retold prompt: Have you heard of the Indonesian version of Cinderella called "Bawang Merah Bawang Putih"? Change at least one element of the story and retell it!
Note: I'm offering an explanation at the end in case my take on the tale wasn't clear. I tend to overexplain so you can totally overlook it.
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Evangeline sat cross-legged, hunched over, and completely engrossed in the ancient tome resting in her hands. The delicate pages rustled beneath her fingertips as she immersed herself in the tale that unfolded before her. Her eyes devoured every bit of information they landed on for, up until now, her draconian history had been shrouded in mystery.
The story began with Asgorath, the revered Goddess of dragons who was blessed with two children, each embodying opposing forces within the world.
Light, darkness.
Life, death.
Good, evil.
Tiamat, the eldest daughter, was everything Asgorath wanted in a successor...until she wasn't. At first, she embodied the qualities her mother desired, showing great promise and potential. But as the years passed, Tiamat's true nature began to reveal itself. She grew consumed by her own ambitions, driven by a hunger for power that knew no bounds.
Evangeline had initially thought Tiamat a misunderstood and neglected princess – the Cinderella of dragons. However, she turned out to be the one terrorizing her mother and brother.
The dragon princess was deceitful, manipulative, and full of hatred that only grew as jealousy festered within her heart, particularly towards her younger sibling, Bahamut.
In contrast, her brother embodied kindness and compassion. He was adored by all who knew him. This stark contrast fueled Tiamat's resentment, pushing her further down a treacherous path.
Asgorath, desperately attempting to quell the darkness taking hold of her daughter, tried to guide her towards a more virtuous path. But Tiamat's desires were insatiable, and her own selfishness and deceit clouded her heart.
With each passing day, Tiamat descended deeper into chaos and destruction. Her actions wreaked havoc upon the world, sowing discord and strife. She became a force of malevolence that threatened to consume everything her mother had worked so hard to create – a world of peace and prosperity.
So, when Bahamut's interest in humans grew so did Tiamat's disdain, like an unquenchable fire fueled by her arrogance and superiority. She considered them unworthy creatures, mere specks in the grand tapestry of existence. The very idea of insignificant humans sharing the same world as her was an affront to her sensibilities.
In her eyes, dragons reigned supreme, the epitome of power and intellect and the dominant species in all realms. She believed that they should be the sole rulers of the vast lands of Ducreidan.
