The Dragon and the Princess

"She cries when the prince takes her from the ruined castle, from the dragon who faithfully watches over her. She kicks, screams, and sobs for her beast. Repeating her desperate plea to return to the place she has called home for more years than she can count.

"I don't need to be saved!"

Court life stifles her, it makes her want to scream until she has no more energy left to fight. She often flees to the gardens, running barefooted through fountains and flowerbeds. Only returning when the guards come looking for her, silk dress torn and covered in mud.

Her dreams are filled with flames, flying and smoke. She long's for the nights when she could fall asleep with warm scales as her pillow, knowing nothing would dare to harm her while her dragon stands guard. But that world seems to belong to another now.

Then a new knight appears in the court she hates, swearing allegiance not to the prince or to the person she can hardly think of as her mother. But to her, and when she meets his eyes, she laughs for the first time since the brought her 'home'. The fire in his gaze mirrors her own, she would recognize her dragon anywhere."