Prince For Ransom...

The Prince...

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

"Prince Natsu, please get dressed!!" A maid yelled from the other side of a locked door.

"I'm not going and you can't make me." Natsu yelled from his bed.

"Your  father is waiting for you to make an appearance; please Prince Natsu,  don't make your father worry." Natsu knew his father wasn't well and  didn't want to make him any worse.

"Fine,  I'll be down in a minute." Natsu got up off his bed and started getting  dressed, his own personal reasons for refusing to go would have to be  pushed aside for the moment.
He walked down to the main ballroom. His reluctance had eased in comparison to what was once a large lump in his chest.

He walked through the doors to see people dancing, eating and silently conversing amongst themselves. The colorful orchestra had been playing the fastest song they probably could and people moved accordingly.

"Natsu!!" A small voice shouted from across the room. Natsu whipped around to see the Princess of the Wind Nation padding across the dance floor clumsily.

"Wendy, I see you've grown quite a bit." Natsu smiled and extended his arms for a hug. Her embrace was always warm and welcoming, just like her mothers.

"I didn't know you were going to be here, if I had I would've come down earlier to keep you company." He was sure that maybe she would be doing him the favor of keeping him company instead of the other way around.

"I was with your father. He was saying that you didn't want to come down, how come?" Wendy questioned.

"The most eligible bachelorette's are in attendance and I haven't married yet." Wendy giggled.

"My mom gave me the Jade Amulet, so since I'm the next heir to the throne maybe you'll settle for me." Wendy smiled but Natsu knew she had her eyes set on a man who had been her guard from birth.

"Really? You know Wendy, maybe I will take you up on that offer but what will Mest say about that?" Wendy blushed deep red and Natsu laughed to see she was still affected by his teasing of her.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about Dragneel." Wendy was coming close to marrying age but he knew that she would want to be with someone she loved and not someone who was just her friend. She wanted love not fondness that would only bear heirs as was her duty.

"Really? Should we call him over here then?" Natsu looked in the general direction of the afore mentioned man.

"No Natsu, please don't do this." Wendy pleaded. Natsu could see that Wendy needed a little bit of confidence, maybe a spring in her step so to say.

"Wendy, you're already of marrying age and Mest would be a fool not to want to marry you. Sixteen is the appropriate age of queens in the wind country if I remember correctly. You're turning sixteen in a couple days right?" Natsu wanted Wendy to know it was okay for her to want to love Mest.

"Thanks Natsu." Wendy tip toed to Natsu's cheek, giving him a kiss before walking over to Mest. He watched as she walked over to him and gestured to him, having known him for quite some time.

Natsu continued to roam the ballroom, every now and then picking up a full glass of wine and setting down the empty glass in his hand. He finally made his way to his father, whom was sitting down beside the Queen of the Wind Country.

"Natsu, it's so nice to have you join us." Queen Grandine chirped in as Natsu came around and gently kissed her on her check, winking at Wendy and nodding to Mest as he sat down.