# Princess without a Kingdom
Author: Paynalton
Canonical source:
Language: en
Original publication:
Sitting facing the sea, watching the waves crash against the rocks and wash over the sand along the beach, there is a knight without armor, a fairy in search of a dream, a little girl with a big secret, and a princess who has lost her kingdom.
The song of the sea queen has ceased and the salty waters still murmur the sobs of her last song, breaking into white foam her own sadness that is drowned among the crackling white foam.
Suddenly the waters stir with a loud noise. From the restless waters, a pair of black wings emerge and carry the dragon that has risen from the depths into the air. With a long tail, an extended neck, and large blue eyes, it carries in its jaws an enormous fish that still shakes with the faint hope of returning safely to the water.
The beautiful black scales gleamed in the reflection of the sun as the dragon approached its spectators, who were amazed to watch the rainbow that formed around it, created by the droplets of seawater that had been scattered during the dragon's emergence.
Perching on the beach, the dragon drops its prey and flaps its wings, shaking off the salty water from the purple membranes that cover the space between the black appendages that vigorously extend from the dragon's long arms.
The knight rose from the sand and walked toward the dragon, his companions followed him, chatting among themselves and commenting on the size of the catch the dragon had made.
Only the girl looked at the gift of that beast with some repulsion, commenting:
-It needs to be washed well, it has lizard saliva.
-Its saliva is much cleaner than yours!- objected the princess with fury, starting a battle of glances between the two women.
Raising the prey by the tail, which was still struggling to breathe, the knight stepped between the two women.
-I will wash it well, no matter how clean their saliva is, I wouldn't like to have saliva from either of you or from him on my food.
Everyone laughed at the joke, forgetting their anger. The knight cooked the fish in the fire that the girl and the fairy had lit. The princess caressed the dragon while it curled up near the bonfire and fell asleep resting on the delicacy that surely would have been given to the waters of the sea.
The sun went down toward the horizon and the stars watched over the fire where friends enjoyed their dinner. With the fire as witness and the eyes upon her, the princess told her story.
Once upon a time there was a distant kingdom where everything was perfect. Peace was interrupted by occasional wars that kept the men occupied. Abundant harvests, minstrels singing through the streets of a town that extended beyond the white castle.
Ceilings softened in golden tones, battlements decorated with floral engravings and cherubim. Walls clad in marble and ivory statues adorning the corridors made the fortress one of the most beautiful palaces that existed in that part of the world.
Inside the imposing fortress, two kings ruled with strength and wisdom, guarding their people with as much care as they did their only daughter.
The princess grew up happy among the flowered gardens that had been planted within the castle's walls for her. Her beauty brought joy to those around her. Beautiful and defiant, the princess did not always stay within the castle. It was famous for the young maid's skills in escaping her attendants, and sometimes she could be seen walking through the town's streets where villagers smiled at her and took care of her, allowing her to roam freely among them.
Never had there been a princess more loved by her people than that little girl with golden hair who ran from one side of the town to the other, hiding from the guards who played at catching her to take her back to the castle.
Other times the princess was seen walking through the woods west of the wall, gathering flowers or wild fruits. On one of those walks she found the body of a man covered in blood who was calling for help.
Not much time passed between that encounter and the arrival of the castle's witch to whom the princess had led through the castle's secret passages in order to reach the dying man quickly.
However, the wounds and burns caused by the dragons are deep and difficult to heal. The witch could only ease the man's pain as he was dying with the use of some herbs and spells. When the man died, he still clung strongly to a round object... the egg of a dragon.
Never was the name of that man who dared to enter the nest of a dragon and steal an egg known. He was buried in the town's cemetery and the princess placed a yellow flower on his tomb.
The witch took possession of the egg with the intention of preparing some potions that she had only seen in books but that she had never been able to prepare due to the lack of the main ingredient. But when she returned to the room full of alchemical apparatus, the egg had disappeared along with some books that spoke about those fabulous creatures.
The witch's fury was obvious for weeks, until someone discovered the hidden books in a hollow behind a fountain, and a few weeks later it was discovered that the princess had a new pet: a small black dragon with blue eyes that followed her everywhere as if it were her mother. The kings and even the witch were amazed by the little one's cleverness to care for the egg and to keep the creature hidden for days until it learned to walk beside her.
The years passed and both the young princess and the black dragon grew in beauty and size. The beautiful princess was known as "The Dragon Princess," and although people feared the powerful creature, all trusted that their beloved princess would keep it under control always. The enemies of the kingdom retreated, war did not return to threaten the kingdom, and the dragon won the affection of the villagers.
Because they had no male heirs and feeling the weight of age upon them, the sovereigns of that kingdom decided to marry their daughter to a noble prince whose valor, decency, and wisdom brought him fame throughout all the lands. Considering him worthy of the throne of their kingdom and of the love of their beautiful daughter, they offered their hand, and he gladly accepted, for it was well known the beauty, courage, and wisdom of that noble lady. She, on her part, knowing the responsibilities she had toward her people, accepted this marriage although she had never met the man who would become her husband and sovereign.
The invitations were arranged so that both princes could meet. The tables were set, all the people were invited to the banquet, and they received it with joy, cheering for the prince and queen mother as they descended from the carriage that brought them to the kingdom.
The food was served and both princes sat together, chatting amicably about many subjects, smiling, and seeing a small affection grow between the two. The sovereigns and the people watched with pleasure the emergence of what could be a great love story.
A shadow covered the skies and the mighty black dragon descended with a roar into a clearing reserved for him in the garden courtyard, guarded by fifteen guards.
The people of the town pointed to the dragon with joy and some advanced to throw pieces of meat, which the formidable creature caught in the air with ferocity, swallowing them almost instantly without chewing.
The prince's guards were terrified at the sight of the enormous wings whose span easily doubled the height of any of them, but brave ones remained by their lord and friend. The princess apologized and rose from the table to run toward the dragon, pleading with the villagers not to throw him any more food, for the dragon was not in good health. The dragon lowered its head to the princess's level and she ran her hand along its crest, whispering words to it. The dragon curled up and did not take long to fall asleep.
The prince watched the scene with fascination, feeling a great admiration for the dragon princess, feeling in his chest the emotion and desire to learn more about such a formidable lady. A page approached to whisper some words into his ear, the prince's smile faded and his attention completely shifted to his mother whose face had lost all color.
The queen mother remained locked in her room for two days. Although she had told herself she was ready for this, the sight of the dragon in the sky was too much for her courage. The terror that this terrible creature caused her was greater than all her strength and she couldn't help but go through that humiliating scene during the banquet.
The prince was heartbroken watching his mother beg for forgiveness for what had happened. He comforted her and the princess joined him in those moments, assuring her that the creature was harmless. The queen mother told the couple some stories from her childhood, when a great dragon ravaged her lands and she was trapped among the charred bodies of the guards who gave their lives to protect her. Both listened with sadness to that tale and understood the feelings of the old woman.
-Don't worry about me,- she said -you have the right to be happy. I will stay to live in the castle my husband built and I will have a cabin built where I can go when you need to spend a season in the kingdom.
Days passed and the prince remained distant, thoughtful. When the princess questioned her betrothed about the reason for his concern, he spoke to her with tenderness and sincerity.
-It's because of the dragon, I know you love him but... I also love my mother and seeing her in that condition makes me have to make a very difficult decision... I hope you understand, but I must set a condition for our marriage that the dragon does not live with us... I can have my men search for his real mother, or we can build him a home in the outskirts, although maybe we will have to chain him so he doesn't fly toward the castle to look for you-
The princess felt disappointment for the first time in her life, and that feeling grew when her own parents supported the prince, trying to convince her to separate from the dragon that had taken care of her since she was little and with whom she had grown up.
Sitting in her room, looking out the window at the dragon flying low under the light of the moon, hunting bats, the princess had to make a decision between tears and conflicting feelings.
The princess loved her people, loved her parents and her homeland, and knew it was what she had to do to protect the interests of her nation.
The next morning the princess left the castle carrying a sword with her and went to where the dragon was sleeping. After several hours the dragon was no longer there, nor was the princess. When they checked her room, they found a farewell letter stained with tears.
For the first time, the princess rode on the back of her friend and together they crossed the ocean, in search of a new land where they could live in freedom.