The Dragon King's Bride

scrubbing the gristle from the wet whitenes

neath the lamb meat, that it reminds Ethan Edgecr

e floor when I am bored. My hands rub raw from the wor

an and laps it from my hand

id bones clean each night – the same

r of the dining hall, waiting for me to transform them. It is a ritual for Ethan,

well, but instead, he has me pla

them. The blue flames leave no smell, and in seconds they

asy to snap, when he thinks I am being impulsive.

his green-blue scales flow when he recalls how fragile I was when he found me, chained to a rock a

rinking only the rainwater, le

." Gently, Ethan bi

ng being swallowed into the great fiery

thed me as best he could, his low s

oungest princess of my kingdom, an

could, boxing him on the nose. He sneezed, with great force lik

ly you crave a proper introduction. My name is Ethan Edgecromb, and I have come to take you home. I hope you find my fortress accommodating,

for a dragon! How do you get respect from other

er dragon. I suppose it is a silly name for a dr

g that had been very rare in my household, as I was the youngest of a veritable horde of children from my

the cliff side. "I'd rather stick with Et

Ethan, I could be anything I wanted to. I jumped at t

ow. "But isn't that a b

e of all the heroes in stories, Jack the Beanstalk

alisa Who wanted to be a wilting flow

ll have to give me a sword, because all proper heroes have swo

've struck a deal, Jackie," the dragon declared. He exten

dubiously. "That's a v

to protect

my own battle

sced. "You're ri

ped it vigorously, trying to d

not frightened b

rightened of anything, come hell or high water, dragons or the dea

se, like a proper la

climbed onto his offered neck, holding on t

?" he

ppose