Finished - January 15, 2020
Word Count - 4084
Music - Prince of Egypt - Reprimand
Summary:
Alternate Universe where Natsu and Lucy live in ancient Egypt. Princess Lucetta and her personal guard Commander Natu dream about running away from Egypt to live together. But Lucetta has royal duties and is not ready. What will change her mind?
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Deep within the Sahara desert, laid an immense kingdom. The powerful and strong nation of Egypt. Set in the middle of the wasteland, a lush and prosperous empire thrived.
Under the hot sun, the red sands of the ancient times when Pharaohs ruled. The mighty king of Egypt, Suten-Ouza sat upon his throne and ruled with a firm hand. His wife Layhut passed away many years ago and only left him with one child.
She was a small girl with a pale complexion, just like her mother had been. Princess Lucetta mostly stayed inside the Palace, since her skin burned so easily she had to stay out of the sun. She was the only one in the Kingdom with such a light tone. Her mother Layhut had been a princess from a foreign country, sent to marry the Pharaoh and create an alliance.
Princess Lucetta walked down the open corridors of the stone palace, escorted by her personal Guard, Commander Natu. The man was well shaped and fit, for he needed to be in order to be able to protect the Princess. He wore a simple Egyptian linen skirt, complete with leather wrist braces, belts and scandals. Fortunately for all his obverses, his tan upper body was left open for all to see, making it quite hard for those not to look too long.
He was her best friend, but in public he needed to remain focused and professional. Therefore, they walked in silence towards the throne room.
Natu followed behind the Princess, keeping a watchful eye out, but when they approached the grand room. He stepped ahead of her and opened the heavy doors for her to step inside, bowing respectfully as she passed. Her silky white garments rippled behind her as she walked.
When she had completely entered the room, Natu released his grip on the door and continued to follow behind her. As they came into view of Pharaoh, both Guard and Princess bowed themselves down in the presence of their King.
"Ah, Princess Lucetta." Her Father addressed her formally.
"You summoned me." Lucetta's voice chimed with a hint of nervousness.
"Yes, please rise." King Suten-Ouza stood from his throne and came down the stairs to meet them. "I head a rumor that there is a group of bandits who wish to take your life."
Lucetta was not surprised by this news, nor was she frightened. For this was not the first time she had heard of someone wanting to kill her. Because she was an alien in her own country and some very proud Egyptians did not like that their Princess did not look like them. Therefore she was not fazed by this news.
"You know what that means Lucetta." King Suten-Ouza looked her in the eye, looking more like a father than a king now.
"Yes." She nodded and rolled her eyes.
"Good" Suten-Ouzan seemed to relax a bit, then turned his attention to Natu. "The usual precautions Commander Natu, and she does not leave your sight until I give the word."
Natu nodded and dipped his head in deep regard. Without another word Natu and the Princess returned from the same direction they had came and walked in silence the path back to the Princess's chambers.
Lucetta let out a large sigh as she finally shut the door to her room. The only place she ever felt she could be truly safe, or really be herself. The rest of the large Palace was beautiful and spacious, but it had eyes and ears everywhere. Lucetta knew her quarters were secure, she made sure they were!
"Princess, are you back?" A sweet voice called from deeper within her room.
"We are back Verkhio." Lucetta answered her elderly maid. Verkhio had practically raised Lucetta after her birth mother died. The woman may have been a servant at one time, but now she was family.
"Is Natu with you?" Verkhio asked, as her aged frame peeked out from around the corner.
"Always." Natu chuckled from behind Lucetta.
"Good." The woman smiled. "So, why did your father summon you?"
"Operation: Burning Candle." Natu plopped down on one of Lucetta's floor cushions. Lucetta gave in and joined him on the floor, sitting beside his legs, looking at the floor.
"Again?" Verkhio sighed. "That must be the third one this season."
"Yeah. But honestly, it is my favorite operation." Natu smirked, giving Lucetta a wink.
"Oh shut up! It's no fun for me!" She threw a pillow at his face, which knocked off his dark colored wig.
"Oh!" The boy was now energized. "If mine is off, then yours is coming off too!"
"No!" Lucetta screamed and tried to run away from him, giggling.
Meanwhile, Verkhio simply watched the youngsters have their fun. it was s shame the they had to wear their wigs though. For both Natu and Lucetta had to wear black haired wigs out in public. Because every regular citizen living in Egypt had dark colored hair, if you were born with a light hair color or an odd color, it was considered to be witchcraft. Which in fact, it was.
Hair color is the easiest way to determine if someone has magical abilities or not. If a person has black or brown hair, they have no abilities and are considered human. However, if they have any other color, they are not human.
When Lucetta hit Natu with a pillow and knocked off his black wig, it revealed a surprising color of rose. A light almost pink color that would have him beheaded if shown in public. Similarly, Natu caught Lucetta and pulled off her wig, letting her long ivory blonde locks fall from her short brown wig.
"Up you go." Natu picked up Lucetta in his arms, much to her protest and carried her back to her cushions.
Lucetta didn't know where to put her hands as he carried her. Around his neck? On his shoulder? On his chest? She blushed at the thought and resorted to placing them awkwardly on her stomach.
Natu sat back down in the soft seat and kept Lucetta peacefully in his lap. He liked to hold her like this, they didn't get much down time and he would take what he could get.
"Hey, Luce." He asked, starring out the window.
"Hmm." She hummed.
"Do you think we will ever leave this place?"
Lucetta was a bit shocked by this question and sat up a bit, looking up at him. His eyes were dazed, looking passed the horizon.
"Why?" She inquired.
"You know I love you right?" He turned his head down to look at her, his expression serious.
"Of corse. I love you too, but-" Lucetta didn't understand where this conversation was headed.
"Answer me honestly. Do you really see a future for us here? I mean we can't be who we really are and we are forbidden!" He motioned to the two of them.
"I know this. But no one can survive out in the desert alone, it is suicide!"
"Maybe for humans. Luce, we are special." He reminded her.
"I don't know..."
"Come on Luce. Run away with me."
"Im not ready for that, I still have my father and Verkhio..." Lucetta was scared.
"Yeah, the father who would have you killed the moment he saw your hair color." Natu scoffed.
Lucetta gaped at his words, offended that he would say such a thing. She was speechless, tears slowly started to fall down her cheeks.
"L-Luce, Im sorry. I didn't-" Natu immediately regret everything he had said.
"Get out."
"What?"
"You heard me. I said get out!" Lucetta commanded.
"But what about Operation: Burning Candle?" Natu was now less concerned about his relationship and more worried about her safety.
"I. Said. Get. Out." Venom dripped with every word.
Natu picked up his wig and placed it unto his head, making sure it was on properly and exited her chambers silently. He hated to see her cry, but he knew that it was his fault for hurting her feelings. he shouldn't have said those things, even if they were true, they didn't need to be said so harshly. He felt like an idiot.
"You know he didn't mean to say that."Verkhio attempted to comfort the saddened girl.
"Not now Verhkio, go ahead and take your leave." Lucetta pressed gently.
"As you wish, Princess." The maid bowed and exited the spacious quarters.
Once she was alone, Lucetta dropped herself into the cushion she and Natu had sat together in, it still smelled like him. She probably shouldn't have yelled at him like that, nevertheless, he had hurt her feelings. Overall it was foolish of her to send him away considering the circumstances, but she needed some time to think in peace.
Even in the heat of the day, in the middle of the desert, without Natu she felt cold. Lucetta wrapped the thin cotton dress around her small frame tighter, trying to find warmth in its layers. She could feel a few stray tears drip unto her wrists, sniffing she stood and wobbled over to her bronze mirror. She could see her blurry reflection in the golden piece of metal, it was not a perfect reference of her features, but it was enough to see shapes and colors. Lucetta could make out her brown eyes, pale skin and light hair.
The only three people who knew about her peculiar trait was Natu and Verkhio, no one else in the entire Kingdom was aware of her predicament. Not even her Father knew, for Lucetta's Mother, Layhut also had blonde hair. Passing the magic gene to her daughter, but never told her husband in fear of her life. Only telling her most trusted servant Verkhio about the small Childs gift.
Natu found out by accident, it was bound to happen, since they spent so much time together. He was her personal Guard after all, but one day he stumbled upon her in the bath. Well, to keep it simple they traded secrets and their bond grew immensely.
Lucetta fiddled with the brown colored wig in her fingers and sighed. Taking one of her many leather bands, she tied her blond hair up and tucked it neatly into the small wig. Twisting it into place as if it had never left. The wig was much shorter than her actual hair, cutting off just before her shoulders in an abrupt line, showing off her slender neck slightly. Someday she wished she could show everyone who she really was.
But for now, she should probably go and find Natu and apologize. She didn't like being at odds with him and she honestly shouldn't be too far from him. Her father would be furious if anything happened.
Taking a deep breath, she stood from her seat and head towards the door. However, she did not get far when she felt something slice into her back. She had no time to scream, because the pain of the impact took her breath away and she fell to the floor.
Lucetta couldn't breath, couldn't move and everything was a blur. She could hear voices but they were muffled and she couldn't understand what they were saying.
Pushing herself off the floor, her head ached and she felt warm liquid drip down her shoulders and hips. Her eyes couldn't focus, but she could feel rough hands turn her over and shake her harshly.
Lucetta didn't quite know what was happening, but she was smart enough to know what would happen if she didn't act. It was her own stupid fault for sending Natu away, now she had to deal with the consequences. She had to deal with these thieves herself, but in the process she would reveal herself as a mage. Either way she would be killed. But she refused to go down like this.
She raised her hands infant of her face, her fingertips starting to glow just slightly and gold dust sprouting from them.
Goodbye Natu.
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He paced up and down the sandstone hallways, mentally hitting himself for the stupid things he had said. He wasn't thinking, he was more focused on winning the argument, not about how he might hurt her feelings. He needed to apologize. But Luce was in such a sour mood now, she probably didn't want to see him. She looked so hurt and mad, he was probably the last person she wanted to see.
As much as she wanted him to leave her alone, he couldn't make himself stray too far away from her. Keeping himself within one hundred cubits of her door. As he stressed within himself, he heard odd noises coming from her room. Voices of multiple people, when there should only be Lucetta inside. Plus he did not recognize any of their tones and he knew most every person the Princess came in contact with. Meaning the Princess didn't know these people either!
"Please forgive me Luce." Natu muttered to himself, praying that she would not murder him after he broke down her door.
The boy slammed his foot against the wooden doors and broke the lock easily, forcing the doors to separate violently. Inside he saw it, a sight he would never forget. Three ruffians had somehow found their way into the Palace and snuck into the Princess's chambers.
These men hovered over her with a red sword while the love of his life was lying on the floor. But what scared natural the most was the light coming from Lucetta's fingers. She was preparing to use her magic? What was she thinking? She knew that would get her killed! She looked up at him, her eyes filled with sadness.
"Look at her hands!" One of the men pointed and yelled at Lucetta in horror.
"She is a witch!"
Natu had arrived too late. Lucetta returned her attention to the men above her, tears leaking from her eyes once more.
"Just wait until the Pharaoh hears about this!" The men laughed.
They had gone too far, they had joked seriously about what Natu had accidentaly said. Natu took a step forwards, now standing over Lucetta who was still laying on the floor.
"Not so fast." He growled, his fists lighting up with red flame.
The men tensed in fear. as scared as they seemed, they should be more terrified, because Natu was going to kill them.
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Lucetta had never seen Natu use his magic before, nor did she ever know what it was. But she had no idea that he held such a powerful strength inside him all these years! It was scary, she couldn't watch him kill those men, but yet she was not fearful of him. She knew he was only doing it to protect her, for they knew that she was a mage and they would have told the entire Kingdom if they had been left alive.
Yet, she could not stop her body from shivering. Maybe it was from fear, or more likely the shock of the great wound on her back. She couldn't see it, but she knew it was large and deep from the amount of blood apparent on the floor.
Natu finished his dirty work and wiped his hands off on his skirt. He hated killing, taking people lives is not the way things should be done. But for Lucetta, he would do anything.
He turned around to make sure she wasn't too frazzled by the scene she had just witnessed, but noticed that she was still lying on the floor weakly.
"Luce!" Natu ran to her side and moved her into his lap. She looked faint and paler than usual, her color clashing drastically with this tanned skin tone. Lucetta's breathing was deep and rigid. Natu felt something wet on his hands as he held her, pulling one out from under her he saw that he was covered in blood.
Natu was too focused on the men to even notice that she was injured. "Luce..." He choked.
"I'm sorry Natu." Lucetta looked at him straight, her eyes showing sorrow. "I shouldn't have sent you away like that, it was foolish of me."
"No!" Natu stopped her from saying anything else. "I shouldn't have said those terrible things to you. Im the one who is sorry."
"I forgive you." She smiled. "Can you forgive me?"
"Of corse."
Just as they had made up, soldiers burst into the room and observed the destructive crime scene. Lucetta's room had turned into shambles. Her bed had been completely flipped over, drapes ripped and the bloodied bodies of three men splayed on her floor.
"What the hell happened here?!" The General demanded, addressing Commander Natu.
Natu placed Lucetta gently on a nearby cushion and stood tall for his superior. "These three men attacked and hurt the Princess. I only acted accordingly General."
"Accordingly?" The man did not seem to approve of the treacherous state of the room.
"Yes sir, it is only appropriate that traitors to the throne are executed. Is that not correct?" Natu was being cheeky.
"You are correct." The General nodded.
"Sir, look at the walls." One of the soldiers ran a hand over a barren part of Lucetta's wall, Natu's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm.
"Are these scorch marks?" The General seemed dumfounded on how they got there.
Darn, why did he have to be so careless?
"Do you know how this got here?" The General asked Natu, suddenly very suspicious.
"No sir." Wrong answer!
The general snapped his fingers and the men behind Natu suddenly grabbed him and forced him to his knees. Natu tried to struggle, but not too violently. Not wanting to show how scared he actually was deep inside.
"Commander Natu, I thought better of you." The General walked slowly up to him and grabbed a fist full of Natu's black wig and yanked it off. Uncovering his oddly colored hair to everyone in the room, and soon, all of Egypt.
Lucetta could only watch, her body was very weak and she couldn't move from her spot. The great amount of blood loss finally taking a toll on her. Tears streamed down her face as she watched Natu's one layer of protection be ripped off his head. She could see her favorite color bloom from above his eyes, it bounced as he did. It was him.
But he was being taken from her, dragged away and she could do nothing to stop it. They started to move him further away, but Lucetta would not let herself remain quiet.
"...stop..." She forced herself and shifted her body towards the men taking him away. It took immense energy and strength to move and talk, but she would not let them take him. "leave him alone."
Lucetta crawled on her hands and knees, practically begging them to stop, having no physical power to make them do anything. Yet they seemed to listen to their princess and halted for a moment, but did not release the boy.
Since Natu was still on his knees, Lucetta was at the right crawling hight to hug him. She collapsed on his shoulders, wrapping her heavy arms around his neck.
"You will not take him." Her voice was much more stern this time.
"I am sorry Princess, but we must. This is a direct order from Pharaoh, all mages are to be executed."
"Then it seems I need to have a word with my father." She looked up at the General with a glare that could throw daggers.
Lucetta was gently pulled off Natu as they were separated; Lucetta to be bandaged up by the healers and Natu to the dungeons.
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Scandaled feet stomped down the hallway, angrily traveling to their maker. Princess Lucetta had woken up after her rest extremely enraged. Her large wound freshly patched up and feeling numb at the moment. Therefore, she marched to the Throne room unaccompanied and unannounced, something a Princess was never supposed to do.
Lucetta slammed open the doors and loudly made her presence known. "Father, I need a word with you. Now!"
"Lucetta!" Pharaoh Suten-Ouza reprimanded his only child, but she did not care and continued her rushed walk forward. "How dare you barge in like this!"
"Father, we need to talk."
"If this is about what happened yesterday-"
"Yes." She interrupted him, another thing no one dreams of doing to Pharaoh. "Do you not care that your daughter was attacked and almost killed? You didn't even come to see me?!"
"Lucetta, I will make it up to you. You have my word."
"You can make it up to me by releasing Commander Natu."
"Unacceptable!" He turned to leave.
"Unacceptable?! Father, he protected me and kept me safe for years! He saved my life! Then you reward him by sentencing him to death!"
"He is a dangerous criminal."
"He is not dangerous!"
"He is a mage."
"What is so bad about mages?" Lucetta's tone turned soft and honest, truly wondering why he thought they were so aweful.
"You would not understand." Pharaoh dismissed her.
"Then help me to understand."
"You are just like your mother, you ask too many questions!" He raised his voice once more.
"You loved mother! Well, I too have found that love in someone. Someone who I trust with my life. Someone who is kind, noble, strong, honest, silly and loyal. But he is also in trouble. Please, Father. Let him go."
Pharaoh turned swiftly around to face his daughter, his first expression seemed abhorred. "Commander Natu?!"
Lucetta nodded, her face content and hopeful.
"For your sake, my child, I will release him."
"Thank you Father!" Lucetta hugged him tightly, her heart soaring.
"But, he cannot stay in the kingdom. He is still a mage. Therefore he is exiled from Egypt."
"Exiled?" Her hopes one again sunk. Until a crazy thought popped into her head and she smiled. "Okay, sounds good to me."
"What?"
Lucetta shrugged and thought to herself Screw it! In front of the entire Throne room, Counsel members, entertainers, minstrel players and Nobles; she took off her wig. Exposing her long blonde hair to the hundreds of people present. A collective gasp sounded throughout the entire room, a hushed silence following. But Lucetta could not stop smiling.
"Thank you Father, good bye." She bowed respectfully, dropped her wig on the floor and ran out.
Her heart was racing as she left the wind in her hair, her real hair! She had never felt this sensation before, running with her hair out. it gave her a sense of pride. She had always wanted to roam the Palace halls free of her wig and now she was doing just that.
As she passed, servants and random people gasped upon seeing her and her new appearance. Some fled from her in fear, while others noticed how happy she looked, an expression not usually seen on their beloved Princess.
Lucetta ran all the way down to the dungeons, not stopping until she came to a large door, guarded by two soldiers. Once they saw that the Princess was in front of them, they froze up, even more so because of her hair.
"Well? Move!" She demanded.
The cowardly men squeaked and instantly ran off. Without any hesitation, Lucetta ran into the dungeon and searched through every cell in search of her love. Luckily, every Guard she passed fled from her presence so she had no trouble.
"Natu!" She finally found him, he was in his own cell strapped up against the wall. His clothes were torn and his shoes were missing. But other than that, he looked fine.
"Luce? W-What are you doing he-WHERE IS YOUR WIG?!" He stopped his original sentence and switched to note her obvious uncovered hair.
Lucetta giggled and unlocked the bars to his cage, moving to untie his wrists. "Don't worry, everything is alright."
"Alright?! What do you mean? What are you doing here? Why aren't your wearing your wig? How did you get here?" Natu asked many frantic questions, his face going red.
"Remember you asked me to run away with you? Well, I'm not scared anymore."
"Luce...are you sure?" He took her hand.
"Of corse."