"So, when are you going to tell her you like her flame brain? You've been ogling at her since I could remember," asked Gray teasingly.
As the years progressed, Natsu had found himself to be quite friendly with the Prince of the Ice Kingdom. Most of Gray's visits revolved around the two sparring (in a friendly manner), or just catching up.
"I dunno what you're talkin' about," said Natsu with a shrug, taking a bite out of crisp apple he held in his hand. Currently, the two young men were resting in the Guards' quarters after spending all morning sparring in the garden.
"Oh bullshit, it's all over your face," stated Gray, rolling his eyes.
Natsu stayed quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say next. Of course he had liked Lucy, he might even go as far to admit that he LOVED the princess. He had been in love with his best friend since he had met her all the years ago. The guard, now 17, sighed deeply, before feigning ignorance, "She's just my best friend. Her family saved me, I think I just admire her is all," he said, not sounding convincing to Gray at all, or to himself for that matter.
"Sure, alright," said gray rolling his eyes, before continuing, "That reminds me, do you still not remember anything from the past? Before you ended up here?"
"Not really, sometimes when I'm sleeping, I hear people calling my name, but I don't exactly know who they are, I can't picture their faces." Natsu stayed silent for a moment, biting his lip, unsure of whether he should unveil his recent discovery to the prince next to him.
In a hushed voice, Natsu began, "Promise not to tell anyone, but I noticed something weird the other day," his voice slightly shaking, nervousness slowly easing into him.
"What was it?" Gray asked, curious to know what the young guard was hiding.
Natsu pulled out some matches from his pocket and quickly lit them up, bringing the orange flame up to his arm.
"What the hell are you doing idiot?! You're going to burn yourself," Gray said, reaching for Natsu's wrist, momentarily preventing him from the stupid action.
"Exactly, I can't, I don't get burned!" He exclaimed.
Gray eased his hand from his wrist as he watched the fire engulf Natsu's hand, almost as if he had summoned the strong flame on his own.
"I've never seen anything like this," Gray watched in awe, "It looks similar to my ice-make magic."
Natsu passed the flame to his other hand, enveloping it in the warm fire as well. There he stood, in the middle of the guards' quarters, both hands facing the ceiling, covered in fire so hot it would burn the average person. But that's not him, he was not average, ordinary, or normal. This new discovery makes him unsure of who he really is; of what he really is.
He was a boy who had crash landed into this strange kingdom. A boy, who foolishly fell in love with the princess the moment he stared into her warm brown eyes he had grown to adore. A boy who had no recollection of his past life, who was forced to live a new one. A boy, who now knows he is not normal, who knows that this revelation could possibly change everything.
But could it really?
He wasn't near any open flame on a daily basis, so this was an easy secret he could keep.
But what about the others?
Over the years, he noticed his heightened senses. He was able to hear and smell things that those around him couldn't.
Natsu advertently decided that he would continue to bear these minor secrets, so long as they don't negatively affect him or those around him.
The silence between them grew louder, before Gray asked another question, steering Natsu away from his thoughts, "So, if your real family ever finds you, are you gonna leave?"
"Aw, are ya gonna miss me ice princess?" Natsu snickered.
"You wish flame brain," he rolled his eyes, "I was speaking more in terms of lucy, since you two are so close."
Natsu walked towards the only window in the guards' quarters, overlooking the flower garden below. He noticed Lucy walking towards the garden, an empty basking hanging on her arm. He watched as she delicately picked out her favorite flowers, bringing them up to her nose before placing them in the woven basket in her hand. "Lucy's my family now, and as her personal royal guard, I swore to protect her, always," he paused, turning to look at Gray, "So even if I find my real family, I'm stayin right here."
Gray smiled slightly, "Good, cuz if you hurt Lucy," he lifted a fist in front of Natsu, "I'll kick your ass."
Natsu gasped, placing a hand over his heart, "That's no way for a man of your caliber to speak, your highness, I am highly offended."
A sudden knock on the door interrupted the fighting teenagers, each of them standing up and brushing themselves off quickly. A tall guard stepped into the room, "Sorry to interrupt you two, but King Jude needs Natsu in his study."
"Alright Macao, thanks for letting me know," Macao nodded, walking out of the room, followed by the two boys.
I wonder what Jude needs me for?
Natsu felt a pit in his stomach, there was no way Jude could have found out about his secrets, right? No way! He hasn't been acting differently since he found out. Maybe Jude had found his real family and wanted to send him away?
Before he knew it, Natsu found himself in front of King Jude's study. Macao knocked on the door before heading in, leaving Gray and Natsu in the hallway, "Your highness, Natsu and Prince Gray are here."
"Wonderful, send them in," replied the king.
Macao nodded and walked into the hallway once more, motioning for the two to come in.
"Good evening boys," welcomed Jude with a smile.
Natsu immediately noticed two figures standing on the left side of Jude's desk. He didn't quite understand why, but he somehow felt connected to them. He quickly shook the feeling when he stopped in front of Jude, "You wanted to see me sir?"
"Yes, I wish to present to you Metallicana Redfox, and his son, Gajeel Redfox," the father and son duo share a knowing glance before turning their attention toward the pink haired guard in front of them, seemingly feeling what he had felt moments before. "They will be residing in this palace from now on as our personal castle-blacksmiths. They will be building our weapons and armory, should you ever need such equipment. I trust you will show them around and make sure they are tended to their every need for the next few days, until they are adjusted."
"Of course, your majesty," Natsu bowed. He shook Metallicana's hand, feeling a familiar warmth, before shaking Gajeels hand as well. Gajeel was a tall young man, with long black hair that seemed to be spiky, despite it being slicked back. His eyes were unusually deep crimson, with piercings meticulously placed alongside his nose, and evidently replacing his eyebrows. His father was taller, with black spiky hair as well, only shorter. Unlike his son, he lacked the facial piercings, however they shared the same dark red eyes.
"And one more thing, Lucy's 16th birthday is coming soon, which means she will be due for a lady in waiting, I would like for you to help her choose one, I have provided a list," Jude explained, handing Natsu a piece of paper.
"Very well sir," Not resisting the urge to be nosey, he scanned through the writing on the page. Nothing but names, ages and hobbies were scribbled all over. He neatly folded the list before shoving it into his pocket.
"That is all, you may leave," the King shooed them away, "Gray, send my regards to your father."
"Yes, your highness," the prince bowed his head toward the monarch, waving goodbye to Natsu and the blacksmith's., withdrawing from the study.
Natsu escorted Gajeel and Metallicana out of the study and into the hallway, guiding them around the palace. After a moment of complete silence between the three of them, Metallicana was the first to speak.
"So, Natsu, was it? Where are you from?" He asked, inconspicuously.
"Oh, I'm from here, I think."
"Ya think?" questioned Gajeel, clearly confused.
"Well, I was told I crashed into the palace garden when I was around 12, so I've been here ever since," replied Natsu casually.
"Oh, so you have no memory of where you originally came from?" asked the older Redfox.
"Nope," more uncomfortable silence, "Uh, have you two always lived in Fiore?"
"Nah, we moved from the D-," started Gajeel, before he was cut off by his father.
"We were from this small village, a few towns north of here, but we sought out new opportunities, so we moved here. We got recognized for our impeccable armory and weapons, so the King was gracious enough to title as us the castle blacksmiths," Metallicana explained, eyeing his son carefully.
"Oh, that sounds nice," Natsu felt uncomfortable with the sudden awkwardness in the atmosphere, but quickly felt relief when he realized they were nearing their quarters. "Here's your room," two beds aligned the wall, a bathroom connected into the room with two dressers and a desk. there are maids everywhere if ya need somethin. I'll show you guys the workshop tomorrow," he smiled at the pair, still not being able to shake off that gut feeling.
Metallicana must have noticed, as he got visibly nervous. "Thank you, Natsu," he said, smiling back at Natsu before closing the door.
Once Natsu was far enough away from the room, Gajeel began questioning his father, "Why'd you cut me off!?"
"Because, it's not the right time," he responded as he brushed his hand through his hair. They shouldn't take action yet, not when they weren't sure.
Gajeel watched his father closely. Sighing, he took a few steps, stopping right in front of the two beds against the wall, "I call dibs on the bed closer to the bathroom."
"What? That's not fair!" argued the older man.
"Too late pops, geehee," he sprawled himself on his chosen bed, shutting his eyes. Gajeel wasn't initially inclined to move to the palace. He was comfortable living in the village with his dad, being able to go wherever he so pleased, however, now he couldn't walk around without having an escort. Something interesting better come up soon, otherwise I'm gonna have to figure out ways to get out of this place.
~~~
After leaving the blacksmiths, Natsu sought out the princess that owned his heart. It was getting pretty late, so he hoped he'd be able to find her before she went to bed, and he knew just where to look for her.
Walking towards the library, he heard a quiet melody that only seemed to get louder the closer he got. As he reached the large wooden doors, he realized it was his Lucy that was playing the delicate melody he had grown to love so much.
He walked into the large, book-stocked room, taking notice of a vase full of flowers placed on top of the piano. Must be the ones she picked outside.
"Heya Luce," he waved at her, smiling from ear to ear.
"Good evening Natsu," she responded, momentarily removing her hands from the keys.
"Sooo," he started, taking a seat next to her on the piano bench, "Your birthday's coming up."
"I know! Ill be 16 soon! Mama promised to teach me how to summon zodiac spirits," she exclaimed.
Natsu looked at her confused, "I thought you already knew how to do that?"
"I am only able to summon smaller spirits right now. They don't require as much magical power as zodiac spirits do. I do not have as much magic as mama considering I am only half celestial princess, so it takes me longer to summon stronger spirits."
"That makes sense," Natsu nodded, "Hey, so, your dad gave me a list that you have to look over," he pulled out the folded paper from his pocket, handing it to Lucy.
Lucy took the paper in her hands, quite perplexed as she scanned through all of the names.
"What is this for?" She questioned.
"You have to pick out a waiting lady or somthin," he shrugged.
"A lady in waiting Natsu," she corrected.
"Same thing," declared Natsu, rolling his eyes.
Lucy giggled, she read through the names on the list, noticing the little facts written about of each girl beside their name.
Cana Albarn, Age, 17, an incredible card player.
Lisanna Strauss, age 16, family oriented.
Levy McGarden, 16, an avid reader.
Lucy's eyes eagerly lit up after reading the last name on the sheet.
"Natsu look! This girl Loves reading!"
"That's great Luce, you two would be amazing friends," he smiled at her. He felt a twang of jealousy in his chest. Of course, he knew that he was her best friend and she'd never replace him, bit having someone else around Lucy meant he had to share her, and he had a hard time sharing the things he treasured.
"I shall let father know right away," Lucy stood up, fixing her gown as she began walking towards the doors.
"Okay, princess!" Natsu called out to her as he began to stand up too.
Said princess turned around, slightly glaring at the guard, now standing tall in front of her, "Natsu you know I don't like it when you call me princess," she whined.
"But you're my princess," he teased, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Lucy blushed at the loving gesture, her heart pounding as she continued, "I would prefer it if you continued to call me Luce."
"Of course, princess Luce," he replied with the teasing smile she had grown to adore.
Lucy groaned and walked out of the library to her father's office, leaving the teen alone, laughing to himself.
Natsu smiled as he saw her walk away. He sat back down on the bench, looking at the flowers in the vase. He took a white lily, Lucy's favorite, and brought it up to his nose, the sweet scent flooding his sensitive nose. In that moment, Natsu knew exactly what to get Lucy for her birthday, and he was absolutely sure she was going to love it, but first, he had to speak with Gajeel.
Lucy walked into her father's study, finding him hard at work with signing various contracts, treaties, alliances, and other important documents. She knocked on the door, waiting for him to acknowledge her before walking in.
"Good evening my beloved," he smiled at her, "What can I do for you sweetheart."
"Papa, I have chosen who my lady in waiting shall be," she said happily.
"That's wonderful dear, who do you have in mind?"
Lucy walked towards his desk, standing beside him as she pointed out a name on the sheet of paper he had given to Natsu, "Levy Mcgarden, we seem to have a lot in common, I do hope she enjoys being my friend!"
"Her father and I are close friends; I am sure she would love you dearest."
Lucy nodded, biting her lip before asking, "How's mama doing?"
Jude sighed heavily, he turned to look at his daughter, tears staring to fill her eyes, "As of right now, your mother is doing alright, but she is still feeling very weak."
"But she'll be okay, right?" she asked, desperation laced in her voice.
The king gave her a reassuring smile, squeezing her hand lightly, "Your mama is a strong woman, it is important that we stay strong for her as well. She will be as good as new before you know it," he tried convincing his daughter, he tried to convince himself as well, repeating those words over and over again in his head.
Lucy smiled, wiping away her tears. She gave her father a quick forehead kiss before walking towards the doors of the study.
"Lucy," she looked up at her father, "I love you, my lucky star."
"I love you too papa," she replied.
She strolled back towards her room, bidding a good night to the maids she encountered in the halls. Once in her room, she slipped off her evening gown, replacing it with a baby pink nightgown. She sat on the chair facing her vanity, gently undoing the braids in her hair. She was worried about her mama, but she knew she would be okay. Her mama was the strongest person she knew, aside from Erza.
She thought about her new *almost* friend. She planned to take her to the library as soon as she was in the castle, she was excited to have a new friend around her. Of course, she always had Natsu, but as he's gotten older, he's been busier with guard duties, and he finds himself in the company of Prince Gray a lot more. She also had Erza, but she was 18 now, so she had even more responsibilities as well. It'd be nice to finally have someone the same age as her.
The next day, Natsu walked Gajeel and Metallicana to their new workshop. Before leaving the two to begin organizing and starting their business, he pulled Gajeel aside.
"Hey, Gajeel, can you do me a favor?"
"Uh, sure pinky."
"It's Natsu," pinky said, annoyed.
"I know, but yer pink hair is funny," Gajeel snickered.
If Natsu hadn't come here to ask for a favor, he would have definitely kicked his ass by now. "You're good at manipulating steel, right?"
"Damn right, and any metal for that matter."
"Great, I was wonderin if you could do something for me," he smiled.
"You payin?" asked Gajeel, he can't just do favors without getting paid.
"Of course," Natsu responded. He'd pay anything, and give everything, if it meant being able to see Lucy's smile.
The blacksmith and the guard began talking, and eventually came to a conclusion.
"Thanks Gajeel, I owe you one," Natsu said, waving to the pierced teen before leaving the workshop.
Gajeel began gathering up every piece of metal he could find, before deciding to use the silver scraps they were given, immediately getting to work on the project Natsu bestowed on him.