Special thanks to Srae13 (Guest) for being my 200th reviewer!

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Lucy snapped her eyes open, blinking in the sunlight that steamed throughthe window.

She sat up slowly, but stopped when she realized where she was. Her room... Correction, their room. How did she?...

Her gaze wandered down, and she stiffened slightly.

Natsu had his head in his arms, breathing in and out gently. She could see the bags underneath his eyes, and felt immediately guilty.

He must have stayed up late last night thinking...

Speaking of which, she needed to do her own thinking.

She swung her legs over the side of her bed beside Natsu's sleeping form, before getting up and walking to her closet to grab some decent clothes and take a shower after.

She knew exactly where to go.

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"Good morning, your highness!" The woman behind the counter bowed.

Lucy reddened. "Er, just Lucy, please."

The lady smiled but did not reply to her statement. "Meeting Miss Wendy, I presume?"

Lucy nodded.

"Go ahead, then. Visit any time you like!" The woman waved her goodbye as Lucy made her way to the staircase.

Well, at least some good things came out of marrying Natsu, she thought wearily.

She stopped in front of the familiar door once more, that sickening hospital smell filling her and making her lungs feel like cement.

She twisted the handle, and stepped into the room while quietly closing the door behind her.

Shock filled Lucy.

Wendy was sitting upright in her bed, reading a hardcover book and smiling lightly at the words.

"Good morning, Lucy-nee!" Wendy chirped as she lifted her eyes and beamed at her sister.

"Wendy... What..." Lucy stuttered, her eyes looking at the sunlight brightening the room.

Lucy dragged a chair up beside Wendy's bed, and the scent of flowers overpowered the sick hospital smell.

Relieved that the disgusting smell was gone, Lucy's eyes widened as she realized that there was a large vase of lovely red chrysanthemums on the small table beside Wendy's cot.

"Wendy...?"

"Ah, right, aren't they pretty?" Wendy smiled. "Romeo-kun brought them for me. He knew that I didn't like the hospital smell, so he got the flowers."

Her voice was lighter than usual, and a soft blush was on her cheeks as she described Romeo.

Lucy nodded slowly before looking at the book in Wendy's hands. "You're getting better; I thought Doctor Rogue said you were still sensitive with your eyes, though."

Wendy giggled before tucking the book away under her pillow. "I was getting impatient; being so useless really bothered me. The first time I read gave me a bad headache, but now, I can read in the light with no pain."

Lucy sighed in happiness before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to Wendy's forehead. "At least you're having a better time than me."

Wendy frowned, her joy falling away. "What? Why? Did something happen?"

Lucy grinned weakly and shrugged. "I'll tell you later."

Wendy blinked, but decided to let it go, instead telling Lucy of how much better she's gotten.

"Yukino-san said I can go to school in a month!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Really?" Lucy gasped. "That's great!"

But then she hesitated. What if the same thing happened to Wendy like it did to her? Would the students dare to harm an already injured student?

Lucy gripped the bedsheet tightly. Even if she was married to Natsu and technically the crown princess... It had meant nothing to them. Because they knew she wasn't really royal.

Lucy closed her eyes. They knew that she was too much of a coward to tell Igneel, to tell him her problems at school.

What was she going to do if Wendy was hurt? If Wendy, sweet and innocent, was harmed... Lucy might break completely. Because it would be her fault that Wendy would be hurt... Because she wanted Wendy to go to school.

"Wendy," Lucy said, cutting off her sister's rambling.

"Yes?"

"You have to promise me you'll stay close with Romeo-kun in school," Lucy pleaded. "You have to be with him at all time. Let him be your guard."

"Lucy-nee?..." Wendy asked, confusion and slight fear in her voice.

"Please! It's the only way to keep you safe!"

"Safe? Safe from - "

"I..." Lucy gulped, already feeling the tears spring up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Wendy. I-I think I'll go now. I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

Lucy squeezed Wendy's hand gently before walking solemnly to the door, trying not to sniffle too much.

As she opened the door, she was surprised to see a person standing by the door.

He had chestnut brown hair that reached his shoulders, and sunglasses covered his eyes. He had on a gray suit and black shoes that shined in the light.

He nodded to her. "Ma'am." His voice was smooth and even.

Slightly suspicious, Lucy nodded back before walking to the elevator and pressing the button for the lobby.

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Natsu woke up to an empty bed, and he ran a hand through his hair. He almost let out a growl of frustration.

He didn't want to admit it, but it hurt that Lucy had left without saying anything to him.

Then again, he supposed he deserved it.

Not even able to look at his ring without feeling sick, Natsu hurriedly wrapped his scarf around his shoulders and left the room, the sweet vanilla and strawberry scent of Lucy making him dizzy.

He walked slowly to his father's office, for once not even looking at the maids he passed or Erza as she clanked in her suit of armor.

He knocked on Igneel's door twice, but no answer came.

"Dad?" Natsu asked, turning the door handle and poking his head in.

The office was empty.

Natsu sniffed the air, and was surprised that the scent was stale. His father hadn't been here since yesterday.

But that didn't make sense. Igneel always woke up at 6:00 in the morning to attend to the paperwork in his office. He never missed a minute of it.

Where did he go?

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