WARNING: This story contains scenes of a sexual nature, including sex between a human and human with animal features. If this bothers you then you should leave.

AN: Here it is, the sequel to my story 'The Princess and her Dragon'. Just fair warning, there are bits I'm not entirely happy with and feel a little inconsistent, but I'll let you good people be the judge. If you haven't read the 'The Princess and her Dragon' then you might wanna go and do that first, as it kinda sets up this story, so it probably won't make much sense otherwise.

Anyway, with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the story and remember to review.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL

With a great shout of orgasmic joy, Princess Lucy shuddered as she rode Natsu, who was on his back on the bed they shared, to completion, her draconic lover soon joining her as he released her seed inside of her. Even after seven years of making love or passionate rutting, the sensation of feeling her lover inside her still felt as wonderful as it did the first time. Recently however, her lover's release inside her was also now accompanied by regret for lost opportunities.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, Natsu had noticed the forlorn looks that made a brief appearance on her face after sex, and it made him sad that she wouldn't say anything to him. "What's wrong Lucy," he gently prodded, still breathless for their love making.

"Hmm, there's nothing wrong," the blonde princess responded automatically.

Natsu frowned at her response. "Lucy, how am I supposed to make you happy if you won't tell me why you're sad," he complained almost childishly.

Lucy giggled at his antics and smiled at him fondly, her sad thoughts forgotten by Natsu's sweet gesture. "You do make me happy, Natsu," she reassured truthfully, leaning down to his face who press a chaste kiss on his lips. "You make me happy just by being you."

The dragon man was unusually sceptical about his lover's words, but then decided to let it go. He wasn't particularly good at reading but when it came to reading Lucy it was practically second nature, given that he had basically spent his entire life with her. He saw no falsehood behind her warm smile, and so if whatever was bothering her wasn't bad enough to prevent that smile, he'd continue to wait for her to tell him. Maybe it would sort itself out.

Lucy removed herself from her lover's manhood and laid down next to the dragon, snuggling into his naked chest and relishing in his warmth as his wings wrapped around them. There were things she was starting to regret, such as having remained in the same location for more than two decades, but being with Natsu would never be among them.

"Fine, as long as you know that I'll be here when you want me to make it better," he stated, earning himself another giggle from his mate as he decided to cease his questions about her mood for now.

"As if you'd ever let me forget it," she teased, kissing the corner of his mouth.

Natsu snaked his arm around her slender waist, securing her to his side. "Oh by the way, you'll never guess what happened the other day," he said excitedly, as he just remembered something he had not mentioned to Lucy.

To be fair, it was hard to remember much when the beautiful blonde was waiting for him naked in the bed they shared.

"Hmm, what happened?"

"Erza gave birth to a son," the dragon said cheerfully.

Natsu expected Lucy to be excited about the news, yet once again he only saw disappointment in her eyes. "That's wonderful," she stated, the voice lacking the enthusiasm to match her words.

"You aren't happy for them?" Natsu asked his mate.

Catching herself, Lucy shook her head vehemently. "No of course I am," she told him hoping that she wouldn't have to endure another round of Natsu's probing so soon.

Unfortunately, fate was not on her side. "Then what was that just now," the dragon inquired with a frown. "I figured you'd be happier for Erza and Jellal."

"I am, I swear it," the princess defended, before signing in resignation. "It's just that… All our friends from Fairy Tail are pairing off and having children; Laxus and Mira, Elfman and Evergreen and now Jellal and Erza. It won't be long before we hear Gajeel and Levy and Gray and Juvia having children as well."

Natsu merely looked confused at her words. "So?"

"So," Lucy continued, with a huff of annoyance. "Someday I'd like to have children of my own as well."

"Well why can't you?"

"Because I want my children to be able to experience the world," she told him. "Gods that's what I want as well. I don't want to keep reading about all the fascinating things in this world, I want to see them. I want to be free to experience everything this world has to offer and I want that for my children as well. I don't want them to be trapped in this tower for their whole life like I have."

"Trapped," Natsu said, his voice quiet and unsteady. "Is that really how you see life in the tower, Lucy?"

"Yes it truly is," Lucy admitted, staring longingly out the open window and missing her lover's heartbroken expression on his face. "This is truly my cage."

"I see," Natsu said stiffly. "Then you must feel the exact same way about me as well."

Lucy's eyes widened in horror as she realised what she has said and how her lover had interpreted it. As the dragon began to pulled away from their embrace, the blonde princess rushed to grab his claw. "NO, Natsu," she cried as he made his way to the window, her hold proving futile. "I swear I didn't mean it like that."

"Save it," Natsu snarled, hurt evident on his face. "I think you've made it perfectly clear how you feel. Gods, this is what's been bothering you isn't it, these past few weeks. You just can't bear to be with me anymore, because it reminds you that you're trapped here doesn't it."

"No, I swear that's not it at all," she pleaded. "Natsu, please just stop and listen, that's not it at all."

However, for the first time in her life, Natsu ignored her and her pleas. Stepping onto the window sill, the mighty dragon shot his mate, at least for now, an upset expression before spreading his wing and taking flight, leaving the blonde princess to fall to the floor, tears falling freely from her eyes. She couldn't help but note that the tower's stone floor felt especially cold against her naked skin, especially now that she no longer had her lover's warmth.

The following morning saw a rather forlorn Lucy sitting outside her tower on the grass, unconcerned about whether the dusty pink dress she wore got dirty. She was far more interested in keeping a watch over the sky for any sign of her dragon. He had not returned since he had stormed out the previous night and Lucy was getting worried about what trouble an upset Natsu might get into. The knowledge that she had been the one who upset him in the first didn't help either.

Why had she said those things? Why did she have to bemoan the fact that she was trapped here? It was true, certainly, but Natsu made it so much fun that it had only been recently, in her twenty fourth year, that she began to tire of the tower and its surrounding grounds, but never Natsu. Never in her melancholy did she ever feel like she was just settling for Natsu. He was her best friend, her mate and the love of her life; it didn't matter where they were, just as long as they were together.

While these thoughts plagued Lucy's mind, as well as the fear that she had driven her dragon off, the sound of large beating wings penetrated Lucy's consciousness, giving her hope for the first time that morning. Standing up to get a better look, she saw a black dot in the sky, steadily growing bigger, it's colour becoming red as it drew closer and Lucy easily recognised it as her dragon. He landed with much practiced ease right in front of her, but the princess didn't really care about that, as she launched herself at him, tears once again staining her pretty face. "Natsu, please, I'm sorry, but you were never my cage," she sobbed, wetting his chest.

The weight on her heart lifted when she felt his scaled arms wrap themselves around her slender waist. "I know," he murmured into her hair. "I'm sorry I over reacted."

With a few words, all the worry and doubt that had been tormenting all night ebbed away, leaving her feeling warm and safe in her lover's embrace. "You did," she said, with a slight sniffle. "But I should have chosen my words better. There weren't many ways they could have been interpreted."

She had been glad that last night's misunderstanding had been resolved, but Lucy quickly realised that they needed to talk about what led to that confusion. Natsu it seemed, also recognise this. "Can we talk Lucy," he asked tentatively.

Lucy nodded, and she and Natsu sat themselves down on the grass, with the blonde snuggling against her dragon. Last night that been the first night in her life when she had slept without her dragon by her side, and she had no intention of letting something like that happen ever again. Unaware of her inner determination, Natsu merely wrapped a scaly arm around her shoulders, happy to be with his princess again. His night without his mate had not been any better than Lucy's.

For a moment both were silent, unsure of where to start, before Natsu finally began. "Do you really hate it here?"

Lucy paused, this time choosing her words with more care. "Hate isn't the right word," she explained. "I love the life we have here, but I want to see more of the world. I'm twenty-four years old and I've spent my entire life here. There's so much more in the world that I want to see, to experience, and the closest I can get to them is reading about them."

She paused once again, her eyes darting over to the horizon. "You know Crocus is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world? I was born there and yet I can't remember a thing. I want to see it again with my own eyes and all the other wonders of the world."

Lucy then again turned back to her mate, who looked thoughtful at her words. "But more importantly Natsu," she said in a determined yet loving voice. "I want to see all of them with you."

Although he knew she wasn't saying that she didn't love him, Natsu had been listening nervously during her little speech. However, her last words lifted one of the weights that had been on his heart, answering one of the big questions on his mind. Now it was time to deal with the other one. "And, what about… having kids… with me…" he said, his usual confidence missing, unsure if he was prepared for the answer.

Lucy's eyes widen in realisation. Natsu wanted children, and her words from the night before must have made him think, even fleetingly, that she didn't want children with him. "I do want children with you Natsu," she told him with a fierce determination. "Sometimes I want it so much it hurts."

She then held up her wrist, with a small mark on it. "I don't want children now because I don't want them to be trapped like I am," she began as her dragon eyed the mark, one he had seen before but never knew its origin or purpose. "I want to be able to explore the world with you, but if it's my destiny to remain here for the rest of my life, then I can still be happy, knowing that you're here with me. That's not something I would want for any of my… our children though. Mirajane and Erza gave me this mark so I wouldn't have children until I was ready."

Natsu looked thoughtful at that moment as he took in her words. "What… what if one led to the other?" he asked, usually nervous.

For Lucy though, his words made no sense. "I don't understand."

"What if you couldn't leave here until you were pregnant?"

Even with the explanation, Lucy still couldn't understand what her dragon was getting at. Apparently, her confusion was evident even for the usually dense Natsu to pick up on, and so he continued speaking. "Well, you know how other than knights, that only magical creatures can enter the grounds?"

Lucy nodded. "But only a knight can actually remove me from here," she added, refusing to further entertain the idea of some annoying knight taking her away from her dragon.

"Right," confirmed Natsu. "But I was talking to Gramps last night and he reckons that if you were pregnant with my child, then the barrier would think you were a magical creature as well."

The princess's eyes widened in realisation. "Then if I were pregnant…" she began, hope raising in her heart.

"Then you'd be able to explore the world, with me and our child," the dragon finished with a soft voice. "And this wouldn't be your cage, but your home. Or if you want, we could find somewhere else to live. I'm sure Gramps wouldn't mind if we built a home in Fairy Tail. I don't care where you wanna live and raise our kids… just as long as you're with me."

Lucy felt herself flush with embarrassment and shame at his words. Clearly the previous night's argument had affected him more than he let on. So she resolved herself to making sure he held no more doubt in his heart. "I can't imagine being anywhere, without my dragon by my side," she said, hoping her love and sincerity eased her dragon's doubt.

To further convey her feelings, she pressed her lips against his, softly kissing her draconic lover. It seemed that the message had been received, as Natsu tightened his hold on his princess and he returned the kiss. This was how they were supposed to be; not confusing each other or misinterpreting what the other said and storming off, just loving each other.

What had started as loving and chaste quickly transformed into something more. Soon, Lucy felt Natsu's tongue at the entrance of her mouth and she didn't hesitate to allow him entry. Their tongues began the familiar dance of swirling around in their mouths, duelling for dominance. She couldn't help the pleased hum that escaped her as he 'won' and his tongue plundered her mouth, much to her delight.

Slowly, they separated, and Lucy knew that her cheeks were flushed from arousal from the heat she felt. But that was ok, because she knew Natsu loved how she looked, all the time. "Lucy…" he whispered reverently, a tone that always made her breath hitch.

Without saying a word, she bowled him over so he was on his back. He seemed to almost expect it as he spread out his wings so they weren't crumpled against the ground. He also seemed to expect her to attack his mouth with hers, but she didn't care. She had already been without him for far too long.

She was overjoyed when she felt his strong arms wrap themselves around her slender waist, pulling her even closer to her dragon. She never felt safer than when those scaly arms embraced her body and the previous night she had felt a vulnerability that she hadn't known before. Further reason that she never wanted to be away from Natsu again. Although she did give a soft squeak as she felt his claws give her rump a firm squeeze.

Natsu quickly took advantage of her surprise and rolled them over to he was on top. From his position above her, he marvelled at how beautiful she was, inside and out, and that this woman said she wanted to have his children, to carry his hatchlings. He couldn't wait to see her belly swell with their child!

He shifted his position to between her legs, grabbing the hem of her dress and pushing up along her legs. Far from questioning it, Lucy lifted her hips to make things easier, and spread her legs further to better accommodate her mate. When her skirt had been bunched up around her hips, he eyed the sexy pink lacy underwear that she wore. "What," Lucy muttered with red cheeks. "I wasn't above seducing you when you came back."

The dragon gave a big laugh, before hooking his claws onto the garment and pulling it up along her silky smooth legs before tossing it aside. He began to lower his head to taste her womanhood before she grabbed his horn and pulled him away. "Save that for later," she said, looking at him affectionately. "It's been too long since I've felt you inside me."

Natsu found no reason to complain, and pulled out his rock hard erection from his pants. He pressed it against her slit, running the head along her lips to further arouse her before penetrating her. He eased himself into his princess, enjoying how she moaned his name as she took more and more of his length inside her.

Like her, he missed the feeling of their bodies joined, even if it had been for just one night. It had been the longest time they had gone without being in each other's presence, and like Lucy, he was resolved to make sure that would never happen again.

Lucy groaned in pleasure but also contentment. Her lover was with her and all was right with the world. She spread her legs further apart and groaned when Natsu decided to help her with that, placing his clawed hands underneath her knees. He then used this leverage to press her long legs against her chest. This in turn allowed him to penetrate deeper inside her, something that Lucy was not at all opposed to.

The dragon growled in pleasure as he began taking longer and faster strokes in and out of her pussy. Her body never failed to get him fired up, and the moans that slipped through her soft lips reinforced these desires. "Lucy… ah… I'm… ah… close…" he moaned, the head of his member touching the deepest part of her cavern.

"Ah… inside me…" Lucy pleaded, as if there was another option. "I need… to feel… ah… your seed… inside me…"

Her pleas was all the trigger Natsu needed. With a draconic roar, he unloaded inside his princess, filling her womanhood with his seed for the first time since their mating before he flew away. He regretted this hastiness, both for the delay in being inside her again, and for the anguish he caused his princess. But because he stormed off, he had found out information which meant that they could begin a new chapter with their lives.

Lucy cried out as Natsu warm seed filled her, sending a wave of warmth and pleasure surging through her body. His discharge quickly triggered her own orgasm. "Ah… yes… NATSU…" she screamed, her body trembling on the grass.

Both dragon and princess eventually calmed down from their respective climaxes, and simply laid there and enjoyed the feeling of the other. She seriously hoped that there were no knights nearby, as that precise moment would have been very awkward for all involved. And if the knights could get over their shock, they could probably manage to catch Natsu off guard. It wasn't a big worry. The last knight had been by more than a year ago, and the one before him came by six months before that. She didn't know if it was the rumours that she bedded her guardian had spread across the kingdom, or they simply had given up and frankly she didn't care. She just didn't want any knight, with their fantastically poor timing, to interrupt their moment.

Suddenly though, another thought struck Lucy and she gave out a small giggle. "Gods, we're pathetic aren't we," she said brightly.

Natsu, dense as he was, didn't quite get what she meant. Seeing his confused, yet adorable expression, Lucy elaborated. "We went just a night without each other and neither of us could bear it for long," she explained, still giggling.

"Guess we always need to be together then, huh," Natsu said, completely seriously. Smothering the last of her giggles, she nodded in agreement. "So… do you think you got pregnant just now?" her dragon asked, his face innocent and hopeful.

The look on his face warmed her heart, even if she did have to let him down. "No, Natsu," she said, shaking her head while holding up her wrist to show him the mark again. "We… I… got caught up in the moment, and forgot to remove the charm."

It broke her heart to watch as her dragon's face fell at the news. "Oh," he said glumly.

Before he could sink further into depression, she placed a loving kiss on his lips. "But that doesn't mean we can't practice until I get it removed," she said, her voice dripping with love and arousal.

Her words had the desired effect as Natsu's face broke into his beautiful boyish grin. "Alright, now I'm all fired up."

Two years later

King Jude Heartfilia was thankful that he had left his retinue behind. It would hardly due for his servants to see him trudging through this forsaken swamp like some filthy peasant. And he fully intended on bathing for a whole week before returning to Crocus. But the necessity of his circumstances meant that he had no choice. He needed to see the witch who lived in this swamp.

Almost a month ago, he had basically promised his daughter Lucy to the brave knight Dan Straight, on the condition that he rescue her from the tower. True he was doing things out of order, as the knight was supposed to rescue the princess first, then be promised to her. But Lucy should have been rescued years ago, and yet she hadn't. She would be twenty six now, and the closer she got to thirty, the harder it would be to marry her off. Or send knights to rescue her for that matter.

When she was younger, knights aplenty would journey to her tower to attempt to rescue her, eager to win the hand of a beautiful and, most especially, young princess. Yet as the years went by and knight after noble knight failed to rescue Lucy, fewer and fewer men wanted to make the journey. The strength of the dragon that guarded her put many off, Jude was sure, but as she got older, the knights sought brides who were just as beautiful, and younger, not to mention easier to court. The rumours, those blasted rumours, didn't help either.

They had started almost as soon as the first knight tried to rescue Lucy's hand, around the time she would have been twelve. He had obviously failed, but upon his return he had brought back these bizarre stories about the dragon and Lucy playing together, like children. As the years went by, these odd stories continued and became odder. From finding the dragon napping with the princess instead of guarding her, to Lucy actually cheering on the dragon while he fought whatever knight was there at the time. Odd tales to be sure, but ultimately nothing too distressing.

At least it hadn't been until almost seven years ago. Sir Falker of Onibus had returned from his quest, barely in one piece, and his tale painted a very horrible picture. When he had approached the tower, he was attacked by the dragon in his humanoid form. Not unheard of, except that the dragon had lept from the window of the princess's room and he was completely naked. In fact, Sir Falker had been a bit too graphic when he described the state of the dragon when it attacked him.

Nevertheless, between Sir Falker's loose tongue and gossipy servants, the rumour that Lucy and the dragon had been… intimate with each other spread. Combined with the other rumours about how friendly Lucy was with her guardian and how annoyed and unconcerned she was with the knights, tales of their illicit love spread throughout the kingdom.

With the news that Princess Lucy may not be as pure as she should be, fewer and fewer knights risked the journey, especially as time went on. And even Dan Straight, a notorious skirt-chaser, had to be convinced to make the journey, by promise of Lucy's hand and a generous dowry. Yet when he returned, his report had been more distressing than anything else the king had heard from a returning knight. The tower that held Lucy was covered in overgrowth, and had showed no sign of anyone living there for at least a year. The dragon and Lucy were nowhere to be found.

His wife had been distraught and he had been furious. They had hidden her in that tower to protect her and test potential suitors but now she was missing. Not only was it unexplainable, it was unacceptable. So he had taken the only course of action left to him. He left to see the witch who had threaten to steal Lucy's beauty for herself. It may have been foolish, but Jude needed to find out what happened to his daughter. There was more than his daughter's safety at stake.

He arrived at the small hut in the middle of the swamp, the abundance of animal bones identifying it as the witch's home. At least, he hoped they were animal bones. Embracing his courage and outrage, he approached the front door and knocked on the wood. "Open up, old hag," Jude announced.

The door swung open to reveal an old woman, her pale pink hair framing her face that showed her countless years. "What do you want," said the old woman, known as Porlyusica the Witch, rudely.

Jude was appalled by the woman's lack of deference. "I will have you know old woman that I am king…" he began, but was cut off.

"Do I look like I care, you fool," she snapped. "You are the one who came all this way just to see me, so if the purpose of your trip is to simply remind me that you are king and that I should be bowing, you have wasted the journey."

Before he could say another word though, Porlyusica turned around and retreated back into her hut. Curiously though, her door remained opened and Jude, assuming he had permission to enter, walked through. Upon entering, he saw that there were two cups of freshly made tea waiting on her table. The witch sat down at the table and took a sip of her tea, otherwise ignoring the royal presence.

Jude once again took her silence as a form of invitation, and sat down across from her, although made no move to touch his tea. "I imagine you want to know about your daughter," she asked suddenly, apparently knowing exactly why he was hear.

"Yes," he answered sternly. "I need to find her, to prepare her and her future husband as the next leaders of Fiore. Tell me what you've done with her."

"And what makes you think I know where she is," she queried with a raised eyebrow.

"All of this is your fault," he snapped but backed down when Porlyusica glared at him.

"And how do you figure that?"

"You were the one who wanted her beauty for yourself," he said, the old woman's glare stilling his rage.

Porlyusica merely snorted in derision. "And why would I want that brat's beauty," she said with a scowl. "The only thing beauty gets you is men lusting after you because they lose the ability to think with the head on their shoulders. I had enough of that in my youth, and I'm quite glad to put those days behind me, thank you very much."

"Then why," Jude demanded loudly. "Why did you spread that rumour all those years ago."

Porlyusica gave him another steely glare, and when he cowed, she gave a small sigh. "Almost thirty years ago, I had a vision, of western Ishgar being plunged into a war that would last for decades and see millions dead. And your daughter was at the centre of this war."

"What," exclaimed the king. "That's ridiculous!"

"Oh, you think so do you?" she sneered. "Men will do ridiculous things to obtain a beautiful woman. Tell me, what kind of things did you have to do to win your wife's hand? And how many other man were willing to give as much if not more?" She paused, allowing her words to sink in before she continued. "Around the time your daughter would have been eighteen, the kings of Caelum, Minstrel, Bosco, Seven and Pergrande were all looking for a new bride. Had your daughter been around, they would have all made an attempt for her hand and you know how prideful kings can be. None of them would have taken the rejection lying down and they were all prepared to go to war for their pride and her hand."

"But that would have been ten years ago," he countered. "Surely the danger has passed, if there is any truth to your story. And why did you spread the rumour that you wanted her beauty."

"Because it was easier than explaining the whole story," she said, explaining it as though to a child. "I needed her out of the way, and the easier way to do that was to play on the whole 'evil-witch-stealing-beauty' trope. And you acted exactly like I hoped and predicted so it all worked out."

Jude gritted his teeth at having been so easily manipulated. "Then where is my daughter," he said with urgency and anger. "You did all of this to prevent war, but if I die without an heir, then Fiore will be plunged into civil war as my cousins all press their claims to the throne."

Far from showing any concern, Porylusica merely rolled her eyes. "Oh don't be so dramatic," she said with another scowl. "You don't have to worry about succession either. Providing you don't do anything stupid, you'll be around for another twenty years or so. By the time you do… expire, you're grandson will be a young man and ready to take over."

"Grandson," said the stunned king.

With a wave of her hand, Porlyusica crafted an image out of smoke, and soon Jude saw an image of a young man, with pink hair and the savage features of a dragon in its humanoid form. In fact if the king had to guess, he'd say that this was the dragon who was supposed to be guarding his daughter. However there was one feature that caught him off guard. His eyes were the exact same as his wife Layla's and by extension his daughter's. "This… can't be… You mean the rumours are true then," he stammered, his mind drawing conclusions that he prayed were false.

Porylusica's mocking smile did nothing to ease those fears. "That the dragon you had guarding your daughter was doing a lot more than guarding," she asked rhetorically. "A lot more, if the pixie from Fairy Tail is to be believed."

"But this can't be," he bemoaned. "Lucy needs to marry someone of noble birth!"

"Well, the dragon is the son of the fire dragon king, so I guess you could say he's a prince of sorts," said the old woman, not really caring if she was helping or not.

"You think this prevents civil war," Jude all but yelled. "As soon as people find out that my heir is some kind of half breed, and that daughter lays with animals, every man with a shadow of a claim will be at my throat."

Porlyusica merely rolled her eyes. "Again, you're being dramatic," she sneered. "Your son-in-law would never let anything happen to your daughter, or their children. And you're forgetting that he's a dragon, anyone who willing goes to fight a dragon is an utter fool."

These words gave Jude pause. What she said was true, no one would take anything less than an army to fight a dragon, unless they needed to prove their manliness and rescue a princess, and if he was the prince of the fire dragons, then surely there were others as well. Maybe this could work.

Jude's thoughts were interrupted by Porlyusica's voice. "His name is Igneel Jude Dragneel, in case you care."

"Igneel Jude Dragneel," he repeated, touched by the inclusion of his name in that of his grandson's.

"He turned one a few days ago actually," she continued on, waving her hands to shift the image.

The image before him changed. The young draconic man changed slightly, as his daughter's eyes disappear from the face and replaced by the narrow eyes of a predator. However, the image didn't stop there. Soon his daughter appeared, the mirror of her mother, looking at the dragon with love and fondness and he saw that in the scaly arms of his… son-in-law, was his one-year-old grandson, complete with his own draconic features. Two things caught him completely off guard though. Firstly, was how happy they all looked, and secondly, the roundness of Lucy's belly. "Is she…" he couldn't help but ask.

Porlyusica gave a brief nod. "She and the dragon didn't waste any time," she said with obvious disapproval in her voice. "Barely waited a week after giving birth before going at it like rabbits again."

"That's not what I meant," Jude snapped, flushed with embarrassment. He did not want to hear such things about his daughter. "I meant to ask… is she happy?"

Porlyusica merely grumbled at her mistake. "Deliriously," she said, her tone showing her annoyance at the couple's happiness. "She can never seem to keep the stupid glowing smile off her face when she's with him or their kid. And he's worse."

Jude took all that in. It seemed that he had nothing to complain about then. His daughter may not have married the kind of man he would have picked for her, but then there were worse choices. After all, the dragon had literally spent his whole life protecting her, how could he argue with that? And the issue of succession had mostly been solved as well. Sure, there'd be a few who wouldn't be happy with a dragonborn king, but then at least Jude knew that his grandson would have the strength to fight any usurper, and could call on a host of dragon allies.

And his daughter was happy. It was something that all parents wanted for their children, so even if all his original plans of betrothal and succession were no longer valid, he could let it go, knowing she was happy with how her life turned out. "I see," he said formally, standing up. "Then I thank you Lady Porlyusica, and I will bid you a farewell."

Without sparing the witch another glance, he strode out of the hut to once again trudge through the swamp, although this time he didn't have to worry about his daughter and the future of the kingdom. True, the word of a witch, especially one who had already so thoroughly manipulated him, shouldn't be taken lightly, but he saw no reason to disbelieve her. By putting everything together, he knew in his heart that somewhere, Lucy was happy, with her dragon husband and her dragon children, and that someday he would see them and welcome them into the kingdom that was to be theirs someday.

Thanks for reading, I hoped you enjoyed it and remember to review.