Natalie Yacobson "Dragon Bride"

В«So you do it on purpose with your charms?В»

В«Do what on purpose?В» Raymonda wondered.

В«You turn into aВ dragon.В»

«If I could do it with my charms…» she sighed dramatically.«It’s not that simple! I’ll let you in on my secrets some day.»

Raymonda looked sadly inВ the mirror. Or was he upsetting her inВ someВ way?

«It’s easier for Chameleon wizards,» she whispered. «They choose their own appearance. But you have to accept the fact that your savior is a dragon.»

«I have,» Clement shook the fragrant heather petals from his collar and sleeves. The heather smelled strange in that field – a mixture of unfamiliar flowers. And Raymonda was not at all what he had thought her to be. What should he call her now? Is it my Lady Dragon? Or is it my Lady Elf?

В«Thank you for not leaving me,В» he thanked her, though he was, inВ fact, only inВ danger because ofВ her.

Sparks flew from her claws, still as bright as dragon scales. One spark burned him. Clement felt like he was on a red-hot frying pan. What if Raymonda turned back into a dragon and spewed a torrent of fire on the heath instead of the city? Then it would burn. She’d have no one else to vent her fury on.

On the one hand it is very romantic, that it was Raymonda who clawed him and carried him away from danger, but on the other hand the alarm bells are ringing inВ his mind. She is the dragon! And the dragon is her! Clement did not know where toВ turn from the shattering truth. The beauty turned out toВ be aВ monster! The beauty turned out toВ be aВ dragon! How can you call aВ sparkling, albeit gigantic creature inВ orange and gold scales aВ monster? The luxurious scales make it look like aВ whole treasure trove ofВ amber!

В«Amber must be your favorite stone.В»

«What do you mean?» Raymonda shook off the ashes from her skirts. Clement only now noticed the ashes on the hem of her skirts. He was glad it wasn’t scales. A dress with scales instead of lace trim would have looked too unnatural.

«I’ll give you a set of amber jewels if I’m made king,» he promised her.

В«It is better sapphires!В» Raymonda cheered up. В«IВ do love sapphires! Are you going toВ ask me toВ marry you?В»

«Why should I?» He was all hot and furious. He blurted out that if his uncle had not already asked him in marriage, he would ask her to marry him right away. And he’d have his own personal battle dragon in addition to his sweetheart. Well, just like a fairy tale! But his fussy uncle thwarted his plans. If he couldn’t marry who he wanted, magic would do. Though Raymonda may know a thing or two about magic, she wouldn’t fight for him. It is one thing to save him from death, and quite another to enter a magical tournament.

В«Gifts as expensive as aВ set ofВ jewels are only given toВ the one they wish toВ marry,В» she remarked coquettishly. В«They are usually given byВ the matchmaker. IВ know!В»

В«Has anyone ever asked you inВ marriage?В» He asked, and his heart sank. В«Was it aВ king or two?В»

В«Several!В»

«I didn’t realize they all wanted a dragon bride. Probably they wanted to protect the border… You could burn an army, you know. If only the suitors knew you were duplicitous, they could understandably want you.»

Clement tried to speak lightheartedly, but his jealousy suddenly seemed to burn more deeply than a dragon’s claws.

«I think you’re willing to shower me with gifts because you want to offer me the humiliating position of royal favorite, not wife,» she teased him impudently.

«Honestly, I can’t help it,» Clement said aloud, and began swearing at the only surviving uncle – wizard.

Damn his uncle! Clement was a fool. His uncle meddled in his nephew’s private life as if the prince were his own son. And he was a fool himself! He agreed with his uncle in everything. Honesty now made it impossible for him to break his oath or deceive Raimonda.

But Raimonda herself was not the sort ofВ girl who could be seduced byВ the promise ofВ marriage.

«I will not be anyone’s favorite! And I wasn’t even planning on getting married until now,» she declared. «I am my own mistress. And if anyone asked me to marry him, he’d be hot and bothered,» she showed a flame on her fingertips.

And what will she do toВ the man who offered her the place ofВ aВ minion? Clement backed away.

Maybe honestly confess to her that he’d been foisted on some rich princess he’d never seen in his life. But he himself would naturally prefer to marry a beauty who can turn into a dragon and burn the enemy army.

Whoa! What is wrong with him? How can he put the defense of the country on the fragile shoulders of women? Is he weak? So you really can’t marry a dragon. Better to wait for an ordinary bride. But he felt uneasy at the thought that it might not be Raymonda.

She would probably be the bodyguard his uncle had promised him. Who better toВ protect him than aВ real dragon? And he only knew the dragon would be aВ lady! Clement was confused. What could he do about his own feelings? He should never have known that dragons could change into beauties. Better that aВ pretty girl was his bride and aВ dragon was aВ sparkling monster inВ theВ sky.

But it was the other way around. One can only hope that the bride will perish on her way toВ him. He did not want toВ marry another after he had met Raymonda.

Though, come toВ think ofВ it, his uncle had promised him aВ profitable bride. And who could be more profitable than aВ dragon? AВ dragon could command an entire army, and she would have aВ great deal ofВ treasure stashed away. Leprechauns inВ the heath whispered something about hidden dragon treasure inВ the mountain caves.

«You’d better get up there and away from our supplies,» they hissed at Clement.

«Okay, I’ll be right back,» said Clement, uncertain of where to go on the moor. Everywhere he looked there was heather. It was except for the mountains.

The leprechauns wouldn’t touch Raymonda. Apparently, they feared she would fire on them and destroy their colony. There were too many of them in the heather.

She suddenly had aВ pile ofВ rings inВ her hands.

В«They are all from my suitors!В» She boasted. В«When they were courting me, they chose the most expensive ones without thinking ofВ the size. The rings are too big forВ me.В»

В«We can take them toВ the blacksmith and make them fit.В»

В«Is it toВ the smith?В» She gave aВ demonstration ofВ fiery breathing.

«Well, you could probably resize them yourself, since you’re a sorceress.»

«It’s not the size, it’s the meaning.»

В«What do you mean?В»

«If I still have them, I didn’t give them back to the groomsmen.»

«The only reason you can’t give an engagement ring back is because the groom is already dead,» Clement recalled, trying to count by eye how many rings she was holding. Was it twenty? Was it thirty? Was it fifty? In a word, a lot! «Could it be that all the givers are dead? How had it come to this?»

Unless she had lived forever, and inВ fact they were all her spouses, not fiancГ©s.

В«IВ burned them!В» She startled him with her confession. В«Do you know why?В»

«How should I know?» That’s what she does with suitors! So no one has a chance with her, unless you want to be burned on your wedding night or right on your wedding day. «I don’t know them all.»

«They’re not right for me. If you disappoint me, the same thing will happen to you.»

«That is, if I ask you to marry me, like they all do. Don’t worry. I’m not going to.»

В«Why is it not?В»

Well, how can you understand her? Is she provoking him.В»

В«IВ already have aВ fiancГ©e.В»

В«Are you sure about that?В»

He nodded.

«But I’m not,» she said, as if she had the final word. She can’t be sure she’s going to burn his bride. Well, he’ll probably be grateful to her for freeing him from his bonds.

В«We must see your uncle this evening,В» she said, glancing up at the darkening sky. В«We shall have aВ serious talk.В»

Her tone was darker than the dwindlingВ sky.

Dragon caves

Piles ofВ gold and glittering stones lined the caves. Here was the envy ofВ the leprechauns ofВ the heather. Clement whistled inВ surprise.

«Surprised at how much I’ve… well, accumulated,» she thought aloud. «Normally dragons rob or tax, but here I am just collecting shiny trinkets. I can’t help it when I see something shiny. They told me it would, but I didn’t believe it… Now I’m acting like a magpie.»

В«Are you going toВ buy the whole kingdom?В»

«I’m not going to spend what I’ve saved up at all. Didn’t you know that dragons are attracted to the sheen of treasure, not to what they can buy?»

В«You bought something at the fair,В» Clement remembered.

«Yes,» she said, «but the coins are bewitched. They slip through the dealers’ hands and back into my purse. They’re adept at rolling down the road in the right direction, and they’ll crawl back up the mountain or the wall, if they have to. After all, I am their owner.»

That’s what the elves’ coinage on her coins meant! They were enchanted!

В«What talent is it!В» praised Clement. В«With it you do not need new gold.В»

«But unfortunately that’s what attracts me, like a magnet. It’s not greed! It’s just that dragons are attracted to gold. There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s like we’re its slaves. There’s an ancient legend that explains it.»

He wished she hadn’t talked about dragons! For now she is beautiful again! And slender, and delicate, and like a beautiful snow-white flower. Clement wanted to kiss her. Even if he burned himself on her lips, he wouldn’t care.

As if out ofВ spite at that moment his uncle appeared, as if he had grown from the bottom ofВ aВ cave. Something glittering, like stardust, swirled around his dense figure. And the cave with his arrival was filled with green smoke, as if from an ancient lamp had just been released aВ genie, which now hovers over the treasures.

«Abraham!» Raymonda wasn’t expecting him so early. «You didn’t even knock!»

Clement looked around the sides of the cave in amazement. There aren’t even any doors to knock on. There were just rocky ledges. But there are also stalactites and stalagmites. Was there some kind of door between the worlds? Who would understand these magicians? He felt superfluous in the company. His uncle was an expert in magic. Raymonda is a great sorceress, capable of changing appearance. He himself was new to sorcery and had no knowledge of it. He only learned a few formulas because his uncle made him. But he doesn’t think he can make much use of them.

«Darling, these are such hard times that you can put etiquette aside,» Abraham excused himself awkwardly. The green smoke around his figure was dissipating. Clement noticed that uncle was dressed like an oriental magician. He’d changed his doublet and hat for trousers and a fancy turban with a peacock feather. He must have found a place at the court in Etar and become like the local sultan. At home he wore the cap and gown of a stargazer only occasionally, and only when he was in a secret magic lab.

В«Times are hard, indeed,В» Raymonda sighed, steam coming from her nostrils. В«Colonies ofВ woodland and field creatures are feeling hostage. They complain that the black magic is no longer spreading from Shai, but directly from the capital ofВ Aluar, and is restricting all their movements. Dryads and fairies have all but lost their power. Even the nymphs inВ the forest lakes feel stunted and sickly. Lord ofВ Shai longs toВ command all. Those who do not obey will either perish, or be weakened toВ the state ofВ living relics, or imprisoned inВ blocks ofВ ice, inВ the snow, inВ boulders. This has already happened toВ many ofВ my friends and girlfriends. IВ feel alone.В»

В«You are not alone! You have aВ beautiful prince,В» Abraham reminded her.В«He is handsome! He is prince Charming!В»

Raymonda scornfully sniggered. В«He would have been better if he had been gifted!В»

В«Clement will show himself,В» the uncle promised.

So far it had been Raymonda who had flaunted her powers. She’s shown her dragon like strength and wisdom, saved the heir of the state, ladled out the treasure pile, and cared for all magical creatures in general. Clement was astonished. He’d thought dragons were selfish creatures. They hoarded their wealth and slaughtered civilians. But she cared for all who were in distress. He found such behavior incongruous with the image of the dragon that burned entire cities before his eyes.

В«Raymonda is no ordinary dragon!В» the uncle explained. В«She is bewitched.В»

«Is she enchanted?» Clement’s feet started to fall from the floor of the cave, and his uncle slapped him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture that barely kept him on his feet. What a strong man Abraham had become since he’d left the king’s castle. His palm feels like steel. At home he must have controlled his power, but now there was nothing to hide. In today’s environment, only the strongest survive.

В«What does it mean?В»

«Don’t you know the meaning of that word? I must have taught you for nothing.»

Of course, Clement knew what «bewitched» meant, but it didn’t quite fit with the way Raymonda looked. She was so self-confident! Enchanted ladies are usually lethargic and ugly and feel inhibited because they are, in fact, under pressure from others. Raymonda, on the other hand, was cocky and felt very free and uninhibited. She could burn down the next town right now.

В«Was she sure someone had cast aВ spell on her?В» He was more inclined toВ believe that she had cast aВ spell on someone herself. Like his uncle. Abraham had changed aВ lot since Clement had last seen him, and not for the better. Maybe Raymonda had deceived him byВ pretending toВ be aВ victim instead ofВ aВ huntress.

«My dear!» the uncle slapped him on the shoulder again. He might as well kill him! Clement went to the other end of the cave to sit down on a pile of gold, and noticed the skulls lying there. They were grinning viciously out of a thicket of glittering coins and necklaces. Clement immediately dissuaded himself from sitting down. He’d rather stand.

«I’ve long kept a list of all the enchanted ladies around the globe. There are quite a few of them. Some have been turned into a peacock, some into a swan, some into a cat the size of a man, and some into a flower of a thorny rose that catches strangers with its stems. There are those who have been robbed of their minds or their beauty by magic. And there are those who have been turned into vicious vampires through sorcery. But Princess Raymonda is the first to be turned into a true dragon.»

So she is a princess after all! That’s what Clement thought. He wasn’t wrong!

«Magic works differently on everyone, depending on the wishes of the one casting the spell,» the uncle went on to spout. He loved to lecture on spells. «The more a witch or sorcerer was offended, the harder the curse was, but sometimes it had side effects. It is in the case of Raymonda. She turned out to be stronger than the one who bewitched her. And now he’s afraid of her himself. That’s why she’s perfect for you.»

«But whether I’m right for her? She seems to dream of having a dragon knight.»

She stomped her foot and the walls ofВ the cave began toВ crack.

«Careful, my dear, or the whole place will collapse,» his uncle was frightened. «You still haven’t learned how to control your power.»

«Why would I want to do that? Being strong is an advantage. Maybe I don’t even want anyone to cast a spell on me at all.»

Raymonda whistled aВ song ofВ graceful charms while scribbling witchcraft-like letters on the wall ofВ the cave with her fiery breath. Abraham moved cautiously away from her. It suddenly dawned on Clement that his uncle was afraid ofВ her. Even he is powerless against her fire, just as he is powerless against the enchantments placed uponВ her.

«Do you want the secret kingdoms of the forest to fall under the rule of Shai’s ruler? His magic is spreading like black claws through the thicket, and soon it will reach them.»

Raymonda frowned. Abraham’s eyes pierced her.

«If the usurper is not expelled from the human kingdom, the elves countries bordering the Aluar risk falling under his influence. You don’t want your winged blond buddies to become his slaves.»

«Sometimes they’re so insolent, it’ll be a lesson to them,» Raymonda didn’t like to give in.

«I didn’t think you’d have to be persuaded. Do you really dislike Clement so much that you’re willing to give up everything you used to cherish?»

В«He turned out toВ be kind ofВ unreasonable.В»

«But he’s prettier than any of your former suitors. So why are you displeased?»