looool I almost forgot to post this week!
Lucy's fever broke after the next day, her parents assuming that maybe Lucy just had too much excitement for one day.
"I'm sorry you couldn't have your first dance, sweetie, I know you were probably looking forward to it," Layla sighed as she sat on the edge of Lucy's bed, gently brushing her hair aside. "I saw how Mest-kun was looking at you, he was looking for you when Loke brought you in off the balcony."
"I-I'm okay, I had a lot of fun, mama, don't worry," She smiled as Layla pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll always have another chance to dance with someone again."
"Should I send the Gryder family an invite for tea? You should at least meet him, hm? He seems nice, don't you think?"
"I don't know…" Lucy anxiously reached for the ring hidden under her nightgown. "Isn't that a little presumptuous? I don't want any rumors spreading about the two of us,"
"If that's how you feel," Layla laughed at her daughter's innocence. "I don't think it would hurt if you try being social, but we can go at your pace, my love. I just want you to be happy."
Lucy waved as her mom left the room for her to sleep, the moon already high in the sky. She felt at ease as the fireplace crackled, the sound of wood splitting providing her comfort.
She reached into her dress and pulled out the golden chain, taking a moment to admire the ring Natsu gave her.
The princess blushed as she remembered his words, wondering if she'd ever get the chance to see Natsu again.
"...you're the one meant for me, and I couldn't stand to be apart from you for a second longer."
The days following her birthday ball, the castle was calm and her lessons proceeded as usual.
She met with her friends for the occasional tea, Erza warming to the idea of talking about her long-standing crush on Jellal.
"Juvia thinks that sounds so nice, Erza-san can be with her love all day long," Juvia sighed as she leaned into her palms. "Gray-sama barely answers Juvia at this point. She's moving to Frost so soon and Gray-sama hasn't said a word in weeks,"
"But enough about Juvia, Lucy-san received a letter from the Gryder duchy, right?"
Her friends laughed as she choked on her tea, Lucy coughing behind a napkin before she could speak.
"I haven't answered him, but he only invited me to tea," She cleared her throat as they looked curiously at one another.
"Don't you like him, or at least think he's cute, Lu-chan? I mean, everyone thinks he's so gallant and kind." Levy asked as she waved a maid over to pour them some ice water.
"Your parents must expect you to make a decision soon, hm? It's pretty common to start courting after your coming of age." Erza chimed in, making Lucy sigh into her ladyfinger.
"Mother suggested I accept his invitation, but she won't pressure me to make a decision anytime soon,"
~000~
She nervously fidgeted with the ring Natsu had given her, wishing she could've spoken honestly about it with her friends.
But where would she even start? She couldn't just say that the Prince of Tartaros opened a portal solely to share her first dance with her. Or his gift accompanied by his confession of love.
A confession that Lucy absolutely couldn't get out of her mind. While her parents weren't being forceful about who she should allow to court her, they weren't subtle about the amount of invitations still being sent her way.
She wanted to know more about what Natsu meant and how he could be so brazen as to say he loved her.
His words didn't even feel out of place or too over the top; she couldn't explain why everything just felt so right that night.
The princess sat in her room that night, in front of the fire as she stared at her ring. A warmth radiated from it and nestled inside her, making Lucy feel something so foreign and known to her at the same time.
Just what about her was so connected to Tartaros and their prince? Usually everyone feared the thought of even thinking about such a place. But why fear a place she'd never experienced?
Juvia was moving to the far-off Frost, a place filled with magic unlike that of demons or magicians. Fiore shared a peaceful treaty with Frost and had for hundreds of years, so the hate harbored for them had long since vanished from common rhetoric.
Lucy suddenly wished there was peace between them; if only there were, she could confide in someone these questions she had for herself.
She sighed, listening to the delicate sound of the crackling fire. Her lips formed an annoyed pout, because if she really thought about it, would she even be able to see Natsu again? He wasn't supposed to have seen her on the night of her birthday, would he break the rules to see her again? And right now, she wanted that more than anything.
"Natsu…" She grumbled and slumped into the couch, noticing the fire begin to wisp from the corner of her eye.
Lucy sat forward as her eyes began to widen, watching as a familiar form began to shape itself before her.
"...Salamander?" She stood up, her heart beating wildly as he appeared in the image of the one currently stirring her heart. He looked just like Natsu, save for the body made of flames. She ran to him without thought, wrapping her arms around his torso, relief washing though her as he returned the embrace.
His hand felt large against the small of her back, the other holding her head close against his chest. His smell, his warmth; just how stir-crazy had she been for a shred of his resemblance?
She tightened her arms around him, waiting for her heart to calm and the unease of missing him to disappear.
"Thank you for coming," She sighed, nuzzling her cheek against him, realizing just how starved she had been for the pink-haired prince.
They stood in their embrace for a few more moments before Lucy pulled away, leading them toward the couch. She sat at his side, curling up instinctively, turning to meet his eyes.
His face was blank and without features; What eyes? she had to ask herself. But he watched her as if he could see, making Lucy blush when she thought back to her faraway prince.
"It's things like this you know, that I wish I had an answer for," She rested her head against his shoulder. "I feel like I know you, too. I want to know more about all of this, I have so many questions."
"I wanted to ask him about you too, but I have a feeling that I already know,"
Salamander only nodded, comforting her with a reassuring arm settled around her shoulders.
"He's thinking about me, too…isn't he?" Lucy asked, nervously pushing her fingers together as Salamander stared down at her. He nodded with an immediate quickness, motioning something with his hands that made her laugh.
"Really? Oh, that makes me happy to hear."
Lucy felt her heart steady into a comfortable pace as the days continued, even if she couldn't be at Natsu's side.
Salamander would visit her without warning every night, something she wished she should've thought about doing sooner.
Having a reminder hidden around her neck was a kind reminder throughout the day. But, of course, it felt a thousand times better to be held in Salamander's arms.
So much so that she forgot about her mother's words about finding a suitor.
FINALS ARE OVER AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY LIFE TO START
I have so many things I want to do fjhjahjf I definitely plan to write a couple of actual books and I hope you'll support me ;-;
Questioning if I should post Touch of a Gangster as well since I did early on Friday or just wait till next week,, lemme knoooow