The Dragon and The Virgin

3

The next morning when Anna went in to wake up Sir-Holier-Than-Thou, she was surprised to find that he wasn't there. Instead there was a book bound in black leather lying on the mattress with a note that said:

Anna.

I will be back today after midnight, and I will be bringing the required items needed for a four course meal for you to prepare. Other than this, there are no other chores I will require of you today. In the meantime, please feel free to read this book I picked up the other day. It was written by a man who lived in a kingdom atop a hill and is filled with stories of this land from its beginning to its downfall. I had a feeling you'd enjoy it.

Yours, Declan

Declan? I suppose I ought to stop calling him Sir-Holier-Than-Thou. She gingerly picked up the book and considered its weight in her hands. It felt like it'd been ages since she'd held one, but she was hesitant to open it. Why would he care if she enjoyed a book or not? Why give her a book at all?

Contemplating this, she walked to the cove used as their kitchen and made herself some tea, placing the book on the table. She stared at it as the water boiled. He probably just gave it to me so I wouldn't mess with his toys, she thought. It was really the most logical thing she could come up with. It wasn't as if he cared about her, or really noticed her for that matter. Unless she was in his way.

Taking her cup of tea, she made her way to the main cavern, where she had met him the first time. She decided that since he wasn't here, he probably wouldn't mind if she took his chair. It was so big that she could curl up in it without any discomfort, and it was closest to the fire to keep her warm. And it would be perfect if she used the down blanket from his bed which was as soft as the clouds and smelled like him. She could deal with his wrath later, he really wasn't that scary.

When he came back that evening, he found her asleep wrapped in his blanket with the book open in her lap and a cup of cold tea on the floor near his chair. He supposed he should be angry at her for sitting in his chair, let alone sleeping in it, and using his blanket from his bed. But he really wasn't. There weren't many other places to sit anyways, and what harm did it do to him if she used his blanket? He wondered if it would smell like her later. Flowery and sweet and-

He shook his head and stalked off to place his newfound things in his room where she wouldn't be able to find them. Damn this stupid human girl with her stupid tendencies of acting like she was indestructible instead of fragile and her stupid stubbornness and soft skin and pretty eyes...

Angrily, he shoved all of his new findings in the space under his mattress and stormed back into the main room. "Wake up" he barked, "I'm hungry."

She startled awake, the book in her lap clattering to the floor as she sat up blinking the sleep out of her eyes. "What is your problem?" She snapped back "You said I had nothing to do until you got back with food, what could I possibly have done to put you in such a bad mood?"

"I don't have to justify myself to you. Everything's in the kitchen. Go."

Something in his voice convinced her not to argue with him, so she took her mug and left the room, avoiding eye contact. He watched her go, immediately regretting snapping at her like that, but it was too late to take it back so he sat down in his chair and awaited dinner. He thought about the books under his bed and how happy they would make her, and about how inconvenient it was that he was feeling anything at all for her besides disinterest. He would decide what to do after dinner, he'd be in a better mood when he was full.