I wake up with a start, gasping in as much air as possible. There is a dim light coming from the windows and a figure sat with his head in his hands at the end of my bed. I shuffle away from him when,

"Lucy! You're awake, finally, i was so worried" he said as he stood up and walked to my bed stand, filling a cup with water, "here take this."

Numbly I reach out and Sting helps me clasp the glass in my shaking hands. Slowly, I move the glass to my lips and take a sip. Icy cool water slips down my dry throat, and I sigh with pleasure. "How long have I been out?"

"About two hours. I couldn't leave you on the floor so I carried you to the bed. What do you think you were doing fainting on me like that? Have you been eating ok? All I wanted was to tease you, not give you a panic attack."

"I've been eating fine Sting." The tone not as harsh as I would of hoped, "you didn't have to be so menacing."

"You should know me better by now sister," he smirked, "so are you going to answer my question?"

At my vacant expression he continued "why are you visiting that servant? Lucy, you're getting married. To a king. You are real lucky it was me who was here and not our father otherwise you'd be in a prison cell by now, and your little friend would be in an unmarked grave."

The truth in his words caused tears to slip silently from my eyes and before I knew it, I was red faced and pulled into the crook between his neck and shoulder.

We sat there for I don't know how long, him rubbing my back in soothing circles each time my cries got a bit harder, my thoughts too suffocating.

Between sobs I said, " I love him Sting. I always have. And now... and now i have to marry someone else, and i know king rogue is meant to be nice but i hate him for it! I really do, because somehow, somehow i kept up hope that somehow i could be aloud to love Natsu and if only for a little while, i want to love him, even if it's dangerous." My tears got loader, drowning out any more words i spoke, and Sting just sat there, listening to me ramble well into the morning.

"How important is it for Lucy to marry King Rogue? What kind of state is our country in for you to need to marry off your only daughter so quickly to a foreign king."

"I have my reasons. You have seen first hand on your travels how poverty ransacks our country, this marriage will improve that"

"Poverty has never bothered you before."

"We need the money for our country. And the strength and supplies that will come with that"

"Father, you sound like you are talking of war."

The king struggled to speak, to speak the truth he himself was denying. "War is upon us." The king said weakly, not being able to look the prince in the eye.

"Who? I will go and-"

"Someone who will not be reasoned with." Said the king, taking a sip of water from his glass.

"Then let me marry. But don't put Lucy through this."

The glass slammed to the table, "I have already promised King Rogue the offer of marriage-"

"Then let me marry king Rogue. Let me take this sacrifice, if only so Lucy can marry whoever she wants"

"Don't be so preposterous!" The king spluttered. "King Rogue has no siblings. No family. He needs heirs. Something you cannot provide him!"

"There must be a way father. Please." The Prince begged between tears, and the sound of the prince and the king arguing, shock the castle for several hours more.

When i awoke, Sting was no longer in my chamber, he was probably off in the bed of one of the many servants he is especially close with. Being gone for so long, i don't blame him.

I bathed and dressed, washing away any of the sadness left from yesterday, before setting up camp on one of my windowsills with a book, counting down the hours.

As the sun began to set again, i put on a cloak and snuck out of my rooms into the gardens, the setting sun providing enough light for me to see, but also enough so that my identity would still be hidden. I walked towards the middle of the maze, the grassy hedges again hiding me from castle eyes.

He looked like he had been here a while. He was pacing and his pink hair stood up from his head as if he had been running a hand through it. I cant describe the relief i felt when i saw him standing there. My heart began to beat quickly in my chest.

"Hi."

He looked towards me, his face searching mine for an answer to a question he hadn't yet asked. He seemed as relieved as me to see me here.

"Hey Luce," he said, a weight visibly lifting from his shoulders.

I took a step towards him. "First of all, i want to say I'm sorry for how I've been acting."

"You don't need to apologise to me Luce-"

"No. I do. I should of been more honest with my feelings from the start. About everything." I swallowed, "I love you Natsu. I think i always have, from the moment I first met you. And i have spent the last few years wondering if you could ever feel the same way to someone who is surely promised to another. And now I am getting married, and quite honestly I don't care about any of that now. I just want to spend however long i have left of my freedom, with the only person i have ever loved, if that person would be willing."

I didn't think Natsu was breathing. In my letter i had confessed my love to him, if only to be selfish for this short time, and had said that if he felt the same way, he should meet me here, in the maze, after sunset. And when I saw him here, i felt like i was going to explode.

"Luce, I-" a tear found its way down his cheek, "I love you too." Another tear. "I never thought you could love me. I never thought it could ever be possible to be with you, and when you said you were getting married, i-i broke inside Luce. My worst thoughts were coming true. And now you're saying all this and- and the stars damn me but i want it. I want you Luce."

We were both now crying. I took another step towards him, my eyes catching on his lips. He was right there, i could kiss him. If i was brave enough i would just kiss him. His hand found its way to my cheek to wipe a tear and then suddenly his lips were on mine. I don't know if it was me or him who did it, but I didn't care. His lips were so soft, and gentle, and warm. All i could focus on was our lips embracing each other that I forgot where my hands were. He opened his mouth slightly and he tasted of home. His tongue gently grazed mine and i took a deep breath. This is what i want.

We finally broke apart and just stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Words were useless in a moment like this.

"I should probably head back before someone notices I'm missing." I finally said, taking a step back.

"Yea. Yea that would be good" he was just as lost in the moment as i was. I started walking away when he grabbed me into a hug, his scent filling my nose. He gave me a quick kiss on the head before disappearing into the night.