prompt sixty four: nowhere and nothing
rate: T for Teens and Up
Sixty four out of one hundred.
Part two may or may not come… I have been too into royalty!aus.
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." —Marie Curie
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Natsu had a scowl on his face as the maids helped adjust his clothes for him, his dark eyes pinned on his father, the king. Unlike his son, his father wasn't looking or even scowling at him but instead busying himself with his own shirt, buttoning up his sleeves.
After years of hearing his father complain about his lack of attention and prospects in brides, he had forced it upon himself to drag him to some stupid party at some other kingdom.
Apparently, it was being hosted by a king who was looking for a suitor for his very own daughter and with nearly everyone all around the world invited, it also meant they were invited.
But it was a mascarade ball and the rules were simple: if you locate the princess then said princess will be your bride.
The only problem with this is that nobody knows what the princess looked like.
She was kept hidden away for nearly twenty years and now as she was of age, it would be her first debut into society.
But how the hell is someone supposed to find the princess in a room full of people wearing masks when nobody even knew what said princess looked like?
His father had been waiting years for his one and only heir to find a mate and settle down but seeing how Natsu had done nothing but become more destructive and obnoxious, Igneel had enough.
Natsu had thought about running away and hiding so he couldn't be forced into this awful situation but his father knew him too well since he had already directed all the knights to keep him from leaving the castle grounds. He even had those annoying bastards flying above the castle grounds so if he decided to take flight, he would be tackled instantly.
So as Natsu was forced into a nice outfit and nearly died from the carriage ride alone (damn you father for not providing me drugs!) Natsu was one second away from burning the entire place down so he didn't have to participate in such a thing.
He was only twenty (okay plus another four hundred years because he was a dragon) but he was still considered young in dragon years and so technically, technically, Natsu was truly only twenty years old. He looked the part and his father certainly said he acted it but apparently that didn't mean he couldn't marry.
If only he had a brother or someone that could easily take the throne and then maybe he wouldn't be subjected to being forced into taking a bride.
The last fifty years his father had been on his ass and every time Natsu had brushed him off or told him he would get to it but both of them knew he was just talking out of his ass. Natsu, by all means, was not ready to settle down and no matter what, he was planning on returning back to his kingdom without a woman by his side.
He was going to do everything in his power to make him seem like the worst type of man so no woman would want to come with him. Even if this was an event to find an eligible suitor for the princess, he knew that plenty of other women of all sorts of ranks would be in attendance to mask the presence of the mystery princess. That meant they would most likely want to talk to him and try to get him to court them.
"Remember, Natsu, you must talk to the other princesses and ladies and try to at least capture one heart."
Natsu rolled his eyes but agreed regardless, grumbling his words under his breath while following his father up the massive stairs to the palace.
It's not like the dragon prince had a hard time catching women's attention anyways, with a physique like his and strong, sharp features, Natsu was most definitely considered handsome when it came to princes. He was tall and worked out religiously so his body was built off the dedication he put in and his personality was goofy enough it made women swoon.
The only problem was that Natsu didn't care for a partner right now. He was happy on his own and knew once he began courting someone, it would just take his time and efforts away from what really mattered.
Sure, Natsu thought about wanting a bride for his own one day but that day was not today nor was it tomorrow or even the next couple years for that matter.
He still had loads of things he wanted to do and having a highly maintained woman on his sleeve was just going to make him bitter.
Entering the massive palace that had all sorts of bright lights and decorations scattered throughout, Natsu's eyes flickered over the many masked faces of the attendees. Even without the mask, if Natsu knew them, he would easily find out thanks to his keen senses.
But he didn't know anyone here and he certainly did not care to participate in this stupid game. He wasn't even here to find a bride.
Large tables with all sorts of delicious finger foods and treats were lined up against the walls and butlers with tail coats floated around with trays of champagne. Natsu plucked one off a tray as they walked past and he downed the entire thing, letting out a belch before discarding it on another man's tray as they walked past.
Igneel shot his son a disapproving glare but Natsu simply ignored it, grabbing for a fruit tart off a tray.
"Try to be presentable, son. And don't forget your manners."
"Will do my best," Natsu saluted his father, his eyes only pinned on the food and drinks while separating from the old king.
As if Natsu was going to be presentable and remember his manners, who did his father take him for? Would he truly be himself if he remembered his manners and acted presentable to these ladies? Why would he want to court someone if they only liked him for his fakeness?
He was not sweet and gentleman-like nor was he polite in any way. Sure, he knew his manners and was taught all of this as he was growing up and being the prince of his very own kingdom, he had to act this way but if he didn't have to, he wouldn't.
And he didn't have to be that person tonight. His father wanted him to but that didn't mean he had to and he definitely was not going to.
So as he made his way deeper into the ballroom and was constantly stopped by all sorts of women, Natsu could only give them a simple nod before turning the other way.
He didn't even know if these women knew who he was or just approaching him to throw him off his track on locating the mystery princess but he didn't care. He wasn't interested in either.
His only mission today was to try at least everything that was on those tables and he would be dumb to miss the treats floating around on trays, too. So far, he has tried their fruit tart, their champagne, meatballs, and a cupcake.
But of course the women would be surrounding the buffet table and of course this meant that he was available to speak to as he stood in line, scowling at the ceiling.
He tried his best to say hi but brushed them off almost immediately, declining their offer for a dance or even rejecting the idea of conversion as his mood further soured. The more people came up to him, the more his scowl deepened and the more menacing he looked, the less people came up.
So Natsu felt it was best to keep his angry face on as he quickly plated his fill and zipped through the crowd, ignoring those who tried to get him to talk or stop. He was quick to rush out of the room, coming out to the balcony where he was greeted with the sight of more people. He felt trapped as he gaped at the many eyes that were pinned on him and as he could see some people take a step forward to approach him, Natsu quickly whirled around to head back inside.
Was there nowhere in this goddamn place that he could just eat his treats in peace and not have to talk to someone?!
Natsu took the liberty to keep his mouth stuffed so he didn't have to be forced to smile or even speak to someone while pushing through the crowd. His hand protectively cradled his overfilled plate, shoulder checking certain people and thrusting his large body through the sea.
He hoped his father was not watching him nor would find out about him bailing on this stupid shit but like he had mentioned before and the many times prior, Natsu was not ready to take a bride.
And if that meant he had to hide away with his plate of goods for the entire event then so be it.
Someone would surely find the mystery princess and once they did, he would finally be out of this hell hold.
Natsu didn't know how but he had ended up outside in the royal gardens. He could still hear the soft chatter coming from the guests inside and as he turned his head to see the balcony a bit far away from where he stood, he was content with himself.
The large bushes would surely give him enough coverage and nobody wouldn't come to the gardens, especially right now, when they were busy mingling and trying to find the princess.
He could spend a good couple hours here and finish off his plate and if his father comes hunting him down in the meantime, then he could re-do this entire thing and sneak another plate.
Keeping a watchful eye towards the balcony in the corner, Natsu moved deeper into the gardens where he took the craziest turns. He just went with his first thought and walked, feeding himself a deviled egg while the night air brushed against his skin.
He had walked so deep inside of the gardens, if he was a normal person, he would have been surely lost. But the dragon prince felt comfortable and far enough from the castle that he went right over towards rose bushes, hoping the floral scent would throw his father off his back if time did come, and plopped himself down on the grass.
Natsu grew excited at the thought of his undisturbed moment with his plate and as he picked up a nice crumble cake, he froze in his spot when he heard the sound of feet rushing towards him.
He cursed under his breath and leaned back against the bushes, hoping it wasn't his father already coming to drag him back inside but when a flicker of blue ran past him, Natsu could only inhale sharply. The soft caress of her sweet scent filled his nostrils and Natsu felt as if he was punched in the face with a bag of sugar.
He whipped his head over to watch the figure slow down and with her back faced towards him, he could only watch in stunned silence how her chest heaved with her harsh breaths.
Natsu had no idea who or what she was running from but she looked tired as she hunched over, her gloves hands clutching at her chest.
Golden hair that was tied back into a bun and held up by all sorts of beautiful jewels and florals adorned her hair and with her pale blue gown clinging onto her body almost perfectly, it suited her pale complexion.
She had a matching pale blue mask on her face, covering the upper half of her face and from where he sat, he couldn't even see the color of her eyes.
But he could clearly see the discomfort on her face and the faint smell of something salty lingered in between.
Was she… crying?
Natsu hoped he didn't have to get involved in whatever this was and stayed frozen against the bushes, hoping the darkness would mask him in the shadows but with the moon nearly full and high up in the sky, she would most definitely see him if she tried.
And of course since his cards were not in his favor from the start, Natsu groaned when she looked right at him.
"W—who goes there?" She said to him and Natsu clucked his tongue, grabbing for his plate before standing back up.
She remained frozen in her place, watching him with wide eyes as he dusted his clothes off and stood.
Even from where he stood, he could tell she was shorter than him and seeing how there was nothing out of the ordinary about her, he deemed her safe. No blood nor rips in her clothing and certainly no weapon.
"Were you running away from someone or something?" He decided to ask, his eyes flickering down at his plate that was growing colder by the second.
He would hate for something to happen to his treats and if he had to fight someone off, he wanted to be ready for it.
Even if Natsu wasn't the ideal man to marry, he wasn't going to stand by and allow someone to terrorize someone else. Especially when it came to women. And this woman was definitely running away from something and she looked distraught enough that he felt like he had to help her.
"J—just… needed some air." She said and he could hear her swallowing thickly from where he stood.
Liar.
But Natsu didn't care enough to poke into the reason behind her lie. He listened to his surroundings to see if he could hear or even smell anyone else nearby but he could only hear the chatter and music coming towards the balcony.
And the soft sniffling coming from this mysterious woman.
Natsu argued with himself the whole time, wanting to find another quiet place to eat his treats but feeling torn about this upset woman. He couldn't possibly leave her out in the dark gardens on her own while she was crying and who knows what she was running from? Maybe they would come once he was gone and terrorize her even more.
Hating himself for being the person he was, Natsu scowled and let out a frustrated groan. He walked closer to the blonde who flinched at his sudden movement, her own feet taking cautious steps back as he neared.
"Relax," Natsu spoke softly, holding his hand out. "I am not going to hurt you."
Her eyes darted down from his outstretched hand to his face, her body language guarded. "Then who are you? What are you doing out here and not in there?"
"Can't a man find somewhere nice and quiet to eat his treats without a bunch of people trying to talk to him?"
The surprised expression that flashed across her face made him want to laugh but the earlier irritation was more persistent than her funny face.
"Are you..?"
"Listen, lady," Natsu snapped a bit impatiently, looking behind his shoulder to make sure nobody was coming before turning back. "I didn't even want to come here in the first place and that's why I snuck out here to find a quiet place I can eat my plate of food without someone trying to get me to dance with them or court them so if you don't mind, I'll like to return back to my task."
The nightlife was the loudest thing between them and Natsu wondered if he was being too harsh to a woman who did come running into the gardens crying.
"Well sorry for interrupting your plans," she snapped right back at him and he was surprised at the tone she was using. "Don't let me get in the way of your gluttony," she clicked her tongue, crossing her arms across her chest while looking away from him. "Some of us seem to have bigger problems than finishing up a plate of treats."
Maybe it was because Natsu had never been spoken to like this by someone else other than his father but he was rooted to his spot, his jaw slack.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Do you know who I am?"
Natsu blinked stupidly at the woman who matched his energy and as she glared at him, the dragon prince could only shake his head back and forth.
"Why would I know who you are?"
"Then how would I know who you are, then?" She scoffed, quirking a thin brow. "You did not introduce yourself and you are wearing a mask. How could I possibly know who you are besides the fact that you're some stranger hiding in the gardens to eat treats?"
Natsu completely forgot about the mask he was wearing and he felt incredibly stupid at the moment. He scowled and quickly ripped his mask off his face, throwing the annoying thing to the ground where he heard her gasp.
He turned to see her hands held in front of her mouth, her eyes rounding out. "Y—You are…" Normally his hair was a dead giveaway but in the dark he was sure his hair was more hidden than usual. "Prince Natsu Dragneel from the Draco Kingdom?"
"It's nice to know you don't lack brains like you lack manners."
The loud gasp that erupted from her lips made the corner of his lips tug upwards into a smirk, seeing how she glared at him through her own mask.
"Lack of manners? Look who is speaking! You did not even introduce yourself and you are in front of a lady, you pig!"
"You just called the dragon prince a pig and you dare say I don't have manners?"
"Look at your plate! Who are you trying to feed? A family of three?"
Natsu barked out into laughter at her fiery comebacks and he was finding himself enjoying the back and forth between this woman. He had yet to find a woman who would ever dare banter with him like this and even with her knowledge of his title, she was still acting the way she did.
"You obviously know who I am so you should know that I am also a dragon," he flashed his teeth at her. "We dragons tend to eat a lot."
The blonde merely huffed, giving him a pinched look that only had his grin widening.
"You seem like you're not half bad," he said, earning a scoff from her. "Would you like to join me?"
"Join you?" She echoed, her eyes flicking down at his plate in his hands before back at his face. "You don't mean..?"
"Unless you're here to find a suitor of your own and want to head back inside—"
"No!" She shouted almost too quickly and Natsu was nearly startled by the volume of her voice. He watched how a pink hue decorated her cheeks, the said woman reeling back from her embarrassing outburst. "I mean… I—I think I would like that. It is nearly too suffocating inside."
Now that was something Natsu could agree on and as his eyes looked around the garden to find a place for them to sit and eat, he was surprised to hear her speak.
"Come with me. There is a gazebo further in the gardens. We can go there and hope nobody else will come through."
The dragon prince didn't question anything but followed the woman who began to trek deeper into the gardens. His eyes glanced back at the balcony that continued to party away without any of them near before pinning back on the back of the blonde.
He had never seen her before but granted he didn't really know anyone else around. He had his neighboring kingdoms who sent people from time to time but he had never seen her. Maybe she was just some noble woman part of this kingdom and had attended the place per request by her family just like him.
He couldn't blame her for not wanting to be a part of the wild goose chase and knowing how many people had attended such an event to unmask the mystery princess, he knew the women were also being bombarded nonstop. It was suffocating to be in such a room with so many different smells and people and being stopped to participate in small talk.
And Natsu was not even looking for a bride so why entertain any of these women who were desperate for a chance with a higher status man?
The simple status of being princess was enough for anyone to want to participate while having the chance at the throne and while that was something Natsu did not have to worry about, he knew at the same time how important marriages were in his world.
And to Natsu's surprise, there was a gazebo further into the garden. All sorts of vines and flowers wrapped around it, giving it such a beautiful whimsical feel. Plantlife emerged from the dirt ground to surround it in such luscious greenery, pops of colors from the florals they have planted peeking out to say hello.
Natsu could only nod his head in satisfaction as the blonde entered into the gazebo, sitting down on one of the vacant chairs.
He followed suit, placing his now cold plate down before sitting down himself.
"So, do you belong to a noble family from this kingdom? You seem to know the grounds pretty well." Natsu decided to talk as he plucked the crumb cake from his plate, shoving it into his mouth almost immediately. He had been wanting to eat this particular treat since he sat down in the gardens and he sure as hell wasn't going to let her take it from him.
But he wasn't that rude because he pushed the plate closer to her and she took the hint to reach for it and pluck a shortbread.
"You can say that," she said half-heartedly.
He watched her untie her mask, an unknown rush of anticipation growing inside of him to see what she truly looked like. She was obviously a very beautiful woman and he didn't have to see the rest of her face to know that but thinking about seeing her naked face made him eager.
When she set down her mask on the table, Natsu was surprised to feel the rush of warmth that seeped down his body. His breath left his lungs as her chocolate gaze shifted over to look right at him and as her long lashes fluttered in his direction, he found himself swallowing thickly.
"I just don't like participating in such things like this… I know I am of age and all that but must I marry so soon?" She let out a frustrated sigh, pinching at the bridge of her nose. "I feel like I have yet to experience life yet I am thrown into the idea of marriage and families and responsibilities."
Now that was something Natsu could whole-heartedly agree on and she had officially piqued his interest enough for him to give her his attention. He leaned back against his chair, crossing his leg over his knee while he continued to eat.
"I could not agree with you anymore, all this talk about finding a partner is exhausting and too much. I cannot understand why our parents are so big on it. If the right person comes, they come, and if they don't then… oh well." He shrugged his shoulders, not even caring about the idea of never finding his mate. "But I am sure it is a lot more pressure for someone like you than it is me. Miss…?" Realizing he had yet to even get her name, he looked right at her with a dumbfounded expression.
She gave him an incredulous look before huffing, turning her head away from his direction.
"Oh, come on," Natsu said, leaning towards her where his elbow fell on the table "You can't blame me for not knowing your name when you barged into my safe space and were all rattled as if your tail was on fire."
The baffled look she gave him made him want to laugh again and he simply smirked, nibbling on the end of his own shortbread.
"You know my name so I should know yours."
"Everyone knows your name, dragon prince." She hissed his title as if it disgusted her and he merely furrowed his brows. "And if you must know, it's Lucy."
"What an odd name for a noble woman," Natsu dipped his head back to drop his last bit of his treat. "Is Luigi a common name in this kingdom?"
"Wha—? Luigi?" She echoed, her eyebrows knitted together. "My name is Lucy. Lucy." She repeated for good measure and Natsu just stared at her while chewing, making her sigh. "Forget it." She shook her head back and forth, pressing her fingers into her temple. "Why aren't you in there trying to find a bride?"
"Do I look like I want a bride right now?" He snorted, seeing how she finished off her shortbread to reach for another treat. "My father dragged me here and had been on my ass about finding a bride but I am simply not ready for such a commitment."
"But surely you are of age, are you not?"
"Four hundred and twenty years old to be exact." Natsu stated nonchalantly and he missed the look of disbelief flash across her face. "But I am still young and I want to be able to live my life without worry for a couple more years before I settle down."
"And my father here is worried about me when I am only nineteen." She muttered under her breath but with his hearing Natsu heard it all.
"You're only nineteen?" His eyes flickered down her figure and he watched how she curled herself in, scowling at him.
"Hey, my eyes are up here!"
"Why is your father so insistent on you finding a husband when you just became of age?" He ignored her shouting.
Lucy had just become of age to wed and sure it'll be nice to be wedded earlier than later but wouldn't women want to be wedded off fast? The security?
And she certainly did not look like she needed any help finding a man that would be interested in her. She was young, beautiful, and also wealthy.
"He… is a traditional man," she began to fiddle with her fingers. "Like everyone else out there, they want their children wedded and to someone of high status at that. And with a ball being hosted with more than four hundred attendees from all over the world with all sorts of titles, he thought it would be best to meet with those around and find someone suitable for me."
"So you are here to find a husband."
"More like they're here to find me." She grumbled under her breath, nibbling on the edge of a brownie she had now stolen from the shared plate.
Natsu's eyes widened as he heard her, freezing in his spot as he was midway from taking a bite of his cookie.
Did she just..? Could this be..?
Unable to bring himself back from the shock just yet, he only watched Lucy give him an odd look, furrowing her brows and practically scowling at him.
"What?"
"You're the mystery princess?" His voice didn't sound like his own as it rose to a squeak and he was feeling flustered at the thought that he actually did it.
He found the masked princess.
The princess who had been hidden away for nearly twenty years. The princess of this kingdom he was in. The princess who was technically his prize because he had found her.
Or more so she found him.
But the fact that he wasn't even trying to find her nor wanted anything to do with the whole unmasking part, Natsu was in complete shock and he felt like he should laugh.
His father would surely laugh and be proud of him if he knew he was the one to find the mystery princess but it was the fact that Natsu wasn't made it all too laughable.
The look she gave him showed that she wasn't going to reveal her identity to him at all and she looked almost scared as he announced her true self. But he was quick to thrust his hand out, not wanting her to run from him.
"I do not wish to marry you," he blurted out and when he watched her face twist into confusion before fury, he wanted to slap himself in the face.
"Well I certainly do not want to marry you, either!"
"No! I—!" Natsu cried out, trying to do some damage control as she was growing angrier. "I just mean that I—"
A large explosion nearly caused Natsu to throw himself to the ground, jerking violently in his spot as Lucy did the same. He rose from his seat, his sharp eyes taking in his surroundings while he got into a fighting stance but when he saw the colorful confetti that floated around them, he was more confused than anything.
A bright light shined upon them and Natsu winced, using his arm to cover up the brightness while he squinted.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Congratulations to the dragon prince, Natsu Dragneel!" A voice bellowed throughout the gardens and Natsu twisted his head back and forth to find the said person. "You have unmasked the mystery princess and have become the number one eligible suitor for princess Lucy Heartfillia! Congratulations!"
An uproar of cheers, clapping, and applause came from everywhere and Natsu felt too overstimulated to focus on one thing.
Did they just congratulate him?
Whipping his head over to see what Lucy was doing, he was surprised to see the wary look on her face. Her small frame trembled and with the way she was biting down on her bottom lip with wide eyes, he knew she wasn't happy about this either.
But, wait! He wasn't either! He didn't want a bride! He didn't want to get married!
When she turned her head to look right at him, he could see the unshed tears that lingered in her eyes and the look of fury being casted towards him.
"Lucy, no, I—!"
"Please join us in congratulating our future rulers, prince Natsu Dragneel of the Draco kingdom and princess Lucy Heartfillia of the Celestial kingdom! What a joyous day it is for both kingdoms!"
As the roars of the kingdom rang in his ear, Natsu could only stand there as he watched the princess wipe at her eyes before turning to make a dash into the gardens.
"Lucy!"
X
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tbc…?