Hey y'all!

It's done! Yay! Chapter 16!

Okay I'm just gonna start off by saying I love you all and your reviews make me sooo happy honestly it's addicting reading them.

Secondly, sorry about the whole taking forever part. My parents stole my laptop and are holding it hostage. I will try my best to rescue it but the chances are slim.

Also, I kinda lost my flashdrive which had my chapter-by-chapter plot on it so idk but it should be fine. Here we go! Chapter 16!

Lucy's POV

I always used to love dresses. Lace, silk, velvet-I wore it all. The royal lifestyle was a good fit for me, until a few months ago. Now, standing in nothing but a shift and surrounded by hordes of fast-working seamstresses, I can't help feeling awkward.

One plump lady holds two swathes of fabric up to my face, one made of soft pink cotton and the other of dark silk, the color of dragon scales. She scowls at it for a few moments before moving to set aside the dark red piece in favor of the pink.

"Wait," I burst, unable to stop myself. "Not the pink-use the red…. Please."

She looks surprised for a moment, and then just shrugs, never changing her sour expression. "Are ye sure 'bout that, princess?"

I finger the fabric for a few moments, letting the color remind me of better times. After a breath, I nod. "Yes. Use the red."

After that, everything goes by in a blur: I do as I'm told and turn to the left, or to the right, I lift my arms or stay perfectly still. Anything to please the picky seamstresses that chirp and strut around me like short, nasty birds.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity of scissors and stitching, I'm outfitted in a ballgown fit for a princess. When they turn the mirror so that I can look at myself, I put my hands behind my back to hide their shaking. The girl in the mirror isn't Lucy, the girl who used to cry in her brother's room at night. The girl in the mirror isn't Lucy, the girl who dared to run away from her fate.

The girl in the mirror is outfitted in bloodred silk, laced with gold trim. Her face is sober, her eyes bitter with cold vengeance. She's beautiful. She's more gorgeous than I could ever be, which is why she terrifies me.

It hits me that she's the perfect match for a cruel tyrant like prince Cobra.

I take a shuddering breath. "Out."

My heart is pounding rapidly in my chest, even though I've been standing still for an hour. When the servants all freeze, looking at me with confused faces, I fix them with my best glare. Little do they know, I'm about to fall to pieces. "Get out. All of you."

My voice rises on the last word, and they scramble out of the room without waiting for a formal invitation. With the room empty, I let my knees give out, and I sink onto the cold stone floor, letting my hands tremble to the point that if I was holding anything fragile, it would fall and shatter.

I'm marrying Cobra. Possibly the cruelest man alive. He's going to be my husband.

I'm going to go live in a foreign country for the rest of my life.

In three hours, Cobra will arrive. Tonight, we have the official engagement ball to celebrate our future marriage. A week after that, we are to be married.

I don't know if I can do this.

I can't even express what I would do to have a friend right now. Someone who would reassure me and remind me that everything is going to be okay, that I'm making the right decision. Gray, Malachi, Erza-they don't count. My brother has gotten me through plenty of tough times, but this is different. This requires female counsel.

If Levy were here, she'd cheer me up with a pep talk about finding my inner strength and knowing that my friends were always behind me. If Mira were here, there would be plenty of hugging and crying. A good cry is always good for any situation. Lisanna would listen quietly and find some way to see the good in the situation.

But they aren't here and I can only be strong for so long. My palms turn sweaty even just thinking about marrying that jerk, and my stomach has tied itself into a million knots. I think I might be sick.

A knock comes at the door. "Your highness, you're needed in the study."

I raise my head out of my hands. "Okay." The word comes out weak. I clear my throat and try again, more boldly this time. "Okay, I'll be right there."

Five seconds. That's how long it takes for me to find my composure. I can't allow myself to have another breakdown like that again. Straightening up and regaining my composure, I raise my chin proudly, and pretend that I'm not shaking in my slippers.

Three hours later

Third POV

A carriage clattered up the cobblestone drive, jerking to a stop right outside the palace doors. Everyone knew who the carriage carried, and the whole air in the castle seemed tense with the expectation of recieving such an important guest.

A well-dressed, attractive young man stood at the top of the steps, arms clasped confidently behind his back, awaiting his guest. The footmen hopped off their perches and quickly reached to open the door, making way for another young man to step out onto the cobblestone.

He had dirty brick-red hair, which was an odd feature, but not nearly as odd as some of the colors displayed in the kingdom of Fiore. The scar over his right eye was the only defect on his otherwise perfectly groomed person.

The young man strolled up the steps as if he owned the place, making eye contact with his peer and flashing a chilling grin.

"Well, what a surprise. It's angel-boy himself, come down from heaven just to say hello." He sneered. "Don't you have a little girl to babysit?"

"Cut the crap, Cobra, you knew I'd be here." The other man replied cooly. "Your servants may take your things to your quarters. Walk with me, I believe we have important matters to discuss."

Cobra gestured for his servants to carry several heavy trunks into the palace. After a polite moment, his companion began walking in the direction of the stables. The foreign prince doubled his pace to catch up.

"Do you have everything in place on your end?" He asked, dropping the sneer that had previously been permenantly etched into his features.

"Oh please, you insult me." The other man said. "Yes, I have everything that we need, for the most part. The princess is under some delusion that she loves the dragon, however."

Cobra scoffed. "She can love him, I don't care. Soon enough, they'll both be too dead for me to care."

His companion flinched, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one heard. "Would you like to shout that from the palace turrets, Cobra?"

"Calm down. No one cares about a dragon." He sneered. "You of all people have reason to hate them anyways. But that's aside the point."

His companion scoffed. "Right, whatever. I know of a sage just east of Magnolia. He can make the poisons neccesary to make her death look like an accident. I was thinking that the king and his daughter both succumbing to some awful, incurable disease at the same time would be a little suspicious, but no one will guess the truth."

"Good." Cobra smiled. "Slip it to me after the wedding, and it will be done. That still leaves your half of the bargain."

"I have my ways. Trust me."

"We'll see."

He started to walk away, but his companion grabbed his arm sleeve. "Wait."

The red-hed glared at him impatiently. "What?"

"There's one more thing," He said. "The dragon-he had allies. A secret mage's guild known as Fairy Tail. It's been kept away from the King's knowledge for years. I'm worried they might interefere with our plans."

Cobra smiled coldly. "I don't know what you expect me to do about it. You're the crown prince, Malachi. Make them dissapear. When our armies unite to build our empire, we can't have them in the way."

"Right, I just wanted to warn you-we may have killed off most of the dragons, but the mages-they're still out there. If I were you, I'd purge my kingdom of the vermin before trying to take over the entire continent.

"Thanks for the advice, angel-boy. I'll try to remember. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to practice my speech for my future wife's funeral. I'm an aspiring widower, y'know."

"Right." Malachi said. "I hope it's indoors, I'd hate to get rained on."

Lucy's POV

"You'll be fine. Just take a deep breath, smile, and act like you're thrilled to be engaged to a psychopath." Malachi coaches me, looking every bit the charming prince. He's dressed in a formal suit, which looks incredibly uncomfortable but at the same time brings out the squareness of his jaw and his clean haircut.

"Great. Is this convincing enough?" I say grouchily, giving him the most fake smile I've ever worn.

"Come to think of it, I don't think he'll care." He admits. "Prince Cobra isn't the most caring soul in the world."

"Thanks, that's so reassuring."

My brother smiles. He may be the crown prince, but right now he's just my big brother. "You'll do great. Just remember, if he starts being unbearably rude, I'll spike his drink with sleeping potion for you."

"You wouldn't do that." I say, laughing nervously.

"You'd be surprised."

An hour earlier~

The young man sat dejectedly in his cell, absentmindedly tossing a pebble in the palm of his hand. He hadn't seen another human being since Lucy's visit the other day, and he was going stir-crazy in the confines of the iron bars. He needed to know what was going on-had Cobra arrived? Was he with Lucy now? The very thought made the young man bristle with anger.

He tossed the pebble in his hand again, which hit the ceiling and fell back down with a quiet thunk.

He reached for it again, just as a creaking sound was heard from the far side of the room. The door was opening.

He stood up, suddenly alert. They didn't smell like Lucy.

Two figures entered the room. Natsu recognized one of them as Lucy's brother-whatever his name was. The other was a stooped old man, who Natsu had never seen in his life. He had a creepy, sadistic smile that sent chills down Natsu's spine.

"What do you want?" Natsu asked grouchily.

The man came up to the bars, staring at the boy as if he were some fascinating specimen.

"It's fantastic." The man cackled. "It looks just like a human."

"That's the only similarity, I can assure you." The crown prince sneered. "Can you do it?"

Natsu scoffed indignantly. "I'm a he, not an it. Get your face out of mine, old man."

The old man chuckled, reaching into his pocket. "I concocted this before the dragon purge came about. I never thought I'd actually need it again. But it'll do the trick, I can assure you."

He pulled out a dark amber liquid. Natsu backed away quickly. "What the hell is that?"

Malachi smiled coldly. "Just a little something to ensure that dragonkind is never trusted again."

As the man lit the vial on fire and smashed it in the cage, Natsu watched the thick fumes rise up and engulfe him with a sense of complete dread.

Now~

A paige opens the door to the parlor. "You're highnesses, the prince awaits."

We exchange a glance.

"We'll be right there. Thank you." Malachi says politely.

I look down at my skirts, smoothing them out with a deep breath.

Malachi helps me up and offers me his arm. "Shall we?"

I do my best to smile, and place my hand on his arm. Within moments, we're approaching the ballroom, where the guests have begun to arrive. Everyone looks up as we appear at the top of the grand staircase, and looking out over the sea of faces, I find myself wishing once more for the solitude of a little castle in the middle of nowhere.

"Presenting His royal highness, Prince Malachi Louis Raphaelo Heartfilia the first, and Her royal highness, Princess Lucy Elliana Celeste Heartfilia." The herald booms from his position at the top of the stairs, and the guests all bow or curtsy, making an aisle for us to walk through.

My brother and I make our way down the stairs, both sporting brilliant, practiced smiles, and doing our best to appease the public. But the truth is, we're both just two children who are facing the world together. Us versus them. As soon as the thought enters my head, I look for the source of all my problems, only to see him sitting on his golden throne, my future husband by his side.

I stiffen. I guess Malachi notices, because, he gives me a reassuring grin. We finally go to stand before the throne. I remove my arm from his to curtesy to my father and to Cobra, although my smile towards them both is laced with poison.

"Prince Cobra, allow me to once again introduce to you my daughter, Lucy." My father says, looking very smug.

Cobra takes my hand. I resist the urge to snatch it back. With a cold smile he leans down to plant a kiss on it, a formal show of courtesy. "Princess. It is truly a privilege to see you again."

I grit my teeth. "You flatter me, prince."

His eyes are cold and dead when he smiles. The orchestra starts up, and he cordially extends an arm. "Shall we?"

My eyes dart around the room, looking for escape. Of course, there is none. There is no getting out of this. With an internal groan, I take his arm and place my hand on his shoulder awkwardly as the two of us sweep onto the dance floor.

"So, I hear you're quite the little adventurer." He says. "Is it true that you spent several months in the clutches of a dragon?"

I stiffen, averting my eyes. "Yes."

"How interesting. Was it really as fearful as everyone claims?" He leans in with interest.

"No." I try not to hiss. "He was every bit as civilized as you and I."

Cobra looks taken aback by my defiant statement for a moment. Then, to my horror, he laughs.

"Oh, Lucy. So naiive. That dragon was no person. It's a beast. You should be grateful that he's dead." He laughs again.

My face flushes with rage. I'm about ready to slap him across his ugly face when someone taps my shoulder. "Excuse me?"

We both turn to see a clean shaven older man; a noble, if his elegant clothing are anything to go by. He has a kind smile, and His black eyes seem to radiate wisdom. The only thing odd about him is his dark red hair.

"May I cut in?" He says cheerfully.

Cobra looks between the man and myself, and then his gaze drifts to a group of young women across the room. "Sure, have at it."

We both watch him stroll across the ballroom, heading straight for the young women. I'm not even upset.

"I am truly sorry about your situation." The man finally says, taking my hand and beginning the very eloquent waltz. "He isn't deserving of you."

"It is my duty as the princess of my country. I am honored." I say numbly, holding my head up high.

"Are you really?" He says quietly. There is a fiery glint in his eye. It quickly disappears, leaving me wondering if I imagined it. "So tell me, did you enjoy your time away?"

I'm taken by surprise by the question, blinking a few times. "Um, pardon?"

"You spent the last few months in the countryside, did you not?"

"Ye...yes." I say, still reeling. "I enjoyed them very much."

I don't know what it is, but there's something about this man-he's not everything that he seems.

"Good. I'm sure it must be nice to get away from royal duties for a while." He says. There it is. That feeling that he's withholding something, some important piece of information.

"I would have loved to stay there longer," I say carefully. "But the King wanted me here."

"Hm. Of course." He notices my melancholy expression. "He used to be a good man, your father. But that man died with Layla."

I look at him, indignant. How dare he pretend to know my parents? "Who are you?"

He shakes his head good-naturedly, but his expression quickly changes to caution. He looks over his shoulder at something. "That doesn't matter. I don't have much time before the guards realize I'm gone, so you need to listen to what I have to say. Can you do that?"

I nod, speechless.

"Natsu is in trouble. Everyone in this room is in trouble." He whispers urgently. "Be ready. There's no telling how much of his mind is intact right now."

"Who the hell are you?" I hiss in response, eyes growing wider with each passing second.

He doesn't smile now. His expression is somber. "Take care of my son, Lucy. He's the only one of us left."

With that, he dissapears into the crowd, leaving me speechless.

"Igneel." I whisper, just as the entire ballroom explodes in a glorious blaze of flames. All I hear are the screams of the guests, the shouting of the guards, and a roar that shakes me to the bone and alights a flame in my heart.

He's here. And he's destroying the palace.

I see the fire-breathing dragon, and do the rational thing: run towards him.

His wings span half the ballroom, but he seems to take up the whole space. I don't know how he got here, but there's a giant hole in the side of the palace, and his sweeping tail smashes into the grand staircase, causing the railing to crumble to pieces. He's going to hurt people. Innocent people.

"Natsu!" I shout through the ruckus. "Natsu!"

He looks up, spotting me. His eyes are completely cold. Feral. Natsu isn't in there anymore.

Well, crap. He's spotted me, and he's coming this way. A dragon who can think of nothing but killing and fire.

This was a really bad idea. So I do the only rational thing: Run. Away from the fire-breathing dragon.

Unfortunately for me, murphy's law takes affect, and my dress snags on a fallen beam. It doesn't just catch. A sharp piece of the beam goes all the way through the fabric, becoming impossible to get free of. I trip and fall with an 'oof,' quickly recovering and trying to scramble away from him.

He growls, advancing. He looks just like the dragon that defended me back at the mansion, but he isn't. There's something seriously wrong with him now.

"Natsu! Stop this! What happened to you?!" I cry, backing away.

His nostrils flare, collecting my scent. A blast of hot air slams into me.

"Natsu!" I scream, shutting my eyes tight as he rears his head back to barbeque me.

He stops, looking at me with those stone cold eyes. I cover my head with both arms, unaware of the chaos unfolding around the two of us.

He shakes his great head, blinking a few times, and blowing another blast of hot air over me.

I look at him in fear. "Natsu….please...come back…"

He puts his head up to the ceiling and roars, sending a tremor through the palace. He crouches, spreading his wings to fly. His front legs rise up off the ground, and before I realize what's happening, he's lifting me into the air, and we're flying up, up, out of the palace, into the night sky.

….I don't even know what to say. I'm sorry? I know this took foreeeveeeer, but it's done. Yay! I hope you enjoyed the long chapter, (at least I think it's long.)

So….whaddya think of Malachi? He's not who we think he is. *evil troll-author grin*.

I am taking AP bio, which means a minimum of two hours study time every night. Just for that class. So if I don't update frequently, don't hate me. : /

I'm also working on my amazing, future best-seller, debut novel on wattpad at the same time, (which at the moment is really only two chapters long with like 8 reads lol :) If you want to, you can check that out. It's called Make You Proud and my username is kelliojo.

Nalu fluff next chapter! Yay!