The Dragon and the Princess

There once was a noble princess, whom was never recognized for her true talents. She was often taken care of by servants, rather than her parents, whom, the mother was deceased and the father might've been as well. She loved her mother dearly, but she passed when the princess was just a little girl. The mother left three magical keys to the daughter, but only two survived on the way to her. The keys were magical and could bring about wonderful spirits who the little girl loved and knew as much as her mother. These spirits were her only friends in her fathers kingdom of solitude. The one was a crab and the other a mermaid. She could call upon them whenever she felt lonely or lost in the giant kingdom. But sometimes magic isn't enough to fix a broken heart, some times only a Fairy Tail could fix that. The princess longed to be loved in her growing years, and often made presents and offering to her god-awful father, who so rudely pushed them aside and treated the princess as more of an object than a daughter. The man often only thought wealth and money could bring upon happiness, but he was mistaken. He soon realized this when his daughter kept trying to run away, but didn't care, she was merely a pawn in his game of wealth. As the princess grew older, more responsibilities came with her matureness. She was forced to attend royal parties and gatherings wearing dresses and attire that did not suit her figure at all. She smiled and thanked all the guests, appeared happy, but at the end of the day, cried herself to sleep. More parties and balls were coming sooner and sooner and the princess grew tired of them. The men constantly asking for her hand in marriage, asking her to sleep with them and asking her to run away with them. This made the princess feel worse and more alone than ever. All these men wanted her for her name in the royal throne, not for her herself. She constantly stayed in a state of isolation and not even her servants could reach her. She never touched the magical keys her mother gave to her in that time, because to her, right then, magic did not exist. If it did exist, she wouldn't be here. In this constant world of pain and desperation. She screamed out, wishing for her voice to be heard, somewhere, somehow, from from the top of her castle of despair. None came, and the princess, exasperated from her daily struggles, fled the castle in hopes of a better life. She took only her mothers keys, though she did not believe in the silly fable nursery magic anymore, it was the only memory of her mother. She ran and ran, searching for knows what, and finally stopped. She couldn't run anymore. She was tired of the men, the servants, the lies, the magic, her father. She sealed herself away in a castle far away from civilization, hoping to find herself there. Hoping no one else would find her either. The castle was a single vertical column straight up with a spiral stairway and single room. The castle was unique and strangely magical. The outer walls depicted a dragon spiraling all the way to the top out of mosaic tiles. The peace of isolation lasted for months. She could look out her window from the room at the top of the spiral staircase and see the rural landscape, and smell freedom. She would go and collect water, foods and visit villages nearby in peasant clothes, hoping not to be recognized, one day she was. By an old childhood friend, now a handsome prince of the neighboring kingdom. She denied it, and fled to her castle of isolation, but it was too late. The prince told her father and his kingdoms royal guards and they soon chased after her. She sobbed, hopeless in her tower, waiting for the inevitable, hearing the men come running down the fields for her. It was the end. She would have to go back home to the life she hated. She collected her mother keys and held them to her. "I need a miracle to save me" She thought. As the mens footsteps grew closer and louder, she sunk into the corner of her room, clutching her keys, crying, when suddenly, a miracle did happen. A great roar erupted and flames shot across the sky, and the tower began to shake. Almost too afraid to move, yet so aroused by the excitement and screams, she ran to the window and was shocked to see what she saw. A miracle. The dragon of mosaic tiles from the castle had come alive and stood in front of the tower, guarding it. He stood tall and fearsome, breathing fire out his mouth and nostrils. The men screamed and threw attacks at the creature, but they were no match, and perished within his flame. He roared and spit flames at the men and guards, keeping them away. Why had the dragon come alive? Why had he come to save her? Why her? She cried as she watched the fight go on, secretly praying for the dragon to win. As the battle raged on, the dragon spoke with a low growl to the men "Why have you come here?" He asked "To retrieve the princess!" they yelled back. The dragon was displeased with the answer they had given. "Why do you seek her if you are the ones who make her cry at night? You will never have her for as long as she cries over you!" The dragon roared and attacked the men. The men, who feared for their lives, fled from the dragon and the tower. The princess cried as she watched them flee. The dragon had saved her. The dragon turned and looked at the princess through the window. "Do not shed any more tears. Do not cry anymore. There is no need. I will protect you" The dragon growled. The princess cried again, letting the tears flow across her face. "Why? Why did you save me?" She asked "They made you cry. I do not like seeing you cry. You are the occupant of my tower and you have brought me to life. The last I can do is protect you princess." He growled again looking at her. The dragons body stretched out and flexed its new scales, which gleamed in the morning dawn. His eyes, horns and teeth glowed with fire. The princess did not know what to say, other than a thank you. She fell asleep that morning and woke up that afternoon, looking out the window to see the dragon waiting for her, but alas the dragon was only tiles on the side of her tower. Was it all a dream? She started to cry again. She didn't want to be alone. She needed her dragon to protect her, when the building rumbled again, and the dragons head appeared in her window. "Why do you shed tears princess?" The dragon asked. The princess stopped crying "You were real?" She asked walking towards him. "I always was. You just forgot that magic is real." The dragon said deeply. "Magic?"she asked "Your keys, are they not magic?" He growled. "Yes. Yes they are." She said surprised. "I am as real as you believe your keys are real." The dragon stated. "You brought me to life princess" He stated again, looking directly into her eyes. "I brought you to life?" She asked. "Yes. You did. And I will always be in your debt for doing so." He said again. The dragon lowered his head and the princess went to go look. The dragons body was still tile along the stone tower, but his head was out and alive. "I will always be here when you need protecting princess" The dragon growled and winked as he transformed back into his tile form along the tower. The princess smiled. She knew she would be safe with him, and she was. Anytime the men came back, or any man came to try to get her to wed him, the dragon would come alive and ward them off. The dragon and the princess became best friends. The princess would leave during the day and the dragon would guard the tower even if she wasn't there. Nights were the most magical. The fire dragon would light up the night and the princesses room where they would talk until the princess fell asleep. The dragon was always watching out for her, night or day. The princess soon fell in love with the dragon and felt conflicted on this belief. She decided to tell him how she felt, one night in particular, the anniversary of the day she came to the tower, a year ago. The dragon and her talked as usual that night, when the princess stood up and faced him. She went to the dragon through the window and for the first time, reached out her hand against the side of the dragons face. "You have protected me, stood by me, been there for me every day and night. You have been my only true friend I have ever had in life. I love you." The princess said gently stroking the side of the dragons face, and began to cry. The dragon showed no emotion and looked directly into her teary eyes. "It was my duty and honor to protect you, Princess." He said pausing. "I love you too" The dragon said quietly. The princess backed away slightly to fully look at the dragons face, which was full of pure fiery emotion. She began to sob and hugged the dragons face crying onto his scales "Thank you for being there for me when no one else was" She sobbed knowing that this dragon loved her more than any other man ever has, but also knowing, he was a dragon and not a man, which made her sob even harder. The princess sobbed as she clung to his face, when the dragon began to transform. Soon there was no longer a dragon present, but a man holding the princess tightly against his warm chest. He hugged her close and held his hand to the side of her face. The princess, taken aback, backed away and looked at the man standing in her window. The man wore black and gold clothes and wore a white tiled scarf, similar to the dragons tiles and scales. The man had spiky pink hair and soon she realized, this was the dragon, It was his eyes. They looked at her with as much passion as the dragon did with the same fiery look. The princess began to sob and the dragon stepped in and held her tight against his warm chest. "Do not cry princess. I am here. I always will be. To protect you, remember?" The dragon man smiled. The princess nodded and looked at him. This was the true form of the dragon. A miracle. A savior. A friend. Someone to love. The princess smiled as she held his hands, wiping the tears from her face "Thank you".