THE CURSE OF THE DRAGON PRINCESS

The sound of a horse's hooves pounding upon hard packed dirt echoed off the rocky hills behind me as I rode at full speed, my heart hammering in fear. I held tightly to my reins and kept myself balanced as best I could with only my knees to steady me. It would not do to fall from the saddle now. Not yet. I was only twenty, barely old enough for marriage. My heart pounded so loud that it was like an orchestra, making my blood sing. My legs were shaking as I sped through the dark woods towards the castle that loomed ever nearer.

My hand was sweaty around the reins and it made my grip on them slippery. If I fell out of the saddle, there was no telling what might happen. My eyes scanned the dark landscape as I flew past, searching frantically for any sign of movement, any noise.

The road ahead of me looked like any of any other forest trail, but something about it bothered me. The trees were too thick here to see the road. As if they were hiding something. Something that might cause my death.

I didn't dare slow down, though I knew that I wouldn't make it without stopping. I felt like I might pass out if I did.

I could hear the thumping echo of my hooves on the hard ground even over my own heartbeat. Sweat trickled down my back, chilling the skin underneath my dress as the night chill seeped into my bones. My mind wandered and my body followed the images it conjured up. It seemed like everything I saw turned into some horrible monster or creature of evil waiting just below my path. A small voice inside me asked me where my life had gone wrong, but I pushed the thought aside.

My horse was fast, thanks to the blessings of the Fates. She sensed my panic and picked up her pace. Her coat shimmered in the faint light and shone almost like silver. I could tell she had been trained well. She responded perfectly to every command my voice uttered. When her head moved forward I knew that she could sense danger before my hands could even raise them to point, and she slowed to avoid hitting anything. I pulled on her reigns and leaned forward, urging her faster. Faster, faster, until she began to gallop once again.

We tore through the woods, taking turns in and out of trees, leaping across fallen branches, and ducking low to avoid being struck by branches from above. We leaped over logs and rocks, jumping and dodging, never slowing down. My feet ached as we hit the rough terrain that made traveling difficult, but I ignored the pain. Every inch of my body cried out in agony.

I tried to calm my racing pulse, trying to get my thoughts together. I needed to concentrate. The castle was closer now. I could feel it, like a distant beacon calling my name. I forced myself to take deep breaths, trying to regain control. It was hard to remember who I was, what kind of a lady I was. But somehow I managed.

A small clearing came into view in front of us and I slowed the horse to a trot, pulling her to a stop next to a large oak tree. I dismounted and tied my horse to the trunk of the tree.

My eyes scanned the surrounding area for any sign of danger, but all I saw were trees, rocks, and more trees.

I turned slightly, taking in my surroundings until my eyes came across an outcropping of boulders that surrounded a cave that had opened into the earth. The moonlight cast long shadows along the ground and I shivered, wishing that I had thought to bring warmer clothing. I looked at my horse, then glanced around the edge of the cave entrance. Nothing moved. I couldn't detect any animals. No birds singing, no deer running through the underbrush. I couldn't see anything except shadows and darkness, though there was still no sign of trouble. It was dead quiet.

With my heart beating rapidly against my chest, I stepped lightly towards the cavern entrance. Taking one last calming breath, I walked towards the cave opening, my footsteps echoing against the rocks. As soon as my boots touched the cold earth my breath caught in my throat. Everything was black. Even the faintest bit of light disappeared completely as soon as I crossed the threshold of the cave. I took another step into the darkness, listening for signs of life as my eyes adjusted to the lack of sight. There was nothing, no noise, no light. I felt claustrophobic and wanted nothing more than to turn around and walk the few steps it would take to return to my horse outside the cave. Yet I kept going. I took another careful step forward, moving further and further inside. Suddenly, there was a loud cry ricocheting off the walls. Soon the sound filled the caves accompanied by flapping wings as bats flitted about. Their angry cries sounded deafening in the eerie silence, the echoes bouncing off the walls and causing shivers to run up my spine. Bats! The bats' shrieks rose in pitch as they became panicked. They began darting about in all directions , their wings fluttering madly as they sought an escape. My heart was pounding in my ears and the bats seemed to multiply as they continued to flap about. Then suddenly, one of the bats leaped toward me, screeching loudly. Panic seized my throat and I stumbled backward, losing my footing.

I closed my eyes, praying silently to the God of Death that my prayers had reached his ears, and prepared myself for the impact. When nothing happened I tentatively opened my eyes. All around me bats continued to swarm as I slowly rose to my feet. The sounds of their wings filled the air as I stood there motionless, waiting. Shortly, the cave descended into silence once more as the bats fled from their perch in the darkness. A few moments later, as I stood alone, I felt relief wash over me. I let out a shaky sigh of relief and felt tears prick at my eyes. Tears of happiness as I realized the bats weren't coming back. Relief flooded over me and I allowed myself a slight smile. I hadn't heard anything since the bats left. There wasn't even a hint of movement in the dark corners. Warmth loomed in this part of the cave and my skin tingled, goosebumps rising along my arms as I imagined the damp smell of mold permeating the space. This place seemed haunted but it warm and safe , much better than out in the open wilderness. I started looking around hoping to find a better spot to rest. I spotted a large pile of rocks near the back corner of the cave. That should work nicely. I moved quickly as my heart began to beat rapidly in anticipation. I would sleep here tonight, hopefully before the sun rose. Hopefully the nightmares would go away for a while.

Once I reached the pile of rocks, I climbed onto top of them, resting my back against one of the larger rocks. A yawn escaped me and I rubbed my eyes in order to dispel the tiredness that had settled deep within my mind. The rocks were surprisingly soft and comfortable for the amount of rock that I was sitting on. They cushioned my back against the stone wall of the cave and I sighed in pleasure as my muscles relaxed and I found a comfortable position. My hair was wet from sweat and I brushed it aside, tucking it back behind my ear. After a second of hesitation, I removed the pins holding my braids in place and shook my hair loose, falling loosely about my face, covering my shoulders. I sighed softly, relaxing my muscles further and staring into the darkness, watching the faint glow of fireflies dancing in front of my eyes. I smiled. Maybe I wouldn't have to fear the nightmares tonight after all.A sudden gust of wind blew across the tops of the rocks and I shuddered as the cool mountain air nipped at my exposed skin. With a sigh, I closed my eyes and listened. I held my breath as I listened for the slightest sound. Anything. The wind. The crickets. The howling of wolves. Anything. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around the cave, not sure if what I'd seen had truly been real. The only thing that had moved in the cave was a couple of bats that I'd seen flying through the air. I shook my head, dismissing them as they passed so close to my face that they brushed past my nose, sending tiny sparks of sensation throughout my body.

It's alright. You're safe now. Everything will be fine. It will all pass. Don't worry anymore.

The words echoed inside my head and I swallowed thickly, nodding as I stared ahead blankly, allowing those words to take root in my heart. Slowly I fell asleep, dreaming of home and my family and a man with golden brown eyes and messy black hair that framed his face. The same man I have been dreaming about for the past three years and yet have never met. The reason for my journey.

My name is Jaina Proud Moore. My father, King Proud Moore, ruled over the Kingdom of Alara. He was the strongest and most valiant warrior in the kingdom. For years he fought wars against enemies all around him, winning great victories time and time again. His victory celebrations were celebrated in celebration of all the kingdoms achievements. The people loved him and followed him with love and respect. Our people were kind and compassionate and never hurt anyone. Except for witches and warlocks. Those people caused many conflicts and troubles for our kingdom. Some were burnt on a stack of pyres while others were hanged from trees, some were stoned to death. I had seen it happen more times than I cared to count. Witches were evil beings. We killed without mercy. They deserved everything they got. The whole world knew it. They used black magic and witchcraft to manipulate human emotions and use fear as their weapon of choice. Fear made people weak and they lost themselves in its depths. Fear and hatred consumed their minds. The only way we could defeat the witches was to haunt them with the pain that their creations inflicted on innocents. That's why the old tales told of witches and warlocks who used black magic to make people believe that evil existed, to frighten others away from their evil ways. It was because of such fear that they were able to spread their influence over people so that they were willing to become a part of the evil empire.

My mother said it was all true. And she didn't lie. She always seemed so sad when discussing the subject. She told me about witches and warlocks, the evils they brought to our world, the evil they did. She said it was because they created fear, not because they were evil. In fact, she told me that they sometimes acted very brave and that the ones who had created the demons were responsible for killing of innocent humans every day. She would sometimes get upset and say things like "the witches were just born...like us". Her story often changed from day to day. Sometimes, it would change to show the cruelty and cruelty of warlocks. But other times it would show the courage, integrity, or generosity of witches.

My mother was a wonderful teacher. She loved books, loved to read stories about good, fairies and unicorns. She loved fairy tales and she would tell me stories from them. One of the stories she had always told me as bedtime story was of a girl named Princess Nell.

Princess Nell lived in the Kingdom far far away. She was a beautiful princess who carried the purest white hair in the land. She lived with her father the King in a beautiful castle surrounded by a beautiful garden full of flowers and fruit trees. The palace was enormous and majestic looking as it glimmered with gold paint and jewels and sparkled with precious metals that were woven into strands of vines that grew on both sides of the palace gates that had a small opening leading to the garden. But none of those things mattered to Princess Nell, her only concern was the animals in her garden. The flowers, the fountains, the birds, the squirrels, the rabbits and the deer. Every single animal was her pet, and when it rained or snowed or any type of weather, the garden flourished as the animals roamed the gardens in the hopes of getting some food. She spent all day every day in the garden tending to each plant and flower. She spent all night tending to the animals, making sure all of them got enough nutrition and water during the cold days. During these days of busyness, she didn't see anyone except her two best friends, Gwen and Lola. Lola was the daughter of the castle cook and Gwen was the eldest daughter of the castle maid. Both girls had long black wavy hair, matching eyes, and pale skin. They looked very similar in appearance, both having long black curly hair. Their smiles were identical. But Gwen was shy and quiet while Lola was outgoing and friendly. Both girls were pretty and sweet, although neither of them knew it. They were always giggling and laughing.

One day, the princess had come to the garden looking very distraught. Her father had not returned from the war nor any news of victory. Something must have happened to him, something terrible that left his life forever changed. All day she stayed in the garden crying her eyes out. Eventually , when dusk was upon the lands of Alara, the king returned victorious but was seriou injured in battle. The king was rushed to the royal physician and it was believed that his wound might cost him his life. The royal physician was shocked and appalled by what he saw. He could do nothing but pray as he tended to the king's wounds and prayed that he could save him. Princess Nell was beside her father. Her tears spilled over as she sobbed inconsolably. Lola tried to console her friend, telling her not to cry, saying there was no need to cry for the king as he would be better soon. But the princess refused to listen. Her tears kept streaming down her cheeks as she cried loudly and bitterly for the life of her loving father. Lola left her friend and shortly returned with her mother. She hung a satchel on her shoulder. She walked up to the king and knelt beside him as she gently took his hand in hers and caressed it lovingly. She dipped her hands into her satchel and brought out a small bottle filled with a dark red liquid. She uncorked the bottle and poured the contents into the king's mouth , tilting her own cup forward until the liquid touched his lips and ran along his tongue, forcing the rest of the liquid into his mouth. After a few moments of silence the king opened his eyes.

"Father. Thank goodness you are awake. I am here," replied Princess Nell, placing her hand on his cheek.

Her voice cracked with emotion and she continued to speak to him in hushed tones."I've missed you so much..."

Everyone in the room was astonished

to see the king awaken. They hadn't expected that he would make it. His wounds were healing fast enough. It wasn't easy to heal someone that fast that even the skilled physicians could not. No one was expecting the king to regain consciousness. Everyone in the room waited in complete anticipation for his response. The king blinked a few times before speaking, looking up at his daughter. Then he looked around the room and at the woman that had just healed him.

"Thank you," replied the King, bowing his head slightly toward the woman. "Your kindness has saved my life."

"That was nothing, your highness," she responded in a soft, comforting tone.

"From now henceforth, I would consider you my greatest friend and would promote you to the position of advisor to my royal court," proclaimed the king with pride.

The king rose from his seat. His face broke into a large grin. The entire room erupted with joy and excitement and clapped their hands together in joy. The whole Kingdom merried happily together.

I was mesmerized by my mothers words as she sat with me, smiling as she showed me the illustrations on her book. As long as she was there, I never wanted to see another bad fairy tale, not even one of my own imagination. I could listen to the stories for hours on end, enjoying the tales and their adventures. It was a happy time, a time that never failed to bring my spirits up and cheer me on.

As I grew older, I began to grow into the role of the daughter of a king.

in my time I would have been raised by my father as his successor. As it turns out that wasn't meant to be.

I had always imagined myself as a lady, dressed in fine dresses and wearing jewels as precious as diamonds that sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight, as glittering as pearls when I wore them. Perhaps I was mistaken. I don't know what I was imagining, or what I hoped would become of me, but for some reason my childhood dream was shattered, torn apart, and tossed into the ocean. When my father was king he told me I would inherit a new title. A noble title: Lady Kaldwin.

I had always imagined myself as a lady, dressed in fine dresses and wearing jewels as precious as diamonds that sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight, as glittering as pearls when I wore them. Perhaps I was mistaken. I don't know what I was imagining, or what I hoped would become of me, but for some reason my childhood dream was shattered, torn apart, and tossed into the ocean. What does a girl do when everything she ever dreamed about comes crashing down around her?

How does a child survive when all their dreams are gone? When every beautiful day you'd ever spent dreaming fades away? What happens when your childhood dreams are replaced by the bleak reality that is everyday life? And what can you do when the people around you are cruel and cold? What are you supposed to do when your world falls apart?

And why did it fall apart so fast? Why didn't anyone help me?

But maybe my dreams didn't really matter. It all began three weeks after my fifteen birthday. My father had asked me if we could go for a walk within of our castle. So I agreed. The sun shone brightly and bright blue skies hung overhead. We strolled through the castle grounds, pausing from time to time to admire some of the exotic plants or animals that my father kept hidden within the castle walls. He took me everywhere, showing me everything in the castle. He showed me the secret passageway that lead straight to the dungeons and then the secret chamber that held the secret treasures of the kingdom. My father showed me the library filled with ancient books and scrolls that seemed impossible for anyone to read. He showed me the training hall where the knights trained. I was impressed with the skill of the fighters that were trained there.

Finally we reached an open clearing and sat down in a small bench. The air was clear, the breeze blew softly, and the sun warmed our bodies. We were alone in this beautiful moment. My father bent down to look at the ground below us. In between a rock and a patch of dirt lay a tiny flower. The stem looked almost like a tiny leafy sprout. It's leaves were green with yellow streaks across the back, like a snake curled around its tail. Its center bloomed with red petals, just like a rose, and the edges of its stem were white with small pinkish veins running throughout.

"My dearest, what flower is that?" asked my father as he pointed to the tiny flower that was nestled in the dirt beside him.

"It is a daisy, father."

"Do you know what daisies symbolize?" he asked, gazing intently at the flower.

"No," I said, shaking my head in puzzlement. "What do they symbolize?" I asked.

"Hope," he replied. "Hope and courage."

With that he placed the delicate blooms carefully in my lap and kissed my forehead. I turned away from him quickly, hoping that he wouldn't notice how my cheeks burned. I stared down at the daisy as the sun made it glow with its light. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke.

"The Kingdom of Alara has survived these years through alliance

and friendship with the other kingdoms. We were able to achieve this through marriage alliances."

I listened closely to what he was saying. I loved listening to the way that he said things. Each word was a gift from him, and I treasured each one.

He continued.

"There have been many such alliances which have allowed the Kingdom of Alara to continue to prosper. You shall be wed to Prince Elam. Your marriage will be a union of strength and love."

At this point he turned to me. His expression was serious, serious as it had ever been. He reached over and cupped my chin lightly in his hand, turning my face to face his. Tears ran down my cheeks as he wiped away my tears.

"This must be the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Yet, you have always had my unconditional support through it all. I am proud to call you my daughter and promise to give you all of that love and guidance that you deserve."

A smile crept onto my lips as I tried hard to contain the emotions swelling within me. As I gazed into his eyes I knew that nothing would change my feelings for my father. He was still the man who taught me how to ride horses and how to dance properly. He was still the father that gave me all of those wonderful books when I was a little girl; the man who had promised himself to me. Everything else changed, but I knew that it would never change my father. Even though I was going to marry someone else, I would always be his beloved princess. Nothing could change that fact, not even death would change it!

I bowed my head and remained silent as the tears streamed down my face. My heart throbbed heavily, pulsating with pain that I wished could relieve itself. In the meantime, as the summer days passed in bliss, I grew strong. My skin became tanned and rosy and I soon gained the weight I needed to keep pace with everyone's expectations.

The day of the wedding came and my mother helped dress me in a simple white dress. She had given me a bouquet of flowers that matched the color of my hair perfectly. With my hair down, the outfit was stunning. It was something I had always dreamed of, something that I've never gotten to wear since coming to live here in this world. My mother smiled as she admired my appearance.

"You look beautiful, my dear," she said.

"Thank you, Mother," I replied.

She then handed me a small box. Inside was a beautiful golden ring. It was a simple gold band with a single diamond embedded in the middle. It was beautiful and elegant. Just like myself.

"This is for you," she said. "It represents a pledge that your husband shall always care for you."

My eyes began to water with tears as I stared at my mother's face. Her smile was radiant as she embraced me . There was no need for me to say anything. Her gesture conveyed enough of her thoughts, and more importantly her words that I had known all along.

As we walked towards the chapel, we noticed the people walking together. They were celebrating the wedding, their joyful voices echoing around us and mingling with the gentle melodies of violins. Some of the guests were waving flags that were adorned with the royal insignia, others danced while singing songs. Most importantly, however, was the sight of Prince Elam standing next to my father, a smile on his face. In my opinion, the ceremony was more beautiful than anything that I had ever seen before. There were beautiful golden flowers strewn along the path leading to the altar, and I heard singing coming from deep within the mountains while a magnificent wedding band played a beautiful piece of music. All that was left to do was to stand side by side with my future husband and exchange vows. I took one last glimpse of my mother as she walked ahead of us, her face glowing with a radiant smile. Then I too stepped forward, taking Elam's outstretched hand. Our fingers intertwined. I felt his touch on mine and smiled warmly at him. But then, in spite of his touch, a strange feeling washed over me. It was the strangest sensation, the kind of feeling that I had never experienced in my entire life. I felt as if there was something inside of me that wanted desperately to escape. Something deep inside of me that wanted desperately to run. To escape from the castle. To escape from this strange new life.

"You ready?" whispered Elam. I nodded and he squeezed my hand gently. I watched as my father stood tall, his hands clasped behind his back. My gaze traveled to meet my mother's. She gave me a reassuring wink.

Elam turned towards me and whispered in my ear:

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

I smiled at him. I nodded firmly once again and squeezed his hand tighter. I looked up at the prince as he offered me a sweet, reassuring smile. Then we walked off to the altar, my head held high as though I was prepared to be married. A few members of the congregation looked at us curiously as we walked up onto the alter and we both stood facing our parents. The priest smiled at us and began speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to officiate the wedding of Princess Jaina and Prince Elam."

Then we both closed our eyes as the priest started reciting the traditional oath that every couple takes when pledging their eternal bond.