A/N: An AU where Masamune is a dragon ^^ the bold conversations is Masamune talking in his dragon form, it'll be deeper than his human voice. I use Megohime because she was his wife in real life but I made some changes to her to fit my story.
Seven year old Lady Megohime Temura was in the forest that surrounded the castle, the very castle that she herself had snuck out of, she was on her knees picking berries and flowers. She was wearing a simple yukata instead of the formal kimono that was the most dominant component of her wardrobe. Such moments of blissful solitude were precious to her beyond any riches that her father's status as lord of the castle and lands could lavish upon her. Her long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and a cloth kept her bangs out of her face. The little wooden basket she used for the berries was pressed to her body as she bent down to pick an exceptionally pretty tune, humming the tune of a lullaby her mother sang to her. As she was about to pluck the delicate stem from the fertile ground the sound of a whimper caused her to stop and look up.
Megohime frowned in confusion, it didn't sound like any animal she had heard before and knew all the sounds that animals made thanks to her Lord Father. So what was making this sound? The girl stood up and headed towards the sound, picking her way through the trees, rocks, logs and bushes.
Eventually she arrived to a small clearing and pushed the branches of a large bush so she could see what it was that was whimpering.
A gasp was stopped when her hands fly to her mouth, scattering the flowers and berries. There in front of her, lying in the middle of the clearing, is a blue dragon. It seemed to be asleep. Megohime took a step backwards, her foot snapping a twig.
The dragon slowly opened an eye and raised its head, turning its head so it could look at the girl. Megohime noticed that it had one eye closed and that there was blood streaming down one cheek. Not a word is spoken between the two but after a few moments, the dragon turned his gaze away from her and closed his eye.
Megohime wanted to run at first but every time she thought about running, the image of the dragon's wounded eye could pop up into her mind's eye. So she found herself stepping out from behind the bush and into the clearing. Megohime slowly and calmly walked over to the dragon.
"...I mean you no harm, Dragon," Megohime softly said. "I just want to take a look at your wounded eye...you could get an infection if it's not taken care of…"
The dragon opened its good eye a sliver and a low rumble came from its throat, not exactly a growl but close enough.
"And you would want to eat me either, I'm nothing but skin and bones." Megohime added as she kneeled in front of the dragon and waited for it to take in her scent, she figured that if she approached it like she would an injured stray dog that it wouldn't make her into its meal.
Megohime watched at the dragon's nostrils and chest expanded, her eyes widen when the dragon seemed to purr at her.
"Does that mean I can take a look at your eye?"
Another purr and the dragon flicked out its tongue and licked her fingertips.
"Okay, thank you...say are you a boy or girl dragon? One flick for girl and two for boy."
Two flicks of the tongue.
"Alright." Megohime said with a nod of her head, she had been curious about the dragon's gender. She didn't want to assume anything and offend the dragon, so it was better to ask first before she took care of his eye.
Megohime inched closer to the dragon until she was next to the injured side of his head, as she checked the wound the girl took in the dragon's appearance. He had a long, serpentine body, deer-like antlers, flowing whiskers, and a lupine face. He had smooth, dark blue scales with a light blue mane.
Her lips turned down in sadness when she realized that there was no healing this eye, he had lost it for good. Megohime stood up and tore off a small strip of the bottom of her yukata before she rushed to a small stream and soaked it then she returned to the dragon, and she started to wipe the blood of his face as she started to hum a lullaby to him in an attempt to put him as ease.
Once he was cleaned she reached up and tore off the sleeve of her yukata before she ripped it longways, she also ripped off her other sleeve and did the samething. Megohime then made a makeshift eyepatch for him, covering his missing eye.
"There you go! All done!" Megohime said as she stood up and took a step back.
The dragon raised his massive head until it was level with hers then she felt something wet and soft on her cheek, it dawned on her that she had just been licked by the dragon.
"Um...you're welcome? Oh! I have to go now! Bye!" Megohime spun on her heel and rushed back to her basket where she picked up the berries and flowers that weren't damaged and put them back into the basket before she ran off in the direction of the voices.
The dragon watched her until he could no longer see her before he took to the air, flying towards his castle high up in the mountains. Once he arrived he landed in the large courtyard where he was met by a man with slicked back hair.
"Lord Masamune, what happened to your eye?"
"Got into a fight with some bandits, one of them got lucky and took out my eye." Masamune said.
"Did you bandage your eye?"
"...No, it was a girl, Kojuro."
Kojuro blinked in surprise when he heard and said, "And she didn't run screaming from your true form?"
"At first I thought she was but then she did the exact opposite and actually walked over to him to clean and bandage my wound."
"It's rare to see anyone brave enough to approach you, Lord Masamune. Normally they either cower in fear or run in the other direction."
"Tell me about it, who knew that men could scream so loud and high?"
Kojuro laughed at that and said, "Come inside and I'll take a proper look at your wound, Lord Masamune."
"Fine."
Masamune followed Kojuro into his castle with a lazy flick of his tail then he curled his body onto his nest and lowered his head on a stack of pillows so that Kojuro could treat the wound.
"I take it that the Princess that you had gone to collect wasn't your type?" Kojuro asked as he undid the bandage that the girl did.
"No...she fainted as soon as she saw me," Masamune said. "But not before she screamed so loudly that I felt that my eardrums would burst."
"I am sorry to hear that, Lord Masamune," Kojuro said. "You'll find a Princess who won't scream at the very sight of you."
The image of the young Princess he had met in the forest popped in Masamune's head, she was brave but much too young...maybe when she gets older he'd have Kojuro send a letter to her father.
Kojuro finished cleaning his master's wound, "There...I'll make you a proper eyepatch Lord Masamune tomorrow."
"Thanks, Kojuro." Masamune said as he raised his head and yawned.
"You're welcome, Lord Masamune...I'll let you rest, I'll be back later with your meal." Kojuro bowed and walked out of the room.
Masamune lowered his head once more and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds as the lazily floated above his head. His thoughts were on the girl.
She would be a beautiful woman when she gets older, Masamune could easily tell from just looking at her. She would have a lot of suitors when she gets older and into the age for marriage among the humans.
It was a shame that he never learned her name….
"Karin, tell me a story, please!" Megohime said from her futon, smiling at her maid who was fixing her yukata. The loyal maid had been the only one who believed that Megohime had met a dragon in the forest.
Karin chuckled and said, "Yes, Princess Megohime." She didn't look up from her sewing as she told the story. It was Megohime's favorite, the story was about a Warrior Princess that had saved and nursed a dragon back to health. The dragon had fallen in love with the Princess and he took her away from her home, taking her to the dragon's castle.
At first the Princess hated the dragon but she had fallen in love with him eventually, even more so when it was revealed that the dragon could take on human form.
"Can all dragons take on human form, Karin?" Megohime interrupted.
"Of course, your dragon must have been too weak to do so," Karin said. "And they only do it when they absolutely have to...mostly to blend in with us humans." She smiled when she saw Megohime yawn hugely. "And it's time for you to go to bed, Princess...sleep well." Karin bowed and walked out of the room, sliding the door shut behind her.
Megohime rolled over onto her side and burrowed underneath her covers, completely covering herself with it. Maybe she could go out into the forest tomorrow and see if the dragon would be there, most likely not but it wouldn't hurt to try.
