"Master End, if you would-"
"For the last time, Mard," Natsu growled, "I have been flying all night. Food, now. Interrogation, later."
An entourage of soldiers had gathered in the courtyard of the decrepit grounds of Mard Geer's base to greet the Demon Prince, with their leader standing at the forefront. Mard's confident stance soon became a cower under Natsu's fierce glare, he'd began to fidget the moment Natsu had landed in front of him.
Natsu felt nothing as the commanders fear visibly spread through his soldiers. He sometimes felt guilt, or maybe even shame, but at the moment he had other things on his mind.
"B-But Master," Mard Geer stammered, the sight of the usually confident man squirming under his gaze made Natsu smirk, "The Titania is very-"
"Aggressive? Troublesome? Difficult to contain?" Natsu guessed. Mard nodded furiously at his last statement, "That's not my problem. Now, food. Don't make me ask again."
Accepting defeat, the commander's shoulders slumped. He called out to the crowd and two soldiers stepped forward. Mard ordered them to escort Natsu to the dining hall while he ensured that the mighty Erza was properly contained.
The Demon Prince followed the soldiers lead into the stone building, his stomach grumbling. The sound drew a worried glance from one of his escorts. Natsu snapped his jaws at the soldier, his grin feral. It was funny to watch them squirm, but not as funny as it used to be.
They brought him to a large room with a high ceiling and damp walls, a long table placed in the centre. The scent of the food drifted over from the table and he inhaled the aroma of all the meats the north had to offer, his mouth watering at the thought of eating his fill.
He didn't wait to be seated, preferring to stride straight over to the table and dig in. The heat from his skin produced a hissing noise when his bare feet came into contact with the damp floor, but he ignored it once his claws dug into the flesh of a large roasted bird and brought the still steaming meat to his lips.
He also ignored the way the guards watched him as he ate. He opted not to sit as the chairs were the wrong shape to accommodate his wings and he could feel their eyes on his more dragon-like features. He'd gotten used to the way people looked at him a long time ago, but he still hated it when they stared too long. He ate ravenously, hoping that the tearing of the meat between his sharp teeth would disgust them enough to make them look away.
He'd eaten about half of the table's contents before he felt the castle shake. He paused for a moment, looking up from the ribs in his hands to see the guards exchange confused glances and nervously clutch at their weapons. Natsu ignored it, he hated to be disturbed when eating. It was likely that it had merely been something to do with the Titania anyway.
Mighty Erza, leader of King Makarov's army. She was powerful. Fierce in battle and completely loyal to her king. She'd proved even a match for himself in the few times they'd fought each other directly. But she hadn't been strong enough to kill him. Not by a long shot.
She was also a brilliant tactician. There was a rumour she'd even studied under Mavis herself, but Natsu wasn't sure he believed that. As head of the king's forces, Erza would possess a lot of valuable information. And it was his job to get it out of her.
If Mard could keep her contained for more than five minutes.
As if on cue, the commander came rushing into the dining hall. He was breathless and beaten, but alive. And… wet?
Mard threw himself at Natsu's feet just as the Prince wiped the grease from his chin.
"Master," Mard began pleading, "I beg of your forgiveness-"
