This is a sort of random crossover between The Malloreon (or after the Malloreon, I guess) and The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I don't know if this idea will work out when I get farther into it, or even if people will read it. It's worth a try however, and I would appreciate reviews to tell me how I'm doing or if you liked the story at all. I do not own The Malloreon/Belgariad or The Enchanted Forest Chronicles.
Ce'Nedra, Imperial Princess of Tol Honeth, Queen of Riva, wife to the Overlord of the West, was bored. She had been perfectly happy to live a normal, non-adventurous life after getting her son back from Zandramas, that previous and final Child of Dark. Besides which, raising so many children at one time had been an adventure in itself. But now all her children were of the age where they were not interested in getting into trouble (well, sort of. Geran somehow always managed to find trouble, even though he was a grown man and married.), and she had not been pregnant for some time. Oh, it wasn't that she couldn't have gotten pregnant; it was just that she and her husband had decided to give the whole children-raising thing a rest, which had been a great relief the first few years. Now, however, that lack of things to do was getting on Ce'Nedra's nerves.
This week had been especially dull. The Alorn council had dispersed the week before, leaving the castle dull and empty. Ce'Nedra's husband, Belgarion, seemed perpetually locked in a room pouring over the tedious details that came with a kingdom and throne. Ce'Nedra glanced outside and sighed. It was also raining.
Since there didn't seem to be anything else to do, the tiny queen decided to curl up in front of the fire with a cup of hot tea and a good book. She had just gotten settled with a book of fairytales (which were much more exciting than her own life) when she saw a flicker of blue out of the corner of her eye. Startled, she turned to look at it. The sword of the Rivan King, the Orb of Aldur pulsating an azure blue light, stood propped against one wall. She stared at it for a moment. How very like her husband. What was quite easily the most important object in the world, and he leaves it laying around.
"So he left you here too, did he?" She asked the stone, which seemed to flicker slightly in response. "Well, I hope you're having more fun than I am." She turned back to her book. After reading a sickening story of brainless princess being rescued from dragons by a brave knight, she closed the book.
"Where on earth do people come up with the idea that all princesses are ridiculous air-heads in need of saving? At least they're lives are more exciting than mine." She sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "I wish I were on an adventure right now." She said half-heartedly. It was then that she discovered the full extent of the power of the Orb of Aldur.
She felt a powerful tug, then a lurch as if the world had just been wrenched out place. For one alarming moment, she thought of the accident that had split the universe. For a minute, everything was dark. Then, a faint light filled her eyes, growing gradually larger. Then she heard a startled yelp from someone nearby.
"Where did you come from?" It asked in surprise. Then, "are you a princess?"
It took Ce'Nedra a moment to identify the speaker. As she turned in order to confront the voice that had so suddenly entered her chambers, she found, standing before her and regarding her curiously, a dragon. At least, she thought it was a dragon. It looked like the representations in the fairytale book, but not what a real dragon looked like. She, of course, knew about dragons (or the dragon, as only one was alive when she had confronted it) first hand. It was then that she first noticed her surroundings. Instead of being in her comfortable rooms in the fortress in Riva, she was seated on a cushiony bed of moss outside a cave. The cave was situated in the side of a very large mountain, and there were quite a number of cave openings in the face of it, situated to the sides of the one she sat before. She stared around in bewilderment.
"Ah-HEM." The dragon said loudly. Ce'Nedra jumped, having completely forgetting it was there. Not the best thing to do around a dragon, she chided herself. "I said, are you a princess?"
Ce'Nedra spoke without even thinking about the consequences. Too many years with the titles had drilled them into her. "I am the Imperial Princess of Tol Honeth, the jewel of the Empire, the flower of Tolnedra. I am also the Queen of Riva, wife of His Majesty, King Belgarion, Godslayer and Overlord of the West."
"Oh," said the dragon, sounding dubious. "That's all really very impressive. You said were a queen?"
"Yes," replied Ce'Nedra uncertainly. Hadn't the creature been listening? She had said she was a queen numerous times.
"Oh." It said again. Then it considered. "But you were a princess before becoming a queen, right?"
"Yes," she said hesitantly. "In a way."
"Oh good," it said. "I wasn't sure what the rules are regarding queens, but as long as you were a princess, that should cover the formalities. Oh, Kazul will be so pleased. She was looking for a princess, you understand. Ever since Daystar rescued his father, Cimorene has had too many responsibilities, and never had time to come make chocolate mousse like she promised."
"What?" Said Ce'Nedra, utterly baffled.
"Cimorene." The dragon prompted. "She was Kazul's princess, before. But that was twenty years ago, and now Kazul needs a new one."
Ce'Nedra had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "And just who is Kazul?"
"Why, the King, of course!" The dragon said, obviously expecting her to understand.
"The king of what?" Ce'Nedra asked.
"The King of Dragons, naturally! Now come along, she'll be wanting to meet you and put you to work right away!"
"Work? Wait, why does the King of Dragons want a princess? Wait, did you say she?" Ce'Nedra asked incredulously.
"Of course I said she! Kazul's my grandmother. Why wouldn't she be a she? And she needs a princess to do domestic chores for her. Cooking, and cleaning her scales and whatnot. Hurry up."
"So I'm to be a maid for a dragon?!" She shrieked in outrage.
"Of course not. You're going to be her princess." The dragon was rapidly losing patience, and began walking off down the trail.
After considering her situation for a moment, Ce'Nedra decided she did not want to be alone on a strange mountain in a land inhabited by dragons. Thinking that her morning had gone terribly awry, she hurried to catch up to the dragon.