***Lucy's POV***

The finest of Magnolia's navy and troops rested on our shores as the Fairy Tail approached. My heart lurched as I scanned what I could see of the ship, hoping to find Natsu. I found Wendy and Gray against the rail scanning the shore, Erza dragging Jellal from under the deck, and finally my eyes rested on Natsu at the captain's wheel. For the first time since I was brought back into the palace, I finally felt complete and at peace.

However, that brief moment of peace was disrupting my Loke on the shore pacing furiously.

"Why haven't you destroyed his ship yet?!" He barked at one of the soldiers.

"S-Sir, the King has specifically ordered-" The poor soldier started.

"Do I look like I care what the king had 'specifically ordered', do I?!" Loke yelled, his face growing redder by the second.

"You certainly should care if you are going to lead my kingdom, Soldier." King Jude said, a group of advisors and military strategists trailing behind him.

"You can't really let him get this close! Him and his sea hoodlums will try and steal my Lucy from me and it will never happen again!" (Sea hoodlums, I'm dying rn)

"Him and his sorry excuse for a crew will do no such thing. They are in the hands of Magnolian authority now." King Jude said with a conniving grin on his face.

"Now," Jude announced. "Where is my lovely daughter?" His eyes shot to the castle window, immediately meeting my eyes.

I moved away from the window. I have to get away from here, if Father has Natsu and I, nothing will end well. Our lives will be more miserable together, yet apart than if we were apart but together at heart.

With my thoughts racing as fast as my legs, I ran down the hallway attempting to think of some place I could hide for awhile and not be seen. Just enough time for them to focus on Natsu, so I can cause a distraction. A rather stupid plan, but when all you've been doing for weeks is sitting and staring at boring rose wallpaper, your thought process would be kind of scramble too.

"Hey! There she is!" A guard yelled pointing in the hallway at my direction.

Crap! I thought, picking my pace up. However, my short little legs were no match for a handful of trained military officials.

The end of the hallway was becoming surprising close as the adrenaline pulsed in my veins. The only thing at the end of the hallway was the large glass window. I grimaced at the thought of all the glass cutting into my skin if I jumped out of the window, but anything was better than being being under Father's control anymore.

"Stop right there!" Someone from behind the group of guards yelled.

The guards, and myself, turned around to see who it was. Somehow between the mass of guards I could see Gray's dark hair that closely resembled the uniforms of the royal guard.

"Stay away from Lucy, or myself and the rest of the crew will make you regret it." Gray spat with his hands raised, slowly a mass of ice was forming in his hands.

One of the guards scoffed. "A little punk like you doesn't scare us. First we deal with Princess Lucy, and then the rest of you sea scum."

The ball of ice and  Gray was forming in his hands was growing at a rapid rate. "Lucy, move!" He yelled.

"What?" I asked.

"Just move, now!" He yelled raising his fists.

I felt stupid when the hit of realization came crashing down on me.

Much like the crashing of the ice from Gray's fists was about to hit the guards in front of me, and myself if I didn't move. Quickly, I pushed myself up against the wall.

"Hey, what's that sea boy doing?" One of the guards asked scratching his head in thought.

"I don't know, Jimmy. He's probably gonna make him a little slide because he thinks he can get away from us!"

"Well now, Danny we can't have that! Get 'im!" Jimmy yelled.

The guards yelled in agreement and charged towards Gray. Gray's face contorted in confusion by their sudden attack. "Ice Make Cannon!" Gray yelled, blasting the guards back, shattering the glass window causing the guards to fall into the rose bushes below. The chorus of "Ow"s and "What the heck just happened?"s rang out.

"Lucy, let's go!" Gray yelled, I nodded and ran with him down the hallway. As we ran I looked out of the windows that showed the shore filled with our army and the Fairy Tail docked. My heart clenched at the thought of Natsu. What if my father and Loke had gotten ahold of him and the rest of the crew?

I couldn't bare to think those thoughts any longer, so I focused on matching Gray's pace, yet staying as quiet as I could. "Gray, where is Natsu? Is he alright?"

"I will tell you later, we just need to focus on getting to the ship and staying quiet." Gray whispered.

"Hurry, men! We must find the princess!" A guard yelled from the hallway, the sound of their harmonious steps getting loud.

"Crap." Gray gritted his teeth. Quickly he pushed the door open next to the spot we were hiding next to, then shoved us inside and closing the door as quiet as he could. He locked it for good measure.

"That was a close one." Gray whispered, laying his back against the door.

The light flickered on.

"You're telling me."

***Natsu's POV***

"This is a trap." I announced, carefully maneuvering the Fairy Tail closer to the shore of Magnolia without hitting any of the other ships surrounding the shore.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Erza said, hauling Jellal up to the deck.

"That's Captain Natsu to you, Scarlet." I told her.

"Whatever you say."

As the ship hit the sand and Elfman threw the anchor in the water with a loud splash (and of course claimed that because he could do that, that he was a man), King Jude stepped ahead of his men.

"Hello, Natsu Dragneel. I believe we have some business to discuss." He said, straightening the hem of his overpriced shirt.

"I believe you're quite right, Your Majesty." I said with a smirk.

Don't worry, Lucy. I'm here for you now, and for the rest of your days you will never have to worry again.

***Lucy's POV***

"My sweet Lucy, what are you doing here with this leech?" Loke asked, leaning against the golden frame of a desk chair.

"She's getting away from you, that's for sure." Gray growled at him, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer to him.

Loke scoffed and stepped towards us. "That's where I believe you are wrong. If anything, after today we will be much closer." He said, reaching for my hand.

I jerked it away from him with a glare. "Don't you ever touch me again."

"Come now, sweetheart. You know you don't mean that, I certainly know you don't. That little leech is trying to deter you from being with me. Has our time here meant nothing to you?" He asks with a hurt expression on his face. I know it is a lie. Loke only has feelings for himself, he feigns any compassion towards other because for the most part it lessens his satisfaction.

"Trust me, Loke. All of the pain and suffering that I have felt here is not nothing. I will remember every second here because it has showed me who cares for me and who does not." I spat at him.

Loke just smiled at me. "Looks like we will have to take some more...drastic measures to ensure your complete cooperation. Let's start with your little sea leech.

"Don't you dare touch Gray!" I yell at him.

With his smile still on his face, he looks at the floor and chuckles. "Oh sweetheart," He says with his eyes darting back up at us. A glint of metal flashing from his pocket.

"I won't lay a single finger on your precious Gray."

A/N:

Wow. Another cliffhanger. I'm getting good at those at least. I know that it's a short update and it's already been just over two weeks since my last update. But, hey, at least I'm trying now. I am now officially on Christmas break with all of my midterms completed.

I really wanted to update now, in case I don't before Christmas so I could tell you all to have happy holidays (and if you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas!)

I hope you all make wonderful memories with your families and just remember that family is what matters most, even when they drive you absolutely insane (cheesy and stereotypical, I know).

Stay nerdy, bros!

~DeathPasta