A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for my lateness of update again as I know I left you all with a cliffhanger in Chapter 14. But anyways, I'm really thankful for the reviews that I've been getting. 4 more reviews until I reach 100. Teehee^^

The Princess and the Dragon Slayer

Chapter 15

Everybody stood up as they quickly scrambled away from the table. Cancer and Taurus were clearing the dining table as fast as they could whereas Aries, Scorpio, Aquarius and Sagittarius left the dining room discreetly but fast. As I remembered quite correctly, if Lucy's father's around, they cannot be having meals together like this. Where does that leave me?

"Virgo, Capricorn, on me." Lucy said as she stood up and headed towards the exit of the dining room rather quick yet delicately with the both of them.

"Luce!"

Lucy stopped at the exit of the dining room before turning around to look at me. She just smiled at me, before looking at Loki to give him a nod and taking her leave.

I was about to follow her before I was stopped by someone grabbing hold of my collar.

"Not so fast mister, we need to get changed and head back to the horses stable."

"What about Luce?" I looked over my shoulders as I asked Loki.

"She can handle herself. Besides, Capricorn and Virgo will be with her. She just need to greet her father while we get back to our post." Loki answered me with a stern look on his face. I nodded my head in defeat before we both ran out of the dining room.

I quickly went back to my room to throw on my uniform and once I was done, I met Loki halfway down the corridor. We quickly walked to the horses stable discreetly as we could. We were near the exit of the castle where it will lead us to the horses stable but I stopped when I heard Lucy's voice.

Damn, my sensitive hearing. Now, I was too curious to stay and hear their conversation. Since Loki was ahead of me, I decided to sneaked away from him and slowly went to the edge of the wall where the voices were coming from to take a peak. There I saw Lucy, completely different than how I saw her earlier actually, standing in front of the man who I believe was her father and also the king whereas Virgo and Capricorn knelt one knee on the floor as they faced down.

"Welcome home your majesty." Capricorn and Virgo greeted him at the same time.

"Father, welcome home." Lucy greeted him as she did a curtsy bow.

"Thank you. Please rise." And three of them did as they were told.

The king was basically asking them how were things were around the castle and it seems Lucy was answering him as Capricorn and Virgo stood by her side.

"Oi!" I turned around and saw it was Loki who whispered shouted at me as he ran towards me. He pulled me down to the ground so we were both squatting down against the wall. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't you understand simple instructions?"

"Sorry but I couldn't help but to see this king that you all serve so much." I whispered shouted back at Loki. Honestly, I wanted to see Lucy. Who gives a damn about the king right?

"Oh come on Natsu, you think I'll actually believe that? You just wanted to see Lucy. I'm not that dumb you know." Oops busted but again, who gives a damn.

"Yeah, yeah. But I'm also curious on what they conversing about." I waived my hand off at Loki before peeking out again. This time, Virgo and Capricorn weren't with her. I heard Loki sighed in exhaustion before giving up and following my action and I couldn't help but to smirk inwards.

"How was your trip father? Hope it went well...not." I heard the last word that Lucy whispered. I just wanted to laugh out loud. That's my girl.

"It didn't. I couldn't find those god damn dragon slayers at all." The king stood up to walk towards the window.

"Father, maybe you know…" Lucy paused, looking as if she was finding the right words. "Stop pursuing them?" Which she gotten her father scoffed in reply to her statement.

"Did you clearly hear yourself Lucy?" Her father turned around to face Lucy with his hands behind his back. "Stop pursuing them? I never heard you say such things before."

"Well Father, I never say such things to you but I did have such thoughts before." Lucy paused before continuing. "I was afraid of voicing out such matters before but I'm not now." I was even appalled that she talked to her father like that. The look on Lucy's face was pure determination.

The king just laughed it off as he cover his face with one of his hand while Lucy continued to glare at him without any fail.

"How could you Lucy?" Her father spoke before he slowly removed his hand. "Layla was murdered by a dragon slayer! How could you say such things when they murdered your own very mother?!"

What?

I was dumb struck. Lucy didn't mentioned to me that her mother was murdered by my species. I was trying to control my emotions when my world was suddenly spinning. I saw Lucy ran away from her father upon hearing that.

I didn't even know flames were emitting out of my body until Loki tackled me down.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Loki whispered shouted at me again. "Do you want us to be found out?"

"I can't!" I whispered shouted back as I tried to struggle out under Loki's weight. "Lucy's mother got killed by my kind and I didn't know about it!" Suddenly, I decided to stop struggling as I laid on the floor restlessly.

After a while, I felt Loki got off of me and stood up. I heard a sigh before he raked through his hair.

"Look Natsu, you need to talk to her about this man. I'm sorry she didn't tell you but maybe she just didn't think it's your fault at all." I sat up and leaned against the wall. "Look Natsu, I'm going to bring Lucy to you but I need you to pick your sorry ass up and head back to the horses stable. You hear me?"

I was actually quite surprised that Loki was going to such an extent to help me. I nodded my head in reply though I was still looking at the ground below me.

"Good. I'm going first so you better start heading back after I'm gone." With that, I heard Loki walked off while I continued to sit there. I was happy that I was able to see her still though the king or I mean her father is back in the castle. Even if I see her later, what am I supposed to say to her? I don't even know what is the right thing to do for her now.

I decided to pluck myself up and head back to the horses stable. When I was there and since I was there, I might as well do my job and also it was a good way to distract myself. After a while, Loki returned.

"Where's Lucy?"

"She's outside but before I let her come in, I suggest you guys do it discreetly in here and not go below there so if anything, I can get Lucy back fast into the castle."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to stay watch." Loki said before he placed his hand on my shoulder. "You owe me." And with that, he left the horses stable.

I stared at the exit of the horses stable until I saw Lucy walked in. "Hey Natsu."

Lucy greeted me quite shyly. I couldn't help but to drop the pail that I was holding and run to her for a bone crushing hug.

"Hey Luce." I greeted her back before kissing the top of her head. Lucy was hugging me back quite tightly also as she nuzzled her face against my chest.

It was like instinct that we decided to pull apart and look at each other. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was necessary Natsu. My mother was fond of you people. She was the one who red stories about dragon slayers to me every day."

"But we killed her!" I whispered shouted.

"Correction Natsu, you all didn't killed her."

"Huh?"

"I asked Capricorn the actual story and he was there when it happened actually." Lucy walked over to a chair to take a seat. "My mom actually defended the dragon slayers from getting killed so she got in the way and got killed in a midst of a fight." Lucy paused for a while before continuing. "My father just can't accept the fact. He thinks if you all didn't exist, my mother wouldn't be killed."

I slump down to my knees and faced the ground as I used my palms to support my weight. I was so glad when Lucy told me the story. It was like a big weight was removed from my shoulders. I was so worried that we were the one who killed her mother but still, guiltiness was still lingering within me.

"But you fath- I mean the king is right Luce." I paused for a while so that I could kneel down and looked at her. "If we didn't exist, your mother wouldn't even get in the way."

Lucy got off from the chair so that she could kneel in front of me. "Hey Natsu."Lucy held my chin with her thumb and finger. "You don't have to feel guilty at all because even if it wasn't you dragon slayers, my mom will always be in the way to protect those who are innocent. That's my mom for you." And with that, Lucy winked at me before smiling at me.

I couldn't help but to be cheered up a little bit after Lucy told me more about her mother.

"Hey Luce, what's your mother's name?"

"Her name is Layla, Layla Heartfillia."

Layla, thank you.

A/N: And that's it for this chapter people. FYI, next chapter will be more interesting so stay tune! Anyways, please drop me review before you leave this site. I will really appreciate it. Thanks!(: