Dragon Slayer: A Lisoo Dragon AU

Chapter Four: Happiness

"Step one," I said triumphantly. "Quite frankly, we need to focus on your confidence first and foremost."

"I hate to burst your bubble of optimism, but I'm a hopeless case with that one," Jillian sighed.

"No one is a hopeless case," I responded. "Now tell me, what makes you feel happy?"

"What's that got to do with my confidence?" she questioned.

"If you aren't happy, you can't be confident," I answered. "Confidence is born by fusing happy feelings and turning them into positive energy that you radiate to the world."

"Spoken like a true poet," she laughed.

I smirked. "Why, thank you. But you still haven't answered my question."

She sighed again. "I guess it's...it's not one simple thing. It's fresh baked cookies and beautiful music. It's a glass of lemonade on a summer day and reading books in a garden. It's curling up next to someone special as they hold you close."

I leaned in a bit, causing her to look flustered. "Who knew you were such a sapphic?"

"I guess I wasn't what you were expecting when it came to dragons, huh?" she giggled.

"I'll be honest, you weren't," I said. "But I'm glad."

"And why is that?" She tilted her head to the side.

"I've never gotten along too well with other girls," I explained. "They normally mistake me for a guy and then don't want to hang out with me once they find out. I've never really had a girl friend before."

"Not too many dragon ones either, I reckon?" she chuckled.

"Nope." I beamed. "You're the first."

"I feel quite honored," she said. "What about you? What makes you feel happy?"

I thought for a moment. That was a good question. What did make me feel happy? I couldn't really put a finger on specific things like Jillian could. It was more of a feeling that I got when I did certain things that didn't relate to the thing itself, if that made any legitimate sense.

One of my happiest moments was on a night long ago when I was out on patrol. It was raining but I didn't want to give up my post. If I did, the king would surely be mad. I paced back and forth through the rain.

"Lisa?"

I turned around to see Princess Jisoo behind me. She was under the shade of the castle, holding a parasol. She was dressed in her nightclothes and had a look of perplexity on her face.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. "It's freezing."

I immediately bowed. "Y-Your highness! I didn't know you were there. I'm on patrol tonight."

"Father wouldn't make you stay out in this storm, you know," she said. "It's far too dangerous."

"It's my duty to protect the castle, your highness," I replied. "By any means necessary."

"Well, you can't protect the castle if you're frozen to death, can you?" she quipped.

I truly didn't know how to respond. "N-No, your highness. I suppose not."

She smiled lightly as she came closer to me. Now a part of her was getting wet from the rain, but she didn't seem to mind. Instead, she took her parasol and extended it out, shielding me from the rain. I was taken aback by her actions, but was grateful nonetheless.

"Your princess tells you to come inside. It's getting late and the rain's getting worse," she said in a commanding way, but I knew it came from a sweet place.