hello lovely people! finally back with another chapter~ it has been too long, way too long. i am so happy to be back to writing because lord knows how much i have missed it. ive missed all of you as well! how has everyone been?

anyway, i am super excited to be back. leave suggestions in the comments, say hello, anything! 

love you all, 

kels ★

The morning light was bright, blindingly so. I stood numbly beside the bed the held the battered Lisanna. My body trembled as I thought about what she had endured. A doctor was tending to her but even though she was conscious her eyes held a faraway look. She might as well of become an eloquent doll.

"Lucy... we should get ready for the day," Natsu says in a gentle voice. I don't move. I refuse to move. I waited three days for her return. For three days I holed myself up in Natsu's bedroom, hardly eating and managing only to sleep when he forced me to close my eyes and relax beside him. It was shallow sleep, scraping the surface of keeping me awake. My prayers to my mother had been answered, at least in bringing Lisanna home alive.

Someone cleared their throat. "Princess," I turn my head toward a well-dressed man who stood beside Natsu. He looked stoic, his back was stiff and he seemed out of place within the atmosphere of the room.

"Under the sixty-third decree of Lyonidas, you are not to speak of or otherwise reveal the events surrounding Baroness Lisanna Strauss and the Kingdom of Crossbern." I stare at him with widening eyes. They meant to tell me I had to pretend this never occurred. I had to keep it all under wraps. My gaze darts to Natsu and he is solemn, his hands folded behind his back. "That is all." The man finishes and turns, leaving the room with a flourish, an icy breeze settling in behind him.

"We need to leave," Natsu moves towards me after a few more minutes. When he attempts to grab my wrist I pull it from his grasp. "Lucy." His tone is hard.

"No," I burst out sharply. "She suffered alone for too long."

"There's nothing you can do for her now. You have other responsibilities." He gently tugs me close, cradling my head and kissing my temple. "Act like you can set this aside," he whispers, "they are watching to see if you are capable."

I turn myself away from Lisanna, thus burying myself further into Natsu, ignoring now all these things I had sworn to myself to never do. One of those being to accept comfort from someone like him. "How? How can I?" My voice is considerably softer at this point. It's the most I can manage as raising it would simply evoke unwanted tears.

"Just keep her in your thoughts, remember she is in the best care the kingdom can offer," he cups my face in his hands, making eye contact with me. His eyes search mine, seemingly for something to grasp onto. "She is going to be alright." He affirms and my heart flutters. This moment, brief as it was, felt real. I nodded slowly and he then grasps my hand and leads me from the room, beginning already to tell me about the preparations we still had to complete.

"Your gown has to be fitted, Aries already has that in progress and she wants you to be ready for that soon. We have to practice speeches and you–" he abruptly turns to face me, almost causing me to collide with him, "have to finish learning how to dance, as well as learn about all the current events going on in the kingdom."

"By when?" I ask tiredly.

"Tonight."

"Tonight?!" I exclaim and he cups a hand over my mouth and scowls at me.

"You sure know how to keep it subtle, don't you?" He whispers harshly and I glare at him, wrenching his hand from my mouth.

"It's hardly my fault no one thought to inform me of this. Now if you'll excuse me, instead of staying by my friend's side I'll prepare to help you cover your ass," I hiss, and then I storm quickly towards my room whilst completely ignoring him as he called out to me.

When I reached my room Aries was waiting for me there, looking as calm and collected as usual. Wordlessly she pulled me towards a set of mirrors and then she undressed me. She instructed me to put my hair up and as I did she pulled a stunning navy blue gown from the closet. It had the illusion of being the night sky, the tiny gems twinkling with every movement of the skirts. It had lace laid over the fabric of the top, and once the solid fabric ended above my breasts the lace continued up to my neck and down my arms as sleeves. It opened in a v shape down my back, leaving it almost uncomfortably exposed.

"I can't wear this," I whisper in awe as my fingers graze the material.

"What do you mean? I'm working to fit it now," she looks at me with confusion.

"No...I mean this is much too beautiful for me to wear," my eyes meet hers when I look over at her and she shakes her head.

"No," she smiles softly, "you are much too beautiful for a dress like this, Princess."

I don't respond, only smiling at her words. With her help, I climb into the skirts and she ties me in. With a few small adjustments and a little hemming, the dress fits perfectly. Then she removes it and I change into a pale pink dress that was better suited for dancing and sitting down to study. I sat myself at the desk in my room and study the documents that had been left there for me, reading about all the current political and economic events going on in and around the kingdom.

When I finished with that I was offered a meal but I declined, my body still felt no need for eating. I had no appetite or will. Practicing my graceful walk I made my way towards the ballroom. There my coach was waiting to practice with me, and with utter determination, I completed my rehearsal. Once I completed partner work he insisted on showing me how to dance alone, and I accepted. To the best of my ability, I mirrored him, slowly learning how to dance alone. I was leaping and twirling, dipping and soaring over the ballroom floor. Without meaning to I found myself laughing, and I even got Aries to dance some with me.

I'm startled from my happy daze when I hear a small commotion near one of the entrances. I whirl around to see Natsu standing in the doorframe, and a staff member bowing to him, seeing to be frightened. He wasn't paying much attention to her, as he seemed fixated on me.

"Princess, we must leave. They need to prepare for the celebration tonight," Aries informs me.

"Ah, yes," was my mumbled response. I quickly walk for one of the other sets of doors, almost breaking into a run. I didn't want to see Natsu, not for a while longer. There was uncertainty in my chest, I wasn't sure if I would get angrier at him or have it all melt away if I continued staring at him. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I darted out the door, but I let out a small yelp of shock when my arm was grabbed and I was pushed against the wall. With wide eyes I was staring at Natsu, both of us breathing heavily.

"Why are you running?" He asks after a short silence.

"I don't know," I lie. He looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you sure you weren't trying to hide that from me?" He murmurs.

I pause. "Hide...what?"

"That smile, that laugh. What I saw back there," he motions to the ballroom before placing his hand beside my shoulder on the wall. "I've never seen you like that before."

I laugh bitterly. "Of course you haven't! How can you smile and laugh when you're miserable?"

"I guess you're right," he steps back. "It's kind of a shame. You're beautiful like that." He shoves his hands in his pockets and strolls down the hall, leaving me speechless and in a haze.

After recovering from my encounter and a few hours of intense preparation and rehearsal it's finally time to meet back up with Natsu. My stomach is in knots and the weight of the atmosphere is making it physically difficult to breathe. I look over the railing of the stairs at the crowd and then back at Aries who has just returned from running messages.

"You will meet him in the ballroom, he's waiting there," she says and urges me towards the stairs.

"W-wait I can't make the entrance by myse-" I am cut off as my presence is announced and people turn to the stairs to watch me begin to descend. I try to wave at everyone and eventually I cross into the ballroom and I see eyes waiting to devour me and gaze upon me. The dark material of the night sky dress contrasts my light hair and I can see my skirt twinkling as I move.

I resist the urge to bolt away and lower my head. I keep my chin up and my eyes sweep the crowd. People had been clapping this whole time and I only realized it when my gaze finally landed on Natsu, who was dressed in his full formal gear. I saw medals and the official sash and buttons signifying royalty. His hands were still though, tucked into his pockets. He was staring at me again, the same way he had been earlier. There was a smirk playing on his lips, and if we weren't surrounded by hundreds of important guests I'd have rolled my eyes.

Finally, I reach him and he loops his arms around my waist and pulls me close to him, kissing me on the cheek as he does so. "You look absolutely stunning," he whispers into my ear, his breath gliding over my skin causing shivers to run down my spine. I pull myself from his arms and brush some loose baby hairs behind my ear, trying to hide my flushed face from him, but I hear him chuckle softly at me.

"Time for the most riveting part of this whole thing," he sighs and I nod, knowing that what laid ahead of me was a lot of senseless conversation. And that's what it was, senseless. Lots of empty compliments or people trying to get under my skin. Very few people felt wholesome and genuine, most of them were snakes or vain—or both. The most memorable parts were the moments when Natsu would leave butterfly kisses on my nose, cheek or temple, or when I would lean into him just to escape the atmosphere for a bit until I had to return.

We finally completed most of the rounds and Natsu pulled me off to the side a bit. I couldn't help but have noticed all the gorgeous women that had attended. Natsu follows my gaze.

"Why didn't you choose one of them?" I ask him, looking up at him. "They're breathtaking, and from what I gathered they are intelligent and more than qualified to do this."

The corners of his mouth raise slightly as he looks out at them. "You're right, they are indeed breathtaking and qualified," He looks down at me. "but they don't have any fire about them."

I scoff and look away. Then we are pulled into the circle of people who had begun dancing and with a soft sigh we joined in. It, for the most part, was the group dances that I had been taught, but all of a sudden the music changed from quick and joyful to slow and gentle. Natsu's eyes meet mine across the group and people begin shedding away from us. We met in the middle of the floor and as his hands rested on my waist I placed my hands on his shoulders. He kept gazing at me like he was curious, studying me.

Finally, I can't stand not knowing anymore and ask, "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"Looking at you how?" He questions.

"Like I'm a puzzle you can't quite piece together."

He smiles and laughs a bit, not answering right away. "That's because you are, Lucy. I can't figure you out."

"There's not much to figure out," I smile slightly.

"That's where you're wrong, you are most certainly a complex puzzle. I just think I'm missing a few important pieces," his eyes search mine as he draws closer to me.

"What pieces?" I whisper, not pulling myself away and his eyes look down.

"Things like what makes you smile the way you did today," his eyes return to mine and our noses brush together. My face flushes when I realize how close together we are, and I touch my forehead to his. A silent cue that said not that close, and soon the music changed to be lively again and we don't separate entirely, but the space returns.

I cling to his arm while he continues to greet guests, I silently sip champagne and greet people. While Natsu speaks with a Nobleman I overhear a conversation behind me.

"Yes, I heard she's the daughter of a former nobleman," a woman laughed, "poor thing."

"Who was her father?" Another woman asks.

"Jude Heartfilia, the man who dug himself two graves," the first voice responds.

"How did our prince end up with a woman from that family? Of all the disgraces..." the second voice replies. My blood begins boiling and I squeeze Natsu's arm, who's now looking at me with concern. 

"I wonder what kind of hole she crawled from, that beggar," the first woman sneers. Tears of anger stung at the back of my eyes. How dare these people talk about my parents that way? What did they know about it anyway?

"She must have used guilt or found dirt on the royal family to worm her way into that position," the second woman replies with acidity. I whirl around and try to search for the source of the voices, and when I finally spot the two women I am about to leap at them but Natsu keeps a firm grip on my arm.

"Don't even think about it," he shakes his head and I narrow my eyes at him.

"You think I'm just going to take that?" my voice cracks and I hold my throat for a moment. 

"You don't have much of a choice," he points out and I scowl. 

"Of course not," I shake my head, "why would I..."

He cups my cheek in his hand, surprising me. "None of us have a choice. I couldn't tell you how many times I have wanted to take people out for things they were saying about me, my parents or people I know," he looks at the two women, "this is one of them."

My surprise becomes evident in my looks. "This doesn't mean I don't believe your father shouldn't have been punished, but his punishment is by no means yours or reflective upon you or your mother," Natsu quickly adds. 

"You'd think it was, considering I can't leave," I raise my eyebrow at him.

He rolls his eyes and gets his face level with mine, "You are being punished for your own mistakes because someone has to make sure our citizens know how to be alert and aware of their surroundings," he grins slyly and I purse my lips.

"Someone should teach you to learn to be patient and watch out for your citizens instead of impeding them from working," I poke his chest. He laughs and brushes my bangs back from my eyes. 

"Teach me then," he straightens up. 

"What? No, you have staff for that," my eyebrows furrow. 

"I want you to teach me, or I won't learn it," he says with a smirk. 

I shake my head and sigh, "Fine, I will teach you some common decency. If that's even possible..." I mutter the last part and he looks at me with feigned offense. 

"Aw, Luce that hurts," he laughs and I just pat his chest. We continue through the crowds, eventually working our way out. I decide to head to my room, tired from all the social interaction and hard work from earlier in the day, my mind drifts back to Lisanna and I yearn to return to her room, but I know it wouldn't be the best idea at this hour. Instead, I make my way back to my room and after fumbling with my clothes I tiredly slip into a nightgown and collapse on my bed, feeling the happiest I ever had to see it.