The Princess and The Reluctant Knight

Episode 15

Princess Brittany sat a delicate figure shrouded in the dimness of Snugglepuff's cavernous lair. Her eyes were fixed upon the creature where it lounged; its titanic form sprawled across the craggy floor, gnawing on what might have been a human thigh bone.

Though her initial terror had faded to a mere whisper, a whirlpool of puzzlement consumed her thoughts, centered on the creature's curious gentleness. Her gaze traced the dragon's rugged silhouette against the faint glow of phosphorescent lichen clinging to the walls.

By all rights, she should be suffering a fiery demise within its gullet. Yet day after day, it watched over her with a guardian's vigilance. He even provided food and water from its stash.

The dragon's scales shimmered with a luster that betrayed its rough appearance, casting a spectrum of colors with every subtle shift of its massive body.

She inched closer, emboldened by a curiosity that tugged her forward like an invisible string.

Snugglepuff regarded her with molten eyes that held the secrets of ancient fires but made no move except for the occasional smoke tendrils curling from his nostrils.

"Why did you take me from my home?"

He rumbled deep in his throat, a sound that resonated through the stone, tilting his great-horned head as if weighing her words with a sage's contemplation.

"And why have you not eaten me? I am probably the perfect princess snack, so what gives? Princess intolerant? Or just watching your figure?"

Snugglepuff remained silent, holding her gaze with an intensity that seemed almost understanding.

"Were you lonely here in this cave? Did you want a companion?"

At that, the dragon's eyes widened slightly, betraying a flicker of emotion. It shuffled its massive wings and huffed out a small burst of flame that illuminated the cavern in a brief, fiery spectacle, making Brittany jump back. But the beast seemed more flustered than aggressive, a giant creature uncertain of its strength.

Heart hammering, Brittany tried another tentative step closer, her hands raised soothingly.

"It is all right. I am not angry, just confused. Can you help me understand?"

Snugglepuff dropped his bone with a loud thud that echoed. He nudged it toward her, a rumbling in his chest that might have been encouraging.

She examined the gigantic femur, her realization dawning in the soft, otherworldly light. "You want me to eat, to keep up my strength. Is that it?"

Snugglepuff bobbed his head, looking rather pleased with himself, his massive nostrils flaring slightly. He truly was trying to care for her, in his strange, draconic way. But why?

"What do you want from me?"

No answers were forthcoming, but the dragon continued watching her with an expectant tilt of its head. Hardly the behavior of a bloodthirsty monster.

Brittany gained the courage to approach, studying Snugglepuff's intricate scales that were like artisan-crafted armor. And the cruel talons, each capable of tearing the earth itself. Though he could break her like a twig in an instant, the dragon remained docile under her inspection.

When she mustered the nerve to reach out a hand, the dragon leaned into her touch, rumbling contentedly as she stroked the warm, rough snout.

"You know, Snugglepuff, you are not so fearsome after all," Brittany chuckled.

The dragon squawked happily, trailing smoke in whimsical spirals.

Snugglepuff reminded Brittany of the hunting hounds back home that would beg for treats and belly rubs, their tails wagging in earnest.