A Broken Crown

Aurora

     The moon peaked out over the tall hills as Aurora made her way through the forest, her footsteps making the leaves beneath her give a soft crunch. The scent of rain lingered in the air, even if the rain fell hours ago as the sun was setting. Wet branches pulled at her faded purple hair, a few scratching her skin as she treaded. It was quiet around her, most likely due to animals hiding from her and the scent she gave off. She didn't mind the quiet, it actually prepared her for the strong new world she was about to head into. A kingdom. The Rowan Kingdom to be exact. The people of the land spoke of its cruel king and the poor towns, they spoke of the darkness that covered the area, like a metal claw trapping the people into a cage. This intrigued Aurora, making her feel she could blend in even with her curse. With how much darkness filled the kingdoms walls already, a dragon wouldn't be a surprise, or so she hoped.
Aurora wasn't your average farm girl that left home to see the world, now her once blonde hair was now a lavender color and her pale skin stuck out brightly amongst people. Many people back in her hometown always admired her for her pale skin and beautiful wavy blonde hair. Several men proposed their love for her, but she always turned them away. She worried more about helping her mother take care of the younger children, then finding a husband. She never regretted turning men away, until she hit her twenty-first birthday. She was aiding her mother in bathing the youngest sibling of them all, a sweet five year old named Lucille, when wind knocked the front door from its hinges. Her father, Markus, stood in front of his daughters and only son, facing a man in all black riding a black steed. The man had taken up the entirety of the doorway whilst atop the horse, his eyes were yellow and showed nothing but hatred. Long bony fingers reached out and pointed to Aurora, his lip curling into a crooked, broken tooth smile.
"I wish for your beautiful daughter's hand in marriage, refuse and you will regret it. Be ready to leave with me to my land in two days time, I will retrieve my bride at sunset. She will bare me many children." In his hand he lifted a staff with a claw at the end, wrapped in the claw was a dark purple gem that glowed brightly. He whispered into the gem,a glowing mist leaving the stone and swirling around Aurora. The mist formed in self into a hand and stroke her cheek tenderly, but then griped her chin in its grasp firmly to force her to look at the dark warlock. "I mean it, buttercup, don't refuse me." In a cloud of smoke, he had left.
When the days had past, Aurora stood at he door of her family's farm, her eyes filled with anger and her body stiff with determination. As the suns rays gave the land a final good night kiss, the warlock arrived before her in a cloud of black smoke, her face waiting anxiously for her answer.
"No, I will not be your bride, and I will not bare you children. I would sooner die by the teeth of a dragon than lay in your bed." Her family had begged her not to refuse, but the daughter was strong willed, and could be very stubborn.
With her answer, the warlock gave a look of pure anger. "Why die when you can live as one of those beasts."
Her hair changed color as he had spoke into its lavender color, a small mark of a dragon in purple ink burned itself onto the spine of her back. A mocking laugh echoed around her as the warlock disappeared into his misty cloud of magic. The family thought nothing of Aurora's new look until dawn broke over the land and the curse was revealed. Before the family stood a dragon of purple and white, their daughter once human, was now a demon of ice and scales. Ashamed of his once beloved angel, he banished her from their home and sent her to find a new life.
Now she was doing just that. With her curse came powers of ice in both her human and dragon state, it wasn't too bad when nightfall hit, but in the day, she couldn't be around humans too much being as she was the actually size of a castle with scales, wings, and a tail.
     She stood at the edge of the forest, starring at the gates that lead into the kingdom's town. They were closed, two guards posted at each side of the cobblestone walls that held the gates in place. She moved towards the gates, her black dress blending in with the night, only her pale skin made it possible to see her along with her shimmering strange hair color. Her walk was slow and her posture straight. She held herself strongly, showing no fear as she headed towards the awaiting guards. They looked at her with confusion as she neared, both of them growing suspicious of her. They moved into her path and gripped the handles of their swords firmly. One of the guards had a red piece of cloth over her wrist, he looked older than the other guard and his armor was a bronze color. The other guard wore a silver armor suit and held no red cloth on him. The bronze guard cleared his throat and gave Aurora a gentle nod of his head.
   "Why is a lady in the forest this late? Dawn will be here in only a couple of hours." His voice was deep, scary almost for the average person.
   "I am traveling to find myself a new home. I would like to rest if it is okay?" She batted her eyes, giving the most innocent look she could give.
   "Very well, but however long you stay here, do not return to this forest at night again. There are beasts within its trees." He moved aside and lead her towards the gate, the other guard opening it slightly for her. Nodding her head in a sweet, silent goodbye, she headed into the town. People gave her strange glares as they passed her, most likely due to her unusual hair color. She was used to this by now even though the curse had only been in her life for three months. She passed the inn, and passed several small shops, each and every store owner either whispered about her to their wives or whistled at her for her pretty face. She ignored it all. She held herself like she herself was a royal, her head was high and she never let her eyes leave from in front of her. She headed straight towards the castle, careful of not alerting anyone of where she was headed, and slipped into an alley near the castle walls. She sat there, waiting. Her fingers twirled around each other in anxiety, knowing that soon, she would frighten the whole kingdom. Would the king most likely be after her? Sure, but he'd never catch her. She starred at the sky, the light starting to make the stars fade away, and as the sun rose, Aurora could feel the dragon inside her grow. A small cloud of purple mist surrounded her as her human form left her, fingers turned into claws, horns sprouted from her head, wings unfolded from her back and scales emerged from her porcelain skin. Within seconds, the girl in the alley was gone and was now replaced by a large white dragon with purple tipped wings and purple details all over her shimmering body. Now for the part she loved the most. With a single movement of her large bat shaped wings, she lifted herself into the air, screams of people in the town filled her ears as she felt a laugh leave her rumbling throat. For dramatic effect, she blew a mist of white snow out of her mouth, letting it fall onto the people as she rose higher and higher over the castle.