Secrets within Fairy Tail

Chapter Twenty

Lucy's POV:

I walk around the palace gardens, hand in hand with Natsu as I tell him all about the kingdom. After he learned that I was queen and that there are so many dragons and islands around us, he started asking me questions about it non-stop. Since I have returned I have also felt more powerful than I have been... ever. It kind of scares me that I am this powerful, but as long as I am here in the realm I know that nobody will get hurt because of my magic. "If Acnologia is the dragon king, then why does nobody mention him, and does that mean that you guys are married?" Natsu asks.

"No, I am not married to Acnologia." I laugh. "To be honest he has never even been to the realm from what they have told me. They don't mention him because he proclaimed himself king and they have never really agreed with the whole thing. When I became queen they never mentioned him, it wasn't until I was going through the library and stumbled upon something about him that I asked." I reply as we walk through one of the apple orchards.

"Has there always been a Dragon Queen?" He asks, after nodding and grinning at me. He seems really happy with my answer, and he races towards one of the trees, dropping my hand, and picking an apple.

"No, The first Dragon Queen came to be in the dragon realm after the war between the dragons four hundred years ago. She was actually a dragon slayer herself, although she only trained with one of the dragons. She was an Ice dragon slayer, and really her history is quite fascinating. When I became queen they actually hadn't had one for over two hundred years." I answer as he comes to walk next to me, taking a bite out of the green apple he just picked.

"Really? Why hadn't there been one for so long?" He asks through a mouthful of food.

"The last queen hadn't really wanted to be queen, she only did it to try it out because she was close friends with the queen that was before her. After a while of being queen she outright said that she no longer wanted to hold the position and left the realm without picking a sucessor. All of the queens are supposed to, and because she didn't there wasn't anyone to take her place when she left." I smile.

"Why didn't they just find someone else?" He questions.

"They couldn't just pick some random person, and some of the dragons no longer wanted to have a queen. The person that they would have picked would have to have been able to keep the dragons in line, so she would have to be powerful and they didn't want to go looking for someone like that. They would also need to be kind hearted because they didn't want to have someone like Acnologia or worse ruling over them. They also needed someone willing to stay no matter what even if it meant sacrificing everything for the realm. They didn't really think that it was possible to find someone like that, so they decided to try without a queen, keeping all the rules the former queens had put into place." I continue walking, but stop when he puts his hand on my wrist.

"If they weren't looking for a queen, then how did you become queen?" He wonders aloud. I can see that he is completely confused, and I cup his cheek with my hand.

"The answer is simple, I came to the realm of my own accord making it known to them that I am powerful, and then I started training and the dragons got to know me." I reply smiling at him, before kissing him lightly on the lips. "I have every trait that they thought that they would never be able to find, and was raised by them so I formed close bounds with them as well." I add, taking his hand and continuing along the path.

"Weren't you raised by your father?" He asks.

"Yeah, I guess I was." I murmur looking down at the ground and smiling sadly, remembering how much pain he caused me.

"Luce?" I hear a familiar voice ask. I look up and see Igneel standing in front of me, Natsu standing a few feet away looking like he doesn't really know what to do. "Are you okay?" He adds.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess that I just got lost in thought." I reply, a grin spreading across my face.

"Your not upset?" He asks.

"Nope, the past can't hurt me anymore, not now that I found a family that loves me." I reply walking past him towards Natsu. He looks up at my approach, and seeing that I have a smile plastered on my face he takes my hand and continues walking with me. "You know, I think your father might have been following us." I murmur in his ear, he laughs at that and nods his head in agreement. We start heading back towards the castle, and as we stand in front of it I wrap my arms around his neck and give him a lingering kiss, that he gladly returns. I am so happy that he came to the realm, I am glad that I no longer have to lie to the one that I love most.

*Flashback*

Lucy's POV:

I wake up screaming in my bed, just like I do nearly every night, only tonight's different, tonight for the first time ever someone woke me up from my nightmares. There are lots of people inside the castle, but I have asked them not to tell anyone that I have bad dreams, they don't even come to see what's wrong. "Were you having a bad dream?" Igneel asks as he hugs me close to him, allowing me to cry. I pull away, and nod my head, not trusting myself to speak. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asks, his voice laced with concern. I shake my head no, not looking at him or else I might break down. He told me that I am not allowed to cry, and I know that I would if he allowed me to. "Is this the first time that you've had one?" He asks. At this point I start shaking, remembering the terrible vivid dream, and look up at him, knowing that he might as well know.

"No." I reply shaking my head as tears run down my cheeks. "This isn't the first time I have had a bad dream." I add. Igneel normally doesn't stay the night here in the castle, he normally comes one day of the week, trains me and then leaves to go back with his son. I haven't had to worry about him being here and I never would have dreamed that he would ask even if I did have a nightmare, little children always have them... Don't they?

"Why didn't you tell me you were having bad dreams?" He asks.

"It doesn't really matter whether or not I have bad dreams, all that matters is that I work as hard as I can, Right?" I ask, the tears continuing to fall.

"If they don't matter then why are you crying?" He asks.

"It's just that I haven't had anyone that was concerned about me since mama died." I reply, a small smile on my face.

"Haven't you realized? I'm concerned about you every time I am away, every time that you leave the realm and I don't find out until your already gone, visiting Earthland. Will you please tell me what it is that is in your bad dreams?" He asks, holding my chin so I have to look up at him.

"Daddy... Daddy's what's in my nightmares. I dream that I am back with him... I am chained against the wall in the cellar, and the punishment is worse than it usually is. The dream always starts with me waking up and... And all of my magic is gone... I can't use any of it, or summon any of my spirits to help me, it's just gone. I dream that he punishes me so much worse and, even when I am bloodly and hurt all over he still doesn't stop... And the worst part is that it goes on as an... as an endless torture that has no escape." I cry, the tears flowing more freely, and my hands cover my face.

"All those times that you have gone to see him, all the times that you say that you are fine even when you have been through so much pain. What type of a man does that to his own child?! You didn't tell me that you have been suffering so much." He starts calmly, then starts to yell, then his voice turns to a low murmur as he pulls me into a hug. "Will you tell me when you have them so I can at least be there to help you through them?" He asks.

"Oh, course. Thank you Igneel." I murmur hugging him back tightly.

After that day he started coming to the realm almost daily just to check on my, and started staying overnight every once and a while after a day of training. He was kind to me about the nightmares, and he didn't tell the other dragons about it. It was in that time that I realized that even though Igneel was an instructor, a teacher, he was also my dearest friend.

*End of Flashback*