King Allfire was trying to get to sleep, but finding it very difficult with Queen Griddle pacing the room.

'My dear,' said Allfire, sitting up in bed, 'is something troubling you? You haven't got insomnia again, I hope.'

'Don't be stupid,' snapped Griddle, halting mid-pace. 'I'm worried about Flame.'

'Worried about my Puff? My dear, why?'

'She seems down in the dumps about something. I've asked her about it, but she won't tell me. That girl never tells me anything!'

Suddenly, to her husband's surprise and alarm, Griddle burst into noisy tears.

'My dear, please calm yourself!' said Allfire. 'I'm sure she tells you some things.'

'Not anything that matters!' Griddle sobbed.

'Well,' said Allfire, 'perhaps she'll tell me. I'll talk to her first thing in the morning.'

Daylight saw Princess Flame lying on her bed, staring at a piece of embroidery. When a knock came at her door she stuffed the object under her pillow, sat up and called, 'Come in!'

King Allfire entered the room, trotted over to Flame's bed and sat down beside her.

'Hello, Puff,' he said. 'I was just wondering if you were all right. You didn't eat very much at breakfast, and then afterwards you came straight back up here. Are you ill?'

'No, Daddy,' said Flame, 'I'm not ill.'

'Then is something else troubling you?'

'Nothing in particular. Only…'

'Come along now, Puff. You know you can tell me anything.'

'Well…' said Flame. 'What think you, Father, of patience?'

'Patience?' said Allfire. 'Patience is a great virtue, my dear. Surely I have taught you that. The Chancellor and I have made very sure that the Code of Chivalry advocates patience at all times.'

'I know,' said Flame, scowling. Then her expression cleared, and she went on, 'But sometimes… when something really matters to you… and it seems to be taking forever… being patient just seems impossible. You must know what I mean.'

'Indeed, Puff, I do,' said Allfire. 'Everyone does. Patience is something most people learn as they get older, but I know that doesn't help you now. Are you feeling impatient about anything in particular, my dear?'

Flame looked into her father's smiling eyes, which gazed invitingly back at her.

'Oh,' she said, 'a couple of things.'

'Such as…?'

'Um… the St. George's Day bonfire?'

'Ah yes,' said Allfire, 'the St. George's Day bonfire! You always did love that, didn't you, Puff? Well, you know how to make the time pass, don't you? You can start making your George! I'm sure your stepmother would love to help you with that.'

Flame looked sceptical. 'Would she?'

'Of course! It's a wonderful mother-daughter bonding activity. I'll always remember your mother making your first ever George with you…'

'I don't remember that,' said Flame.

'You wouldn't,' said Allfire. 'You were barely more than a hatchling. How much do you remember of her?'

'Hardly anything. Nothing I can put into words.'

'She was an exceptional dragon, your mother. Now, there was someone who knew patience.'

'Really?' said Flame, beginning to perk up at last.

'Oh yes, very much so. She taught me a great deal about patience.'

'Did she? Well, I wish she could teach me.'

'You have many of your mother's finest qualities, my dear,' said Allfire. 'I know she'd be very proud of you.'

'Then why haven't I inherited her patience?'

'Patience isn't something you inherit, Puff, it's something you learn. You know where your mother grew up, don't you?'

'Yes,' said Flame. 'A nunnery in Dunstable.'

'That's right,' said Allfire. 'Those nuns were dashed strict, I don't mind telling you. I wasn't allowed to marry your mother at first, but she told me to be patient, and we'd get our wish in the end. I didn't see how I'd ever be allowed to take her out of there, but then once I'd pulled Excaliburn from the Stone, I was king and could do what I jolly well liked.'

'I never knew that,' said Flame. 'Why didn't you tell me about it before?'

'Well, you never asked me about patience before.'

'No, I suppose not. Oh, poor Mother, suddenly dying like that. I wish I knew a bit more about her. Come to think of it, Daddy, why did she die?'

Allfire shook his head. 'I'm really not sure. I wasn't there when it happened, and when I got to Dunstable, no one could tell me anything.'

'She died in Dunstable?'

'Oh yes - didn't I ever tell you that? She was up there visiting her nun chums. It was terrible, and you just a tiny little thing…' Allfire's eyes began to fill with tears.

'Don't think about it anymore, Daddy,' said Flame. 'And don't worry about me either. I'll find something to occupy myself until the St. George's Day bonfire.'

'Well,' said Allfire, 'if you're sure…'

'I'm quite sure.' Flame jumped to her feet, and pulled her father onto his. Then, steering him towards the door, she said, 'Go on now. I'll start work on my George.' She pushed Allfire out of the door, closed it and added quietly, 'Or something.'

That afternoon, Sir Blaze was the first to arrive for a meeting of the Knights of the Square Table. He took his place, sat drumming his fingers on the table for a few moments, then spotted a folded piece of paper several inches in front of him. He picked it up, and saw that it wasn't addressed to anyone in particular. When he opened the paper, Blaze let out a shrill cry of alarm.

A moment later, King Allfire came into the room. Close behind him were the other four Knights of the Square Table, and Flicker. Then suddenly Queen Griddle was barging past all of them, crying anxiously, 'Blaze? What's the matter?'

'Oh, thank goodness you're here!' said Blaze, holding out the note. 'Read this, Your Majesty.'

Allfire took the note, glanced at it and then cried, 'Blazing dragons! It's from Flame. She says, "Dear Daddy, do not worry, I have run away"!'

Flicker, looking stricken, mouthed, 'Run away?', but it was unlikely that anyone noticed this over the Queen's reaction. She let out a shrill cry, and said, 'I knew something was wrong with her, and now look!'

'I don't believe it!' said Allfire. 'Why would my little Puff…?'

Sir Galahot cleared his throat, and said, 'Excuse me, My Liege. I believe there is more on that note, sir.'

Allfire looked down at the paper in his hand.

'Oh yes,' he said. 'She says, "I'll be back as soon as I can. I've decided to go on a quest, after what we talked about. I must learn patience."'

'Patience,' Flicker said quietly, swaying on his feet.

'"Please don't send any knights after me,"' Allfire went on. '"I can look after myself, Daddy, and you know it."'

'Nonsense!' cried Griddle. 'Since when can a princess look after herself?'

'Now then, Mumsey, let's stay calm,' said Blaze, putting an arm around Griddle's shoulders. 'Does anyone have any idea where she may have gone?'

'Oh yes,' said Allfire. 'That's not a problem. It's pretty obvious to me that she's gone to Dunstable. She's a sensible girl, my Puff. She wouldn't go off questing without giving us some idea of where she was going.'

'Dunstable?' said Griddle. 'Wasn't Lady Igrange from Dunstable?'

'Indeed she was, my dear,' said Allfire, and once again Griddle burst into noisy tears. 'I must say, I find this most alarming. When her mother made a return visit to Dunstable, she died in mysterious circumstances.'

'What mysterious circumstances?' someone yelled from the midst of the gathering. All eyes turned towards the voice. It was Flicker's.

'The good ladies at the nunnery couldn't tell me anything, squire,' said Allfire. 'She just… died.'

'I think Flame must want to find out what happened to her,' said Blaze. 'I find it hard to believe that she's gone all the way to Dunstable just to learn patience. I mean, really, how much patience is there in Dunstable? Well, I suppose I'll go after her, then.'

'We must all go!' cried King Allfire. 'No one will rest until my daughter is safe.'

'My Liege,' said Blaze, 'if I may, I don't think it's necessary to leave the castle without you or any knights. Flame can look after herself, and if she does happen to need any help, it won't take all of us. I beg you to remain here, Your Majesty, and look after Mumsey.' He glanced at Griddle, who was now sniffing quietly. 'I'll go.'

'Very well,' said Allfire. 'You are right, of course. I am old, and might slow you down.'

'I didn't say -'

'I know you didn't, Blaze, but the fact remains. Now, who will go with you? I know all of my noble knights would die for their princess, but I ask you to choose only one.'

'Very well,' said Blaze. 'I'll take Loungelot.' He looked at Flicker, and said brightly, 'Come along then, squire, chop chop. Fetch your master's things so we can be off.'

'Yes, Milord,' said Flicker, in a far-away voice, and he went shakily from the room.

'Then it is settled,' said Allfire. 'Sir Galahot, Sir Hotbreath and Sir Burnevere, I must ask you to begin this meeting without me. I shall return presently.'

Allfire took Griddle's arm and led her, still crying, from the room.

Loungelot, scowling, went over to Blaze and said quietly, 'What did you do that for?'

'Now then, Loungelot,' said Blaze, 'doesn't Mumsey expect such things from her champion? Besides, I'm doing you a favour. You know you won't get any work out of Flicker until our beloved princess is safe at home.'

A wooden road sign bearing the name Loitone stood, listing and faded, on the edge of a town. Princess Flame fluttered down in front of it, then reached down the neck of her dress and pulled out a map.

'Brilliant!' she said and, stuffing the map back into her dress, she sprinted towards the rows of houses. The first person she saw was a young serf carrying a clipboard and pencil. She went up to him and said, 'Excuse me, sir. Could you -'

'Sign our petition, love?' The serf lifted his clipboard and pencil above his head and waved them in Flame's face. 'We're making a bid for city status.'

Flame looked around at the tiny huts, the few serfs milling about and the acres of farmland stretching before her.

'Certainly,' she said, taking the clipboard and pencil. 'Please, I wonder if you'd -'

'Cursed!'

Flame, in the middle of signing her name, looked round to see a cloaked woman standing behind her. A cowl obscured most of her face, but it showed the mouth and nostrils of an elderly grey dragon. The figure was taller than the serfs; perhaps as tall as Flame, but she was hunched over and so appeared much shorter.

'This town is cursed never to win city status!' the old woman said. 'Whatever we do… however nice the parks and precincts… however much the population grows…'

'Well,' said Flame, 'a petition can't hurt, anyway.' She finished signing her name, handed the clipboard and pencil back to the serf, and then turned to face the woman. 'It doesn't matter much to me anyway - I'm only passing. Please, would you be able to direct me to Dunstable?'

'Dunstable?' said the cloaked figure. 'What does an innocent young girl like you want in a place like Dunstable, I wonder?'

'I'm looking for the St. Cinderline Convent.'

'The St. Cinderline Convent? The St. Cinderline Convent is cursed!'

'Um… okay,' said Flame. 'But I want to go there all the same.'

'Beware the curse of the dragon nuns!'

'Please, could you just tell me how to get there?'

'Oh, all right.' The woman pointed towards a pathway cut into a field of yellow plants. 'Just go down there and follow your nose. But be careful, my dear. You may learn more than you came for.'

'What do you know about it?' asked Flame. 'I don't mean to sound impolite, but… well, who are you?'

'Call me… Mysterious Crone.'

'Right,' said Flame. 'Well… thank you, Mysterious Crone. Now, I really must -'

'Impatient to be on your way, my dear?'

'Well, yes, a bit. Oh, but…'

'Yes?'

'I'm going there to learn patience,' said Flame. 'Well, I suppose I'm not there yet, but I know enough about questing to expect trials on the way. Maybe I'm supposed to stand here and listen to you for hours as some kind of test.'

'I am not testing you, my dear,' said Mysterious Crone, 'and I judge no one for their impatience. Be on your way now.'

She gestured towards the path to Dunstable, and Flame turned to look. When she looked back, Mysterious Crone had melted into the small crowd, or at least she'd tried to; her winged back was visible above the heads of the serfs. Clearly she didn't want to talk anymore, so Flame gave a small shrug and set off down the path, on foot.

King Allfire closed the door on his sobbing wife, only to find his way blocked by Cinder and Clinker, wearing their jester hats.

'A few jokes to cheer the Queen, sire?' said Cinder.

'I don't think your jokes will do it,' said Allfire. 'Best leave her alone, I think, until the Princess returns. Of course, that's assuming… well, we must be optimistic.'

'Now then, sire,' said Cinder, 'you mustn't worry about the Princess. You trust Sir Blaze and Sir Loungelot to bring her home safely, don't you?'

Allfire furrowed his brow. 'Well, I -'

'Not to mention Squire Flicker,' Clinker added.

'That's right!' said Cinder. 'He's a fine fellow, that Flicker. Best squire in Camelhot, if you ask us.'

'I didn't ask you,' said Allfire. 'Why is everyone so keen to talk to me about Squire Flicker all of a sudden?'

'Everyone, sire?' asked Clinker.

'Yes, well, Sir Hotbreath mentioned him quite recently.'

'Full of praise, was he?' said Cinder. 'I'll just bet he was!'

'Spiffing bloke, that Flicker,' added Clinker.

'Yes, quite,' said Allfire, looking thoughtful. 'What, er… what exactly is it that you like about him?'

'Well,' said Cinder, 'for one thing, he's nice to us.'

'Not everybody is,' said Clinker.

'He's clever too,' Cinder went on. 'He invented a cracking little gadget to help us keep track of our messages.'

'It-post notes,' said Clinker.

'Beyond the call of duty, that,' Cinder finished.

'Quite so,' said Allfire. 'Well, thank you for that, Cinder and Clinker. Now, if you really want to make yourselves useful, go and prepare the castle for my daughter's return. We want her to feel welcome when she gets back from her quest, don't we?'

'Right away, Your Majesty!' said Cinder, and they streaked off down the corridor.

Flame walked, and walked, and walked. Then she stopped, looked around and still saw nothing but yellow plants. She frowned, and stroked her chin thoughtfully.

'You all right there, sweetheart?'

The voice seemed to come from the ground. Flame looked down, and saw a small man wearing a pointed hat.

'At last!' said Flame. 'There's been no one on this path for miles. Kind sir, please could you tell me whether I am on the road to Dunstable?'

'You sure are, sweetie.'

'Oh, thank goodness! I was beginning to get impatient… again.' Flame looked momentarily downcast, then went on, 'I was wondering whether to try and fly the rest of the way, but then I might lose the path, and take even longer to get there. Maybe this long walk is a test of patience.'

'Patience, eh?' said the man. 'Who needs patience when you can get an instant fix?'

Flame came out of her thoughts, and frowned down at him. 'What?'

'I can grant you a wish, sweetheart,' said the little man, beaming. 'One wish, anything you want.'

'Anything?'

'That's right. Anything.'

'And what's your name - Suspicious Goblin?' asked Flame. 'This is more the sort of thing I was expecting. Well, it's very kind of you, sir, but no thank you.'

Flame set off again, but stopped when the little man appeared once more in front of her.

'I'm not a goblin,' he said. 'I'm a pixie. And why not, may I ask?'

'Why not what?'

'Why not take a wish?'

'Because I'm on a quest. You're not supposed to do that sort of thing on a quest. And what's more, I'm questing for patience, so accepting a wish from you would be counter-productive.'

'Patience isn't all it's cracked up to be, sweetheart,' said the pixie. 'You can go to Dunstable and learn patience… apparently… but what happens when you get it? You could still be waiting forever. Probably will too, if you got the patience.'

'Stop it!' Flame turned away from him. 'You're trying to tempt me.'

'You could wait forever… and ever… and ever… and ever…'

'Flame, you're on a quest,' said Flame, drowning out his voice with her own. 'And what's the first rule of questing? Do what Flicker would do. There's no way he'd ever take a wish from a suspicious goblin.'

'PIXIE! And ever… and ever… and -'

'Shut up!' said Flame, turning back to the pixie, and letting loose a stream of fire in her anger.

The pixie shut up, and stuck out his bottom lip.

'I'm going now,' said Flame, and she went.

'I'll be here when you come back!' the pixie shouted after her. 'You won't find patience in Dunstable, and then you'll let me grant you a wish! If you don't, you'll be waiting for what you want forever… and ever… and ever…'

Flame quickened her pace, but couldn't help looking back over her shoulder as she walked. The pixie was becoming a tiny speck in the distance, jumping up and down on the horizon. She scowled at the excited dot, then turned her head back the way she was facing, and stopped in her tracks. Some distance in front of her, she saw a large and sombre-looking building. The joy and relief showed on her face as she put on a burst of speed and ran down the path.

'Loitone!' cried Sir Blaze, pointing at the sign with one hand, and beckoning Flicker and Loungelot down from the sky with the other. 'We're almost there. Come on!'

He strolled past the sign and into the town of Loitone. Sir Loungelot followed him, with Flicker trailing behind, still looking as though the world was about to end.

'For goodness' sake, Flicker, I wish you'd cheer up!' said Loungelot.

'Sorry, Milord,' said Flicker. 'I just wish I could think of something to do.'

'We're doing all we can,' said Loungelot. 'Follow her, find her, bring her back - that's all. You can't think she's going to get into any trouble in Bedfordshire. I mean, just look at this Loitone place. Pathetic! She may be a princess, Flicker, but she's also a dragon.'

'I know that, Milord,' said Flicker, 'and she's proven more than once that she can look after herself. But I can't help worrying, all the same. If anything were to happen to her…' He closed his eyes, and tried to shake the thought from his mind.

'It won't,' said Loungelot. 'Now for goodness' sake, cheer - oof!'

'Sign the petition, Loungey,' said Blaze, who had slammed the serf's clipboard into Loungelot's stomach. He then turned to the serf and said, 'By the way, have you seen a dragon princess passing through here?'

'Of course he has,' said Loungelot, as he finished signing his name. 'Really, Blaze, you should use your eyes. Her name's on this thing, look.'

'It is?' Flicker grabbed the clipboard, looked at it and then turned his attention to the serf. 'Was she quite all right when you saw her? Which way did she go?'

'She was fine, and she went that way.' The serf pointed towards the path cut into the yellow-flowered field. 'She asked directions from a Mysterious Crone.'

'Well,' said Blaze, 'that all sounds quite in order for a quest. Sign the petition, Flicker, and we'll be on our way again.'

'All right.' Flicker took the pencil from Sir Loungelot and signed his name. 'City status, eh? Well, good luck.' He handed the petition back to the serf.

'Perhaps you could spruce up the sign a little if you want to win the bid,' said Blaze. 'Just a suggestion. Come along then, you two.' He made a beeline for the path to Dunstable. 'You know, I for one feel better for knowing that Flame's all right. How about you, Flicker?'

'We only know she's all right up to Loitone,' said Flicker.

'Honestly, Flicker, you're such a wet blanket,' said Loungelot. 'She's fine!'

'Well I don't know how you two can be so blasé about it,' said Flicker, coming as close as he ever had to losing his temper. 'We don't know that, and we won't know until we find her. And besides, I… well, I feel sort of responsible.'

'For the Princess going off on a quest?' asked Loungelot. 'Whatever for?'

'I was talking to her about patience,' said Flicker. 'Just… you know… in idle conversation. And now she's gone off looking for it.'

'Don't be so sure it's just because of you, Flicker,' said Blaze. 'She's gone to find out about her mother, don't forget. King Allfire told me a long time ago that his first wife died in mysterious circumstances, and not to ask Flame about it, but it came up anyway. We talked about our absent parents at great length on the day Mumsey and the King got married. Then when I found out what really happened to my father, years later… well, I had a feeling Flame might want to do something like this one day.'

'On the other hand,' Loungelot said quietly to Flicker, slackening his pace and allowing Blaze to stride on ahead, 'perhaps you thought that if you weren't responsible, and it was more to do with the Princess finding closure, she would have invited you along.'

Flicker looked up at him, wide-eyed. 'My - My Lord?'

'You don't have to pretend with me, Flicker, nor with Blaze either. He isn't blind, and neither am I. Remember when I was a little pet newt in that tip of yours?'

'I'm not pretending anything,' said Flicker. 'I'm keeping my place, as well you know, My Lord. Besides, it's ages since you were turned into a newt. Why bring this all up now?'

'Well, why not?' said Loungelot. 'It was bound to come up some time.'

Having said this, he quickened his pace once again, leaving Flicker to stare after him in bewilderment.