Disaster Ever After [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 6 - PRIZE

Gabrielle, Cheshire, and Remington all hurried to the tower's window. Peering towards the ground, they saw Cedric's dragon form growl at an armored man riding a white horse - a knight or a prince, by the looks of it. Cedric's huge bat-like wings erupted from his scaly back threateningly.

Yet the man didn't seem scared.

"You think you can intimidate me, beast?" the man yelled. "Know I've slain thousands of dragons in my life, a small one like you will be no trouble!"

Cedric was by no means small, yet it was obvious to Gabrielle that the man was just trying to mock him, to provoke him.

"And the world will know about the story of how I, Prince Alastair Charles Stefan Maximus III, heir to the Lockwood Dynasty and first in line to the throne, killed the mightly dragon and saved the princess!"

"Do you think he had that speech memorized beforehand?" Chess whispered, causing Gabrielle to glare at him, trying to suppress a small smile.

Despite everything that could happen, she at least would always have her friends by her side. Right...?

Cedric then attacked the prince, barring his fangs and spreading his wings. He had had enough of his useless talking.

The prince galloped towards the oncoming dragon, sword unsheathed and shield ready.

"I don't think you should watch this, Gabrielle," Chess suggested as he drew the curtains, all amusement and calmness gone from his expression and tone. "I know you don't like violence, let's just go to the living room, shall we?"

The former princess meekly nodded, allowing Remmy and Chess to lead her towards the armchairs. From outside, the horrible sounds of a battle reminded her of what she could lose.

A man grunting, a dragon roaring, a sword slashing and fangs piercing skin was all that she could discern from the battle. She had faith in her friend, yet the stress that he was getting hurt, that he could die ripped her heart.

Cheshire and Remmy tried distracting her, the former with a game of chess and the latter with stories of magic and happy endings, yet none succeeded in calming her down. Her mind could only concentrate on the horrific noises from outside and the prospect of Cedric dying.

Suddenly, a roar more powerful than any before pierced the air, before all sounds ceased. The silence was heavy and full of tension. With her heart beating frantically, Gabrielle approached the window. She had a terrible feeling in her gut that only intensified as she peered outside.

There, covered in blood and laying on the grass, was Cedric. His scaly skin was covered in cuts and huge wounds and he was breathing heavily. Next to him, the stranger wore a victorious smirk, his sword dripping with blood and his arms covered in the crimson liquid.

Gabrielle's heart stopped for a couple of seconds before it began beating so hard she was sure Chess and Remmy could hear it too. She was frozen in shock and denial and she could almost feel the cold shower of emotions washing over her. Horror. Pain. Dread. Anguish. Grief. Heartbreak.

She felt them all as they enveloped her, slowly taking over her being. She could do nothing as her entire body started shaking uncontrollably and her throat seemed to tighten and clench. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and her lungs refused to take in any air. She was drowning, suffocating in an ocean of pain and fear.

She began to feel lightheaded and her legs finally gave out, but she was too numb to feel the impact of the hard floor as she slammed into it. She could partly feel two pairs of paws on her, trying to shake her awake and out of her trance, yet their attempts were futile. She was sinking deeper and deeper into the unseen waters of her mind.

The last thing she heard before the darkness embraced her was the door slamming open and a pair of heavy footsteps approaching her, yet there was nothing she could do.

The prince had defeated the dragon and was here to collect his prize.

***

Clip clop. Clip clop. Clip clop.

Gabrielle felt the ground moving underneath her with each noise. She found she couldn't open her eyes, but she could use her other senses, foggy as they were.

She could smell the fresh air of a forest combined with that of a horse.

Clip clop. Clip clop. Clip clop.

She could hear the animal moving through the wood's floor, breaking twigs and crunching leaves. She could hear the birds singing softly and other small creatures as they made their way through the forest.

Clip clop. Clip clop. Clip clop.

With immense effort, the girl managed to peel her eyes open, blinking rapidly as the gentle morning rays attacked her sight. After a few moments of adjusting to the light, she focused on her surroundings.

They were indeed in a forset, as she had already guessed. They were making their way through the tall trees on a narrow dirt path that was barely wide enough for the horse to walk on.

As she shifted her attention downward, she noted for the first time the arms that surrounded her, holding tightly to the reigns. That was the moment she panicked.

She twisted to see who the person was and stared in horror at Prince Alastair. She took a moment to fully look at her friend's killer. He had eyes the color of honey and blond hair that framed his sharp face perfectly. His light complexion seemed almost unnaturally-flawless and his genuine smile had the easy charm that few people seemed to have.

In short, he was the definition of what a prince should look like, at least according to the books Gabrielle used to read Cedric.

The thought of Cedric brought painful memories and filled her with dread. Despite the apparent perfection of the prince, she knew who he really was. Alastair was a cold-blooded murderer and there was nothing that could ever change her mind.

"Princess Gabrielle," he smiled warmly at her. "I can't tell you how happy I am to have finally found you. Your mother has been suffering so much these couple of years because of your loss, I can't imagine the happiness she will feel at your arrival home."

Gabrielle could do nothing but stare at the prince. Despite not being an aggressive person, she wanted to hurl as many insults and hit him as many times as she possibly could. Yet her mouth and body seemed to not want to cooperate.

"You repulse me," she finally managed to say before slipping into oblivion once more.