The many days Princess Lucy spent with Natsu were quite happy. Every morning she would awake to find that he had already prepared a hot breakfast for her and after they had dined, they would leave Natsu's estate to do an exciting activity together. He took her exploring through the great forest, showing her all of his favorite spots to hunt and run. They climbed to the tops of high mountains where they could see the clouds beneath them looking like a flock of birds travelling to distant lands. They would stop to fish by the river and gather wild berries for their lunch. Then in the evenings when they returned to the estate, they would cook dinner together and after they ate, Natsu would play a song for her by the hearth just before she went to sleep.

At this point, Natsu had fallen very much in love with the princess and he dreamed of asking her to be his wife. He wanted to catch her up and serenade her with love songs and kiss her and hug her to bits. He wanted to lay beside her at night and nuzzle her and caress her. He loved her true and he loved her dear. But he felt that he could never win her heart as long as he was in this wretched, cursed form. He was a monster for heaven's sake, what kind of good husband could he to be to her like this? His only hope was that he would become a handsome man once his sister had finished sewing the scarf and had broken their stepmother's spell. He thought that if he turned out handsome, then maybe he could be somewhat worthy of the princess.

However Lucy had grown to care for Natsu more dearly than any other man she had known before. When the time had come for her to marry, suitors had flocked to her in droves. All of them well dressed, well-educated, well off but none of them peeked her interest. They were all just a little too La-Di-Dah for her liking. It made her father quite cross to see her turn away so many eligible bachelors, but the princess did not want just any old prince. She wanted a true love. Oh she would have given everything, palace, jewels, peace, anything for the rush of blood, the pounding heart, and the shudder that love brings.

Then one day as she listened to larks, she looked up on Natsu working outside with the sun touching his face, and she started to see him differently. All that morning she watched him and the next day and the next. She smiled at him whenever she saw him, he would smile at her, he'd hold her hand, and she'd feel his soft and warm skin, kiss his scaly cheek without one trace of disgust. Indeed he was the most precious soul in her life. Yet the idea of a marriage with him did not once dawn her, for she had did not realize that her deep feelings were none other than love itself.

Another issue was that despite living happily with Natsu, Lucy could not help missing her father, her faithful servants, and her kingdom terribly. She longed to see them all again, to inform her friends and family that she was well and that no harm had come to her. To grant her most likely terrified father some peace of mind when he lay his head down to rest.

"What's wrong Lucy?" Natsu asked her one evening upon noticing that she had been very silent and sorrowful today.

"Oh Natsu, you've been so wonderful to me and I am happy here in your company. But I miss my father and my friends, and I know they're all worried about me. They probably think something terrible has befallen me. I wish to see them."

"You agreed to stay with me til the summer ends and the summer has not yet ended."

"I know but please let me go back just for a visit. Just to give them all reassurance of my well-being. There's no harm in that, is there?"

"No." Natsu thought. But he was still not sure, for you see he had received a letter from his sister this very morning and something in her words made him suspect danger. An instinct that evil was coming. The very same instinct he had long ago felt as a boy when his father had unintentionally brought that witch into their lives. So the choice of letting Lucy out of his sight, did not seem like a wise one at the moment.

On the other hand though, Natsu could see how much the princess missed her family and friends, and he hated to keep her against her will. He loved her and only wanted her happiness.

"Let me think on it tonight." He told her. "And I'll give you an answer tomorrow morning."

But that night Natsu did not go to bed. Instead he spent many hours just thinking and thinking. Then he went to see old Porlyusica and convinced her to give him a charm that would keep away all forms of dark magic, just like the one she had given his mother and was then passed down to his sister. Come the next morning, right after breakfast, Natsu presented the charm to Lucy and gave her his answer.

"You can go see your father and your kingdom." He told her. "But you must promise me two things. The first, that you wear this charm always. It will keep you safe from any form of witchcraft or dark magic."

"I promise." She said, quickly fastening the charm around her neck. "And the second?"

"The second is this. While you're gone I'm going to be staying in a hallow tree near the graveyard in Dragnof. That way I can be close to where I'll hear you if you call for me but I'll also be hidden from anyone else in order to prevent anyone from getting scared or panicked by my appearance. You must promise not to tell anyone I'm there or where I am hiding. If you do, I have a feeling it'll bring bad luck on both of us."

His coal-black eyes settled on her, yearning and imploring. Her reached out to him.

"I promise I won't tell anyone that you're there or where you're hiding." She swore.

So a few days later, at dawn they set off to the kingdom of Dragnof, riding on Happy's back. They went far and long until at last they came to the gates of the kingdom.

"I will leave you to go see your father now." Natsu said helping her off of Happy. "But remember your promise."

"Don't worry, I will."

But we all know about promises, don't we? And secrets. What use are they when no one knows about them? When they twist and turn and tickle our stomachs.

Though the princess did not think on it now. She hurried into the kingdom and there was such joy. Trumpets sounded a fanfare, bells sang out her return, the heavy doors of the palace swung open, and there before her was her father King Jude racing to embrace her. He took her up into his arms and he swung her round and round, and round, as relief washed over him. For ever since she had left, the king had suffered through countless nightmares of his daughter's delicate skin pierced and bleeding from the terrible creature he had unintentionally promised her to.

But now she had returned to him completely unharmed. More than unharmed, she was skipping about and laughing. It was the happiest Jude had seen his daughter since his beloved first wife, the girl's mother had died. A happiness that he was so sure that he would never see in her again. He wondered what it was that had brought such joy to her heart. Also wondering about her change in attitude was the princess's stepmother who had also returned from being away and had made a certain arrangement during her absence.

"I am to marry?!" Lucy gasped when her father revealed these news to her at the dinner table that evening.

"Yes." He replied. "Your stepmother and I have given your hand to the prince of Isvan."

"But I do not know him."

"What is there to know?" Asked the king. "He is young and handsome with a vast fortune and rules one of the most powerful kingdoms in the land. Your stepmother has assured me that he is the perfect husband for you and that you will be very happy with him."

"But what if she's wrong?"

"Nonsense. She's always known what's best for everyone."

"Even a wiseman can be wrong. Isn't that what Mother used to say?"

"Lucy please, everything today has been so wonderful. Let's not spoil things by fighting."

Lucy wanted to argue further, but she convinced herself that now was not the right time. Her father was right, she was home now and she should enjoy her time with him while she could. Though she was worried about how he would react when she would tell him that she was only here for a visit.

"How was it with him, my lady?" Mirajane had asked as she combed the princess's hair just before she could sleep in her own bed again.

"I found myself surprisingly drawn in by his world. He lived in a forest yet everything I saw filled me with pleasure and amazement. I was very happy and at peace there." Lucy answered.

"And what was he like?"

"He was very good to me. He always spoke to me in a gentle voice, he did everything he could to make me feel comfortable in his household, he's now become my most dear friend. My most treasured companion."

"How strange." Mirajane said. "That a man with the physique of a dragon could be so gentle."

"Yes I too was astonished by that discovery. You know his scales aren't even sharp? They're as soft as goose feathers. Probably to match his gentle heart."

"If what you say about him is true, then he must surely be something remarkable. I'd like to meet him."

"You will. I'll introduce you to him someday."

"I look forward to it." She smiled.

Lucy smiled back and the two long time embraced each other.

"I am so happy that you're back, my lady."

"Me too Mirajane, me too."

From his cave by the graveyard, Natsu watched his beloved with his dragon eyes and although he missed her already, he was glad to see her silence and sorrow give way to utter joy at the reunion. He only hoped that she would keep her promise to him.