The Best Bride

15. DRAGON

We bounced joyfully on our feet at the finding. Jewel was more excited than I was. 

"Sssh!" I put a finger on lips, hushing Jewel. "Rivera might be with him now." This erased the joy from her face.  

"Yeah, she might be," said she. "What do we do?"  

"We wait," said I.  

"Ok," said she patiently. "Rivera won't stay with him for that long; Prince Felix won't let her stay with him. She'll be gone soon, and we'll go meet him."  

"And we'll rescue him from that tower." I knew it wouldn't be that simple. Beside Rivera something must have held the prince in the tower. Something magical.  

"I'll give him my Magic Gum," said Jewel. "He'll go back to Wingland and bring us help."  

I looked at her, wide-eyed, realizing something.  

"What is it?" said Jewel, studying my face. "You look as though you've seen something unpleasant on my face." 

"I just realized the reason behind Purple, Marigold and Lady Boo attempt to kidnap me." I explained the reason, "King Mackaral had given us each a single Magic Gum, right? He didn't give us extra Gum to hand it to Prince Felix if any of us find him. This explains that they were after my Magic Gum.  

They wanted to collect Magic Gums by stealing mine, yours and Ross so that each of them would have two, and whoever finds Prince Felix first among them, she can use Magic Gum, one for herself and the other for the prince and can go back together to Wingland."  

"Well, their collection of Magic Gum is going to waste now," said Jewel. "We've found Prince Felix, and I'll be the one sending him back to Wingland." 

"Do you think he'll bring us Magic Gums?"  

"He has to," said Jewel. "I'll make him promise." 

While we waited behind the tree, occasionally casting a look at the tower to see if Rivera had come out or not, Jewel opened her snake skinned purse and started putting on make up. She'd mirror, lipstick, mascara, powder and lots of other things with her.  

After she was done with her make up, she asked me dancing on her heels, "How do I look? Do I look beautiful enough to make Prince Felix fall in love with me at first sight?"  

I looked at her from head to feet carefully; her black hair was plaited in one sided braid, her face angelic, her icy blue dress far more glamorous than mine and her bumps five inch high - how did she even manage to walk all the way to here on those killer heels? "You look fabulously gorgeous." 

"Thanks." 

The afternoon dragged on, and then the stars started popping out in the sky overhead. Still we caught no sight of Rivera marching out of the tower. Tired already, we had sat against the tree trunk and were on the brink of falling asleep.  

Jewel shook me by shoulder, jerking me to attention. "This is it. Come on, we'll go into the tower."  

I had been bored, so I didn't protest.  

We stood up, and slipped into the tower through the high arched entrance. The first thing we saw upon entering the tower was a sleeping dragon: a huge ugly green dragon with shimmering metal scales, big leather wings and iron claws, its large body almost filling the large circular room.  

The terrible sight nearly stopped our heartbeat.  

"This is what's keeping Prince Felix from escaping -" said I.  

"Sssh! You'll wake up the beast."  

The dragon must be the work of Rivera's magic, because I was sure there was no dragon in the human world too.