Chapter Five
Birth of the Dragon Prince
Natsu ripped off a chunk of juicy chicken with his teeth. The sauteed spice coated his tongue and tinged a burning pathway down his stomach. Craving for another burst of flavor, he wolfed down another hot wing in his other hand.
"So," He said with a mouthful. "How did you figure out his wife doesn't love him anymore?" Swallowing, he sucked the hot sauce off his fingers.
Lucy leaned over the coffee table, handing a roll of paper towels to him. He unrolled it, for her sake. Even if he found her attempt at keeping the apartment clean fruitless. The table and floors were already littered with used napkins and food scraps. Sinking into the cushions of her armchair, she held a cup of raspberry tea, her favorite drink, close to her lips. "It was pretty obvious. He admitted that his wife had always been an inspiration to him throughout his entire career. Take her out of the equation, and he's already planning an early retirement."
Natsu blinked. This old geezer would give up his life ambition all 'cause his marriage was falling apart? Not only did it make no sense, it was downright wrong for his wife to marry him and expect him to change himself for her. But he supposed this stuff was common for most couples, and something he would never be on board with.
"They never had children," Lucy continued, reaching to the side of her armchair and browsed through the stack of magazines. "So their careers had always been the main focus of their lives. Mr. Wilson writes and self-publishes, teaches creative writing at a prestigious university. And!" She held up one copy. "Submits weekly articles of his tips in the art of storytelling on Sorceror Weekly." She stored it back. "And his wife was recently promoted as the head publisher of her firm after completing her two studies of business and journalism."
He spoke before she could spew out more random facts about their client. "You said you'd known this guy your whole life. What's he to you?"
She lowered her eyes to her cup, her mouth forming a thin line. "My mother would read me to sleep with some of his children stories. And I remembered her mentioning that he was one of her good friends. Just yesterday, he told me that my mother had helped him financially when his first novel kept receiving rejections from publishers. He was so grateful of her that he would send his unpublished work to her as his personal beta reader." Her hand rubbed the side of her neck. "I guess you can say that l wanted to help him in my mother's place."
Uncertain of how to respond to that, Natsu crunched on a wing bone into splinters and swallowed. "And this play's gonna save his marriage, how?"
"According to his biography, he and his wife had first met at a theatre. They were watching a romantic play with some friends and they hit it off. He would write stories to inspire his readers to find love just as he did with his wife. And I wouldn't be surprised if he used his work to woo her. Since he really liked my novel, I figured why not use my story to win back her heart for him."
He scooped up the remaining pool of hot sauce with a bone and popped it into his mouth. "Sounds easy enough."
She smiled weakly. "I know this is easier said than done, which is why I appreciate you guys for deciding to help. After all, spending three months working on a play production isn't exactly the fastest way to get paid."
He agreed with her there. That bandit job posted on the mission board could pay off her next rent sooner than this play production. A good excuse to take that job if it wasn't for Lucy promising to help their client. It would be a miracle if nobody had snagged that job by tomorrow.
"But even so," She sighed. Her big brown eyes shone the same look that had guilt-tripped him into helping her. "I rather work for somebody else's happiness." She drank the rest of her tea and set the cup down on what little space left on the table. For a year since she'd joined the guild as a newbie, their team had been efficient in completing missions by trusting her perception on people. Their chance of success in fulfilling this client's need shouldn't be any different.
"Okay," Lucy rested her fist on the open palm of her hand. "Let's start your audition with some cold reading." She stood up and walked over to her writing desk situated beside the end of her bed. She picked up a spiral-bound manuscript and returned to her seat to hand over to Natsu. "I think you're going to like this scene a lot."
He opened to the first page:
THE DRAGON PRINCE
Act One, Scene Two
The scene opens to hot rivers of boiling lava. The cry of a slain dragon reverberated against the cavern walls of the DRAGON PRINCE's castle inside a volcano.
Dragon Prince (Infuriated)
I will not stand for this any longer. My blood is boiling, and I got a true fire in my belly, and it resonates your name! Wherever you are! Whatever you're doing! Mark my words, King! You will never see the light of day again!
Natsu looked up at Lucy, grinning. "It's like you'd made this character just for me!"
She giggled, a small blush forming on her cheeks. "Well no surprise there. You are my greatest inspiration in writing this story."
It took him a moment to peel his eyes off of her cheeks and smile back, trying not to look too flattered. After all, his friends had always said that he was inspirational, the special glue that kept people together in camaraderie, the pride and joy of Fairy Tail.
"Read the story out loud to us, Natsu." Happy hopped onto Lucy's lap, making himself comfortable and surprising them both. The little feline had been so quiet in his game of chess with Plue, Lucy's celestial dog, that Natsu almost forgot he was inside the apartment.
"I got a better idea." He smirked and thrusted the script into Lucy's hands. "You read it to us."
She blinked, taken aback. "Huh? Why me?"
"Ain't it obvious? 'Cause you're good at storytelling!"
A flattered smile replaced the confusion on her face. "Aw really? Well, that's a first. I thought you two get tired of me talking so much." She teased.
"Not if you're just reading out loud." She glared and he returned a sheepish grin. "Kidding!" When she looked down at the page, seeming satisfied, he grinned mischievously. "Not." Looking up at his mouth, she formed a playful smile and reached over for a ball of napkin and chucked it straight at his chest. He feigned a dramatic death, arms limping over the armrests. He could mess with her all day.
She adjusted herself comfortably in her seat, with Happy telling her that he wanted to turn the page when she was done reading. "Ok, here goes nothing." She began to read. "The Dragon Prince continues to proclaim… Don't worry, my dragon brethren, I shall avenge your blood; that I swear."
Resting his head on the back of the armchair, Natsu closed his eyes. Her words immersed him into his own imagination, allowing him to see vividly through the eyes of the Dragon Prince.
"Your Highness!" Shouts his trusty dragon henchman. "I've come with great news!"
The Dragon Prince peels his eyes away from the enemy's territory to look at the tiny dragon with batty wings. "What is it, my dragon boy?!"
"I'd located the enemy who helped slain our companion!"
He punches into his hand and sparks of inferno illuminate the dark cavern walls in yellow, orange, and red. "Where is he?! So I may tear his head from his spine!"
"It appears that the evil king had sent our rival on horseback. He's coming this way! And he's got a hood!"
"Fetch me my hood, young dragon! We shall see who is the best hooded man indeed!"
"Aye sir!" The tiny dragon grabs his hood and places it over the Prince's crownless head.
"Now tell me where he dwells!"
"Follow me and make haste, my Prince! The kingdom lies on the coastline! May the day come when they shall never defile our land no more!" The dragon lifts up the Prince by the arms and flies him over to the forest ground.
With the Dragon Prince in hot pursuit, the ominous clouds roll over the starless night sky and over the untamed forest. A hooded figure slows her horse to a canter to survey the new area.
The tiny dragon spots the hooded figure on horseback. "Your Highness, there he is!"
"Withhold me at once, my trusty dragon!" The Prince orders. He drops to the ground with a loud thud, and the hooded figure sees him. When the Prince picks his head up, revealing the fire in his eyes. Fear seems to shake the hands of his foe on the horse reins. A proper response, for the Prince is after blood… his enemy's blood.
"There you are, you hooded figure." He growls with a sheer primitive edge. "Tonight." He throws off his hooded cape. "You shall dine in hell!"
With a squeal of shock, the hooded spy steers the horse and breaks into a hard gallop.
"Oh no you don't!" On foot, the Dragon Prince chases the enemy around every nook and cranny of the dense forest, a feeble attempt to shake him off her tail. Running past a low-hanging tree branch, the enemy pushes it forward and releases. The branch whips back and hits him across the face. He rubs the pain off his face and trips on a rock, giving his enemy ample time to locate a hiding spot inside a hollow dead log. She slaps the hindquarter of the horse to gallop, hoping the murderer of her people could follow the sound of footfalls, deterring him away from her.
The Prince grunts, stepping into the vicinity. "You can hide, but your scent smells of fragrance fit for a princess!" He blinks and mutters, "Wait... What?" The king must've sent a female spy to eradicate him and what's left of his kindred.
She notices his dark silhouette appearing at the open end of the log. She sneaks out through the other end and breaks into a run. She raises her arms to block the whiplash of branches and soon reaches a clearing. Her luck takes a turn for the worst. She stops at the edge of a steep, rocky cliff.
"No..." Terror creeps into her voice. Suddenly, the Dragon Prince seizes her by the wrists and pulls her hands behind her in a restraint. "Stop!" She cries, turning around to see what many noblemen hoped to never meet in person.
"I got you now, flamboyant dragon killer." If the fire in his eyes becomes tangible, they can incinerate her soul. But she only sees the grief that her father's actions had caused in his. He rips the hood off of her head. Utter shock quenches the fire.
She's around his age, all dressed in an expensively elaborate gown. Squirming against his hold, her eyes shut tight and she whimpers, "Please don't kill me. I'm too cute to die!"
Releasing his hold from her, the Dragon Prince can barely whisper, "What is this?" His voice soon regains its volume. "Is this a joke? Has the king sent such a fragile offense to me as a mockery? Such frail beauty begging for a beating be true?"
"That's one flamboyant dragon killer, Sir!" The tiny dragon comments with a snicker from his perch on a tree branch.
"This isn't a dragon killer!" He bellows, throwing up his hands. "Only a joke that was played on me!"
"Frail beauty?" The Princess finds her voice. "Is that what you perceive of me? A fragile offense within your sight?! Do you not think for one second that I'm just as well as capable of defeating you?"
"Ha!" He points a finger at her tauntingly. "So you do indeed beg for a beating!" He balls his fist at her.
"No!" Her hands fly up in front of her. "You shouldn't beat those who had not slain your dragon. Although I don't consider you as my enemy, I refuse to let you insult my sex."
There's an awkward silence until the tiny dragon breaks it. "She's a little feisty, aye sir?"
The Dragon Prince scoffs, crossing his arms, and sizes her up. "For you are of royalty, you're indeed the fragile of the fragile! So, what saith thou in your defense?" He challenges with a smirk.
The Princess takes a moment to observe his appearance. His long garments are sewn in ancient dragon scales. His boyish features lay handsomely on his face. She expects him to be all skin and bones, for surely he lives in the wilderness where there are no extravagant feasts. But his body is lean and strong. Her eyes widen and her breath escapes in awe. "So the legend is true. You are the man whom my people spoke tales about. The man who had been raised by dragons, and bears no mercy for humanity."
"I am just as human as thee." He speaks as if she should've known better. "However, the only difference between you and me is that I speak for the dragons."
"So you call my kingdom fragile, and yet they're the same division that had slain your dragon with ease?"
"Aye," Rage reemerges in his countenance. "Because of you low dogs killed most of 'em! For the blood you have shed, I should have your head by now!" He takes a step towards her. "So I don't know what I'm waiting for..."
She takes a step back from him. "My father will have your head if you lay a claw on me!"
"Your father isn't here. And since he already killed one of my kind," He draws another step till his face is merely inches from hers. "I'll take one of his..."
She feels one of her heels almost sliding over the cliff's edge looming over the dense forest cover. "Please, don't kill me." She begs one last time. "I have a whole life ahead of me. There are things I want to experience!"
The tiny dragon laughs, holding his belly. "Your highness, perhaps you shall grant her an experience of a lifetime. We never get opportunities like this."
"Ah, sorry my trusty companion, but I'm not that kinda guy."
The Princess darts her eyes between the two in confusing despair. "What are you two talking about?!"
The Dragon Prince shoots her a murderous glare, and she realizes this might be her last chance to reason with him. "Please hear me out. I understand that you are grieving for someone who shouldn't had been murdered like an animal. Which is why I would like to make a negotiation with you."
Tension spreads throughout his whole body and his fists coil with raging fire. "Negotiation? You're telling me that I shouldn't take your life, so we can negotiate?!"
"Yes, Your Highness, it may sound irrational and unforgivable. But I too wish to rectify this crime in a manner that shall bring honor to you and my kingdom." She takes a deep breath. "A kingdom that I may one day rule alongside with my future king." Her heart pangs with the burden of marrying a prince with a promiscuous reputation in order to expedite the healing of her enemy's loss.
The Dragon Prince raises a brow, but calms down a little. "Aye?"
"If you feel that my death would serve as an atonement for the sins of my people, then may you allow my last days of life become of use to you. If my way fails, then I swear on behalf of my Kingdom, you shall take my life as recompense for your loss."
He stares at her in long silence, contemplating her proposition. And, to her relief, he leads her away from the cliff and loosens his hold on her. The tiny dragon's eyes widen with shock. This is the first time the Dragon Prince had ever shown mercy to any human. But he knew that the patience of his prince is only temporary.
"I am listening." The Dragon Prince manages to say, then realizes that he's still holding her hand. They both quickly pull away and he puts distance between them. He hardly expects any kindness from humanity. But there's something warm and genuine about this woman; a rarity that might shed some light in a world full of darkness.
The princess takes a deep, slow breath and sits on a boulder to calm her nerves. "The goal behind this plan is for you to remain innocent and allow the world to witness the corruption of my father's ruling. I'm certain that you may have heard of the Dragon Execution Law that he'd recently established. After an event when the dragons had attacked the kingdom. Once I reign, I shall annul it, for my dream was for my kingdom to live in harmony with the dragons."
"This land belongs to the dragons!" He asserts with a shake of his fist. "Your father came here willingly and almost slaughtered a whole race!" His eyes narrow then. "You said you were here to negotiate. I don't hear any negotiation going on!"
The Princess holds back her irritation to avoid another life and death conflict with him. She folds her arms with an exhale. "You're right. According to legends, the dragons had once lived peacefully in this land. It was my father's lust for power and recognition that brought him to claim this land as our territory; thus, conflicts with your people. My father is fully equipped to slaughter any dragon that steps foot on our territory, cleanly. This ongoing battle will only end in bloodshed and more casualties. So in order to avenge your kind, you need a mediator... And this is where I come in."
He smirks. "He doesn't scare me."
It's becoming hopeless for the Princess to convince him, so she attempts a different tactic. Shifting to the side, she crosses her legs and flicks her long, golden hair into the wind, exposing her bare shoulder. She eyes him with a wink. "Come now my dearest prince, even a royal gentleman such as yourself may believe it is wise to listen to a lady's wisdom for once."
He merely wears an unamused expression.
She claps her hands together with a squeal of excitement, catching the Dragon Prince off guard. "Excellent! I shall go and mediate the conflict between you and my kingdom, but first, we must –"
" - Do things my way!" He cuts her off short. "I show you the ways of the dragon. And then you shall teach your father our ways and force him to void the Dragon Execution law himself. I rather not wait around till you play queen to avenge the death of my brethren." He says with a low growl.
Something tells her that her life will depend only on this final say, regardless of her father's reaction. So she nods. "Then it shall be."
"Good. Glad we came to an agreement, princess." He whips around and his robe of dragon scales sweep across the ground, and the Princess follows him to the mountains of flowing lava.
She rubs her hands together in excitement. "Oh! This shall be the first time I've ever stood face to face with a dragon! How I'd wished to see them as a young girl! You know, my maidservants and knights had always worry that"
"Uh, well actually – " He jumps at the sound of her loud gasp.
"Oh, I wonder! Is it true that dragons live in caves for most of their lives and only come out for hunting? If so, then how do they raise their offspring? Do the baby dragons live in solitude to fend for themselves, or their nurturing mothers are always present to tend to their every cry?"
The Dragon Prince opens his mouth but the Princess asks, "Was it your father or mother who'd adopted you as their own son?"
"Will you shut that from which you speak!"
She glares at him with daggers. "That's not how you should speak to a lady! You do best to remember who you're talking to!"
"And you do best to remember your life is in my hands!"
She lifts her chin with defiance and crosses her arms with a huff. "Then I suppose I'll have to teach you how to woo a lady while you're at it."
The Dragon Prince stops as the Princess keeps on walking. The tiny dragon takes the moment to tease. "She's very feisty. My lord, surely she catches your fancy, eh?"
He shoots a fiery dart into the dragon's face with a snap of his finger, and smirks. "I'll marry when women can bridle their tongues."
Lucy closed the script and noticed Happy snoring softly on her lap, curled up into a blue ball. Natsu rested his head on the armrest with his legs sprawled out on one side. His eyes looked heavy with sleep, but he wore a satisfied grin.
"Heh, you're right. I do like that scene."
With a soft giggle, she placed the script down and carefully set Happy onto the seat without waking him. "I'm glad you'd enjoyed it." She picked up the dirty plates and transferred them into the kitchen sink. "I knew you were going to like the Dragon Prince. Would you like to try auditioning as him now or tomorrow?" She reentered the living room and found Natsu already conked out in a deep slumber, snoring with his mouth open. Lucy figured his body couldn't handle another minute of staying awake after a long day. She opened the linen closet and placed a blanket over him. She turned off the lights, deciding to get them to clean up the rest of their mess tomorrow, and tucked herself under the pink quilt. She mentally said good-night to the Dragon Prince and his tiny dragon spending the night right here in her humble abode.