend this banquet and engage the Lady Dragoness Bethela."

Natsu's roar of displeasure echoed off the chamber's walls.

"MOTHER! Why?! She has no idea what she's getting into..."

"Do not underestimate this young woman, my son." Grandine cut short her progeny's angry tirade, her tone crisp and frazzled. "Besides, were we to forbid her from meeting Bethela at this dinner, do you really think it would dissuade her from whatever crazy plan she has in mind? Nay. She would simply find another way to seek Bethela, one that may be even riskier. Wouldn't you prefer to be around to protect her when she comes into contact with a being we all regard with dread?"

His mother's sound logic pierced the haze of Natsu's worry and anger. He deflated a little, another pitiful whine escaping him.

Lucy curtseyed respectfully to the assembled dragon royalty.

"Thank you all. I will see you at dinner tonight." With those curt words, she sauntered out of the chamber, her expression morphing into something slightly cruel as she pondered her plans for Bethela during the night ahead.

It was time to show Natsu just how monstrous she could be.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bright torches flickered in the corners of the cozy hall, the ambience intended to be rosy and relaxing. However, the occupants of the chamber were anything but relaxed.

"Why, if it isn't the infamous Princess of Pergrande herself. I must confess, your majesty, I was not sure I would have the pleasure of your company this evening… after all, my southern brethren can be rather possessive of their… pets."

The Lady Dragoness Bethela lounged in her dinner seat as if it were a throne, her taunting smirk directed at the occupant of the table directly opposite her. The golden-haired, innocent looking Princess of Pergrande merely smiled in response, her tone light and cheery as she replied.

"As a matter of fact, his majesty the Prince did express his displeasure about your desire for an acquaintance with me - you have quite a fearsome reputation, Lady Bethela."

The dragoness tittered, the cold sound causing a shiver to run through the spines of most of the dragons present.

"It is one I have rightly earned, young Princess. As you will very soon discover…"

Lucy leaned forward, her smile turning into something sharper, a hidden hint of malice in her own eyes as she fearlessly returned Bethla's threatening gaze.

"I look forward to it, Lady Dragoness Bethela."

The Lady Dragoness' superior expression faltered for a moment, the cool confidence behind the human's tone unnerving her. But she recovered before anyone else could notice. Everyone save Lucy, that is.

The dinner progressed slowly, the members of the dinner table unable to truly enjoy the sumptuous meal thanks to the unpleasant presence of the haughty and vicious Northern dragons. Natsu sat beside Lucy, fiddling with his utensils and occasionally exchanging a worried look with Happy. The unusually quiet exceed was perched on the table between Natsu and Lucy, listlessly picking at a gorgeous platter of fish as he watched the conversation between his human friend and one of the most-despised dragons of the Northern tribe.

At the opposite end of the long banquet table, Levy and Gajeel anxiously observed the verbal sparring match between the vicious dragoness and the unreadable human.

"Grr.. I can't decide whether to be worried for her or irritated with her, Gajeel." Levy whispered, low enough to be unheard by the rest of their company.

"Gihi. I'm settling for being impressed."

"Gajeel!"

"What? Look how well she's holding her own against that blasted dragoness - she hasn't said anything outrightly disrespectful, but she's still matching every one of Bethela's jabs without missing a beat. She even looks happy doing it! All this despite Bethela cranking up her emotional magic to insane levels - if she goes even a notch higher I'm probably gonna burst into tears."

Levy let out a strangled groan.

"Lucy's sipping Cana's 'potion' in her wineglass right now. That's why she's not affected. But if she keeps pushing her luck, she's likely to incite Bethela's magic to reach its limit, and who knows what will happen then!"

"Maybe that's her plan."

"Huh?"

"Shrimp, the rabbit is many things, but thoughtless ain't one of them. She has a plan - maybe pushing Bethela to her limits is a part of it?"

"Well… it is true that the more a magic user expends emotion based magic, the more susceptible their own emotions become. Is she trying to make Bethela more vulnerable? But why?!"

Gajeel shifted uneasily in his seat. His voice lowered even more as he addressed his beloved.

"I have no idea. But we're going to find out soon enough, aren't we?"

Before Levy could respond, Bethela's latest rant reached their ears.

"Her highness made quite a monumental error - of course, we are not perfect beings, mistakes are to be expected… but committing them on such grand a scale can only be managed by a select, talented few…"

Bethela directed a vicious sneer at Wendy, who shrank in her seat, quailing under the other dragoness' look. Chelia's warning growl was almost drowned out by Natsu's own angry snarl - but a sharp, clear voice cut through the enraged sounds before either dragon could act upon their fury.

"You are right. We all make mistakes. The scale of the mistake is directly proportional to the duties and responsibilities of the one who makes it. The higher up the ladder, the more impact even the tiniest of errors can have. There is no one I know who is more thoughtful and careful than Princess Wendy, but being a ruler of Alagesia places a heavy weight on her shoulders. Her slightest actions have grave repercussions. And I know, just by looking at her, that she has learned well from her few errors."

Lucy glanced at Wendy as the young dragoness returned the look with a soft, grateful smile. Lucy nodded grimly.

"She even feels unnecessary remorse for her actions - whether they were truly in her control or not. She is the kindest, gentlest dragon soul alive. I too, have done numerous things wrong. But I would never be able to feel the same level of compassion and remorse that she does. Although I could never be as good as her, at least I understand her…"

Lucy's look twisted into something slightly malicious, her tone turning saccharine sweet as she taunted the Lady Dragoness Bethela.

"I would also understand why it would be so difficult for you to comprehend my argument - after all, you are not burdened with power, status and responsibility for your people like Wendy and I."

Lady Bethela narrowed her eyes as she took in the veiled insult, the hint of a sneer on her lips. Lucy ignored the expression, her own once again blank and unreadable. Bethela scoffed as she reacted to Lucy's speech.

"While it is true that I have not had the misfortune to be in a position of power as you two undoubtedly are, the little power I wielded in the war was enough to last me a lifetime. I bore a sordid burden indeed, after my father requested me to oversee Prince Natsu's position as Field Marshal…"

Bethela's look of triumph was savage as she took in Lucy's start of surprise. The golden-haired Princess frowned, curious despite herself.

"Oh?"

"Do you not know the tale? Why, how unfortunate! Your dearest friends did not feel you important enough to tell you the truth."

A wave of heat rippled through the room as Natsu shot to his feet, his anger and fear causing crimson flames tinged with black to shimmer on the surface of his scales.

"QUIET! NOT ANOTHER WORD."

Bethela merely raised a haughty brow.

"Is it now a state secret? Surely not… besides, does not her majesty have a right to know?"

Natsu glanced down into Lucy's questioning face. He gulped as he looked away.

"S-she does. But not this way…"

Bethela grinned evilly.

"What better way than from a first hand unbiased observer? Were another being that calls you their friend to tell the tale, they may not do it justice…"

"You will twist it into lies." Natsu spat out furiously.

Lady Bethela's evil grin widened.

"I won't need too."

"Please, Natsu." Lucy's soft voice interjected, her tone entreating. "Let her say her piece. Remember that nothing she can say will change the fact that you are my best friend… Or how I feel about you."

Bethela laughed mockingly.

"Such touching words, your majesty! But far too hasty, I'm afraid. You haven't heard my tale yet…"

Lucy placed a gentle hand on Natsu's shoulder, coaxing him back into his seat. She slipped her hand into his under the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze as she turned to face the dragoness Bethela once more, her expression firm and determined.

"Just tell me your tale, Lady Bethela."

And she did.

The dragoness went into excruciating detail, purposefully describing the worst of Natsu's acts during the war. Every horrible secret of his was laid bare in the most painful way. Lucy grew paler and paler as the Lady's speech progressed but not once did her grip on Natsu's hand falter. When at long last the dragoness was done speaking, Lucy turned slowly to face her best friend.

Natsu's heart sank as he took in the tears threatening to escape her wide chocolate brown orbs and her deathly pale complexion. As she turned to address him, Natsu resigned himself to the painful words of either horror or anger that were sure to follow.

"Flames, Chicken wings or Pincushions hidden in sofas?"

"…"

Happy gaped at Lucy, his eyes wide and round in astonishment as he faux-whispered to Natsu.

"I think she is broken."

Lucy blinked, scowling at the exceed.

"W-what? No! I am not broken! sob... I merely w-wished to k-know… what he thought of… whilst… His favorite things are fire, food and pranks! So, one m-must have been on his m-mind w-when he was forced to perform all those horrible a-actions…"

Natsu just stared at her, stunned by the unprecedented turn of events. He took a deep breath, and responded in as gentle a tone as he could muster around the lump in his throat.

"The glade. I-I thought of those days past. When we were younglings…"

A heavy silence fell over the table as all took in the touching conversation. Lucy took a deep breath, wiping away a few stray tears as she composed herself. She turned back to the Lady Bethela with a cold smile.

"Thank you. Although I am well aware you did so in spite, I am happy you told the tale. I do not think I would have ever found out if it were not for your interference."

She paused, her expression hardening into something malignant.

"Indeed, I almost regret what I must do next. But truly, where will I ever find another dragon such as you? All other dragons I have had the pleasure of meeting have had one frustrating trait in common. They are inherently honest. As much as they may try, lies and deceit do not come easy to them. You, on the other hand, are an exception. Your ability to twist even the truth to suit your own selfish desires is quite a talent. You may just survive…"

"I beg your pardon?"

Lucy leaned back, a smirk on her face.

"I wish to offer you a deal, Lady Dragoness Bethela. I need someone to infiltrate the household of one of the most prominent members of my High Court. And you are a perfect candidate for this delicate task."

The dragoness sneered.

"And what makes you think I would agree to take on this odious task, you lowly human?"

"Because I have knowledge of something valuable to you. Something you would do anything to retrieve."

Lady Bethela scoffed. "Do you think you can buy me, oh foolish wench?"

Lucy merely smiled. "In a manner of speaking, yes."

The dragoness growled.

"Insolent bitch…"

Lucy shrugged, turning to the dragon sitting adjacent the virulent dragoness.

"Sir Hershcel? Did your daughter ever discover that the dragon behind the disappearance of Dragon Lord Bernard was you?"

Dragon Lord Hershcel promptly spewed out the generous gulp of wine he had taken, his expression one of mingled fury and fear as he regarded the young human woman.

"W-what? I don't know what you mean! And how would you even know who Bernard is, you lowly, pathetic, human…"

Bethala froze at the mention of that name, her head instantly whipping to the side towards her sire, her expression one of shock. "W-what? Do you know something more about Bernard?!..."

"Hush, Bethela." Hershcel growled, his gaze still fixed on Lucy. "I refuse to discuss this topic in present company."

"Oh, I'm afraid that is not in your control, Dragon Lord Hershcel." Lucy interrupted smoothly. "For I know far more than just his 'name'. Dragon Lord Bernard was a northern dragon of one of the 'lower' noble families, a kind dragon with a cheerful, perpetually sunny disposition and the magical ability to create simplistic but powerful magic shields. Both his bloodline and his magic were so far beneath your high sensibilities, that when you heard rumors of how he had bonded with a high-born dragoness, you went so far as to orchestrate his removal from Selvaria." Lucy ignored the startled gasp that issued from Lady Bethela. Sir Hershcel scoffed, ignoring his daughter as he fixed the human monarch with a disdainful look.

"What nonsense! Why would I soil my impeccable name with an act as insanely ridiculous as having that lowly, good-for-nothing dragon banished?! You should not even know who that plebian is! I do not know how you spied upon our esteemed court to find this information, but mark my words little girl - you and your associates will pay dearly for your transgression…"

"Halt."

The voice that spoke shocked the occupants of the banquet table, all eyes turning to observe the pale, shaken figure of the Lady Dragoness Bethela. Lord Hershcel blinked, his surprised expression morphing into a scowl as he took in his progeny's furrowed brow.

"What are you interrupting for, Bethela? Let me deal with this miscreant as I see fit."

"How did you know he was banished, father? Only he, the emperor, and the dragon who caused his punishment knew his true fate…"

Hershcel's scowl deepened, his voice a low growl as he addressed his daughter.

"And yet you know this little fact as well, Bethela! Did you think me blind, foolish female? Did you really think I did not notice those longing glances the pair of you constantly exchanged? The midnight escapades? You bonded with that useless piece of trash! And you had the gall to try to hide your shameful actions from me! Honestly, it was a relief when I received word of his death..."

"YOU KILLED HIM!" Bethela screamed. "By having him banished from Selvaria, the only home he ever knew, you wrote his death warrant! He was far too gentle a soul to be able to survive in the outside world! IT'S YOUR FAULT HE'S DEAD! And you had the gall to inform me of his death! All while knowing how I felt for him! How dare you!"

A quiet cough interrupted the dragoness's tirade. Lucy smiled apologetically when Lady Bethela turned her way to level a fierce glare at the being who had dared to disturb her.

"Are you truly sure he died, Lady Bethela? What if I told you I had proof he is alive?"

"I want nothing from the likes of a disgusting, scheming human wench like you, your majesty…" Bethela snarled.

Lucy's gentle voice instantly morphed into a chilling tone.

"You'll sing a different tune in a few moments, my dear dragon friend."

Lucy's angelic smile caused a shiver to run down the Northern dragoness' spine. Lucy glanced over her shoulder, nodding to the hooded subordinate standing a few feet behind her. He approached and placed a small lacrima globe in her hand, his head bowed the whole time. He remained by her side as she turned forward again, lightly rolling the tiny ball in her hand.

"This is a memory-lacrima." Lucy explained, her gaze locked on Bethela's. "It contains the memories of one of my most trusted spies. Believe me when I say, my lady, that the contents of this lacrima are not for the faint of heart. But I still believe they will be of special interest to you."

"You speak in riddles, you conniving human. Get to the point!"

Lucy wordlessly nodded to her servant, who raised his head, throwing off the hood to reveal his face - a handsome one, marred by a single scar.

"Show them your memory, Mest."

The man named Mest bowed to Lucy, raising his hand and waving it at the far wall of the chamber to the side, where everyone could easily see the cloudy screen that formed at his command. Within the cloud, a scene soon became apparent - a man was walking through dark, dismal corridors, holding a whispered conversation with the cloaked companion striding beside him.

"Are you sure, Lahar? Have they really caught a dragon this time?!"

"I swear, Mest, if you ask me that question once more I'll stab you with my quill!"

"Grrr… Oh, don't be so dramatic! It's not that I don't trust you… It's just… Dragons are notoriously hard to catch, harder to keep caged and impossible to keep secret! Is this organization really so bold that they would risk trapping such a troublesome magical being?"

"...You'll see for yourself, my friend."

The pair rounded the corner, coming to a halt in front of a damp, dark cell. It took a few minutes for the eyes of the observer to adjust to the scene before him, for the memory became hazy for a few seconds before sharpening into clear details.

The sight was horrendous.

The creature strung up by chains against the wall could only be identified as a dragon by the tail that hung listlessly behind him, and the twisted horns that rose from his head. His malnourished body was covered with cuts and bruises, many still oozing with blood. One leg was twisted in a sickening angle, his entire frail frame shuddering with each laboured breath he took. But the most horrific thing was the expression in his eyes - vacant and staring, they spoke of deathly horrors that few minds could imagine.

Lady Bethela screamed, rising from her seat, as she whirled on her father.

"You told me he was dead! You swore he died!"

"I-I swear I did not know of this! But… He was never worthy of you to begin with, Bethela."

"N-no! Sob I was never worthy of him, you wretch!"

She turned to Lucy, her eyes pleading and piteous.

"Please, please tell me where that place is! I must save him."

Lucy's hard look softened, her tone defeated and apologetic as she addressed the distraught dragoness.

"I'm sorry. I cannot. It would do no good to try to save him, there is only a small chance you would succeed, and even if you did… the wretched humans who did this to him would escape and merely start again elsewhere. The only way I can see to eradicate this menace is to strike it at the root. We must find out who the head of Tartaros is. Only then can we truly bring it down once and for all."

Bethela leveled Lucy with a vicious glare.

"I hate you."

Lucy nodded, accepting the dragoness' words quietly.

"And that is why I have chosen you. None of my friends could ever win the trust of Princess Orga - she hates me even more than you do. You are perfect. Your mutual hatred will endear you to each other, yet your desire to save your loved one will be the key to our mutually beneficial agreement - find out the name of the Tartaros leader from her majesty Princess Orga, and in exchange I will give you the location of your beloved."

Bethela took in a deep breath, willing down her emotions and her magic. After a long moment, she gave a jerky nod of acquiescence.

"Very well. I will do it - for him. But mark my words, human bitch, I will also do everything in my power to assassinate you."

Lucy just nodded grimly.

"By all means. Do whatever you deem necessary. An assisination attempt would be quite a fitting move - it has almost become a right of passage amongst most of my high court courtiers. Just remember - your true goal is to save your beloved. Never lose sight of that."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What just happened in there, Lucy?!"

After the dinner, Levy had promptly dragged the golden-haired monarch out of the dining hall and into a smaller adjacent chamber, ignoring the two solemn dragons who had followed them into their cozy hideout. Levy continued to glare at her human friend as Lucy offered her the most contrite, apologetic expression she could muster.

"A risky, highly fascinating power play?"

Levy's glare only hardened as her foot began tapping the ground impatiently.

"As much as I appreciated how well Bethela and Hershcel were put in their places, the means you adopted to do so were downright cruel, Lucy. I-I couldn't help but feel sorry for Bethela by the end of it." Levy paused, her eyes moist with unshed tears. "But worst of all was the fact that you refused to help her bonded right away! H-how can you sleep at night knowing that somewhere out there a dragon is being so inhumanely tortured…"

"I don't sleep, Levy." Lucy responded curtly. "And it is not just he who is being tortured by Tartaros - there are a host of magical beings they hold captive for their grotesque 'experiments'..."

"I need names and places, Lucy. NOW." Levy hissed, her eyes flashing with fury as she held Lucy's gaze.

The human Princess returned her look with a wary gaze of her own.

"I'm sorry, Levy, but I cannot do that…"

"Those are our brethren being held against their will, rabbit." Gajeel growled, stepping up beside his beloved fairy. "You owe us that information - don't you dare play that stupid game you tried at dinner with us as well."

Lucy gulped as her gaze fell to the floor. A comforting hand on her shoulder startled her as she glanced to the side to see Natsu standing tall, his face set in a grim frown aimed at Gajeel.

"Simmer down, cousin. As much as we all long to save those tormented souls, it is not right to force Lucy to expose more information than she is comfortable with. There is no doubt an underlying reason she refuses to launch a rescue party to save those imprisoned beings - isn't that right Lucy?"

Lucy let out a shaky breath, her gaze stuck on the rug at her feet. Before she could respond to Natsu's gentle coaxing, a smooth voice from the doorway interrupted her.

"That is because she has already tried to save those in peril. And she knows the wretched consequences."

The mage named Mest stepped into the small chamber, his gaze fixed on his monarch.

"Permission to speak, your majesty."

Lucy nodded in acquiescence, throwing him a grateful look. Mest bowed low to her before addressing the other three occupants of the room.

"When her highness first heard of the imprisonment and torture of magical beings by this organization - her first order of business was to arrange a rescue mission. My lover Lahar and I were given the honor of leading the very first of these missions - although her majesty worried that it would be too much for us, and offered the assistance of the Protectors as well." Mest's voice dropped to a whisper.

"I am very glad we did not take her up on her offer. At the time, we had only a suspicion of how hopeless a situation we were in…"

Mest halted abruptly, gritting his teeth as he willed back the tears rising unbidden in his eyes.

"We took all precautions - every one imaginable to humans or magical beings - but it was not enough. For the moment we saved the very first prisoner from his captivity… he exploded. And Lahar was standing right next to him. I watched him die on the spot, torn to smithereens by the blast…"

Mest sobbed openly, as Lucy walked forward to rub his back comfortingly, whispering soft words of solace as his taller frame shook with the weight of his emotions. At last he composed himself, turning to the assembled beings again.

"Every single damn being in that hell hole is injected with a 'self-destruct' serum that activates once the target is taken outside a certain range of their prison. And only Tartaros has the antidote to this serum. We changed our focus from trying to directly save the prisoners, to finding out the composition of this 'self-destruct' serum…"

"However, that proved to be far more difficult than we anticipated." Lucy interjected, as she gestured for Mest to exit the chamber and rest. "We've found that each prisoner is personally injected with the serum by the head of Tartaros - and the only being with complete knowledge of the serum is the leader himself." Lucy huffed, blowing a strand of golden hair out of her face. "All we've been able to find out about the serum is that lumenoire is needed in the process of its manufacture. Thanks to Levy's investigation into the goblin's lumenoire deal, we've been able to cut off their supply of it. They have not taken any more prisoners in a while, but those that are already at their mercy…"

Lucy sighed, unconsciously leaning on Natsu as she studied Levy and Gajeel's stunned expressions. Levy was the first to recover, a soft sob escaping her as she turned to face Lucy.

"I'm sorry I was so quick to judge, Lucy. I-I did not think the situation was as dire as this… Then again, I still can't understand why you didn't trust us with all this information sooner?! I can research the serum! I know I could find something of use…"

Lucy shook her head, her tone remorseful.

"Nay, Levy. The data that has been collected about Tartaros will continue to remain with me and Mest. I-I'm afraid I cannot divulge any information to you…"

"You refuse to trust us?! Your close and loving friends?!"

Lucy bowed her head, humbly acknowledging Levy's sharp words.

"I cannot run the risk of having any of you captured, Levy."

Levy did not respond, her eyes still filled with grief and anger. After a few tense moments she spun on her heel, exiting the chamber without another word, a silent, solemn Gajeel on her heels. Lucy stood there staring after the couple, a forlorn expression on her face. A pair of warm arms wrapped around her waist, dragging her backwards into a firm, muscled chest.

"You did what you felt was right, Lucy. It was a tough decision - but you stuck to it."

"But is it the right decision, Natsu?!"

Lucy's voice trembled as she shrunk further into Natsu's strong hold, automatically soaking in his inviting warmth. Natsu paused, mulling over his words before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know, Luce. All I know is I believe in you, and so any decision you take will be the best for the situation in my eyes."

Lucy relaxed, a soft smile rising on her lips.

"Thank you, Natsu. I believe in you too."

Natsu hugged her closer, nuzzling her neck from behind as Lucy closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh, gratefully accepting his affectionate gesture. The pair stood thus, offering each other strength and silently contemplating the sorrows of their pasts and the trials that awaited them in the future.