A Girl and Her Fairy Tale

A Dragon

A/N

Thanks so much for reading this short story!  It's for the WeeklyStoryContests prompt, "Fake Fairytale".  I split it up into multiple chapters because that works better with the format I used, so most of these chapters are pretty small.  Sorry!  But I just went with what I thought worked.  Hope you enjoy!

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I always knew my life would be that of a fairy tale. I just never imagined it would be because a dragon abducted me.

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I wince as the dragon's gigantic claws tighten around me, scraping against the metal armor under my garments. I thrust my sword deep into its scales, but the enormous beast flies on without concern. I let loose a scream, stabbing again, only for the same result. The wind stings my face. Hair whips into my eyes and mouth, sticking to the sweat that coats me like a second skin.

I glance down to my kingdom, to the castle, my home, rapidly fading into the distance. Swarms of knights scurry about, small and insignificant as insects. I clench my jaw, stomach rolling. My hand finds the thin circlet around my head, gripping tight. I clutch my sword close to my chest, abandoning any attempt to free myself. Freedom now would mean only death.

This couldn't be happening. Not now, not when I was so close to my happily ever after. Not when I was merely weeks away from turning 16.

The dragon lets loose a deafening roar, rapidly crossing mountains that once seemed like a distant dream. The beast flies low, straight for the top of a mountain with no sign of slowing. I scream, squeezing my eyes tight, expecting crashing. None comes. Instead, the lashing wind is replaced with a gentle breeze. I peel my eyes open. A hollow mountain. A cavern so large that the beast flaps its wings with legions of spare space.

The beasts releases me gracefully, and I land with a thump on my bottom. My legs are numb, unwilling to respond to my commands to stand. The dragon lands across from me without a sound. Its eyes boring into my own.

I shout a string of very unprincess-like language that make me almost glad my mother isn't here. She would undoubtedly wash my mouth with soap.

The beast steps towards me. I scramble back clumsily. It snorts, shaking its head and turning away.

"Don't turn your back on me! I have trained alongside the mighty Gleckanian Warriors, I could kill you in an instant!" My voice echoes through the cavern, neglected by my captor. I glare, wiping the hair and sweat from my face. The beast wades into a pool of water against the far wall. The water seems to glow blue. Glow. Spirits save me.

I trace my plain blade, breathing in the smells of the rocky cavern. "I would have wed a prince, you know. A remarkable achievement for a girl of my standings." Stepdaughter to the King, never quite enough to warrant attention. But that would have changed when I turned 16. Now I don't even know if I'll survive until 16.

The beast splashes in the shallows, and I grip my thin silver circlet.