A Dragon's Heart TEEN COMPLETE

[blake]

Title: A Dragon's Heart
Author: me
Rating TEEN
Disclaimer: Roswell isn't mine, and I was inspired by Laurell K. Hamilton, Elizabeth Kerner, and Elizabeth Haydon.
Summary: AU dreamer fairy tale, Max is a Prince cursed by an evil fairy (guess who) to live as a dragon during the day. Liz is a Princess in a faraway land who wants to live her dreams.
Author's Note: Banner by Jen (talena)



Prologue

Prince Maxwell Evansendria, of the House of the Dragon, Heir to the Throne of Antar, only son to King Phillip and Queen Dianna, and beloved of the Seelie Court of Dimaras, was returning home from a visit to the Royal family of the Golden Sidhe. It was a day’s journey by horse, and he was going at a leisurely pace, in no rush to be home, when he saw a woman sitting beside the road.

Max was a kind man, though arrogant at times, and he was not immune to a pretty face, so he reined in his horse beside the woman and smiled down at her. “Are you in need of assistance, my lady?” he inquired, dismounting.

She tilted her head upward and gave him an impish smile, her pink lips wet and inviting. “I am in need of company, sir,” she told him, giving her blonde curls a shake, “Pray, join me?”

“It would be my honor, Lady…” he let his voice trail off hopefully.

“Tess,” she supplied, laughing, “And you are?”

“Max,” he said as he seated himself beside her. For some reason he felt reluctant to share more than that. The closer he got to her, the uneasier he felt.

“Max,” she repeated, “Would you care for an apple, Max?”

He blinked, the shiny, red fruit had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and looked very inviting. His hand reached out involuntarily, and he looked in her eyes as he took the apple and bit into it. Max frowned as his vision became hazy, “I feel…strange…”

“Do you?” she asked, and her voice was like music to his ears, “Perhaps you ought to lie down…” Her voice drew his gaze back to her and he was vaguely surprised to find she had grown increasingly more attractive. Her hair shone like gold, her lips looked as if they’d taste like candied roses, and her skin was white as the moon. “Come here little prince,” she crooned, patting her lap temptingly.

Her eyes were hypnotic, and he found himself moving toward her against his will. “How did you know I was a prince?” he demanded.

She laughed again, slender hands reaching for him. “You told me silly.”

“No…” he said slowly, “I don’t remember…”

Her eyes…drowning him in their depths…He’d never seen eyes like that, a faerie ring of gold bordered her black pupils, surrounded by a ring of sky blue and then another the turquoise of the oceans… Tricolored eyes. The label registered in his muddled brain along with the meaning. Tricolored eyes, the mark of the Unseelie Horde…

Max sprang away, his mind suddenly clear of Dark taint. “Unseelie witch,” he spat, backing away.

She rose to her feet, lips swiftly thinning as she opened her mouth in a hiss, revealing yellow fangs. Her gray skin grew tight, and her bones began to show through the tattered blue dress she wore. Her hair became limp and greasy, and her eyes blazed red as blood. He knew her then, Teschra, the Reaper. Tales of her deception had become horror stories to the children of Antar, and he had nearly been another of her victims…

“How dare you defy me?!” she shrieked.

He drew his sword. “You will not live to entice another innocent, Teschra,” he told her, advancing.

She suddenly began to laugh. “You pitiful little mortal. You actually think you can beat me with your little sword,” her tone was mocking, “Fool!” She waved her hand and sent him sprawling, agony ripping at his insides. Teschra approached him and leaned over him, again the bright-eyed woman on the roadside. “I’m not going to kill you dragon prince,” she informed him, smiling, “That would be too easy.”

“Witch…” he gasped, fighting the descending blackness.

“So I am,” she agreed, “And a curse I shall place on you for the knowing.” He could feel her hand tracing the crest of Antar’s Royal Family on his chest, a black dragon with golden eyes. “I shall send you to Terra d’Mortais. It is a land far from here, where the only faeries are in superstition and they’re even frightened of unicorns. Silly humans… There you shall stay, in the only magical place they allow, Etang Desea. It’s a wishing pond, the royal family sends their children there on their eighteenth birthdays-“

He made a noise as fire exploded throughout his body, twisting his inners, as if reshaping the knit of his very bones.

“Ssh,” she scolded, “Now, where was I… Oh yes, on the eve of their eighteenth birthdays, the heirs spend the night at Etang Desea, bathing in the sacred waters, and wishing for their futures. There are five children of this generation. You will grant their wishes. Are you listening closely, Max? Grant their wishes in either form, dragon by day, man by night, and when you find one strong enough to kill me…Mayhap you will be free of this curse.”

“What if…” he croaked, but the sentence was ended in a fit of coughs. His lungs were burning, his throat felt charred…

“What if, what, Max? What if one of them can’t kill me? Well then, I guess you’ll just have to wait until one does.” His vision was dimming, but he could still see her cruel smile. “After all, you have eternity. Faeries and dragons are immortal…”

He was overwhelmed with the darkness, the only relief was that he couldn’t hear her voice any more, but he could feel, and it felt as if wind was whipping through his body, at once scary and exhilarating to him at the same time.

When he regained consciousness he was lying in an unfamiliar valley, a mountainside formed one side of the bowl, desert spread out beyond the lip of the other sides, there was a large pond at the bottom, filled with the clearest, freshest looking water he’d ever laid eyes on.

Thirst struck Max suddenly and he lumbered over, limbs feeling heavier than usual, even after a day of sword practice in the saddle. He leaned over the clean water and then reared back.

It couldn’t be… He leaned over again and stared. Golden eyes stared back at him, surrounded by black hide and wickedly long ivory fangs. No, no, no…He reached forward to splash the image away and then stared at his hand, no, paw, with a set of viciously curved claws.

“No!” The shout was ripped from him in a deafening roar, flame searing through his body and out his open muzzle. He fell back on his haunches, wings unfurled naturally, tail swinging back and forth in agitation, and he stared at the sun despairingly.

Dragon by day…

[blake]

Part One

The Princess Maria of Terra d’Mortais was eighteen. Well, technically, she’d be eighteen tomorrow, but it was close enough. She was the eldest of five children, and she was not heiress to the throne.

Truth be told, she was fine with that arrangement. Kyle could have the job. Running an entire kingdom would be bothersome. The only problem was that if she wasn’t going to be queen, her father was going to marry her off to some fat border lord or something…

She didn’t want that for herself, or for her sisters for that matter. She wanted to be free to make her own life. It was her most cherished wish, one she would give up at dawn the next morning.

“Maria!”

The princess spun, her gold braid whipping around, and regarding the flushed child with a smile. “What is it, Lizzie?” she inquired of her youngest sister.

“Amy’s lookin’ all over for you,” the eight year-old declared, tucking her long brown hair behind one ear, “She says you gotta go.”

“Princess Elizabeth, what have I told you about proper grammar?”

The two girls looked up at the slim woman who hand just entered, carrying a bag. She was tall, with short auburn hair and blue eyes. Amy had been Maria’s nanny when she had been young, and then she had been Isabel’s, and now she was Liz’s, but she still kept an eye on all the girls.

Liz looked at her feet and then looked at Amy with innocent chocolate eyes, “I should use it,” she said ingeniously.

Maria gave a peal of laughter and Amy sighed in exasperation. “That’s right, and were you?”

Liz though about this for a moment, “No.” And then she gave a giggle and scampered off, leaving her sister and nursemaid behind.

“That girl,” Amy said shaking her head. She gave Maria a glare, “She gets into more mischief than you did, and that is a difficult thing to accomplish. Why she couldn’t take after her mother is beyond me.”

Maria laughed again, and then sobered. “What did you need to see me about, Amy?”

“Oh, your father is waiting in the throne room for you, he wants to talk with you before you leave. Which you need to be doing, princess, Etang Desea is a day’s journey from the palace and well you know it.” She gave a decisive nod and eyed her charge, “Now, get on with you, I have to chase after that sister of yours.”

This provoked another giggle out of the princess and she left the room, leaving Amy muttering to herself about where Liz could be hiding. Maria didn’t think Amy would be able to find her until she wanted to be found. The castle was huge, the hiding spots numerous, and Liz was a champion at Hide-and-Seek. It was a lost cause.

She entered the throne room at a stately glide and continued up the carpet to curtsey to her parents where they sat on their ornate thrones. “You wanted to see me, Father?”

King Jeffrey looked down at his daughter with a kind smile. “Indeed I did, Daughter. Tomorrow is your eighteenth birthday and in a short amount of time you will be traveling to Etang Desea to make your wish…” He trailed off and Maria resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She loved her father, but sometimes he was so slow. She knew all this already!

“I’m aware of what this birthday means, Father.”

“What your Father means, Maria,” her mother interjected, “Is that you are taking this journey alone, and it could be dangerous. I would prefer it if you didn’t go at all. Unfortunately, your father will not go against tradition.” Queen Nancy sent her husband a tearful look. “And I cannot gainsay him.”

“Dangerous?” Maria echoed.

“The dragon that has been spotted this past year is said to have his lair near Etang Desea,” Jeffrey told her, “Your mother is afraid it will abduct you because of your purity and devour you.”

Maria winced at the graphic image and shook her head, “But it only occasionally takes sheep and cattle, there’s never been a word of it making off with maidens…”

“That was my argument.”

“Jeffrey!” the queen cried, “The least you can do is have her escorted by the guard.”

The king shook his head firmly, “Etang Desea is a sacred place, only those of royal blood may set foot in it.” He patted his wife’s hand, “She’ll be fine.”

Nancy gave a little sob and brought a handkerchief up to her eyes. “Come kiss me farewell, Daughter,” she commanded, and Maria stepped up and planted a soft kiss on her mother’s cheek.

“I’ll be fine Mother,” she assured her. Then she gave her father a kiss and headed for the castle entrance, where her horse would be waiting.

The Master of Arms was holding the little brown mare. Jim gave her a smile, his blue eyes crinkling, and extended his hand to help her mount. “MARIA!” came a chorus of shouts. She looked up to see her siblings running toward her, Amy following behind at a trot. She stepped away from the horse and towards them.

Sixteen year-old Isabel came first, light blond hair braided like her sister’s. She swept a stray strand away from her brown eyes and hugged her sister. “Be well, Maria.”

Then came thirteen year-old Kyle, blond of hair and blue of eye. He tugged his big sister into a short hug, obviously thinking he was too old for this type of mushy stuff. “Be safe, Sister.”

Her only other brother, Jesse, was a year younger than his brother, and as unlike the golden child as possible. He had black hair, black eyes, and a somber manner. He gave his sister a hug a submitted reluctantly to a kiss on the cheek. “Wish hard,” was his advice.

And now Maria turned to her beloved Lizzie, who was hiding behind Amy’s skirts. “Be careful, baby girl,” Amy whispered with a hug, tears in her eyes, and then pushed Elizabeth into her sister’s arms.

Maria held Liz tightly, “Wish me luck, Lizzie.”

A soft kiss was pressed against Maria’s cheek, “Luck, ‘Ria.” And then Liz ran back to Amy and gave Maria a beautiful smile. Maria smiled back and mounted her horse, then she galloped away, waving behind her.

The trip through the village surrounding the castle was fast, her way lined with laughing, waving villagers calling out to her. Then came the long trek through the desert, which ended when she came to the oasis known as Etang Desea, her destination. Night had fallen by then, and she dismounted, sweaty and sandy, and took the saddle of the mare and tied her to a tree. She made a short hike up the lip and then descended into the valley.

She let out a long breath and stared at her reflection in the clear water. Green eyes regarded her, windswept golden hair framed her face, and she gave another sigh. Scanning the sky, she saw no sign of a large, fire-breathing, mythical creature, nor had she on any part of her expedition, so she continued with the tradition, stripping and walking into the surprisingly warm waters of the pond.

Max lay amid the brush, eyes closed, dozing lightly. He was waiting until dawn, when the bathing princess would make her wish and he would grant it if her could. He hoped he could… It was the only way to be free of this curse.

He had spent the first year of his new life first in despair and then in determination. He had carved a lair into the face of the cliff, furnishing with things he’d stolen, he’d taken flying tours of Terra d’Mortais and surrounding kingdoms, he’d brushed up on knowledge of the current royal family.

Five children; three girls, two boys. It would take five more years before the first male child came to this place, five more years before he could find a man strong enough to destroy Teschra. It would start here, with this girl, and it would end with his return to Antar.

The fire began to burn through his body, signaling to his senses that the change was coming fast. He rose, and stared with hatred at the lightening of the sky, and then turned his attention to the fair-haired girl who was just now kneeling to make her wish.

Maria ran a hand over the surface of the clear water, “I wish,” she whispered, “I wish to be free to make my own life. To just be Maria, and not a princess…” She trailed off and sighed heavily, then stood and turned to go.

“It isss granted.”

She froze at the low, rumbling hiss, and then lifted her head to be confronted with large, pupil-less golden eyes, and a gleaming, lethal body. She opened her mouth, and screamed.

Max wished he could roll his eyes, he really, really wished he could. But he couldn’t, so he just waited until the girl lost her voice. “Are you finissshed?” he inquired, trying to move his tongue around the words. Dragons just weren’t made to talk properly.

Her mouth opened and then shut several times, but finally she nodded.

“Good.” He extended one paw, as big as her entire body, and curved his claws around her. She opened her mouth to shriek again. “Do not ssscream,” he ordered, “You wissshed to be free, ssso, free you ssshall be.”

That shut her up. He let out one hissing breath of laughter and spread his wings, taking to the sky. The village he was bringing her to was several day’s journey by foot or horse, but it was merely a matter of hours to one who could fly.

He descended amid screeching people and placed the princess gently on the ground. She glared up at him, shaking, and wrapped her arms around her body. “Tha-that w-was c-c-cold,” she accused.

“Sssorry.”

“You piece of shit! You useless, little bastard!” The dragon and princess turned their heads toward the angry voice. Two men stood in front of a building, one hitting the other, who hunched his body to take it. The princess gasped in horror.

“Just what do you think you’re doing, sir?” she demanded, striding toward the fight. Max lumbered after her.

The older man turned leering, drunken eyes on the lithe princess. “Now see here, missy-“ His ramble died in his throat as he caught sight of the dragon, his eyes glazed over, “Holy…” And he fell to the ground.

“Hank!” the younger man exclaimed, and knelt down, feeling for a pulse. “He’s dead.” He looked up at the two newcomers with wide brown eyes. “He’s dead.”

“Hwhat a pity,” Max commented dryly. He hadn’t liked what he’d seen of the man.

“You’re a dragon,” the young man said in shock. He blinked at the girl, “And you’re…”

“I’m Maria,” Maria offered, smiling coyly at this handsome man.

“Michael.” He looked in bewilderment at the building, people were peeping out of between the shuttered windows. “Great, my boss is dead. What am I gonna do with an inn?”

Max gave Maria a look. She was smiling happily. “Perhapsss Maria can help,” he suggested. The two humans regarded each other with consideration, and Max could tell this was going to work. He took off, causing dust to stir on the streets, and headed back to Etang Desea.

Two more years until the next child…

[blake]

Part Two

Princess Isabel, second child to King Jeffrey and Queen Nancy of Terra d’Mortais, was lying face down on her bed, blonde hair flung out over her pillow, crying her eyes out. He had left Court today.

It had been foolish to think he would stay. He was, after all, a traveling minstrel. It was in his job description to travel, but oh, how she wished he could have stayed!

There had just been something about Alex. Maybe it had been the way his blue eyes twinkled when he looked at her, or how he always seemed to have a grin ready to send her way, or maybe it was the way he had sung, his voice low and sweet, making her imagine he was singing to her and only her.

But of course he hadn’t been. He didn’t even know he had captured her heart. And so he had left, just an hour before, getting ready to continue on to the next kingdom.

She was worried. After the dragon had abducted her sister last year… She was afraid it would take another person she cared about. Maybe it would even take her!

Isabel didn’t care now if the dragon did eat her. Alex was gone, what point was there now to continue existence. “ISSSABELLL!” The shriek was her only warning, and then her little sister flung herself on the bed.

“Liz!” Isabel exclaimed.

“Are you going to go soon?” Liz asked her older sister, cuddling up to her. Isabel sighed and ran her fingers through the ten-year-old’s dark hair.

“Yeah…”

“Will you be back?” Liz demanded seriously. Two sets of brown eyes met and Isabel sighed.

“I don’t know, sweetie.”

“Why is Daddy letting you go then?”

“It’s tradition.” A simple answer. Her mother didn’t want her to go, her brothers didn’t want her to go, Amy didn’t want her to go, and Liz especially didn’t want her to go, but it was tradition, and therefore, she would go.

Her little sister had changed in the two years since Maria disappeared. She was no longer the rambunctious scamp that wreaked havoc and laughter on Amy’s life. She was quiet, more serious, and she always used proper grammar and deportment.

“I don’t want you to go,” she stated, her childish voice causing tears to spring to Isabel’s eyes again.

“I have to, sweetie, it’s my duty as Princess. Just like it was Maria’s. Just like it will be Kyle’s, and Jesse’s, and even yours,” Isabel explained patiently.

Liz sat up and stared at her older sister, “I won’t let the dragon have me,” she declared.

A smirk twisted Isabel’s lips. “Do you think you can defeat the dragon, Lizzie? When knights in shining armor can’t?”

Liz smiled beautifully, “Of course.”

Isabel let out a laugh at the girl’s confidence. She smiled down at her, “Thank you Lizzie.”

“For what?” she asked, looking confused.

“For making me smile,” Isabel said. Her little sister was the only person alive capable of making her feel happy right now, except Alex. If Alex were here, she’d been absolutely blissful.

“Elizabeth!” Amy came barreling into Isabel’s room. She dropped the older princess a curtsey and then shot a glare at the giggling brown-haired girl and scooped her up off the bed. “Sorry, Princess Isabel,” Amy said, then her attention turned to the little girl again, “You know better, Elizabeth, you’re sister needs to prepare for her journey. Now, shoo, and get ready for breakfast.”

Liz rolled her eyes and planted a peck on Isabel’s cheek when Amy let her down, then she scampered off, parting shot a, “Luck, Izzy!”

Isabel exchanged an amused look with her old nurse and then sighed. “You be careful, Isabel,” Amy said seriously, “After what happened to your sister…” She broke off, tears coming into her blue eyes, and Isabel gave her a hug.

“I’ll be fine, Amy,” she promised, “And speaking of the journey, I better start off.” She got up off her bed and grabbed a knapsack for extra clothing, then took a cloak from her closet and she and Amy left the room.

“You’re parents will be wanting to see you,” Amy said, giving her second charge one last hug before disappearing.

Isabel sighed, still angry with her father for letting Alex leave the Court, but she knew if the dragon did get her, she’ll want to have said ‘good-bye’ and ‘I love you’ to her family. So she entered the dining hall, and the courtiers were dismissed, and her mother started crying. “Mother…”

“Oh, Izzy…” And they embraced, and then she hugged her father, and her two brothers, and gave Liz another kiss. Then she headed out of the double doors, turning before she went through. Her family watched her, love and worry warring on their faces. She gave them a smile and a wave, and left.

Jim, the Master of Arms for the kingdom, helped her onto her horse. She smiled at him in thanks, and then headed through the village to Etang Desea.

She approached the valley enclosing the “wishing well”, and dismounted, tying her horse to a tree loosely. Maria’s mare had been found on the very same tree… She forced her mind away from her sister, and from Alex, both important people now missing from her life, and cleared it, clear as the water she was to bathe in.

Max didn’t blink as the second child passed him, taking him for a pile of rocks. His eyes rolled to look at the now setting sun, soon he’d be a man again, if only for a little bit of time.

This princess was more of a classical beauty than Maria had been, and if Max hadn’t had an adverse reaction to all blondes since Teschra, he might have found her attractive, but as it was, he didn’t.

That and the fact that he had been a dragon for three years now, and judging human beauty was becoming more difficult. He did often dream, when he slept in his lair as a man, of a woman with dark beauty. One pure of heart and strong of soul.

And, since he had some time before this one made her wish, he closed his golden eyes as the change came over him, and slept. Dreaming of her.

When he woke again, the fire was twisting his insides as he grew again into the winged beast of his kingdom’s seal. The pain was great, so great, he almost missed the princess’s wish.

Isabel dressed after her bath, and then stared at the water, looking within herself for her deepest, truest wish. Alex… “I wish…” she took a deep breathe, “I wish I could be with Alex, always.”

“Who isss Alexx?” Isabel startled, and spun. She stared, open-mouthed, at the large, very large, black dragon regarding her. “Don’t ssscream,” Max said quickly, “It’sss annoying.” She closed her mouth. “Thank you.”

She gulped, and stared up at him. “Are you going to eat me?” she asked in a small voice.

Max snorted, “No.”

“Did you eat my sister?” she demanded suspiciously.

“Maria?” Max asked, surprised, “No, ssshe’s whole and well, and happy. I made her wisssh come true.”

“What?”

He sighed, blowing smoke, “I haff to grant your wissshesss,” he explained, “Maria wissshed to be free and happy, I took her away and ssshe’s happy. You want to be with thisss Alexx, ssso, we will find Alexx, and you will be with him.” It was all very simple.

She blinked, hope rising. “You mean it?”

He nodded, neck undulating, and wrapped a claw around her. “Where isss your Alexx?”

“Oh,” she shifted carefully around his claws, “He went West. He’s a bard, you won’t be able to miss him.”

“Let’sss go,” he hissed, “Hold on, it will be cold.” She nodded and wrapped her arms around his claws, avoiding the sharp ends, as he took off, flying West, away from Etang Desea.

Alex looked up in alarm as the shadow covered the sun. Suddenly, there was a very scary looking dragon in front off him. Great, he thought, so much for thinking it was a myth. He drew up his lean form, ready to confront death.

The dragon just looked at him, then held out its claw, revealing a shivering bundle of beauty. “Isabel!” Alex cried, moving immediately to help the girl he had found himself hopelessly smitten with just recently.

She smiled at him as he helped her up, “Hello, Alex.”

He blushed, “What are you doing here Princess?” Now she blushed.

“Ssshe wissshed to be with you.” The two humans looked up, and Alex recalled the dragon’s presence, pushing Isabel behind him to protect her, before the words penetrated his brain.

“Wait, what?”

Isabel’s blush had deepened. “Can I go with you?” she asked, “Traveling, I mean.” He stared at her, slack-jawed. “I just…” she gave him a sheepish smile, “I think I fell in love with you, and I want to be with you Alex.” He said nothing. “So, please, can I come?”

He nodded, and suddenly his blue eyes began to sparkle. “You know,” he mused, “I was making up a song about you just before you showed up…”

“Really?”

Max rolled his eyes, obviously forgotten, and took off, heading home to his lair. Well, that was another wish granted. Three children left. And the boy heir was coming in three years. Max could only hope that he would be the one able to destroy Teschra.

He wanted to be free.

[blake]

Part Three

The Crown Prince of Terra d’Mortais was up and in the stables at dawn on the eve of his eighteenth birthday. He was preparing for his journey to the mystical Etang Desea. More like cursed, he thought as he tightened the girth on his stallion’s saddle.

Five years ago, his eldest sister, Maria, had made the traditional trip to the “wishing well”. She had disappeared without a trace. Two years after, Isabel had gone, and, just like Maria, she had been lost to them too.

The dragon had done it. That was the general consensus as the kingdom mourned the two Princesses. Now, all looked on in fear as their future ruler approached his eighteenth birthday. The day he too would make the trip to Etang Desea. The day he officially became a man.

“Let me do that, your Highness.”

Kyle inclined his head and gave his mentor a smile. Jim’s response was weak, and, for the first time, Kyle realized he was getting old. Jim had been the Master of Arms for forty-seven years, he had accepted the position at twenty-one. Which meant her was sixty-eight and had earned every line on his face. He’d be retiring soon…

“I got it, Jim,” Kyle assured him.

The older man patted him on the back, his smile sad, “Be with your family Kyle.”

What’s left of it, the Prince thought bitterly. Two sisters gone, his mother dead of fever, his father dying of grief…All he really had was Jesse and Liz. But his brother was as unlike him as night was day, and they had never been that close. And Lizzie…She was just thirteen, barely out of childhood, and though he cherished her, they were too far apart in age to be confidants.

But he gave Jim a nod of agreement and headed from the stables to the palace, where his family should just be waking from their slumber.

He had been correct in his assumption, for he met his sister coming from her bedroom, still in her nightdress. “Good morning, Lizzie,” he greeted her cheerfully.

Liz regarded him seriously, her brown eyes fixed upon his blue, and she gave him a sad sort of smile. “Is it, brother?”

Kyle’s lips quirked, “The sun is shining, the birds are singing… It seems to be.” He ruffled her straight brown hair. “Smile. Lizzie, and let us have a nice breakfast.” She complied, her beautiful smile flashing into existence for a brief moment, and then they took each other’s hands and headed to their father’s chambers.

King Jeffrey smiled at his children as they entered the room. Kyle smiled back and took a seat beside his brother next to the bed. Liz climbed up and cuddled with their father, who was too weak to move.

The food was brought in, a glorious affair, and for a time, the small family forgot about the past and future woes. But then Jeffrey fell into a coughing fit and Kyle exchanged a glance with Jesse as Liz held a glass of water up to his lips.

It was suspected that King Jeffrey would pass on soon, to follow his beloved wife and daughters to the other side, and that Kyle would be crowned before his brother’s eighteenth birthday. A young king, one unseasoned, and the people doubted, thought they admired the Prince greatly.

That was one of the reasons he wanted so badly to slay the dragon. A creature he considered a plague to Terra d’Mortais. It would assure safety for the realm, and convince people of his worthiness to be their King.

And speaking of the dragon… “I must go,” Kyle said, abruptly standing, “If I’m to be there by nightfall, I must begin now.”

His family looked at him. Jesse rose and patted his brother on the back. “Be careful, Kyle,” he warned. Kyle nodded and then turned to the bed. His father struggled to sit up, and they embraced.

“Come home, my son,” Jeffrey rasped.

Tears sprung to Kyle’s eyes. “I will,” he vowed.

Liz met his gaze again, large eyes still said. “Luck, Kyle,” she whispered.

He smiled and nodded again, then went out the door, not looking back, because he was determined to see them again.

He clasped hands with Jim and then mounted his steed and set off through the desert to Etang Desea, where he would meet his fate.

Max watched avidly, crouched among the bushes, as the prince came over the lip of the valley and descended toward the water. It was full night out. The Prince had taken longer than his sisters to arrive here.

He had worried that the trip would be forbidden due to the princesses’ disappearances, and therefore, the chance to be free of this curse lost, but now his doubts were laid to rest.

And a male child had come at last. Max observed him as he strode around the large pond, hand on his pommel. This Prince was more muscular then he, more compact, but Max didn’t understand why he could defeat Teschra when Max himself couldn’t. And Max believed in her existence!

He debated strategies, and finally decided to wait until he was again in dragon form to confront the Prince. If Max approached him now, raving about evil fairies, the Prince would surely take him for a madman and run him through. Better to wait until he was larger and more intimidating to demand help.

Turning his back, because he had no desire to see the other man undress, he closed his eyes for the night. Dreams seemed to be his only escape from his predicament now, but even then the curse intruded, awaking him rudely each morning, and taking him away from the Princess ruling his dreams.

The pain was intense, as usual, an, as usual, Max pushed it aside, concentrating instead on his duty, and on the long-awaited end to his curse. He kept his attention focused on the prince as his bones shifted inside him, as his skin blackened and stretched…

“I wish to be a good king.”

The wish was made fervently, sincerely, and Max uttered a cry of agony as he loomed over the kneeling prince, once again in dragon form, and took flight immediately, winging to his lair in the mountain, high above Etang Desea and the Prince.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t, even to end his own torment. What kind of prince would he be if he kidnapped that young man, just out of boyhood, to do battle with an Unseelie witch, with no guarantee that he would live to tell the tale?

And this Prince was heir to Terra d’Mortais, a duty Max understood well. Not a day went by when he did not think of Antar, and how it was there… This man had a future, and Max would not be the one to take it away. He knew what that felt like, and he would do everything in his power to ensure it didn’t happen to another innocent person.

So, the curse would live on for another year at least, and that meant Max must grant the Prince’s wish. A wish to be a good king. And the very fact that the Prince had made such a request meant he already had the desire, mind set, and determination to be a fair, wise, good ruler to his subjects. Max had no need to grant the wish, because he knew it would come true.

Kyle had his sword still drawn, the suddenness of the beast’s manifestation and departure had shocked him, and he realized that if it had been the dragon’s intention, he would have been dead before he had managed to extract his weapon from its sheath. The only conclusion he could come up with was that the legends were true, and that the creature was only interested in gobbling up maidens. Which made Kyle and his brother safe, but meant his sisters were truly gone.

And that Lizzie would be in danger when her turn came…

[blake]

Part Four

Jesse listened to his brother and father arguing with half an ear. Since Kyle had returned unscathed from Etang Desea the year before, the two of them had been discussing his journey the following year. Or, as of now, today.

Tomorrow he would turn eighteen, and be sentenced to a boring life as second Prince of Terra d’Mortais, always around, but never needed.

He wanted bigger things for himself. He wanted to help people, to solve disputes. He wanted to be a magistrate. Unfortunately, that position was denied him as royalty, and no matter how many times he had asked his father to rescind that law, Jeffrey refused as a matter of pride for the monarchy.

As much as his father frustrated him though, he was glad Jeffrey was still alive. They had come so close to losing him last year, and only Kyle’s return had seemed to bolster his spirits. Sadly though, he remained in poor health.

Which was why Kyle should not be upsetting him in such a manner. The two were disagreeing over whether Jesse should take the traditional journey. Kyle was against it. He didn’t trust the dragon’s intentions, and the King was for it. Since Kyle had come back unharmed, the general consensus was that the dragon was only after royal maidens, and that Jesse would be safe while Elizabeth would not.

Honestly, he didn’t care. He just wanted to be away from the castle for a while. He was tired of the Court intrigues, and two days away seemed like a dream to him.

“I’m going, Kyle,” he stated, interrupting the quarrel. His brother frowned at him, but his father smiled.

“There, Kyle, Jesse knows his duty. He’ll be perfectly safe, just as you were.” Jeffrey nodded at his second son. “Have you packed yet?”

Jesse gave a nod of affirmation. “I am prepared for the excursion, I need only obtain provisions and saddle up.”

“Very good,” Jeffrey enthused, “I’ll bid you farewell now then, and greet you on the morrow.”

The Prince smiled at his father’s confidence and walked to the worn, older man, kissing his cheek in parting. He clasped hands with his older brother, who attempted not to deepen his frown. “Bring your sword,” Kyle advised gruffly. Jesse nodded in agreement and left the room.

He grabbed his satchel of clothing from his bedroom and then went to the kitchens to wheedle a bag of food and drink from the staff. When he had everything he needed for the trip, he went to the stables and started saddling his horse.

“You’re really going?”

The voice came from above him and he looked upward. His fourteen-year-old sister was staring down at him from the hayloft, a book dangling from one hand, the other removing a piece of straw from her dark hair.

“Yes, I’m really going,” he told her.

She gave a deep sigh, “Why? Why are you taking the risk?” she demanded.

He shook his head. “I have to get away, Liz, even for just a little while. I can’t stand being here.”

“Luck then, Jesse.”

He grinned and led the gelding out of its stall. “Thanks, Lizzie.”

The ride to Etang Desea seemed shorter than it actually was, and it was full dark by the time he had disrobed and finally gotten in the water. He floated for a long while, letting the peace of the night air wash over him, and contemplating his wish.

Max couldn’t sleep. Excitement was coursing through his human veins. This was it. His chance. The final male had arrived, and he would soon be free. He grinned, thinking of his family and friends back in Antar. He could hardly wait to see them again. Seven years away…

It was less than half an hour before dawn when the Prince got out of the lake and dressed, and it was minutes after that when he got the surprise of his life.

“What would you do if I asked you to help me?”

Jesse spun, and in the gray before dawn, stared at the young man in front of him. He was dressed in black, a color echoed by his coal black hair. His eyes were golden, reflecting Jesse’s image back to him, and the prince shuddered. “I beg your pardon?”

“I asked if you would help me,” the man repeated, his unsettling gaze never wavering from Jesse.

“Help you what?”

A rueful smile flickered across the stoic face, “Kill a demon.”

Jesse shook his head, wondering if the man was demented. “There’s no such thing as demons, sir,” he said politely.

“But if there were,” the man prompted, seemingly unwilling to let the subject go.

“I’m afraid I would be of no help, sir. I can barely draw my sword without harming myself, I do not know of what assistance I would be with a mystical demon.” He shrugged, “Which I would remind you again, do not exist.”

The man said nothing, just stared at him inscrutably, making Jesse uncomfortable. The Prince was afraid to take his eyes off this stranger, but after a few moments it seemed, impossibly, as if the man were…stretching. He blinked, and when his eyes opened an instant later, he was staring up at a dragon of blackest night, with the same eerie mirrored eyes as the man. Jesse gaped.

“Tell me again, little prince,” the beast hissed, “That demonsss do not exxisst.”

Jesse said nothing, merely continued to stare. In a belated response to the situation, he attempted to draw his sword from its scabbard, but the fool thing went flying into the water beside him, and he cursed his ineptitude with fighting skills.

“You really cannot combat well, can you?” the dragon queried, sounding both amused and wistful at the same time.

“No,” Jesse replied.

The creature gave what sounded suspiciously like a sigh. “Oh well, what isss your wisssh then?”

“What?”

A tail beat impatiently on the ground, causing Jesse to jump. “Your wisssh.”

“Aren’t you going to eat me?”

“No,” Max replied pointedly, wondering why these people were so hung up on him eating them.

“What about my sisters? Didn’t you eat them?” Jesse inquired cautiously.

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Wisssh!” the dragon demanded again.

Jesse jumped again. “Oh, um…” he stuttered, “I…I wish to be able to do what I want.”

“And what do you want?” Max prodded, needing him to elaborate.

“I want to be a magistrate, to work in law-“

“Done,” Max interrupted, “There isss a monassstery a ffew landsss over. I will take you there to learn.”

Jesse blinked rapidly, jaw-dropping. “You will?”

“Yesss!”

The prince gulped, hearing the impatience in the creature’s voice. “Why?”

“It’sss my curssse.”

[blake]

Part Five

Liz slammed her bedchamber door shut and began packing. She was absolutely furious with her brother, and she wasn’t going to stay in the castle with him a moment longer! She’d decided to run away.

Since her father had died shortly after Jesse’s disappearance, Kyle had been king. And he was a good king, she had no qualms about admitting that, but he was being a big pain in her rear!

She had had a break for a while whilst he was courting the Princess Victoria de Lainey, and for the first year of their marriage. But now that he and Vicki were all settled in and happy, he was negotiating her own marriage!

There were three princes vying for her hand at this very moment, and Kyle was insisting she announce her choice on the evening of her eighteenth birthday. But how was she to choose between three men she cared nothing about? Prince Douglass was a complete bore, always droning on about himself, and his goals for their kingdoms’ alliance… Prince Octavio seemed a little daft, and he absolutely repulsed her… And Prince Sean, well, at least he was exciting, but he seemed too irresponsible, too wild for her.

No, there was no possible way she could choose. Unfortunately, Kyle wouldn’t listen to reason when she explained to him her wish to marry for love.

Liz sighed and clasped a nondescript brown cloak around her body and grabbed her pack. She had made the decision to escape, and that was what she was planning to do.

She had made a list, she believed firmly in making lists, they were very handy, and she was set to accomplish each task:

1. Journey to Etang Desea
2. Slay dragon
3. Leave Terra d’Mortais
4. Fall in love

It was a simple list, one that had her brother known about, he would have locked her in her room and never let her out. He had forbidden her to make the traditional journey since he had returned, convinced that the dragon was inclined toward devouring royal maidens. But when Jesse had not returned, she had been doubly forbidden.

Unfortunately for Kyle, she wasn’t content with that. She supposed the perfect Princess act she had adopted since Maria’s departure had fooled Kyle into actually believing she was the epitome of grace, manners, and elegance, but she wasn’t.

She had taken it upon herself to learn swordplay and archery, and had read up on all the prohibited legends about mythical beasts and had made a vow to avenge her lost family members. And she knew just how to do it too, all the books agreed:

The only way to kill a dragon was to aim for its heart.

The princess snuck stealthily down to the kitchen and raided the pantries, and then headed to the stables where she quietly saddled her mare, and then she left the city surrounding the castle.

She looked back as dawn approached, the rays of light making the city look as if it were made of gold. Tears stung her eyes as she thought of never returning home, but she had made her decision, and she had better stick to it or Kyle’s soldiers would catch her before she reached her destination. So Liz deliberately set her back to the view of the castle and kept her eyes on her path to Etang Desea.

“Luck, Lizzie,” she muttered to herself, urging the mare into a swift gallop.

The last princess arrived at the wishing well just as the sun went down, and Max scrambled to hide himself as she came over the lip of the valley. It wasn’t full dark yet, and he was sure she was just as capable as he in seeing through the night gloom, as she picked her way easily through the brush and stones on the way to the water’s edge.

Max drew in a sharp breath as the moonlight finally revealed her features. She was his dream girl, with her long dark hair and dark eyes… He couldn’t look away from her, even as she undressed and stepped carefully into the water. He knew it was an ungentlemanly thing to do, but he couldn’t help it.

He felt more human tonight than he had in years, and the man in him, which usually slept through the night, inconsequential to the beast, was now roaring for attention. As he watched the princess avidly, he felt flames engulf him. Not those of the pain of transformation, but desire, hot and burning…

The man in him recognized this woman as his heart’s love.

The dragon in him recognized her as the perfect treasure. Something pretty to add to its hoard. Something to keep forever.

Max watched her until dawn, when the change swept over him, and he kept her in his mind’s eyes as it happened, a talisman against the pain. He had found her! The exultation and anticipation overwhelmed the curse for a moment, and he crouched behind her, waiting for her wish.

Liz looked at her reflection in the clear, soothing water, and wondered what to wish. Kyle had said the dragon did not appear until after he had made his wish, and she figured it would work the same way for her.

She could probably wish for the strength to kill the murderous creature, but the calming effects of Etang Desea’s magic were still lingering in here, making her think about what she really wanted.

“I wish for love,” she breathed, finally letting go of her most cherished dream.

Liz closed her eyes, reinforcing the wish with thoughts of her dark-haired dream man, and then stood, stealing herself for the dragon’s sudden appearance.

But she could not have prepared herself for the huge, golden, dragonesque eyes that were fixed on her when she turned around. Her mouth dropped open, and she had the irrational reaction to scream, but she suppressed it, going instead for the immobile response.

“Are you going to ssscream?” the dragon asked her, rising onto its haunches.

Liz shook her head, unable to make any sound, much less scream. It was so much bigger than she imagined! “No,” she finally managed to croak.

“Thank you,” it said, and lay its head back down at her level. She tensed again, within arms length of its great black muzzle with the huge ivory teeth. It cocked its head slightly to the side. “Are you going to asssk iff I’ll eat you?”

Again, she shook her head, trying to get the message from her brain to her right arm that she needed to draw her sword and threaten the dragon.

“Are you sssure? Becaussse your sssiblingsss were very hung up on me eating them.”

Her sisters and brother… “Did you?” she squeaked, trembling. Sword, draw now! she commanded, but there was no response from her body that it was listening.

“No, I granted their wissshesss.”

That stopped her cold, and she forgot trying to get her weapon and gazed up at it. “Does that mean they’re still alive?” she demanded. The dragon gave what she assumed was a nod, its neck undulating, and she sighed. “Where are they than?”

“Maria isss in Ssstonewall, ssshe’sss running an inn. Ssshe isss happy. Isssabel isss with her minssstrel, and your brother isss ssstudying at a monassstery.”

“Oh.”

Max took one look at her thoughtful expression and wanted to relieve it. “Did you want to visssit Maria?” he inquired, thinking to make her feel better, “Ssshe isss the only one you can sssee.”

Her brown eyes were wary. “Why only Maria?”

“I do not know where Isssabel hasss traveled with Alexx, and women are not permitted in the monassstery,” he explained.

Liz relented, not sensing that it was lying… Of course, she was sure she had read somewhere that dragons couldn’t tell untruths, so it had to bring her to Maria, right? “I’d like to see my sister again,” she told it.

The ride there was cold and frightening, but it was worth it. Liz got to visit with Maria, who was married and pregnant to a Michael fellow, and they seemed to bicker a lot, but she was happy. She also received news of Isabel and her bard, Alex, who had recently dropped into the inn. Liz had told Maria of their parents’ deaths, and Kyle’s coronation, and her suitors, and that Maria had to write Kyle to tell him she was alive and that so were Isabel and Jesse.

When it was time to leave, Liz walked back out to the dragon, who had been dozing in the town square, much to the inhabitant’s horror, and he took her back to Etang Desea.

She had supposed that when they returned, that she would continue on her way, but the dragon seemed to have other plans. He flew her into the cliff face above the wishing well, and set her down.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“My home,” it rejoined curtly, its bulk blocking her escape route down the wall of sheer rock. She bit her lip and stared out at the now setting sun. Its head bobbed up and down, and she looked in the direction it was indicating, seeing a set of carved stairs. “You can go up there,” it informed her.

Liz obliged, slightly afraid now that she was alone with a dangerous beast and night was approaching. The steps led to another cavern, this one much smaller and made for a human. There was a large bed, a wardrobe, trunks, gold and jewels strung about… She gaped at it in awe.

“Nightclothesss are in the wardrobe,” the brimstone voice called from the other, larger cavern where it dwelled.

Liz opened the closet and pawed through the material, surprised to see both men and women’s garments. She finally decided on a white nightgown, and changed, climbing into the big bed and settling down.

She was just falling asleep when a scrape alerted her to an intruder. Liz sat upright in bed, pulling the sheet up for modesty’s sake, and started in surprise at the man watching her from the foot of the bed. She clutched the comforter closer to her, at a loss for words, and just stared at him.

His eyes, illuminated in the lamp he was carrying, were familiar. Their golden sheen barely human… Ohhh! “You’re the dragon!” she accused.

“I’m Max,” he corrected.

“What do you want?” she demanded, unsettled by his unblinking gaze.

He cocked his dark head to the side and regarded her closely. “I thought I’d do as reputed,” he paused, giving her a wicked grin that flashed his white, even teeth, “and eat you.”

[blake]

Part Six

Liz continued to gape at him, not understanding his words until he began to walk towards her, his eyes conveying his meaning more than his last statement. At the hunger lighting the golden gaze, Liz suddenly regained possession of her wits and leapt from the bed and away from him.

She stared at him disapprovingly from her side of the bed, but he just met her glare with an indolent smirk. “What are you about?” she demanded.

He gave a long-suffering sigh and watched her as he got onto the bed and started across it, towards her. Liz backed away, never taking her eyes off of his. “I thought I already explained that,” he informed her, on the ground again and coming for her with a single-minded determination that unsettled her.

She stepped back for every step her took forward. “I cannot believe that you would seriously eat me, dragon or no, such barbaric customs have been outlawed and the penalty is a horribly painful death,” she told him, hoping to scare him away, but he never faltered, instead, he laughed.

Liz felt the sound rumble through her body, causing her to quiver from the power of it. She wrapped her arms around herself and took another step backward, only this time, she found she could go no further. Alarmed, she pressed a hand against the cave wall at her back, and realized that he had backed her into a corner. She was trapped.

And he was there suddenly, moving in on his prey swiftly, and she trembled in fear, but met his predatory gaze defiantly. “That was not what I had in mind when I said ‘eat’,” he murmured, leaning his head downward.

Liz shut her eyes tightly as he closed in on her, and then stiffened in surprise at the soft feel of his lips on her bare neck. Her breath left her body in a rush as he put his arms around her, drawing her against his hard body as his mouth trailed up her smooth neck to take possession of her own.

Max feasted upon her sweet, warm mouth with appreciation. He had never met a woman like her, a woman who occupied every cell in his body, whichever form he happened to be in, and who enflamed him with such need… He had waited too long for her to come, and now she was here, and he was never letting her go…

Liz melted. She had lost her wits the instant he had started this unexpected attack, and now the only coherent thoughts she could manage were about how incredibly wonderful this experience was.

It was not until she felt the thick, soft comforter of the bed beneath her back that she realized he was intending to go much further than a kiss. He meant to make love to her! And the nerve of him, when she had barely known him for a whole day!

She shoved him away and managed to wriggle beneath the sheets, covering herself as he regained his composure. Liz glared at him, “How dare you?!”

One coal black eyebrow rose above the unblinking nonhuman eyes, and then he laughed that laugh of his once more, sending shivers up and down her spine. He stopped chuckling abruptly and subjected her to an intense stare. “I always dare,” he rejoined cryptically.

“Well stop,” she commanded, “I am a Princess, and I must remain untouched until I marry.” She gave him a condescending once over and stuck her nose in the air. “And I absolutely must wed a Prince.”

Unaccountably, he grinned, and, just as strangely, his grin caused her to blush deeply and looked down at her hands, playing with the thick material providing a barrier between him and her. A very flimsy barrier, she mused, when one is dealing with a dragon.

“Then I suppose it is a very good thing that I am a Prince.”

Her head shot up and she glared at him suspiciously. “You are not,” she retorted, “You’re a dragon.”

“On the contrary,” he said back, rising from the bed and presenting her with a perfect bow that one Royalty gave another of equal status, “I am Prince Maxwell Evansendria, of the House of the Dragon, Heir to the Throne of Antar, and the only son of King Phillip and Queen Dianna,” he looked up, still bowing, and gave her a cocky half-smile with a lazy, smug look in his eyes that infuriated her, “And it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance Princess Elizabeth.”

She stiffened as he straightened and sat on the bed again, uncomfortably close to her, and she gave him an icy nod of acknowledgement, which faded immediately into curiosity. “Antar… That is a kingdom across the Forbidden Sea, what are you doing here in Terra d’Mortais?”

His expression darkened, at once angry and sad, and she repressed the urge to reach out and comfort him. “I am under a fairy curse,” he informed her shortly.

“But fairies don’t exist,” she pointed out, giggling.

His response, however, shut her up. “Neither do dragons according to your people, and yet, here I am.” He sighed, “Teschra is known as the Reaper, she prays on innocent young men all the time. I was lucky to escape from the encounter with my life. Although sometimes death seems like a acceptable alternative to this miserable existence,” he finished bleakly.

“How…How long have you been-“

“Eleven years,” he interrupted, “Dragon by day, man by night…for eleven years,” he gave a rueful laugh, “And all I have done is granted the wishes of mortals and collected all this,” he gestured around the lavishly decorated cavern, “from frightened kings and villages, though I have never done anything to harm anyone. The only things that has kept me sane through all these pointless years have been the chance of a release from this damned curse, and my dreams.”

He was looking at her again with that glint in his eye that told her he was no longer up to discussing his tortured past and current lifestyle. Liz immediately lost her sympathetic expression and scowled at him, “Don’t look at me like that!”

“Like what?” he inquired innocently, not removing his gaze.

“Like…like…um, well, like that!"

“Like a man looks at a woman he desperately wants?” he asked bluntly.

Liz flushed, “Yes,” she breathed, “Like that.”

“I can’t help it,” he said softly, and began to lean towards her, letting her see his intent to kiss her a second time.

“You must.” But she did not move away as he slid nearer, she merely tilted her chin up slightly, looking him in the eyes, her own brown ones conveying a contradiction to her words.

“Why? We’ve already covered your requirements, I am a Prince,” he muttered, and gently brushed his lips across hers, reveling in her trembling response.

“We are not wed,” she reminded him.

“It does not matter,” he informed her firmly, “You will remain here with me for the rest of your life.”

His presumptuous statement woke her from the haze his proximity had induced, and she straightened, glaring at him. “Says who?”

He blinked, surprised by her sudden change of attitude, “I do.”

She snorted and didn’t deign to respond to that absurd remark. Instead she waved him away. “Be gone, your Highness, I find myself weary and wish to sleep.”

He blinked, “Like hell, this is my bed!”

“I am your guest!” she countered, “You may sleep on the floor if you insist on remaining in the room, but it is not proper for a Princess to share a bed with a man she is not wed to.”

He rolled his eyes and ignored her, sliding under the covers himself. Liz let out a squeal of indignation, which he acknowledged with a smile, and then closed his eyes. She fumed for a few more minutes and then moved to the edge of the bed, away from her captor, and closed her own eyes. She was very tired after all…

When she awoke the next morning, alone, she tried to think of the best way to deal with her present situation, but her mind kept dwelling on the previous night’s rather stimulating confrontation. Her dragon Prince seemed quite resolute in keeping her here and bedding her, an action she discovered she was not as adverse to as she had previously thought.

There was just something about Max, that even in the considerably short time she had been with him, she recognized as something she could learn to love.

A point that was reinforced as she recalled that her dream man had finally shown his face. A face of nobility, with soft dark hair, full lips, and golden eyes that were barely human…

[blake]

Part Seven

The news was grim. Kyle gazed out the high window of his youngest sister’s room, his mouth set in a forbidding frown. It was full dark, and Liz had not been found anywhere in the palace.

He turned from the window, knowing his sister was lost to them. She had gone after that blasted dragon...Gone to her death.

Vicki was still crying when he entered their bedchamber. His sister and his wife had not known each other for a very long time, but Vicki had loved her dearly, as much as Kyle himself did.

And now Elizabeth’s foolish actions had hurt too many people. Kyle sat beside his wife and rubbed her back gently, fighting his own tears. The city was mourning, Amy was a complete wreck, and Liz’s suitors were now arguing amongst themselves.

And he was feeling supremely guilty. There was no doubt in his mind that his sister’s recklessness had been caused mainly by his pushing her into a marriage, and only a little bit to do with the revenge she claimed still needed to be sought for the deaths of their family.

He hadn’t meant to push. He was just so happy with Vicki, and he wanted her to stop worrying about dragon-lore and move on with her life. He just wanted her to be happy too. But he had gone about it the wrong way. He had brought in suitors without asking her opinions and wishes. And now…

And now the door to their bedchamber was bursting open. Vicki shrieked and threw up the coverlet to protect herself and Kyle reached for his sword, then stopped and glared at the three intruders. The Princes Douglass, Sean, and Octavio.

“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded, outraged.

They stared at him, and then Douglass stepped forward, giving a small bow. “We’ve come up with a plan to rescue the Princess,” he announced.

“Or to avenge her if the dragon has had his dastardly way with her,” Octavio added helpfully.

He raised one golden eyebrow and patted his wife’s leg soothingly. She looked at him, gulping back hysterical sobs, hope starting to shine in her eyes at the thought of getting Elizabeth back. “And what is this plan?” he inquired.

“We ride to Etang Desea and challenge the dragon,” Douglass said proudly, his chest puffed out.

“One at a time, or all three of you?”

That one stymied them. Kyle felt a headache coming on. What had he been thinking when he invited them here? None of them were intelligent enough for his sister. No wonder Liz had run away.

The three exchanged glances, and formed a huddle, talking things over. Kyle looked at his wife, who leaned into him. “What do you think, my love?” he asked.

Her big blue eyes met his and she gave a soft smile. “They are not very reliable,” she said, “But if there is a chance, even a small one, of getting Lizzie back, we must take it.”

He sighed, and nodded. “Yes…” he agreed, but he did not like it. As the days had worn on, he found it increasingly more amazing that any one of the princes could manage to get out of bed in the morning they were so lazy and full of themselves.

The huddle dispersed and they met his gaze, grinning like the cat who just ate the canary. “We’ll bring our armies,” Sean declared.

Kyle resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Only royalty is allowed in Etang Desea,” he reminded them.

“That’s why they’ll wait just outside the sacred ground,” Douglass said eagerly, “We’ll lure the dragon out and attack him from all sides. He won’t have a chance!”

The triumph in his voice made the king wince, but they were making a good point. If it worked, the dragon would be taken care of for all eternity. There would be nothing for future generations to worry about. And, he could take vengeance for his lost family. His fist tightened around his queen’s hand, and she squeezed in back. “When can your armies get here?”

“Less than a week, your Majesty,” Sean informed him.

Kyle nodded, “Then in a week we will ride to Etang Desea and rid ourselves of this menace once and for all. Before it preys upon another innocent.”

[blake]

Part Eight

It was a lazy day. The sun was shining in a bright blue sky, and white clouds were drifting by on the light breeze. Max lay at the opening of the outer cavern, head resting on his forepaws, eyes closed as he breathed the clean air in and out.

She was seated not far away, comfortable on an outcropping of stone, humming quietly under her breath as she sewed. He was aware of her every movement, each breath she took, every beat of her heart, the subtle, seductive motion of her hands as she altered the garment in those hands.

It had been nearly a week since she had come, and both their routines had been changed, but neither felt bereft of their lives before the other came into it. Liz had made herself at home and had explored all the contents of the upper chamber, finding various clothing that she had set about remaking to fit her.

The only thing about her new life that she did not like was the loneliness and the feeling of imprisonment. Max was all very well, and when he wasn’t teasing her, he was pleasant company, but she couldn’t confide all her thoughts to him. Not when most of them were about her growing feelings for him. She needed Maria or Isabel for that, even Victoria… And when he was in dragon form, she found him intimidating. Especially when he placed himself so that he blocked most of the entrance and exit to the cave.

It seemed to her as if it was his way of keeping her in. As if he thought that she would try to scale her way down the cliff face if he gave her opportunity too. She thought it was ridiculous. There was no way she could survive such a feat, and she wasn’t planning on ever trying it. She didn’t want to leave him anyway…

“Must you lay there?” she demanded, getting fed up. One golden eye opened and stared at her idly. She flushed, “I just mean, you’re blocking all the light, and sewing is hard enough…” She trailed off, knowing she sounded like a fool.

Max lifted his head and gave her his full attention, then noted the ragged stitching on the garb that she was now trying pick out. If he had been in human form, he would have smiled. As it was, he reached over and scooted her closer with his paw until she was planted between his front limbs, safe but in the light. “Better?” he inquired.

She stared up at him, still blushing, and nodded. Then she bent back over her work. Max stayed where he was, watching her from above, and mused over the past week.

It had been nice with her around, although she was being stubbornly persistent in denying him access to her body. They slept together in the same bed, her scent and warm form driving him half mad with desire, and yet, he could not fault her her abstinence.

She was a princess, raised into purity, taught from birth that her husband would be the only man to ever possess that purity, and now here he was, royal and arrogant, wanting her, demanding her, and she didn’t know how to deal with the situation. And so she continued to reject his advances if they went beyond a kiss.

He did not see an end in sight to such a torment of wanting but not being able to have. He could not marry her because he was a dragon and immortal until this curse was broken, and since he now had to wait for another heir, there was no hope. The situation was impossible. He should just let her go home. That would be the proper thing to do. The right thing. The princely thing.

But as he stared down at her bent head, her long dark hair brushing like silk upon his hide, he could not bring himself to ask if she wanted to leave him. He didn’t think he could bear it if she said yes…

He wanted her here, with him, always.

But that wasn’t fair to her. Not fair at all, and he couldn’t be selfish, no matter how much he wanted to be, because her happiness was becoming more and more important to him as the days passed.

“Lizz,” he hissed.

She looked up at him, beautiful eyes curious. “Yes, Max?”

His tongue flicked out and he hesitated, and then, just when he thought he had found enough courage to ask, there was a flash in the distance. His head shot up, and he stared hard across the landscape at the approaching humans. His golden eyes widened as he realized what he was staring at. An army.

Liz, who had followed his gaze, frowned, her brow furrowing as she squinted. “What is that?”

“An army,” he breathed, his back haunches rising as his large wings began to unfurl.

Liz looked up at him, slightly fearful. He wasn’t focused on her, but on the dust cloud caused by men and horses. The black hide beneath her fingers was hot, as if a fire had been lit inside of him and was threatening to burn it’s way out. He was angry, and she didn’t know what to do to appease him. “They cannot enter Etang Desea,” she soothed, “Only those of royal lineage can set foot on the sacred ground.”

“Then why are thossse ffour ssstill coming?” he inquired, voice low and growling. Like raking the coals in a hearth.

Liz moved, alarmed, to the edge of the cave, and stared down at the four men now ranging their way around the small lake. Her breath caught as she recognized Terra d’Mortais body armor on one man. “That’s my brother,” she informed him. She leaned further out, heedless of the danger. “KYLE!!” she shouted joyfully.

Max, however, was not so angry that he forgot to protect her. His paws shot out, claws kept carefully away from her soft, tender body, and he drew her back toward him, back into the safety of the cave, and away from anything that could take her away. Be it death or her brother.

His entire being was focused up the cliff face. He had heard his little sister call his name. Relief swept through him. Elizabeth was alive. He swung his horse around to face the other three. “My sister lives,” Kyle announced, “We must get her back.”

“Are you mad?” he demanded as he cuddled her close to his enormous frame, fear making his heart pound harder and spurring on his anger at the intruders to his peaceful world. “I will deal with them.”

She gazed up at him, looking both hurt and confused. “But it’s my brother…”

“DRAGON!” came an imperious shout from below, “RETURN THE PRINCESS NOW AND PREPARE FOR COMBAT!”

Rage spurred through him and he snarled at the entrance, his long fangs suddenly visible and lethal. Liz gasped. He placed her on the shelf leading into the inner chamber. “Ssstay,” he ordered and he began lumbering toward the open sky.

“Max!” she cried. He turned his head, and his eyes were completely alien, as if there were nothing left of the man she had come to love. Instead it was if he had finally lost himself to the beast, to the dragon he became at first light.

“They will not take you ffrom me.”

[blake]

Part Nine

He sucked in a breath at the sight on the large black beast descending from above. The three princes with him looked shaken as they made to take up their positions, and he could hear the cries of alarm from the armies outside Etang Desea.

The dragon hovered above his head for a moment before coming to rest on his haunches before Kyle. His horse started, and it took all of his control to keep the animal steady in the face of the gigantic creature.

Truthfully, he felt as frightened. Facing a dragon head on was much more terrifying than having one fly up behind you and disappear, especially since face to face allowed Kyle to read the rage in the serpentine golden eyes, and see the flames licking between teeth as long as his arm. He gulped, but held his ground. He was on a mission.

“Dra-gon,” he croaked, then cleared his throat and continued onward in a much more kingly voice, “You have terrorized the kingdom of Terra d’Mortais for too long. You have taken from us our royal siblings, and we are quite fed up. You shall return to us our youngest sister, Elizabeth, and then you shall prepare to meet your doom.” He drew his sword, and heard the echo of metal clanging as the others drew theirs as well.

The dragon appeared unmoved. In fact, it appeared quite irritated. It’s glowing eyes narrowed, and extended its neck at a speed much to quick to see, startling Kyle’s horse and causing the animal to drop his rider. The King rose hastily, brushing himself off, and pointing his sword toward his large adversary, only to have it knocked from his hands.

An involuntary shout of surprise burst from his lips, but he drew himself up, sending a quick prayer to the powers that be that he live through this encounter, and continued to face the dragon, who bent down further. Kyle closed his eyes for a moment to get a hold of himself as the dragon’s hot breath made his skin crawl.

“King,” the beast hissed, “You aggravate me. I haff taken nothing ffrom you that wasss not willingly given, and I am ffed up with thessse attacksss. I haff dealt with many in the passst decade, and thisss one isss no difffferent ffrom the previousss onesss. Lizz ssstaysss with me, and I will give you the opportunity to leave now becaussse ssshe lovesss you, or elssse you ssshall prepare to meet your doom.”

The last was said derisively, and Kyle was close to fainting from the heat radiating off the dragon, but the beast was obviously mad. In both senses of the word. It was staring at him as if he would jump to do its bidding, and Kyle could only hope that his sister’s suitors were beginning their assault.

Liz, watching from the ledge high above their heads, could not hear what was going on, but she was sure it wasn’t good. Kyle was on foot, and frightened, and Max was visibly angry. She could see it in the way his form was tensed, coiled to strike, and his long tail was lashing out behind him viciously, randomly. Causing those annoying princes to jump and duck frequently.

She knew it was bad, but she hoped he managed to smack one of them. She grinned at the thought, but then shook her head. She had to stop this foolishness. And so, she resolved to do the one thing Max had worried about her doing.

She jumped.

Kyle, eyes now open, was having a contest of wills with the dragon, when the dark speck falling down the cliff face caught his eye. He stared at him, confused, and then began to panic as he realized what it was. His sister. Lizzie…

“Liz!” he yelled.

The dragon whipped around, nearly sending Kyle flying, its head darting around as if trying to find what Kyle was yelling about. When it saw Liz, a bellow escaped its form, and Kyle, in a distant part of his mind, was shocked to discover that it was the sound of a man who had just had his heart ripped out.

Max leapt into the air, wings beating frantically, as he struggled to gain the altitude to catch his Liz. Both the man in him and the dragon were determined to save his love, his treasure, and it added that extra burst of speed to reach the bottom on the cliff in time to rescue her.

Everything seemed frozen as he opened his paws, claws forming a cage, and looked down at the tiny girl he had just caught. Liz gazed up at him, her expression fixed in one of stunned surprise, and she drew in a deep breath as she rose unsteadily to her feet. She reached out blindly, grasping one of his claws and clinging to it to hold her up.

Max drew her to him, holding her tightly against his chest, where his heart was beating abnormally fast due to terror, and then there was the heady rush of adrenaline to his brain as he realized his had made it in time. She was safe.

“Thank you,” he heard her mumble into his hide, “I was worried for a second there.”

“Worried?” he choked out, holding her up so that he could look her in the eye, “You were worried?! Do you know how ssscared you jussst made me? I told you to ssstay! Ssstay in the cavern, where you were sssaffe! What were you thinking? How many timesss haff I told you the ledge wasss unsssaffe?”

Liz smiled at his babbling. “A lot,” she replied softly, “But I jumped, I didn’t fall.”

He shut up and regarded her with one hurt golden orb. “You jumped?” he repeated, tone registering his disbelief and distress.

She was troubled now, realizing that he thought she wanted to leave him. That she’d go to such great lengths to escape him. Even though it was the furthest thing from her mind. “It was the only thing I could think of to stop this stupidity.”

“Ssstupidity?” he asked, then snorted, “He ssstarted it.” His head swiveled around to glare at Kyle, who had picked up his sword and was advancing towards them.

“Release the Princess this instant,” he demanded, waving the sword about in an intimidating fashion. The princes had followed his lead and were now behind him, swords drawn in support, but they were invariably less impressive, as they were trembling in fear.

Max’s hold on her tightened and Liz sighed. This was male grandstanding at its best. “Max,” she said looking up at him. He looked back down at her, completely ignoring Kyle’s threat, a fact which she saw was infuriating her brother. “Let me talk to him. I’ll make him understand.”

He shook his head, “No.”

She sighed again, more heavily this time. “Max, he’s my brother. And you’re right here if anything happens.” His mouth opened, as if to comment, and she hurried onward, “Which it won’t. I’m positive that this is just a big misunderstanding. If you put me down, I’ll explain everything to him. I promise.”

He was hesitating still, but she could tell he was relenting. “What iff he makesss you go back?”

She felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips. He was worried about losing her. That was so sweet. “Then you’ll pick me up and we’ll fly back home,” she assured him. “Please?” She batted her eyelashes prettily and gave him a heartbreaking smile.

“Ffine,” he said, “But one sssign off trouble and I’m taking you away.”

“Agreed.” He let her down and she walked calmly over to the four men. When she reached them, she put her hands on her hips and sent them all scathing glares. “Who’s bright idea was this?"