True Beauty

by DarkMoonFox

A new twist on a classic fairytale. Currently unfinished. Reviews make me write faster. Especially if they include ideas for what happens next. (name changed because I came up with something better)

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a girl with raven hair, light grayish-green eyes, and pale skin from years of avoiding the sun. She lived alone in a house on the outskirts of her village, and although the villagers never treated her poorly, she never quite felt that she fit in. Her parents had been storytellers, and ever since her childhood, she had been enthralled and enchanted by the fairytales her parents read to her. When she was old enough to read for herself, she avidly devoured every story she could get her hands on. When she finally turned twenty one, she decided it was time to move on and find her own fairytale.

The day on which Sebella had chosen to leave had developed just to her liking; overcast with a light breeze. She smiled to herself as she donned her traveling cloak and mounted her horse, Faelan. There was only one road through the village and about an hour's ride beyond the village was a dark forest that was surrounded by myths and legends. That was where Sebella was headed. As she rode through the little town, the residents stopped and stared asking each other where she could be off to. Of course, she didn't say a word; she simply continued on her way.

When she reached the fork in the road where one could choose between going through the forest or around it, she smiled to herself upon remembrance of all the stories she had read that took place in a dark, mysterious forest and turned Faelan towards the path through the woods. She had been riding in the forest for the better part of the afternoon when she caught the scent of rain on the wind and decided to stop for the night. She and Faelan took refuge under a tree and Faelan allowed her to use him as a pillow. Sebella fell asleep with the storm as her lullaby. When the next morning came, she awoke to the sounds of birds and rustling tree leaves. She got up slowly, stretching herself, when suddenly a small furry creature darted out of the tree she was under and landed on her head. Faelan whinnied and stood hurriedly, backing up a few steps, but although she was surprised Sebella remained relatively still. The creature moved to her shoulder and hissed at some unknown irritant in the tree it had just vacated. Sebella calmly extended her arm and it ran down and jumped to the ground. When she got a good look at it, the creature was much like a cross between a rabbit and a cat. It had a short muzzle and long ears with an elongated body like a ferret. Its tail and legs were thin like a cat's and the fur from its head to its stomach was long and thick while the rest of its fur was short and close to its body. Most of its fur was cream colored, but it had red markings on the top half of its head, the tips of its ears, the end of its tail, and halfway up its legs. There was a small gold band near the end of its tail with strange symbols on it and a garnet gem adorned its forehead. Its eyes were a soft golden color with large pupils that made it look cute and sweet. Sebella wasn't sure what it was, but she liked it already. The little creature stared at her with a look of curiosity as she studied it. Deciding to see what it wanted, she knelt down and held out her hand. The animal stared at her for a moment, unsure of how safe it was to approach.

"It's alright little one. I won't hurt you." she stated soothingly.

Appearing to be satisfied by her declaration of good will it walked up and sniffed her hand, looking at her expectantly.

"Oh, I know what you want." she said, smiling.

Sebella reached into her bag and pulled out a few small pieces of dried meat and offered them to it. The creature sniffed them, its eyes lighting up as it quickly devoured the pile. When it was satisfied that even licking her hand would provide no more of the delectable flavor it scurried over to her bag, pawing and sniffing at it.

"Sorry little one, but I need the rest of it." she told it, putting the bag back on Faelan.

The creature ran back up to her and pawed at her leg.

"I'm sorry, I can't give you any more." she repeated.

The animal jumped onto her arm and, from there, crawled up to her shoulders then draped itself across them, nuzzling her cheek.

"Are you saying you want to come with me?" Sebella questioned.

The creature purred happily and stayed where it was.

"Alright then, I suppose I don't mind, but if you're going to stay with me I'll have to give you a name." she sighed.

It cocked its head in question.

"You're a slim little thing, so how about Cael; it means slender." she suggested.

The creature perked its ears and nuzzled her happily.

"I'll take that as a yes." she stated, smiling.

She mounted Faelan and they started off again, although Sebella was unsure of the time because the forest was so thick that one could scarcely tell the difference between night and day. It was several hours later when Sebella saw a castle through the trees. Upon reaching it, she told Faelan to stay and wait for her while she checked it out. The walkway to the castle was lined with statues of dragons and the castle itself seemed to be completely decorated with them as well. Sebella cautiously approached the first statue. It didn't move so she continued on, but as soon as she passed it, the statue's eyes glowed red as did the eyes of every other statue she passed. About halfway down the walkway, the statues in front of her began to leave their pedestals and advance towards her. Cael flattened his ears and growled defensively. Sebella stopped in her tracks. The dragons behind her were doing the same, and all of them were growling menacingly as they surrounded her. Suddenly, a voice rang out.

"That's enough!"

Sebella turned towards the sound. There on the roof was a figure dressed in a long cloak. It jumped down and landed gracefully. She smiled slightly as it began to walk towards her. The dragon statues around her bowed their heads before retreating back to their posts. When the figure finally reached her, it spoke again.

"What are you doing here?"

"I've been traveling; when I saw this castle I wanted to find out if anyone lived here and maybe take a look around inside." she replied.

The figure was silent, but turned its head away.

"Would you mind taking off your hood so I can meet you properly?" she requested.

The figure huffed before answering. "You asked for it."

Slowly, the hood was removed to reveal what appeared to be a humanoid dragon. His head was clearly draconic as were his legs and tail, but his arms and torso were that of a human, except for the claws and scales. His scales were emerald and what would've been his underside was ivory colored. A mane of black fur ran from his forehead and down along his spine all the way to the tip of his tail. Two bright golden orbs with slits for pupils stared at her in anticipation, but Sebella simply stared back in awe. Cael hissed, but she quickly shushed him although his tail continued to twitch nervously.

"Well, aren't you going to run?" he questioned.

"No, I don't think I am." she replied.

His eyes widened in shock for a second before returning to normal.

"It's not exactly safe for you to be here." he commented.

"How so, besides you of course." she questioned sarcastically.

"It doesn't matter. You should leave the way you came." he retorted.

"I'm a tough girl. The things I can handle might surprise you." she told him.

"Fine, but don't blame me if what you think you can handle ends up biting your head off." he snapped.

"It's a deal, dragon boy." she responded.

"Follow me." he told her, glaring as he turned towards the castle.

Sebella did as she was told and trailed close behind him. The castle seemed even bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. There were numerous hallways and doors that Sebella was determined to explore as soon as possible. Just then, her host spoke, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Since you're a maiden, you shouldn't go exploring too freely around here. I'd advise you to keep your hair tied up at all times, in case you run into one of my other guests. Make sure you keep your, pet, close by at all times as well. If you do come across one of the other visitors, be very polite and don't speak unless spoken to. Most of them are proud with fragile egos." he instructed cryptically.

"I'll keep all that in mind, even though it seems senseless. Is there anywhere I can go without asking permission first?" she asked.

"Any door that has a label on it is safe, otherwise, stay out if you value your life." he answered.

"Thanks." she responded bluntly.

"I have some business to take care of, so don't wander off too far."

"Alright, I'll see you later." she replied.

Sebella pulled her long raven hair into a bun and set off to find out if this castle had a library. It didn't take her long to find it. She opened the large double doors and entered something akin to what she pictured heaven might look like. There were shelves upon shelves of books as far as the eye could see. When she finally caught her breath, Sebella began to hunt for the section that would house the kinds of books her parents once read to her; but as she searched the rows, she suddenly felt a hot breath on her back. Her instincts immediately told her to stay still and silent, and she did just that.

"Turn around, little one. I mean you no harm." said a deep voice behind her.

Sebella cautiously did as the voice commanded, although she kept her eyes on the floor and bowed deeply. As if knowing hostility would be foolish, Cael was silent.

"I sincerely apologize if I was at all inconveniencing you. I wish you no disrespect." she said.

The voice chuckled. "If I were the arrogant type, I do believe you would have just won me over."

"Thank you." she replied.

"Please, do not bow on my account. Raise your head and allow me to see the face of whom I am speaking to." he told her.

Sebella straightened her posture and looked up to meet the eyes of a serpentine oriental dragon. Her eyes widened in shock before they began shining with delight. Dragons were, by far, her favorite magical creature.

"That's much better. Now, tell me your name, little one and also the name of your furry friend." he said.

"My name is Sebella, and this is Cael." she replied.

"You may call me Ryusei." he said.

"Ryusei, it's an honor to meet you. I've never seen a real dragon before, but I've always wanted to." she told him.

The dragon seemed both surprised and pleased at this.

"It is my pleasure to meet you as well. So Sebella, what brings you to the library?" he questioned.

"Actually, I was looking for the fairytale section. My parents were storytellers, but I finished reading all the books they had a long time ago. I wanted to see if I could find something new in this collection." she answered.

"In that case, I can lead you there." Ryusei told her.

He turned and Sebella followed him. During their short journey, Sebella got a better look at her newfound friend. His scales were sapphire while his underside was pure white. She had noticed during their conversation that his eyes were a dark shade of blue. He had a pair of horns on his head that looked as though they were cut from pearls and a beard befitting his breed. He also possessed a silver mane of fur that ran from his forehead to the tip of his tail, much like her host.

"Here it is; enough to satisfy you to your heart's content." he said.

"Thank you Ryusei." she replied.

"My pleasure, it is not often that I get company." he commented.

Sebella spent the remainder of the day in the library with Ryusei reading book after book that she was sure her parents would've loved, while Cael slept on her lap.

Meanwhile, the master of the castle was stalking the halls on his daily round of checking on the state of things while contemplating the strangeness of his newest guest. He was not accustomed to human visitors, much less unaccompanied traveling maidens. She didn't even have the decency to act like a normal lady! How dare she not cower in fear when she saw him! Yes, the more he thought about it, the more it irked him. There was something fishy about the whole situation; there had to be. Who ever heard of a girl brave enough to leave her village alone, not to mention stare directly into the eyes of a humanoid dragon without so much as flinching? Maybe she was a witch's apprentice; she certainly wasn't a full-fledged witch. No, he had experience with them, and the memory still made him bristle. He growled softly before banishing the thought from his mind. Whatever this girl was, he would find out soon enough. There were eyes and ears all over the castle. With that, he realized his task was finished; so he decided to locate his new arrival. He looked to the nearest dragon statue.

"Where is the girl?" he asked.

The statue's eyes glowed blue and he was shown a vision of the doors to the library.

"Good work." he said, before heading toward the aforementioned room.

When the hour was late, Sebella bade her new friend farewell and went off in search of her host. She was shocked to find him right outside the library doors with his arms crossed and a glare on his face.

"I trust you stayed out of trouble today." he remarked.

"Yes, but how did you know I was in here?" she questioned.

"Magic, nothing happens in this castle without me knowing about it." he responded.

"Ok, that's slightly unnerving." she muttered.

"Did you find anything of interest?" he asked.

"I did. You have quite a collection. I also met one of your 'guests'." she answered.

"Oh really, what do you think of my visitors?" he inquired, smirking.

"I was more than happy to meet one of them. Dragons are my favorite magical creatures." she told him.

The smirk melted instantly from his features.

"In fact, I would go so far as to say I made friends with the dragon I met." she continued.

"What was the dragon's name?" he asked quietly.

"His name is Ryusei. He must be a long way from home, because he doesn't look like any of the dragons I've seen pictures of." she replied.

"He isn't from around here, and his kind isn't normally dangerous to humans. You got lucky." he stated.

"If he was a threat, I doubt I would've found him in a library." she retorted.

"Watch your mouth! Attitude like that'll get you reduced to ashes around here." he snapped.

"My horse; is he safe?" she asked, changing the subject.

"He's fine. I put him in the stable so my guests wouldn't make a meal of him." he answered.

"Thank you. Faelan means a lot to me." she said.

"Don't mention it." he replied.

"Would you mind if I, stayed here for awhile?" she requested.

"Why do you want to stay?" he questioned suspiciously.

"You intrigue me, and so do your guests." she explained.

"Do whatever you want. Why should it matter to me?" he responded.

"Thank you." she said.

"Come on, let's find you a room." he told her.

The empty room he found for her was beyond spacious. It was decorated in black and several tones of blue with a few silver accents. All the furniture was made of cherry wood, including a giant four poster bed and the walls were adorned with tapestries depicting dragons of all shapes and sizes. It even had an adjoining bathroom.

"You can use this chamber." he stated.

"It's incredible, I love it; thank you so much!" she replied, still looking around in awe.

"You're welcome, just watch your back. This is still a dangerous place for a young maiden." he warned.

"I will, but just in case, where's your room?" she questioned.

"It's at the end of the hall." he answered.

"Ok, goodnight dragon boy." she said, smiling.

"Goodnight weird girl." he responded, smirking.

Later on, said 'dragon boy' was doing some reconnaissance work with the help of the head castle guardian statue.

"Do you sense any magic around her?" he inquired.

The statue's eyes glowed red, signaling a negative response.

"What about the little furry thing; it could be a familiar." he continued.

The statue's eyes glowed green for yes.

"Is it dark magic, like witch's magic?" he questioned.

The eyes glowed red.

"Let me guess, it's inborn magic." he groaned.

The eyes glowed green.

"She can't be normal; what is she?" he asked, frustrated.

The statue's eyes glowed blue and he was shown a vision of a mirror.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he growled.

This time, the statue gave no response.

The next morning, Sebella returned to the library with some questions for her new friend.

"Greetings Sebella, I did not expect to see you back so soon." Ryusei commented, smiling.

"Yeah, the dragon boy said I could stay here for awhile." she explained, making Ryusei smile wider at the nickname.

"Can you tell me about my host? What's his story?" she asked.

"Alas, I am not at liberty to say, little one. You must ask him yourself." he answered.

"I don't think he's the type to go spilling his past to random strangers." she commented.

"Then do not be a random stranger." he replied.

"Do you always pick the most difficult solution?" she questioned.

"Perhaps, but it may only seem that way because nothing worth doing is ever easy." he told her.

"Are all dragons this wise or are you special?" she asked.

Ryusei laughed. "You amuse me, little one, and wise dragons are far more common in my homeland than they are here." he said.

"Ok, next question; do you have any books that can help me figure out what Cael is?" she inquired.

"Hm, I believe I've seen a book on the identification of magical creatures in the wild; follow me." he responded, leading the way.

Ryusei managed to locate the requested tome, and Sebella began scouring its pages for clues. As it turned out, Cael was of a species known as the ferrabbet. The book stated that ferrabbets were smart, fast, agile, and extremely loyal when tamed. It also said that the color of their fur was subject to change depending on the season; during most of the year their fur was cream with red markings, but in winter it was entirely silvery white so they could blend in with the snow to avoid predators. The gem atop the forehead was apparently unique to each ferrabbet, and reportedly had magical qualities that only the creature itself could tap into. The only thing the book had no explanation for was the ring on Cael's tail. When she asked Ryusei for his insight on the matter, he told her that he had never seen such a thing but promised to look into it.

Later that afternoon, Sebella went to visit her mysterious host.

"What do you want?" he asked, after she had knocked.

"I want to talk to you." she replied.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because I want to get to know you." she answered.

"What for?" he continued.

"Just let me in, please?" she said.

There was silence, and then, the door opened.

"You are, without doubt, the strangest girl I have ever met." he told her.

"Why, because I'm not scared out of my wits by your appearance, or because I boldly go where danger is rumored to lurk? Maybe because I don't judge a book by its cover?" she guessed.

"All that and more." he replied.

"I want to know your story, your past. What happened to make you the way you are; and I don't mean just physically." she said.

"Why should I tell you?" he asked.

"Maybe I can help. It's the least I can do after you've been so hospitable." she answered.

He was silent for a minute before he spoke.

"I, used to be a normal human. I was a prince and this castle was my home. Ever since I was young, I'd always had a fascination with dragons. My mother never seemed to mind, but my father didn't think it proper for me to go around making friends with dragons instead of slaying them like a normal heir to the throne. It didn't take long before I earned the nickname of the dragon prince. When my parents died, I took over, but apparently, my father wasn't the only one who didn't think my love of dragons was a good thing. The villagers rioted and when that didn't work, they hired a witch. When she was told of the situation, she came up with what she thought was the perfect curse. She turned me into the creature you now see standing before you, therefore making my nickname even more fitting. It also included enchanting the castle, so I would be bound to it and unable to escape. When the villagers attacked the castle in an attempt to kill me, I was lucky enough for a few of my dragon friends to be close by. They came to my rescue and fought off the invasion. Since then I've stayed in the castle and made it a haven for all dragons as a thank you to the ones who saved my life With their help, I even figured out how to tap into the magic enchanting the castle and use it for all kinds of things." he explained.

"That's amazing, you've got quite a story." she commented.

"To you, I guess it would be, but I don't know how to break the curse." he replied.

"It's too bad curses don't come with instruction manuals." she said.

He snickered a bit.

"Did you just laugh?" she asked.

"No, I don't laugh!" he denied.

"If you say so; by the way, what's your name?" she questioned.

"It's, Kieran." he answered.

"Kieran, my name is Sebella. Although my parents used to call me Belle; they said it meant beauty in a foreign language." she told him.

"Sebella, that's a pretty name." he commented.

"Thanks, I like yours too." she replied.

"What is your little friend's name?" he asked.

"Oh, this is Cael. I met him in the woods, gave him a few scraps, and he hasn't left my side since." she answered.

"Would you, like to meet some of the other dragons?" he offered.

"I'd love to." she accepted.

"Come with me." he told her, taking her hand.

Truth be told, he half expected her to shy away from his claw of a hand, but instead she grasped it as if it belonged to a normal human. At this, he smiled inwardly.

"This is Gureth's room." Kieran told her, stopping at a door several hallways later.

"What is he like?" Sebella asked.

"I think you'll like him. He's a young dragon, so he's playful and fun to be around." he answered, knocking on the door.

A second later the door opened.

"Well well, if it isn't Prince Kieran. What brings you here?" Gureth questioned, giving a toothy dragon grin.

"I thought you might like to meet a friend of mine." Kieran replied.

"Is this your friend, or have you hired a maid?" Gureth joked, peeking around Kieran's shoulder.

"Yeah, Gureth this is Sebella and the small furry thing on her shoulder is Cael. Sebella, this is Gureth." Kieran said.

Gureth was a red dragon with an ivory underbelly and glinting golden eyes full of mischief. Sebella liked him already, and surprisingly Cael seemed to as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you little missy. I hope dragon boy hasn't been tainting your first impression of me with stories." Gureth commented.

"It's nice to meet you too, and the only thing he said was that you were playful and fun to be around." Sebella answered, giggling a bit that they both had the same nickname for their host.

"Aww, you said that Kieran? I knew you weren't as hard as your scales all the way through!" Gureth remarked, poking him in the shoulder.

"Alright, that's enough of that." Kieran retorted, looking away.

"So Gureth, how long have you been living here?" Sebella asked.

"Long enough to have a solid friendship with our young prince here." Gureth replied.

"Is he always this serious or have I done something to ruin him for the rest of you?" Sebella questioned.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about that. Kieran practically invented the poker face." Gureth answered.

"Gureth, you're not helping!" Kieran snapped.

"What? Are you trying to woo this little lady?" Gureth said slyly with a devilish grin.

"No! You're just ruining her image of me." Kieran defended.

"I'm just telling her the truth, that's all." Gureth told him.

"Relax Kieran, I don't mind." Sebella said.

"Something tells me I'll live to regret introducing you two." Kieran sighed. "Come on, there are plenty more where he came from."

"See you later Gureth!" Sebella called.

"Count on it!" Gureth replied.

"You were right. I really like Gureth." Sebella commented.

"Yeah, I know. Just don't let him talk you into scheming behind my back." Kieran told her.

"If I were to scheme behind your back, it wouldn't be about anything I knew would deliberately upset you." she answered.

Kieran simply grunted in return. He stopped again farther down the hallway in front of another door.

"This room belongs to a dragon named Grier. Unlike Gureth, he's quite serious and a bit distrusting, but not to the point of being rude." he explained.

"So he's like you, only a little more polite." she replied, smiling.

"Very funny." he said sarcastically, as he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" asked a voice from inside.

"It's Kieran." he answered.

The door swung open.

"What a pleasant surprise young prince." said a dragon the color of gunmetal with a pale silver underbelly and icy blue eyes.

"It's good to see you too Grier. I'd like you to meet Sebella and her pet Cael." Kieran replied.

"I must say, long has it been since a female inhabited this castle. It's a pleasure to meet you young lady." Grier remarked.

"The pleasure's all mine." Sebella answered, bowing respectfully.

"I approve Prince Kieran. She seems very trustworthy and has a good attitude." Grier told him.

"Thanks Grier, but it's not like I'm courting her." Kieran commented.

"Oh? Well that's a shame. It's been a long time since I last saw the glimmer of happiness in your eyes." Grier replied.

"Does that mean he likes me?" Sebella asked.

"I believe so my lady." Grier answered.

"Grier, you're embarrassing me." Kieran muttered.

"My apologies young prince, but I was merely speaking based on observation." Grier said.

Kieran sighed heavily.

"Don't get upset Kieran. Dragons are notoriously truthful." Sebella told him.

"Let's go." Kieran replied.

"Do visit again soon Lady Sebella." Grier remarked.

"I will." Sebella promised, following Kieran.

"Why do I suddenly feel betrayed by every dragon in this castle?" Kieran commented.

"Don't worry about it. If it makes you feel any better, I promise to think nothing of what they've said." Sebella offered.

"I allow one random girl to stay here for awhile on a whim and automatically everyone jumps to conclusions." he said.

"They weren't jumping to anything. I told you, dragons are notoriously truthful." she told him.

"Don't you think I know that?" he snapped.

"You need to loosen up." she remarked.

"I can't loosen up. I can't afford to in my position." he replied.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Just because I'm surrounded by dragons here doesn't mean I'm safe. The second I venture outside these walls, I'm in danger; even if it's the castle grounds." he answered.

"How, as far as I know, not a soul is aware that you're here." she said.

"It doesn't matter. If anyone saw me, I'd be hunted again just like before." he told her.

"I'd stand up for you." she said, hugging him gingerly.

Even Cael left his spot on Sebella's shoulder and rubbed up against his leg. His eyes widened in utter disbelief.

"This can't be real. There's just no way. I have to be dreaming." he thought, attempting to shake it off.

"You're not dreaming." she commented, as if reading his mind.

"No, let go of me. You don't know anything about me." he said, pulling away.

"I'm not like the rest of the world. I don't fit in either." she told him.

"You can't understand. You're still human." he retorted.

"That doesn't matter. Just because I look like everyone else doesn't mean they accept me." she replied.

"Are you feared as though you were some sort of vicious animal?" he questioned.

"No, but I am alienated as though I'm some sort of freak." she answered.

He fell silent.

"Do you know why I was traveling in the first place?" she asked.

No answer.

"I wanted to find a place that would make me feel like I was home; a place where I felt like I belonged." she told him.

"If you expect that to be here, you're sadly mistaken." he said.

"You're wrong. The only way I could love it here more would be if my parents were with me." she replied.

"You defy every bit of logic I've ever known. How am I supposed to trust someone so unpredictable?" he questioned.

"Because I can promise you that I've never betrayed anyone, especially someone close to me." she answered.

"What are you?" he asked.

"To the best of my knowledge I'm a human, but I'm not entirely convinced. I suppose you can just call me your friend." she said, leaning her forehead on his chest.

This time, he slowly and somewhat awkwardly put his arms around her. Taking the hint, she hugged him again. Kieran still couldn't believe what was happening, but he decided it was safe to go along with it, at least for the time being.

"Come on; I'll walk you back to your room." he said softly.

"I'd like that very much." she agreed, taking his hand.

Cael jumped back up to his place on Sebella's shoulder, but stretched over to lick Kieran's cheek before settling down.

"You can't be much of a monster if a small furry animal isn't afraid of you." she commented.

Kieran simply smiled in response. They had gotten about halfway back when an unexpected event delayed them.

"Ah, Prince Kieran, just who I was looking for. I was wondering where I could find something to eat." said a pearl white dragon, while eyeing Sebella as well as Cael.

Cael growled softly and flattened his ears.

"The kitchen is downstairs. From there you should be able to use your nose to guide you." Kieran told him, stepping between the dragon and his companion.

"Or I could save myself the trip and enjoy the treats behind you." the dragon commented.

"They're both off limits Shiro." Kieran growled.

"Fine, if you insist." Shiro sighed, walking past them.

However, being the dragon he was, Shiro decided to seek a little vengeance for being robbed of his delicacy. As he retreated, he flicked his tail leaving a decent gash in Sebella's side. Sebella inhaled sharply and grabbed the wound as a wave of pain surged through her. Cael jumped down and made a sound that was somewhat of a screech in Shiro's direction, which seemed to disorient the dragon. Kieran was outraged. He shot after Shiro and dragged all ten claws down his vulnerable underside while he was distracted. Shiro roared in agony and glared at his attacker.

"An eye for an eye, touch her again and I won't be so merciful." Kieran warned.

Shiro simply growled and stalked off to nurse his injuries.

Kieran ran back to Sebella to take a look at the damage.

"Let me see." he commanded, moving her hand.

The cut was bleeding quite a bit. Cael returned to her shoulder and whined as he nuzzled her face.

"You're lucky. He could've done a lot worse. I should be able to patch it up." he told her.

She simply nodded in return. With that, he picked her up and carried her to the infirmary. Once there, he set her down gently on one of the cots.

"Do you want to take care of this, or are you ok with me doing it?" he asked.

"I trust you." she answered, pulling her shirt up enough to reveal the wound.

"That's going to need some stitches." he said, after he had cleaned it.

Sebella sighed. Cael whined again and moved to her lap, curling up in an attempt at comfort.

"I've got something that can take most of the pain away, but it's still going to hurt a bit." he offered.

"Alright." she agreed.

He handed her a small glass with blue liquid in it and a larger one full of water.

"Believe me; you're going to want the water after you drink that." he explained.

She drained the first glass quickly and immediately started on the water.

"I warned you." he commented.

After a few minutes, she noticed most of the pain was gone.

"Whatever that stuff was, it tasted awful, but it works." she said.

"Yeah." he replied, getting started on the stitches.

As soon as the needle touched her, Sebella grabbed Kieran's free hand and squeezed it.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Whenever she knew something was going to hurt, my mom told me to squeeze her hand so I didn't focus on the pain as much." she explained.

Kieran nodded and got back to work. He hated to admit it, but watching her grit her teeth in agony and try not to make a sound made the procedure almost as painful for him as it was for her, especially when the tears started falling. In an effort to help, he closed his hand around hers. After he got the cut sewn up, he found the softest bandages he had and wrapped it.

"Thank you." she said, putting her shirt back down.

"No problem." he replied.

"You seem upset." she commented.

"I'm sorry. I should've been able to protect you." he told her.

"It's not your fault." she answered.

"Then why do I feel like it is?" he questioned.

"It's ok, you did everything you could to help. Thanks to you, it probably won't even scar." she replied.

"I think you should stay with me for awhile. Shiro isn't the nicest of dragons and I don't want you running into him defenseless, especially not with an injury." he said.

"If that would put your mind at ease, then it's alright with me." she agreed. "I have to ask. Are all white dragons ill tempered?"

"Color really has nothing to do with it. Most dragons in general are respectable, upstanding creatures. Shiro's just an ass with an oversized ego." he told her.

"I'll remember that." she answered.

"Do you think you can walk?" he asked.

"We're about to find out." she replied, standing and taking a few steps. "I believe I can manage."

"Alright, but I want you to hold onto my arm just in case." he said.

She nodded in consent, as Cael jumped to his usual perch on her shoulder, and they started back to their previous destination. When they arrived, Sebella was quite impressed. Kieran had an even bigger room than hers. It was decorated in greens and blues with gold accents and mahogany wood. She could easily tell it was meant for a prince, maybe even a king.

"You can take the bed; I'll sleep on the couch." he offered.

"That's very chivalrous of you. Are you sure you'll be comfortable?" she questioned.

"Don't worry about me, you're the wounded one." he assured her, already lying down.

Sebella smiled and crawled under the covers with Cael curled up next to her.

The next morning, she decided to visit the library again. As expected, Kieran went with her, but just for her own protection. She had to admit, his facade of not caring was rather amusing, especially when she called his bluff.

"I haven't seen you in awhile, little one. I suppose you've been taking my advice." Ryusei said, noticing her right away.

"Yeah, Kieran and I have been getting to know each other." Sebella replied.

"You're injured." Ryusei commented, his nose twitching.

"You could tell?" Sebella asked, putting a hand to her side.

"It's still fresh, I can smell it." Ryusei answered, lowering his head to get a better look. "May I see?" he requested.

"Sure, but it's just a scratch." Sebella agreed, lifting her shirt.

"Who did this to you?" Ryusei questioned, running a claw gently along the bloodstain.

"A dragon named Shiro. He was a little upset that Kieran wouldn't let him eat me." Sebella explained.

"Our young prince was not able to stop this?" Ryusei remarked.

"It was a sneak attack; and he did avenge me, with some help from Cael." Sebella defended.

Cael's ears perked proudly.

"I see, so Kieran does think fondly of you." Ryusei said.

"She's my friend Ryusei, nothing more. Still, I couldn't let it go unpunished." Kieran told him.

"Denial can only last so long Prince Kieran." Ryusei commented.

"What is it with all of you insinuating that there's something between us?" Kieran snapped.

"If you are the only one who cannot see the forest through the trees, then perhaps you should look at it from someone else's perspective." Ryusei replied wisely.

"I would listen to him if I were you. His advice is really good." Sebella agreed.

Kieran sighed heavily and walked off.

"Don't mind him little one; he simply fears getting close to anyone who may not stay with him." Ryusei explained.

"I know, and I'm not forcing anything. I'm just trying to be his friend, but he gets so upset when the dragons hint at us being something more." Sebella said.

"I'll talk to the others. Prince Kieran has not had a human friend in so long. This must be eased into very carefully." Ryusei told her.

"Thanks." Sebella answered.

"My pleasure, little one; after all, I also consider you my friend." Ryusei replied.

"Oh, before I forget, did you find anything about the ring on Cael?" she asked.

"I have searched the library, but I cannot find even a scrap of information. I even went so far as to look for the meaning of the symbols engraved on it." he answered.

"Do you think any of the other dragons might be able to shed some light on the matter?" she questioned.

"Perhaps, I shall add it to my list of things to discuss." he responded.

Sebella smiled as she watched his lengthy form head towards the door. She herself decided to find out where Kieran had wandered off to; amazingly enough, she found him in the fairytale section.

"Why did you run off?" Sebella asked him.

"I don't appreciate being cross-examined by those who have no business sticking their noses into my life." he explained.

"I'm sure they're not trying to upset you on purpose." she told him.

"If that's true, then they're not doing a very good job." he retorted.

"Do you like these kinds of books?" she questioned, changing the subject.

"I did when I was younger. Now I find them depressing. Not every story can have a happy ending." he answered.

"Just because they have a happy ending doesn't mean they're not possible, but if you don't believe a happy ending exists, how can it?" she said.

"I've been like this for too long to believe in happy endings anymore." he told her, heading for the door.

"Please don't run away from me." she called.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, stopping and turning around.

"I want you to stop second guessing my intentions." she replied.

He gave her a questioning look.

"I'm trying to help you because you're my friend and I want you to be happy. I know the world has treated you badly, but don't pin their poor behavior on me. I have no ulterior motives." she explained.

"I hate trust. It's so fragile, and there's nothing you can do to guarantee it won't be broken. All you can do is hope the other person is true to their word." he said.

"I know, but I promised not to betray you, and I stand by my word." she told him as she turned to go with Cael at her heels.

"Wait." he whispered, grabbing her arm and spinning her around.

She looked at him curiously as he stared into her eyes.

"The eyes are the windows to the soul. I see, no lie in your eyes." he told her. "You have my trust; don't break it."

Sebella smiled and embraced him, as Cael rubbed up against his leg.

"I won't let you down." she promised.

"I hope you won't." he said, hugging her back.

The next day, Sebella went to visit Gureth.

"Well well, what have we here? The maiden comes to see the dragon of her own free will now? How ever will my kind get their exercise?" Gureth joked.

"You sure are funny Gureth." Sebella commented, laughing.

"I do what I can. So, what brings you and your little friend to my humble abode?" he asked.

"I wanted to know why you thought Kieran liked me." she answered.

"You haven't known him very long, but Kieran is rarely in a good mood. Since you've been here, he's really lightened up." he told her.

"Is that so?" she commented.

"True as Ryusei is blue. I haven't seen his eyes shine like that in ages. Besides, there's no way he would've gone after Shiro like that for hurting you if you meant nothing to him." he said.

"He seems to be very averse to the idea of us being more than friends." she remarked.

"Do you want to be?" he questioned.

"I haven't known him long enough to answer that question." she replied.

"If Kieran seems to be against it, don't take it as the way he really feels. He wasn't always this shy." he told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Our young prince was once quite the charmer. When he was human, girls would fall for him right and left. All he had to do was smile in their general direction and they melted. Of course, he could also win them over with sheer chivalry and his ability to grin and bear the company of even the most annoying female. However, Kieran was never one to get close to any of them; not a single girl ever really caught his eye. Whenever one of them would try to get past the surface, which wasn't exactly a common occurrence, he would mention that his best friends were dragons and that would be the end of things. I think that's why he's so confused about you. Not only are you open to making friends with magical creatures, but you're completely unafraid of his appearance. You like him for who he is on the inside, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't scare you away. Essentially, you're uncharted territory, so he doesn't know what to do." he explained.

"I know how he feels." she sighed.

Gureth cocked his head in question.

"Back where I grew up, no one knew what to do with me. My parents were the only ones who understood me; the rest of my village just watched me with a sort of primal curiosity and kept their distance." she told him.

"If I may say so, Lady Sebella, had Prince Kieran known you during his human years I believe he would've been quite taken with you." Grier commented, walking up behind her.

"Yeah, he would've fallen head over heels for sure." Gureth agreed, smiling.

"Do you know how I can help him?" Sebella asked.

"I believe you are already helping him just by accepting him." Grier commented.

"I hope so, but I want to help him find a way to be human again or at least learn to accept himself the way he is." she explained.

"If you're looking for knowledge, I would start with Ryusei." Gureth suggested.

"Good plan." Sebella replied.

The three of them went to the library where Ryusei was quickly located.

"What do you require, little one?" Ryusei questioned.

"I'm looking for a way to turn Kieran into a human again." Sebella told him.

"I wish I could help you, but I personally assisted the prince himself in combing through every volume in this library trying to find the answer to that problem." Ryusei sighed.

"Is there anywhere else we might look?" Sebella asked.

"I would advise you to search out the one who placed the curse on our young prince, but I doubt it would do you any good." Ryusei said.

"Witches specialize in cursing, not uncursing." Grier explained.

"Then I'll just have to find every magical tome I can get my hands on until one of them tells me how to fix this." Sebella commented determinedly.

"Even that may not help. Magical tomes are for learning to cast spells, not undo them." Ryusei remarked.

"Doesn't anything specialize in undoing things?!" Sebella questioned frustrated.

"Try thinking about it from a different angle; curses aren't meant to be broken therefore the caster would make it so the curse's breaker is something they think will never happen." Grier said.

"Grier you're a genius!" Sebella exclaimed.

"You flatter me, Lady Sebella." he replied.

"I'm going to go brainstorm." she told them, scampering off.

"She's so cute when she's happy." Gureth commented.

Having a solid plan in her head, Sebella went straight for her room to think.

"What would be something that you'd never expect from Kieran? Well, I've never seen him with a genuine happy smile, but that's too simple. Come on, there has to be something." she thought to herself, as Cael purred away on her lap.

Sebella spent the next few hours pondering the subject with no real progress. Then, she thought of something she hadn't before.

"If I want to figure this out, I have to analyze his personality." she thought.

She reviewed all the talks they had shared and tried to remember something that would give her a clue. After much contemplation, she came up with a possible solution.

"There's only one thing that makes sense. He has to love a human as much as he loves dragons." she concluded.

Sebella wanted to run and tell Kieran the good news, but she decided to seek Ryusei's wisdom first. After relaying her findings to him, Ryusei nodded.

"That seems like a very valid theory." he agreed.

"I'm not sure if I should tell Kieran about it though." she said.

"I see. If you do, he may consider it impossible and lose hope, but if you don't the same thing could happen. I suppose it would be best to tell him. It would be better if he knew the possibility existed, no matter how slim, than for him to go on thinking there was none." he replied.

"Alright, thank you Ryusei." she said.

He nodded in return as she took her leave. When she got to Kieran's room, she took a deep breath before knocking on the door. It opened right away.

"What is it Sebella?" he asked.

"I think I know how to break the curse." she told him.

His eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" he questioned.

"I wouldn't joke about this." she assured him.

"How did you figure it out?" he asked.

"Grier mentioned that when someone casts a curse, they make the curse breaker something they think will never happen." she replied.

His face darkened.

"That's not a good sign." he commented.

"If I'm right, you have to love a human as much as you love dragons." she said.

"Oh, is that all?" he answered sarcastically.

"I know it sounds difficult, but I know you can do it." she told him.

"I don't think you realize how ridiculous that sounds to me. What kind of curse gets broken with a flimsy thing like love?" he remarked, sounding like he was halfway between laughing his ass off and crying hysterically.

"Actually, all the curses I've read about are broken with love." she replied.

"Well if all the curses you've read about can be broken the same way, then the vast majority of spell casters aren't very creative are they? Not to mention, I'm guessing all the curses you've read about do get eventually broken, so it's not a very good method of sealing the deal is it? And why the hell did they pick love in the first place? Are all curses just convoluted setups to get people to hook up with each other?" he continued, as tears began to form in his eyes.

"Calm down, it's going to be ok; you're panicking." she said placing her hands on his shoulders.

"No it's not! You don't get it, do you? I'm a freak, just look at me! How the hell am I supposed to get a girl to love me looking like this? I'm screwed!" he told her, shoving her hands aside and punching the door frame.

"First of all, I don't remember saying the human had to love you in return. Second, are you really that blinded by despair?" she asked placing a hand on the side of his face.

Kieran could no longer speak. Tears flowed freely down his visage as he sank into his hopelessness. Sebella's heart ached for him as she pulled him into a comforting embrace.

"You're right, what's the point of falling in love if it's not reciprocated. It's not a lost cause though. There are people in this world who don't care about outward appearances, and you're such a beautiful person on the inside." she told him.

He seemed to calm down a bit as he melted into her arms, and after a minute or two he returned the embrace. A few minutes later he finally spoke.

"What about you?" he asked quietly.

"Beg pardon, what was that?" she questioned.

"Could you, ever, fall for me; or do I have to find another vagrant maiden as strange as you?" he whispered his voice barely audible.

Sebella honestly had no idea how to answer that question at first and part of her was shocked that he would even ask; but as she searched her feelings, she came to a realization.

"Give me enough time, and I could fall for you very hard." she replied.

Hearing this, Kieran tightened his hold on her, feeling truly happy for the first time in years. There was finally tangible hope.

"Come on, let's go change your bandages." he said, keeping an arm around her waist. This time, Cael transferred from Sebella's shoulders to Kieran's. He was surprised, but allowed the little creature to stay.

Later that day, Sebella decided to visit her horse. He was always the perfect one to go to when she needed a listening ear that would offer no reply. When they reached the stable, Cael immediately jumped onto Faelan's head, and Faelan seemed to have no qualms about this.

"Things have certainly gotten more exciting since we left the village, huh Faelan? It's only been a few weeks and I've made friends with three dragons and developed a crush on a cursed prince. Makes you wonder what else is out there." she said, stroking his soft nose.

Faelan bobbed his head and grunted as if in agreement. Luckily, Cael had a good grip on Faelan's mane or he would've been thrown.

"How do you fall in love with someone on purpose? It's not supposed to be something you think about, it just happens." she wondered.

Faelan snorted as if to say, 'don't ask me.'

"Yeah, I don't have a clue either. I guess I should just spend lots of time with him and go from there. I already like him, so that's a start." she commented.

Faelan nudged her shoulder, pushing her back toward the castle.

"Alright, I get it; I'm going. You're such a good boy Faelan; so easy to talk to." she told him, smiling.

The horse simply nuzzled his head into her hand in response.

"Hm, maybe Ryusei has some stories to tell." she thought.

With that, Sebella bade her larger pet goodbye, called Cael back to her shoulder, and headed for the library. Once there, she easily located her serpentine friend.

"Hey Ryusei, did you travel much before coming to live here?" Sebella asked.

"As a matter of fact, I have seen the world and many of its wonders." he replied mystically.

"Do you have any interesting stories about your experiences?" she questioned.

"I do. Am I correct in my assumption that you wish to hear them?" he answered.

"Mhm, with everything that's happened to me recently I started wondering what else is out there." she told him.

"Curiosity is a sign of intelligence. Very well; I shall share with you what I have learned." he said.

Ryusei told her stories about meeting the many different breeds of dragons that lived around the world; the southern Amphitheres or feathered serpents, the lindworms and knuckers who couldn't fly, the island dwelling marsupial dragons, the frost dragons that lived in the frigid north, and even his eastern cousins. He explained how humans treated dragons differently depending on which part of the world they originated from. He told her about the other magical creatures he had met, such as griffins, unicorns, pegusi, basilisks, goblins, and sea serpents. He also mentioned that some of these creatures were at least partially human looking, like the fae, the elves, the dwarves, the fairies, the vampires, the werewolves, the shape-shifters, and the merpeople. When he finished his tales, Sebella stared at him awestruck.

"That's incredible. It's amazing that we have such limited knowledge on such a fascinating world." she commented.

"It is tragic that so few of your kind think the way you do, little one. Many humans are afraid of what they do not understand and seek to eliminate it rather than learn about it." he replied.

"If only fear weren't an inborn self preservation instinct." she mused.

"If only you didn't need that instinct to preserve your species." he added.

"Sometimes I wonder how we got to be the dominant life forms. Humans are so weak and limited in so many ways." she remarked.

"Your numbers give you the advantage over your intellectual equals and superiors, your intelligence puts you above everything else." he answered.

"Well that's awfully pathetic." she stated bluntly.

Ryusei let out a rumbling laugh.

"You do amuse me so, little one." he told her.

"I wish I could make Kieran laugh like that. I'd even settle for smiling." she commented.

"You make him smile on the inside, of that I am certain." he assured her.

"Thanks Ryusei. I don't know what I would do without you here." she said.

"I'm sure you would manage just fine, but I appreciate the sentiment." he replied.

"Any luck with the research on Cael's ring?" she asked.

"Not yet, but I will continue to question any new arrivals. However, I was successful in convincing the others to practice a little more restraint when discussing your relationship to Prince Kieran." he answered.

"Thanks Ryusei, but I'm not sure it's going to be much of a sore spot anymore." she said.

Ryusei cocked his head in question, but Sebella promised to explain later.

Just then, said Dragon Prince walked in.

"Sebella, I think it's safe to take your bandages off today. Then I wanted to show you around the castle some more." he said.

Sebella looked up at Ryusei who nodded his approval. She smiled and trotted over to Kieran, taking his hand as he led her out of the library. Ryusei smiled knowingly as he watched them go. The promised explanation was no longer necessary.

When they reached the infirmary, Kieran got straight to work unwrapping Sebella's linen casing. Cael curled up on her lap, protectively. Slowly but surely, an unscarred torso was revealed.

"I told you it wouldn't scar." she commented.

"Still, it never should've happened in the first place." he replied, delicately running his hand over where the wound had been.

Sebella sighed and took his hand as Cael moved to the pillow beside Sebella.

"I thought I told you not to beat yourself up over that." she said.

"What if I had lost you?" he questioned.

"There's no sense in worrying about the 'what ifs'. The point is that I'm fine; thanks to your superior healing skills." she answered.

"Alright, but Shiro will never hurt you again. I promise." he told her, pulling her into a hug.

"There's the legendary charm I've heard so much about." she thought, hugging him back.

"Where would you like to see first?" he asked.

"Do you have an armory? I love looking at different types of weapons." she replied.

"You really are one seriously unique female." he commented.

"Look who's talking dragon boy." she answered.

"I don't recall saying it was a bad thing. Your refreshingly uncommon personality is what I like the most about you." he told her.

"Look at you, laying it on thick." she stated.

"What are you talking about?" he questioned.

"The charm, Kieran; you're trying too hard. Just be yourself. I'm not used to that kind of attention." she explained.

"I'm sorry. I keep saying I like you because you're not a normal girl, but I'm still treating you like one. I'm in uncharted territory again." he apologized.

"It's ok, I still appreciate it. Just remember, less is more for me; that makes it special." she told him.

"Alright, but for the record, I mean what I say." he replied, making her blush fiercely.

With that, Kieran took Sebella's hand and led her to the armory; Cael close at their heels. Once there, Sebella was enthralled by all the different kinds of weapons her host had collected.

"Kieran, this is amazing! You must have weapons from every corner of the world!" she remarked.

"Yeah, the ones from our land were here already. The foreign ones were gifts from traveling dragons." he explained.

"How many of them do you know how to use?" she asked.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, it's been a long time since I picked up any of these. However, as a prince I was trained to use a sword from an early age. That's the only one I've been formally trained to use. Ryusei has books on the techniques involved in using all of them." he explained.

"Is it safe to guess that Ryusei adds to your library when he returns from traveling?" she questioned.

"That's right. I appreciate it though. I think knowledge is just as much a weapon as anything here." he told her.

"I can agree with that." she said.

"What would you like to see next?" he asked.

"Do any of the towers have a good view?" she questioned.

"Actually, the towers are usually reserved for my short-term guests; but I have a free one at the moment." he answered, taking her hand again.

When they reached the tower Sebella was awestruck by the scene from the window, but Cael seemed a bit uncomfortable with the altitude and held tightly to Sebella's shoulders. The entire forest and the land for miles around were visible.

"That's my village over there." she said pointing.

"Really, that's the village that attacked the castle." he commented, turning his head.

"I'm sorry. It must've been before my parents and I moved there. If it's any consolation, I'm fairly sure no one there even remembers you exist." she told him.

"Don't worry about it. If your parents were anything like you, they weren't part of the angry mob even if they did already live there." he replied.

Sebella smiled.

"So, Ryusei was telling me about all the other magical creatures that exist in the world. Have you ever had a guest that wasn't a dragon?" she asked.

"It's not very common, but from time to time some griffins drop by." he answered.

"Amazing, I hope I get to meet one." she commented.

"I love your open-mindedness." he told her.

"I find yours quite pleasant as well." she replied.

"Tell me about your past." he requested.

"Well, my parents were storytellers. Before they had me, they moved around a lot to gather legends and folktales from as many places as possible. They also collected books and even made their own so they could write down the tales they heard. I grew up with the most amazing stories and it gave me a desire to experience my own adventures just like the ones I had read. Everyone in the village loved my parents because they kept the children out of trouble. I had lots of friends when I was young, but as the kids got older their interest in my parents' stories dwindled. Mine never did. It got to the point where I couldn't really connect with any of them anymore. I didn't grow up to be what everyone considered normal, so they just started keeping their distance. No one was ever outright nasty, but I could feel their distaste. That's why I left. When my parents died, there was no longer a place for me in that village. Besides, I had always wanted to travel like my parents anyway." she told him.

"My god, you do understand what I've been through." he remarked.

"It's awfully disrespectful to lie to someone who's opened their home to you." she commented.

"I apologize. It's just that I've been alone for so long. Even as a human, I could never find anyone like me. I had given up on finding someone I could relate to." he explained.

Suddenly, it dawned on him why the head guard statue had shown him a vision of a mirror when he asked it what Sebella was. He mentally shook his head in disbelief of how dense he'd been.

"It's alright. I know the feeling. Gureth mentioned that you were quite the ladies man during your human years. What was that like?" she replied.

"I suppose I was what most females would consider handsome, since they were always chasing me around. It was nice at first, but it became a terrible burden really fast. Being a prince, I was expected to be a gentleman no matter how annoying the girl." he said.

"Gureth said you found a way around it though. All you had to do was tell them you hung out with dragons and they would leave you alone." she commented.

"True, my dragon friends were always my greatest blessing. I had a good reason for wanting the girls out of my hair though. Most of them were really shallow and only liked me for my looks and status." he explained.

"I'm guessing you couldn't find any guys to make friends with either." she remarked.

"Well, they were essentially just interested in girls. Not to mention they all wet themselves when I tried to introduce them to Gureth or Grier." he said.

"Are you serious? That's funny!" she replied laughing.

"In all honesty, I thought so too at the time; but after awhile it just got disappointing." he told her.

"Yeah, I can understand that." she answered.

"You've had similar experiences?" he questioned.

"Well, yes and no. I was always the weird girl that none of the guys in my village would touch. The other girls would talk about which guy they had a crush on while I fantasized about living a life I had only read about in my parents books." she explained.

"What kind of life did you have in mind?" he asked.

"Call me strange, but I wanted to be the hero. Rescuing those in need, fighting monsters, befriending wizards and magical creatures, and eventually finding my prince, whether he was actually a prince or not." she replied.

"I would say you've done about half of that already." he commented.

"Really, because I don't recall helping anyone in need, or fighting any monsters, or even befriending a wizard. I'm not even sure I've found my prince yet." she retorted.

"You've already helped me more than you know just by fighting my inner demons with me. For that, I would be your prince in a heartbeat." he thought silently. "I guess you have a point." he said.

"I forgot to ask, are there any griffins here now?" she questioned.

"You're in luck. Ryusei's friend Astor is here." he answered, smiling.

"Fantastic!" she exclaimed.

Kieran took Sebella's hand and led her to another one of the towers.

"Before we go in, you might want to have Cael hide somewhere. He's just the type of thing griffins like to eat." he warned.

"Got it." she agreed, removing Cael from her shoulder and nudging him towards the stairs.

As if sensing the danger, Cael ran down a few steps until he was hidden. Kieran knocked on the door and a second later it was opened to reveal the inhabitant within. Sebella was amazed. She had seen pictures of griffins before, but the real thing was beyond what she had imagined; from the glossy black feathers on his eagle-like front half to the rippling muscles on his lion-like back half. Upon closer examination, she noticed piercing green eyes, ear-like tufts of feathers on either side of his head, and a razor sharp claw on every toe; not to mention a beak that was most likely just as dangerous.

The griffin bowed and Kieran followed suit as did Sebella.

"It is a pleasure to see you Prince Kieran. May I ask what brings you to my tower top suite?" he said.

"I wanted to introduce you to my friend Sebella. She has a fascination and a deep respect for magical creatures and never passes up a chance to meet one." Kieran explained.

"You've discovered a female with such a mentality? That is nearly unheard of. You are to be commended for your bravery and open mind young lady. My name is Astor." he commented.

"I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance Astor." Sebella said, smiling as she bowed again.

"Sebella made friends with Ryusei almost as soon as she got here." Kieran remarked.

"Then you must be the intellectual type. I must say Miss Sebella; you impress me more every minute. Well, any friend of Ryusei's is a friend of mine, and I am equally pleased to have met you." Astor told her.

"Thank you Astor. Shall I tell Ryusei you said hello?" she asked.

"No need, he visited yesterday, but I appreciate the offer." Astor answered.

"Alright then, we'll let you get your rest." Kieran said.

"I hope to see you both again." Astor replied.

When they reached the base of the tower, Cael leapt back onto Sebella's shoulder. Sebella couldn't help a squeal of delight at her experience.

"I love this place! I get to meet so many amazing and fascinating creatures here!" she commented, grinning.

"I'm happy Astor was here so I could introduce you." Kieran remarked.

"Thank you so much Kieran. Every day you help me live out my dreams, and that means the world to me. I don't know how to thank you." she told him.

"Believe me, you already have." he said.

"No seriously, I want to do something for you." she responded.

"Well, I don't know how easy it's going to be, but I've been trying to remember what it was like to feel human." he told her.

"Have you really been under the curse for that long?" she asked.

"I was twelve when the witch cursed me, and I'm twenty five now. You do the math." he answered.

"Kieran, that's thirteen years!" she replied.

"I know; that's why I said I wasn't sure how easy it would be." he stated.

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to try. Did you have anything in mind?" she questioned.

"Not really; that's part of the problem." he responded.

"Well for starters, you could wear something more than just a pair of pants and a cloak." she told him.

"It's been a long time since I've worn anything else." he remarked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right and you need to be fully clothed." she said.

"What exactly are we doing?" he inquired.

"We are going to dance." she stated.

"Oh my god, she has a girly side." he commented teasingly.

"Shut up, ballroom dancing is one of the most human things I can think of." she retorted.

"Are you sure you don't mind dancing with a scaly beast?" he asked.

"There's no one I'd rather dance with." she answered, smiling.

Kieran was silent for a moment with a look of wonder and happiness on his face.

"I just hope I can remember how." he groaned.

"I can re-teach you if necessary. Meet me at my room in one hour." she told him.

With that, each of them went to their room to get ready. Kieran pulled out his old dress clothes for the first time in years, and they miraculously still fit. They were mostly black with some green and white elements that went rather well with his scales. He couldn't help wondering what Sebella would have on. He wasn't even sure she had any formal dresses, not that he really cared.

Meanwhile, Sebella was putting on a midnight blue dress that she had inherited from her mother. It had an off the shoulder neckline and belled sleeves. There was also a panel of lighter blue fabric that ran down the front of the dress getting thinnest at her waist and wider at both ends. A length of silver ribbon was laced across it on the bodice, giving the illusion that the darker blue fabric was an overdress. She decided to leave her hair mostly down, but braided two sections of hair to wrap around her head and join in the back.

When she heard the knock on her door, she couldn't wait to answer it. Both were left momentarily speechless by the other's appearance. To Sebella, Kieran looked far more human than he ever had before. She could almost imagine him without his draconic features. Kieran couldn't believe how beautiful and feminine Sebella looked when she was all dressed up. He also couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

"Shall we go, milady?" he asked, holding out his arm.

"Of course, milord." she agreed, taking hold of his arm.

Kieran led her proudly to the ballroom, feeling like the luckiest creature alive. When they arrived, the room was lit by candles and looked brand new. Slow music was playing softly from some unknown source.

"Did you have something to do with this?" Kieran questioned.

"Yeah, I asked our dragon friends to spruce the place up a bit. It was a mess in here. You didn't think I spent the whole hour getting dressed, did you?" she responded.

"I'm sorry, I keep forgetting that you're not a normal girl." he told her.

"I'll decide later if that's a good thing or a bad thing." she replied, grinning playfully.

"May I have this dance?" he inquired, holding out his hand.

"It would be my pleasure." she accepted, taking the proffered hand.

To Kieran's great surprise, the steps came back to him as easily as if he'd just practiced them yesterday. Sebella smiled as he gracefully led her through the steps and around the room. This was the kind of romantic indulgence she had forbidden her mind from fantasizing about for most of her life. When one had a certain image and reputation to uphold, one did not allow oneself to engage in activities that were counterproductive to that goal. However the more time she spent with Kieran, the more she was learning not to care about how anyone saw her except him. She knew Kieran wouldn't think any less of her for absolutely adoring this, so it must be ok.

"You know, I actually like it when you let your girly side out every once in awhile." he commented, as if reading her thoughts.

"Good, because I actually don't mind letting it show around you." she said, leaning her head on his chest.

In that moment, Kieran had never felt more human. This was the kind of deep emotional connection he had secretly longed for his entire life.

"Don't ever leave my side, you wonderful creature."he thought to himself, as he tightened his hold on her waist.

"Sebella, are you still happy here with me?" he asked.

"Of course I'm happy. I would still like to travel more though, especially after hearing Ryusei's stories." she answered.

Kieran's heart lurched.

"Oh, I see." he replied.

"I meant with you, Kieran. When the curse is broken, you won't be bound to the castle anymore." she explained.

"I don't know if I could leave. It's been so long since I was anywhere away from the grounds." he said, relaxing a bit.

"Don't worry; if you have even half the charisma you used to, you'll be just fine. Besides, you won't be alone." she told him.

"Who's going to take care of this place if I'm gone?" he questioned.

"I'm sure Grier and Ryusei could handle it." she responded.

"Sebella, I don't know how to be around humans anymore." he retorted.

She knew he hadn't meant it as an insult, but his words still stung.

"You're afraid and I understand, but I don't care what any of them think of you and you shouldn't either." she stated quietly, bowing her head.

"Oh no, I'm sorry! That came out wrong! I didn't mean to imply…" he trailed off apologetically, halting their movement and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I know, Kieran; it's just an old wound." she said, looking up and smiling sadly.

"This is what I'm talking about. I haven't had to really think before I speak in ages." he told her, pulling her into a hug.

"It's alright, I understand. My words have been known to cut from time to time as well. It's like you said, just think before you speak." she replied, hugging him back.

"You forgive more of my flaws than I deserve." he remarked.

"Nobody is perfect, and anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional." she responded.

"Someday we will go traveling together, I promise." he stated.

"Thank you, Kieran." she said.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. I feel more human now than I ever have before in my life, even when I still looked the part." he told her.

"Good, because I've met humans who act more monstrous than you and they look just like any other human." she remarked.

"I have too." he replied.

"Shall we call it a night?" she asked.

"As much as I want this night to never end, yes; we both need sleep." he agreed.

"I understand the feeling. Between you and me, this has been one of my repressed romantic fantasies come to life." she responded, blushing in embarrassment.

He couldn't help smiling at that, and it was a genuine happy smile.

The next day a new visitor arrived at the castle, and Kieran couldn't wait to introduce her to Sebella.

"Really, a female dragon; I'm actually going to have another girl to talk to?" Sebella questioned excitedly.

"I thought you might be interested." Kieran commented nonchalantly while grinning.

"Well don't just stand there, let's go!" she exclaimed, taking his hand and running off.

"Wait a second, you don't even know which way her room is." he replied, slowing her down.

"Then lead the way!" she retorted.

Kieran shook his head, but did as she told him.

When they reached the chamber, he knocked softly on the door. A few moments later, it opened to reveal a deep purple dragon with a lavender underbelly and elegant horns that looked as though they were made from diamonds. Her eyes were pale yellow but had lots of multi-colored flecks in them, giving them a similar appearance to an opal. The dragon nodded politely to her host, but when she laid eyes on Sebella a wide grin spread across her face.

"I must admit, Prince Kieran, this is quite a surprise. Please, do elaborate for me." the dragon requested, with a light accent.

"Ceridwen, this is Sebella; she's my very close friend and also currently a guest here at the castle. Sebella, this is Ceridwen; if you want to know anything about magic, this is the dragon you ask first. I thought the two of you might enjoy some female companionship." he said, facing each one in turn.

"It's an honor and a pleasure to meet you." Sebella stated, bowing.

"Merry meet to ye as well lass." Ceridwen reciprocated, nodding her head once more.

"I love your accent! Is it from your homeland?" Sebella asked.

"Indeed it is, and thank ye." Ceridwen answered.

"I'll leave you two alone to bond." Kieran remarked, bowing out while the getting was good.

"Well, don't just stand there in the doorway, come inside and have a seat." Ceridwen told her, backing away from the entrance.

Sebella was more than happy to accept the offer and scampered happily into the room. She sat down on one of the spacious area rugs with Cael in her lap and Ceridwen lay down across from her a moment later.

"So how long have ye been here, lass?" Ceridwen inquired.

"I think it's been about a month." Sebella replied.

"The young prince seems rather fond of ye. I never would've thought he could be softened so quickly." Ceridwen mused.

"We sort of bonded over similar sob stories. It might seem like it happened fast, but his new demeanor is a very recent development; he was tough to crack." Sebella explained.

"Ye do have a very similar aura to him. I'm glad the two of ye found a kindred spirit in each other. The prince doesn't deserve the curse he's under or the loneliness that comes with it." Ceridwen responded.

"Kieran said you were an expert on magic; did he ever ask you if you knew how to break it?" Sebella questioned.

"Of course he did, lass. I tried everything I was capable of, but the witch who cursed him was a powerful one. Nothing save the curse's breaker could lift it." Ceridwen answered.

"I think I figured out how to break it. Grier said that when a curse is woven, the caster makes its breaker something they think will never happen; at least, if it's cast malevolently and not just to teach a lesson. If I'm right, he has to love a human as much as he loves dragons." Sebella told her.

"That seems reasonable enough. Is that why he's all smiles around ye?" Ceridwen asked.

"I hadn't thought about it; you don't think the curse would break if it wasn't sincere love, do you?" Sebella replied, stroking Cael.

"Be at peace, lass. That's not what I meant. He simply has a look of hope about him that I feared I may never see again. Besides, the prince is not the type who would lead you on if he wasn't serious about ye." Ceridwen soothed.

"You're right; I should know that by now. It's just that I've never had a guy genuinely interested in me before. I'm still a bit insecure about the whole thing." Sebella explained.

"Now don't ye take this the wrong way, but if the prince has taken a shine to ye I'm not surprised that other boys wouldn't have." Ceridwen stated.

"Yeah, apparently neither one of us find normal attractive." Sebella agreed.

"Don't ye ever be ashamed of it, lass. There's nothing wrong with being different; in fact it's often better than being 'normal'." Ceridwen responded.

"Oh, I have a question for you about my little friend Cael." Sebella commented.

"Ah yes, Ryusei mentioned that you'd been hunting for information about that wee ring round his tail." Ceridwen replied.

"Do you know what it is or where it came from?" Sebella asked.

Ceridwen lowered her head to get a better look at the object in question, turning it this way and that with the tip of her claw. Surprisingly, Cael was unperturbed by this.

"Well lass, if I'm not mistaken, that is a power amplification ring. They're extremely rare to come by and extremely difficult to forge. Either this little fellow ran away from someone who had a darn good reason for equipping him with it, or this is an ill gotten piece of plunder that he fancied as tail decoration." Ceridwen explained.

"Is there any way to find out which it was?" Sebella inquired.

"Of course, I'll just ask him." Ceridwen answered matter-of-factly.

"You speak ferrabbet?" Sebella questioned.

"I speak every language." Ceridwen responded.

She then proceeded to chatter quietly to Cael, who chattered back in turn. After a brief exchange, Ceridwen cleared her throat.

"He said he found it in the stomach of a fish he had for lunch one day." she explained.

"I hope nobody comes looking for your tail embellishment, little buddy." Sebella commented.

Cael simply snorted and wrapped his tail around himself.

"He said finders keepers." Ceridwen translated, giggling.

Later that evening, Kieran came to check on the two.

"Is girl talk over yet?" he asked.

"It's only over for today." Sebella replied.

"Of course, Sebella." he said.

"It was my pleasure to meet and talk with your lady friend, young Prince. You may bring her back anytime." Ceridwen stated.

"I knew you two would hit it off." Kieran remarked, shaking his head.

"Absolutely, just be glad we didn't talk about you behind your back." Sebella responded, grinning.

"That was a risk I willing took when I introduced you." Kieran told her.

"I'll see you soon Ceridwen. Thanks for everything." Sebella commented.

"Likewise I'm sure, Sebella lass, and you're welcome." Ceridwen replied, nodding.

On the way back to her room, Sebella told Kieran about the clearing of the mystery surrounding Cael's tail ring.

"So it's a power amplification ring?" he questioned.

"That's what she said, and Cael said he found it in the stomach of a fish." she answered.

"We're not going to have some powerful practitioner of magic breaking down the castle doors in search of the ring anytime soon, are we?" he inquired.

"I certainly hope not. Besides, if there was a way to track the ring, don't you think the previous owner would've found it by now?" she countered.

"Good point, but I'm still going to tell the guard statues to be extra vigilant." he retorted.

"Whatever makes you feel better." she said.

"I'm glad Ceridwen was able to help you." he stated.

"I am too, thank you for introducing us." she told him.

"It was my pleasure. Even a tough girl like you needs some female companionship every once in awhile." he replied.

"Yes, at the end of the day I'm still a girl." she agreed.

Unknown to the two of them, their conversation wasn't exactly private.

"Yes, a tasty little maiden with a very powerful pet snack. Surely whoever lost that ring will let me have the spoils of war as a reward." Shiro muttered, grinning menacingly.

With that, he quietly snuck off to find the ring's original owner. A few days of flying and some serious interrogation later, Shiro finally located his quandary. She was a witch who lived alone in a rather sinister looking cottage in the middle of the woods. Her reputation was legendary for up to one hundred miles surrounding her dwelling. He liked her already. Scarcely had he reached the door when a voice spoke from within.

"Stay where you are dragon. I'll be out in a moment." she stated.

Shiro growled at being ordered around by a human, albeit one with magic, but he did as he was told anyway.

"So, I've heard you bring news of my ring." she continued, opening the door.

The witch was tall with straight dark brown hair that fell to her knees and deep purple eyes. She was pale and looked surprisingly young, except for the single streak of white in her hair. Shiro felt his mouth watering, but he restrained himself. This witch was useful.

"I do, but if you want to know where it is you have to promise me anything I want in return." he replied.

The witch glared at him. "Or I could just turn you into a salamander if you don't tell me."

"Oh relax, I don't want much." he responded.

"Fine, tell me where my ring is." she agreed.

"It's in a castle about two days' flight from here being used as a tail decoration by a ferrabbet." he told her.

"Well, that explains why I haven't been able to track it. If it isn't being used it has no energy signature." she commented, smirking.

"I should warn you, the castle is the home of the dragon prince. The ferrabbet is the pet of a maiden he's harboring. He's rather fond of her, so you might have trouble getting to the animal." he growled.

"You mean Prince Kieran? Oh this is priceless! He actually found a girl who isn't scared stiff by his appearance?" she asked, laughing.

"Yes, you know of him?" he questioned.

"Know of him, I'm the one who cursed him!" she answered, still cackling.

"Well if you want your curse to remain intact, then you'd better go intervene. They've figured out how to break it." he remarked.

"Oh please, even if the girl is stupid enough to fall for a draconic beast there's no way that cold blooded prince will change." she scoffed.

"Did you not hear me when I said he's become rather fond of her?" he asked.

"Let me guess, you have something against this girl." she replied.

"My grudge is against the prince. Maidens are quite the delicacy, and he refused to allow me to indulge. Then he nearly ripped open my chest when I gave her a little scratch." he explained.

"I didn't make Kieran that powerful. How did he catch you off guard?" she inquired.

"That was the ferrabbet's fault. He made this high pitched screeching noise that threw off my senses." he told her.

"So you want me to go take back my ring by whatever means necessary and then let you eat the girl and her pet?" she asked.

"That's exactly what I want." he answered.

"You are some piece of work, you know that?" she stated.

"As a matter of fact I do." he responded, smirking.

"I could care less if the curse gets broken or not, but I want my ring back. So you've got yourself a deal, dragon." she said.

"It's Shiro, what name do you go by?" he questioned.

"My name is Mckenna." she replied.

Meanwhile, a chill crept its way along Kieran's spine. He shook his head and double checked the guard statue network. Everything was quiet, but he still felt unsettled. He decided to find Sebella, just to make sure she was safe. Unsurprisingly, he found her in the library.

"What brings you here Kieran? You look like you've just seen an angry mob headed here." she commented.

"I just had a bad feeling, that's all." he explained.

"Checking up on me, huh?" she asked, grinning.

"You are under my protection, aren't you?" he retorted.

"Yes I am; what kind of feeling was it?" she questioned.

"It felt like I was being watched and whatever was watching wasn't pleasant." he told her.

"Do the guard statues sense anything?" she inquired.

"No, they don't, but my instincts tend to be right." he answered.

"Then I won't doubt them. What do you want to do?" she responded.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to keep you close for awhile." he replied.

"How close exactly?" she purred, raising an eyebrow.

"It wouldn't be any different than when you were injured." he stated, turning his head away in embarrassment.

"Calm down Kieran; I'm just teasing." she assured him, smiling.

"Yeah, but do you have to do it in front of Ryusei?" he asked.

"Hm, I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?" the dragon questioned, looking up from the tome he was reading.

"See, he tunes out the world when he's reading." she told the prince.

"Fine, are you alright with the temporary arrangement?" he responded.

"Yes, I don't mind. Are you sure you'll be able to sleep well enough?" she replied.

"Sleep really isn't my top priority at this point." he said.

"I'm sensing we need to talk; let's go to your room." she stated, getting up and taking his hand.

Kieran allowed her to lead him out of the library and back to the seclusion of his chambers. Once there, they sat down next to each other on the couch.

"This really has you worked up. Can you tell me anything else?" she ventured, resting a hand over his.

He sighed, flipping his hand over and closing it around hers. "The last time I got a feeling like this, the village attacked my castle the following day."

"I see; you're worried something catastrophic is going to happen." she said.

"Yes, and whatever it is I don't want it anywhere near you." he continued.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not sending you away. On the contrary, I don't want you out of my sight." he explained, holding her hand tighter.

"Good, because you couldn't get rid of me if you tried." she told him.

"For the next few days, I want you and Cael by my side at all times. Any room we enter, I'll go first. Don't talk to any of the dragons except Ryusei, Grier, Gureth, and Ceridwen." he instructed.

"That reminds me, I haven't seen Shiro anywhere since he hurt me. Is he still lurking around?" she questioned, placing her free hand over her previously injured waist.

"He left a few days ago. No one arrives or leaves without my knowledge." he answered.

"You don't think…" she began.

"I'm not sure. I've never trusted Shiro, but he's never made an outright nuisance of himself either. On the other hand, considering what he did to you and what I did to him, I'll keep the guard statues on high alert if he comes back." he told her.

"I don't trust him myself. There can't be much good in a dragon with a taste for human flesh." she commented, shuddering.

"Don't worry about him. I promised he would never hurt you again, and I meant it." he replied, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

"I know, and I trust you with my life." she responded, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I hope we don't have to test that." he remarked, resting his head against hers.

The next day, Kieran followed Sebella around like a lost puppy. He was protecting her like he said he would, but it was still amusing and she couldn't help teasing him about it just a little. As it turned out, he was right to keep close tabs on her. As they walked through the halls of the castle, they ran into none other than the white dragon of unpleasantness himself.

"Well well, if it isn't the young prince and his little…pet." Shiro purred, grinning wickedly.

"She is not my pet Shiro, and you're either very brave or very stupid to be anywhere close to her after last time." Kieran growled.

"Fear not, I never make the same mistake twice." Shiro retorted.

Cael hissed from his position atop Sebella's shoulder.

"Nor would I go after you, small furry thing." Shiro spat, glaring.

"Where exactly did you run off to? Most of my guests have the courtesy of letting me know when they decide to leave." Kieran asked suspiciously.

"Why should I bother? You've made it abundantly clear that nothing happens in this castle without your knowledge of it." Shiro countered flippantly.

"Like I said before, it's simple courtesy." Kieran stated, bristling.

"Calm down, Kieran. So far, his only crime is being incredibly rude." Sebella told him.

"Maybe so, but if anything suspicious happens in the next few days his is the first door I'll be breaking down." Kieran replied.

"That's right, I ask permission to eat a girl one time and suddenly I'm responsible for all the evil in the world." Shiro commented, feigning offense.

"Let's go, he's not worth it." Sebella said, taking Kieran's hand.

"Yes, scamper off with your little lady." Shiro agreed mockingly.

"That's enough lip out of you, Shiro! Why don't you do the world a favor and crawl back into the depths of whatever vermin infested hovel you came from!" Sebella snapped, her temper finally winning.

"Ooh, you're a feisty little maiden. Remind me to watch my back in dark corridors." Shiro responded, idly examining his claws.

"Come on, Sebella. You're right, he's not worth it." Kieran told her, leading her away.

Shiro grinned behind their backs and snorted triumphantly before walking off.

"I'm sorry; I almost never lose my temper like that." Sebella remarked softly.

"Don't be, he was asking for it. Besides, I kind of liked seeing you get mad for once." Kieran answered, smiling.

"That was nothing. I can be much worse, but I don't enjoy getting that angry." she said.

"Then I'll make a mental note to stay off your bad side." he stated.

"That's probably for the best." she replied.

Meanwhile, Shiro was just inside the castle grounds meeting up with Mckenna, who was just outside them.

"They suspect me, witch. I'm afraid you're on your own in this little endeavor." he told her.

"No matter; I didn't expect help nor do I need it. Just tell me where she and the creature sleep, and I'll have all the information I need." she responded.

"Her room is on the second floor of the east wing of the castle, three doors from the end of the hall on the right." he answered.

"Thank you, I'll be in and out with no one the wiser." she stated.

"Not so fast; Kieran has figured out how to manipulate the magic surrounding the castle so he has eyes and ears everywhere. How do you plan on circumventing that little annoyance?" he questioned.

"You forget, dragon, it was my magic that enchanted this castle in the first place. I put it up and I can tear it down." she replied.

"The prince will know if you disenchant the entire castle." he remarked.

"There's no need to resort to anything so drastic. All I have to do is hide myself from the magic. Prince Kieran can search until his green scales turn blue, but I will remain invisible." she explained.

"That is sneaky and underhanded; I like it." he commented, grinning.

"I'm sure you do." she responded.

Later that night, Mckenna slipped onto the castle grounds undetected with minimal effort. She made her way noiselessly to the east wing and subsequently Sebella's room. When she found it empty, she uttered a string of profanities. The only other place they would be was the dragon prince's room. It was easy enough to create a masking cloak around herself so she was invisible to the guard statues, but using her magic would give her away in an instant. That meant finding Kieran's room the easy way was out of the question. She paused for a moment to think logically about the situation. If the prince was truly as fond of the girl as Shiro had suggested, there was no way her chambers wouldn't be close to his own. With that in mind, she decided to check the other rooms in the hallway for now and retreat until the next night if her quandary wasn't located. She worked her way down the hall, finding the rooms empty, until she reached the end. Mckenna gently opened the door and grinned wickedly upon seeing the girl and her pet curled up on the bed. Her grin widened further when she saw the prince sleeping like a loyal dog on the couch nearby. Oh yes, this was truly priceless. She crept over to the little animal, who was so grossly misusing an object of such power, and reached for her prize. Suddenly, the ferrabbet's head shot up and he hissed loudly at her. The witch recoiled in shock; there was no way the creature should be able to sense her. Yet it jumped up and screeched, ears laid back and tail twitching. Immediately Kieran was awake and looking around, every muscle tensed. The girl stirred and groaned, opening her eyes slightly.

"What's wrong Cael?" she asked quietly.

Mckenna decided it was best to make a hasty retreat at this point. The odds were clearly not in her favor, and she preferred to have a game plan before engaging in confrontation. Since her presence was more or less known now, she used her magic and transported herself well outside the castle grounds.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the prince's room were regrouping themselves and trying to figure out what just happened.

"Cael doesn't react like that for no reason. Something had to be here." Sebella commented.

"I know; what worries me is that I couldn't see or sense anything, and apparently neither could the guard statues." Kieran replied.

"How is that possible?" she asked.

"It's got to be some kind of magic, but that still doesn't explain why the guard statues didn't alert me." he answered.

"Maybe the magic disabled them." she suggested.

Kieran shook his head. "No, even if it did I would've sensed that they'd been shut down."

"Then why was Cael the only one who knew something was up?" she questioned.

"That part is easy; the magic of the ring around his tail is stronger than the magic of whatever was here." he explained.

"So what would it take for someone or something to get in here completely undetected?" she wondered.

"That's a question we need to ask Ceridwen." he responded.

Sebella nodded affirmatively, and Kieran moved to lie back down on the couch.

"Wait, Kieran." she began hesitantly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Can you, will you, sleep next to me?" she requested.

Kieran just stared at her, most likely in disbelief.

"Please? I'd feel safer; especially after what just happened." she continued, looking down nervously.

The dragon prince tried and failed miserably to keep the smile off his face as he got up off the couch and joined her on the bed. However he wasn't going to go beyond lying beside her, until she took his wrist and wrapped his arm around her waist. If Kieran had been capable of blushing in his current form, he would've been. For the life of him, he couldn't fathom any woman feeling safe and protected while being held in the arms of a reptilian beast. Still, he refused to ruin the moment by questioning it. Instead he chose to revel in her willingness to be this close to him at her most vulnerable.

Sebella sighed contentedly, moving back against Kieran further as Cael settled on the pillow above her head. She was quite sure she'd never felt safer in her life. For a supposed reptile, Kieran was just as warm as she was. It amused her momentarily when she realized how perfectly the two of them fit together, but then she pushed the thought from her mind. Her prince was the only one to ever elicit such girly behavior. She still wasn't completely comfortable with it. Wait, when did he become 'her' prince? Sebella mentally shook her head and sighed inwardly. It was time to admit it; she was falling for him. Part of her was happy because it meant they were that much closer to breaking Kieran's curse, but on the other hand she had to wonder if he would ever be able to truly love her in return. His experience with the opposite gender had been mostly anything but stellar, and once again she doubted how desirable she was. Realizing the path her thoughts were leading her down, Sebella stopped them short. Now was not the time for uncertainty; now was the time for courage. Taking a deep breath, she stilled her mind for the night. Her dragon prince was curled up beside her, holding her close as they slept, and that was all that mattered.

The next morning, Kieran awoke to find Sebella wrapped around him like a vine entwined around a tree. Her head lay on his chest directly above his heart, and he was suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that he was technically half naked. It never seemed important before, considering he thought himself more dragon than human in his current form, but now he felt indecent for wearing nothing but a pair of pants even though he was covered head to toe in scales. The urge to shift away from her in order to dispel his discomfort was ignored only because of how peaceful the sleeping maiden in his arms appeared. He was absolutely not enjoying the feeling of her tucked snuggly against his side, and he was most certainly not imagining what it would be like to wake up like this every morning. This was simply allowing her the remainder of her night's rest without further interruptions. Therefore, he would wait for her to awaken before he put any physical distance between them. He sighed inwardly. Denial was pointless, and it would take someone much more determined than he to believe their own lie. There was a time when her mere acceptance of him was enough, but that time was long ago. Now he cursed himself for wanting more, for wanting her love. It wasn't that he'd done anything to be undeserving of her affections. He'd just never experienced non-superficial attraction from another person before, and he'd definitely never cared what another person thought of him before. Sebella had told him that it didn't matter what he looked like, but he still couldn't help feeling as though this was the worst possible time for him to finally fall in love. Wait, where the bloody hell did that come from?! He wasn't in love with her, was he? What he felt was more than friendship, but was it love? Sebella sighed quietly in her sleep and tightened her grip just a bit. Kieran mentally flipped through all the tender moments they'd shared, especially the night they danced together in the ballroom, and came to a realization. He truly did love her, but he couldn't tell her, not just yet. There was still a threat looming nearby, and he needed the magic that surrounded the castle to help keep her safe. If they broke the curse now, there was a strong chance that magic would dissolve. No, until the danger had passed, he would keep his love secret; no matter how much he hated doing so.

It was then that Sebella returned from dreamland, yawning softly as she smiled up at him. He couldn't help noticing that, although she blushed, she made no move to extricate herself from his hold.

"Good morning. I trust you slept well." he stated, trying to keep from smiling too broadly.

"I did, thanks to you." she replied softly.

"Are you sure you weren't cold?" he asked teasingly, gesturing to their entanglement.

At this, she finally seemed to realize the position they were in and quickly retreated to a more modest distance. Kieran hated the cold empty feeling that suddenly washed over him at the loss of contact.

"I'm sorry, I…you could've repositioned me if you were uncomfortable." she answered, her blush deepening.

"I didn't mind. You were understandably shaken after last night." he responded, trying to give her a way to justify her actions that didn't involve affection.

"Yes, that's right, I get clingy when I'm scared." she agreed, going along with it. "So, we need to talk to Ceridwen about what happened."

"We do, as soon as possible." he replied.

"Then I'd better go get changed." she said, getting up to go to her own room.

Cael was quick to follow, stretching himself before jumping up to his customary place across Sebella's shoulders.

"I'll meet you in the hall." Kieran stated.

When he heard the door close, he sighed in frustration. This 'pretend you're not head over heels in love' business was going to be harder than he thought. Now it was time for the debate of whether or not to wear a shirt today. On the one hand, a drastic change in his usual attire could suggest that something was up. Sebella wasn't dense, and she would definitely question why he had suddenly decided to start covering his upper half. On the other hand, he couldn't exactly dismiss the recently developed discomfort of walking around half naked in her presence. He wasn't sure how well he could mask his feeling of awkwardness. It was a classic case of being in trouble no matter what. Finally, he decided to just go ahead and cover up. Avoiding her to keep from having to school his features would only push her away. That was the last thing he wanted; so, it was better to just make something up if she asked about his change of heart when it came to wearing shirts. Having resolved the matter, he got up and dug through his abandoned wardrobe to find a silk shirt and a leather vest. Uncovering his long forgotten mirror, he could only grimace at his appearance. Despite what Sebella said, he still only saw a beast attempting to look human. Shaking his head, he recovered the mirror and went to meet his lovely house guest.

Upon seeing his actual outfit, rather than his lack thereof, she smiled and cocked her head in question. He knew it.

"You seemed to like it last time, so I figured why not." he explained weakly. "Really smooth, Kieran; that answer isn't conspicuous at all!" he thought sarcastically.

Sebella's smile widened as she held out her hand. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, let's get some answers." he responded, taking the offered hand and leading the way.

When they reached Ceridwen's room, Kieran knocked lightly. It was swiftly opened by its inhabitant.

"I assume you're here to discuss the recent shenanigans going on about the castle." she said astutely.

"Yes, and we need your help." Sebella replied, giving Ceridwen the details of the previous night.

"Hm, that is rather disturbing. I'm afraid the explanation is even more so. Magical signatures are just as unique as the individual using the magic. Two can use the same spell, but the signature will be entirely different. So, the only way to be undetected by the castle's magic is for the source of that magic to create a mask of sorts around themselves. It's the equivalent of being invisible." Ceridwen told them.

Had he been able to do so, Kieran would've paled significantly.

"It's the witch, the one who cursed me." he remarked quietly.

"Why would she be here?" Sebella asked.

"The ring must be hers, but how did she find out about it?" Kieran growled.

"Shiro told her; that must be why he left the other day." Sebella stated logically, glaring in disgust.

"So help me, if he's still alive when this is over, I will banish him from this castle." Kieran vowed, seething with fury.

"I'll be honest; I couldn't fault you if you wanted to kill him." Sebella told him.

Kieran looked up at her in surprise.

"What, you find it hard to believe I have a dark side?" Sebella questioned.

"Honestly, yes; I never really pegged you as the vengeful type." he answered.

"You've never seen me provoked." Sebella said, shrugging.

"Again, remind me to stay off your bad side." he responded, shaking his head.

Sebella grinned. "So, what are we going to do about the witch?"

"We have to find a way to lure her out into the open. As long as she's in hiding, we're at a disadvantage." Kieran stated.

"What are ye going to do then? I'm sure Grier and Gureth would be more than happy to tear her limb from limb for ye, but this is a witch we're talking about. Not to mention Shiro is on her side." Ceridwen replied.

"Shiro is a coward. I doubt he would put his life on the line for her." Sebella spat disgustedly.

"Fine, but even without him, her magic is powerful." Ceridwen retorted.

"We know what she wants; we can use that. If things get ugly, the ring is stronger than her magic." Kieran said.

"Aye, the ring is a great magic, provided ye know how to use it." Ceridwen remarked.

"Do you know how to use one?" Sebella asked.

"I'd have to analyze the ring for awhile. They all work differently, depending on the forger's design." Ceridwen answered.

"Can you get Cael to part with it long enough for Ceridwen to figure out how it works?" Kieran questioned.

"I can try." Sebella responded. "Hey little buddy, do you mind if we borrow your tail decoration for a bit? I promise you'll get it back as soon as possible."

Cael didn't seem too pleased with the idea, but held his tail out to Sebella anyway. Sebella smiled, slipping the ring off before handing it over to Ceridwen.

"Thanks, Cael; I owe you a special treat for this." Sebella commented, scratching her pet behind the ears.

Cael purred happily, and jumped up on Sebella's shoulder.

"How long do you think it will take to figure out how the ring works?" Kieran inquired.

"I can't say for certain, but I'll let ye know immediately when I've got it sorted." Ceridwen promised.

"I guess that leaves the two of us to work on our negotiation strategy." Sebella stated.

"I'm getting the feeling that I'm about to learn just how ruthless you can be." Kieran replied worriedly.

"Hopefully, by the time this is over, you won't be questioning which one of us is the true beast." Sebella said darkly.

Kieran frowned, but said nothing as he followed Sebella out of Ceridwen's room. The two of them headed to the library in silence, and sought out Ryusei when they reached it.

"We need your advice, Ryusei." Sebella told him, once the dragon had been located.

"I am at your service, my friends." Ryusei answered, bowing his head.

"Do you know what happened last night?" Kieran asked.

"I do not; please enlighten me." Ryusei replied.

Kieran gave him all the details of the incident as well as any other pertinent information. Ryusei nodded periodically, looking concerned.

"That's why we're here. We need you to help us figure out how to turn things in our favor." Sebella stated.

"Hm, if Shiro was not aware that you were onto him, I would suggest using him as an asset to send the witch messages and false information. It's rather unfortunate that he is both malicious and intelligent." Ryusei commented.

"We're going to have to send a message with someone we can trust." Kieran remarked.

"Let's worry about that later. I'm more worried about what the message will be. Shiro knows we're onto him, but the witch has no idea that we know she's behind all this or that we know what she wants. Can't we use that against her?" Sebella suggested.

"You think we might lay a trap for her if she remains oblivious to our knowledge of her presence?" Ryusei questioned.

"I'm thinking that we should try negotiation first, but have a trap ready at the same time as a contingency plan." Sebella explained.

"We're going to have to play this close to the vest. Whatever we tell her, it can't reveal too much; just the basic need-to-know information." Kieran said.

"Of course, we should meet her somewhere on the castle grounds so both of us have access to magic if things get ugly." Sebella continued.

"What if she collapses the castle's magic?" Kieran asked.

"We'll have Ceridwen raise a protective barrier around us and the castle. If she can figure out how the ring works and tap into its magic, the witch won't be able to break it." Sebella answered.

"That sounds like a solid plan. What are your thoughts on the trap?" Ryusei questioned.

"If she won't cooperate, there are any number of things Ceridwen could do. For example, she could raise a force field around the witch to keep her locked up, or she could immobilize the witch completely." Sebella replied.

"You do realize this whole plan is dependent on Ceridwen being able to use the ring, right?" Kieran stated.

"I'll learn to use it myself if I have to." Sebella responded, determination clearly visible in her eyes.

"It seems like you're taking this personally." Kieran commented suspiciously.

"She cursed you for no good reason, and now she's a threat to our home and everyone we care about. Yes I'm taking this personally; she might try to kill you this time, and I will not lose you. I lo…loathe the idea of anyone close to me dying." Sebella told him, blushing and looking away at her almost slip of the tongue.

Kieran was motionless for a few seconds, unable to do anything but stare at her. Did she almost say she loved him? His heart skipped a beat at the thought, but his inner pessimist kicked him for it. No, she had said exactly what she meant to say.

"What do you plan on negotiating for?" Ryusei inquired, breaking the tension.

"We give her the ring and she leaves us in peace?" Kieran suggested.

"We pretend to negotiate; who knows what kind of atrocities she could commit with that ring. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't let her get the ring back in good conscience." Sebella argued.

"Then what are we going to do with her after we capture her, assuming we do capture her?" Kieran retorted.

"I'm not sure yet; my only humane idea so far is finding a way to get rid of her powers." Sebella replied.

"That's your only humane idea?" Ryusei repeated.

"She's got a dark side; it's best not to ask questions." Kieran explained, with a worried glance at her.

"This plan will take time to execute; what do you plan to do in the meantime?" Ryusei asked.

"We need to find a different way for the castle to alert us to her presence. Maybe we can use her scent?" Sebella answered.

"It's a good idea, but only Cael would know what she smells like." Kieran replied.

"I read that ferrabbets have their own magic that they manifest through the gem on their forehead. Cael might be able to transfer the knowledge to the guard statues by magic." Sebella stated.

"We may as well try." Kieran agreed.

Later that day, the prince led Sebella and Cael to the head guard statue to attempt their plan. They had stopped by Ceridwen's room first to make sure Cael understood what he needed to do.

"Alright little buddy, give it your best shot." Sebella told him.

Cael sat down and stared into the guard statue's eyes, appearing to be concentrating. Then the gem on his forehead began to glow, as did the eyes of the guard statue. When the light faded, Kieran had to make sure it worked.

"Does the network have the witch's scent?" he asked the statue.

The statue's eyes glowed green in affirmation.

"Good, if any of you catch a whiff of her raise the alarm immediately." he stated.

Once again, the statue's eyes glowed green.

"Well, at least she can't sneak up on us anymore." Sebella commented.

"Yes, but we still don't have any solid means of defense against her." Kieran said.

"Ceridwen told us she almost has the ring figured out. Until then, don't forget we have a castle full of dragons willing to fight for us." she replied.

"I wish we had some way of knowing what her next move will be." he sighed.

"Don't worry about it; there's nothing more we can do right now, and obsessing over it is only going to drive you crazy." she responded.

"I know, but I've gotten used to being paranoid about everything. It's not that easy for me to just let it go." he told her.

"Then we need to find a distraction for you. Any ideas?" she asked.

"Not really, I'm open to suggestions though." he answered.

"We could just wander around the castle and talk." she replied.

"Sure, why not?" he agreed, holding his arm out.

Sebella smiled, taking hold of his arm as they started walking.

"So, who was the first dragon you met and how did you meet them?" she questioned.

"Actually, Gureth was the first dragon I met. I was walking in the forest one day and found him with an injured wing. At first all he did was roar and breathe fire; I expected nothing less. So I took off anything I had on that could be used as a weapon to show him I meant no harm. That calmed him down, but I could tell he was still wary of me. I approached him slowly with my hands up, and he seemed ok with it. I told him my name and asked what his was. He told me, and then I mentioned seeing his wing broken. That earned a growl, but I assured him that I only wanted to help. He decided to let me take a look at it, and said it happened during a fight with another dragon. Luckily it wasn't very serious, just one broken bone. I managed to fashion a splint out of two branches and some vines, then I told him I would be back the next day with some actual medical supplies and some food. I could tell he wasn't counting on it, but I kept my promise. I found him food every day and kept an eye on his wing. When it was completely healed, he said thank you and told me he owed me a favor. I asked if he would come back and visit me every once in awhile, and he agreed. Gureth is actually the reason I was able to befriend so many dragons; most of the ones I know are dragons he introduced me to. It's a lot easier to make friends with a dragon when you have an ambassador to prove you're not a threat." he explained.

"That's amazing; showing bravery and compassion at the same time like that. You would make a great leader, Kieran." she commented.

"Well you're the first one to think so, but thanks." he replied, smiling and feeling relieved that he couldn't blush in his current form.

"I can't believe your people didn't realize how lucky they were. You deserve your title more than most princes; I haven't really met any other princes, but I'm betting they're not like you." she continued, not noticing how far she was going.

"You're right about the princes; none of the ones I met were anything like me, but nobody thought that was a good thing. As for being deserving of my title, I'm not sure being different makes me a better prince." he stated, unsure if he should point out the fact that she was practically gushing over him like a teenage girl.

"It's how you're different that counts. You're a good person; you chose to save a dragon's life instead of taking it, even though you were taught that they were evil monsters to be slain. You're not afraid to follow your own path, and that takes an inner strength that you should be proud of." she responded.

"Take it easy, Sebella; I'm not used to this much adulation." he remarked, still smiling.

Unfortunately for Sebella she was only too capable of blushing, and she did so profusely when she realized what she was doing.

"I'm sorry; I got a little carried away there." she said, looking away to hide her embarrassment.

"As long as you meant what you said, I don't mind." he told her.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it." she replied.

"I know; I love your honesty." he commented, curious to see her reaction to him saying 'I love'. He was not prepared for what it was.

Sebella smiled up at him, eyes shining with a level of happiness that he'd never seen before. In that moment she was the most beautiful sight he'd ever laid eyes on, and it very nearly broke his resolve to keep his love for her a secret. He had to take a deep breath and turn his gaze straight ahead to get a handle on his emotions.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me." she stated softly.

"You're welcome. When I was human most people would just tell me whatever they thought would make me happy; I always hated it. It's nice to have someone around who's not afraid to speak their mind." he responded.

"I'll try to keep the brutal out of my honesty." she commented, grinning.

"I would appreciate that, thanks." he replied, grinning back.

"No problem; a castle full of dragons is no place for brutal honesty anyway." she remarked.

"True, so why are dragons your favorite magical creatures? Aside from the fact that you're not like most girls." he asked.

"I think it's because they embody all my ideals; they're beautiful and majestic, but also strong, brave, and intelligent. Plus they're misunderstood, just like I was; I can relate to them." she explained.

"You like their intimidating exterior, because it keeps others from getting too close so they can't get hurt. You like that they have sharp teeth and claws for offense and armor tough scales for defense in case it comes down to a fight. You like that they live mostly solitary lives, so they can be who they are without fear of being judged. Am I wrong?" he continued, reading her like a book.

"Well when you put it that way, it makes me sound really pathetic." she mumbled, looking down.

"You're not pathetic; everyone has insecurities, so it makes sense that the aspects of a dragon that make up for those would appeal to you." he replied.

"How do you know me so well?" she questioned.

"Because I know myself, and you and I aren't so different." he answered, taking her hand in his.

"Then I'm lucky you don't hate yourself." she replied, flashing that radiant smile again.

Kieran had to avert his eyes once more; if she kept doing that, he was going to crack like an egg.

"To a certain extent, I did before you showed up." he sighed.

"What changed your mind?" she asked, though she was fairly sure she already knew.

"You did; I figured that if a girl as sweet and pretty as you could actually like me just the way I am, there had to be at least one good thing about me." he told her, not sure if he was revealing too much.

"Kieran, you were a product of your experience. After what you went through, you could've turned into a monster on the inside, but you didn't. When I first met you I knew something horrible must've happened to you, because everything you did was a defense mechanism. You barely talked to me, you were so hoping the dragons would scare me away, and you always acted like you were angry. Every time I got a little closer you would get scared and try to push me away again, because you thought you couldn't trust me. No one can blame you for protecting yourself. It doesn't make you bad, it just makes you human." she responded, hugging him.

This time, Kieran had to hold back tears as he returned her embrace; the more she showed him kindness and understanding, the more he fell in love with her. It was getting to the point where he was terrified of what would happen if she didn't love him in return. He was beginning to suspect that the resulting heartbreak just might be fatal.

"Maybe someday I'll be at least half the man you think I am, Sebella." he commented, unwilling to let go of her yet.

"You're already exactly the man I think you are; whether you believe it or not." she retorted, running her fingers through his surprisingly silky black mane.

Kieran shivered slightly in response, not expecting it to feel as good as it did.

"Can I keep you?" he questioned softly.

"Only if I get to keep you too." she answered.

The next day they went to see Ceridwen, who had finally cracked the ring's code. She agreed with the plan and raised a defensive barrier the same size as the one currently surrounding the premises. Now all that was left to do was to lure the witch back to the castle.

"We should send one of the dragons to find her." Kieran stated.

"It can't be a dragon; that's too threatening. You can't leave the castle, so I'll go find her and bring her back here." Sebella argued.

"I'm not letting you go by yourself; it's too dangerous!" he protested.

"What choice do we have?" she retorted.

"Take Gureth with you for protection. That's the only way I'll let you go." he told her.

"Alright, I'll find her as fast as I can." she consented.

"Good, I want you to take this amulet and wear it. Ceridwen enchanted it with the ring's magic to keep you safe; the witch shouldn't be able to use her powers against you as long as you have it on." he replied, draping a silver necklace with a pendant that looked like a pale green dragon eye around her neck.

"Thank you, Kieran; I'll never take it off." she responded, touching the pendant reverently.

"Just promise me you'll come back." he said with a sad look in his eyes.

"Wild dragons couldn't stop me." she vowed, smiling sweetly.

This time Kieran hugged her first. Sebella sighed contentedly, returning the hug before she left to track down Gureth.

When she found the young dragon, she didn't even have to tell him that Kieran insisted on her having an escort; Gureth was more than happy to tag along as her guardian. The two of them headed into the forest with no real destination; chances were that she wasn't far away and she would find them.

"So, fancy necklace; did the prince give it to you?" Gureth asked with a toothy grin.

"Yeah, it's enchanted to shield me from magic." Sebella answered, unable to hold back a grin of her own.

"Mark my words, little lady, the next thing he gives you will be a ring." he stated.

"Don't get my hopes up, Gureth." she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, she admits a proposal would not be unwelcome!" he said, surprise written all over his face.

"If you breathe one word about it to Kieran, I will hunt you down tirelessly and without mercy." she threatened.

"Whoa, down girl; this is our little secret, I swear." he replied, admiring her bravery.

"Thanks, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with him, but I don't know if he loves me in return." she mused.

"Sebella, he's wearing shirts again, he attacked a full grown dragon for hurting you, he talks to you about things he's never discussed with another human, and he went out of his way to make sure you'd still be safe while he couldn't protect you. If that doesn't scream, 'I'm head over heels in love with you', I don't know what does." he responded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"The signs are promising, I'll give you that, but he has to say it before I'll accept it as fact." she argued.

"Just wait until this whole ordeal with the witch is over; I'm willing to bet that's the only thing holding his tongue." he commented.

"Whatever you say, Gureth." she remarked.

They walked in comfortable silence for awhile until they heard a voice.

"Looking for me?" Mckenna asked mockingly, stepping out from behind a tree.

Gureth growled quietly, but Sebella refused to let it affect her.

"Yes, we heard you were searching for a certain magical item." Sebella answered, maintaining an air of nonchalance.

"Oh, and I'm guessing you know where it is." the witch retorted, her eyes narrowing.

"Maybe, and we might be willing to share that knowledge if you cooperate." Sebella replied, idly examining her nails.

"What do you want?" Mckenna questioned, her expression darkening.

"First, you will take no negative action against the Dragon Prince's castle or its inhabitants henceforth; that includes harming, manipulating, and any sort of influencing of them, their lives, and their loved ones. Second, you will leave this forest, go far, far away, never return, and do nothing that would change the current state of the forest or the land it sits upon now or anytime in the future." Sebella explained, being as thorough and all encompassing as possible.

"Well well, someone made sure she had all her bases covered. What if I feel disinclined to acquiesce to your demands?" Mckenna responded with a condescending grin and a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Then bid farewell to any aspirations of success you may have harbored pertaining to the acquisition of your wayward quandary." Sebella told her, throwing the witch's extended vocabulary right back at her.

Mckenna's grin vanished; she hadn't expected the girl to understand what she said, much less answer with equally obscure words. This was no ordinary maiden.

"You're just no fun at all, are you? With so few options, what's a poor witch to do?" she remarked, laying the back of her hand against her forehead dramatically.

"That was the general idea." Sebella confirmed, crossing her arms.

"Then I suppose I have no choice…" Mckenna trailed off before suddenly hurling a bolt of lightning directly at Sebella.

Sebella smiled as the bolt was deflected, bouncing harmlessly to the ground and disappearing. Gureth growled louder this time, baring his teeth in warning.

"You little whelp; you're wearing an object of protection, aren't you?" Mckenna seethed, glaring at her.

"We thought you might try something like this, so we took extra precautions." Sebella stated. "Now, do we have a deal?"

"Fine, you win this round, but I'd watch my back if I were you." Mckenna hissed.

"This way, sunshine." Sebella said, beckoning her to follow.

Gureth walked behind the witch so he could keep an eye on her; experience had taught him never to turn his back on an enemy.

It didn't take long to reach the castle, and Sebella wasted no time in locating Kieran and Ceridwen. Kieran immediately pulled her into a hug, relieved that she was safe, while Cael affectionately rubbed up against her legs. Gureth stayed outside with the witch to make sure she didn't try anything sneaky. When everyone was gathered in the courtyard, the witch being just outside the barrier and everyone else inside, the witch was the first to speak.

"Long time no see, Prince Kieran; you were just a little lizard the last time I saw you. My how you've grown!" she said, with mock affection.

Kieran glared at her in pure hatred, growling deep in his throat.

"Now now, don't get mad. Cursing you was nothing personal; I only did what I was hired to do. To be perfectly honest, I could've done much worse." she defended, doing her best to look innocent.

"That's no excuse for what you did to me." he snarled.

"Setting aside your clear lack of a conscience, let's focus on why we're here." Sebella stated.

"Yes, you have my ring, and I want it back." Mckenna replied.

"Exactly, now the terms of the deal have been laid out very clearly and you have already agreed to honor them; on the other hand, I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you. Therefore, I've had two of our personal friends draw up a magically binding contract that you are required to sign before we return the ring." Sebella explained, as Ceridwen summoned a roll of parchment covered in elegant script.

This little sub-plan was one she had crafted with the help of Ryusei and Ceridwen. Only the three of them knew about it.

"Would you care to read it first, or would you rather just sign you life away and get it over with? Oh, and don't try writing a fake name; the parchment is enchanted so that only your real name will mark it." Sebella mocked, trying very hard to keep the telltale smirk off her face.

Contrary to the expected response, a smile slid across Mckenna's face before a full on cackle escaped her.

"You are one seriously impressive little peasant girl! First you fearlessly live in a castle full of dragons along with a cursed prince who has a chunk of ice where his heart is supposed to be; then you stand up to a witch and actually have the intelligence and forethought to make sure that witch can't trick you!" Mckenna exclaimed, still smiling in unsettling amusement.

"What of it?" Sebella asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

She would have corrected her about Kieran, but that would be giving the witch a foothold. Give so much as an inch, and this evil entity was sure to weasel at least a mile out of it.

"You have so much potential, and you're wasting it playing house with his royal scaliness over there. I'll bet you would just love to see the world, wouldn't you? I could train you to be one hell of a witch; then you could go anywhere you want, do whatever you want to do." Mckenna offered, seeming actually genuine.

Kieran growled again, even as his blood ran as cold as the ice the witch thought his heart was made of.

"Grasping at straws already? I honestly expected more from you before you'd resort to bribes." Sebella commented.

"Cocky little cretin." Mckenna muttered, conjuring a quill pen.

She wrote her name in the designated space with violent strokes, but as soon as she finished her body was rooted to the spot and unable to move.

"I probably should've mentioned when I said it was a binding contract that it's literally binding." Sebella remarked, finally allowing a devious smirk to cross her features.

"You know, I should be furious right now, but I just can't seem to find it in me. I'm too impressed with how underhanded and sneaky that was. You really would make one hell of a witch." Mckenna replied, grinning in spite of herself.

"I only did what I had to do; there was no other option." Sebella stated, glaring at her.

"True, anything less than trickery and deceit wouldn't have worked. Still, can you live with yourself knowing that you stooped to my level?" Mckenna responded.

"Ceridwen, I'm leaving her in your very capable claws." Sebella said, turning and walking back toward the castle.

"Don't get too comfortable; I've still got plenty of surprises up my sleeves." Mckenna called.

Sebella ignored her and kept going. Kieran followed her, knowing that she was going to need him. She went all the way to her room, closing the door behind her. He hesitated a moment before knocking. When he didn't get a response, he opened the door slowly and peered inside. She was sitting on her bed, knees drawn up to her chest, forehead resting on her knees, and arms wrapped around them. Cael was curled up against her, trying his best to provide comfort. Kieran sighed, walking over to sit next to her on the bed and draping one arm around her shoulders.

"If you're questioning which one of us is the true beast right now, I just want to say I told you so." she commented, her voice muffled and monotone with no mirth whatsoever.

"Why didn't you tell me what you were going to do?" he asked, careful to keep his tone non-accusatory.

"I think I already answered that question, more or less." she answered.

"What do you want me to do; call you a monster, berate you and say you're a terrible person, kick you out of the castle and tell you I never want to see you again?" he questioned, listing all the things she probably thought he would do.

"No." she replied quietly, unable to stifle the sob that followed.

"Look at me, Sebella." he told her.

When she remained still he pried her arms away, pulled her ankles to force her legs straight, and tilted her face up, placing one hand on either side of it to keep it there. The look of self-loathing in her eyes that he knew all too well broke his heart.

"I'm not angry; I'm not even upset. I understand why you did what you did. Just like you said, sometimes we have to do things we're not proud of because there's no alternative. So don't you dare beat yourself up over this." he stated, never breaking eye contact.

"Kieran, she said I stooped to her level and she's right. You can justify it all you want, but I'm still no better than a witch." she responded, tears streaking her face.

He sighed, pulling her onto his lap and holding her.

"Go ahead, cry it out; don't repress your feelings, but remember that you're only feeling this way because you have a conscience. The fact that you're experiencing guilt is what makes you better than a witch." he said, running one hand up and down her back in a soothing gesture.

Apparently that broke some sort of emotional dam, because afterwards she flung her arms around him and started sobbing hysterically.

"It's ok, everything is going to be alright; you're brave and strong, my Belle, I know this can't hold you down." he whispered gently.

"What, what did you call me?" she asked, pulling back to look at him.

"I called you Belle, because you're beautiful in every sense of the word, inside and out." he answered, not caring if she figured out how he felt.

"It really doesn't bother you, what I just did?" she questioned.

"You think you're the only one with a dark side? As long as you don't let it define who you are, I can forgive you if you occasionally give in to it." he told her.

Sebella smiled gratefully and hugged him, holding his waist in a vice grip. Kieran returned the embrace, allowing himself to slowly stroke her hair.

Later that night Mckenna was locked in a dungeon cell, a magic negating dungeon cell. Ceridwen had designed it so the witch would be incapable of using spells to escape. She was also chained to the wall; not uncomfortably, but she couldn't move around much. Mckenna was wracking her brain for a plan when she heard the voice of her accomplice. Her head shot up toward the tiny barred window high above.

"Well, it seems you've made a fine mess of things." Shiro commented, lying down on the ground in front of the window.

"Can it dragon! I won't be stuck in here forever, and when I get out I could easily find you and end you." she threatened.

"Such hostility; to think, I came all the way here to help you escape." he mused, baiting her.

"How did you plan on doing that?" she asked skeptically.

"Lucky for you, I managed to get my claws on a vial of extremely volatile acid. It'll eat through just about anything, even metal." he explained.

"What do you want?" she questioned.

"Only what I wanted originally; I'm helping you because you can't hold up your end of this little arrangement while you're locked up down there." he answered.

"Fine, get me out of here." she stated.

Shiro grinned wickedly, splashing a few drops of the acid onto each of the bars. They dissolved within seconds.

"Two questions; one, how good are you at catching things, and two, can you fit through this window?" he inquired.

"Toss me the vial, and yes I can slip through that window." she replied, slightly annoyed.

Shiro threw it toward her and she caught it easily. Mckenna applied the acid to the chains that bound her, and soon she was free.

"Now what?" she asked.

The dragon chose not to answer, and simply lowered a rope through the window. She smirked and took hold of the lifeline, letting Shiro pull her up and out of her prison.

"Get on my back; we need to get you out of here fast." he told her.

She didn't argue and he took off as soon as her grip was secure.

Kieran's eyes snapped open and he shot out of bed, waking Sebella and Cael as well.

"What's wrong?" Sebella asked sleepily.

"It's the witch, she's free. The guard statues caught her scent outside the castle." he explained, rushing to the door.

Sebella was instantly awake and leapt up to follow him with Cael at her heels. The two of them raced to the dungeon where they found the cell still locked but empty. Kieran uttered a foul curse and slammed his hands against the wall.

"These chains have been melted and so have the bars on the window up there." Sebella commented, voicing her observations as she surveyed the room.

"Probably with fire." Kieran growled, immediately thinking of Shiro.

"No actually, there aren't any scorch marks; I think some sort of acid burned through them." she corrected.

"She couldn't use magic; where could she have possibly gotten acid?" he fumed.

"Calm down, Kieran; getting upset isn't going to help. We need to go outside where that window is so I can investigate, but first I need to find Gureth." she stated.

"Alright, follow me." he said, trying to suppress his anger.

After locating the requested dragon, all four of them headed out. Sebella noticed the imprint in the grass right away. Cael sniffed around it and hissed.

"I thought so. Gureth, can you identify the scent of this imprint?" she asked.

"That's Shiro, I'd recognize his stench anywhere." Gureth answered, wrinkling his snout.

Kieran looked like he was about to throw a fit, but Sebella just crouched down in front of the window. A few moments later she stood back up and turned to face them.

"I found some rope fibers in the cracks between the stones. My guess is that used the acid to melt the bars then threw the rest to her so she could melt the chains. After that he must have pulled her out with a rope." she explained.

"If I ever see him again, I will annihilate him as slowly and painfully as possible." Kieran vowed, eyes aflame with rage.

"You might have to let everyone join in the fun; I think most of us have a bone to pick with Shiro. Now we can all pick a bone and then break it." Gureth growled.

"I should probably be trying to stop you, telling you that's not the right thing to do, but I don't really want to. Have at it; I won't hold you back." Sebella remarked, none too pleased herself.