prompt sixty nine: wreck

rate: T for Teens and Up

Sixty nine out of one hundred.

this one is a short one but continuation of royal!au

"The stars shall fade away, the sun himself Grow dim with age, and nature sink in years, But thou shalt flourish in immortal youth, Unhurt amidst the wars of elements, The wrecks of matter, and the crush of worlds." —Joseph Addison

x

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To put it simply, Natsu was not happy.

He was actually pretty pissed and the only person he could really blame it on was his father of all people. If he didn't drag him to this stupid kingdom and forced him to participate in this dumb quest to find the mystery princess, he wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place. If his father just listened and allowed him to live his life freely until he was ready to settle down, then maybe, maybe none of them would be seething with anger or annoyance or even a little bit of fear.

Because Natsu was scared. He was afraid of what this woman could do and who she was. He had no idea what kind of person she was, the magic she used, nor her traditions where he stood on her very lands.

What could he do?

Natsu was never scared of people. Sure he respected them and acknowledged their strengths but he wouldn't say he was scared of them.

But Lucy?

What the hell is with her that his magic submitted to her as if she was already his mate? That shouldn't be possible, they didn't know one another.

That was why he was scared of her. He didn't know who she was and she was already forcing him into submission where Natsu Dragneel does not submit!

But what was with that golden flash that happened with her eyes? What affected him so deeply that his magic slipped back inside of him and soothed him?

Which is where it took him to now where he had been on a roller coaster of emotions of ups and downs and now that he was back up again and spiraling into disaster and suffering, Natsu could only curse his stupid old man.

"I'm not marrying her." Natsu went straight to the point, announcing his true thoughts to his father.

Igneel grew stiff in his spot, his head slowly turning to glare at his son who sat across from him in their carriage. Luckily, this time, his father did provide him with the motion sickness drugs and he didn't have to be forced to sit through this mess, again.

It was as if the two dragons were having a staring contest, menacing glares being exchanged in a battle of dominance. Natsu wanted to bare his teeth at his father to show him how pissed off he was but he wasn't trying to die, obviously, since his father was still the dragon king and a man who could easily toss him around as if he weighed nothing.

"What is your problem, Natsu? When I was your age, I was already wedded and had you! I was a king at your age!"

"Did you know the princess is nineteen?" Natsu completely ignored the same old story he always told him. He could care less what his father had become at what age—that was his father, not him.

Igneel blinked right back at his son, seemingly unknowing the age of the princess.

Natsu could only scoff, fuming even more as he sunk further down into his seat. "She doesn't want to get married, either."

"Nonsense, she agreed to the terms of the contract and she's doing a great duty—"

"She doesn't want to get married." Natsu repeated, a bit sternly this time to get it through his father's head. "She told me so."

"Then how did you two—"

"It was by accident!" Natsu cried out, feeling more frustrated as his father only listened to what he wanted. "I ran into the gardens so I can eat in peace and she came running in there and we were talking but then out of nowhere she mentions how people are there to find her and with the stupid stars watching," he growled as he glared out his window. "They discovered us."

Igneel sat in his seat quietly as he listened to his son tell his tale, slow nods of his head being the only thing indicating he was listening.

"I don't want to get married to her and neither does she." Natsu stated once again, turning back to look at the red-haired king. "So, is there any way we can retract the engagement?"

The flat look on Igneel's face showed he wasn't going to retract anything and Natsu tossed his hands up in the air, resisting the urge to burst into flames right then and there.

"I don't know her!" He tried again, clenching his hands in his fists. "And she doesn't know me!"

"Well good thing we have such things as courting and you two will have time before you are officially wife and husband." Igneel looked bored as he looked down at his cuticles.

"She can be dangerous!"

"As dangerous as a dragon?"

Natsu clenched his teeth as he glared at his father, seeing the flicker of gold flash across his irises before he twisted his head away and scoffed.

"She…" the dragon prince could only swallow thickly, feeling nervous about admitting to his father about his submission. Would he have the answers to his questions? Maybe he should have paid a bit more attention during classes.

"She certainly is a bright, beautiful girl." Igneel drawled, making Natsu feel more flustered than before. "And surely she would make a great queen for you. I heard she is very smart, very tactical, and she is also a strong mage with rare Celestial magic. Could you imagine what kind of hatchlings you two would produce?"

"Father!" Natsu cried out, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment. "There will be no hatchlings because we are not getting married!"

"And what do you propose we do, son?" Igneel asked and Natsu could feel the heat beginning to rise inside the carriage. While it didn't bother him, his father's heat was always the one thing Natsu thought was hot and the younger Dragneel hissed, sinking further into his seat. "Contact the Celestial Kingdom and let them know we do not want to unify our kingdoms through marriage because the prince and princess simply do not want to?"

"Shouldn't I have a say in who I marry?!"

"You had that chance," the dragon king spat, scowling at his son. "And since you wanted to dilly dally all these years, I took it upon myself and look how successful I was in one night versus the fifty years it took you."

"I am not marrying her." Natsu said through clenched teeth and when his father began to laugh, he was truly one second away from throwing a fiery punch his way.

"The princess shall be visiting our kingdom by the upcoming Monday." Natsu snapped his neck over to give his father an incredulous look. "She will be staying with us for a month or so to get used to the kingdom and as well become further acquainted with you."

"Father—!"

"And that is enough." Igneel declared, staring down at his son who trembled across the seat from him. "That is what is to be done and I will not be having anymore of your childish insubordination, Natsu. You understand?"

"Stop the carriage!" Natsu shouted out and almost immediately it came to a halt.

"Where do you think you're going?" Igneel snapped his hand out to grab at his wrist and Natsu just flicked it off, scowling.

"I'm going to fly home. I need time to myself and I can't think with you sitting there and forcing the princess down my throat!"

"This marriage is to unify our kingdoms and it shall bring great success for both of us in the future! Why are you being so cruel about the whole thing?"

"Gee, I don't know," Natsu sprouted his wings, sharp canines being bared at the dragon king. "How about the fact that neither of us want to marry but our selfish fathers and kingdoms are forcing us to wed? You ever think of that?"

"Get back here right now—!" Igneel tried to snatch at him once more but Natsu took flight immediately. "Natsu Dragneel! How dare you speak to the king this way?!" He shouted into the air, one fist being thrown around in an act of fury.

Natsu could only stare him down, anger and disappointment sizzling deep within his chest. The flashes of the princess' tear stained face and her golden eyes came flickering in his mind and it made him even more frustrated. He took to the air, ignoring his father's cries and forcing himself to fly even faster and higher, the nip of the cool night calming his overly heated body.

What did he ever do to be forced into this? A miserable fate with an equally miserable bride.

How disastrous it will be.

X

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tbc