The Princess's Protector

Chapter Two: Preparations

Natsu hurled ball of fire after ball of fire at the stone dummies in the basement of the castle, which he expertly converted into a personal training room.
Sweat beaded his forehead, and he used the edge of his black workout T-shirt to wipe it away. He'd just sent another ball of fire when he heard a voice.
"Natsu!"

Natsu grimaced. He knew that tone of voice meant trouble.
"E-Erza!" He scrambled to say, backing up a bit from the scarlet form. "I was just-"
"You were just getting ready for Princess Heartfilia's arrival? No, you weren't."

Natsu's face fell. Erza was the scariest woman he had ever come across. Only 20 and she was already captain of the guard.
"Get up there" she commanded, pointing a thumb over her shoulder.

"Just five mo-"

Ezra was suddenly behind him, arms lazily wrapped around his neck in a headlock ready to snap his neck. Natsu wasn't scared or alarmed, though. This was normal.

"Get up there right now." She whispered in his ear. Natsu chuckles as her arms fell around him when he walked forward, up the stairs, through identical hallways, and then into his room.
He went into his bathroom, stripping his sweat-filled clothing off of his body and jumping into the shower.

Ten minutes of scrubbing and hot water later, Natsu made his way to his closet.

What to wear? Dammit, you shouldn't be worried over what you look like, Natsu...she's just a girl.

Natsu sighed and grazed his hands over his favorite outfit: loose white pants with a tight black shirt, and his black and red overcoat.

After shrugging on all of his clothes, he sat down on his bed and tried to run his fingers through his rosy hair, but to no avail, it stayed it's untamable spikes.

Marriage
Marriage
Marriage

"That goddamn word!!" Natsu yelled, flopping his back onto the bed. He let his feet dangle off of the footboard.

"What goddamn word?" A male voice asked.

Natsu just groaned and dramatically flopped an arm over his eyes.

"What do you want, Gray?"
Gray strode into the room, in a relaxed, almost smug manner.
"What's this? The great Natsu Dragneel is nervous about meeting a pretty princess?" He teased.

Natsu shot up, making his head swim with the sudden movement, but he ignored it.

"No, I'm not!" He half-yelled at Gray, who had somehow came to sit beside him.

"This is for you" gray replied instead. He held out a sandwich to Natsu.

"Thanks, man. I'm starving after training. I was worried I wouldn't able to eat a real meal until that girl left." Natsu sat up and took a bit bite out of the sandwich.
Gray chuckled, bouncing the bed a bit.

"I'm sure that wouldn't have stopped you."

Natsu was finished with the sandwich. "Why'd you really come, Gray?"

Gray sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes for a period before opening them again.
"Natsu, I know you don't really want to meet this girl, let alone marry her, but-"

"But what Gray? But what?" Natsu was angry just thinking about it.
What if she was a slob, a rude ass prick, a spoiled brat? He couldn't deal with that.

"At least you get to marry for love, Gray. Consider yourself lucky."

Gray got a faraway look on his face. "Yeah, I can't wait to make Juvia my wife. I can hardly breathe when she's around-"
Natsu sighed, pushing Gray off of the bed. "Alright allright, I get it already." Natsu shoved Gray out of the door, attempting to slam it, but Gray wedged his foot into the door.

"Hey," he warned. "Be. Nice."
Natsu kicked his foot, shutting the door.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be nice. Geez, does no one trust me around here? I do know how to treat a lady!"

Natsu stared right into the eyes of his mother's portrait.
"Please. Help me today." He whispered as he opened the door.

It was time.