Once Upon a Time: An Unlikely Match

Once upon a time there was a kingdom in a faraway land that was filled with enchantments.  What once was a land of war and anger was now a land of peace and cooperation.  Ogre's were in charge of construction crews rebuilding the homes that were destroyed.  Wood Elves ran the parks and recreation department at the local government under making the land lush and fruitful once again.  Vampires were the leading sellers of home protection charms when families bought their first homes.  Witches were the best healers that money could buy and chased sickness from the land.

Of all of these things that were plentiful, there was the ruling family to oversee everyone.  They heard the problems of their people and came up with solutions to help everyone overcome their hardships.  They were looked upon fondly and everyone cherished the two parents and their children.  They were the perfect family: a strong male leader who was young and hearty.  A delicate but firm queen by his side.  A firstborn son who was friends with the children of the kingdom whether they were royal or not and a little girl with fire red hair and as fiesty to boot.

That ruling family was my parents.

Hi.  My name is Nicholas, or, as I prefer, Nick.  As luck would have it I was the first born and was next to rule behind father and my twenty first birthday was coming up.  Soon I would be "of age" to marry and settle down to rule the kingdom instead of father.

I was not looking forward to it.

Every woman that mother had tried to set me up with was snobby, snooty and all around dull.  They were more concerned on who was wearing what, who had the smaller waist and had absolutely no idea about public affairs other than what appealed to their daily gossip while they sat on their rears embroidering little pieces of fabric.  What was the point of embroidery?  They didn't sew their own garments and as far as I knew none of the things that they made ever went into use.  Sounded like an excuse to me.  I would rather be playing with the small children of our kingdom than sitting in the dark pricking my fingers with a needle.

"What do you think they're talking about?" my best friend Humphrey asked me one day.  The sound of our swords echoed across mothers garden while we practiced our fencing.  We finally had the perfect day for it.  Most of the townspeople were getting their gardens ready to their harvest later on in the season and I had nothing to do in the castle.  Trina, my little sister, was hosting a "tea party" with her friends across the courtyard where Humphrey's attention had settled.

  Nothing of importance except maybe who had the most ruffles in their ridiculous looking dresses.

"I'm not sure, why don't you go and ask them?" 

His face flushed and he stammered over his words.  Humphrey loved the ladies but couldn't speak to them.  If any parents could find the perfect name for their child, his parents had given him his perfect match.  Humphrey worked hard but wasn't the most graceful nor was he the most eloquent speaker.  He was the perfect fencing partner which meant I never knew what move he was going to try on me because he lost his balance, became overwhelmed and just started swinging.  He kept me on my toes.

"I can't go and talk to them!  They look awful-" swing "-busy!"  I ducked my head, his blade swinging right where my head had been.  He had lost his form a few attempts ago and now we were in a free for all.  I grinned at him.

"Busy doing what?  It looks to me as if they're sitting on their a-"

My feet jerked out from underneath me and I stumbled into a shrub.

Humphrey burst out laughing at my fumble and I bit back a curse while trying to pull myself out.

A flash of heat followed by nausea went through my body before I could completely pull myself out of the prickly leaves and suddenly my feet were pushing myself further into the bush while my arms were trying to pull me out.

"Humphrey, if you would quit your da-"

My body twitched and my feet were moving of their own accord again.  What the hell was going on?  I didn't want to go into the bushes I wanted to get out!

After a few struggles Humphrey realized that something was seriously wrong.  I wasn't in control of my body any longer and for some reason my feet were carrying me through the shrubs to get out of the courtyard instead of around the walkway.  I couldn't see him but I could feel his hand on my arm trying to pull me out.

"What are you doing?" Humphrey grunted in exertion.

"I have no idea.  My body doesn't seem to be responding to what I want it to do.  I'm not in control!" I called back panicked.  Nothing like this had ever happened to me before, nor had I heard of it happening to anyone either.

"A witch's curse?" he gasped, letting go of me.  My legs regained control and shot me out of the shrubs to the other side.  Humphrey burst through after me.

"Witch's haven't been giving out curses for generations," I snapped.  My back was dripping sweat and I was tired of fighting what it was trying to do.  What good would declaring it as a curse do?  All it would do is spike anger in the Witch community and people would lose trust in them.  Trust they had been fighting for and finally been given.  No.  We weren't going to go around saying it was a Witch's curse.

"That doesn't mean that they aren't selling them on the black market," he said.  I knew he was right but I didn't want to think like that.  My family had done a lot for the race of Witch's.  Not everyone wanted to see them as equals but they were a core strength in the survival of our kingdom.  Without them there would have been a lot more deaths when sicknesses came every winter.  Every ailment they had a cure for and left our kingdom the healthiest it has ever been.  We needed them more than they needed us.

"Well something is obviously going on!  I've lost control of my body dammit!" I yelled as I tripped over a smaller hedge. "I need helpful answers, not speculation!"

"Maybe you should see where it's leading you to."

"And maybe you should go and get some help," I growled.  I was beyond furious now.  I don't know what I would have done to attract a Witch's wrath on me.  As far as I knew I was kind to every person I came across.  I didn't think I was a bad guy.  When I saw someone that needed assistance, I was there whether it was yard work, building a new house or barn, thatching a hole in a roof, settling down a spooked horse, playing ball with the children.  Then again, that didn't mean I pleased everyone.

"Try to leave a trail so I can follow you.  Be safe, Your Highness," Humphrey said and he took off toward the castle.  I hoped he would be able to find someone to follow me.  If this was a curse then I might not be able to fight off whoever I was being forcefully led to.  Thankfully I still had my sword so I had a fighting chance.  I hoped.  This curse may incapacitate me the moment I reach the intended party which meant my weapon could be my saving grace or my death sentence.

Giving up after fighting the momentum and almost breaking my leg, I let the curse carry me away.  As soon as I gave up control it seemed everything moved smoother.  There were still some stumbles and I ran into a few trees until I figured out a way to get myself around them.  When I was detained for too long I began to get nauseous and my blood felt like it was about to boil.  It didn't matter how exhausted I was from the pace I was going or that I longed to stop and take a drink of cool water from the river that I splashed through.

The sun was beating down on me when I first heard the voice.  At first I thought it was chanting that was causing the curse but as I got closer, the rush I had felt up to this point slowed and I regained dominion over my body.  I leaned against a tree, breathless, and readied myself for a fight if need be. Thankfully whatever this curse was, it stopped me next to a cool stream and I used the water to splash the stinging sweat from my eyes.  Only a few minutes had gone by but in my panic it had felt like hours.  I wasn't too far from the Kingdom, on the outskirts past the poorest of houses in a grove of trees.  Rumors flew about this place.  The trees had eyes and ears, an old hag lived in a cottage by herself, only coming out on full moons to gather what supplies she needed, then went back into hiding.

Not the worst character I've heard of but definitely not one that I wanted to stumble upon.

His eyes will look at only me
His voice will soothe my sorrows
My voice will bring him to me
And we will be happy all the 'morrows

We will laugh together in sun and rain
With only me will he dance
With a kiss he will take all of my pain
If only life would give me a chance

All my life I've lived in this woods
Left on my own without any friends
I'd find him on my own if I could
Instead my voice the wind sends

If only my love would come to me
To live a happy ever after
A better new happy life for me
A life full of my true love's laughter

With my kiss he will know
With my kiss he will love
With his kiss I will know
With his kiss I will love

If only he would hear my voice
Then he would know that I am his
He wouldn't have a choice
I'd be his lovely little Ms.

Her voice was horribly off pitch and it hurt my ears but I was immediately entranced.

And angry.

And enamored.

And full of disbelief.

I had heard stories and songs from long ago about men and women finding their true loves by a song but nothing recently.  A lot of the fairy tales weren't happening in today's world.  Many believed that the wars of the past had killed off the magic that had woven us all together so we were left to find mates that actually suited our needs instead of waiting for the opportune moment to fall in love.

Not that I would call this opportune.

The old stories said that when a young woman and man become of age, the woman would sing an enchanting song which in turn called the man to her.  After that fun little romp in the woods it seemed to me that the men didn't have a choice on finding their match.  If we fought it we'd become sick.

The stories also claimed that the man had to prove himself to the lady that called upon his heart.  Dragons had become scarce around this land, fleeing to the mountains surrounding the ocean shores where there was plenty of room for them to fly and caverns to hide so that challenge was probably off of the table.  Thankfully.  I didn't feel like being burnt alive and I had a lot of respect for dragons. 

It didn't sound like the lady was in distress (as much as her singing was painful) but that didn't mean there wasn't something waiting for me.  Thinking it time to look at my lady I peered around the trees and discovered the most ridiculous looking scene I thought I could ever happen upon.

A girl with snarled, dirty, fair hair and in a dress that was horribly put together was dancing barefoot around the open wooded area while what she probably considered humming.  Animals surrounded her and were squawking and chirping with her "singing".  It didn't seem to mind her.  In fact, she seemed to be...

Yes, she was dancing with them.

I stifled a groan and rubbed my forehead that was beginning to ache.  This was the most cliched story of finding your mate if I ever heard one.  A long ways down my family line there were stories that I had once believed to be fabricated about my many great grandfathers finding their true love.  They had discovered hidden princesses that had the sweetest of voices, the most delicate features and the fiercest character they had ever happened upon.

This girl did not have the sweetest of voices, nor the most delicate of features but she still took my breathe away and I couldn't stop looking at her.  Through all of  her faults she had a beauty about her and I wanted to know more about her.  It was as if I could see her aura about her.  Clearly she hadn't had a very sheltered life; there were scratches and bruises on her arms and legs where her she had outgrown her clothing.  Some were fresh.  I wondered if they were from the animals she had surrounded herself with.  Then again, looking closer, they seemed careful to keep their claws and teeth away from her flesh.

This girl was the strangest creature I had ever seen.  If I wasn't so drawn to her I would have snorted and crept away giving her her privacy back.

Instead, I found myself walking forward and joining in song with her.  My voice was strong and loud, her voice quickly matched mine in volume.  I had never sang out loud in front of anyone ever.  Sure, I had had a drunken moment here or there with my friends while at the local tavern but never anything serious like this.

She spun around at the sound of my voice, which wasn't any better than hers, and next thing I knew, we were dancing around the meadow together!  I didn't dance at the balls when there was music let alone dancing with a strange girl in the woods using the animal noises to keep beat.  She smelled awful, like she had never bathed before or had recently rolled in a stable.  Up close I realized the dress was sewn together so poorly it would fall apart if you washed it.  It was very clear that this young woman did not know proper etiquette and would not fit in with Trina's friends back home and that saddened me.  I pulled her closer and swore to myself that I would protect her from any gossip when she came home with me.

Irritation flooded through me as I spun her around.  This girl...this funny looking girl had stolen my heart and called to me when I wasn't looking for her.  I was having too much fun living my life and she ruined it all with one stupid song.  A song I had never heard before but knew all of the words to.  It was strange having these emotions for a girl I had never met before but I couldn't deny them.  I loved her.

And that annoyed me more than I thought.  In order to love someone you needed to know them.  I didn't know her and it frightened me to think that she was my true love and she could be the wrong match.  What if destiny screwed up?  What if this was still a strange curse that someone had put on me?  What if I never found my true love?

What if she was having these doubts about me?

I spun her one last time as the song ended, her hands resting on my chest as she looked up at me.  Of course she would have bright blue eyes.  Blue eyes that I wanted to sink into and be lost forever.  Blue eyes that were brighter than the ocean and bluer than any sky I had ever seen.

"What is this!?" I gasped and pushed her away when common sense flooded back into me for a moment.

"You're here!  You heard me!  I knew you would come!" she smiled.  I'll admit I never gave having a wife or a true love much thought but I never thought she'd look like this.  How the women behaved at home must have influenced me more than I thought.  I thought her voice would be softer, her hands more elegant and soft.  Most of all I thought she'd be a little less....crazy.

Who dances with wild animals!?  Who sings about finding their true love!?  And how in the seven hells did I know the lyrics with her?!

Most importantly, how was I resisting kissing her?

She was beautiful.

She was strange.

She was perfect.

"Whoa!" I yelled snapping out of it and rubbed my head again.

"What?" she asked, clearly dumbfounded at my actions.

 "This is....what is this?" I asked gesturing between us.

"True love," she smiled and came toward me again.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I caught that with our singing.  That doesn't explain who-who are you?  Who taught you that-that neat little trick of calling your true love by singing?  What's up with all of the animals?" I asked, my heart pounding.  I needed to calm down and take a breathe.  Everything was moving too fast.  The animals had scattered upon my arrival but I could still see them peaking down us through the tree branches and shrubs.

"I don't know.  I just sang and knew you'd appear.  It's almost like magic, isn't it?" she sighed happily.  How could someone be this happy?  Didn't she have questions about this?

I stared at her.  Was she mentally stable?  Should I have her checked out by someone?

"Yes, it is like magic.  Magic that hasn't been along for many generations.  How did you know about it?" I asked.

"It came to me in a dream one night. Isn't it wonderful!?  Now we'll have our happily ever after!" she cooed and batted her eyes at me.

"Yeah...sure."

There were a lot of things things that were off about this.  My heart and brain were warring against one another and the sensation was uncomfortable.  I wanted to pull her in my arms, whisk her away and demand that we be married that night.  I couldn't get enough of her.  I kept staring.  I loved her little freckles that were hidden under her shaggy hair and across the bridge of her nose.  I loved the smirk that was hidden in a dimple on only her right cheek.  I loved that she had a button chin and that her eye brows weren't finely plucked like the ladies in waiting at home.  That was my heart speaking.

My brain said this was illogical and that there was some twisted magic behind it.  There was no way someone could fall in love with someone by only a song.  It just wasn't possible.  My brain was also saying that it could very well be possible since this had happened in generations past, even in my family.  I knew I needed to speak to someone right away. 

A chiming bell rang through the woods suddenly, sparking an uproar from the animals.  Birds took off in flight, suddenly spooked.  Deer and other four legged creatures took off into the woods, snapping twigs and branches in their rush to get away.

The young woman's face paled and she pushed away from me suddenly.  It was as if the magic had snapped and she wasn't so sure about me.

"I have to go," she gasped and turned to run past me.

Grabbing her wrist I stopped her.  "Whoa, wait.  Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry but I have to go.  Please, you can't be seen," she begged and pushed me away.

She called me here like it was no big deal, making me clomp through mud and trees and God only knew what and now she was sending me away?  I wasn't a toy that she could play with!  I was here, dammit, whether she liked it or not.  If she truly loved me like she had claimed only moments ago why would she push me away?

Unless...

Unless if she was rejecting me?

What if I wasn't what she wanted?  Did she not like brown hair and brown eyed men?  I admit I wasn't the most charming of Princes but I was kind, I had a gentle touch and I would never hurt her.  In fact, I would kill for her.  All I wanted to do was hold her close and protect her.  Her safety and well being was all I cared for. 

If she was rejecting me I wasn't sure if I could bear it.  But if she wanted something else I only wanted her to be happy.  If that meant pushing me away then so be it.

"I just got here," I said quietly and she looked up at me, tears flooding her eyes.

"He can't see you.  If he does....Please.  You have to be safe.  I never should have called you.  I should have known better," she whispered and touched my cheek.  My eyes closed at her soft touch. 

"Wait," my eyes snapped open when I comprehended her words.  "'He'?  Who's 'he'?"

"It's difficult to explain but I have to get back.  Otherwise..."

She flinched as the chiming rang through the woods again.  She ripped herself from my arms and she ran off through the woods and like that she was gone.

"What the hell?" I muttered to myself.

Branches snapping behind me caught my attention and I spun around, sword at the ready.  I was ready for whatever challenge I needed to face to prove my worth to her.  It was clear that there was something holding her back.  What it was I wasn't sure of yet.  Just that the thing was male.

Humphrey fell through the underbrush and landed with an 'oof' at my feet, his sword flinging from his hands.

Chuckling at my clumsy friend I bent down to help him up.

"There you are!" I said happily.  If there was a challenge about to go down, I needed back up.  Humphrey was unpredictable and better than nothing at this point.  I didn't expect him to win the challenge at hand, it was my love that needed to be proven, after all.  He could help be a distraction or to get my love away from whoever was keeping her from me and get her to safety.  Even if I didn't make it, she needed to get away to safety.  Mother and father would look after her, especially with Humphrey telling them the truth.

"What do you mean?  Why have you taken us to Hag's Woods? " he asked and looked around.  He was visibly shaken.

"I haven't seen a hag yet, my friend, but I have met the most peculiar young woman," I explained the story quickly and caught him up.  By the time I was done I had never seen his eyes so big.

"Did you bring assistance?" I asked him quickly.  If there was a dragon I wasn't ashamed to admit that I would need help.  I had seen dragons as a child but only from a safe distance on the sea when we would travel to neighboring kingdoms.  They were beautiful beasts, ginormous and magnificent.  Some breathed fire, some swam in the ocean deep.  If there was one here in these woods it couldn't be as big as its brothers since it was so well hidden.  There weren't any mountains or caves that we knew about in this area, but like Humphrey said, this was the Hag's Woods.  There was a lot of unexplored terrain that it could use to its advantage whereas I couldn't.

"Yes..." he began hesitantly.

"Where are they?  If this is a dragon I need some pointers.  I'm not going to leave....her...alone...Seriously?  That's who you brought with you?" I gasped.  Coming out of the woods were Trina and her friends from their tea party. 

Humphrey shrugged.  "They were all I could find at such short notice.  I panicked.  You were being whisked away and the castle was too far away."

"So you brought girls?!  Trina!  Go back home! This is no place for a young maiden such as yourself and your friends!" I hurried over to her.

"Oh, I think we'll be just fine," she smiled and lifted up her skirts.  Hidden underneath was a blade attached to her calf.  It was unheard of to have a young girl trained to fight but they all had blades on their person.  They'd be able to defend themselves if the time came.  At this point more witnesses to this story was better than nothing, even if I would get in trouble for putting my little sister and her friends in harms way.  Times were changing and who was I to tell them what to do.  Trina was eighteen, more than old enough to make decisions for herself.  She'd have to answer to father, not me.

"Congratulations, brother, on finding your True Love.  She sounds...interesting.  I can't wait to meet her," Trina smiled sincerely.  I smiled back.  I should have known better than to doubt Trina and her compassion.

We charged through the woods, following the trail that this young girl had left behind.  But, just as soon as it started it stopped.

"What now?" Humphrey asked and looked around.  There wasn't a twig snapped or a leave overturned to give us a sense of direction.

My stomach dropped at the thought that I had lost her for good.  It was unacceptable.  I needed to find her.  I needed to be with her.

"Don't you dare laugh at me," I warned everyone.  I ignored their confused expressions and burst into the song that we had sang earlier.  If this song called me to her it must call her to me.

Instead, my legs began burning again and suddenly I jerked forward.  I staggered at the suddenness of it all but didn't give up singing.  The enchantment or whatever it was that put us together was leading me toward her with our song.

Humphrey and the girls followed me through the forest that was becoming darker and more foreboding as we went along.  Breaking through the foliage we stumbled upon a falling down cottage that didn't look fit to house a rat.  The wooden planks holding it up had grown mushrooms, there was moss on the roof and some type of mold coloring the open spaces.  The windows were either broken or caked with dirt impossible to see through.

I quieted my singing so not to give ourselves away and walked to the front door.  This was it.  This was where she was.  No wonder she didn't look well taken care of.  Anyone who lived here had to have had a hard life.  The siding had gaps in it and it was easy to see through, although whatever was growing on it burnt my nose.  I motioned for the girls to get back and they stayed hidden behind Humphrey.  He may not have been the best warrior but I knew he wouldn't let any harm come to those girls.  Especially Trina.  He may not have told me directly but I knew he was fond of my sister.  She would be lucky to have him as a husband but after this ordeal I knew she would be counting on destiny giving her a true love.  If it happened to me why wouldn't it happen for her too?

I'd dwell on that later.  Right now I needed to find out what was keeping my love from me and defeat it.  She belonged with me and if she chose to go elsewhere at least she would be free to make that decision.

"What took you so long to answer my call?" a deep voice demanded.  If that's what dragons sounded like I was definitely an imaginative fellow.  I always thought a dragons voice would be raspy if it was a fire breather or wet if it was a water dragon.  This sounded surprisingly human.

"I got caught up looking for fresh berries.  I thought I saw some on a bush I had yet to explore and wanted to surprise you with a fresh treat," I heard a familiar voice answer.  It was her!  She was here!

"You foolish girl.  You know it's not berry season.  If there were they could be poisonous! That old hag may be dead but she has cursed this land and anything that is out of the ordinary is worth questioning," the raspy voice answered back in anger.

"I didn't think of that-"

"Of course you didn't.  You're never thinking.  Your head is always in the clouds.  It's unattractive.  We've had this discussion before.  I'm beginning to think you want me to leave," the voice quieted to a murmur.

My heart was pounding in my chest.  She was with another?  Why would she sing a song of true love when she was with another?  Who did she love?  Me or him?  It must be me if she called me with our song.  Motioning for Humphrey to stay back I pressed my ear to the wet wood and listened some more.

"No!  No, I don't want that at all.  I simply wanted to surprise you, that's all.  You were right.  My head's always in the clouds.  I need to stop that.  It's not what you want," she responded back quickly.  Her voice almost sounded...panicked.  But why would she be panicked?  This was her home was it not?

"I've been telling you this for years.  Why now, all of a sudden, are you agreeing with me?" the males voice was angry now.  The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.  It was clear there was something wrong with this situation.

"It took me a while to realize you are right.  You've always been right.  I-"

A branch snapped and my head snapped in its direction.  One of Trina's friends had shifted and snapped a branch in the process.  Their faces paled when a roar sounded from inside the cottage and the front door crashed off of its hinges and landed in the yard.

Standing where the door once stood was a man.  At least, I thought it was a man.  He looked more beast than human.  His skin was dirty after years of filth.  His clothes are caked with years of filth and his beard was down to his chest, his hair equally as shaggy.  He was standing barefoot on the stoop, his nails long and jagged.

"The truth, girl!  Out with it!  Did you find a friend out here in the woods?" he roared and ran back into the house.  We had all been spotted and I jumped to attention.

"No!" she screamed and she was in the doorway with the man being held up by her hair.

"Then who are these people?" he yelled.  He threw her back into the house, a thud and a pitiful cry followed.

"What seems to be the problem, Highness?" the man called.  I was taken aback.

"You know me?" I asked.  I gripped my sword at my waist refusing to bring it up.  The man thought I was a threat, which he should, but I didn't want to come off that way.  At least not yet.  The maiden was stuck inside the house and there was no guessing what this man would do.

"Who wouldn't know the next heir?  The heir to the family that exiled me from my home," he snarled.  My brow furrowed in thought.

"My father never exiled anyone from the kingdom.  I'm sure I don't know what you mean," I called back.

"Think back farther," he smirked, eyes glinting.

Trina gasped behind me and before I could stop myself I turned to look at her.

"Sir John?" she asked and stepped up next to me.

"No..." I breathed and looked at the monster standing in front of me.

Dragons were harmless compared to this man.

My great great grandfather had exiled a man, long ago, for practicing dark arts.  Local children had started to go missing from local homes never to be seen or heard from again.  At first they thought they were just runaways.  Sometimes the winters can get harsh and children thought they'd be better off without burdening their family with another mouth to feed so they'd leave in search of a warm hearth and food for their bellies in another town.  Sometimes it worked out, sometimes their bodies were found in the woods, half eaten from animals.

The children that went missing were never found and if they were safe in another town they never reached out for their families to let their mothers know they were safe and warm.  In six months, twenty four children went missing.  That was a lot for this time.  Guards were called to keep an eye on the town at night for fear of something snatching children from their beds.  At first, great great grandfather thought the people were hysterical and overreacting for nothing.

They weren't.

A monstrous man that was also wolf was stealing children and taking them off to the woods.  The guards tried following the screams of the children but the Hag's Woods was difficult to maneuver through during the day, let alone at night.  They gave up and set off for him in the morning.

What they found was unspeakable.  The man was eating the children.  Not just any man, but my great great grandfathers top knight.  Sir John.

Banishing him from the Kingdom and having a witch cast a spell on the boarders was the only way to keep him out.  Prison cells and shackles wouldn't keep him in place and by the time the executioner was called he was already gone.

Great great grandfather passed on the knowledge to other kingdoms to let them know about this beast in hopes they'd protect their children.  Some kingdoms laughed at what they claimed was a runaway mind and superstition.  No one could be that cruel and beast like.  Others heeded his word if only to appease the mind of the superstitious towns people.  Never hearing from him again everyone forgot about him.  In all honestly I thought he would have died off long ago.  He had to be at least three hundred years old by now and he didn't look a day over thirty.

Filthy, emaciated, and clearly out of his mind, he was still here lurking in the most unlikely of places.  Rumors had already surrounded this place as the Hag's home and nobody wanted to mess with the hag.  I didn't know what had happened to her and I didn't really want to know.  Chances were this man had taken care of her and then took over her cottage as his own.

But why did he want this girl?  Was he planning on eating her or did he claim her as a mate?

Rage filled me at the thought of this beast touching her.  

"It seems someone remembers their history," he stared at Trina and licked his lips.  "My.  Don't you look tasty?"

I stood in front of Trina and took out my sword.  Trina and her friends needed to get out of here before they got hurt.  This was worse than I thought it would be.  A challenge would just effect me, not my loved ones.  I tried catching Humphrey's eye to tell him to take them to safety and to leave me behind but he was concentrating on Sir John.

"Why don't you try to find out?" Trina challenged.

"Trina!" I hissed and pushed her back as the man lunged toward us.

Humphrey yelled and charged forward to meet the beast, his sword above his head.  My heart raced  as I saw my best friend rush to his death.  He was going to go after this beast to try to protect my sister who was stupidly antagonizing this creature when she should be keeping her mouth shut and letting us get her and her friends out of here.

Sir John swiped at Humphrey who managed to dodge the sharp claws that took place of fingernails.  Snarls and yells filled the air.  I was standing there in shock.  I needed to move but I couldn't get my feet to go anywhere.

A flash of pink went charging past me before I came to my senses.  "Trina, no!" I yelled but it was too late.

Trina had charged forward with her blade held high.  Humphrey was sweating with exertion to try to kill this monster who was stronger than I even imagined.  His sickly form shouldn't have been as strong as it was but he was able to dodge any and all stabs that Humphrey tried to kill him with.

Humphrey's eyes widened in fear as he realized that the one person he was trying to protect was coming straight at the danger.  Before he could do anything about it, Sir John whipped around with a hungry gleam in his eyes.  I quickly rushed forward knowing I wouldn't make it in time.  Why was I standing there stupidly?  I was a prince!  I was trained for this!  I was a warrior!  I was raised to defend my people and instead I was going to lose my best friend, my little sister, my maiden and my sisters friends.

Sir John swiped out at Trina who dropped to her knee and brought her dagger upward in a swift motion.  Sir John tried to stop his momentum forward but landed on her blade.  The sound of bone on steel met my ears and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Trina, in her frilly pink gown, was kneeling in the dirt, arm above her head with blood dripping down it, stabbing a monster in the heart.  Shock froze on Sir John's face before he fell to the side.  Blood spurted from his wound and foaming out of his mouth.  Writhing in pain trying to get away from us he died on his back, claws in the dirt.

My jaw dropped.

Trina, the dainty little Princess who spent all of her time embroidering and hosting tea parties, had killed the monster of the wood.

Trina, the little girl who had carried around a doll until she was thirteen years old, had slayed the beast.

Trina, my little sister, was now wrapped in my best friends arms sharing a kiss.  A kiss that sent shock waves around our group. 

Ignoring their embrace I raced into the house to search for the one who started this all.  The cottage was grime coated and littered with bones.  The girl was on her side, knocked unconscious from the blow Sir John had delivered her.  Kneeling in the filth, I picked her up and gently brought her outside.

She was safe from harms way.

Why Sir John had kept her as long as he did was a mystery but I didn't need to know the answer.  We'd get there eventually and I was more concerned on our future, not our past. 

I smiled when I met my friends out in the grass, Humphrey and Trina grinning from ear to ear.

What I thought had been my story to meet my true love, it was really the joining of two stories.  Because life doesn't stand still when one story starts and ends, it keeps going.  It's a great big knot that joins all of us together.  My story may be a tad bit different from that of Trina's and Humphrey's, even of the girl in my arms, but the result was the same.  We were safe from a great evil and it was an unexpected blade from an unexpected warrior that saved the day. 

Sir John wasn't meant to be killed by me.  This wasn't my challenge.  My challenge was giving up control that I so desperately clung to.  I didn't want my life to change, I was happy the way things were.  I was happy being single with only myself to worry about.  I wasn't ready to rule a kingdom.  But then this young woman called for me because she needed to be saved and I came, bringing with me the warriors that were the future. 

See, the world isn't made up of designated leaders and followers.  Everyone is a leader at some point in their life just like they need to follow.  Nobody is automatically given the knowledge they need to succeed in life; there are seasons that are more challenging than others.  There are seasons that are meant for rest.  It's important not to get stuck in seasons that are over with.  I was coming out of a season that I had long grown comfortable in and was moving into one that was more beautiful and challenging than I had ever thought possible.

Looking down onto her freckled face I smiled.  Looking at Trina and Humphrey realize that they had both been too scared to say what they were feeling for all of these years.  They were leaving a season and entering one different from mine but we were moving all the same.  Soon, our stories would connect again in a different story.

Until then, we would celebrate in the season we were in now.



*This was a freestyle writing.  There hasn't been any editing done to it.  I hope you enjoyed!*

Car Rides, Disney Karaoke and Bat Crap Crazy Sister leads to inspiration

Every once in a while inspiration strikes at the strangest moments.  Sometimes it's in the shower and you get shampoo in your eye and a character builds itself up in your mind about the time they got into a bubble bath war with their friend the first time they were left home alone.  Maybe sometimes it's bringing garbage out to the dumpster behind your apartment and it's like lightning strikes on a young adult starting off on their own and missing home.

Yesterday inspiration struck while I was singing Disney songs with my little sister, my four year old and almost three month old. 

Talk about strange, huh?

Probably not if you know my sister and I.  She's pretty....unique (strange, completely off the wall nuts. Like, if anyone deserved their own reality show for doing absolutely nothing but make you pee your pants laughing, it's her) and a lot of inspiration comes from bouncing idea's off of her.

So, we're driving along down the road and we're talking about how great it would be to have a certain story about a situation that's been instilled in us since we were toddlers.  "Someone should write a book/story about that!" was said a few times and you know what?  Someone should.  And one thing I've learned is not to wait for someone else to take the action, it's to do it yourself.

So here we go....

Wow what a year

Talk about a crazy year.  I haven't gotten into too much writing this past year.  Having a baby will do that.  He was definitely a surprise but we love our little guy.

I'd say sorry that I haven't published anything for almost a year, but let's be real.  Not having internet at home, being pregnant and raising two other little boys will keep you busy.

But, now that I'm getting my feet on the ground running, I'm hoping to get back in the groove and publish things and reach out in other ways to get my writing out there. 

Working things out...

Hey everyone,

I know I haven't posted in a while and for that I apologize.  Things have been hectic with work, sickness, school and I've been taking the steps to go back to school and starting a new business venture.

So, wait patiently and there will be more stuff posted soon.  Still doing editing in whatever amount of free time I manage to get, which honestly isn't a lot.  I'm going through writing with drawls and the characters in my head are getting upset with me.

Until then, be kind, love one another, give respect even if you don't receive it and change the world with one smile at a time!

*Note*

This story has not been edited.  It's my first rough draft that I am putting out there.  It is also my first short story that I have ever done.  Enjoy!



Dragon-born

The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and heat; a smell that I had begun to think of as home instead of wood smoke, straw and scratchy linens.  For a while the change had been unbearable.  Sure, I may have been a monster that people feared, but that didn't mean I didn't like the outside world as much as the next person.  I missed fresh air, the smell of the trees budding in the spring, the wet earth after a heavy rain and the biting chill of frost on my body after waking in the morning.  Down here, it was sweltering,  the air close and hard to breathe but my body adapted to it.  It had to.

It's strange the things you do for your own safety.

King Juvius had come into the throne, the potentious little bastard that he was, and had made dragon hunting an official sport.  Just like every species of animal, humanity included, there is the good with the bad and he didn't see us trying to actively seek him out to chomp into his frail little body no matter how much we wanted to.  No.  Instead we had gone into hiding.  I lost my mother and my father years ago and I hoped they were safe but to be honest, I knew I'd never see them again.  Same with my little sister and little brother.  They were in hiding and that's how they needed to stay if they expected to survive.

King Juvius wasn't ready to rule, that much was obvious from the stink of the towns that were filling with corpses of the townspeople that were going without food and proper healer care.  All he cared about was himself.  Most of the money that the Royal Dragons had found him in the mountains and mines was already spent leaving him ridiculously in debt to other kingdoms.  

Fear was a mephitis, much like the swamps, as soon as you came to the kingdom.  It made hearts pound and my heat glands burn, ready to protect myself at a moments notice.  My flesh would crawl, ready to burst open into my true form, ready for anything that might attack.
It wasn't safe for me to be a part of that kingdom anymore, so I fled.  I packed up what I needed to get away and left the rest behind to the neighbor family that would need the house and supplies inside more than I would.  The round eyes of the children and the tears of the mother in thanks was enough to know I was doing the right thing.  I even had hopes that they wouldn't believe the lies being spread about dragons, even if I had never showed my true self. Mother and father had left the kingdom long ago, taking the rest of my family with them, begging me to go with.  Foolish of me, I thought things would change.  Or at least someone would kill the little shit before he actually made it to the throne.  If there was ever a mercy killing needed...

The caves I discovered on my journey wasn't too far from the kingdom, in the woods and away from civilization.  Most people wouldn't be able to get this close to the heat without their skin melting off.  For me, it was just a touch warm but it was better than the alternative.  I made the best out of the situation and let me tell you, sleeping on a bed of rocks wasn't as fun as it sounded.  Nothing could stay in the heat for long without bursting into flame so bringing in any personal belongings was out of the question.

At night, I'd crawl out of the depths and go searching for wild game that dared come close to my scent and feast before using a bush and going back into hiding.  Sometimes I would stretch my wings that stayed hidden beneath the human form I tended to stay in.  My scales itched to be released but if I was discovered, nobody would think twice before shooting me with an iron arrow and dragging my hide back to the kingdom like a trophy instead of a mindless slaughter.
All because of a prophecy.

I didn't believe in prophecies but it was clear King Juvius did.  If I behaved like him and a prophetess came forward claiming fire and brimstone was coming for me, I'd be scared shitless too.  Too bad he wasn't smart about it.

It was common knowledge that there was something King Juvius was frightened of, but we never knew what the specifics were.  He didn't want whatever was coming after him to get cocky and get ideas for any usurpers.  True, eventually word did get out about his demise but not the specifics.  Personally, I believed in true prophecies but it was hard to find someone who was legit.  It was unknown what happened to the woman that had the prophecy, I hoped she ran fast and far away, but nobody had come forward and admitted to saying it.

With all prophecy, a person had their own decisions to make and change the course of their life.  If King Juvius truly was frightened about what his future held, he should have changed what he was doing for the better.  Making sure his kingdom was healthy, happy and safe.
Instead he was stripping all of humanity and the like down to bare bones so he could hide behind his big castle and the flurry of women who pretended to worship the ground he walked on.  Maybe he knew they were pretending to stay protected away from what waited for them on the other side of the walls or maybe he was that ostentatious.  If anyone ever said anything good about him you knew there were spies nearby that were listening in and you had to keep biting remarks to yourself.

Tonight, after crawling out of the hole and finding the extra clothes I hid as near as I could, I began to walk the woods.  Summer was just getting started and the rotten flesh from the kingdom could be smelled on the breeze.  It would be hard to find food tonight.  The smell scared off the animals which meant more traveling for me.  I didn't want to bring out my true form but if I wanted to eat tonight I might have to.  It had been a few days since I had last eaten and the beast I had devoured had my energy on low.

Fighting my way across the bumpy and dry terrain the sound of pounding hooves hit the ground.  I ducked behind a tree and waited.  The weight in the earth was too big to be a herd of deer so my chances of finding someone on horseback were high.  It had been a few months since anyone had travelled this far and I was instantly alert.

In a few moments, a caravan of horses came up over the hill, spit and foam flying from the horses mouths as the riders pulled on their bridles to get them to stop.  

"We stop here for the night!  Everyone unload and keep alert!" the knight at the front of the riding party yelled.  King Juvius's banners flapped in the night.  For anyone else, it would have been hard to make out the colors but my eyes picked them out easily as if it were noon.

What was he doing sending that many people out this far?  The boarder of his kingdom was a few miles from here, back toward my new home, and I was uneasy about their sudden appearance.  Was it possible they were after me?  How would they know how to find me?  I didn't set out to find this place, I just happened upon it.  Hell, I wasn't even sure which direction I was going to take off at when I left in the middle of the night.  Let alone that anyone really did know my true form and that I wasn't human.

A commotion echoed across the valley while they set up tents on the top of the hill.  A few of the men made their way toward me to relieve themselves in the bushes, their body odor strong on the breeze and revolted my strong senses.  The scent of campfire flared up and ale floated on the breeze.

I didn't move, for fear that they'd hear the slight rustle of tree branches and leaves.  I could walk quietly but when they were so close to me, any movement would be heard over the sound of their pissing and shitting.  It was going to be a long night if they didn't move away from me and I was stuck here.  Thankfully, they moved away from the tree line and helped set up their camp with their fellow group.

Curious as to why they were here, I made my way quietly through the brush, careful to keep my feet light on the fallen sticks hidden under the soggy leaves.  A lot of the men were more concerned on getting drunk and guzzling down as much ale as possible than spilling the beans that I was looking for.  If I needed to get away, at least I'd know which way to go to get away from their hunting party because they were so intoxicated they wouldn't be able to run after me.

"Oi, Barty!  You ready to do this tomorrow?  We're getting close!" someone boistered loudly.  Hoots and hollors met his call.

Sir Bartholemew.

The King's right hand man.


Of course he'd be with this party.

My wings itched to be released as my fight or flight instincts coursed through me.

"We should be there in a day's ride and then we figure out the plan from there," his deep voice growled over the whooping of the men.

"What exactly is this mission that you've got us on, anyway?" someone else called.
King Juvius didn't even tell them what they were out here doing?  Dragons were considered to be dangerous, walking among humans was something we could do.  We shape shifted to survive.  If King Juvius wasn't telling the people he was sending on the mission than he knew it was dangerous.  Did he think I was dangerous?  I had never attacked anyone, neither had mother or father and my siblings were too small to harm anything other than bugs that they'd watch for hours in the dirt in front of the hut.

Something different was going on.  They weren't here for me.  Most men in the village thought hunting dragons was fun and they'd jump at the opportunity to go off for a king's mission that interested them.  The adrenaline would be pumping, they'd use it to their advantage in the pubs to woo the available tavern maidens for a night of pleasure without the commitment.  Unfortunately, the people that they normally brought it weren't dragons at all but suspicious humans or humans that had become problematic.

Curiosity definitely piqued I settled in.

"We're far enough away from home that it's probably fine if share the news.  His Royal Highness is ready to wed," the arrogant knight declared around the campfire.  He hadn't even taken off his armor yet.  Of course he'd stay in his mail overnight.  Comfort didn't matter to him as long as everyone and anyone around knew who King Juvius trusted and used as his right hand man.  Sleeping on the ground was bad enough but add in the digging metal?  Forget it.  He wasn't going to be getting any sleep.

Everyone settled in and I bit back a snort at how much they reminded me of the pre-pubescent girls readying to hear some juicy gossip.  I waited for someone to say something about someone agreeing to marry King Juvius's ugly mug.  Secrets had gotten out about his fetish's in the bedroom and only a few women would willingly go to him.  The rest spent days recooperating and trying to get back on their feet.

I was a dragon but King Juvius was a monster.

"Who's agreed to marry our King?" someone asked, much more politey than I thought possible.

"It's not so much as who agreed to as much as who he has his mind set on," Sir Bartholemew suggested.

Silence immediately fell over the settlement when they figured out what he was implying.

My stomach dropped.

The only kingdom near here that had a daughter worth marrying age was Princess Emora who just celebrated her sixteenth birthday a moon ago and there was no way that her father would agree to a union between his only daughter and a beast like King Juvius.

"We're going to sneak in and grab her, bring her back here and have the union completed before her father figures out who took her and why," he explained.  Everyone was quiet as his words sunk in.  My mouth flamed with the fire that wanted to burst out.  Leanna was the same age as Princess Emora and the thought of someone stealing her out of our home so they could force her into a marriage and get her pregnant before anyone could stop her or protect her made the dragon inside of me rage.

The rest of the night was spent with forced cheerfulness.  It was reassuring to know that the rest of King Juvius's knights weren't as thrilled about the idea of stealing a young woman out from the home of her father and putting her in bed with King Juvius and I didn't hate them when none of them stood up to stop it from happening.  Many of them had families of their own back home and no doubt were worried something would happen to them if there was an uprising in the ranks.  There was only about twenty men here and there were much more back home defending the castle walls from infiltrators.

The sun crested over the hill but nobody got any sleep.  Sir Bartholemew had rested his back up against his horse and kept an eye out for any deserters that were going to sneak out of the job that they agreed to do.

My inner conscious was battling itself and I had long ago gotten over the stiffness of keeping myself quiet in the dark.  I was downwind from the horses but even if they could smell me, the sulfur from the mountain that I was staying in would cover my scent.  Spooked horses were a dead giveaway that something wasn't right and the men would be searching the surrounding area to figure out what was out there.  Finding a dragon on this quest would only add to the bragging factors.  Court jesters would sing songs for years to come once the stories spread.
When the men got up at first light, they began taking down their tens and somberly got on their horses.  The head knight wore a smirk as he urged his horse on, waving the banners of King Juviun.  If they didn't want to be spotted it was foolish of them to carry the banners.  Then again, I'm sure that he had a back up plan and it was necessary that he carried them with him.
Thinking on my feet, I hurried after them, never letting them out of my sight.  My endurance was much more than a horse, so following after them wasn't too difficult.  My wings spread out every once in a while to cover more ground when the trees were spaced apart.  The men were riding out in the open, stupidly and confidently, just begging for unwanted attention.  Sir Bartholemew was up to something.

I figured there wasn't much I would be able to do.  Not just King Juvius was leary of dragons.  We were the most understood creatures out there.  Some of my kind had given us a bad name, believing that we were superior to humans and needed to control them like a herd of cattle.  I never thought that way.  I was raised with elected officials and I chose to respect them even if I didn't agree with them.  But when the time came and it was them versus me, I chose myself.  Going to King Aella's kingdom wouldn't be smart if I was recognized as a dragon.  If anyone bumped into me they'd be able to tell from my hot skin that I wasn't human and if they got close to my eyes they'd see the slant instead of round in my coloring.  A traveller wouldn't be looked upon too much, there were a lot of those, but following in the knights from another kingdom would look suspicious.

We reached the kingdom by sun fall, the sun would be down completely in an hour or so, and I was pleasantly surprised by the smells of baking bread and meat instead of decaying flesh that coudn't be buried or burned, hearing the sounds of laughter and singing instead of soft crying or moaning from either sex or dispair.  People came and went through the gates of their own accord, protected by the knights standing guard to the kingdom and weren't harrassing the women as they left on their own carrying buckets to the river down the hill.

Shocked, I froze in the cover of the trees, watching.  Sir Bartholemew had stopped everyone about two miles back but my eyes had been drifted toward the kingdom and I couldn't stop myself from going further.  The idea of going to a new kingdom had been alluring at first but I didn't want to chance my luck.  I had gotten away from King Juvius's before people realized that there was a family of dragons living right next door but there was no garauntee that it would happen again.

A visit wouldn't hurt, though.

While waiting and watching the path leading to the wall and gate that protected the kingdom I waited for a group of people that I'd be able to sneak in with.  If I looked like I was part of the group maybe I wouldn't be looked at too closely.  I had managed to look innocent and like I wasn't hiding a huge secret all of my life.  From the time I could understand what I was compared to other people my parents worked hard at making sure our secret was safe.

The rocky path crunched under our feet as we made our way into the darkened area behind the wall; the light was blocked out by the enormous wall.  It wasn't as tall as the one in King Juvius's kingdom, but it was large enough to protect the citizens inside when they closed them for the night and when in battle.  The good smells of businesses making food and selling them in booths on the side of the strets flooded my senses.  Children were still racing up and down the streets, shouting after each other and playing games that only made sense to children.  Parents watched out their hut windows affectionately and protectively while they finished off the chores for the night.  Drying laundry hung on strings between houses, shared between neighbors.
Compared to King Juvius's kingdom, this was a whole other culture.  Back home it was quiet, everyone kept to themselves, nobody would dare share things with their neighbors and they certainely wouldn't be out after dark, especially the vendors.  They especially had a higher risk of being mugged or beaten in the dark alleys while they were bringing their product home.  Hard times had fallen on that kindgom and the people that were struggling to get by every day.  If only they knew that there was this gold mine only two days ride from where they were there would be more people that would willingly leave for something better.

Letting my feet carry me around, I took in all of the sights.  Some of the vendors were inside buildings, offering seating and hospitality to those that came in and enjoyed a meal.  Fabrics, food, perfumes, jewelry, weapons and candles were all in shops instead of being sold on the street for added business competition.  And people were friendly about it!  Nobody called others names when they walked by and went somewhere else, people knew each others names and had a smile instead of shoulders stooped and brows furrowed in suspicion.  Children would run up and get a sweet treat for free and run off to tell their parents about how delicious things were.
Trumpets blasted and everyone whirled around.  Curious, I followed the crowd to he main entryway and was shocked to discover the King Aella himself was riding his horse and waving in greeting as his fellow people.

"Pleasant evening, everyone!  I wish to extend my royal invitation to everyone here to Princess Emora's Sixteenth Name Day tomorrow evening.  My servants have been planning a great feast in her honor and it would do us proud to have our people join us in celebration!" he called out, his brown, trimmed beard laying against his broad chest.  He wasn't in armor but in a long robe that flashed color and the sigil of his family crest.

Shouts of happiness rose in the crowds but my eyes were averted to the castle tower.  Golden light spilled out of the windows of the castle, flickering from the candles, but a figure was standing alone midway up.  My eyes enhanced the figure and I saw a young woman staring down at King Aella.  She had golden hair that curled down past her shoulders and kept going past the view of the window.  She was very pretty and well taken care of, that much was obvious, but she looked so sad.  There was something about her that caused me grief; I wanted nothing more than to see a smile come across her face.

Princess Emora was beautiful.

King Aella finished his rounds and his people let him go back to the castle without holding him hostage.  Even the soldiers and knights that were stationed around the courtyard didn't step forward to hold them off.  These people actually respected their king.  If King Juvius came out of the castle like that, people would hide in fear for their lives and worry about getting harrassed or that someone was going to get strung up in the courtyard to keep the fear alive.
Civilians rushed back to their homes to get ready for the ball tomorrow night, vendors closed down to prepare for the next day as well.  Shops filled up with gossip to see if someone saw something else or heard something else that they could use to their advantage.  Gossip was rampant.

I made my way around the courtyard to see if I could catch another glimpse of the princess, but I didn't want to anger the knights that were sworn to protect the castle doorways and barriers.  Bells chimed a curfew and lights went out; I snuck in the shadows to keep an eye on anyone out and about that could turn me in.

The idea of meeting the princess one on one was terrifying.  What would I say to her?  Did I really think if I did see her and managed to speak to her she'd be happy about it?  I was just a peasant.  A dragon pretending to be a peasant, actually.  She'd scream, I'd be captured, I'd be hung up in the courtyard and made an example of.

But I knew something they didn't.  I didn't know if they'd believe me if I told them about King Juvius's plans.  Would the king send out his best troops and hide his daughter until they were dispersed and ran fleeing?  Or would they laugh me out of court?  

If King Juvius thought right now was a great time to kidnap King Aella's daughter and wed her, he was sorely mistaken.  She was having a ball tomorrow night!  She'd be busy being pampered and dressed, no handmaiden would leave her to herself.  Unless if they were planning on taking her tomorrow night after the ball when the King is busy getting the kingdom back together.  It was spring time, things needed to be repaired after the harsh winter that we had had.  Maybe there were some dead that still needed to be buried.  That is, if he oversaw the services and laid everyone to rest.  King Juvius didn't do that but his father had done it for years.

Then again, things might be a lot different around here.  It was clear that I wasn't used to things-

There she was!  She was out on a balcony overlooking a small spot on the wall where it didn't reach.  For anyone else, it seemed a long ways up, but not for a dragon.  She was in no way frail, but I still wanted to protect her.  She radiated peace and hope.  Whoever was betrothed to her in the future was very lucky indeed.  King Juvius wouldn't treat her right.

That's when it hit me.

King Juvius wanted to join their kingdoms so he could take over both.  King Aella wasn't old by any means but Bartholemew was a vicious mountain that had never been beaten.  King Aella hadn't had a sword on him when he came down earlier and the gates were still open.  He was vulnerable.  Inside his protected castle he might be even more relaxed, especially in his chambers.


Without thinking of what I was doing, I unfurled my wings and flew up to the balcony, gripping onto the side.  Looking around to make sure there wasn't anyone else in the room she had come out of watching her on the balcony, I flew over the railing and grabbed her in my arms.

Surprisingly, she didn't scream like I anticipated but by the time she had realized what was happening we were already over the wall, my wings fully unfurled for the first time in what felt like years, even though it had only been weeks.  It felt amazing to feel the cool air on them as we soared over the forest on the other side of the hill.  Each pump pushed us higher and further away from unwanted attention.  I could see the tents that Bartholemew had set up two miles away on the edge of the forest but Princess Emora couldn't.  I didn't want to bring her that close for fear I'd be spotted with her.  I wouldn't care if I was spotted, I could go into hiding easily, but Princes Emora needed to know what was going to happen to her.

We soared over the trees while my sharp eyes looked for a place to land.  Princess Emora kept her eyes on me and I couldn't find the courage to look at her.  If she was smart she'd already have figured out what I was.  Not just anyone had wings that could sprout out of their back and keep her warm up this high in the wind.  Her pulse was racing so I knew she wasn't completely oblivious to her fear and surroundings, but why she didn't fight back or scream for attention was worrysome.

Finally finding a ledge on the side of a cliff that would protect us from the wind and searching eyes, I landed and set her down, quickly backing away as far as I could to give her some space.  She held her ground, turning to me.  Her eyes questioning everything about me as she looked me from head to toe.  I left my wings out for a heartbeat more before tucking them away back where they belonged, hidden away from the world.  It was bad enough I let a royal see them in a world that was prejudiced against my kind.

"Well?" she asked, her voice strong and demanding.

"Uhhh," I stammered and rubbed my head.  I hadn't thought about how I was going to tell her this.  It's not like she'd believe me anyway.  I wasn't even sure what I was doing or what I would say to convince her of what was going on.  King Juvius hadn't had anything to do with her father's kindgom since he got the crown and I doubted if she knew anything about the way he had treated his kingdom.  Princesses weren't involved in kingdom matters.  They were married off, joining territories, creating peace and bearing children.  Their existance was almost as unbearable as a life of a dragon in hiding.

"If you've taken me for a reason it had better be a good one.  I have a ball tomorrow, I hope you know.  It's very important that I be there and if you can't even have the courage to tell me why you stole me away from my father, than you can bring me back right this instant," she demanded.  Her golden hair was long, loose curls flowed all the way down to her waist accented by the red velvet gown she was wearing.

"I'm not going to keep you away from your ball," I said. 

"Then what exactly do you think you're doing?"

"Someone is after you.  I...I doubt you'll believe me, especially after my actions and for what I am, but I had to get you to safety.  King Juvius has his horrible knight two miles from your kingdom with twenty or so men with him and their plan is to steal you away from your father, forcing you into a union with King Juvius before your father knows who stole you away," I explained as fast as I could. 

That was a really stupid plan.  Why didn't I try to speak to her father first?  What if he would have been willing to speak to me and instead I stole his daughter from him.  I was going to end up in the dungeon to rot for this.

"Don't be daft; King Juvius doesn't have the ambition to steal me away," she scoffed.
"You would think so but it seems having someone else do his dirty work for him is enticing.  If he has someone willing to do it, he's unstoppable.  He also wants you with child before the new moon," I said softly.  I heard her hiss in a breath at that thought.  I didn't blame her.  Just thinking about it myself made me boil with rage.

"He wouldn't dare.  You're wrong," she whispered.

"If I am, than no foul.  I promise I won't hurt you, I was simply trying to get you away from a dangerous situation.  If you'd like, I could fly you over to the camp set up by the Knight Bartholemew, however I wouldn't like to get you that close," I offered.  If she wanted to see them for herself, of course I'd bring her there, but I didn't want them to catch me.  As of right now, they didn't know I was here and I would like to keep it that way.

"I'd like to see them," she commanded.  Her chin was held up parallel to the ground and her shoulders were back.  I took a deep breath and knew that she would want to see them.  But if that's what she needed to see the truth, than so be it.  I wasn't an evil creature and I had done what I had set out to do.

"Do you believe me?" I asked.

"I will when I am safely back home and no harm has been done to me.  And when I see this camp you have spoken about," she said.

I nodded.  This young woman was stronger than she looked.  There was still a hint of sadness on her but there wasn't anything I could do about that.  Her happiness was out of my control.  Some would say that my involvement this way was uncalled for.  I even thought it was uncalled for.  

With a sigh I walked toward her again and offered her my arms to carry her back.  Surprising me, she stepped forward and allowed me to touch her after she touched me first.  She didn't seem afraid of me in the sense that I would breathe fire on her or eat her, not that dragons ate people.  There were some that had turned away from our morals, but we were protectors, or had been, to people.  Harming them was a monstrous act and against everything we had believed in but King Juvius spread fear to everyone and brainwashed them into thinking we were mindless beasts that were constantly hunting for more food.

Personally, I enjoyed a nice slab of beef, roasted to perfection.

When my wings unfurled, I heard her suck in a breath that held in her chest as we dipped off of the cliff.  She was light in my arms, barely there but her arms wrapped around my neck were comforting.  The stars twinkled brightly and the clouds were wisps as we soared across the sky.  The moon would be full the night of the ball, it's glow reaching across the darkened land.
We went back over the forest, circling the way that I originally came to follow King Juvius's party.

"Just over the trees you'll see them.  I'm going to go a bit higher up; I don't want them to discover us," I said quietly.  She nodded and began searching the ground for any sign of them.
Angling my wings and pushing us up higher, I had to remember that my eyes were different than hers.  I could see the mice that were running around underfoot whereas she could hardly see the shapes of the trees underneath us.  We came over the hill and I heard her breath catch when she discovered the dark shapes of the horses.  Tents were popped up but there were no camp fires to signal that they were there.  They were trying to be as stealthy as possible, their voices more of a hushed whisper than their boisterous attitudes from the night before.  Ale was being drank just as quickly but for courage to do the job that they set out to do instead of being happy and on a quest.

The only person that seemed smug was the knight himself.  Again, he had set up a spot away from the others, keeping an eye on them.  He wasn't drinking and he was chewing on some dried jerky.  Again, he was strapped into his armor, ready for anything to happen.  His sword was taken out, a sharpening stone lying next to him.

"Please bring me back home," she said and then she did something that surprised me more than her willingly going into my arms.

She nestled her head into my shoulder and neck groove.

The castle was quiet when I brought her back to the balcony.  It was polar opposite on how King Juvius ran his kingdom.  There were always soldiers marching in front of every entrance.  Paranoia ran rampant there and was treated like a God.

Remembering which balcony I had snatched her off of, we landed gently and I tucked my wings back in.  Funny thing about paranoia, it grows on you like a second skin.

But it leaves you blind to what is actually going on versus what might happen.

Men jumped out at me from every angle, nets and swords drawn and held at my throat, stomach and back.  I froze instantly and Princess Emora was pulled away from me.  I wanted to fight out to protect her, which surprised the hell out of me, but I couldn't move.  The iron burned my throat and I could hear the hissing of my human flesh against the harsh metal.
Then, through the chaos, I realized what had happened.

King Aella had realized his daughter was missing and had gone into a full lock down on the kingdom until she was found or someone was found who saw something suspicious.  As it turns out, I wasn't as inconspicuous as I had thought when I flew off of the balcony.

"A dragon has infiltrated my kingdom, I see," his voice that I had first thought as kind and jovial was now harsh and low.  "Back away from the creature."



The swords were dropped and I was left tangled in the netting that had been thrown over me.  Metal armor clanked against itself as bodies shifted and made way for the king to approach me.
"I must say that I never once believed the lies spewing out of King Juvius's mouth about dragons, but here I have proof.  Who do you think you are to come and snatch my daughter up?" he spat.  He had a sword attached at his hip now and under his robe he was wearing just as much armor as his knights.

"I was trying to protect her," I said.  My heart was beating furiously in my chest.  How was I going to get out of this?  He was going to turn me in or kill me.  I'd rather be killed than turned back to King Juvius.  Did he even know that I ran away from that kingdom?  It's not like there was anything but heresay that I had lived there but I knew as well as the next, when someone called smoke another would swear they saw fire.

The king scoffed.  "Protect her?  Do you believe me and my knights to not be doing a good enough job?"

"I didn't mean to imply that at all.  You won't believe this but-"

"You're right!  I don't believe you!  What kind of idiot would kidnap a princess and then bring her back?  Did she fight you?  Make you bend to her will?  What kind of coward are you, boy?"

My face flamed with what they probably thought embarrassment but it was anger.  I could taste the heat in the back of my throat but I swallowed it down.  Attacking with fire and shredding my human skin to my true self would not win over anybody.

"Father, please, let him speak," Princess Emora's soft voice said from the back of the room.  King Aella spun around, his robe snapping.

"I'll deal with you later!  Take her away!" he demanded.

Princess Emora tried to protest but he wouldn't hear of it and a handful of knights picked her up by her arms and dragged her from the room.  I didn't struggle against the nets that were still over, hoping that they'd find me submissive and wouldn't havev any reason to strike against me.  I had to make him understand that his daughter was in danger.  I never thought that he wouldn't listen to his daughter.  He had seemed so levelheaded and calm.  Now, this man in front of me was nothing like the man who had invited his kingdom to the ball.  I never should have taken Princess Emora and shown her; I should have appealed to the king.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I knew it was wrong when I was doing it, so why did I follow through?  

"You will go to the dungeon until I'm sure of what I want done with you. Take him," King Aella said.  Hands gripped my arms and began to drag me away.

"Princess Emora is in danger!  King Juvius has a plot in motion to steal her away from you!  His knights are only a few miles from here, hidden by trees, lying in wait!  You have to believe me!  That's why I took her!  To show her!  Please, you have to believe me!" I yelled before I lost sight of him.  My shouts echoed down the halls and I hoped he heard me or that Princess Emora had seen enough to show him the truth.

The dungeon was dark and dank and I surprised myself in missing the cave that I had called home.  At least that was warm and dry.  I hated wet places.  The dripping was driving me crazy and the smell was rancid.  There weren't any other prisoners down here but there had been.  Their filth still sat in puddles and buckets, never cleaned out.  Rats scattered here and there, looking for food remains, or any remains, for them to feast on.

King Aella may not have publicly shamed dragons or any other creature, but he sure took precautions on keeping them locked up.  The bars were made out of steal, iron and silver, all melted and molded together.  I couldn't break through even if I wanted to.  Yes, I was trapped.  Yes, I made a stupid mistake and shouldn't have taken Princess Emora off on her own like that.  No, I was not going to try to break out.  I wanted the king to take me seriously and if I escaped, I would look guilty.  I wasn't guilty.  Well, maybe I was guilty of being an idiot but I had good intentions!  Surely he woud see that!

I lost count of how many drips went by, trying to figure out how much time that amounted to, but there weren't any windows or any way to get fresh air down here.  I was completely alone.  Even the torches ran out.  After a while, I heard many footfalls signaling people arriving.  The ball was close to starting.  The flurry of activity was easy to follow.

Then came the screams and the running.

Instantly I was alert and focusing my ears more than I had ever focused them.  I needed to know what was going on.  Was Princess Emora alright?  Had Sir Bartholemew shown up and taken her?  Were they attacking everyone at the ball with so few numbers on their side?  Damn it!

Ignoring the pain in my hands I gripped the bars and pulled on them.  They wouldn't budge and soon my hands were a bistered mess and wouldn't grip anything anymore.

"Find her!  Where is she!  I'll have their heads!" I heard King Aella's booming voice roar.  I heard a distant scream that made my heart rip into a thousand pieces.

Princess Emora had been taken.

With a fierce roar and a desperation, I shredded my human skin, becoming my true form.  My claws scraped on the ground, my wings unfurling and crowding the tiny cell.  Immediately I felt the fire that had been pent up in me burst out of my mouth and I aimed it at the bars, hoping to melt some of the metal down.  Fire didn't hurt me and neither did anything extremely warm.
I wrapped my hands around the metal and pulled them apart, ignoring the fresh wounds on my true form.  The cell was no longer a cell, more like a melted shell that was beginning to collapse around me.  Not thinking about the consequences, only her, I charged down the winding halls and up to the main floor.  When I burst through the doorway, screams met me.  More chaos erupted at my size and my appearance but I ignored it.

The ball had been going, happily it seemed, when King Aella realized his daughter hadn't shown up.  Thinking just a fit, he went up to bring her down to the party that he was throwing in her honor.  Her handmaidens had been beaten over the head into unconsciousness and she was gone.

Sir Bartholemew had broken into the castle and stolen her before the ball.  Either the man was an idiot who didn't know that the ball was happening and it was the worst time to steal a princess, or he was insane.  King Aella wanted blood and with my warning, he knew who had stolen her.  He was searching for them but soon he'd be making his way to that castle. 
And who knew if she'd be alright by the time he did manage to get her.  Sir Bartholemew would twist the story, creating a war between the kingdoms and King Juvius was insane.  If she wasn't with child by the next full moon, who knew what he would do to her to make a point to King Aella?

Breaking down the main door, I charged outside, my roar echoing through the buildings until I was airborn and circling the castle.  It was strange and exhilorating being in my true form again, especially not caring at this point if people saw me.  The only thing that mattered was getting Princess Emora back.

And I was going to.

I knew where Sir Bartholemew was going so it was only a matter of finding which path he had taken.  The trampled grass from the horse hooves was easy to spot out, leading away from the forest.  It would have been an easy guess to think he would want the foliage for cover and that's what King Aella would do.  Instead, they were chancing going through the river to keep their footfalls out of trackers and dogs scenses.  It was smart and dangerous.

My sharp eyes instantly found them, Princess Emora on Sir Bartholemews horse, hog tired across his lap.  He seemed smug and wasn't keeping his hands to himself on the journey home.  He was leading the pack so nobody was seeing his assault on the princess.  A new rage formed inside of me and I pushed my wings faster to catch up with them.  My wings were huge and it wasn't long until I was circling over them.

Sir Bartholemew halted the party, his attention now focused on me.  The gleam in his eye thought I was easy prey; just a stupid animal.

He didn't realize he was already toast.

I blew fire down to the ground, circling the men and horses inside.  Unfortunately the princess was trapped inside too.  The circle was big enough for me to fit and I landed heavily, the ground shaking under my feet.  

"Give me the princess.  Now," I demanded.  Speaking in this form wasn't easy but it was manageable.

"Why?  What would a beast like yourself want with her?" Sir Bartholemew asked, working hard to keep his horse under control.  The heat and the smoke was making the horses hysterical, their large eyes rolling, their whinies screaming for help.  I felt bad for trapping the horses inside but there was no going back now.  These men needed to be punished for what they allowed their king to do.

"That's for me to know.  Sort of hypocritical for you to call me a beast and not your king," I snapped.  Princess Emora wasn't fairing too well on the horse.  Between the way she was tied and laid down, the heat and the smoke, she was going to pass out soon if I didn't get her away from him.

"To King Juvius!  The Tamer of Beasts!" one of the men called out.

"Idiot," I responded.


I was done speaking.  I wanted the girl and I was going to get her.  My long tail lashed out and knocked half of the men off of their horses and onto the ground.  Sir Bartholemew unsheathed his sword and charged at me.

This was too easy.

It was sad, also. 

So many generations of dragons before me had fought to live peaceful lives, and here I was, doing exactly what King Juvius had spread in propoganda.  I was fighting off his knights, killing them and innocent animals.  This wasn't going to be good for the remaining dragon population that were looking for a home.

Once I had Princess Emora untied and on my back, those thoughts didn't matter anymore.  She was safe.  That's all that mattered.  Yes, to King Juvius what I was doing would look monstrous but in the end would it really matter?  I set out to protect this young woman from the evil hands of King Juvius and I was following through with that. 

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," I promised to her.

"I know you won't," she said confidently.  I pushed us off of the ground, her hands held tightly around my serpentine neck and I brought us back to her home.

Chaos was still going and there was a hunting party heading this way to investigate the fire that I had caused.  If anything, it had shown them where Princess Emora was but I wasn't going to let her leave with them.  I wanted her safe in her fathers care, no matter what he did to me.
"Hang on!" I called to her.  Her grip tightened as we descended into the courtyard that had people still frantically running around.  That was one thing I never understood about humans in frightening situations.  What did they think running around was going to accomplish?  They were just getting in each others way.


A few screams rang out at my arrival but a sudden hush rose over the crowd when they realized their princess was riding on the back of a dragon.  Something that had never been done or seen before.  Even to my knowledge.  Dragons hadn't necessarily hidden themselves away from who they were but they didn't like showing their true selves and being treated like an animal when we were a hybrid.

"Emora!" King Aella finally called through the crowd.  The people shifted and Princess Emora slid off of my back, my hand helping her down so she wouldn't hurt herself in her long gown.  I settled down onto my back haunches to prepare for the worst.  I probably should have changed back to my human form, but being nude in front of all of these people was way more vulnerable than I was willing to be.

"Father!" she cried back and rushed into his open arms.  The people closest to them were teary eyed from the reunion but the people closest to me were still leary.

"I'm so glad you're safe," he said.

"Maybe you should have listened to the dragon instead of pushing your weight around," she scolded back.  He chuckled softly to himself.

"You're right.  He was right.  I'm so thankful that you were there to save my daughter.  I am eternally grateful," he said and looked up at me.  Surprise flooded my veins.  I thought I was going to be punished again but here I was, being thanked.

"What's your name, dragon born?" the king asked.

"Lorian," I said.  My first name wasn't common but I wasn't about to give him my last name.  If my family was safe in another kingdom I didn't want them to be targeted for my transgressions.

"To Lorian, Protector of the Relm!" the king cried out.  Cheers and shouts of joy followed, proclaiming me the protector of the relm.  I was stunned.

Princess Emora met my eye and she gave me the first big smile I had seen her wear.  Then she rushed at me and embraced me in a hug as best as she could compared to my huge form.
After that, everything was a blur.  King Aella sent a message to King Juvius about his men dying in a tragic fire while his knight was protecting his daughter.  From the way it sounded, people were fleeing King Juvius's kingdom under cover of night to come to King Aella's.  It was known that he would accept any refugee coming from King Juvius's kingdom into his own, as long as they were willing to work hard, swear fealty to him and reject the idea that dragons were dangerous.

Because Princess Emora's knight was a dragon and I protected her night and day, creating a motion for dragons to find a save haven and use their abilities for something useful.

Which was perfect timing when King Juvius declared war on King Aella's kingdom.