Mostly Blue/Yellow Diamond

Another confused glance from the knight. “I have not seen an old lady. May luck be with you in your search.” He turned to his fellow knights, yelling out to them, “Men, onwards! We cannot rest until the vile creature is captured, and its head severed!”

Cheers erupted from the ranks and Blue felt her shoulders sag in relief. The knights raced past her, and she looked after them, wondering where the dragon had really manage to escape to.

She stood in their wake, calling out to her, “Yellow? Yellow! Where are you?”

Tears began to gather in her eyes, as she realized that her friend was in grave danger. She whimpered, hoping against hope that the dragon would manage to outsmart the men.

Oh, but she’s so large, there’s nowhere for her to hide between the thin trees, she thought wildly.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by yelling in the distance. Heart pounding, she raced towards the commotion.

…

By the time she reached the group of knights again, her breath was heaving from the run. She dashed into through the circle, to the middle where a few knights had dismounted.

She recognized the knight that had talked to her, he had flipped his helmet up again. He was yelling something to a woman, who he held up with one gloved fist.

Blue pushed past the knights, shoving a few to get a better look. She took in the sight, her eyes widening in confusion. Was this woman watching us? she thought to herself.

The woman, who she now realized stood taller than the knight, was thin and angular. She wore a thin leather jerkin, but seemed to be missing the white cotton shirt that usually accompanied it. Her bare arms were lean, but muscular, one raised up in the knight’s grasp, the other curled into a fist near her chest.

Her face, as angular as her shoulders, sported high cheekbones, accented by her short cropped hair. Sandy blonde eyebrows, just a shade darker than the locks on her head drew angrily downwards and her eyes narrowed underneath. Blue couldn’t see her eyes from her position in the crowd, but she was sure they were smoldering if the snarl across the woman’s mouth was anything to judge by.

“I told you, I have not seen anything!” she yelled, yanking her wrist from the knight’s grip. Her voice was commanding, and Blue wondered if she was a noblewoman. Though, she couldn’t see any jewelry, or any other indication of high class.

Blue watched as the woman stepped back into a fighting position, and noticed her bare feet, digging into the grass. How odd.

The knight scowled at the woman. “Fine,” he spat, “but run back to the village, to your duties you are most likely shirking.”

A motion was made with his left hand, and all the knights mounted their steeds once more. Shooting another glare at the mysterious woman, he called for them to move on.

Their horses thundered away, leaving Blue exposed. The woman turned to her, regarding her with a guarded look.

“Who are you? Were you following me and my...friend?” the princess demanded, throwing a hand on her hip.

The woman only looked at her, and Blue suddenly felt self-conscious. Now that they were closer, Blue could see the clearly defined muscles in her body, the curves of her hips, the fullness of her lips. Freckles peppered her cutting cheekbones, and across the bridge of her nose. Honey-colored eyes bore into her, and although they stayed trained on her face, Blue felt ashamed of her slightly ragged hair and torn nightgown.

Blue was sure she was gawking, the woman was just so gorgeous, unlike anyone she had ever seen before. But she couldn’t bring herself to stop, drinking in the beauty before her.

Finally, the woman spoke, her voice low and husky. “Why are you staring at me?”

Flushing at the question, Blue stammered, “S-sorry!”

“You didn’t answer my question!” The blonde woman said, her voice cutting. She hadn’t moved her gaze from the princess’s face, nor had she lessened its intensity.

Mind racing, Blue wracked her brain, trying to come up with an excuse. In the end, the truth tumbled out, much to her chagrin. “You’re just so beautiful!”

Hands flying to cover her mouth, Blue looked horrified, her face turning a bright red.

To her surprise, the tall woman laughed, a hearty sound coming deep from her chest. She doubled over, wheezing as she leaned on her legs. Blue noted how her face lit up with the softer expression, her heart nearly bursting.

When the blonde finally caught her breath, the grin stayed softly on her lips. Her sun kissed cheeks were now red, although it was equally likely to be from her laughing fit than from bashfulness.

A grin appeared on the smaller girl’s lips, unable to contain her joy. “Who are you?” she breathed, stepping in closer.

The smile disappeared from the other woman’s lips and Blue frowned. She searched the alluring face in front of her, looking for answers. When she found none, she opened her mouth to ask again.

Then she noticed the necklace around the woman’s neck. It must have slipped out during the laughing fit, when she had bent over. It glistened in the sun.

Blue’s cerulean eyes widened, and fear sprang in the amber eyes across from her. “Yellow!?”

The woman took a step back, suddenly shy. A hand reached up to rub the back of her neck. Still, she was silent.

Realization crashed through Blue’s mind. The same intense gaze, the curt speech, the golden hue. She ran forwards, wrapping her arms around the strong body, noting the same warmth radiating from the soft skin. Blue buried her head in the taller woman’s chest, feeling Yellow’s chin on the top of her head.

“How? You can turn into a human? Is this just a glamor, or did you really shapeshift to look like this?” Her questions rolled out, muffled by Yellow’s leather jerkin.

At first the other woman just stood there, her arms out to her side. But after a few moments, she wrapped her arms stiffly around Blue’s smaller body. “I didn’t shapeshift. I am human. Half.”

The bitterness, still just as cutting in her smoother human voice, caused Blue to pull away slightly. “You’re a half human? I didn’t know that was possible!”

Yellow’s body stiffened, all the muscles in her body hard. Blue rested her head on Yellow’s chest and sighed. “Is that why you kept saying you’re not a real dragon? And why you have to prove yourself to your parents...parent and king?”

“Yes.” The submission in her voice made Blue look up, meeting Yellow’s eyes.

She felt herself staring again, her heart so full and light. Not only was this woman stunning, she was also her friend, and they were safe from danger.

“Will you let me go?” Yellow asked, her cheeks dusting red.

Blue giggled at the question, thinking of a few days previous. She tightened her grip around the larger woman. “No.”

An evil grin spread across Blue’s face. She just gazed into Yellow’s eyes, savoring her warmth. Her heart was so full and soon she was giggling again, unable to contain her joy. Her eyes closed, and she felt fuzzy joy swirling around her head. Then Yellow’s lips were pressing against hers and--

Yellow’s lips were pressed against hers.

Recoiling slightly, Blue’s eyes flew open.

“I’m s-sorry,” Yellow began, warm body moving away from her. “Another one of my flaws, I--mmpf!”

Blue pushed her lips back against Yellow’s, deepening the kiss until they both had to gasp for breath. “I told you these ‘flaws’ aren’t as bad as you think,” she growled.

A gasp left the taller woman’s lips and then they were pressing back against hers. They embraced once more, until she felt Yellow wince and stiffen.

“What’s wrong?” Blue asked, her voice still husky with emotion.

The look she was given was gentle, if pained. “My shoulder.”

That snapped her back into reality, and Blue frowned. “It was a terrible wound, may I see? Again?”

The younger princess was delighted that Yellow only hesitated a second before pulling off her jerkin. Delight faded to concern when she saw the wound taking up most of her back, wrapping around over her shoulder. “Do you have any more of that salve?”

Blonde locks bobbed as Yellow shook her head.

While Blue was trying to remember what the healers put in their healing pastes, Yellow said softly, “I can’t change to my dragon form, the wound will only grow larger. Your kingdom is days away by human foot.”

“More time with you, then,” Blue said lightly, grabbing a strong hand. “We can find a healer in the next village we come across.”

Yellow hummed, and for the first time, she appeared content. Blue tugged her to the grass, leaning into her good shoulder. “I don’t suppose you have two pillows and blankets left in your necklace?”

“Many pillows, but only one blanket.” The golden pendant glowed, and the items appeared before them.

“Then we’ll just have to share,” Blue said, not at all disappointed. She grabbed the duvet, flopping down onto the cushions. Yellow laid down next to her and Blue snuggled into her, feeling strong arms wrap around her. The now familiar warmth radiating from her body instantly soothed her mind, bringing sleep like a wave crashing over her.

“Goodnight, Princess,” Blue murmured happily.

The light chuckle and honeyed words were the last thing she heard before falling asleep.

Blue rolled her eyes at the short statement. “Where did you go? Why aren’t you guarding me? I could have escaped!”

Yellow regarded her a moment. “I’m taking you back to your home.”

The princess’s jaw swung open. “What?” she gasped.

“I’m taking you back to Asalik,” the dragon repeated gruffly.

“Why? What happened? Won’t the dragon royalty be, I don’t know, upset with you? That you let me free?” The questions tumbled out of Blue’s lips.

A heavy pause made the princess move to the golden creatures side, trying to look into the glowing eyes. “Some things are not worth doing if it means losing something special.”

Blue reached out a hand, gently placing it on Yellow’s side. “What are you talking about?”

The princess watched the dragon stare into the distance. She watched as yellow eyes narrowed, and as black pupils turned to slits.

She watched as tears began to gather at the base of golden eyes and gasped again. “Yellow, what is it? What’s wrong?” she asked, moving to wipe the tears away as they began to overflow.

A piercing glare stopped her hand from making contact. The eyes she had watched for four days held fury in them, and for the first time since arriving in the cave, she feared the beast.

But the fear was short lived.

“I can’t do it,” Yellow said, turning the scalding gaze towards the ground and Blue realized the anger wasn’t directed at her.

Softly, and gently as she could make her voice, she asked, “Can’t do what?”

“Bring you to them. To the King and Queen.”

The princess was silent, not knowing how to respond. She touched the warm scales on Yellow’s chest, sitting down next to the dragon.

“I’ll never be a real dragon.” The words were soft, the gravely edges the dragon’s voice normally held were gone, replaced by deep pain and anguish.

Blue’s fingers began to rub circles on the scales in what she hoped was a comforting manor. She wasn’t sure the dragon could feel her touch, but she continued anyway.

“I’m Queen Annolia’s daughter and I can’t even bring one princess offering to the kingdom.” Yellow’s head grazed the ground, tears forming puddles in the dirt.

“You’re the Dragon Princess!?” Blue exclaimed before clapping a hand over her mouth.

Yellow’s eyes shut. There was a long silence, as Blue processed the new information.

She’s a princess! Yellow! She’s a princess, just like me! I can’t believe it, I’ve never met another princess before!

“I will escort you back to the kingdom border.”

Blue’s attention was pulled back to the dragon’s voice. Her voice, she reminded herself silently. “That’s very nice of you.”

Shaking her head, Yellow blinked away the last of her tears. “You can sit on my back. It will be more comfortable than if I grab you, but you’ll have to hold on.”

Stars appeared in the princess’s eyes. “You’re going to let me ride you?”

The dragon grunted. She dipped down, bending her front two legs to allow Blue to climb on. A golden eye watched the princess seat herself just behind the base of her scaly neck.

Yellow galloped a few paces, then leapt up, powerful legs pushing her several stories in the air. Her wings unfurled from her side, catching in the wind.

Blue, having only ridden horses at a proper trot, was unable to contain the scream that rose out of her mouth. Her stomach dropped as she looked down, seeing the trees become small below them.

“Are you alright?” Yellow twisted her head to look at the woman on her back.

“Yes! Oh stars, is it always like this? I’ve never felt so alive in my whole life!” Blue yelled back, raising her arms in the air. She screeched when the wind jerked her to the side, nearly falling off the dragon’s back. Her body lifted from the warm scales, causing Yellow to turn sharply, catching her safely again. Blue grabbed between golden scales, shooting the dragon a sheepish look.

She received a snort and a glare in response, before Yellow moved her head forward again.

The princess held on for the remainder of the flight, which was much shorter than she remembered the first time. She kept her mouth tightly shut, but couldn’t repress the grin that stayed on her face. When Yellow dipped down towards the ground, her face felt like it was going to split in two.

A frown tugged her lips down, relieving the muscles with the change in expression. “This isn’t Asalik.”

“I can’t fly much longer.” The response came between gritted teeth.

Remembering the injury on the dragon’s wing, Blue’s eyes travelled to the spot, widening. Blood had begun to seep out of the scab, it had clearly opened during the flight.

Once Yellow landed heavily on the ground, Blue rushed to the wound. “How long ago did this happen? Why didn’t you say anything? Do you have cloth to bind it? A lot of cloth? Oh stars, you’re so big, I don’t know if it can be wrapped.”

“I need to take you back to your home, surely you’ve been missed.” Yellow ignored her questions, raising her wing high, out of the Blue’s reach.

Blue stomped her foot in the grass, a pout drawing on her face. “Yellow! You’re hurt, let me look at it!”

After a moment, the injured wing lowered. If it was due to the strain of keeping it elevated or her insistence Blue did not know. She ran her fingers above the wound, sharp eyes taking in the cracked scab and fresh blood. “Do you have any healing supplies in your magic necklace?”

A clawed foot was brought to the golden pendant, a bowl of dark mush appearing seconds later. “I can’t reach the afflicted area to spread the salve,” Yellow announced gruffly.

Blue huffed. “Don’t be absurd. I’m going to do it for you, of course.”

She took the bowl, dipping her whole hand in the cool paste. It tingled on her skin as she spread it on the wound. “I assume this will stop the bleeding?”

The dragon grunted an affirmative. “I’m sorry, I’ll have to walk you to your kingdom. It will take much longer.”

“I’m not in a rush. My mother will just lock me up again. This is much more fun!” she said with a pointed look.

Yellow regarded her, golden eyes staring into hers, but said nothing.

Blue looked towards the sky, breath catching on the expanse of stars above them. She gazed at the galaxies in the distance, letting her mind wander, wondering what else might lay out there. Weariness pulled at her mind, and she sighed. “Shall we get some sleep? This clearing seems safe enough.”

After lifting her head and scanning their surroundings, Yellow rested it down on a soft gift of grass in front of her. “Alright.”

“Any chance you’ll let me sleep under your wing? It’s a bit cold…” she said, voice trailing off hopefully.

Yellow stared at her, something she was growing accustomed to, and appeared to consider her question.

To her delight, and surprise, the dragon lifted her wing, inviting the princess to curl up beside her. Before lowering it again, the pendant around her neck glowed, and a pillow was presented to her.

“Thank you!” Blue’s eyes lit up as she took the item from between black talons. Placing it down on the ground, she laid against warm scales. The wing lowered, cocooning the princess inside leathery skin.

“Don’t let anything eat me, okay?”

The dragon snorted. “Goodnight, Princess.”

Blue opened her eyes, reaching out to stroke the scales beside her. “Goodnight, Yellow. Princess Yellow.” she corrected herself before closing her eyes once more.

She felt Yellow curl around her just a touch tighter.

…

This time, when the princess woke up, the dragon was still curled protectively around her. Blue smiled, looking at the sky through the curtain of Yellow’s wing. She reached up, stroking the golden scales next to her, marvelling at how beautiful the muted color was.

Above her, the wing shifted, stretching out. Blue turned her head, finally taking in the true size of the dragon. After so long curled up at the entrance of a cave, seeing Yellow’s form straightened out was breathtaking. “Are all dragons as beautiful as you?”

Glowing eyes turned to face her. “What?”

“Are all dragons as beautiful as you?” she repeated, staring back.

Black diamond pupils narrowed and Yellow looked away. “Real dragons are far more glorious than I. I am young, small, and a--” Her jaw snapped shut so hard that her teeth clacked together.

“You keep saying that. ‘Real dragon’. What does that mean? It’s obvious you are a dragon, anyone can tell by looking at you. Why don’t you think you’re a real dragon?” Blue asked, her eyes narrowing as well, determined to finally understand more about the private creature.

When she received no response, she rose from her position on the ground, walking around to where Yellow’s head hung. “Why won’t you tell me?” she demanded.

The fierce glare shooting from the dragon’s large eyes no longer scared her, and Blue glared right back. They stood at a standstill, narrowed eyes and furrowed brows etching harsh lines upon their faces.

Yellow caved first, heaving a sigh and causing smoke to bellow from her nostrils. When she spoke, her words were spat out, as if they left a bad taste in her cavernous mouth. “I am an outcast.”

Blue recognized the boiling anger in her companion’s eyes from her outburst by the cave. Self-loathing. “Why are you an outcast? Is it because you haven’t brought your parents a sacrifice yet?”

“No, my mother and the King believe that those who fall outside of the standard for our kind should be banished from the kingdom. The sacrifice was so that I could prove my worth as a dragon, to make up for my flaws.” Yellow’s gravelly voice had turned guttural, and her eyes burned with hatred.

“Well maybe those ‘flaws’ are just things they don’t appreciate! I’m sure they’re not as bad as you think,” Blue said, raising her voice as she tried to convince the hurting creature.

“NO! You don’t understand, I’m…” Yellow let out a frustrated roar to the sky, fire spewing from her open jaws.

“YELLOW!” Blue yelled, trying to get her attention. The dragon looked back to her, pain in her eyes.

Just as she was about to say more, the metallic clash of armor and the thudding sound of horses echoed through the trees.

“Yellow!” Blue shrieked again, this time in panic, “You have to go! They’ll kill you!”

“I can’t fly,” hissed Yellow, fear mirrored in her golden eyes.

Blue turned back towards the noises, hearing the knights grow closer. “Then hide! Just go, maybe I can talk to them!”

Her gaze wandered to the scales just above where the wing lay, on the back of the dragon. She wondered what it would feel like to touch it. Taking a long look at the closed eyes, she reached a hand out, only hesitating a moment before softly stroking the large scales.

To her surprise, they were warm. Her eyes widened, as her fingers explored the hard surface, dipping slightly between two. A smile stretched across her face. I’m touching a dragon! she thought, a real live dragon!

Blue giggled, and walked down to the tail, trailing her fingers along the scales. The dragon was many times larger than she, but it was still somehow slender and elegant. Upon reaching the tail, she noted the diamond shape at the tip. It was shiny, and looked sharp.

She walked about towards the beast’s head, wanting to inspect the curled horns, but stopped halfway, caught in the gaze of glowing eyes. Her eyes were wide open, scared.

But the dragon only stared at her, and she blushed at being caught. “You wouldn’t happen to have any food for breakfast, would you?” she asked finally, breaking the silence.

“There is bread here.” A tail pointed to a hanging bag.

The princess untied the bag, taking out a loaf of bread. “Want some?” she asked around a mouthful of food.

“No, thank you.” The dragon watched her eat, diamond pupils following the food from her hand to her mouth.

“So we just sit here until you’re healed? And then what? What are you going to do with me in the Sky Kingdom?” Blue asked once she had finished her piece of bread.

“You are an offering.” The beast said simply, but Blue noted a strain in its voice.

“Are your dragon friends going to eat me then?” she asked, trying to keep her tone level.

“They are not my friends.” Came the quick reply.

Blue frowned, frustrated at the beast’s shortness. “But they are going to eat me?”

“I do not know what they have planned.” Black pupils narrowed.

The princess sighed. “Any chance you know of another princess that might be a better offering than me?”

Predictably, she received no response. Blue sighed again. “What do dragons do for fun?”

“Fun?” Black pupils widened.

“Yeah, you know, what do you like to do?” Blue walked over to the dragon’s head, plopping herself down in front of it.

The dragon seemed to think for a moment. When it spoke, its voice was gentler than before. “Sing.”

Blue’s mouth fell slack. “You like to sing? Can I hear something?”

The dragon’s eyes narrowed again. “No.”

“Alright,” Blue said, disappointed. “We can talk about other things then. Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve had a conversation with someone.”

She felt the golden creature’s gaze turn curious, its face as surprisingly animated for a being that was not at all humanlike. “My mother locked me in my room. I haven’t been outside of it in months. I would thank you for rescuing me, if I wasn’t being taken to maybe be eaten.”

Glowing eyes slid to the floor before her. “I’m sorry.”

Shock courses through her body. “You’re a strange thing. You don’t seem much like the dragons I’ve read about in my books.”

“I’m not like other dragons.” This time, The dragon moved its head away from the princess.

Blue looked at the back of its head for a moment. She wondered what the the beast meant, but the hurt in its voice was a clear indication that she would get no response if she asked. “So, is this like your lair?”

“I suppose.”

“It doesn’t look much like a dragon’s lair. There’s no bones or stolen jewels,” Blue said errantly, looking around the room.

“I do not steal.” The head turned back around to look at her.

“You stole me,” the princess shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Golden eyes slid away from her, and Blue thought it looked almost ashamed.

“I’m sorry.” The words were quiet, nearly inaudible.

“Did you just...apologize?” Blue asked, her eyes wide.

But the dragon didn’t respond, only pulling its eyes farther away from her.

She sighed. Okay, different topic, she thought.

“How old are you?” she tried, keeping her voice light.

“A quarter of a century.”

“A quarter century, that’s 25 right? We’re nearly the same age! I’m 23,” Blue said brightly. “That’s young for you, right? I read that dragons can live to be thousands of years old.”

“The elders are many millennia old, yes.” The dragon’s eyes stayed trained on the wall behind the princess.

“You guys have elders too? Are they like the rulers? Or do you have a king and a queen?” Blue asked, delighted that the dragon was finally opening up.

“There is a king and a queen.”

“I guess it’s not so much different than our kingdom, then! Are they nice? My mother is awful. Is there a princess there, too? Maybe we could be friends. I could be her pet!” Blue rambled, stars forming in her eyes at the thought of meeting a dragon princess.

“They are efficient.” The dragon’s eyes narrowed. “The heir is an outcast.”

Intrigued, Blue asked, “Outcast? Why?”

“For being different.”

“That’s silly. There’s nothing wrong with being different! In fact, I think it can make a leader stronger if they have a different viewpoint. Maybe they can see what their predecessor didn’t and make changes for good,” Blue argued proudly, clearly having thought about this before. “I’m going to be a much better queen than my mother. Or, that was my plan.”

The dragon’s eyes were drawn to the princess, catching the single tear that slid down her cheek.

A taloned foot raised to its neck, golden pendant glowing. A handkerchief popped out, and the dragon presented it to the princess.

Her cerulean eyes, shiny with unshed tears, turned to the dragon. After gently plucking the cloth from between the talons, she wiped her face. Voice small, she said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The dragon turned away once more, and for once, the princess had nothing left to say.

…

The next days drug on, as the princess stayed trapped in the small chamber. But after two long months stuck in her room in the palace, she had grown used to inactivity.

Most of her time was spent attempting to make the dragon speak to her, a mostly fruitless task. The dragon was not one for words, and she received mostly short answers.

By the third day, she had exhausted her questions for the beast, taking to drawing figures in the soft dirt with her fingers. She began to hum as a finger dipped and twisted in the soil. Her hum turned louder, and her voice filled the small chamber. Her singing voice differed from her speaking voice, it was lower and smokey.

Soon, the floors were covered in the princess’s doodles. As she was finishing the last figure, her voice lingered on a sweet pitch, vibrato shimmering as the note died away.

“You sing beautifully.”

The rough voice startled her out of her reverie. She turned to the forgotten beast, flushing. “Thank you. Sorry if I interrupted your rest.”

“I was not sleeping.” Was the simple reply.

Blue studied the dragon for a moment. It looked stronger, much more so than their first day in the chamber. Even the large wound appeared smaller, a scab formed over the previously deep gash. Just as she was about to turn back around, the dragon spoke again.

“What are these drawings on the floor?”

At first, Blue’s eyes widened in shock, her mouth falling open. This was the first time the dragon had asked her anything. The first time it had spoken to her without her prompting. Then stars filled her eyes, a wide grin replacing the slack expression.

“Well this is me, in my favorite dress. It’s blue, like my nightgown, but it’s much more beautiful. And that’s my stupid mother. I drew her with spiky hair because I think it makes her look undignified. And that’s supposed to be my father. I don’t know what he looks like, so I just drew one of my mother’s advisors. Then here is the knight captain, she taught me how to fight, even though my mother was angry with her.” Blue’s voice was light, as she pointed to each person. As she reached the final figure, her eyes lit up. “And that’s you!”

The dragon raised its head, peering at the drawings. It lingered on Blue’s portrayal of it. “They are quite good.”

The stars in Blue’s eyes turned to supernovas as she received the compliment. “Thank you!” she nearly cried as she stood and rushed to the beast, throwing her arms around its neck.

Golden eyes shot wide open, causing the princess to recoil and step away from the beast. “I’m—I’m sorry!” she stuttered quickly, still shrinking away from the large diamond pupils.

Time seemed to freeze as the dragon held still, eyes still huge and unfocused. It made a guttural noise in the back of its throat before saying sharply, “It’s okay.”

Before the princess could reply, a thunderous crack was heard, and the sound of howling wind reached the small cave. Both beings flinched, and turned towards the noise. The dragon snakes its head out of the chamber, confirming the coming storm.

Although the dragon was blocking the exit, wind still managed to reach inside the small room, bringing a chill to the previously comfortable room. Blue shivered, the thin nightgown she wore, not providing much warmth. She rushed to her makeshift bed, but tripped in her haste. The princess stumbled forward, her foot catching on a stone embedded in the dirt.

She let out a yelp before falling into the spring. Gasping, she flailed around, her confusion not allowing her to right herself in the shallow water. The princess struggled for a few seconds before she felt herself be lifted up by curved talons. Blue looked gratefully to the dragon, who had gotten up to rescue her.

“Thanks,” she said bashfully, as she was gently placed on the dry ground. She began to wring her long hair out, drops of water making puddles by her feet.

Once the water stopped dripping from her body, she wrapped the thick duvet around her. “It sounds like a bad storm out there,” she said still shivering.

The dragon’s head came back into the chamber. “Indeed.”

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the storm. The dragon’s eyes had slid closed again, but Blue was too cold to sleep. She stayed huddled in her blanket, trying to bring warmth back to her body.

Then she sneezed, and the dragon’s eyes popped open. “You are cold,” it said, tone unreadable.

Blue nodded miserably, pulling the duvet tighter around her. The dragon watched her for a moment, before untying a hanging bundle with its tail. Three sticks of firewood fell out beside the princess. Blue watched, wide eyed, as the dragon slowly stood, and stretched its neck towards her. It took a sharp breath before opening its mouth and letting out a small burst of fire. The wood crackled as it ignited, bathing the small chamber in a warm light.

“Thank you,” she breathed and scooted closer to the flames.

The dragon laid down again, watching Blue as she stuck her hands out to warm them. “You’re welcome.”

For a while, the only sound was the crackling of the wood. Blue slowly felt the chill leave her body, although her long hair had left the blanket damp. She groaned, shifting to find a dry spot. Upon finding none, she lifted her head, an idea strong in her mind.

“Yellow?” she called shyly.

Golden eyes focused on her, surprised at the use of its name.

Blue took a deep breath, gathering her confidence. “May I lean against you? My blanket is wet, and I’m still a bit cold.”

The dragon regarded her for a long time, until Blue was sure it wouldn’t respond.

But it did. “Yes,” it said, voice deeper than usual.

It moved, creating a space big enough for her body near the base of its injured wing. The princess slowly approached the beast, carefully setting down a pillow. “Thank you,” she whispered as she lay down, leaning against the dragon’s heated scales.

Finally warm, the princess felt sleep tug on her eyelids. “I’m going to sleep here,” she announced softly.

Glowing eyes stayed on her until her shallow breaths turned heavy. When it was sure she was fast asleep, the dragon carefully took the damp blanket off of her, spreading it out next to the fire to dry.

The princess stirred slightly at the movement, but didn’t wake. After a few more seconds, the dragon slowly extended its wing, draping the it across Blue’s sleeping form. A smile danced across her pale face, unconsciously pleased at the heated skin against her.

Satisfied, the dragon curled its head around her, and closed its eyes.