The Green Dragon Part Three
He didnât know what to do. The princess would not be budged, and his knighthood had essentially depended on him being able to bring Beatrice, to her father. And in this foreign land he was nothing but an out of work squire with a horse. And so, after a while he was employed by the stable where he had previously been stabling his horse. They needed somebody to look after the horse and clean up after him. He was quite good at this, so he settled quickly. Sometimes he saw Beatrice around town doing errands. Looking at the town with new eyes, he realised why theyâd been wary. Other knights and princesses had wandered this way before. But they liked Beatrice and the dragon well enough and came to accept that Richard also belonged after a fashion, all were outsiders. The armour that heâd spent so many energies sat in the corner of the room that he lived in.
Town gossip was quick and the news that there was another knight in town caused everyone to gawk at him. When Richard heard of the news, he realised that it was his old master. Sir Lewis picked him out of the crowd and demanded for him to have a drink with him.
As they sat down for beers at the tavern, Sir Lewis started immediately: Lewis roared at him,Â
âWhat are you doing boy? You didnât rescue the princess?â At that Richard shook his head, and Lewis continued.
âWhat was the point of knighting you if you couldnât even rescue the princess? And now you are doing work not even a squire would do?â
Richard was taken aback with this outburst. He had been thinking a lot about the way that it had worked out in the long days of manual labour. And he asked Lewis why it had been him to take the princess?
Lewisâ round head almost exploded, and he turned red with a heady combination of alcohol and anger.
âNo knight was stupid enough to take on the Green Dragon, but the King and I thought that you would be up to the challenge. I recommended it to you, and you couldnât even do it. If you come back to the kingdom, youâll never get work as a squire. You donât show the appropriate gumption to listen to your king and your knight.â
Richard exploded in return. Heâd listened and been deferential. This time was the regroup and consider, and almost then any chance that he felt that his feelings could be trusted were ripped away from him.
âYou set me up to fail. If other knights couldnât defeat the Green Dragon, why did you think that I would? I was a squire that had another year on my apprentice hood and sent me out with that in mind.â
Lewis slammed the rest of his drink into his mouth and walked out. Richard just sat there in disbelief and the barman who had never talked to Richard before this point looked at him and pursed his lips. The barman helpfully told Richard that it was probably a good time to leave as well. Richard was so steamed up from the encounter and the fact that he was the centre of attention that he complied. The brisk air outside on the quick walk home actually helped. And by the time that he made it home he never wanted to go back to the kingdom again.Â
In some regards he had been given more information and he could see the silences in all his conversations. He also reconsidered if the princess had been used like him and if she had really been all that happy. If he was a pawn in the king's game to rescue Beatrice, then he realised she was treated like a pawn as well. If anything, she was more of a pawn, but he still felt helpless. Her actions were more understandable. Though empathy was activated, he was still worried about his future. He worked aimlessly, no plan. Watching the various people understand that he was around for longer helped him develop more substantive relationships.
Sometime later the green dragon in his human form was spotted walked around town and Richard was just sitting there. He walked to the stable and asked for Richard.
âYouâre still here.â He leaned over the railing as sweat dripped off Richardâs face moving the soiled straw into a wheelbarrow.
âYepâ
âYouâve never talked to Beatrice since youâve been here.â
âYep.â I mean what could Richard say.
âHeard about your interaction with the other knight.â
âYep.â
âIt takes guts to stick around.â
At this point, Richard turned around and looked like he would walk out.
âI do not have anywhere to go. I have no knighthood; I donât have a knight to vouch for me. Iâm now without a home because my parents effectively sold me in a bid to keep their house after my father had a gambling debt. Beatrice was my ticket to something more. I was a pawn like she was.â
He sank into the remaining straw and just sat there in silence.
And the Green Dragon offered up a soft reply.
âSounds like you were just as lost as Bea.â He paused and introduced himself. âMy name is Landsbide, but you can call me Lan.â
In something that seemed to defy all rules of normalcy, Lan went through the door and was sitting there with Richard. Arm over shoulder and then all dams broke loose into sobbing. Richard tried to speak, to explain himself and Lan told him repeatedly that it wasnât useful. And then they sat there in silence.
Finally Richard had sobered up and said without many sobs.
âI want to do great things and I want to change the world." A sob came out before he continued.
"But everything that I thought was right turned out to be the wrong way.â
Fresh sobs engulfed him,
âI donât know what to do Lanâ?
And with that Lan had a small smile and wrinkled his nose and reached out his hands and spoke
âHow do you think people feel about dragons?â
Richard took his hands and held them.













