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She didn’t understand why she was down here, a chain binding her to the far side of the wall. The cold stone floor was uncomfortable, scraping against her barely covered legs as her dress, in tatters, folded around her skin. She refused to move too much, for the sound of the clanging metal was too harsh for her ears to bear.
Suddenly, a sound came from upstairs. She knew she was in a basement in a cabin, but she didn’t know who would visit her here. She’d been here for forever.
And forever.
And forever.
She probably deserved it.
Heavy footsteps echoed above her, the wood creaking as whoever was stomping around had no intention of hiding their approach. She prayed it wasn’t an enemy, and while she would have no issue dealing with them, she really would like an easy way out. It’d been too long since she had been a true princess, a beautiful dress and a pure, golden crown. She remembered the feeling of gentle claws slipping her wrists through chains that were two sizes too big, and she glanced down at the ones currently binding her to the basement. These were not two sizes too big.
She listened, and listened carefully for the all too familiar sound of a pristine blade being picked up, but the metallic ring never came. She felt hope rise in her chest. Maybe she would have a good ending this time.
The door opened, hinges groaning. She felt words leave her mouth, soft and kind, but she couldn’t remember what she said. All she remembered was the response.
“I’m here to save you.”
She couldn’t tell if he was lying, if the dragon was manipulating her into being desperately thankful as he tricked her, stabbing her in the back the moment that pristine blade came falling through the ceiling because of that damned echo. She hated him, hated the thought of the man who wanted to cheat death so badly that he wanted to rid the world of her forever. She was necessary, however much she might want to not be.
She spoke, and the dragon slowly creeped down the stairs once again. He was beautiful, and she didn’t know if she only thought that because of what he wanted her to think. She never knew what her own thoughts were anymore — not between Her and him. The two gods controlling the world, and controlling her along with it.
He examined her chains, and she felt her lips curl upward, smiling as he handled her with care. Maybe he wasn’t lying. That would be absolutely wonderful to have the lovestruck one again. He was so nice.
The dragon left to check upstairs, the sound of the door slamming shut reverberating in her head. She felt her body tremble, and when he came back down looking crazed, she knew what her body would do. She brought her chained hand to her mouth and tore, her teeth sharper now than they were a few moments ago. She tasted metal in her mouth, and suddenly hands were on her. She couldn’t tell if he was saving her or slaying her until the sharp sting of iron replaced her mouth on her wrist. Save it was.
She was excited, a true grin spreading across her face as she stood, finally free from her bindings. What a blessing.
She knew what happened next, but she wasn’t even worried. He had spoken to her kindly, and he had saved her with the softest hands she had ever felt. He went to leave with her, the bloodied knife still in his hands. She turned her back to him, knowing the echo that would whisper control in the dragon’s ear. A warning reached her, and she felt her expression contort into fear even as she was internally blooming with happiness. The dragon had warned her.
She dodged, feeling her one hand scrape against the stone floor. She saw the conflict in his eyes, and a horrid monster called hope crawled into her heart. The dragon remained frozen in place, and she knew that the second decision was made. She stepped forward carefully and slipped the knife from his trembling hands, feeling pity for her dragon as she stabbed him over and over again, having to pretend not to know how to handle a blade, even as she could’ve ended this for him quickly.
He collapsed to the floor, slowly bleeding out and she collapsed with him, tears staining her cheeks with pink. Blood and tears weren’t the only thing bringing pink to her face. Her dragon had died for her, and as the entire world went black with his death, she felt herself smile.
♢-♢
She was in a nicer basement now, already smiling. Her dress wasn’t in tatters anymore, in fact, it was quite nice. Multiple layers fell over her legs, and she glanced down at her chain, already seeing how large it was. She could slip out now if she wanted, but she held herself back. If she did that, it would change the story, and she needed her dragon to be the knight and shining armor for this to work correctly, so she remained still.
Her hair felt softer, curled around her in ringlets much too difficult to maintain for a prisoner, and she wondered how he never questioned things like this. Well, he did ask her what she ate one time, and she had brushed him off, not knowing how else to respond when he wasn’t supposed to know that she was a part of a deity.
The door creaked open, and she relaxed. Her dragon was here.
“My dashing hero.”
Her compliment suited him as he flowed down the stairs, not a blade in sight. This was setting up to be perfect.
He didn’t want her to end the world, and she smiled as she affirmed to him that she did not, in fact, end the world. She would have, if he wanted her to, though.
He came towards her, holding her wrist gently as her hand was slipped through those bindings that she could’ve gotten out of herself. But for right now, she was happy to be his damsel.
“What do you want to do now?”
She wanted to leave. She wanted to sit on the grass and hold his hand, stargazing.
She couldn’t say that though.
“I just want to make you happy!”
He cocked his head to the side, his expression exasperatedly fond. She was almost worried that he would keep pushing, but all he did was offer her his hand as he glanced up at the door, looking back down at her with a smile.
He held her hand, glancing back at her softly every time they stepped up the stairs together. She was struggling to not step over her dress, but then they stopped at the door. The echo was yelling in his mind, she knew it. But he ignored it, eyes flickering back at her in a gentle gaze. She wanted to cherish him, to hold him in Her many arms until they were one once again. But she knew that he didn’t want that. Last time, he wanted her. Just…her.
Not Her.
But her.
“Together?”
Together they pushed the door open, and she breathed in a sigh of relief as she felt the upstairs of the cabin expand around her. The basement was large and vast, but the upstairs was beautiful, and the dragon holding her hand made the view even better.
Her dragon walked past the blade without so much as hesitating. She felt her heart swell.
And then the last door.
He glanced back at her, eyes affectionate and genuine. And then he opened the door, allowing her to step outside first.
And god, she had forgotten how wonderful the outside was when she wasn’t dying. When she didn’t have many arms and no face, when she wasn’t larger than the cabin itself, when her dress wasn’t made of her own flesh — well, that one was good when the echo left, leaving her and the dragon outside, even if the hero wasn’t there with them.
But now… now would always be her favorite. When everything was easy and the stars were bright, but she still glanced over at her dragon every moment she got. He was the best view in the accursed construct of the echo’s making.
He stepped towards her, and she shivered.
She was so cold, even as she smiled softly at her love.
Hands held her, not nearly as gentle as him.
She closed her eyes.
At least she had a small moment of respite.
Her dragon was perfect.