Lucy Heartfilia

It was May 7th the day Draconia was declared victorious in the northern war. The war lasted a long decade. Several lives were lost including the Queen of Draconia who was murdered in ransom by terrorists. Albeit Draconia never once faltered. The crown prince, Natsu Dragneel was the person to end the war when he seized the head of King Rowan of Rimesgate, A cruel dictator of the North.

Now in the year x577 Draconia rules the entire Northern Hemisphere. Today King Jude of Starfell hosts a ball in celebration of troops returning. The crown prince himself has even been rumored to travel far down south to present himself at the ball.

Lucy read the news article in awe. Natsu would be coming to her castle today. Her first and only friend finally coming back, she felt true happiness for the first time in a very long while.

"Lucy!!!" She heard the booming voice of her father. He was searching for her. Most likely looking for a miserable excuse to hit her. What other reason would he be looking for the girl? To the public Jude Heartfilia pretended like he was a perfect king. A generous man who was very protective over his daughter, that's why she was never seen at public events. However, those who worked behind the shadows knew what Jude was. Knew what he did to his daughter. They knew how he was a man who was rapidly blowing all the kingdom's funds to support his numerous addictions.

Lucy stayed hidden as the man continued to call out her name. She was in a cubby hole in the attic, it was a small section of the roof covered in vines and shrubs. It was inconspicuous enough so Lucy chose to keep it as a makeshift bedroom some time ago. It had a hidden staircase that circled directly down to the forest garden, another safe space of hers to hide from her father.

She waited until the sound of footsteps died off, before tiptoeing down the staircase that led to the garden, she had to prepare for the ball tonight. She knew her father wouldn't want her present at the ball, but she needed to see Natsu.

It had been a long ten years since she saw him. Natsu was twelve and she was eight the last time they saw each other. She still remembers the day vividly. It was summer and everyone knew the young prince of Draconia spent his summers in Starfell with the princess.

They sat in silence together on that hot day. Tensions were high in the North and Natsu already knew he was going to have to experience war firsthand—the Draconian way. Lucy learned of this as well after eavesdropping on one of her father's council meetings.

"Why do you have to fight when you're only 12?" She questioned fiddling her thumbs deep in thought on how to solve the matter without bloodshed.

"I'm the Crown Prince of Draconia. The only heir to the throne. I can't sit out from this, I just can't."

"But-"

"But nothing Luce. This is just how life is. I'm a man now and I'm going to help my dad win this war." He spoke confidently, Draconian men were known for their superior combat skills and their extraordinary military. Lucy knew Natsu would return to her. Just in what condition would that be?

"Anyways why don't you show me that creek you found the other day?"

That was the last day they spent together. Shortly after Natsu left for war Lucy's mother fell ill and passed.

Her life only grew more desolate after that. It was just Lucy and her father, they never saw eye to eye even before her mother passed. Lucy craved freedom, she loved being out in the wilderness enjoying every aspect of life and matter. Her father preferred for her to stay inside and be a proper princess. What used to be slight disagreements turned into heated arguments between her and her father. Those in turn became violent fits on her father's end, It didn't help at all when he drank.

Lucy strolled through the large gazebo in the garden. Waiting there was her personal maid, Virgo, they started meeting in the gazebo after Lucy fled from her real bedroom to escape her father's outrage.

"Princess your bath has been prepared...King Jude has required that you don't enter the ball tonight."

Lucy was already prepared for this, that's why she made a previous arrangement with Aquarius, another one of her maids. She would trade Aquarius her pair of crystal earrings and in return, Aquarius would send Natsu the message to meet Lucy at the end of the Garden maze, when the clock strikes midnight.

Virgo picked out a lovely sheer blue gown for her, it was bedazzled with gems and rhinestones and had thin beading delicately draping around the center, she was certain it would glisten beautifully in the moonlight. She was even more so certain that Natsu would be glad to see her. They had so much to catch up on.

Natsu Dragneel

Natsu arrived at Starfell much later in the evening. He was hesitant about showing face at this ball. After all, he would be visiting a family that abandoned his so cruelly.

Ten years the war went on, ten years, and not once did Starfell assist their so-called 'allies'. Not once did they send funds or troops. Yet here they were profiting off of his victory throwing a big party in his favor. Where were all these people when his mother was held for ransom and murdered? It would appear all the rumors Natsu heard about Jude Heartfilia were true. He was a stingy man who chose to spend money on gambling and whores rather than a real cause. He would attend the ball solely to send a message to Jude and his daughter. A message that they did not have an ally in Draconia. Natsu was a headstrong prince who didn't beat around the bush. After his message is received he likely won't visit this country ever again.

He departed his carriage in a swift moment making his way to the ballroom. He knew his way around this castle like the back of his hand.

"Your grace." Many greeted him upon arrival. He saw familiar faces, not any of whom assisted him in battle.

"A toast everyone to the return of the prince and to the victory of Draconia in the decade-long war!" King Jude cheered loudly from the top of the castle mezzanine. "To victory!" He shouted

"To victory" Natsu had a shot at that, mostly because he knew he would need to feel buzzed to deal with these stuffy people.

"Your Grace, We celebrate your safe return." Spoke a familiar voice to him. He spotted an old friend of his. Duke Loke of Alextre. Alextre was a smaller commonwealth on an island slightly west of Starfell. Natsu recalls spending some summer days with Duke Loke on his Island as a child. He wasn't surprised when Alextre never assisted in the North war. Alextre wasn't a Lucrative island it simply didn't make enough money to provide any use in a war. And the troops of Alextre, used to the heat of the equator, wouldn't survive a day in the harsh cold of the north.

"How have you been Loke?" He greeted casually.

"Phenomenal truthfully. It's looking like I might be the next King of Starfell if King Jude doesn't have a son." Loke excitedly explained. Natsu raised a brow at this. How would the Duke of a tiny commonwealth become the king of a major country? Did he plan to marry Lucy?

"How do you intend to become King?" Natsu asked.

"We-well, I haven't proposed yet but I'm preparing to Marry Princess Lucy." He started sheepishly. "I just need her father's approval. I spent so much of the spring here learning the ropes with the King, I feel like he's almost preparing me for marrying his daughter and taking over the responsibilities of the kingdom."

Natsu nodded his head, "That's excellent Loke, congratulations."

"Yeah and check this," Loke said as King Jude walked towards to two men, "King Jude, pleased to make your acquaintance," he said in perfect elegance. The King brushed past Loke choosing to instead pull Natsu into a tight embrace.

Natsu was unamused. Everything surrounding King Jude felt artificial and unnatural. Jude must've sensed Natsu felt this because he backed away soon after.

"It's an honor to have such a brave warrior in our grace. The dragon slayer himself." Jude riddled him in praise.

"The pleasure is all mine." He replied stiffly. He loathed having to act like he didn't hate the man in front of him.

"Hopefully you'll do the honor of giving me a grandchild in the future now that you're home."

Natsu heard Loke suck his teeth at this behind him.

Natsu wasn't at all shocked that Jude wanted him to wed his pretentious little daughter, of course, he would do anything to climb the social ladder. He would never marry that girl though. He sent her countless letters throughout the first five years of the war. Never did she send one back. She swore up and down that she was his best friend. That she would wait for him no matter how long it took. But when push came to shove she was just like her father. A pathetic social climber.

"We'll have to talk about that later in private. And I have a message to you from my father." Natsu responded to Jude. Jude reacted uneasily to Natsu's response and took his leave from the conversation.

Natsu used the rest of his time at the ball to mingle and get caught up on the hearsay in the Southern continents of the world. He knew the Queen of Starfell died shortly after the Northern war broke out. That still didn't excuse what Jude and Lucy did. They were lucky that their queen died a peaceful death. He knew his mother did not.

Amid his mingling, a blue-haired maid walked up to him. She delivered him a letter.

Dear Natsu,

please visit me at midnight, at the place where we used to make mud pies. Sorry, I couldn't come inside to visit you myself, I'll explain it all later

~Lucy

Natsu shredded the letter in half right then and there. The girl ignored him for many years, and now she expected him to get up looking for her in a maze desperately.

"You're excused." He spoke rashly to the maid. She scowled and walked away.

Lucy

'It's already 12:07' Lucy thought looking at the clock. Perhaps Natsu got lost, it has been a decade since he's been here. She almost wanted to sneakily search for him but she knew that wouldn't be a suitable idea. She chose to instead wait patiently at the end of the rose maze, where the two of them once made mud pies together.

"I know he'll find his way here" she mumbled to herself as she began to doze off in the comfy loveseat.

"You know it just pisses me off" Loke started as they spoke in a private corner of the ballroom. "The King almost made it seem as if he would wed Lucy off to me. But the second you return he's throwing her at you? Now that I think about it he was probably just using me as a pawn." Loke vented to Natsu. It was currently 12:07, Lucy wanted Natsu to meet her at midnight. She would receive a rude wake-up call when he doesn't show up.

"I told you this family is filled with nothing but deceivers" Natsu spoke.

"So you're not gonna marry Lucy right?" Loke asked

"Of course not."

"Hm... why don't we get a little revenge on Jude. And on his daughter?" Loke schemed. "I've wanted her for a while; there's always servants surrounding her in that garden. But right now with all the servants working the ball. She's sure to be alone now."

"What do you intend to do with her?"

"Nothing too bad. Why don't we go to that place where she wanted to meet you?" Loke suggested.

Natsu nodded his head in agreement, while he didn't care about the girl, he could use some fresh air.

They made their way to the back of the castle, a place where he spent many summers.

The garden was still as huge and gorgeous as ever with numerous fountains centering several ponds of different shapes and sizes. Natsu observed the the entrance of the flower maze it looked the same as he remembered it, and he would surely be able to pass through the maze easily. He motioned for Loke to follow him and he easily traversed through the maze until he came across the area where he and Lucy once spent time together.

There the girl was there sound asleep on the loveseat softly breathing in and out. Natsu's eyes dilated in awe. The girl whom he remembers being raised around was a stunning woman now.

"Gorgeous, isn't she?" Loke asked humored by Natsu's reaction to her.

Gorgeous would be an understatement. Her long blonde hair beautifully cascaded around her supple body as she slept peacefully. He gazed at her body shamelessly as she slept, the way her large breast moved up and down with every breath she took. Her skin looked soft to the touch and the testosterone in him made him want to caress her lovely hips. He kept himself frozen in place to stop himself from touching her pretty sleeping form. To stop himself from touching the plump pink lips on her face.

He was knocked out of his trance at the sight of Loke moving closer to the angelic girl.

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked Loke. Loke poked at the small woman seeing if she would wake up.

"I'm gonna rape her of course," Loke said grinning. "I know she wouldn't tell the King, she'd rather die than speak to her father."

He was going to rape her. Natsu shouldn't care. It was normal for men to rape and pillage when land was seized. This was simply Loke's way of pillaging the country that wronged him. Natsu didn't care, whatever happens to the girl happens, it's what this family deserves.

Lucy's eyes fluttered open at the sound of two men speaking. She had to pinch herself to ensure that it was really Natsu in front of her at the moment and not some lucid dream.

"Yo-you came," she said in a heartfelt tone, tears welling in her eyes. Loke was directly next to her. She didn't like how close he was, especially with how he was known to be such a pervert, but she knew Natsu wouldn't let anything happen to her. He's always been protective of Lucy.

Natsu wasn't expecting Lucy's chocolate brown eyes to shoot open, he also wasn't prepared for the crocodile tears that welled in her thick eyelashes. Jude certainly had his actress trained well. He almost believed she truly missed him.

Lucy

Loke cleared the silence "All right you've had your momen-"

Lucy ran past Loke and crashed into Natsu's chest pulling him into the tightest embrace she could manage. He was still as warm as she remembered. This embrace felt nothing like the fake one Jude gave him earlier. Natsu in response wrapped his strong arms around her. His grip was so tight that it hurt, Lucy assumed it was because he missed her just as much as she missed him.

Of course, that was what she assumed until Natsu lifted her off the ground and tossed her back into the loveseat where Loke sat. 'What did he do that for-' Loke cut off her thoughts when he thrashed his lips against hers.

She pulled apart from him in an effort to escape his right grasp. "What in the world are you doing?!" She asked Loke has always been a perverted flirt, but he's never tried to touch her before.

He only responded with a sharp slap across her cheek before binding her mouth shut with his bow tie. 'No god please don't let this happen to me. Please'

"Look at you acting like you don't want it, but then you go wearing a dress this sexy," Loke said licking his lips. He began tearing apart her gown as she kicked and swung trying anything to get the man off her. She knew she couldn't push the fully grown man off her. Her eyes searched for anything that could help her in this moment.

She met the gaze of Natsu. He grilled her down not even attempting to help her. She didn't understand, what kind of cruel joke was going on? What did she do to deserve this? She pleaded to Natsu with her eyes but he didn't budge. Why was her best friend just watching as a man attempted to rape her?

Her body went stiff as she came to terms with what was going to happen to her. She felt foolish to think that Natsu's return would change anything in her life. She simply was a woman meant to live in misery. It was her fate and no one would change that.

Natsu

'She's a liar. Trying to look at me with those eyes. Trying to make me pity her. Why do you act like you've missed me so much but you couldn't even respond to a single one of my letters? You didn't even have the courtesy to check on me after my mother was brutally murdered.' Natsu rationed with himself. Lucy didn't deserve his help, this princess was nothing to him. So why was his fist crashing with Loke's face?

Natsu wasn't sure what possessed him to knock Loke out but he did. He met the gaze of Lucy once again. She looked mortified, her lip quivered in fear. He didn't say a word he just observed her movements. She pushed the unconscious man off her and sprinted away as fast as she could.

The minute she was alone in her hobbit hole she broke down into tears full on sobbing. 'Why me?' She thought as she cried herself to sleep.