Golden sun rays refracted off the stone walls of Leopold's castle sending dazzling particles swirling around the air. In one of the oval arches, his young queen stood proudly against the world. Though her skin glowed with youth, and she was without question a great beauty, her features had pulled her eyes into a scowl as she stood glowering at the happy morning. The birds singing, the brooks babbling and the king's rotten princess laughing in the garden, it was all too much… She longed for something darker, stormy like her mood, but the beautiful day wasn't taking orders from her today. Cursing, Regina narrowed her eyes into the garish sunlight, her gaze fixing on the king's carriage rocking along a stony path in the distance. She sneered and turned her eyes east noting the dark clouds that gathered over a particularly sharp mountain peak. A small, hopeful smile softened her features as she began to ponder the freedom she only tastes in the king's absence. She could not make out the dark walls, but she knew the fortress that clung to the side of the tallest peak. Regina considered aura projection to tell her mentor about the king's sudden trip, but then she had another idea. Dropping in for a surprise visit on a sleeping dragon may not be anyone else's idea of fun, but it made Regina practically giddy. She had been dying to try out her cloaking spell and disarming magic on a worthy opponent, playing with her own guards was beginning to bore her.
The young queen saddled her chestnut stallion and they took off, galloping towards the storm clouds. Thunder and lightning crackled around the two, but Regina just urged Rocinante faster through the torrent. When she reached the dragon's defense line, she slowed him to a walk. "Easy boy" she cooed to her nervous horse as she summoned her magic and felt it crackle under her skin. She breathed the incantation into his mane and imagined a shield surrounding both of them, cloaking them from detection. Rocinante snorted nervously, but then relaxed under Regina's warm magic and soothing voice. The queen sighed in relief as they stepped through the Maleficent's magical barrier and were not immediately turned to ash.
She settled her horse down in the barn that Maleficent had built just for her, rubbing him down and giving him oats and hay. Regina ran her hands down the strong, wooden pillars and breathed in the smell of oak, smiling at her sanctuary. The dragon sorceress didn't need a stable. She didn't ride horses, she could travel much faster on her own wings and keeping livestock for food didn't sit right with her. She preferred to hunt, it was fair and it kept her senses sharp. But after the second time Regina brought her stinky equine into her castle citing that it was raining or dark and her beloved steed couldn't stay out in the elements, Mal had begrudgingly ordered some peasants to build her a small barn all the while threatening to eat the red horse as a snack.
"How sweet… you brought me dinner", Mal's gravelly voice echoed around the room making Regina whirl around, but she relaxed seeing the tall blonde leaning against the archway into her banquet hall, which had apparently been turned into a stable by a cute little brunette. Regina laughed off the dragon's threat and stroked the horse's muzzle while cooeing in his ear, "Don't you worry boy… I won't let the scary dragon lady eat you." Maleficent raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And how would you stop me little queen? Regina smirked and waltzed over invading the blonde's personal space and walking until her back hit the wall. She stared hungrily at her blood colored lips before her eyes travelled lower appreciating every curve. She bit her lip and stared into the taller woman's quickly darkening emerald eyes and said in a husky voice, "Give you something else to eat."
Regina shuddered as a pang of arousal shot through her, amazingly strong to have been brought on by only a memory of her gorgeous mentor. She gathered her magic, eager to be in her company once again. Envisioning herself behind the walls of the dark castle, her eyes squeezed shut as the spatial scales tilted to accommodate her. When she opened her eyes again, she was inside of a palace that not many had seen and even fewer lived to remember. She silently slipped through the familiar corridors until she found her target surrounded by books in her library. Perfect. It only took a brief moment of concentration before a ball of fire erupted above her open palm and she lobbed it straight at the sorceress. Sensing her magic, Maleficent effortlessly flicked a wrist and the flames flew off course and into the gaping hole of the fire place.
In a wisp of vapor, the dragon lady disappeared and reappeared millimeters in front of Regina, her hand closing around the younger girl's throat, not enough to completely constrict airflow, but enough to remind the girl who was in control. Anyone witnessing this encounter would have been making funeral arrangements for the girl, but Regina's grin only widened.
"Little queens who play with fire get their kingdoms burnt" Maleficent growled, digging her nails into the sensitive skin of Regina's neck.
"hmmm", Regina pretended to contemplate this for a moment, but her playful grin twisted into a sneer.
"Scorch it." She said lifting her chin, the fire in her tone almost matching the fire dancing in her eyes.
Mal chuckled at the girl's defiance. Her spirit was awe inspiring. That and her unearthly beauty had been the only things keeping the dragon from making her a snack the day they met. Mal marveled at her own will power when she remembered how her beautiful prey had wandered so willingly into her fortress. On the outside, she was the definition of a deer in the headlights, but the first thing Mal had felt was her untamed magic rolling off her in wild, turbulent waves. If her aura didn't glow white with innocent intentions, the dragon would not have even given her a chance to speak. That kind of magic, especially in her weakened human state, could have killed her. Maleficent, lost in her memories, watched as her inebriated past-self backed the girl across the room and grabbed her throat as if to wring her neck, but her intentions faded and she caressed her cheek instead. "Even then you couldn't keep your hands off me" taunted a new voice not part of the original memory. The blonde jumped at the intrusion into her thoughts. She hadn't even felt Regina slip into her mind.
She pulled herself and the trespasser out of her thoughts and back into their current moment. The two were still standing tangled together; both breathing hard from their magical exertion. "I see someone's been practicing last week's lesson" Mal said irritably, but her sea glass eyes sparkled with pride. Regina bit her lip and fluttered doe-like eyes. Her silky voice dripped with innocence "Are you pleased with my progress?"
The blonde saw right through her seduction, after all who do you think taught her that trick? Certainly not that leather-skinned imp Rumpelstiltskin… but the blonde decided to play along anyway. She leaned in close to rosy lips and the hand around the girl's throat moved to caress her cheek. "Verrry" she purred. She leaned in further until she had practically buried her face in the young queen's dark locks and whispered hotly against her ear, "You're all mind games and manipulation dear…but I wonder… do you have the bite to back it up?" Regina's magical aura was rolling off her skin in shimmering waves, foreshadowing the chaos churning below the surface. Mal knew it wouldn't take much for Regina's resolve to snap, so she pushed her even further, taking her earlobe in her teeth and tugging gently.
Suddenly, the dam broke and Regina's magic burst out in every direction. The magical force slammed into the unsuspecting blonde and sent her flying through the air. Mal may not have expected such an explosion, but her dragon reflexes kicked in and she twisted in the air to land on her feet.
Regina gaped at her hands in shock before gushing apologies to her disheveled mentor, but Mal just threw her blonde mane back and tossed a fang-bearing smirk at her anxious student as she summoned her staff with a flick of her wrist. Regina gulped as Mal snatched her staff out of the air and winked at the horrified girl. When she opened her eyes, her pupils were slits embedded in yellow glowing irises. Chuckling darkly, the sorceress stabbed her talisman into the stone floor with a resounding crack and violet smoke billowing around her tall frame.
Her girl came here for a fight… Who was she to deny her?
Regina stared entranced as her mentor's porcelain skin melted into black, armored scales, and her nails lengthened into menacing claws. The horns in her headdress cemented to her head obscuring her golden locks. Her face twisted into the angular, sleek head of a dragon without losing an ounce of its beauty. A spiked tail swished around the dragon's body scattering the already dissipating smoke.
Regina was still staring in awe at the black beast when a voice invaded her mind, "Lets see what you've learned little queen". A slow smile spread across her lips as the dragon bowed, tucking its great head into her glowing chest and batting her snake-like eyes. Regina returned the act of honor, bowing low until her hair brushed the floor. If her teacher wanted a duel, she would give her a duel.
The dragon flicked a forked tongue over gleaming fangs and stepped to the side to circle her prey. Regina mirrored her actions on a smaller scale and the two circled the room each waiting for the other to make the first move.
Regina uncurled her fist and a flame sparked to life in her open palm. She blew it charismatically toward the dragon who instead of deflecting it, simply opened her jaws and swallowed the fiery ball. Yellow eyes fluttered closed savoring the queen's particular brand of fire, and her voice graced Regina's mind again, "mmm your magic tastes like you" she purred.
Regina's mouth gaped for a minute and Mal took the opportunity to send wall of fire her way. The brunette's eyes widened, but she instinctively whispered a shield spell and a magical barrier erupted around her blocking Mal's deadly flames.
The dragon ceased the fiery onslaught and twisted her body using her tail to smack the brunette across the room. Regina wasn't quite as graceful as her mentor had been, but she did manage to curl into a ball as her body crashed back to the ground. The queen rolled to halt and angrily spat out dirt and a few curses of the non-magical kind, but she sustained no injuries other than her wounded pride.
Mal chuckled at the irate queen, "Remember to protect yourself from physical attacks as well as magical ones darling" she chided. Regina huffed and shook the hair out of her eyes.
The dragon's chest flashed crimson, the only warning of another fiery attack, but Regina slammed her eyes shut, wiling herself to the other side of the room. Space warped for her again and when she opened her eyes, she was staring at the dragon's armoured back. The dragon shook her majestic head and with surprising athletism, twisted towards her claws out, but Regina dissipated again, just to reappear in a different corner. She continued her wild, random teleportation around the room while the dragon chased her disappearing form in the most frustrating game of whack a mole.
Mal growled, "I thought I taught you better than to run…"
"Who said I'm running" Regina answered back as she transported herself directly on to the dragon's back with a wild grin. The dragon twisted and snapped her jaws catching air just inches from Regina's frame, but the queen knew the attempts were half-hearted. Her dragon would never seriously hurt her. She clung to the dark scales for dear life as Mal tried to buck her off, but years of riding horses gave her an iron seat. Eventually the dragon gave up on trying to throw the little parasite off and Regina snuck her arms around her neck, embracing her.
"Mal?"
"Yes little one?"
"Can we fly?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
Maleficent padded silently through her castle until she found the massive arches that led into the royal dining hall. It was her favorite room in the house. One wall was made entirely of mirrors and the opposing wall had been knocked away so it looked out over rolling, green hills. Regina sighed happily as she gazed out over the beautiful land. This was her happy place. Where she was allowed to forget about the king, his princess, and the prison they kept her in. A snort brought her attention back to the dragon underneath her. Mal was staring into the wall of mirrors, arching her neck gracefully and gently blowing smoke tendrils from her nostrils. Regina laughed at the dragon checking herself out and Mal flicked her tail, which only made Regina laugh harder as she thought about how cat-like her mentor was.
Regina absent mindedly stroked the protective plates along the dragon's neck before slipping her fingers underneath them, massaging the softer skin underneath. The dragon stiffened at first not used to having the vulnerable areas under her scales probed, but she soon relaxed and a deep rumble emanated from her chest. Regina worked her fingers into the tense muscles of Mal's neck, smiling as the purring dragon leant into her touch.
When Mal had had enough, she shook Regina's hand off and a larger puff of smoke snorted out of flaring nostrils. She arched her ebony back and stretched out her leathery wings, letting the sun warm her flight muscles. She beat her wings a couple times and Regina gasped as tingles shot from her core up her body. Everytime the dragon pumped her wings, it pushed her spine perfectly between Regina's legs, bumping her clit and sending waves of arousal washing through her. Like her reptilian ancestors, Mal's dragon form was hyper sensitive to changes in heat. She could read another creature's blood pressure and heart rate simply through touch. When she focused in on the cute little creature on her back, she felt the girl's pulse jump and her body heat spike in sync with every wing movement. Her suspicions were confirmed when Regina turned away from the mirrors, trying in vain to hide the blush creeping up her neck.
A feral smile pulled her lips back over razor sharp teeth as she thought back to all the times they had flown together. When they landed, Regina, red faced and breathing heavy, always tumbled off her and impatiently waited for her mentor to change back to human form, before attacking her. She practically ripped away as much of her clothes as possible before Mal refound her dominance and did something about those delicate yet dangerous little wrists.
"This turns you on." Regina could hear the smirk dripping from her words, "I…" she sputtered but Mal just chuckled and reached around behind her, wrapping her neck around the embarrassed girl and pulling her up until she was centered. "Hold on little queen" Mal whispered in her mind, her only warning before charging out of the open wall. She dug her claws deep into the earth with every stride, loving the way the grass felt between her toes. If she could see Regina's face, she would have seen the most radiant smile the girl had worn in a very long time. The dragon and her rider leapt into the air, spiraling up toward the sun, neither looking back.