The Dragon and the Princess

Chapter 23

The silence that followed the dragon's fall was deafening. No one dared to move for a long time, not even John. They all just stared. One by one, the soldiers began to remove their helmets and lower their heads, paying their respects to their lost princess. None of them knew how they could return to the kingdom empty-handed. The silence continued on further, no one wanting to break it. However, it didn't last forever.

"No!!!" John cried as he threw his own helmet at the carcass of the dragon he had just slain. "NOOOO!!!" throwing anything he could find at his fallen enemy, he cursed and screamed to the heavens. Finally, with his face bright red with rage, he grabbed a sword from the nearest soldiers and stormed towards the body. Looking it over for a moment, he cursed again before climbing onto the dragon's head and began sawing at the base of one of its horns.

"My lord, what are you doing?" a brave soldier asked, stepping as close as he dared. Even though the dragon had fallen, the soldiers were still cautious. Fear of the beast still fresh in their minds.

"What does it look like?!" he snapped. "I'm getting proof of my victory. Although the woman is dead I can still ascend to the throne with this." Noticing the shocked looks of his soldiers he quickly rephrased his words. "I cannot allow her kingdom to fall with her. The kingdom needs an heir. This will prove to the royal family and the people that we tried our hardest and, although we did not save their princess, we killed her captor." He waited until he saw the men had accepted his word until he began sawing at the horn again.

It was tedious work, John even had to change swords multiple times as the horn blunted them, and, by the time the horn fell from the dragon's head, John was panting hard. The men looked up from where they sat at the sound of the horn falling to the ground. Jumping down from the beast's head, John wiped his brow and gazed proudly at his work. He motioned for two men to pick up the horn but even with two men, they were finding it difficult to carry its weight.

More men came to help and soon John gave the order for the men to move out.

"What of the Princess? Surely we can't leave her there." The same soldier from before spoke up.

"Dominique, there is no way to retrieve her..." he said honestly as he glanced at the dragon horn. "It takes four men to carry the horn alone. There is no way we humans could lift such a beast." He placed a hand on the soldier's shoulder. "We must leave her." Reluctantly Dominique lowered his head and John removed his hand. Marching as a unit, the soldiers all made their way into the forest, heading home with heavy hearts.

It was many hours after the soldiers left, the sound of their boots on the earth no longer echoing through the castle, before Lydia allowed herself to move. Letting out a heartbroken sob, she curled into a tight ball on the ground and let her emotions take over. She lay under Lithon's wing, what little membrane there was left was covering her from view. Her body shook with every sob that raked its way through her body.

She just lay there for a long time, not wanting to move. She had no idea what she was going to do. The moment she realised that she was still alive she knew she had to remain quiet so that the soldiers didn't find her. It was difficult, especially when John began to defile Lithon's body by sawing off one of his horns. She felt every second of it, the vibrations of the sawing reaching her though Lithon's wing.

Knowing that the soldiers were too far to hear her, she opened her mouth wide and screamed for her loss. Her throat raw and sore, she continued to scream until she had no more air in the lungs. Panting heavily to regain the oxygen she had lost, she nearly missed the subtle notice of movement that was not her own.

Clamping her hand over her mouth she waited, fearing that the soldiers had somehow heard her and had turn back. She remained as still as possible until she felt movement against her shoulder. Screaming again, this time in terror, she cradled her head in her arms. But nothing else happened. Opening her eyes and looking at her shoulder, she saw that the only thing touching her shoulder was the membrane of Lithon's wing.

Gasping in complete and utter shock, she quickly scurried out from under his wing. The movement could only have come from him. Lithon was alive! It had to be! Running to his head, she fell to her knees in front of his snout.

"Lithon, my love." She spoke softly, daring to hope, as she placed her hands on his snout. His nostrils flared and a huge puff of air hit Lydia's face. She gasped once more as tears came to her eyes once more. "Open your eyes!" she yelled, rising to her feet and stumbling over to his eyes. "Please!" she cried, her fist hitting his scales in an attempt to waken him. She knew what her small hands could do him no damage. It would barely tickle him. "Open your eyes! Lithon!" She called again as her own eyes closed and she let another sop escape her lips. She was so happy that he was alive yet she was worried. She saw the spear pierce his chest and knew that he was badly injured. But he was alive!

Lithon tried to move his limbs but they were heavy, too heavy to move. But something was giving him back his strength. He vaguely heard someone calling his name and tried to open his eyes to see who it was but it was still too difficult for him.

"Li---n op-- ---r ----" Straining to hear anything clearly, he fought with the darkness that was keeping him in a sleep-like state. "Lithon!" his eyes shot open the moment he recognised the voice. Lydia!

Stilling banging her fists against his head, Lydia continued to call the name of her beloved. Feeling movement beneath her hands she opened her eyes to the eyes she had so wished to see again open and staring at her.

"Oh, Lithon! You're alive!" She sobbed, this time in happiness.

Letting out a groan, Lithon raised his head away from Lydia once he was sure that she was not injured. Turning his flexible neck, he looked at the wound on his chest. Flicking out his reptilian tongue, he coated the wound in saliva before he slowly began changing back into his human form.

As soon as he was human again, Lydia flung herself into Lithon's waiting arms.

"I-I saw h-him stab your h-h-heart." She sobbed, burying her head into his neck as she cried. "I was so scared. I thought you were dead." She choked as she pulled away to look into his eyes. His eyes were soft and apologetic

"I'm so sorry." He said as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "If I had been anything but a dragon I would be dead." He said honestly. Lydia just looked at him, utterly confused. "A dragon's heart is on his right side." He clarified, taking her hand and placing it on the right side of his chest.

Lydia felt his heartbeat, strong, and definitely there. Amazed, it took a moment before she could bring herself to take her hand away, comforted by the steady beat. Realising that his wound was healing quickly and he was indeed alright, she let her anger take over.

"You were only supposed to pretend to get stabbed!" she kissed at him as she slapped his cheek with as much force as she could muster. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the entire castle grounds and Lithon just stood there, completely stunned. He didn't have time to recover from his shock before Lydia wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips to hers.

"I'm sorry." He said as they pulled away. He had actually allowed himself to get stabbed... HE would never allow Lydia to know that though of course. Her plan was brilliant but he knew that a fake stabbing would never trick the soldiers with so many eyes upon him, at least one of them would have seen that it did not pierce him. The spear didn't do too much damage. Certainly not enough to knock him out. It was actually the constant sawing that made him lose consciousness. It was horrifying to feel someone saw off a piece of his bone.

"Don't ever do that to me again." She said firmly, but as soon as it was said the corners of her lips turned up. "Let's go inside."

"We get to keep our home." Lithon breathed, the realisation that they didn't have to run was just beginning to hit him.

Lydia smiled. 'our home'. They could live their whole lives in their home and never be bothered by anyone ever again. Everyone thought that they were dead.

Smiling down at his princess, the woman he loved with all his heart, he knew that they were free. Picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist, he smiled even brighter when she let out a small squeal of surprise, he slowly carried his love into their home.

Smiling with pure happiness up at her beloved, Lydia let one final thought pass through her mind as Lithon closed the door with his foot and their lips met.

'And now, we live happily ever after.'