Saving A Princess,

He hit her again. Immediately her already blackened eye swelled up for the third time this month. The castle was a prison made up of stones and guards that once upon a time kept her safe. A tear escaped the Princess’s eye, rolling down her cheek.

Suddenly stones cracked and exploded, sending rubble crashing into the quarters. The Knight fell to the ground, quickly pinned by rubble. Metal clanked on the staircase leading to the quarters as more knights rushed to the destruction and dust settled. The Princess squinted, looking at the shadow figure in the dust. She heard the screams of a dragon before she made out its massive and magnificent features.

“Princess duck! “The dragon’s bellowing voice filled the quarters

The Princess did as she instructed with no hesitation, ducking then running toward the dragon as he began spitting fireballs at incoming knights.

“Princess, I will get you out of here.” Gesturing the dragon leaned down, offering his back with his wings to help her climb on top of him. The princess mounted the dragon quickly and carefully. The dragon quickly spit a fireball at the abusive Knight.

“I could kill you, but I won’t” The knight looked relieved. “Yet,” satisfied with the look of horror now on the knight’s face. The dragon snickered as he took off into the evening sun, just as the knight was wiggling free from the rubble. Landing, the princess found herself in a field lined with wildflowers and surrounded by a small forest filled with lush green trees. Sliding off the dragon the princess landed on the ground with grace. The field was beautiful. Nothing in sight except a small well and an old, dilapidated wood barn. !Then trees as far as you could see. A raging bull stood in a neighboring field in the horizon.

“It’s not quite what you’re accustomed to I’m afraid, but we won’t stay long.” The dragon mentioned, nuzzling the delicate and fragile wood doors on the barn open. The Princess’s eye watered as she flung her arms around the dragon.

“Thank you for saving me!” The princess gushed happily.

“You don’t have to thank me. I worried you might not come with me. I have listened to you on and off for weeks since arriving here in this land. Crying and wishing on stars. I’m not a star but I am a big scary dragon,” He chuckled, pushing his chest out as if to make himself bigger than he was, if that was even possible.

“I just can’t believe you’re real!”

The dragon grinned. “Well, believe it! Also, I’ve already roasted dinner,” he said proudly, moving further into the old barn spitting a small fireball into the dug-out pit in the middle of the dirt floor in the barn.

“I’ve never had rabbit before,” the Princess mentioned, leaning into the warm side of the dragon as she relaxed, feeling safe. Safety wasn’t something the Princess had felt in a while, not since the Knight murdered her family and took her away to a kingdom that was abandoned. She chuckled, remembering her mom saying something about rumors of a dragon nearby.

“I will fly you to your village borders in the morning. Your throne awaits you, Princess” The princess looked out the open, dilapidated barn doors. The wildflowers danced in the slow cool wind and the stars slowly filling the night sky, peeking through the rafters and broken roof above them.

“What if I don’t want to be royalty anymore? We could stay here!” The Princess gushed, imaging it.

“Stay here?” the dragon chuckled “But you’re a Princess and this is an old dusty barn with an old dusty dragon in it” He laughed coughing as he threw a chunk of rabbit in the air and snatched it perfectly.

“Castles are drafty, rules are stuffy and I haven’t known freedom in over a year. My cousin Mason would lead better and he can take over the throne now. I could get a job in the next village over. We could knock this barn down and build another. Live a happy life here. Maybe I could even meet a cute stable hand that likes dragons,” she gushed at the thought as the dragon watched her talk, looking amused but in thought.

“Princess, I won’t stop you if that’s what you want.” The dragon smiled as she seemed entranced with the Princesses vision of the field and barn the dragon had found.

“Your happiness and safety are all the matters,” the dragon finished looking to the Princess.

“What’s your name?“ The Princess asked,

“Algara”

“Well Algara, I guess we have a cabin to build.” She paused, taking the last bite of her dinner.

"Perhaps also a very large barn” She giggled for the first time since being taken as she ran her hand down Algaras scales. Algara laughed, thinking of them building another barn like this one, but sturdier and with more wing-room.

“That sounds like a happy ever after if I’ve ever heard one Princess Vivienne.”

“Yes, it does,” Princess Vivienne said sleepily. The sky darkened as the sun set. Stars littered the cold sky. Algara and Princess Vivienne fell asleep together as the fire Algara lit burned to embers, then slowly fizzled out.

Leaving Algara and Princess Vivienne to build and live their happily ever after. No knights required.