Dragon, Knight, Princess

By Matthew Wong

Everyone knows the tale of the dragon, knight, and princess.

An evil dragon kidnaps a princess and whisks her away to his lair. A brave knight in shining armor is tasked with saving her from her infernal fate. After an epic battle, the knight slays the dragon and rescues the princess before riding off into the sunset. That is how all the stories go and how they always should go.

That was Princess Edony’s firm belief—almost a rule of nature as much as the brilliant sun, the luminescent moon, and the eternity of the earth.

So, when the massive, winged shadow fell upon Castle Alexandrite, shaking the very foundations with an ear-splitting roar, Edony felt a spark of excitement flicker in her chest.

As the massive claw grasped her ‘round the middle and yanked her skyward, her fear was tempered with the calm knowledge that she would be all right. The wind rushed through her hair, and the clouds surged to meet her. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this was her time. Her chance to be part of a legend.

The great beast unceremoniously dropped her upon the stone floor of the ruined castle it used as a lair and turned one great eye towards her. She stood tall and proud, knowing how this story would end. She would not be harmed before a knight would come to rescue her and return her home. The dragon snorted, flames flickering, and lumbered deeper into its lair.

She watched it go before searching around for a way up that high wall.  She wanted to get some view of the knight who would be her savior.

Sure enough, not even a day later, the knight arrived at the abandoned and half-crumbled castle.

“If you think you can defeat me, then by all means try!” the dragon taunted. Its scales were the deepest crimson, its teeth sabers, its wings a storm, and its breath an inferno.

Yet the knight’s armor was adamantine, his shield immovable, his sword glimmering and golden.

The dragon’s claws found no purchase in the knight’s stalwart plate. The blazing breath was parted by the bulwark of the shield. The glimmering sword scored once, twice, thrice upon the scarlet scales.

Both fearful and curious, Princess Edony fled the castle and climbed a high hill, partially obscured by a rocky outcropping. There she beheld, transfixed, the fight rage on and on, and on, and on.

And on.

And on.

And on…

Princess Edony found herself idly weaving a crown of flowers out of the wild roses scattered throughout the hill. Fights weren’t supposed to last this long. The knight had arrived at sundown, and now the sun was once more peeking up over the horizon. The morning rays illuminated the burning ruin that was once the castle, the structure having been torn apart in the conflict.

Suddenly, the sounds of battle stopped. She scrambled to the edge of the outcropping. Was her knight successful? Was she going home? Or had the dragon…

“Ah,” the dragon’s booming voice thundered up the hillside, and a chill shivered down her spine. “I have not had a fight like that in years—decades, even. I congratulate you, sir knight.”

“Not a half bad row, ain’t it?” the knight said. Edony’s fear gave way to surprise and joy—then to confusion. “I’d not say ‘no’ to another round.”

“Neither would I,” the dragon said. “Perhaps next week?”

“Ooh, I’ll look forward to it, then,” said the knight. He paused. “Oh, wait. I just remembered that I’m supposed to aid with the border defense. Maybe when I get back.”

“Feh!” the dragon growled. “Such a thing is beneath you. You will be here next week.”

“I mean, I don’t see how I can get out of it. Duty’s duty, after all.”

“You mortals… fine. I will go with you to your ‘duty.’ Then, we shall have our rematch.”

“Sounds good to me.”

With that, both dragon and human retreated down the mountain into the rising sun.

Princess Edony blinked. Wait, they hadn’t forgotten her, had they? The entire reason both of them were here in the first place?!

Anger quickly overwrote her rising panic, incredulity, and horror. How dare they just leave her here! How dare they ruin her fairy tale ending like this! She was the princess of Alexandrite. She was to be part of a legend. No, this would not do, to be forgotten and left by the wayside! She would make them give her the ending she wanted—no, deserved! Come high water, hell, or the will of the gods, she would make this happen!

With a fury in her heart and shattered worldview sufficiently under control, she ran after the pair, shouting insults at them along the way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew Wong has always loved the fantastical and a fictional.  When he’s not working out, driving, or playing video games, he can be found fantasizing about fantastic realms and worlds.  As a devout Christian, he’s dedicated to having his work honor and glorify God to the best of his ability.

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