Day 11 - Prompt: A Dragon and a Princess

[lilfluff]

This a Flashfic based on a prompt from ravenswept's 30 Days of Flash Fiction Meme

My 30 Days of Flashfic Index Page

Day 11 – Prompt: A Dragon and a princess

Title: Traditions



Erik, Baron of Tellany, liked to think he was a sober man. But for the life of him, worryingly a possibly literal situation, he could not remember how he came to be tied up and carried within a dragon's claws. He supposed his headache was probably related.

"Excuse me..." The way the dragon stumbled in mid air, almost as much as the startled yip, left Erik even more concerned about his apparent kidnapping. Thankfully the dragon recovered and glided down to a clearing, setting him atop a large boulder as it sat beside him.

The dragon's crimson fringed head swung around to his, nose to nose a moment before it spoke. "My apologies my dear Baron, I mean you no harm, but... well... I couldn't see any way out but tradition."

Even if he had a weapon to strike the dragon with... actually, now that he looked he saw he still had his boot knife. For some reason the dragon was carrying his sword as well. "I see. Still, I am not aware of many traditions of dragons kidnapping barons."

"Oh! No, no no no, of course not. That would be silly. I mean the tradition of dragons and princesses."

"Well, there could be a problem there. I suppose a dragon might not see the differences as clearly. But you see, I'm a baron, not a princess. A man. Princesses are women."

"Yes, I realize that my dear baron. I'm counting on it in fact."

"Wait. Does this have anything to do with the old stories of dragons kidnapping princesses, and the brave knights who would slay them, the dragons I mean, and rescue the princess?"

If anything, the scales on the dragon's cheeks seemed to turn pink. "No! And my father always said those knights weren't all that... Um, I mean not exactly. Kinda sort of..."

"Dragon! I will not be party to the kidnapping of any princesses! Indeed, if you try then bound up or not I will have to fight you!"

"Wait! No! You don't understand!" The words were roared out, the dragon's breath almost knocking him back off the stone. "Eep! Sorry! Sorry! This is all coming out wrong. I am the princess!"

"You're the princess?"

"Yes, I'm the princess and I guess the dragon too. You see father was... and mother was... That is... Well when a guy like a... I don't have to explain it do I?"

Yes, Erik thought, this dragon, dragoness? This dragoness was definitely blushing. "Ah... no, I understand how that works. But if you're the princess and the dragon, I hope you aren't asking me to slay you. Certainly I'm a bit put out by being kidnapped, but I have always tried to treat women well. Slaying a princess just isn't done."

"No, no of course not. That's why I picked you! It's simple, Daddy wants me to marry Baron Francis and--"

"Francis... Wait, you're Princess Cecelia?"

The dragoness looked at him a moment and sighed. Her body shimmering as it shrank in on itself, her scales giving way to skin, and thankfully for her modesty a fine dress appearing upon her before she could be considered indecently exposed.

"Yes My Lord, I am Princess Cecelia, third born of your liege, my father the Viscount of the Oaken Isles. I beg of you, rescue me. Do not leave me to be married to that, that creature that calls himself Baron Francis."

"I see Princess Cecelia. This is, a bit more complicated than I realized. Do you think perhaps you could untie me before I rescue you?"

Comments

[lilfluff.livejournal.com]

Well, I largely was going on little more than the though, "The Dragon and the Princess are one and the same." But each time I think about it I've been wondering about how to fill in some of the questions the scene poses. Like why, if she can turn into a dragon, she's all that worried about Baron Francis? Why, if *she* is scared of Francis does she think Erik will be able to do anything? And just which of her parents is the dragon, if she is a half-dragon, and who else knows?