Enchanted

prologue

Author's note:
If anyone around here actually read pennyroyal academy, then kudos to you. This is just me being self indulgent and wanting to write something that's been on my mind since I reread the wonderful series by M.A Larson. All rights for most of these characters and the world surrounding this story go to him, by the way. Uhhh so yeah, I read the books again a while ago because why not, and I had thoughts. Buuut there's barely any fandom surrounding PA, so. I was kind of disappointed that I had to be the change I wanted to see in this world. But alas, here it is! I really don't know if someone will actually read this, but I genuinely just want to write more about this idea that I had in my head, and I'll just post about it, because again, there is such little content. (!!!) Anyway, if you're a fan like me, pls comment! It would make me pretty satisfied to see that I actually have an audience lol.

But yeah, it's ok if I'm just screaming into the void, because the person who benefits from this in the end, is me. So yay. But if you are reading this bc you liked the books, enjoy :) if you haven't read Pennyroyal Academy...go👏🏽read👏🏽it👏🏽now👏🏽 then come back to this and thank me later:)

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Silence.

Pure terror on a once beautiful mountain top is what the King's men had found. But the silence was what felt most overpowering as they hesitantly slipped off of their horses.

Not a blade of grass moved.

No bird dared to sing.

The clouds shifted sluggishly, huddling against the imposing white peaks of the mountains ahead.

The waterfall in the far distance that cascaded off the cliffside seemed to have stopped its deafening roar.

Or perhaps that's how it felt to them. Because they could only hear silence.

Not a wail. Or a cry for help. Or a cackle from—gods forbid—a witch.

Silence.

The grass, a once rich shade of green covered in daisies, had been reduced to ash. It crackled against their riding boots. Black and scarlet stains mixed with the vegetation. The trees surrounding them were also streaked in horrific scorch marks, smoke rising from their canopies. Small fires were still present, yet to be put out. Giant plows of earth loomed across the landscape.

These were the marks of a dragon and man. A clash between the two.

The marks every person feared to encounter in their life.

The men split up, searching for any sign of life, swords drawn. Ready for anything. Any sign of the King and princess. Or...if their luck ran out—a dragon. Their dread grew with each breath of quiet wind.

Apart from the red blood and the burnt picnic blanket, there was no trace of King Callahan or his daughter.

"Over here!" came a voice from the woods.

The rest of the men ran to see what had been found. A dead body, perhaps. There was little hope that any human could have survived such an attack, based on the evidence they'd managed to find.

A cry shot through the air. It sounded faint, but still, they quickened their pace. It did not sound like a man's call, but that of a little girl.

Hope surged through them again.

"I found her!" yelled the voice from earlier.

In a few minutes, they were able to locate the source.

"There! In the clearing!"

"It's the princess!"

Indeed, the little princess, hidden behind some berry bushes, was very much alive. Trembling, eyes staring into nothing, but alive.