Wow, it's been awhile. To this day I'm still getting favourites and follows due to this story. For a long course of time, I could not write or upload anything I had written. But, I am back now and ready to begin my journey of finishing this story. Let us commence!

Chapter 26: Well, You COULD Marry Her?

Natsu, Girldarts and Jude stepped into the golden wood carriage. At first, Natsu's mind was ill at ease, he was worried about Lucy and his friends and also nervous to meet a king again - it wasn't really his cup of tea. However, after carefully chosen words of encouragement, and the fact that Gildarts held this man with high regards as a friend rather than his ruler, Natsu's mind came to rest. He was assured of the fact that Lucy, Gray, Erza, Juvia and Happy were completing missions and training their hardest - they wanted to walk alongside him not be protected by him.

The carriage moved unevenly along the bumpy stone path; every stone threatened to break a wheel or tip the carriage onto its side. Natsu wasn't good with carriage rides, in fact, he didn't like forms of transportation at all.

"When we get there, I beg of you don't throw up on the king's shoes." Gildarts laughed heartily, his features wrinkling up at either cheek. "It will be a little embarrassing for both Jude and I and also yourself too."

"I'm truly afraid of that, so why do we not get out here and walk through the forest? I heard from a few neighbours that hunting beasts and food is a good sport here." Suggested Jude with a sly grin, which Natsu waved off. "Driver we'll be walking from here on out!"

With that the party of three clambered out of the cramped carriage, taking with them all the luggage that they had brought with them. They casually bantered, then Natsu made it clear to Jude that he was the eighth rank in all the elements he practised, but not in destruction, which was ranked at four. Jude made it apparent that Lucy had reached a large and thick wall when it came to overcoming the seventh rank, but she was determined as ever to do it.

Natsu stepped foot in the forest, the air was warm but a slight breeze made it comfortable to walk in. The outer layer of the forest was laced with low-levelled beast and wildlife that hurried away from them. Every so often a beast would be uncomfortably close to Natsu, it would sense his strength, turn to run, then Natsu would throw a stone at it and kill it. He collected their cores to sell, then moved on with the walk.

Gildarts always seemed to be on guard, and every five minutes he would ask Natsu to do a scan of the area. He would do so and then they would restart their advance to the castle.

"So, Natsu my boy..." Jude's voice rang out in the silence that hung between the three men. "I do believe you're at the age to get hitched to a lovely lady, don't you?"

"I wouldn't exactly say that I'm ready, with being so close to saint rank and my personal goal of slaughtering the man who took my father, it would be far too difficult to have children and maintain a loving relationship whilst pursuing my goals." Natsu reply sincerely, this being the reason that he rejected Lisanna's confession.

"What if she could be beside you through all of that, then maybe you'd have a shot of a family." This idea made Natsu ponder in thought as Jude continued to talk about romance and possible love interest for him. "Who do you think would be that woman?"

"The closest I can get to thinking of a woman like that would be Lucy, however, I've seen people try to kill her. It's far too dangerous for me to take her along with me - I'd only worry. If she were to start trying to become a warrior it may do me a great favour. Other than that she'll become a saint a few years after I do, only then after my mission would I agree to court her."

"Natsu..." Gildarts laughed a little, "I can tell by your sincere words that you've thought of taking your relationship with Lucy seriously. So, I ask you this: are you completely at ease when you think that this mission could take tens of years from your life, that Lucy will wait that long for you; that she will love you unconditionally although you are not married and she is not too. Do you not worry that during that time she will meet another? If you indeed believe her to wait even though you do not know her feelings, then by all means wait - if there is doubt, then you should seize this opportunity."

"We are still talking about my daughter, right? Her patience's is her downfall; she rushes into things head first and full of heart, surely as her father I do not believe she will wait." Jude chimed in on Gildart's speech regarding love. "Her mother has arranged severely partners for her to wed, she will meet them over the course of this year and choose one at the end."

"I feel slightly weird talking to you about marrying your daughter, it's a little awkward." Natsu scratched the back of his head.

Jude laughed, slapped Natsu on the back and then whispered in his ear, "I do give you my permission to court Lucy."

Natsu nodded, slightly flushed in the face; he began walking faster, with more purpose than before they had this chat. Jude looked at Gildarts and he looked back. Both of them chuckled silently to avoid being captured by Natsu's looks of nervousness to his back. They secretly had spoken of this before Gildarts had left on his mission, how they would love it if their two families could join under the union of their children, thus they riled up Natsu to try and get him to marry Lucy and think about something else other than training and revenge.

Their plan may have worked, but until Natsu saw Lucy again they could not tell if he would take initiative or if they should have riled up Lucy instead, who would have flown straight towards Natsu.

"I believe my daughter would scare him off if we had told Lucy." Jude silently whispered in a hushed laugh.

"I'm still betting that he'll be serious until he sees her and then he'll cower. He's only used to the emotion of anger, love is beyond his control." Maybe Gildarts could have been right, maybe he could have been wrong.

They continued forward to the castle, the two older men talking, while Natsu was stuck inside his head. It rattled with new thoughts that could possibly disturb his future plans - he just couldn't have that, so instead, he'll have to change them.