"Do I really have to dress up for this? Why do we have to meet them anyway?" Lucy whined, crossing her arms and sticking her lip out in a pout. From behind her, Layla Heartfilia giggled and paused her braiding to look at her daughter. The two blondes stared at each other via the mirror, their equally shinning brown eyes locking onto the other's. Layla smiled at her little mini-me and gently pinched the little girl's rosy cheek. Lucy squealed and tried to squirm away from her tormenter, but Queen Layla grabbed onto the giggling girl and pulled her tightly against her front. Princess Lucy tried to escape, to no avail. After a moment of wicked tickling, Lucy called for a truce and leaned against her mother, panting. She let out breathy giggles, still trying to regain her breath, while her Mother chuckled against her. Lucy, finally back and able to breathe normally, turned around to face her mother. "Why are King Igneel and Queen Gradneey visiting, Mommy?"

"The whole Dragneel Royal Family is coming, Lucy," her mother corrected, picking her up and gently turning her back towards the mirror. Lucy puffed out her cheeks indignantly as her mother resumed braiding, catching the strands of hair that had escaped in their tickle fight. "You'll get to meet Prince Natsu and Princess Wendy."

"Only one girl?" Lucy replied sadly, feeling bummed. She didn't want to hang out with gross boys.

"Wendy is a little younger than you, but I'm sure you'll like her. She's a very sweet girl," Layla promised her young daughter, smiling when the little girl looked slightly less angry than before. "Prince Natsu is your age."

"Ew, I don't want to hang out with weird boys," Lucy shook her head, sticking out her tongue to prove her point. The Queen laughed and tied off Lucy's braid, wrapping her arms tightly around the little body in front of hers.

"What's so bad about boys? Afraid you'll be embarrassed around them?" Layla teased, and Lucy blushed.

"No way! Boys are gross and always will be!" Lucy said, lifting her nose up haughtily. Layla laughed and rested her head on the little girl's shoulder. Looking at the two, it was easy to see where the little blonde got her stunning looks from. Even at the young age of seven, anyone who had eyes could see that the little Princess would grow up to be as fine, if not more so, as her beautiful mother. Layla could see that too, and it made her smile.

"Don't ever stop thinking that, okay?" She whispered, and Lucy nodded accordingly. Layla closed her eyes for a second before giving Lucy a quick peck on the cheek and placing her gently on her feet. "Well, shall we go get dressed?"

"Can I put on my own dress? I don't like making Aries do it," Lucy said sadly, bowing her head and giving her mother the puppy eyes. Layla smiled gently at the caring blonde, also knowing that she would become as kind as she would be beautiful.

"Of course," her mother promised, and Lucy gave her a bright smile. She reached up, grabbing the older woman's hand, and they headed towards the closet.

~~~~~~~

"Do we have to be here? I don't want to wear this itchy suit," the little boy pouted, shifting awkwardly in the stiff garments. They were a little too big on his skinny frame, but the shoulders and pants were so formed that he had trouble bending his limbs. That being said, nothing stopped him from crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest.

"I've told you before, we're going to meet some old friends of mine," King Igneel sighed, glancing at his son. He tried not to laugh at how ridiculous the boy looked; dressed like a fine young prince, with the exception of his unruly pink hair. He was reminded of himself, of course, and that only made him want to laugh more. Natsu noticed this, and frowned deeper at his father. His Father was in nothing more than some nice pants and a regal shirt. Why could he wear comfortable clothes when he was forced to wear this deathtrap?

"You look stunning, dear," Queen Gradneey assured her young son without even looking over. Both the King and Queen had an air of excitement around them, looking forward to seeing their childhood friend and her husband. Natsu on the other hand, had a dark aura of gloom as he picked fruitlessly at the hem of his jacket. Beside him, Wendy was humming as she watched the scenery go by, completely comfortable in her dress. Natsu frowned at her jealously.

"Momma, do King Jude and Queen Layla have any children?" Wendy asked suddenly, turning to face her mother. This time the Queen did look towards her daughter, smiling. Natsu also looked towards his mother, interested in possible play mates.

"Yes, they have a very beautiful daughter named Lucy. In fact, I believe she's your age, Natsu," Natsu only nodded, loosing interest at the mention of a girl. He turned to look out the window as Wendy asked how she and Queen Layla had met. Natsu sighed and let his Mother's voice become background noise as he stared out at the passing greenery glumly. Igneel looked up, frowning at his son's downcast mood.

"You know," he started, catching their attention, "If Princess Lucy is anything like her mother, she'll be a lot of fun." The King smiled, but Natsu frowned deeper.

"Girls are boring and weird. They don't ever want to play games I like. They play with dolls and try to get me to do make-up with them," Natsu shivered, recalling the last Princesses he'd seen. The Strauss girls, Lisanna and Mirajane, had forcibly stuffed him into a dress and coated his face in make-up that made him sneeze for days. He had only done it so that they would go and play with him afterwards, but when he suggested a game of tag, both girls had declined, saying it was unlady-like. Natsu didn't understand that, therefore he thought girls were weird.

"Well, yes, typically girls do that," King Igneel admitted, remembering the fiasco with a small smile. He had wanted to take a picture of his dolled-up son, but Gradneey said if he did, she would kick him out of the castle again.

"So what makes this girl different?" Natsu murmured, looking like his case was given.

"Trust me, I think you'll find that the women in this castle are very different," Igneel promised his son, shaking his head and smiling. Fond memories of growing up around his childhood friend began invading his mind, and he couldn't help but feel happy yet again that his son was getting the same opportunity. He hoped with all his might that Natsu and Lucy could be friends; if the young princess was anything like her mother and Natsu was anything like him, which he was, than they would grow up to be the greatest of friends.

Natsu watched his smiling father oddly, but shrugged and turned back to look out the window. Secretly, he hoped his dad was right about the princess, but Natsu knew better than to get his hopes up. She would be just like the others, he knew it.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Dragneel's were led into a large greeting room with different tables set up. Natsu stared around, hopeful for food, but saw none. He could smell it though, and the delightful scent of roast beef and potatoes made his mouth water. He could see that his father also smelled the delicious dinner, but wasn't able to show it before Queen Gradneey had hit him in the back of the head. Sometimes he had to wonder how his parents fell in love; his mother was always yelling at his father or hitting him, and his father was always throwing disguised insults that weren't really all that disguised because Mom would just glare at him. Natsu didn't understand how that type of relationship didn't drive them crazy. There was no way he'd let his wife boss him around like Gradneey did, but when he told his dad this, the man just laughed. He'd said 'You'll understand when you find someone of your own' and had left it at that. Natsu just gave up on his Father after that.

"Ah! Gradneey, Igneel, and little Wendy and Natsu! Welcome, welcome!" A tall, sturdily built man entered the room, smiling and extending open arms towards his guests. The man had blonde hair and a short mustache over his upper lip, soft brown eyes, and a bright smile that seemed to warm the room.

"Jude! What a pleasure," Gradneey exclaimed, moving forward and enveloping the man in a hug. Natsu knew from his own experiences that his mother's hugs could be dangerous, but the man didn't even flinch under her tight grip. Instead he began chuckling and lifted Gradneey into the air. The woman squeaked in surprise and Jude quickly set her down, pushing back and looking her over.

"Is it just me or have you gotten younger, Grad?" The man, Jude, asked. Natsu scoffed under his breath, his father laughing, and Gradneey blushing slightly while waving the blonde man away.

"Don't you pull that on me, Jude," she scolded him, but she was still smiling. The man smiled back gently, and then straightened and jumped towards Igneel.

"And you, don't you look fine and galant," Jude laughed deeply, a laugh the rivaled Natsu's own father's.

"I could say the same to you, old friend," his father returned. The two men clasped hands in a shake, but then pulled each other forward and capped a hand on the other's back. Natsu was slightly startled at the contact between the two men, but reminded himself that the Heartfilia's were great friends with his parents. From his knowledge, the Queen and his father had been best friends since they were five.

"It truly is good to see you again," Jude said after the two men released each other, stepping back to examine the family. His warm eyes fell on Natsu and Wendy, and a kind smile jumped to his face. "These must be the kids, eh? Princess Wendy, you're just as lovely as your mother, and Young Prince you certainly resemble your father."

"Thank you, Sir," Wendy squeaked, bowing formally.

"Oh please, no need for such formalities," Jude waved her away, grinning. Wendy smiled back shyly, and Natsu gave the man a grin of similar brightness. "Yes, very much like his father," the King stated, sounding a little startled. Natsu frowned, unsure of what that meant, but then the doors were being pushed open and all their attentions turned. "And there they are!"

"Sorry we're so late, I hope you haven't been waiting too long," a sweet, female voice called, just as a beautiful blonde woman stepped into view. She looked elegant yet relaxed in her long, pink gown, with her golden locks brought up in a loose bun, and her brown eyes shinning under the lights. She smiled as she spotted her guests, and the said guests smiled back. The woman moved forward, then paused and glanced over her arm with a chuckle. "Come along, Lucy, they won't bite. I promise."

From behind him, Igneel chuckled and Gradneey giggled. Wendy and Natsu glanced at each other and turned towards the door as another girl stepped out.

The first thing that Natsu thought when he spotted the blonde girl, was that she looked exactly like the blonde woman. She was smaller and skinnier, of course, and lacking in curves and a bust, and was in a silky light blue dress with her gold hair done in a braid, but the coloring, hair, and big brown eyes were the same as the woman above her. She stepped shyly into the room, coming to a stop beside her mother. Her large eyes surveyed his parents first, then his sister, before finally landing on him. She seemed startled to see him, although Natsu didn't know why, and they stared at each other for a long moment.

"Lucy," the older woman said gently, lightly placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Said girl jumped at the contact, and her pale skin broke out into a bright blush. She quickly adverted her eyes, and Natsu was struck by how weird she was. He shook the thought away, glancing up to see his parent's expressions. Gradneey was cooing at the girl's cuteness, while his father was smirking down at him. Natsu also felt his cheeks heat up, but it was nearly impossible to see with his darker skin. He was grateful for it, turning his attention back to the approaching blondes.

"Layla," Gradneey said, moving forward and gently embracing her old friend. "God, do you ever look bad?"

"Oh, all the time," Layla assured his mother, giggling with Gradneey.

"Highly doubtable," Igneel muttered, wrapping the blonde woman in a tight hug. Queen Layla choked out a cough of surprise, before bursting out laughing and throwing her arms around Igneel. The man grunted at the force of the tiny woman's hug, and they pulled away after a moment. "Still as strong as ever, I see."

"You better believe it," Jude put in, shaking his head while the others laughed. Natsu watched them curiously, trying to do his best to keep his attention off the blonde girl in front of him.

"So this is the little Princess I've been hearing so much about?" Igneel asked, gazing down kindly at the little blonde. The King was secretly pleased that she looked to be a near replica of her mother.

"This is Lucile, although you can just call her Lucy," The queen introduced, placing two hands on the girl's thin shoulders and pushing her in front of her gently. Lucy stumbled forward, glancing at the two adults before bowing.

"Hello King and Queen Drag-o-neel," she said in a squeaky, girly voice.

"She's adorable," Gradneey gushed, stepping forward and smiling at the girl. "And please dear, just call me Gradneey."

"Looks just like her mother," Igneel murmured, smiling kindly at the little blonde. Surprisingly, the little girl offered him a shy smile in return.

"I could say the same for your son," Layla chuckled, and Natsu tore his gaze away from the young blonde to the older one as she smiled down at him. He felt warm, being on the receiving end of such a kind look, and smiled back. Layla laughed loudly, glancing between him and his father speculatively. "Do tell, do you like to eat as much as your father?"

"He eats more than me," The king admitted, a little sadly, and Layla started to laugh again. Natsu smiled, rather liking her laugh, and nodded his head proudly.

"A lot more," he added in, puffing out his chest.

"I see," Layla chuckled, rubbing her eyes and smiling at Igneel. "Just like his father." She turned to Wendy. "And you are certainly a replica of your mother." Wendy blushed at the compliment.

"Sir?" an older sounding voice called, and they all turned to see a short elderly man in a suit standing by the door, having crept in unnoticed. Natsu wondered how long he'd been there, but the Heartfilia's didn't seem to mind.

"Ah! Makarov!" Jude exclaimed happily, laughing. "Is dinner ready already?"

"Indeed, Sir," the man affirmed, motioning towards the table. "If you'll take your seats, we'll bring it right out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Natsu's nose had been right, he was affirmed, as the servants brought out large platters of all types of delicious meats. His eyes landed on the roast beef and he began to drool, imagining digging into the whole thing. His father seemed to share his view. The king's eyes also locked onto the plate as a servant brought it in. There was tons of food in total, and Natsu realized that they did it especially for him and his father.

"Well," Jude said when all the food was set up, spread in a tantalizing feast across the table, "dig in."

Natsu had a lot of everything, especially the roast beef, and he felt like a balloon when he was finally done. No one seemed surprised that the two Dragneel men had gobbled up practically the whole dinner, and he was also pleased to find that nobody looked disgusted either. Well, the blonde girl had looked surprised when he'd loaded a whole ham onto his plate, but even she seemed to have stopped caring during the meal. Natsu was slightly impressed to find her piling up quite a bit of food onto her plate as well.

"That was amazing, as always, Layla," Igneel complimented, leaning back happily into his seat. His wife sent him a disgusted look, but Layla just smiled and thanked him.

"Did you make this?" Natsu asked in surprise, glancing at the remaining scraps on his plate.

"Lucy and I," the Queen affirmed, glancing fondly towards the blonde girl. Natsu turned, but her gaze was locked onto her plate, like it had the answers of the world. He managed to catch sight of her blush behind her bangs, although it was gone when she looked up. He wondered if he imagined it.

"I like to cook," she said, shifting in her seat at the numerous sets of eyes on her. "I made the roast beef and ham."

"You made that roast beef?" His father asked incredulously, and Natsu also felt his jaw drop in surprise. The blush recoated her cheeks as she nodded shyly.

"W-Was it good?" She asked doubtfully.

"Good?" Natsu spoke without meaning to, and her head snapped towards him. He paused, slightly uncomfortable with her eyes directly on him, but swallowed down the nervousness. Since when did he get nervous? "It wasn't good," he watched as her face dropped, "It was incredible! How can you even do that? Can you teach me?"

"Huh?" Lucy gasped, looking surprised. Natsu was also surprised, both at the passion in his voice and the last part. Since when could he cook? "Uh, s-sure!"

"You are just the cutest!" His mom suddenly exclaimed, smiling brightly at Lucy. The small blonde smiled back.

"Cute and can cook," Igneel shook his head, clapping Natsu on the back, much to the boy's embarrassment. "Good luck, Buddy."

"She actually has quite the mouth on her," Jude informed them, smirking. "It's a miracle to see her this quiet."

"She's just a little shy," The Queen defended her daughter, smiling. "But once she gets to know you, don't expect her to stay silent for long."

"Well then, Princess Lucy," his dad said, giving a big grin to the little girl. "I look forward to getting to know you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner, the group moved into a large study. Shelves stuffed with books covered the walls and a black piano sat in the corner. A roaring fire warmed the room, crackling occasionally when the wood split. Natsu is seated on a chair, observing the adults as they begin to talk about the past. He laughed at the stories his father told about him and the Queen. He knew that his father and the Queen had been friends, but Natsu never guessed they had so many adventures together. It made him slightly jealous. The closest playmate he had were the sons of his father's main guards; Metallica and Silver. Silver's son, Gray, was nothing more than an Ice Princess, and Metallica's son Gajeel barely ever spoke. Those two were only good for fighting, not for friends.

Which made him wonder what the young Princess was good for. He glanced at her, watching her smile at something his father had said. Her smile was pretty, and she was a really good cook, and her eyes sparkled in the firelight...Natsu frowned, holding a hand to his chest. He could feel his heart picking up ever so slightly, but he didn't know why. He wasn't fighting the blonde girl, so why did looking at her create such a feeling of excitement in his chest? It wasn't excitement exactly, but something close to it. Whatever it was, it made him feel weird, and he didn't like it.

Weirdo. Clearly she was the source of his weirdness. It must be her weirdness infecting him. Yes, that seemed like the likely reason. She was just a weirdo, that's why he was feeling so weird.

Natsu looked away from the weirdo, determined not to let her weirdness reflect on him anymore. He focused in on his father's voice and lost himself in the stories of the past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When it came time to go, Lucy didn't think her parents would ever let go of their guests. The adults must have hugged a dozen of times, promising to visit with each embrace. The Queen hugged Lucy twice, not that she really minded, and the King shook her hand. He smiled at her and told her that he looked forward to meeting her again.

Wendy hugged Lucy as well, and Lucy hugged her back. Despite being three years younger, Lucy really liked the blue-haired girl. She reminded the princess of Levy, the daughter of one of the maids, as well as a good friend of Lucy's.

Natsu looked at Lucy hard, but didn't try to approach her, or even say goodbye. She didn't mind, she wasn't keen on the idea of hugging him either, and speaking to him made her stomach hurt. She merely locked eyes with him for a moment before they both looked away. Lucy cursed herself for feeling heat on her cheeks.

"We'll come and visit you next time," her mom promised, giving her best friend one last hug.

"We look forward to your visit," The king assured her, pulling away with a great big smile. Lucy liked his smiles, as well as his voice. His stories were funny as well, and he seemed like a very fun person. She wished the prince was more like his father.

Lucy held onto her mother's hand and waved at the disappearing carriage. When they left her sight, her mother picked her up and held her on her hip, smiling.

"Did you have fun?" She asked, looking hopeful. Lucy didn't even have to lie when she nodded her head, which surprised her. Despite the prince, she did have a good time. "I'm so glad," her mother smiled softly, placing her forehead against Lucy's. Lucy closed her eyes and sank into her mother's warmth, enjoying the feeling of being loved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the castle disappeared from view, the King slumped in his seat with a sigh. His father looked sad, yet happy at the same time, which confused the boy.

"When will they come visit us?" Wendy asked, looking hopefully at her mother. Gradneey smiled sadly, tucking a blue strand of hair behind her daughter's ear.

"I don't know, sweetie. They will be very busy, as will we. We might not see them for a while."

Wendy pouted, looking on the verge of tears. "But I want to play with Lucy tomorrow!"

"I know, I'm sorry, sweetheart." The Queen reached over and picked up the small girl, cradling her to her chest. Wendy shook with childish sobs as she clung to her mother. Natsu frowned at the odd display and looked at his father. The king smiled at him.

"Did you have fun?" He asked, looking hopeful. Natsu thought on it for a minute, and then nodded his head. Despite the princess and her weirdness, he liked the King and Queen. His father smiled, clearly overjoyed, and rubbed his son's hair. Natsu laughed and swatted him away. He reveled in his father's smile, enjoying the feeling of being loved.