Just before we get started... just wanted to say HA YOU THOUGHT THAT LAST CHAP WOULD HAVE BEEN A SWEET FLUFF MOMENT BUT YOU THOUGHT WRONG. this is in reply to all my shocked reviews and disappointment in our sweet Lucy... i love to see it. just you wait. ;)
Lucy trembled outside of the double doors that led to where the king and queen were. After everyone had disbanded from their eventful morning, she had been requested by the king and queen to discuss further about this treaty.
Lucy just knew what was going to be behind these doors and while she was used to being reprimanded and talked down to, she didn't want to know what they were going to say about the dragon king. He definitely was a brazen person who did not care much about etiquette and manners and for him to carelessly demand proof of trust in the princess of the Heartfillia kingdom, she knew that deep down, he had a motive this entire time.
Would they suggest repelling the alliance? Did Natsu strike a nerve?
Could the dragon king have planned this entire thing? Come to her land to try and take her? Was she the main goal this entire time? Befriend her and then take her as some kind of prize?
What could she possibly have to offer? Why did Natsu want her? Was there another reason behind his behavior and demand?
She did read a lot of tales of dragons guarding the princess while she was locked away in a tower.
Was she the same in all those story books?
No, she couldn't be. She couldn't allow her train of thought to go in that track because if she continued to think Natsu did this with a purpose and had it planned the whole time, it would just further sour her mood and confuse her.
I want to help you. I'm here. With you and for you… I'm here. Please.
Lucy was still trying to figure out why Natsu wants her and why he would say all those things to her. He looked so devastated and so desperate when he was pleading with her but truly, what could she do? How could Natsu be so naive to think she could just pack up and leave with him when she had the duty as the princess? Was he thinking of her as a friend or was he thinking about her as something more?
I fear it is not pity I feel for you, princess.
Lucy could only shake her head back and forth, trying to rid of his voice that continued to echo inside of her head.
She had a lot more pressing matters to attend to and that did not include an unrealistic dragon who lived in la-la land.
And now as she stood outside these doors, Lucy could only pray that it wouldn't take long and she would not be someone who left with tears or bruises on her skin. She knew they would blame her for how this morning's negations went, especially since she told them in full confidence that she knew it would go smoothly without a hiccup.
But how the hell was she supposed to know the dragon king would throw such a curveball at them?
Entering into the room, Lucy was stiff as a board as the king and queen sat at their throne. The Duke stood beside them, shifting his attention towards the princess as soon as she entered and she swallowed thickly at the heaviness of the atmosphere.
None of them looked happy. Especially the duke but she could understand why. He probably felt threatened and after seeing the back and forth from this morning, she knew Jose wouldn't dare let her go so easily.
What for? She did not know. But she did know that if this didn't get resolved, there would be war.
Natsu confirmed that much.
Lucy curtised towards them as she stood with her head dipped down, wanting to avoid any types of eye contact for the time being.
It was Faris who spoke first and it made her flinch, her head further dipping down to hide her face.
"Did you not say you had this proposal ready? You claimed that things were in our favor yet this morning's meeting was a disaster."
"My apologies, your majesty, I truly believed the proposal would have been signed without any issues."
"Lies!" The Duke shouted, his voice echoing in the empty room. "You must have known the dragon king was going to do something like that! You two probably conspired behind my back!"
"Duke Porla," Fairs spoke, making him turn and look at her. "Please refrain from getting worked up."
Clenching his teeth, Jose gave her a harsh look before turning back on the princess, his fists trembling with anger. Her father just sat there, watching the entire scene unfold.
Just like how he always did.
"I swear upon the Heartfillia kingdom and the very celestial beings above, I did not conspire with the dragon king nor was I aware he was going to ask for such a proof of trust." She kept her voice leveled, trying to not seem shaken up. "I will try to speak with the dragon king to see what more we could do besides exchanging my hand in marriage." Lucy bit down on her bottom lip, fisting her hands into her dress while the bitter taste returned to her tongue. "I am to be wedded to the duke and that is what I shall continue to do."
"Damn, right." The Duke murmured and Lucy pressed her lips into a tight line.
That same night, Lucy had stayed in her chambers to digest everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. Her head was spinning and she hadn't had anything to eat all day and for once, it was due to her lack of appetite.
She couldn't find it in herself to eat anything nor do anything but mope and think. She was in her head, unable to focus on anything but the fact that Natsu had asked for her hand in marriage and forced her and everyone else to find another way to get the dragon's back on their side.
After getting her ass chewed out for a few more minutes, they had sent her off to work on the new proposal. Her father barely said a word to her but it's not like they had the closest relationship so she didn't expect much from him. So instead of trying to be more of a burden on everyone else, Lucy took it into her hands to say what she believed what was right. The kingdom wouldn't dare try to go against one of their saints and go against their contracts to please the dragon king. She would be the very last resort if the kingdom was in war and she was the only thing that could cease fire.
Even then she knew the Duke would try to intervene and that would most likely be the cause of his death.
Which didn't sound too bad now that she was thinking about it but of course the princess was trying to avoid any type of war at the moment.
Feelings aside, she couldn't just idly watch her kingdom perish because of her. Natsu would have to quite literally steal her away for her to be able to be with him.
Could it be because of what happened between them last night that he felt that he could act this way? Was she being too forward and given him some type of impression that she may have wanted this?
She didn't even know what to do or how to find him for that matter. She doubted he wanted to see her after she had snapped at him earlier.
It was the first time they have ever gotten into a fight and it made her feel all sorts of strange things.
I fear it is not pity I feel for you, princess.
Was Natsu trying to tell her that he likes her romantically? Was he trying to tell her that he would help her run away and escape this life? He wanted her to be his bride? His queen?
How could she be fit to be queen, especially for a powerful kingdom like the Dragon's, when she was just some weak frail non-mage? She could not even use her magical abilities she supposedly possessed and what could she do for a kingdom without any power?
She would surely be more of a burden to Natsu than anything and she couldn't put him in such a position. She couldn't let him take on more than he has to and he doesn't realize how much he would if he brought her with along.
No matter how much she wanted to, Lucy knew she could not.
Especially since Natsu had admitted to her that if she did agree, he would do whatever in his power to make sure she would stay with him.
And even if that meant war, he would willingly accept.
And for that reason alone, Lucy could never accept.
As much as she wanted her own kingdom safe and happy, she also felt the same for the dragon king.
It just couldn't be with her.
During the next couple of days, Lucy had worked her ass off to ensure the second time would not go as badly as the first. She had to look through many scripts and many documents to try and find something to offer the dragons. She had even gone through their financial reports to see if they could even offer more gold coins in exchange for this peace treaty.
If Natsu wanted a bride then the Heartfillia kingdom would be more than happy to accommodate his wishes but what worried the princess was that he specifically said he wanted her.
But that didn't stop Lucy from getting all the names of the women in her kingdom that were eligible.
It brought a bitter taste to her mouth when she was working on this list and going through the hundreds of women in her kingdom. Just thinking about setting the dragon king up with someone else made her feel a bit upset but she knew this was the only way.
Even if she did have feelings for the dragon king, she could not do anything about them.
She was to be married to the duke and there was no changing that. Who knows how the duke would react if the king allowed the princess to go with the dragons. Jose could very much bring the kingdom down on his own if he truly tried.
It would be one thing if the princess was taken from his hands by another man but it is another thing if no other man would have her because she was no long part of this world.
And now as it had been days since everyone was gathered together in the same room and days since she had last seen Natsu, Lucy felt her nerves shooting through her body once again.
She had been thinking about the dragon king a little too often of late. Especially since they had that explosive fight where it was the first time for either of them to raise their voices and scowl at one another. It made her feel incredibly bad that she had acted and spoken to the dragon king that way when all he was doing was trying to help her. He did it from the kindness of his heart and yet she saw it in a malicious way because how much she was used to it with those around her.
How could she think Natsu was doing that just to stir the pot? How could she think this butterball of a man who loved sweet treats, could eat enough for an entire army, and gifted her such thoughtful gifts could be someone who wanted to act maliciously towards her?
Natsu was not like the rest of the ton where they just wanted to ogle and treat her as if she was a slab of meat. He was an actual gentleman who cared for her wellbeing and what she thought and he even was kind enough to ask her about her own thoughts when he had proposed yet she was so blinded by the shock that she thought of him so ill.
It only made her feel worse about herself the longer she was away from him. She wanted to apologize. Wanted to tell him she was wrong and what was going on in her head but she simply could not find him.
Especially since she couldn't make it known that she was looking for him—everyone was talking about the fact that the dragon king demanded the princess' hand for marriage during the negations and it caused such an uproar, Lucy could only hide away in her chambers during the days in between.
The rumors were bad enough and the duke was certainly not happy to hear his precious fiancé was being matched with another powerful man and then nearly being swooped away from said man.
She even heard from some of the maids how a lot of people began to support her with someone like the dragon king more than someone who was twenty years older than her. Granted, Natsu was four hundred years older than her but he certainly was a lot better looking than the duke was.
Lucy took in a deep breath while whispering encouraging words to herself and as she squared her shoulders and tipped her chin up, the princess entered the conference room where to her surprise, was empty.
Lucy checked the time on the wall to see she was actually thirty minutes early to the meeting. Her clock in the chambers showed something else entirely and she made a mental note to have one of her maids fix that later. But no worries since this gave her the space and time to prepare further and get herself together.
She came over to the massive table, her heels echoing and clicking with each step. She set her papers down on the table for the door to open behind her and she turned to greet whoever it was but almost immediately her expression darkened.
With a smirk, the duke walked in the room as if he owned it, a smug expression on his face as he took long strides towards the princess.
Lucy had to hold back the sneer that wanted to pull on her face and she could only give him a pinched smile before dropping into a crusty.
"My lord."
"Princess," he nodded his head towards her as he stood right in front of her. "You are looking radiant as usual."
Lucy wanted to call him a liar but she simply pressed her lips into a tight line, holding her hand out to him when he extended his own. She looked away as he kissed her hand and she held back the shiver that wanted to run down her spine.
"You are early, my lord."
"I had some extra time on my hands so I figured I came early and I am glad I did because I get to be alone with my fiancé."
Lucy hated how he made it sound like she was his property. The way he emphasized that she was his made her disgusted, a frown pulling to her lips as she started to turn away.
She let out a small gasp when she felt his hand clamp down on her and spin her back, facing her forward where Jose leaned in towards her. Lucy reeled her head back, cringing as his hand held her in place and smelling the stench coming from his grinning mouth.
"I am happy that the princess decided to stay with me and not accept the dragon's proposal."
Lucy kept her eyes down, trying not to show him the emotions she was feeling. "Indeed, my lord."
"I always knew you liked me," he said smugly and Lucy bit down on her lip. "I am glad to see you are finally coming to your senses. That filthy savage can't possibly give you the life you deserve."
Lucy felt her frame trembling as he spoke ill of Natsu. She felt the anger bubbling inside of her chest and as she bit down on her tongue, she could taste the copper that touched her taste buds.
Natsu would be able to give her all and more. A lot more than the duke could. He was a fucking king of his own kingdom and a powerful one at that. What does the duke have besides magical abilities? He is not even someone who can relate to her or show her any happiness nor love. He was not even someone who she considered an acquaintance.
She hated him.
"My lord, please, you are holding me a little too tight."
As if she was asking for it, his grip tightened even more and Lucy winced, feeling the pain shooting up her arm.
"Those savage beasts know nothing about taking care of a lady like you," Jose leaned into her further and their noses almost touched leaving Lucy leaning back against the table and trying to twist her head away. "Only someone like me can truly take care of you, princess… you know that… right?"
"My lord, it hurts—"
"Right?" He repeated again and Lucy gasped, cringing at the feel of his hand nearly crushing her wrist.
"I think the princess said it hurts."
The new voice caught them off guard and they both turned to look towards the door.
Lucy felt relief almost instantly as she saw the dragon king standing there. Jose's grip had loosened on her and she quickly stepped away from him when he let go, turning himself around to face the rosy-haired dragon.
"H—hello your majesty, the dragon king." Lucy curstied towards him and she could see Jose gritting his teeth beside her.
"Your majesty, the dragon king, welcome."
"Hello, princess," Natsu looked right at her, ignoring the duke. "How have you been?"
Lucy's eyes flickered over to the duke to see his reaction, seeing how he was fuming about being ignored and she looked back at Natsu, clearing her throat while dipping her chin down.
"I have been well and I hope you as well," she fiddled with her fingers, twiddling them in a nervous expression. "You are early."
"Well, it is an important day so I figured I came a bit early." His eyes lazily went to look at the duke before it returned back to the princess. Natsu began to stride into the conference room, practically looking like a predator ready to pounce on their prey. Such strong energy rolled off his figure and as he came closer and closer, Lucy felt her knees grow weak.
She had to lean back against the table again to support herself and her eyes widened as he brushed past the duke to come right to her, reaching for her hand where she flinched.
She held her breath as his warm fingers brushed against her skin and she gasped as he pulled her arm forward, inspecting where the duke had held her.
"Y—your majesty—"
Lucy didn't even have a chance to speak as Natsu whipped his head over to look at the duke. She didn't know what expression Natsu had but she could clearly see the duke's expression twist into fear for a moment before he composed himself and took a step back.
"You dare bruise the princess?"
His voice was dark and heavy, almost as if he was threatening the duke and Lucy shivered from the intensity of it. She didn't know why her cheeks turned rosy nor why she felt such a flame light inside of her. She just wanted to curl up into him and have him hold her.
Lucy's eyes fell on her arm where Natsu gingerly held onto her. She could see the faint marks of where the duke's hand was wrapped around her and she did not even realize he had bruised her.
And once again, she was in awe of how protective and fierce Natsu was when it came to her and she was feeling the butterflies swarm inside of her.
"She is my fiancé," the duke spat at him, his hands clenched into fists. "I can do what I please."
"Harming the princess can be considered an act of treason." Natsu was baring his teeth at the duke and Lucy gasped when she felt the heat rise.
"Your majesty," Lucy said as she grabbed for his sleeve and when Natsu turned back to look at her, she could only stared up at him with pleading eyes. His eyes lingered on her face for a while and she could see the turmoil that he was going through.
Natsu looked like he wanted to say more and do more but as he opened his mouth to speak to her, the duke's voice soured the mood between them.
"I was simply telling her how happy I am that she picked me." His expression turned smug and Lucy winced at the way his words were delivered.
She watched with her breath held as Natsu turned to look at her, his hands yet to pull away from her. She could see the questioning look he had in his eyes and Lucy simply shook her head, pulling her arm away from him and taking a step away to compose herself.
Being in between the duke and dragon king was exhausting. These two were always trying to participate in their very own pissing contest and she had no idea why she was the one who had to deal with it but it almost always tired her out.
"Perhaps we can discuss this further when the meeting is to start. I can be more than happy to hand you the list of names now so you can look it over."
"List of names?" He echoed as Jose continued to stand there with a triumphant smirk to his face. "For what?"
"For your bride, your majesty," Lucy blinked at him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You demanded a proof of trust so I took the liberty of finding every eligible bride for you in our kingdom."
The look of shock that mirrored his features made her frown and she quickly averted her gaze to avoid the hurtful expression he gave her.
Nothing hurt more than seeing Natsu upset and knowing she was the reason behind his pain was even more disheartening.
She wanted to tell him to help her. To take her and whisk her away to the dragon kingdom. To show her love and happiness and everything else in between. She wanted to feel his lips on her skin and his arms around her frame. She wanted to lay in bed with him and hear of all the tales he had and have him listen to her own.
But that dream was so far away and it was only merely a dream.
Her reality stood right in front of her and as her eyes turned to look at the duke, she could only feel the awful painful twist of her gut.
Natsu had grown stiff beside her and with his head casted down, Lucy had a hard time gauging his reaction. His bangs covered his eyes so she couldn't see what he was looking at or what he was thinking and when he slowly began to turn, Lucy grew rigid.
His demeanor slowly started to change and Lucy let out a small gasp when she felt the heat and atmosphere grow heavy. It was almost as if she was stuck in a sauna and it made her skin break out into sweat.
Jose looked taken back by the change as he took a step backwards and as Natsu matched his steps, Lucy found it hard to breathe.
Her hands clutched the front of her dress and her eyes widened as she watched the interaction between the dragon king and duke.
"Duke Porla," Natsu spoke his title with such a commanding voice it made her own spine straighten. "I challenge you to a duel," his words came out strong and demanding and Lucy's eyes popped open at the challenge. "For the princess' hand in marriage… I will fight you for it."
Lucy's jaw had dropped and she couldn't help but gawk at the scene in front of her. Even the Duke seemed surprised at the challenge as his eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline.
Did Natsu really just challenge him? For her?
"Your majesty!" Lucy cried out, taking a step forward to come between them. "You are surely joking!"
"I am not," Natsu shook his head, his expression stern. "Why would I joke about such an important matter?"
"You cannot be serious about challenging the duke to a duel for my hand!" Lucy gave him an incredulous look, baffled at the idea of anyone fighting over her.
"You said in the Heartfillia kingdom that if an eligible suitor came and challenged the betrothed and won, they would be able to take the hand of the desired person." Lucy was taken back at his words, looking at him with her lips parted. "And I challenge Duke Jose Porla for the princess' hand." His eyes turned back to the duke's and the temperature had risen once again.
Goosebumps rose on her skin and Lucy let out a shudder at the heaviness of their magic seeping out. The weight of it was nearly crushing as it rose higher and higher and as she could see the two men glaring at one another and daring the other to make the first move, Lucy could only feel panic rise in her chest.
"You want to challenge me for the princess' hand?" Jose scoffed, looking right at the sneering dragon. "You truly are a savage, aren't you, your majesty?"
"My lord!" Lucy gasped out loud.
"Call me whatever you want but we all know you're the savage here." Natsu had bared his teeth at him and Lucy was seeing his dark eyes flicker golden.
This was getting serious and she had no way of stopping it. She had no magic to stop them nor would she be able to go against one of her almighty saints and a dragon. She did not know what to do if they began to battle it out here. They would surely wreck the entire palace.
Where was everyone else? Why couldn't someone just come in and stop this madness? She needed someone—anyone!
"Let us not get carried away. We can discuss this once everyone arrives," Lucy tried again, holding her hands out and looking between the duke and dragon king. "Please, let us refrain from doing or saying anything we may regret."
"The only thing I'm going to regret is not punching this guy's face in when I had the chance," Natsu began to crack his knuckles, his head tilting to the right before it went to the left, the cracks of his joints filling the air.
Jose began to produce a dark aura, his own demeanor changing and forcing the air around them to thicken. Lucy felt like she was choking, being fried alive in a room with a fire mage and a saint.
Their fight would truly be a wild one. She really did not know how long they could go for or the damage they would inflict but it would most definitely turn out disastrous.
She did not know if she should run for it or try to break it apart. Neither sides were backing down and it was getting worse the longer they stood there.
Her heart was racing inside of her chest and her skin had a thin layer of sweat coating it, her eyes wide and chest heaving. She looked at the angered dragon king who had flames licking at his skin, his dark eyes now golden as he bared his teeth at the duke. The duke was in a similar position, what also looked like dark purple flames seeping out of him like smoke and swirling around him in a menacing manner.
The two stood tall and firm, glaring at one another and their magic crackling within the air.
"W—what is going on here?" A new voice entered the room and when they all turned to look, it was the nobles.
Realizing they weren't anyone of importance, Natsu turned back to look at the duke, keeping his teeth bared and his hands stretched out beside him.
It felt all too suffocating and too much, as if gravity itself was pushing them down and Lucy gasped for air in the hot condiments of the room. "No! Stop it at once! I command it!" Lucy's voice echoed in the massive room, her voice bouncing off the walls and nearly rattling the glass around.
It didn't stop the two from sneering at one another and when she realized that they were actually serious about battling it out, Lucy clenched her hands into fists and squeezed her eyes shut.
She could feel the hot tears prick at the corners of her eyes and as she felt a knot form in her stomach, Lucy clenched her teeth before screaming out.
"I chose the duke!"
Her voice echoed and it was as if time had ceased itself. The room went still, as if someone had dropped the biggest bomb, and as they all stood frozen, Lucy could only watch the conflicting emotions flicker across the dragon's face. His flames began to grow smaller and the temperature in the room started going back to normal.
"..What?"
"I choose the duke," Lucy repeated once again, feeling the tears well in her eyes as her throat felt tight. "I choose the duke to marry so please…" she pleaded, looking at him and him only with eyes full of sadness. "Please do not fight…"
Natsu looked stunned at her proclamation and such a heavy silence filled the room before the duke had begun to laugh, his own magic slipping back inside of his body while the air around became lighter.
"I told you she picked me, you filthy savage!"
Ignoring the cackling manic, Natsu took a step towards the princess who trembled in her spot, her wide eyes locked on his.
"Lucy…"
"I wish to marry the duke and stay in the Heartfillia kingdom, your majesty," Lucy squeezed her eyes shut again, twisting her head to look away from him. She could feel her hands trembling and her heart hurt as if someone had ripped it out of her but she knew this was the only way to keep the peace. "So please…" her voice wobbled. "Please… just let me go."
Her voice was merely a hush but she knew he heard her. She couldn't bear looking at him and seeing his broken expression. She couldn't let herself succumb to her own desires and do what she wanted. She had to do what was right and forcing her kingdom into a war because of her selfish desires sounded crazy.
She couldn't do it. No matter what, she did not see a good ending to this at all. She cannot marry the dragon king no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn't run off and be the queen of the dragons because she wasn't even fit to be a queen. She had no magical abilities and she was not someone worthy of holding such a title in a kingdom like the dragons. She would be a burden and a disappointment not only to her king but as well as the very citizens.
Who would want a queen from another country who couldn't even harbor any types of magic? Someone as dull and boring as her?
She could feel his hot gaze on her and Lucy only avoid his eyes, wrapping her arms around her trembling frame. She couldn't look at him. She already hated herself but if she saw how much she had hurt Natsu in the process.. she would not be able to forgive herself.
She knew he would be crushed and this would most likely break their friendship apart but it was for the best.
Even if he or anyone else did not understand, she did.
"She doesn't want you!" The duke continued to taunt, his voice loud. "She chooses me!"
"Lucy—"
"Please, your majesty," Lucy hissed out, trying her best not to spill tears. "Sign the proposal or don't… but we need the decision and we need it soon."
Silence mushroomed itself between them all and as the only thing Lucy could hear was the ticking of the time, she could only hold her breath and pray.
Was he going to do it? Or was he going to just leave and forget about the alliance? Would he still want to be in alliance with her kingdom even after all this? She wouldn't blame him if he didn't but she desperately wished he would.
"What is going on here?" The voice of her father rang in her ear and as everyone shifted their attention to look at him, Lucy could only see Natsu's focus on her. He didn't even look away nor greet the king as he simply stared at her like she was some sort of painting.
It made her inhale sharply and quiver in her spot, trying her best to keep her eyes on the king when Natsu was burning holes into her.
"What is all the fuss about?"
Nobody knew what to tell the king and as the nobles who had arrived during the middle of Jose and Natsu's stare off stayed quiet, exchanging uneasy glances, all Lucy could hear was a soft curse being muttered into the air before sounds of feet shuffling. She peeked through her bangs and lashes to see what was going on and she was surprised to see the dragon king moving towards the massive table once more.
Time itself had stilled once more and as everyone watched the dragon king pick up the pen, Natsu hesitated as he stared at the document before he quickly signed his name on the bottom and threw the pen down.
The metal instrument bounced off the wood and rolled off to the ground, the silence being so loud that they heard it drop onto the floor.
Turning around, his aura seemed darker than before as his usual playful light attitude was gone and now replaced with this gloom.
His eyes had returned back to the dark onyx orbs Lucy was used to and as he found hers in the room full of people, she could only inhale sharply to see the twisted expression on his face.
"Thank you to the Heartfillia kingdom for providing us such kind hospitality. We truly did enjoy our time here and we are excited to move forward with this peace treaty." His voice was the only thing heard in the room and as everyone watched him walk across the room, his pace slowed as he stood beside the princess. Lucy felt as if her breath was taken from her as her body froze, her eyes casted down to stare at the space between them. "I wish you the very best in the success of your kingdom. We shall be leaving tonight."
And with that, the dragon king filed out of the room and left everyone in a stunned silence.
Everyone was exchanging looks with one another, unsure how to react for a minute. Soon, it was filled with excited chatter and cheers, the nobles celebrating such a big victory. They all spoke about how great this is and how excited they were to see where the kingdom would go. Talks about traveling to the dragon kingdom and preparations to get their eastern territories organized for them were spoken about but everything was going in deaf ears for the princess.
Lucy felt numb as she stayed rooted to her spot.
She couldn't believe what had just happened and she couldn't believe she had told Natsu and said it out loud how she chose the duke.
It was quite the opposite of what she wanted but in order to keep the peace and stop the two from fighting it out, she had to.
She already missed him.
His warmth, his smiles, his laugh, his obnoxious grin.
Everything about him, she already missed and she did not know why when he was still here. When he had yet to leave her kingdom walls, why did she miss him so much?
Tears welled into her eyes as the cheers and voices started to disappear around her and as Lucy stared at the floor, she could only feel the effects of her disassociating and being thrown into the deep depths of her misery once again.
How she desperately wanted to cling onto him and tell him to take her. How she wanted to run her hands through his hair and have him hold her near while he whispered sweet nothings to her. How she wanted to run away and never looked back.
It seemed as if everything around her was being swallowed in some black tar and as the princess stood there in her own grief, feeling as if she was being consumed by such darkness, she could only let her tears drop as they splattered against the marble floor.
I'm sorry Natsu…