The Prince and His Dragon

🐲 4🌹

   As time went on, things started to change. Ella wasn't the sweet woman she'd acted like before she was married to Drew. Oh no. She was bad.

   "Rose, you're knitting wrong! Must I do everything myself?"

   "The food's cold, May! Try harder! It's not that difficult to cook a simple meal!"

   "Rose, you have dirt on your new dress! I just bought you this!"

   "Tanner, your shirt's wrinkly!"

   "It's like I'm a slave!"

   "May!"

   "Rose!"

   "May!"

   "Rose!"

   "Tanner!"

   "May!"

   "Rose!"

   "May!"

   "Rose!"

   "May!"

   "Rose!"

   It seemed Ella went after the girls more, especially May. After May turned sixteen, she ran away. But she'd made it look like she went to the bathroom. She snuck out the window and scurried away. It took hours before anyone realized she was missing.

   When the king found out, he had his knights search for her. When May was brought back to the castle, she was locked in the laundry room for the rest of the day. Rose and Tanner didn't understand why their older sister ran away. It confused and hurt them.

   Things didn't get better for her, though. She did drugs. She practiced witchcraft. She cut her dresses. She wore her make up in edgy ways. She swore at her father and stepmother. Was it because of puberty, or something else entirely?

~~

   On May's eighteenth birthday, she was sent to her father's throne room. When she got there, Ella was waiting for her.

   "Where's father, witch?" May asked. Ella scoffed.

   "How rude of you to say," she said.

   "You are a witch, cunt."

   "How can you be so sure?" Ella smugly asked.

   "When you married father. At the reception, you took the soul of a random lady in the restroom, using that necklace you try to hide." Ella widened her eyes in shock.

   "You saw that?"

   "Yes, I saw it. I'm not stupid, bitch."

   "Well," Ella said as she cleared her throat, "I see you know me for what I am. No sense in trying to hide it, if you know." May lifted her guard and clenched her fists at her sides. "I guess now I must do something about it."

   "You plan on killing me, is that it?" May asked. "I know too much, so I must be permanently silenced?"

   "Not necessarily," Ella said with a chuckle. "But I can't risk having you spilling such important news to your father." The Queen then stepped up to her stepdaughter and looked down at her. "What is your favorite animal?"

   "What does my favorite animal have to do with anyth-"

   "Just answer the question."

   "... Horse."

   "I see." Ella hummed to herself with a grin. Then before May knew it, her body cracked and popped and stretched to become that of a centaur. "As for the silent part, I made you mute."

   May whinnied and stomped her front right hoof.

   "Help, guards!" Ella shouted as she threw herself to the ground. "There's a horrible beast trying to attack me!" May watched as three guards burst into the throne room. They paused momentarily to take in the sight of a real centaur. But then they ambushed her.

   May whinnied in a panicked way before wobbily galloping out of the throne room through the stained glass window. She ran as fast as her four hooves could take her into the deep, dark forest.

   "Your Majesty, are you alright?" A knight asked Ella as he helped her to her feet.

   "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Just startled," she dramatically sighed. The guards escorted her our and to her bedroom. She hid a grin as she walked.

~~

   Later that day, Rose entered the throne room. She looked around, noting its emptiness. She then approached the shattered window and looked out at the vast landscape. Part of her mourned the loss of her sister. But another part of her wanted to climb the trees in the deep, dark forest. She wanted to get dirty. She wanted to do things that were unbecoming of a princess. She wanted to rebel. But why?

   'Why did she run away?' She asked herself. She sighed, then climbed out the window. She was careful not to cut herself on the shards of glass. After she'd made it outside, she took off her shoes and made a run for the forest. As she was about to enter it, her dress snagged on a twig. She stopped, grabbed the fabric, and tugged, tugged, tugged. She pulled as hard as she could until she heard a rip.

   She gasped. 'Father's gonna kill me,' she thought. But a rebellious thought came into her mind. 'I mean, it's not like I enjoy wearing dresses.' She shrugged and tore the dress. A large piece of it clung to the twig. With that out of the way, Rose took off into the forest, unaware of the dangers that lurked within.