Elena’s POV
The sun beats on my back, as I enter the tower, home to the dragon of Wallach. I stare at him and he stares back. From what I can read from the dragon’s eyes, he’s pretty upset this morning or bored, I suppose. Because, the moment he sees me, a slow twinkle floods his glassy black eyes and he pulls his giant head back to make room for me.
I sit in front of him and murmur a greeting like I usually do. He spreads his tail behind me to support my back. In the early days of my capture, I used to be afraid of the dragon. I remember quivering behind Prince Ioan, as he introduced me to the dragon, calling it his best friend for life. I thought it cold of the Crown Prince to bring me to a horrible dragon. After all, I am the lost princess of Terilla.
But just as I had thought I had instantly regretted it, as I was lucky that the Gods did not let me into the hands of some cruel traitors. Slowly, the dragon seemed to be the only entity that could listen to my grievances, of how dearly I missed my family, and how I wished that the Crown Prince could connect with my kingdom sometime soon.
Mihai’s POV:
The Princess of Terilla sits calmly in front of me. She’s a beauty unlike I have ever known before in my travels. She gently weaves her hair into a braid, lacing a few flowers through her lustrous brown locks. Today, she tells me of a story from her childhood. I listen to it with as much concentration as I can muster. And I am surprised to notice that I have never paid such careful attention to anyone.
But during the chat, I am careful not to go any closer to her. I am afraid she’d flinch or, maybe, even run away. Although, she puts on a mask of bravery on the surface, but I can see fear deep in her heart. So, I am always careful not to make any random moments when she’s around. After all, she’s not Ioan who knows my truth and understands that I mean no harm despite my attempts at freeing my foot.
To Elena, the princess with emerald eyes, I am just a Dragon, little does she know that I am the Prince who strategized her kidnapping. And she prays to the Lords of the World to bless our Kingdom with peaceful accords, plenty, and a prosperous future.
Whenever she mentions her love of her land in her stories, I look at her with longing and a hope for getting her forgiveness. It’s the truth that boils my present days. Her lands have gold and sapphire mines underneath, which my father craves. And as a prince seeking approval, intercepting this young princess’s carriage was only a small price to pay.
After all, father says that’s how kingdoms rule. And, of course, if you don’t bend to his will, the end result is punishment such as the one I am bearing. It only makes me wonder if my punishment is a curse that comes from Elena’s mother in the form of my father’s wrath or was it my destiny due to the weakness that runs in my blood and makes me unfit for this kingdom’s court.
