An Overdue Apology
Since peace had been returned to Elvendale after the great battle against the Shadow Creature, and the self-proclaimed goblin king Cronan had been stopped from going over the edge into irredeemable evil and relinquished his usurped crown to the rightful queen Rosalyn, the days had passed by rather uneventfully. That certainly wasn't a bad thing however, as after all the intensity of the battle for Elvendale, peace was a very welcome thing.
Cronan sighed and ran a hand through his long hair as he sat by the stream where his dragon, Ashwing, drank and frolicked happily. He remembered casting the spell on her, the same mind control that he had used on the goblins, only a more powerful version of it. How it had maddened and twisted her, turned her from her usually happy and playful self into what could only be described as an utterly nightmarish monster. He still felt guilty for it, even though she seemed to have gotten over it. Still, he needed to tell her. His burden of guilt had been eased slightly when he apologized to Rosalyn's dragon Sapphire, and been forgiven by her, but it wasn't quite off his shoulders yet.
"Ashwing," he said, standing. "I need to tell you something."
The dragon looked over at him and immediately got out of the river, shaking herself off and walking up to her companion, where she sat on her haunches and tilted her head curiously for what he had to say.
Cronan sighed. "I know you've probably forgiven me already, but I have to say it. It's been eating me up." He looked at her. "I am sorry, Ashwing. From the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry for what I did to you. I made you go against your very nature by serving darkness and hate, and worst of all…I betrayed you. You were bound to me, protected me, trusted me…and I used dark magic against you…I hurt you." He looked down, now starting to shake a little. His eyes stung with emotion. "I hurt you, and I betrayed your trust and friendship for my own stupid ambition that just would have destroyed us both. I am so, so sorry." A few tears now ran down his cheeks.
Ashwing rumbled quietly and moved up closer to Cronan, putting a wing around him and pulling him close to her chest, and leaned her head down to gently nuzzle him. She made soft purrs and trills to calm him down, keeping him in her embrace. She wasn't able to form words, but at this moment it couldn't be clearer what she was saying; "I forgive you."
Cronan smiled and hugged his beloved Ashwing tightly, quickly regaining his composure. His final burden was now eased, and he could face the world anew. He was redeemed. "Thank you, Ashwing. My dearest friend." He backed off the hug slowly until he was looking her in the eye, and he gave her a scritch under her chin. "Want to go for a fly?" He asked her with a smile. She nodded, and he touched his forehead to the tip of her muzzle, then jumped up onto her back. He laughed as he felt the familiar rush of taking flight, and closed his eyes. All was right with the world now.