If only I wasn't a mermaid ~a NaLu fanfic~

GRAY

"You've checked all the files, your Majesty?" My advisor, Frederick, asked as he gathered a bunch of papers from my desk and stuck it neatly into a brown paper file.

I put my blue pen with the rest of the pens in a round  holder and got up from my seat. Frederick rose up with me as he slid in the file in his big sling bag and wore it across his shoulders. I stared in his eyes for a moment before looking to the ground again,

"Hm."

"Your Majesty, It's now time to go meet with the Redfox roya-"

"Let's postpone it." I interrupted as I walked over to the door, "If you haven't realized, Frederick, I haven't taken a break for months. Would it be fine to see your King collapse from stress?"

Frederick clenched onto his bag,
gulping as he looked at the floor,
"No, your Majesty."

"Then I guess it's fine for me to hang out in the towns now."

"But your Majesty, you're the king-"

"Would it really hurt if I just walked across a road?!" I shouted as I punch my fist against the door. Frederick flinched and immediately bowed,

"I'm so-sorry, your Majesty!" He squeaked.

"You still haven't answered my question," I snarled. Frederick looked up but avoided my eyes. He fiddled with his glasses,

"N-no, sir..."

"Then I'll be the one to go out first," I ended as I slammed the door closed behind me. I was so tired and sick of all the complaints and orders to keep me rigid. That just isn't who I am and since I'm king, shouldn't I get some sort of authority around here? Yeah sure, I'm young, but that didn't stop me from having the rightful throne.

I kicked at pebbles on the cement road, sticking my hands in the pockets of my jacket. There were a bunch of people staring at me, I was sure. I felt their gazes burning into the back of my mind. Their whispering seemed to get louder the more I looked up and explored every part of the streets.  I shouldn't be surprised at it though. After all, wouldn't you be shocked if your king, that never came out of his castle,was suddenly walking on the road next to you?

I saw a bar called Solar Sun. The creative name had caught my eye and I found myself walking into the bar. Everyone was chatting and chuckling, a warmth spreading over my body. A man was hugging his girl, and she was trying to slap him away while squealing. There were two men on the other side laughing so hard they were clutching at their stomachs. The place seemed too much of a... Home.

What was home anyway?

"I-I-It's the King!" I head a woman call. At the immediate shout, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the entrance where I was standing. A lot of them fell off their chairs and they all bowed straight to the floor at me.
I straighten my fully cotton collar and cleared my voice, a sweat dripping from my forehead.

Darn it, should I have changed into a more casual wear before I left?

"Everyone, it's ok, please stand up and get back to whatever you were doing. It is in the law to act natural around me unless it's a formal event."

Everyone slowly got up searching their heads or averting their eyes. They hesitantly got back to their seats to make way for me. I walked to the counter and sat in the stool, an arm reached over as I tapped the table. "One glass please," I asked as the bartender quickly nodded and went to find a beer that was probably his best one. I sighed and buried my head in the table. When was living life so hard? I mean not just physically or mentally, but socially as well? I wish things were easier.

"How dare you go into a bar that's not my girl's," a deep, rusty voice said. I turned my head slightly to look up at a man with dirty blonde hair that was recently cut short and spiked up.  He had a tattoo across his eye, and he was wearing many ring piercings on each ear. His tank top was a faded gray, and his pants were loosely hung on his legs. He had build up muscles through his whole body. He let out a chuckle and gave me a mischievous looking smirk, "Mira ain't gonna be happy when she hears about this."

"You... Laxus, right?" I made sure.

"Forgot me already? Haha, you poor thing. Can you only remember writings on paper now?"

Gajeel had introduced me to Laxus Dreyar a few weeks ago. He said that he was a good soldier to trust on and to remember him in upcoming battles. I didn't understand why the Redfox Royalty was still depending on armies, but I guess it does help us all in total. The Redfox Royalty deals with weapons, The Igneel Royalty deals with the kingdoms socially as a whole, and I, well, deal with Paper work and business.

Huh, ironic that I get the hardest work when I'm the only royalty in my kingdom.

I slowly came back to reality and payed attention back to Laxus. Now that I think about it, he's probably the only person in town that's brave enough to treat me less than a king. Guess I do have to remember him from now on.

"Well first of all, doesn't your... 'Mira' own a cafe, not a bar?" I questioned, "and when was she even yours?"

"Cafe, bar... Same thing! Plus Mira's been mine a couple of days after you met me. I mean we've been hanging out way when we were kids, but it's become official. We're engaged now."

"Oh... Congratulations..." I awkwardly said as I shifted a little towards Laxus. He chuckled and sat on a chair next to me. He nudged me,

"Hey, you've been feeling down lately, haven't you, 'King of Ice'?"

"Since when has that been my name?"

"Ever since you became King. Like when you've been inside that castle doing work? People call you that because it's like your... Frozen in ice, y'know?"

"Oh..." I muttered, "Well I guess that means I should stay out and warm myself up. Speaking of warm..."  I looked behind me towards the door, "I wonder what's with Natsu these days..."

As if on Que.,  the doors swung open and there stood two guards. "there you are!" The first guard walked towards me and knelt before my feet, "Your Majesty, there has been an incident, Prince Natsu is not in his castle....!" The second guard came and knelt as well,

"He disappeared this morning, and without a trace! We are still in the look, your Majesty."

"...and why are you telling me this? What am I, his mother?" I questions as I raised an eyebrow. I could hear Laxus try to hold his laugh from behind. The two guards looked at each other before the first guard spoke again,

"Um... Your majesty, it's just that he hasn't left the Igneel Castle for a long time, and now that he's missing it's-"

"And what of it? I haven't left my castle for a long time before all of this! Is it really that strange? What if he just wanted to take a breather  like I am right now?" I interrupted. The whole bar's attention was diverted towards us, and the air was becoming more intense. I cleared my throat and got up from my chair, "Well if you guys insist, I guess I could search for him. There is one place I feel he'd go to... Finally."

"And what would that be?" Laxus asked. I went and opened the door to exit,

"You'll see."

---
Author here,
Sorry bout that guys, what one day off from what I promised but, hey! Update! Next up will in fact be that epilogue, isn't that great?  I can't wait myself, ahah.