Oh God. I can't believe I've actually finished this at last. I know I haven't done all the prompts, but I wanted it to make it one story so :) I hope you enjoy this part!

Glances, Gardens and Glimmer

Day Three: Future

Lucy has danced with the best. Princes, nobles, merchants, film stars, you name it. But this dance was something completely different. Rogue's movements were deliberate and perfectly timed. Being trained in nearly every type of dance under the sun, the princess was used to leading but with the Shadow Dragon, she followed for once.

The two moved perfectly in sync with each other and with the beautiful music played in the background. One of his hands was intertwined with hers while the other rested on her lower back. Try as she might, Lucy was unable to think of anything except how amazing it felt to feel his hands on her skin.. Every point of contact on her tingled like an electric current was running through it.

The princess found herself smiling and laughing throughout the dance. Normally, she would keep herself composed and at most, would engage in idle chit-chat with her partner if they insisted. Never, in her whole life, had she ever (gasp!) giggled while dancing with someone, anyone.

When the two moved to the music, Lucy forgot herself. She didn't let her inhibitions come into play and for the first time that night, she didn't think of her impending choice at all. Instead, she let herself go and enjoyed the fleeting moments where she could be in Rogue's arms.

The princess was so beside herself with happiness that it took her a few moments to register Rogue's expression. Instead of his regular emotionless gaze, Lucy saw the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. And his eyes.

His eyes.

They were beautiful. The way the corners of his red eyes turned slightly upwards as he looked at the blond in his arms made her heart skip a beat. Being around him, especially this close, made her chest physically hurt. Her lungs weren't getting enough oxygen, her brain was slowly melting in her skull and her heart was beating so irregularly that she feared she'd pass out before the end of the song.

The dance was a rather upbeat one, with lots of small lifts and twirls. Lucy's navy dress shimmered in the dim light of the ballroom and its long train flew around with every turn, making the whole scene seem so much more majestic. The two looks like the perfect pair, both dressed to the nines and talented dancers.

As the song went on, Lucy realized it had yet to reach an end. Normally, the songs were timed to be approximately three or so minutes long each to allow all the guests a chance to switch partners and enjoy themselves to the fullest. This one, on the other hand, had easily been going on for four or more minutes and it didn't seem to be reaching an ending any time soon. The girl risked a glance over where the orchestra sat and noticed Leo standing a bit to the side, motioning to the conductor to continue with the piece. When the butler noticed the princess' gaze, he turned and gave her a quick wink

Rogue followed his partner's gaze and saw the orange-haired man motioning. When he noticed her smile widen at the sight of her butler lengthening the dance, he melted a bit. His own grin widened and he squeezed the princess' hand ever so slightly.

The Shadow Dragon wasn't dumb or dense. He may keep an even expression at all times, but that didn't mean he felt nothing. Quite the opposite, in fact. He also knew exactly how Princess Lucy Heartfillia made him feel. Holding her hand and being so close to her made him feel like he was floating. Even though he could feel the ground under his feet as the two danced, it was as if nothing else in the room mattered but her.

He was on cloud nine.

She was perfect in his eyes. Granted, he had only met her that night, but Rogue was secretly a hopeless romantic. He had speculated about love at first sight, but after tonight, he was a hardcore believer. Never had he felt so happy. Just like his magic, his life had been rather dark and she was the light to his shadows. He didn't care how cheesy he was being because he really didn't care about anything besides her and that moment.

The pair twirled and laughed together while the song lasted. Too soon, their shared moment was over and the other couples joined them on the dance floor. They switched partners as manners dictated them to and though the moment was over, the feelings between the two lasted long after.

Ever chance they got, they glanced over to the other. Whenever Lucy caught Rogue looking over, she giggled and blushed madly. She mentally cursed herself for being so giddy but was incapable of keeping her happiness in check.

Each one of her next partners smiled knowingly at the young princess. Being heiress to the throne meant a ridiculous amount of pressure and attention was always on the young blond. People often forget that she was only eighteen years old. At this age, most girls were dating and doing normal teenage things. So, it warmed most people up to know that the next ruler had a soft spot, too.

After about three dances, Lucy was paired up with a rather elderly man. She recognized him on the spot as Makarov Dreyar, a well-respected nobleman who was known for his charity work. The two danced a bit awkwardly considering the man's small stature.

"Rogue Cheney is a nice boy," the man said after a few seconds of silence. He looked up at the beautiful princess and smiled brightly at her. He noticed her staring for the millionth time since the two had started dancing less than a minute before.

"Excuse me?" Lucy responded politely, playing dumb. She knew her attempt to cover up her staring would fail, but she had enough self-respect to at least try..

"I've known him all his life. He's a lot like his master, Skiadrum, quiet, calm and collected. It's rare to even see a trace of emotion on that boy's face," Makarov explained while the blonde continued to lead the dance. "I'm not saying to jump on the first man you meet outside your bubble, but I'm just letting you know you're lucky that you found someone like him."

"I-... um… thanks?" the lady stammered, blushing bright red as she looked down at the wise elder.

"From the way you two are staring at each other, I'd say it's pretty clear who you're going to chose at midnight to be your husband. And I'm sure your father would approve, Rogue is one of the Seven."

Lucy's brown eyes widened to the point where they burned. The choosing! The young woman had completely forgotten! The Shadow Dragon had left the girl's brains in such a state that her mind had been wiped clean. Her heart skipped a beat again, but for a different reason than the other times it had.

The choosing.

She would be forced to chose a fiancé by the end of the night.

Of course, Rogue was the first person who came to her mind, There was definitely some interest there, but she couldn't marry a man she had just met! Granted, these engagements were often unnecessarily lengthy, but still. Not only that, but she had no idea whether the feeling was mutual. The blonde had never felt like this before and this was unchartered territory for her.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Mr. Dreyar's voice rang out, disturbing the girl's tailspin of thoughts.

"He's interested, too. Plus, he's easily the best option, considering your father had a hand in the other candidates, That is, of course, if you don't mind marrying a ninety-two year old creeper." he motioned with a tilt of his head to a man seated in a wheelchair near the head table. A shiver passed through Lucy's body at the thought of touching, let alone kissing, someone like that. "And I'm sure your father would approve of the Shadow-Shifter. His daughter marrying one of the Seven? That's something he could only pray would happen in his wildest dreams."

The princess considered his words. He was right. Rogue was easily the best one on the table and her father would jump at the chance of bringing one of the Seven into the family. The royals may be powerful, but having someone like the Shadow Dragon Slayer on your side was a very good thing. She smiled a bit at the thought of having someone half decent to marry but quickly shook the thought out of her head.

Rogue's connection to her was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She wanted to feel his arms around her forever and she immediately knew with that thought that she was done for. His eyes and hands were all she could think of.

But, at the same time, she didn't want to marry him.

She could imagine herself growing old with someone like him, but she had zero experience and really didn't want to rush things. She didn't want to ruin what she had (even though it was miniscule) with Rogue by forcing him to marry her. Even if he was sweet on her, it didn't mean he was ready for the sort of commitment she was asking for.

Lucy wanted to cry. She wished she didn't need to be suffocated by the rules of high society. At times like these, she was sad she no longer had her mother to lead her in the right direction and give her helpful advice. She could go to her father, but she knew the second she mentioned her feelings towards Rogue that the King would already have the royal planners ready to set the wedding date. She could already hear the church bells and frowned a bit.

She excused herself from her partner and bowed to all the appropriate people before leaving the ballroom. The young princess felt like she was suffocating. All these emotions were way too much for anyone to handle, let alone someone like her. She just kept walking, further and further from the sounds of high society, the sounds of confinement. Before she knew it, she was out the door, sitting on the balacony of the palace's back gardens. The moonlight hit the plants at the perfect angle, making the sakuras glimmer it the lighting.

The sobs came faster and more sudden than she expected. Suddenly, she was a mess. Her feelings had finally succeeded in overcoming her. Lucy was overwhelemed by everything. The stress of choosing. The sadness of being stuck in a horrible marriage. The confusion behind Rogue. The uncertainty in her feelings towards him. The whole choosing thing was bad enough, but once Rogue was added into the mix, it became too much.

The blond heard footsteps and instantly wiped her face and sat up. She practiced smiling to herself as the person came closer and closer. She mentally prepared herself for some awkward conversation with a creepy nobleman as she stood up to recieve the stranger.

When she turned around though, she wasn't expecting to see…

King Jude Heartfilia.

"Father," she said with a deep bow, glad she had the forethought to wipe her face before turning.

"Lucy," he started, his voice much softer than usual. "Please, take a seat." he said, motioning to the chair where she had been sitting seconds before.

Wearily, the princess took a seat, Her father was never… aggressive, but he was always borderline, especially after the passing of her mother. Lucy avoided being alone with him at all costs because of it.

"Listen," he calmly started, pacing in front of the seated heiress. "I know I haven't always been the best father. I tried, you know, I really did.

"Don't think I don't know how sick and twisted this whole night is. Because I do. It's tradition, granted it might be outdated, but we still have to abide by it. I'm not expecting you to get married right away, Lucy. In fact, I'm not really expecting you to chose a husband at all tonight."

The young blond looked up, confused, at her father. Was this not the point of this entire evening? The torture of these unknown feelings?

"He just wants you to feel the responsibility of a choice like this," Wendy started to explain, trying to calm down a now puzzled Lucy. "All he wants is for you to find someone to at least date. I think he'd be shocked if you ended up marrying them. Not to mention, he's not blind. The king's been looking over at you and Rogue all evening. It seems that everyone in that room can see it expect you two. Rogue must be noticing it too, by now. He's dense when it comes to things like this, but he's not stupid. Now, Lucy, which are you? Dense or stupid?"

The princess was tongue-tied. Of course, she was relived. She felt so dumb. This wasn't a stupid fairy tale. No one actually expected her to marry someone she just met. They just wanted her to actually take something seriously for once.

The giggles came out of her mouth without her consent. At first, they were little bursts of snickers until it became a full-blown laugh attack. The blonde was just so happy, words couldn't describe. She quickly thanked the blue-haired Dragon with a peck on the cheek and ran back to the party.

The young princess held her navy gown in her hands and left it go with a POOF as she finally reached the ballroom. She quickly glanced the room for a familiar head of black hair, when she felt a tap at her shoulder. In the distance, she heard the orchestra switch tracks to a more official song. Her eyes widened in alarm as she noticed the time.

Midnight.

Slowly, Lucy turned around, expecting to see her father or Leo ready to drag her out to make her choice in front of the country's finest. Even though she now knew the meaning of her decision, it didn't make those few nanoseconds before she turned any less excruciating.

But instead of being met with her father's icy black eyes, she was met with a surprisngly warm pair of crimson ones. A massive smile took over her face as the familiar eyes reached out a hand,

"Your Highness, may I have this dance?" Rogue asked, his hand outstretched waiting for hers. Delicatly, she moved her own palm and placed it in his, interlacing their fingers. The two stood there for a moment, staring down at their connected hands, small, shy smiles adorning both their faces.

Rogue broke out of the trance first and led his partner out to the dance floor. This tune was much slower than the others, and like their first dance, they were the only two participating.

He placed one of his hands in hers and the other near the small of her back. The two swayed slowly to the beautiful melody. Lucy couldn't help but smile throughout, never having been as happy as she was then.

Rogue stared at the princess, not believing his luck. Her beauty was unlike anything he had ever seen. Not just that, but her whole personality and attitude oozed happiness. If her aura were a color, it would be bright yellow to match her hair and the sun, He couldn't take his eyes off her, she was like a permanent distraction. He didn't care what other people thought about instant love, because he was already infatuated by the young princess.

They didn't have to get married, but who said they couldn't build a future together.

"I've made my choice," Lucy said, leaning into Rogue's shoulder, immediately intoxicated with his chocolate scent.

"So have I," Rogue answered.

And with that, he leaned in and kissed the princess.

Because, after all, Lucy Heartfillia had kissed many frogs.

But never a shadow.