This is one of my favourite oneshots, so I decided to upload it here separately! I'm also currently working on turning it into an original story,but that won't be uploaded here.

I wrote this as a birthday gift for a friend about half a year ago, and based it on the legend of Saint Jordi, whose day is eagerly celebrated in Barcelona with books and roses. ;) Enjoy!

The ropes cut tightly into her wrists. Lucy Heartfilia wiggled against the rough pole she was tied to, trying to momentarily ease the pain.

Not like it would last much longer.

She felt the stares digging into her back, hundreds of eyes on her, a whole crowd ready to watch as she was taken. Or killed. Eaten?

Who really knew?

A bloodcurdling roar sounded in the distance.

A shiver went through the crowd, one she could feel even though she stood with her back to the people. It had reached her too, leaving her trembling despite her resolve.

This was the day she would die.

It was an inescapable certainty not only because of her current predicament, but because she had known this day would come for the last three days and nights. Nights she had wept herself to sleep.

But she had convinced herself she could be strong. She would die for her people. Her mother would have done the same. This was her responsibility.

Her name had been drawn.

There was nothing she could have done, even if she had wanted to. Her father had stood silently, with his face ashen, as her name had been read out loud. She remembered it well. A brief flicker of shock, then panic, then pain. Then he had went back to being the king.

It was only fair.

Being the princess would not save her now.

If the beast would be soothed by her sacrifice, then so be it. She could die a martyr. There was no glory to be found in the act, though. She had realized that as the guards had tied her up to the post with grief-stricken faces.

Her death would not be a merciful one.

Flames were hungry. They accepted no resistance.

The princess shivered again, instinctively tugging at her restraints. They only cut deeper into her wrists. The trembling wouldn't stop.

How much time did she have left?

Not even a light breeze or a single cloud relieved her off the sun burning onto her exposed skin, and Lucy felt her vision blur from time to time. How long had she been standing here? Her whole body hurt.

Left to die by her own people, her own father. Bitterness welled up inside her, but she forced it down. She could forgive it. The old traditions spoke of a sacrifice to appease a dragon, and the king, as fair as he was strict, had chosen every woman's name in the country should be written down - and who would be drawn would have the honour of sacrificing their life for the sake of their kingdom.

Unknowingly, he had sealed her fate. But he could not have known, that in the first draw in centuries, the name would be hers.

His decision was just. And irreversible.

The princess shifted her weight, hoping to momentarily relieve her aching feet. Something was different. Probably had been for a while, but she had been too preoccupied with her thoughts.

It was too quiet.

And not the kind of nervous quietness that had loomed over the space until now, filled with sorrow, even anticipation. No. This silence was curious, hopeful and almost loud, as if it was waiting for something.

Funny, how perceptive one could become to sounds, and the lack of them, when hearing was the only sense one could rely on.

Something had happened in the crowd, and now she could hear low murmurs, voices rising. She thought she could hear her father's, too.

But no matter how she tried to crane her head, she could not see anything.

The wind carried a new voice over to her, and she was certain she had never heard it before. It would have stuck. It was voluminous as it echoed through the air, and it spoke with an accent the likes of which she had never heard. The letters rolled off his tongue, almost melodious had they not sounded so rough.

"I have come to slay the dragon!"

A murmur went through the crowd, and it became harder for her to pick up his words as more and more whispers joined and were merged by the wind.

Mentions of a knight drifted to her, whispers of rewards, gold, even marriage.

She thought she could hear her father too. They were discussing the terms of her rescue, Lucy suddenly was sure.

So would she end up just being another trophy?

Even if she would miraculously be saved from her fate by a knight in shining armour – what good would that do her?

That her father would marry her off was no surprise – he had been mentioning that the time was as ripe as her femininity, and that suitors were to visit her from close and afar. She had turned all of them away, and her father's patience had been worn thin.

But that had been before fright and horror had paid their country a visit.

For him and his subjects, this mysterious knight might signify hope.

But for Lucy – while she did not want to die, not really – all it made her think of was a life she did not want to lead, a man she did not want to be touched by, a living nightmare rivaling the one she was experiencing right now.

Her mind painted images of a greedy man, thirsting for fame and power. Would he have come to her aid had she not been the princess? She doubted it.

He was no better than the dragon.

Maybe she would be better off burning.

She bit back her tears, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. The air was dry, dusty like the ground she was standing on.

Suddenly cheers filled the air, chants of fortune and praise, and Lucy craned her neck even though she knew the effort would be fruitless. Straining, she grit her teeth, choosing to concentrate on her hearing again. Between the euphoric crowd and herself, she thought she could make out a steady sound of metal against metal – and she knew the knight was on his way.

Just like the dragon. Another roar sounded in the distance, closer now.

Lucy asked herself why she did not feel hopeful. Maybe it was because in the face of a dragon – what good was a single knight? But it was not only that. Even if through some miracle this strange man would be able to slay the beast, the freedom she would be given was not the one she desired. She did not understand her insane feelings, didn't understand why she did not want to be saved. But she could not fight it. She'd rather die.

The steps were loud now, clanking, and she felt the dust around her feet stir.

And then she could see him.

He rounded the pole, coming to a halt a few feet in front of her.

The armour almost seemed to swallow him whole, as if it had not been made for his stature at all, but was supposed to make him seem broader and more mighty. It achieved the opposite effect. She could not see a single inch of bare skin. The sun hit the metal with such force it seemed the rays wanted to burn through the armour to grant Lucy a glance, but the material repelled it without effort. The reflection was blinding, stinging her eyes.

A large sword rested on his hip, and in one armour clad hand he carried a red rose.

Lucy eyed it with disdain.

His helmet and visor hid his face from her, but she could feel his eyes on her, taking her in. She steeled her heart, prepared to reject any offers he might make. But she feared she had no say either way. Everything was decided.

Her fate was no longer in her hands.

When had it ever been?

Between a knight and a dragon – which was the better match?

No matter who won this fight, Lucy herself would not be saved.

The strings binding her felt like those of a puppet, and she would have to continue to dance at other peoples' will until the end of her life – no matter if it would come today or in faraway years.

"M'lady!" the knight finally spoke, "Fear not, for I have come to – er – rescue thou from the beast's evil claws, oh thou – um. Fair maiden?"

The fair maiden in question wrinkled her whole face in a mixture of disbelief and indignation. While one part of herself asked if he was actually seriousabout what he had just said, the other screamed in outrage – because had he just questioned her beauty?!

"This fair maiden does not need freeing by your hands, thank you very much," she spat.

"Oh. Well." The knight seemed uncertain on how to proceed, but then seemed to remember his gift. "Wilt you accept this flower of my affection before I slay the dragon?"

"Flower…of your affection?"

"Not how you say it, huh? There was this other word… toe can?" He muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like a curse and stupid knight lingo. "It's just - it'll be in my way otherwise. Not like that'd stop me."

He held out the rose, apparently blissfully unaware that Lucy had no means of grabbing it even if she wanted to. She kept staring at him with wide eyes, a little overwhelmed by the whole ridiculous situation.

The joke of a knight lowered his hand after she did not accept his token, shrugging before tossing it to the side. Lucy watched openmouthed as the beautiful rose fell into the dust.

"Well I don't want it either!" he called rather defensively as her eyes fixed themselves on him again.

"You don't really care about me at all, do you?"

Despite herself, Lucy felt hurt. She had known all along that the knight was not interested in her in any other way than in that of a trophy, had she not? Then why did she feel so hurt now that she was proven right?

She bit her lip.

"Eh?"

The knight raised his visor, revealing part of his appearance for the first time. His skin seemed tan, roughened even, but what caught her attention most were his eyes. The young princess thought they were of a most peculiar colour. She had never seen such eyes before. They were slanted, with thick lashes, and it was as if a magnetic force was emanating from the dark orbs. She couldn't tell where the pupils began or ended, such was the darkness in them.

But when the sun hit them at the right angle, just as it did when he turned his head towards her in that very moment, she could make out an amber gleam, giving them a deep sparkle. They almost seemed red.

They didn't seem unfriendly though. Dangerous, yes - but neither cold nor greedy.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Wh-… you don't even know who I am?"

He shrugged. "A sacrifice, I hear. So do you have a name?"

If he was aware of his rudeness, he seemed to conceal it well judging from his tone of voice. He sounded almost innocent. Indignation flared up in Lucy nonetheless. She had been so sure he was going to demand her hand in marriage for his heroic deed, or ask for all sorts of treasure as a reward - but now he acted like he genuinely did not know she was the princess. Then why was he here? Stupid bravery?

Did he have a good heart after all?

If he would die for her, he could at least know her name.

"Lucy," she spoke at last, staring into his eyes before turning her head away.

"Lucy," he tested. "Nice, I like it. Too bad you're so weird."

"I beg your pardon?!"

"I might like that too, though. I'm glad. You're not boring!"

"What."

"I feared this whole thing -" he waved a hand around, "-would be really boring. I never saved anyone before, either. But my father wante-"

"Is this really the time for stories?" Lucy screeched in exasperation. "What kind of knight are you? And you call me weird."

Ignoring her, her protector looked around, inspecting the bare ground she stood on.

"There won't be food?"

The princess could not see the knight's mouth, but she was sure he was pouting from his tone alone.

"Well," she snapped, pride scratched. "I guess they thought sacrificing mewould be enough."

"Can't eat you though."

"W- wh - ?!"

"Usually there's food."

"Usually?! How many dragons have you slayed?!"

"Uh, none."

"…great. I'm dead. We're both dead."

"That's what you would have been anyway, no? Dead, I mean. I guess you could at least thank me. With food."

"Could you stop talking about food! I will be eaten soon enough!"

"Fiiine." He rolled his eyes, as if she was the one behaving unreasonably. Lucy's hands twitched, and she pondered if she could wriggle one leg out of the ties, and if it would reach him if she only kicked hard enough.

The knight stood with his hands on his hips, leaning forward with a suddenly very interested and rather serious look, as if whatever he said next would be of utmost importance.

"Do you like adventures?"

"What?!"

"Do you like adventures?"

"I, uh - I guess? But my idea of an adventure doesn't entail being eaten by a dragon!"

"How do you know he wants to eat you?"

"Huh?"

"How do you know? Maybe it's a nice dragon."

"That's rich coming from you! You want to slay it!"

"How do you know?"

The princess blinked at her knight.

"Well… you're the hero. The knight in shining armour. It's your job. And the dragon is almost here!"

A mischievous glint had appeared in the knight's dark eyes, one that Lucy found rather suspicious.

"How do you know? Maybe I'm not a nice knight."

"Wh- what are you saying!"

The possibly not nice knight chuckled, and metal clanked against metal as he moved.

"But if you could go on an adventure - would you?"

Lucy was ready to reprimand him all over again, for it was neither the time nor place for him to be asking such questions, but then it occured to her that this conversation was likely to be her last - this time and place was for her to be used as she pleased.

And she'd rather not spend it yelling.

So she pondered his question. Her whole life she had lived inside the castle, hidden away from the real world with books as her only means of escape. She lived a safe life, and she could have anything she ever wished for - except the one thing she had always desired the most.

Freedom.

Her golden cage was pretty, but it was a cage nonetheless.

The mere promise of adventure - it excited her more than she would like to admit. Even now, with her death approaching alongside the shadow on the horizon, she felt more alive than she had in a long time.

"Yes. Yes, I think I would."

This seemed to satisfy the strange man, and he placed an armored hand onto his helmet, tugging until it slipped just enough to reveal more of his face. Really, that helmet could not have been fitted worse. His nose poked out of the visor now, and she could see his thin upper lip. A strange little peak at a face that probably was handsome, all things considered.

"An adventure with me?" he asked, trying to hold eye contact despite the helmet slipping over his eyes. He grunted and pushed it back up, but it did little good.

Lucy blinked again, and at the sight of her confusion, her knight grinned at her, revealing sharp canines. Her eyes flitted back to the growing shadow that was coming closer at an alarming speed. She gulped.

"I… would like that," she smiled as tears finally welled up in her eyes. "I really… would have liked that."

His grin spread further, and Lucy found herself mesmerized with it. Anger flared up inside her at the same time. Was he mocking her?

Only the sound of something metallic falling into the dust diverted her attention. His gloves.

"What are you doing?! The dragon is almost here!"

Calmly, he readjusted the heavy sword on his hip. His nails were sharp. That was a feature everpresent to him, she mused. Everything about him seemedsharp.

Suddenly she was infinitely curious about the man beneath the armour.

What might he look like?

Was he a foreigner? A mighty warrior from a distant country that required no protection? Or a poor nobody seeking fame and glory? Her mind began spinning wild fantasies before she could stop herself.

Too bad she would never find out.

But as if he had been reading her thoughts, the man started to unfasten the straps of his breastplate.

"What are you doing?!" Lucy screeched yet again. Was he even trying to protect her?

"Getting ready," he replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Never really liked armour much. Why do you even wear those tin cans? Restricts the movements."

"Then why were you even wearing it? Or owned one, for that matter!"

"Oh, it's not mine."

Lucy was certain she might have lost her mind.

The knight glanced at her, and as his clever eyes met hers, her screeching came to an abrupt halt. His confidence seemed to spill over into her, and the secretive smile that painted wrinkles around his eyes raised a million questions in her overwhelmed mind.

She was certain now, that his eyes were lighter than before. A dark red.

"Want me to show you?"

"What are you even going on about?" she wheezed. The winds were picking up - and it had little to do with the weather. She could almost hear the mighty beast's wing beat now.

"Dunno 'bout you;" he continued as he began to remove his helmet, "but sacrificing young maidens ain't such a nice thing to do if you ask me."

As the helmet, too, hit the ground, Lucy's eyes widened. His hair was sticking to his head, flattened and sweaty from being pressed to his scalp, but it already began curling, swaying with the breeze as unruly strands fell onto his forehead.

And it was pink. His hair was pink.

An unsettled murmur travelled through the crowd far behind her as the pink haired knight continued getting rid of his armour, piece by piece.

Lucy could see the dragon now, high in the sky. It was more hummongous than she had dared imagine, the power and heat oozing off it almost tangible. Droplets of sweat started to roll down her temples.

Another roar echoed all around them, vibrating through her and into the ground.

Lucy could have sworn she saw her knight smile.

And she had been right. His skin was tan, very much so, almost olive in its composition. Scars decorated his bare arms, and even his torso.

It seemed like beneath the armour, he had been wearing little. A pair of white, loose pants was all he had on him, fixed to his hips with a red sash. When every last piece of the armour lay on the ground beside him, he seemed satisfied, stretching his arms over his head.

But what made her gasp more than the multitude of scars was what she saw when she looked closer. There were marks on his body of the same peculiar colour as his hair, thin patterns that seemed to grow more pronounced on his skin the longer she looked.

Scales.

As he drew the big sword, he grinned at her, proud and victorious. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat. But for some insane reason, Lucy was not scared.

"You're…!"

The sword dug deep into the ground as he slammed it down, cackling loudly.

"Not the nice knight."

He stepped closer, and she would have instinctively backed away had she not been restrained. The air was sweltering now, and as he stood right in front of her, Lucy realized the heat was not only coming from the dragon above.

No, the dragon in the sky was not the only one around.

They had all been fooled.

"I'm Natsu," he breathed against her ear, and Lucy froze in apprehension despite the tingling sensation flooding through her. But then she felt the pain in her wrists dissipate as the ropes loosened and disappeared in his hands, turned to ashes in a heartbeat. "And my offer still stands."

"O-Offer?" she stammered.

"Do you want to come with me? I promise it will be fun."

As he pulled back, her wide eyes met his excited ones.

"Y-you're…. a dragon."

"As real as can be. And not just any! I am the Salamander, son of Igneel!"

The title sounded as foreign as his name, and Lucy remained silent. A dragon for her was a dragon. But she would have never imagined a dragon to be what she saw now.

Dragons were wild beasts, cruel and strong, and they knew neither language nor honour. All they thirsted for was blood and gold.

That was what every storybook had told her.

It had been her truth for as long as she could remember.

The dragons were said to have been driven from their lands during a long and bitter war, led by mighty knights of whom many had given their lives. But for over four hundred years, there had been no single rumour about the dragons at all. They had lived in peace.

To think that dragons still existed – it had seemed laughable when they had first heard the word.

Lucy had been listening in on the conference, as she did from time to time when the fancy tickled her. She had become quite stealthy over the years.

A dragon, one her father's advisors had said, had been seen by a farmer who had sworn part of his cattle had disappeared. Laughter had followed his tale, and there had been no talk about it for weeks.

But more and more stories had spread through the land, reports of villages offering meat, wine and women so that they would live and breathe clean air rather than smoke. There had been cruel tales too, of villages eradicated by the dragon's wrath.

How much truth was in them, Lucy was not so sure now.

Natsu did not seem like he thirsted for blood.

"Do you… kill people?"

"What?" he laughed. "Humans have such weird customs. Is that why those villages keep offering women to us? So we can kill them? That's not very nice."

"Uh, well… you don't eat them, then?"

Natsu clutched his belly as he started snorting.

"Why would I want to eat you? Gross. You do that kinda stuff? So this is why Igneel said humans are weird. He always tells me he likes you lot, though. This is the first time I've seen any for myself, you see."

"We don't eat each other!"

"Ah, well that's good!" he laughed cheerfully. "I don't like it when you kill your comrades. Or offer them up as sacrifice, for that matter."

His eyes darkened, fixing themselves on the crowd, which seemed very nervous and alarmed by now. The dragon's shadow loomed over them every time he passed, and the guards had taken to angry shouting, bellowing commands across the vast space.

The dragon didn't descend. It seemed to be waiting for something.

Lucy almost laughed as she imagined what they would have to say, or how they would react, if they could hear the conversation she was leading. It seemed unreal even to her.

She was facing a dragon all by herself.

And she found herself fascinated with him.

"So will you come with me? Those people don't seem to value your life much. Were they all just going to watch you be killed?"

He spat the words, his hands balled to fists and a snarl on his lips. She could see the dragon inside him now, rearing its head behind the human facade.

The reason for his rage was almost ironic.

She found herself wondering who the true monsters were.

"That's not… it's not fair of you to say that."

"You're defending them, even now?"

His eyes were curious, astonished even, and she held her head with pride.

"They are my people. And if I could have protected them by dying, I would have done it gladly."

She watched as he licked his lips, staring at her intently as he processed her words. Then, his jaw dropped.

"You're the queen?!"

"Princess! I don't look that old, do I?! The king is my father!"

With a roll of his eyes, he stepped closer, looking rather amused.

"About to be killed by a dragon, but offended by a comment on your looks? So weird."

"Weird?! Stop calling me that! Wait – k-killed? I thought-"

Lucy stopped herself when she caught the twinkle in his eyes, puffing her cheeks.

"Or abducted," he added. "If you'd prefer that."

"You can't choose to be abducted, Natsu."

His eyes widened at the sound of his name on her tongue.

"But you already did, didn't you?" His voice was suddenly low, hand lifting to twirl a golden lock around his finger. "You're still here."

"I… uh…" she stuttered, shivering in his proximity. Conscious thought seemed hard to hold on to when every last of her senses was invaded by him. He was so close, and coming closer still as his lips brushed against her ear.

"I know you want to go on an adventure, princess. I can feel it."

One hand moved to snatch her wrist, and he brought her hand up to his bare chest. The blood beneath her skin started boiling, reddening her cheeks. His skin was hot and smooth, rough where it was covered by scales. His heartbeat was strong and even.

"Here," he murmured.

She lifted her gaze, gasping for breath as she realized she had forgotten to breathe altogether.

The unspoken promise of adventure – and something more – shone brightly in his eyes.

Slowly, she nodded.

A triumphant smile spread across her dragon's face, soon splitting into a grin, and he turned his head to the sky, pursing his lips. He whistled, once, and the sound was far too loud for any human to produce.

All eyes fixed themselves on the pair – guards momentarily lowered their bows, the panicked crowd stilled, even the king stood up from his throne.

And the dragon descended.

It happened too fast for anyone to react as he shot past the castle like a bolt of lightning, flicking off a small tower with his long tail. He was heading directly for them.

As was the whole guard.

Lucy's heart hammered loudly in her chest, and instinctively she clutched Natsu's sides. Her head was spinning, and she couldn't determine if the fear she felt was caused by the dragon or the humans.

But she trusted the one beside her.

"Natsu," she breathed, voice urgent. "What-"

His head turned down towards her, hand leaving her wrist. His grin was the brightest she had seen yet.

"I want you to meet my father."

And then his arm wound around her hip, pulling her tightly against his side. He smelled of smoke.

Before she knew what was happening, she lost the ground beneath her feet.

Her screech was almost as loud as Natsu's laughter, and she clung tighter to him, quite literally holding on for dear life. Almost too scared to look up, she slowly forced her head from his shoulder to peek above them.

And immediately regretted her decision.

All she saw was wings and light scales decorating a huge belly. With wide eyes, she turned her head back to Natsu. He was grinning at her excitedly, as if he clung to a dragon's claw in mid-air every day.

Maybe he did.

But she certainly wasn't used to such exercise.

Her legs snaked around his waist, and she paid no regard to the way her dress slipped or how incredibly hilarious she must look as she clung to him like a monkey. What was on her mind first and foremost was survival.

Funny, how the tables had turned.

With this new path open in front of her, Lucy's thirst for life was back full force.

"So is this adventure or what!"

"Don't – let – go!"

"Never. Promise."

The cheeky implication made her raise her head in an act of insane courage, and her nose bumped against his chin.

"I heard dragons are very possessive. Is that true, or another rumour?" she asked, challenge clear in her tone.

"True," he confirmed with a dark grin, lowering his head until their foreheads touched.

She could have sworn the dragon above them groaned.

"And we protect and treasure what is ours."

His grin spread further, revealing sharp canines, and Lucy's cheeks flushed when she felt his breath on her lips. Then he turned his head towards the crowd, which was now way beneath them.

"See ya later, peasants! Thanks for the princess! Fufufu!"

Lucy hung limp in his arms, certain that her soul had just left her body.

Just what had she agreed to? This was not exactly what she had pictured her future partner to be like. Her knight in shining armour was not only no knight at all, but a dragon in disguise - and apparently an unromantic idiot.

An idiot who now grinned at her with such fondness that she couldn't help but answer him with a big smile of her own.

Well – she had always liked a challenge.

"I'm all fired up," she grinned, deeply inhaling his scent, which was now mixing with the cool air just beneath the clouds.

And then they disappeared into the thick blanket, leaving behind the kingdom of Fiore.

What remained in the dust outside the castle was a single red rose. Later, the king would plant a bush of roses in the very spot his daughter had been standing on, and many legends would be spun of what taken place there on this fateful day.

Stories of mighty knights and even mightier dragons, of damsels in distress and brave heroes ready to slay beasts. For centuries to come, on this very day men would bestow upon their loved one a single red rose to honour their bond, each year anew.

But the true story would be lost to time.

Between a knight and a dragon, Lucy decided – she'd choose both.