Waking up found Lucy in the most horrific, compromising, embarrassing situation she had ever been in.

Not that it wasn't comfortable, no, as matter of fact it was quite warm, and she had never felt so safe before, but screaming really sounded like a good idea at the moment.

And then she remembered there was a guard standing right outside of her bedroom door. This was only remembered when she heard the knock and the "Princess Lucy? It's time for you to wake up." come from outside.

"Shit!" She whispered-shouted and then called back to the guard. "Um, YES, give me one moment please!" She looked down at the Dragon who was snuggled up to her oh so intimately and promptly flushed all shades of pink and red imaginable.

"Idiot! Get off of me!" She whispered to no avail. The man just seemed to grip even tighter to her body. Lucy kicked a leg (or . . . no, that was definitely her leg) out and grasped his forearm, attempting to physically pull him off of her. She managed to part his arm only a few inches before he snorted in his sleep and rolled over, dragging her with him effortlessly.

"Eeep!" Lucy squeaked, and flushed an even darker red because he had managed to drag her into an even more awkward position.

The last thing Lucy remembered from the night before was this man embracing her. He must have picked her up at some point and tucked her (in his arms) into bed. He was comforting her, she realized that now, and selfishly she wondered if he had forgiven her already for what she had done to him. Hell, he probably didn't even know that he was bonded to her in the first place. She would have to break this news to him, and she could only imagine how that would go.

She broke out of her thoughts and focused back on the situation at hand. Literally, at hand; his right hand, to be exact. Because it was cupped firmly around her left breast and showed no sign of letting up any time soon.

He was tightly spooning her from behind, one knee nudged in between her own. His right arm, as Lucy had already noted and was currently freaking out over, was groping her. The other arm had been secured under her head, acting as a pillow (she had plenty of them, why didn't he let her use them!) and then angled to rest on top of his right bicep. He was hugging her from behind in his sleep.

Lucy would have completely forgotten about his tail, wings, horns, and claws if it hadn't been for the fact that they were aiding him in his snuggles. His right wing, the uninjured one, had been draped over their bodies, acting as a blanket for them. Now that Lucy thought about it, she was incredibly warm. She remembered the Captain mentioning he used fire magic. This strong heat he was giving off probably had something to do with it.

The long tail was resting on her hips, curling underneath her body and around it. It was like he had completely enveloped himself around her in his sleep.

"Princess? Is everything alright?"

"YES! DON'T COME IN!" She heard a surprised sound. The guard probably hadn't been expecting her to yell at him. Lucy squirmed, hoping the Dragon would let up. She grabbed for his hand and pulled if off her chest, thanking the heavens when it released and wrapped around her waist instead.

Which didn't make escape any easier, but it sure did help her think clearer.

Okay . . . now what to do. She grabbed at the bedpost and began to drag herself across the bed.

Which ended up dragging him as well.

She tried kicking him in the shin.

And got absolutely no reaction.

"Princess?" Panic coming very close to the surface, Lucy accepted the inevitable, and did what she was hoping she would not have to do. She reached backward towards the Dragon's head, and, because she couldn't actually see his face he was wound round her so tight, sought out his features.

Then jabbed him as hard as she possibly could straight in the eyeball.

The shriek he let out was the most ridiculous noise she had ever heard. A snort of laughter escaped her lips as the Dragon tumbled off the other end of the bed in an attempt to get away from whatever had poked him. He landed on his shoulders, feet straight up in the air and kicking every which direction in an attempt to regain gravity.

At least he let go and didn't drag her with him!

"PRINCESS!" Lucy yelped, suddenly incredibly aware of her own state of dress (the same clothes as last night, but muddy with dried rainwater and dirt) and the very male Dragon that was supposed to be tied up outside.

She heard his fumbling for the door handle, and Lucy knew she only had seconds to act.

"DON'T COME IN I'M NAKED!" Lucy screamed. She hurled herself against the door, dropping the bolt so he couldn't get in and scrambled to throw the bed sheets around her body, covering herself.

"Is the Dragon attacking you?" He asked, not really sure what he would do if it was. It's not like he could leap in and save her if she was stark naked. That would be indecent.

"No no! He's just, um . . ." Lucy looked to the Dragon and found he wasn't where she had left him. Panic once more settled in. "Um, um . . . he . . ." She looked to the balcony and saw a flash of blue and white. "He was attacked by a bird in his sleep, and it woke him up so he made a weird sound!" Lucy finished and then slapped herself. Cause that was plausible!

"I see. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes!" Idiot, she mentally added. Who would believe that story?

"Alright." She heard him sigh and move away from the doorway. Lucy placed a hand over her heaving chest and turned around, only to come face to face (yet again!) with the Dragon. Her eyes bulged out, and she slapped a hand over her mouth in order to stifle the scream ready to burst out.

He, the Dastardly Snuggler, just quirked an eyebrow at her fear. She took a minute to once again regulate her respiratory system, then shooed him towards the balcony.

"You need to be tied up for when he comes in!" She whispered. The Dastardly Snuggler just quirked the eyebrow higher, but walked onto the balcony and sat down anyway, pouting. His tail swished back and forth on the ground and his legs splayed to either side. He hunched over and crossed his arms.

Man was he laying it on thick.

And that was when she noticed the totally obvious thing that she had been oblivious to.

On his right shoulder, the one she had touched during the spell, the one that she had healed, was a red mark. She couldn't see the whole thing with the way he was sitting, but she could tell that it was the same color as the magic that had enveloped him during the rune mage's spell.

Lucy gasped and knelt down beside him. The man stopped pouting and stared at her, confused. He brought his arm up and around so he could see the mark, and he too just stared at it before an overwhelmingly excited grin shot across his features.

Lucy grasped his elbow and rotated his arm so she could see the whole thing. It was precisely what she thought it was. The scar that had been created yesterday wasn't actually a scar at all. It was the faint outline of the mark that appeared now.

But why hadn't it appeared immediately? Why was there even a mark at all? Was it because she healed him there? But then that would mean that she had inadvertently given him this mark when she touched his shoulder. Did it mean something, or was it just proof that the spell they had been put under yesterday was real?

And most importantly, why didn't she have one?

Lucy looked back down to her own right hand. The faint lines that she had seen yesterday were still there, no more pronounced than they had been. She brought her hand to his shoulder and placed them side-by-side. The outlines were identical.

So why wasn't hers colored?

"W-what?" Lucy stuttered out, suddenly feeling exhausted. Yesterday had tired her out emotionally. She could tell right away that she would have to get used to that drain, because everything could only go downhill from here.

The Dragon stared at the two marks, comparing the two of them.

"Why isn't yours colorful? HAH! It's cause I'm-" Lucy slammed her hand over his mouth more forceful than necessary.

"You can talk?" She whispered angrily, eyes narrowing in fury. "Why didn't you say anything last night?"

"Princess? We're loosing time, you have breakfast with the King this morning and then your studies." Lucy gnashed her teeth at the door and screamed her reply back.

"THEN GO GET ME MY HANDMAIDENS." His footsteps disappeared at an inhumane pace down the hallway, hopefully to retrieve her friends. Lucy turned her attention back to the Dragon, who was regarding her unpleasantly. Her hand was smooshing his cheeks together so he couldn't speak, but it was he who voluntarily stuck his tongue out at her. So Lucy squeezed even harder so he couldn't pull his tongue back in.

"What's your name?" She demanded. He glared back at her. She let him go.

He spat at the ground before turning to her to speak.

"That was rude. Maybe I don't want to share my name with you."

"EXCUSE ME? I did not grope you as you slept!"

"Well if it wasn't you, than who was it?" Lucy stared at him blankly.

"What?"

"If you weren't the one who groped me, then who was?" He sent her an exasperated look as if to say, "Jeez, weirdo, what else would I have meant?" Lucy's face flamed bright red.

"NO ONE GROPED YOU! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO GROPED ME!" She snapped at him. He scratched his chin in thought and leaned back on the ground, propping himself up with his elbows.

"Really? Okay." He yawned then dragged himself farther out into the sunshine. "I'm gonna nap, 'kay?"

"Uh! So uncouth!" Lucy said to herself as she threw her hands in the air. Knowing the guard would be back at any moment with Juvia, Levy, and Cana, Lucy picked up the chain and walked over to him. She grabbed him before he could move, and snapped it around his right ankle.

This certainly got a reaction out of him.

"WHAT THE HELL BITCH!" He shrieked and lunged for the chain. "Did you just shackle me? With magic-repellant chains?" He jerked on the links for several minutes, attempting to break free of them.

"D-did you just . . .?" Did he seriously just call her that? Her? Lucy Heartfilia? Well, he had the right to say what he thought, and it's not like he's here of his own free will, and she did just chain him to the wall, but . . . wasn't that a little harsh?

Lucy steeled herself, and turned away. She noticed the key she had dropped yesterday and picked it up. She tied it around her neck and tucked it under her dress.

"Whatever. My friends are coming in a minute. The guard probably won't unchain you until he sees you're not going to hurt anyone, which could last any amount of time. If you ever want to get out of here, you'll listen to me. Why don't you just chill for now?" Lucy strutted away from the stunned Dragon and slammed the balcony doors shut.

She walked to her extensive closet and pulled out a cherry red dress, one with a simple lace border and three-quarter sleeves. She placed it on the bed. The one you woke up in cuddling a Dragon, her mind helpfully reminded her.

Every time she thought about it, it made her heartbeat quicken and her face blush. But now that she knew what a jerk he was . . .

"Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed and knocked on the door. Lucy unlocked them for her friends to enter, letting two of her three best friends to come tumbling in.

"Hi Levy! Hi Juvia! Wait, where's Cana?" Lucy peered out into the hallway.

"She got drunk last night. No one really knows where she went. Apparently Gildarts went out to look for her, but he left this morning, so no one really knows anything. But we gotta get you dressed! You're late for breakfast with the King!" Lucy nodded to Levy's explanation and allowed her to usher her into the bathroom. Juvia had already disappeared inside to get a bath going.

They closed the door and stripped the princess, forcing her into the water and scrubbing her extensively with scented bath products and sponges. They did not comment on the new jewelry that Lucy chose to wear around her neck.

They finished as quickly as they could, dried her off to the best of their ability, and handed her undergarments. Lucy dressed as fast as she could then stepped out of the bathroom. She stepped up to the mirror where Levy and Juvia immediately began to wrap her in fine cloth. They tied the corset on, trying not to strangle her like always, but just like always, failed. Lucy let out a wheeze at the final stitch, but straightened up anyway. Slouching did not make breathing any easier.

They finally, finally, threw the last part of the dress on, the part with the cherry red skirt and bodice. They tied the parts of the dress that needed to be tied and then pushed Lucy into a chair to do her hair and makeup.

"I wish that someday I wouldn't have to get so dressed up in these clothes, just so I could go to breakfast." Lucy mumbled as she screwed up her face for the various types of makeup Juvia was doing. That part was over quickly, and then they both went to tackle her hair.

"How should we do this today, Lu-chan?" Lucy sighed.

"Something simple."

"You say that everyday, Lucy-san." Levy tittered at that, and handed Juvia a comb. Together the two brushed her hair out and then tilted her head back. They piled all her hair up in a bun then strategically pulled out small pieces to frame her face. The hairstyle was similar to the one she wore the day before.

Lucy ignored the hands on her head in favor of thinking about the Dragon. She still didn't know what his name was. She peered out of the corner of her eye and noticed he was pressed up as closely as he could get to the balcony doors. He had his head ducked to the ground, and it looked like he was wiping his face. The chain only allowed him to get so close to her room, so he was lying down on his stomach propped up on his elbows to see into the room. His tail whipped back and forth for absolutely no reason.

When he brought his head back up to look at her, Lucy noticed the smeared blood on his upper lip and the light dusting of a blush on his cheeks.

"All done Lu-chan!" Lucy didn't even look in the mirror.

"Oh . . ." She said and her face went bright red. She jumped out of her seat and marched towards the Dragon, who leaped away from the balcony doors as she came closer. The doors were flung open and Lucy grabbed the chain, dragging him back towards her.

"WHY WOULD YOU LOOK?" She shrieked at him.

"Oh hey Lucy-"

"DON'T YOU 'HEY LUCY ME'! THIS IS MY BEDROOM, AND YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE IT HAS GLASS WINDOWS! SO WHY WOULD YOU CRAWL THAT CLOSE TO SEE INSIDE? YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SEE!" Lucy's face was a brilliant shade of red, steam flowing steadily out of her ears.

He saw me in my underwear, he saw me in my underwear . . . Lucy slapped her cheeks, trying to forget what just happened. He's going to be the death of me.

Lucy looked to the Dragon for some sort of apology, but got nothing. He was staring at her stomach and chest, eyes scanning her body with a frown. Lucy didn't like it at all.

Lucy stomped towards him and kicked him as hard as she possibly could in the stomach. He let out a sort of belching sound that made her wrinkle her nose and turn away, disgusted.

"Guard!" There was no answer. She looked to her friends, who shrugged.

"I guess he got in trouble for leaving his post. I got the key from him though so the Dragon can escort you to breakfast." Lucy frowned, but nodded, knowing it had been under her orders for him to leave. Levy fished in her pocket and pulled out the key. She eyed it for a moment, then looked to the necklace tucked into Lucy's dress.

"Is it the same key?" Lucy nodded and fingered her copy.

"Please don't tell anyone. I'll tell you everything later, when we have time." Levy regarded her friend, searching for something. She seemed to find what she wanted, and she nodded to the princess.

"Okay, Lu-chan." Before Lucy could thank her, Juvia spoke up.

"Juvia thinks that was a little harsh, Lucy-san." She pointed to the groveling man and Lucy fumed.

"He practically saw me naked!" The two girls exchanged glances.

"You think he really noticed Lu-chan? I mean he's not even the same species as us." Lucy took a deep breath and let it out, attempting to calm herself.

"You're right, Levy-chan. I'll apologize to him later, but only once he apologizes to me first!"

"Lucy-san . . ." Juvia looked at Levy for help and didn't get any. "You do realize he can't speak to us, right?" Lucy blanched.

"Of course he can, you just heard him. And I was talking to him before you came in as well."

"Ah, you mean you were talking to him? It was a one-sided conversation?"

"No, he was speaking back to me." Levy wrung her hands.

"He didn't say anything to you Lucy. He made some sort of garbled noise, but he didn't speak our language." Lucy stared at her.

"What?"

Levy walked over to the balcony and flung the doors open.

"Hi there! My name is Levy, what's yours?" The Dragon stared at her, still holding his stomach. He turned to Lucy.

"What the hell did she just say?" He asked her, not seeming to understand that Lucy was mad at him. First, she wakes up to him groping her. Then he decides to call her a bitch. Then he stares at her, practically naked, and has the utter gall to act as though nothing was wrong! Lucy crossed her arms.

"Why don't you listen to her and find out?" She hissed.

"I did! It didn't make any sense!" He shouted back.

"We're all speaking the same language! She's speaking English, I'm speaking English, and you're speaking English! How is Levy not making sense?"

"What? No! You're speaking Draconian, and so am I! I don't know what the hell she just said, maybe that's your 'English'." He put quotations in the air around the word English. Lucy snarled at him.

"How could you think I'm speaking 'Draconian'," she put quotations around the word as well, "when I've never even heard of it?" The Dragon blinked at this statement.

Levy blinked as well.

"Well, I think that clears things up. This must have been part of the spell. Since he has to do your biding, but doesn't speak our language, then the two of you must have been bonded together so you would understand what the other is saying. That doesn't seem to carry on to anyone who isn't part of the bond though. Cause he's clearly talking gibberish. It's not even a language Lu-chan." Lucy threw her hands up in the air.

"Alright, alright, I give up! I have somewhere to be." And she stomped off out of the room.

The Dragon blinked.

"Can anyone tell me what just happened?" Levy and Juvia just stared at him blankly before unlocking his chain. She simply pointed after the princess, and the Dragon took off.

"Gobbledygook."

I think you can all guess what the patterns on Natsu's shoulder and Lucy's hand are now, hmm? But what do they do? ^.^ You'll have to be patient!