What was disappointing for the princess was the fact that she had missed out on Natsu's transformation twice. The first time she was burning up and thought she was going to die any moment and the second time she had passed out from exhaustion so both times she had missed his dragon form. She wasn't even aware of how she had returned back to her chambers but when she had woken up the next morning, she was in her room and dressed as if she had wandered in here all on her own.
But she knew it wasn't a dream because she could quite vividly remember everything that had happened the night prior.
While she wasn't too upset about the dress anymore, the biggest thing that made her heart flutter was the thought of the dragon king alone.
He was so, so kind to her and protected her even though he didn't have to.
Lucy had never encountered such a man like Natsu and she didn't know why but she liked it. A lot.
He was so refreshing and fun and so kind that Lucy found herself actually enjoying herself when he was around.
We're friends… right, Lucy?
And the dragon king saw them as friends! Someone who was worth having as an ally!
She should be more excited about the dragons wanting to partner with them but she was more excited about the fact that Natsu had called her his friend.
Her first ever friend. Someone who didn't work for her or had any malicious intent. Someone she could trust and believe they won't betray her.
The princess was absolutely giddy that morning, feeling her face grow flush with the memory and thought of the dragon king and of course, finally understanding that she was alone with a man in the middle of the dark forest with nothing but her underwear on.
At the time, she was too flustered and too manic to even process the thought that she was alone with a man and practically naked but now the next morning as she went through all the clips in her head, she began to feel the swell of embarrassment nearly swallow her whole.
Granted, the dragon king was very respectful and his hands nor eyes wandered on her body. He also kept a safe distance from her so in case she was feeling bashful or uncomfortable, he could keep away.
Most men she knew would have jumped at the opportunity that the princess was bathing nearly naked and try to taint her.
The princess had no idea if this was also worth mentioning and thanking the dragon king for. This was now the second time he had held her while she sobbed her eyes out and saved her from an unfortunate circumstance. How could one repay someone back for such kindness? How could she approach him and thank him so easily for being so generous with her?
If this was anyone else, they would have surely used her as a pawn by now and used her weakness against the kingdom. They would have taken advantage of her vulnerability yet Natsu had not.
Why?
I think you're worth more than you think.
But with a new day, the princess had duties to take care of and she could not spend all morning gushing and reminiscing about her night with the dragon king. Even though she was confused about the newfound feelings and connection the two had, Lucy did not have time to sit and dwell about such matters.
Not like it truly mattered anyways, she was an engaged princess to the Duke of her kingdom and nothing was going to change that.
She had to stay on track with her timeline so everything would be settled and run smoothly by the time her wedding was to come.
And then finally, she could be put to rest.
But first, the princess was so curious about the natural pool with healing abilities that it was the first thing she went to do.
After having her maids come bathe and dress her, Lucy went straight to the library where she knew she would be spending the majority of her day.
For the next couple of days, the princess was hole up inside of the library that she did not even know if it was day or night. She requested all her paperwork be moved to the library and if anything urgent were to arise to find her there but other than having to leave a couple hours to use the bathroom, she had been sleeping, eating, and working in there.
She had found more information regarding her kingdom and she was surprised to even find books she had yet to ever discover.
While the princess loved to read, she never got to sit in the library and shift through since she had scholars come to her with the necessary materials she needed for the day. She didn't have to come into the library and this place used to be one of her favorite places till the current queen had arrived.
She had used this place as a tea room and replaced the majority of her books with hers so in the end Lucy had stopped coming here altogether.
But with her curiosity and determination, Lucy had managed to find the very back and very top of the bookshelf where it held the history of her kingdom and many myths and legends written in folklore. How much of it was true, she had no idea, but it gave her insight on what supposedly was the magic she harnessed through her bloodline.
Normally, by now, Lucy should have been a full fledged mage with an insane amount of strength and power. With the queen deceased, Lucy was the next in line for the throne leaving her to carry on the Heartfillia bloodline which also meant her magic.
The magic she did not have.
The magic that she desperately wanted to have but did not know for the life of her why she was not allowed.
She wondered for so long if it was because the queen had married a non-mage. Someone who held no magical abilities. Could she have been the first in generations to not get the power? Did her father's genes get in the way too much?
But she knew it was inside of her. She just didn't know how to bring it forward. Nobody knew how to bring it forward.
Her mother used to show her bits and pieces and she kind of, not really remembers golden keys but she was too young to tell. She remembered hearing about celestial spirits and how their magic pertains to celestial powers but she had been too young to start practicing her magic and by the time Lucy was old enough, her mother had passed.
And now as she grew with no knowledge from anyone else besides the Heartfillia bloodline, everything was lost in-between.
Mages tried and she read up on it but something was missing. What was it?
Lucy wanted to ask the dragon king since he apparently knew more about her lands than she did. And for dragons, his father and his grandfather must have at least known about her kingdom so maybe he could have a story or two to tell.
But the idea of reaching out to him made her too flustered to even think properly so she was quick to toss that idea out the window.
The one frustrating thing she did have brewing was the duke.
Ever since that night a couple days ago where he tried to drug her, he had been sending her gifts every day. Sometimes even multiple times a day.
And she always rejects them, sending them back.
She had no idea what this meant and if this was his way of apologizing or trying to indicate that he was going to pretend it never happened, then she was going to pretend he didn't even exist. If she didn't have to see him in person and talk to him, she was going to act as if he wasn't even real.
She had every right to be pissed. Who knows what would have happened if Natsu didn't show up when he did.
But she did catch word that the duke had apparently gotten a little too drunk at the ball and caused a scene where he was found in the royal court with his pants down to his ankles and passed out in the bushes. He even had all sorts of drawings on his face and it made Lucy glad that he also didn't have a good night that night either.
A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts and she turned to look over at the double doors, seeing Mrs. Spetto enter.
"Princess," she bowed her way before approaching her with a letter extended out. "You have mail."
"For me?" Lucy said, a little surprised, as she took the envelope from the maid. "From who?"
"From," Mrs. Spetto cleared her throat, coughing to the side with a slight blush to her cheeks. "The dragon king."
"The dragon—?" Lucy was quick to slice open the envelope, opening the contents of what was inside. Written in messy scrabble, Lucy had a hard time even reading it as she tilted the paper with how the message was written.
I miss seeing you around. Would you like to join me for some tea today in the gardens at 14:00?
Lucy couldn't describe the feeling she felt as she read the letter over and over again.
I miss seeing you around.
The dragon king… misses her?
Her cheeks flamed up at the thought of the dragon king missing her and Lucy felt her heart skip a beat. She pressed a palm against her redden cheeks to try and cool them off while she stared at the letter in her hands.
"What does it say, princess?"
"Mrs. Spetto, what time is it?"
"Oh, it is nearly 14:00 as we speak—"
Lucy nearly flung herself out of her chair, the stack of books on her side wobbling to topple over onto the rug. Papers flew as it made a large mess but the princess paid no mind as she dodged the mess and ran over to the maid.
Mrs. Spetto looked bewildered, eyes wide as she worryingly looked at the princess. "My lady?!"
"The dragon king wishes to have tea with me at 14:00!" Lucy looked frantic, her nails digging into the arm of her most trusted and oldest maid.
"He does?!" Lucy didn't know if she sounded more surprised or more happy but she didn't care to dig too deep into it. "Oh my, we must make haste! I can get you ready!"
The princess tried to make it obvious that she wasn't in a rush while making it across the castle towards her chambers but she couldn't help having a pep in her step. She had about ten minutes to get ready and then she really had to make haste to make it to the gardens to meet him. She would be a couple minutes late but she would surely apologize for it.
The giddy feeling inside of her was spreading and she was feeling incredibly warm just from the thought of seeing the dragon king. Natsu. Her friend.
She didn't know what it was but she was excited to see him and hoped he was as excited to see her. It had only been a couple days since they have last seen one another but Lucy had been wanting to see him since. Thoughts of the rosy-haired male entering her mind time to time and worries if he was doing well or eating properly. He was a grown man and did not need anyone to remind him to eat or take care of himself but Lucy hoped he was still taking care of himself.
I miss seeing you around.
Her heart felt like it had grown a size and her stomach had butterflies fluttering all around. What was this feeling?
Getting rushed into her bedroom where Mrs. Spetto cleaned her up quickly, she redid her hair into a nice updo and added all sorts of star shaped jewels in her hair. Mrs. Spetto simply undressed her out of her day-old gown into something brighter. Something more airy for the nice summer day and as Lucy slipped on her heels, Mrs. Spetto wished her luck.
Her cheeks flamed at the moment but she was thankful regardless.
By the time she had reached the gardens, she was well over ten minutes late to the scheduled time but she had made it.
Panting and trying her best not to look like she was out of breath and ran there, Lucy whipped out her fan to fan at her red face. She walked the rest of the way there, slowly making her way to make sure she was not out of breath by the time she reached him and when she had come into the clearing by the gazebo, Lucy was greeted with a nice spread of tea and delicious finger food.
But no dragon.
There were clearly cups of tea poured into the fine china on the table and signs that someone had been here, and not that long ago either, but where was her guest?
Lucy scanned the area to see if the dragon king was nearby and she worried that he may have gotten tired of waiting and left. She knew she should have just kept her hair down but Mrs. Spetto insisted.
And now as she had rushed down here in hopes to meet him, he had gotten tired of waiting and left.
The disappointment was crushing for the princess as she felt the throb of pain inside of her chest. Letting out a defeated sigh, she turned around to leave the area but was surprised when she nearly bumped into someone.
She let out a small gasp and took a step back to look up at the dragon king, a boyish grin on his handsome face.
"Natsu!"
"Hey, you made it." He was beaming at her, making her stare at him in awe. "And here I thought you were going to bail on me."
She could feel her cheeks grow hot as she continued to take him in. He smelt so good like pinewood and smoke, a nice warmth to it. Standing tall and squared, Natsu was like a wall compared to her small figure. He could most definitely crush her if he tried. Snap her like a twig if he truly wanted to.
"I—I thought you might have gotten tired of waiting and left," Lucy glanced behind her to look at the tea set. "I apologize for making you wait for so long. I received your letter a little late."
"I'll wait an entire century if it means I could see you again, Luce."
Her cheeks instantly flamed at his words and the princess was baffled to hear such things coming from the dragon king.
Using her fan, Lucy hid her raging blush behind it, averting her gaze down to the ground. She cleared her throat and swayed, having Natsu grin down at her bashful expression.
"Have a seat, my lady."
"After you, my lord."
The two slipped into their chairs as if it was most natural, the two of them sitting across from one another at the small round table. But he was still close enough that if he leaned over, he could definitely touch her.
All sorts of dishes were littered around and as Lucy stared at the baked goods and pastries, she could only hear her subconscious tell her not to even think about it. These types of foods were most fattening and she shouldn't even be near these baked goods.
"I haven't seen you in a couple days, where have you been hiding?" Natsu asked, ripping her attention away from the spread.
Lucy felt herself growing red once more, her chin dipped down as she reached for her teacup. "In the library. I was reading more about the history of my kingdom and the magic we possess."
Natsu hummed, letting her know he was listening, while he began to pluck treats from the plates. Lucy watched him from the corner of her eyes as she sipped her tea, wondering what this or that tasted like. This dragon certainly did have good taste.
"Anything interesting?"
"Not really," Lucy admitted half-heartedly. "I actually was glad you reached out to me."
"Yeah?" A small smile curled on his lips and Lucy nodded bashfully.
"Yes. I wanted to see if you knew more about the Heartfillia kingdom… perhaps from the previous king or even the king before him?"
"Ah," Natsu said as he plopped a cookie down on the plate before he placed it down in front of her. Lucy blinked at him before looking down at the plate, seeing how he was now reaching for her empty plate to restart the process. "So you just wanted to see me because you wanted information from me, not because you wanted to see me."
Lucy sputtered, setting down her teacup on the table. "N—no! That is not what—"
"I'm just pullin' your leg, princess," Natsu chuckled, making her gap at him before a pout pushed out to her lips. "Please, eat. The Heartfillia kingdom truly does have a talented cook in their possession. I enjoy the macadamia nut cookie the most." He gave her a wink before he popped said cookie into his mouth, chomping down on the edge where she watched him chew.
Lucy looked down at the very full plate of pastries and all sorts of goods. She hesitated as she looked to see what looked the smallest and wondered which one out of these had the least amount of calories.
She had noticed that some of her dresses were starting to be a bit snug on her and she worried her figure may be disappearing. That only meant the queen and people like the duke would criticize her even more.
The plate of goods shouldn't be so scary but to the princess, she could only think about the negatives when it comes to food. It felt as if they were laughing at her and taunting her with negative comments about her body and as her hands began to tremble, Lucy felt the saliva pooling in her mouth.
"Lucy?"
"Y—yes?" She snapped out of her thoughts to look up at the dragon king, her spine growing rigid.
His brows were furrowed as he stared at her. "I said, you should eat."
"I—I already ate lunch today," Lucy lied, averting her gaze elsewhere. "I do not know how I could possibly eat at the moment."
"Well good thing this isn't lunch and it's tea time," he pushed the plate closer towards her. "And you promised you'll eat anything and everything I gave you so are you a princess who makes false promises or will you be honoring our deal?"
Lucy openly gaped at the man beside her, seeing how he had a smug expression to his face while refilling his cup of tea. Her eyes flickered down at the full plate in front of her before looking back up at the rosy-haired dragon and she resisted the urge to growl at him.
He was still the dragon king and she must not forget who she was in this, either. Even if they were just friends, she still had to remember their titles.
Letting out a huff, Lucy grabbed the first thing she saw, which was a shortbread, and brought it to her lips, chomping down on the cookie where instantly the nice sugary taste of butter filled her taste buds. Lucy held back the moan that wanted to slip out of her mouth as she chewed, her eyes widening and her eyebrows shooting up to her hairline while staring at the half-eaten shortbread cookie.
She felt like she had been eating so many new different things of late but it was only because she was eating things she hadn't eaten in many, many years.
She had forgotten how most sweets and treats tasted like since she couldn't indulge in them and being around Natsu so often, it seemed as if he only liked treats and sweets.
"I heard it's best when dunked in tea," Natsu plucked a shortbread off from his own plate to dip it into his hot cup of tea. "Really brings the flavors together."
Lucy followed his lead by dunking her own cookie into her tea, bringing the softened cookie to her mouth.
"Wow!" Lucy said with wide sparkly eyes, one hand held out in front of her mouth to cover her chewing. "This really is good!"
"You know…" He chuckled softly as he leaned back against his chair. His fingers traced the designs on the teacup while Lucy watched him, chewing on her treat. "You would think the princess would have already known what shortbread cookies taste like or even a cucumber dill finger sandwich."
Lucy tilted her head to the side, giving him a confused once over when he let out a small sigh.
"To be frank, I'm worried about you."
"Worried for what?"
"Worried that you," he paused for a moment, his lips pressed into a tight line while his eyes dragged down her thin figure. "Worried that you might not be eating enough."
The princess froze in her spot, her teacup held right in front of her lips. She stared at the dragon king who gave her time to process, his dark eyes pinned right on her as he was comfortably leaned back against his chair. His hands were knotted together on his lap and his tea was growing cold but he was simply focused on her and her only.
Almost as if he had planned on cornering her like this and forcing her to speak.
Which made her face grow red and the embarrassment and shame wash over her with her head hung low.
"Lucy, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or embarrass you. I am simply speaking out about my concerns."
"I—I just don't eat a lot," Lucy tried to say, bringing her hands to her lap to ground herself. "I assure you that I eat my fill and I am healthy."
"Is that so?"
"Yes." Lucy bit down on her bottom lip, avoiding his eyes.
Natsu simply hummed and she could see from the corner of her eyes where he brought his teacup back to his lips, his magic warming the liquid where steam began to rise from his glass.
A moment of silence passed by them and as the summer breeze blew through the couple, Lucy could only tuck the strains of her hair behind her ear, clearing her throat.
"Well, then, I guess I'll have to take your word for it."
His words stunned her again and Lucy wasn't sure why she was so surprised over everything he said. He usually said things that were out of pocket and sometimes rude and she shouldn't be sitting here not expecting him to bite his tongue on her account or anyone else for that matter.
Lucy let out a small sigh of relief to know the conversation was over and she hurried to bring her glass back to her lips, trying to keep herself occupied for the time being.
"Have you spoken to the duke since the night of the ball?"
Lucy found herself growing rigid again as the conversation continued to move towards uncharted waters.
"Err… no," she admitted. "Though, he has been sending me gifts nearly every day."
Natsu hummed as he reached for more treats, bringing the jam filled tart towards her. "Here, try this." He plopped it in her outstretched hand and Lucy was in awe of the pretty looking tart.
She glanced at him shyly as she took a bite of the pastry and she hummed in delight, finding the tart delicious.
Natsu seemed pleased at the sight of her eating and he returned back to his own plate, shoving this and that into his mouth.
Now sitting in front of the dragon king and seeing him in the light, Lucy stared at him to take in his features. She barely remembered his transformation when he had turned into a dragon and while she knew he had wings, talons, and a tail, she wondered how his entire form would look like when he transformed into an actual dragon.
She had yet to see a dragon in real life and while she had an actual fire breathing beast right in front of her, she was unsure if she would be able to see his actual form one of these days.
"You look like you want to ask me something," his lips curled into a smile and Lucy quickly turned her head away. "You can ask me."
"Err.. well…" Lucy flushed, finding it difficult to speak her mind.
"I don't bite," he brought his teacup back to his lips, a smirk and a wink being tossed her way. "Unless you want me to."
Lucy had to bring back her fan to cool herself off, blaming it on the hot summer day instead of this suffocating person of a king. She scowled at the bushes that did nothing to her, a small huff escaping her lips when the king cackled.
"I just wanted to know what your dragon form looks like."
"Ah, my dragon form," Natsu said, repeating his earlier actions of placing his tea down to hold out yet another treat out to the princess. He watched her take it from him and nibble on it. "Well, it's pretty large. I don't think I'll have the space to transform here and not destroy anything in my way. The garden is pretty tight."
Lucy blinked at him, "Oh… I was not implying that I wanted to see it right now—"
"So you don't want to see it right now?" He quirked a brow at her. "If I transformed right now, right here, you wouldn't want to see it?"
"Well…" Lucy found herself shrinking back in her seat. "I wouldn't say that much."
The smirk he sent her way had her stomach doing all sorts of flops and Lucy scowled once more, twisting her head away from his handsome face.
Why was her heart pounding so much every time he looked at her? He was making her nervous but for what reason?
"Why aren't you pink?" She blurted out and she was even surprised from her own question that she slapped a hand across her lips in horror.
Usually, she had a good grip on what she says and does but for some manic reason, it was difficult around the dragon king.
The look Natsu gave her was pure amusement, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline while he picked at the spread. "Pink?"
"M—my apologies, my lord," Lucy turned her head away, laughing half-heartedly. "I didn't mean to be so rude—"
"Drop the formalities, princess, how many times do I have to tell you to just call me by my name?"
Natsu gave her a stern look, showing her he was serious about this. He continued to toss this and that into his mouth, chewing while raising a brow her way which had her apologizing, again.
"And stop apologizing. There's very little that upsets me."
"I'm—" she stopped herself, clamping her mouth shut as she stared wide-eyed at Natsu. He nodded in approval when she caught herself and he pushed her plate closer towards her. "I—I was simply asking why you are not pink in your dragon form when you clearly have," she cleared her throat, her eyes flicking up to peek at his vibrant locks before looking back down at his face. "Pink hair."
"Because the Dragneel bloodline carries the fire abilities so that is why we are red. My father was also red and his father before that and so on. Usually, the hair color is a good indicator what color the dragon may transform into but in my case, no." He gave her a smile, grabbing for a sugarcube before dropping it into his tea.
Lucy watched him stir the spoon, the small tinkering of his spoon knocking into his glass echoing in the air.
"So, not all dragons breathe fire?"
"No, we don't. Some of us breathe light, some of us breathe air, and I even know some dragons that breathe metal and steel."
"H—how is that even possible?" Lucy leaned in towards him, her eyes wide in awe. "I did not even know such dragons even existed."
"It's like humans—we all have different types of species and races. It's nearly the same. You have the dragons who weld metal magic and the ones who weld air magic. We have all different types of dragons who have all different types of magical abilities. Only those of royalty hold the power of fire."
Lucy was on the edge of her seat as she listened to Natsu speak, enthralled by his voice and his knowledge.
There had been books about different types of dragons but she wasn't aware that not all dragons held the power of fire. And she wasn't even aware that fire only pertained to the royalty of their land.
In a sense, it was somewhat similar to her own kingdom and her own bloodline.
"Wow, that sounds so cool," Lucy was sparkly eyed while looking at the dragon king. "I bet the dragon kingdom also is a beautiful place with all sorts of jewels and architecture."
"Much better than this kingdom, for sure," Natsu snorted, bringing his tea cup back to his lips. "Oops. No offense." He gave her a sheepish grin and Lucy giggled, waving her hand around.
"No offense taken, your majesty."
Natsu gave her a sharp look but didn't comment on it, sipping on his tea to place the glass back on the table. "Maybe one day you can come visit and see the kingdom for yourself. I will make sure you are treated with the utmost respect and have the finest silk made just for you by my best seamstress."
The dragon kingdom… for someone who has never left the kingdom borders, thinking about visiting another kingdom sounded heavenly. Exciting. Thrilling. Especially a place like the dragon kingdom where only few people have ever entered and left unharmed. To obtain an invitation to the dragon kingdom was harder than fishing in a storm. Only a selected few were ever allowed over those walls and those we forcibly tried to enter? Well.. let's just say they never left, either.
She heard of rumors of how the dragon kingdom was surrounded by Great Lakes of lava and scorching temperatures that only one could sustain if given the ability.
"I would be honored to visit your kingdom," Lucy gave him a wide smile, her hands clasped together. "I have never been outside of the kingdom walls and I am sure I would love to experience your homeland."
"You've never been outside of the Heartfillia kingdom?" Natsu asked in surprise, looking at her with his eyebrows raised. "Why is that?"
"Well.. I just never really had the time nor chance to… all my duties pertain towards the crown and I am needed the most in the kingdom and it was not like I had to attend things across the waters. The king and queen usually do that." Lucy allowed Natsu to plop another treat into her hands, the princess eagerly bringing it to her lips to nibble on the soft cookie. "And it is not like I had to go abroad to find a husband, usually princesses attend these balls to find a suitor but in my instance… my suitor came to me."
The princess frowned at the mention of her fiancé yet again, a small sigh escaping her lips while her eyes wandered over towards the array of flowers planted beside her.
She stared at the blooming florals, seeing how one of them had yet to even bloom with its bud withering away due to the lack of sunlight.
"Why did you accept the duke's proposal if you do not fancy him?"
"Same reason why I continue to sit in that stuffy castle and do what I do every day," she said a bit bitterly, reaching for her teacup to realize it was empty. Natsu was quick to grab for the kettle, refilling both his and hers with the lukewarm liquid. "Because I have no choice."
"There is always a choice," Natsu said, setting down the kettle. "I did not think the Heartfillia kingdom was this traditional and old-fashion," He said with a hint of surprise in his voice. "To think even in this day and age, you do not have a say in your own love life?"
"As the princess, no," Lucy laughed half-heartedly, feeling the bitterness sour her taste buds. "Especially since the Heartfillia kingdom needed strength and the duke is a very powerful man with a lot of influence from the nobles and royal palace. My father sold me away before I was even of age, needing that extra power and security."
Lucy felt bitter about the entire situation and speaking out loud made her even more sour. She remembered in the beginning when she was announced to marry the duke, she had bawled her eyes out for days.
And she was only seventeen at the time, barely of age.
"I'm just going to toss this out there but it's safe to assume you do not wish to marry the duke… right?"
"No," Lucy shook her head, laughing. "No, not at all."
The king simply nodded, pulling a grape off its vine to pop it into his mouth. He offered her one and she gracefully accepted, giving him a soft smile.
"So, what will you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean about the duke. Your marriage." Natsu picked at a cracker on his plate, placing all sorts of spreads, deli meat, and cheese on top. "What will you do?"
"What can I do?" Lucy made a face, holding her palm out as Natsu set a make-shift sandwich on top. "I will have to marry him."
Then die.
But she couldn't say that out loud, especially to the dragon king himself. He didn't have to know such an important detail like that and the less people that knew, the better.
Though, she would miss him when time came. It truly was such a blessing she had met him.
"You do not have any other option besides to marry him?"
"Unless another eligible suitor comes and tries to battle the duke for my hand, I doubt the king will allow me to marry another." The princess scoffed, finishing off her little snack Natsu had made for her. "Especially if the kingdom will not be getting anything in return. It has to be someone of higher status and someone who can offer the king more than he thinks he deserves."
Natsu simply nodded, his long legs extended out in front of him and crossed while he continued to eat and drink.
"So, you're saying that if an eligible bachelor who has more to offer the crown and could beat the duke in a duel, you would be able to get out of the marriage?"
"Very unlikely to happen but yes. Our kingdom has its way of honoring victors and if one could even challenge the duke and win, they would most definitely gain the respect and acceptance of the royal family."
Natsu nodded his head, humming in response while he absorbed all the information the princess was giving him. "Noted."
"Enough about my sad love life," Lucy waved the conversation away, giving him a pinched smile. "What have you been up to the last couple of days? Are you settled in well here? How about the other dragons that have come with you?"
"We are settling in quite well, thanks to the generous hospitality the Heartfillia kingdom provided." He flashed her a grin and Lucy smiled back. "Have you—"
"Your majesty!" A royal knight shouted out for the two making them both turn around to face him. "Dragon king," he bowed towards the rosy-haired one who nodded right back. "Princess," he then turned towards the blonde. "My apologies for barging into your teatime but the queen has requested your presence."
At the mention of the queen, Lucy's smile slipped from her face and her usual gloomy cloud returned at once. Natsu seemed to notice the change in her as he glanced her way before looking back at the knight.
"I see.. well," Lucy sighed, turning back to the dragon king. "This is my cue to go." She offered him a pinched smile before she stood from her seat. "Thank you for inviting me out for some tea. I had a lovely time. Apologies for my abrupt departure."
"No need," Natsu held his hand up to her. "I hope I can see you again sometime soon, princess?"
Lucy found herself giving him a genuine smile, her cheeks tinting a rosy hue. "I would very much enjoy that."
His eyes were on her the entire time, feeling the burning gaze pinned on her back while she went back inside the palace with the royal knight.
The princess had forgotten about everything and everyone else during her time with the king. He was such good company that she did not even feel any type of sadness or fear.
Could she call this happiness? She had not felt this in a very long time so trying to say she was happy was harder than it seemed. She was definitely pleased and enjoyed herself the entire time but was she happy?
Maybe just a little.
But that happiness died down pretty quickly after the royal knight had announced the queen had requested her presence and for what? She had no idea. Maybe it was to chastise her for some ridiculous thing that she had nothing to do with or maybe it was to ask her about the dragon king and the negotiations. They were only a week and a half away now from the fateful day and keeping the queen up to date was not something she wasn't used to but it still bummed her out regardless.
Especially since the last time she spoke to her or even saw her was when was wearing her missing gown.
She honestly couldn't expect her to apologize or even comment on that factor.
Though, even with the thought of having to face her step-mother, the princess couldn't find it in herself to be too down. Leaving Natsu behind was sad by itself but he had uplifted her mood so much, she truly could not stop from smiling to herself.
What was it about him that made her feel so giddy and light? What kind of power did he harness for her to be so attracted to him? Is that what this was? Attraction?
With the thoughts of the dragon king lingering in her mind, Lucy knocked on the double doors to her step-mother's chambers and waited for her to accept. Once she heard her soft voice from the other side, Lucy entered in, unexpectedly feeling trapped when she had walked in to see her step-mother and a bunch of white gowns hanging over racks behind her against the wall.
She could see her maids standing awkwardly behind the queen along with two of the queen's maids. Her step-mother was just casually sitting at her small nook, sipping tea and picking at an array of sweets and treats.
Her mouth watered at the sight of them but for once, that painful twist in her stomach didn't come and she didn't feel like throwing up.
"Your majesty, the queen," Lucy curtsied towards the silver-haired woman.
"Lucy, good to see you," a faux smile appeared on her pale face. "I'm glad you could join us, I just got all these beautiful wedding dresses sent in from all over the globe and after speaking with the duke, I am confident in the type of style he would like. I have decided to join you on your wedding dress hunt and help you choose the perfect dress for your big day."
Lucy could see the scowl Mrs. Spetto was trying to hide and the way Michelle was frowning while staring at the ground. Coco looked the most upset with her head hung and soft sniffles escaping and Lucy could only nod in agreement, giving them a pitiful glance.
"Thank you, your majesty, it was very kind of you to take time out of your busy schedule to assist me in wedding dress shopping." Her eyes flickered over to the many racks of dresses before looking back at the smiling queen.
With her wedding only about three months away now, the kingdom had lots of things to prepare. And the one thing Lucy had been holding off on was finding the perfect gown because quite frankly, she didn't care about the 'perfect' gown.
The pearl white beautiful gown that would have cost the kingdom hundreds and if not thousands of gold coins would be stained crimson by the end of her wedding night and for her to put forth her efforts into finding the 'perfect' one would just be a waste of her time.
And after putting it off for so long, she could see her step-mother, being the devil she was, was going to force her into it. And of course comment and dictate everything she did.
And of course she was talking with the Duke… for some unknown reason, the queen and the duke had an excellent relationship that was built off trust and respect. Why? She had no idea. She wishes that the queen was married to him instead and while she could just sit back and secretly wish for the worst to happen to these two, she knew in her messed up world, nothing would.
And Lucy could only sit there and think of Natsu as the maids excitedly chatted and tried to get her dressed in one of the many gowns that filled the space.
She wonders… would her life have been different if she had met Natsu, first?
But then again, why did any of that matter?
She had a ticking time clock on her back that nobody but her knew about.
Three more months… and after that, she'll be joining her mother in the heavens above to finally be with the celestial spirits she loved so much as a kid.