Disclaimer: I do not own Breath of Fire III or its characters; I am writing this story for my amusement only (and yours too). This fic is the first installment of short series of fic I'm writing for BoF III. I hope you like it! Oh, and the lovely cover art is by Misaka-Chan of DeviantArt so please drop by her page and leave her a comment! That said, read, enjoy and please review!
Love of a Dragon Prince
When did I fall in love with her? It had happened so suddenly, I think, or maybe it had happened slowly, so slowly that I never saw it coming until it was too late. I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on Princess Lilanina (Nina) Wyndia. After all, we did not meet in the way boys and girls normally do, but under, to put it mildly, rather unusual circumstances.
I only intended to go to Wyndia to find my 'brothers' Teepo and Rei from whom I was separated when we were attacked near our home in the Ceder Woods. In an ironic twist of fate, I was kidnapped by Balio and Sunder, the very same crooks who ambushed us and brought to Wyndia. The two scumbags wanted to use me to make some quick cash when they stumbled upon my 'little secret'.
I was only ten years old when I was brought to Castle Wyndia and presented to the king and queen. Although I couldn't see anything at first because the cage I was trapped in was covered by a thick sheet, I still knew where I was and what was going on. I was frightened when I heard Balio tell the Wyndian king that I was a dragon because I had no idea what the king would do to me once I was handed over to him. When Balio lifted the sheet off my cage, I found myself before the royal couple and the rest of the Wyndian Court- in my human form.
Its strange for me to say this, but I did not notice any of it at first. Instead, the first thing I had notice when the sheet was lifted off my cage was a lovely little girl about my age, a princess, sitting next to her royal parents. For a moment, all I could do was stare at her. To say that she was attractive was a great understatement; she was fair-skinned with a mane of luxurious golden locks and beautiful eyes the color of the sky. The glamorous pink and red jewel encrusted gown she wore along with her little gold crown enhanced her wondrous beauty, hinting the alluring woman she was to become one day.
I have never admitted this to anyone, not even my 'brothers', but I have always been shy around girls. My face would always feel hot whenever I see a pretty girl look at me and giggle. Until I met Nina, I never thought about girls much because I was perfectly happy being with Teepo and Rei and doing 'guy things'. When I saw Nina for the first time, however, all that changed. She was clearly the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen, much more so then any of the girls I had seen in McNeil Village. I was so captivated by her that I even forgot my predicament until Balio and Sunder started kicking my cage in an attempt to force me to change back into my dragon form. Their actions angered the royal couple and they ordered all three of us to be arrested and thrown into the dungeon.
I was greatly surprised when Nina showed up while I was pacing back and forth in my cell, trying to think of a way out. It had certainly not been my day. Not only was I attacked and separated from my 'brothers', I was also kidnapped and thrown into a dungeon through no fault of my own. I was a stranger in a strange land so I wasn't expecting any visitors and certainly not the princess herself. I was even more surprised when she told me she was going to let me go because she felt sorry for me.
Ever since we met, I have always been very protective of Nina. Of all my friends, she was the one I looked after and protected the most. Not because I cared for the others any less but because I knew that as a princess, Nina did not get out much and was so hopelessly naive that she could easily be taken advantage of by others as was demonstrated when she released Balio and Sunder after they promised to reform. As I feared, the crooks tried to kidnap her and hold her for ransom; they would have succeeded if I had not stopped them.
Its strange how I never once thought of using my powers to fight or defend myself until Nina was almost kidnapped. It was my desire to protect her that finally drew out my hidden powers and enabled me to use them at will. Even when I wasn't in dragon form, I was still much stronger then a normal human being as I discovered when I managed to knock down my cell door, tearing it from its hinges in my attempt to escape and stop the crooks before they ran off with the princess. I had managed to distract them long enough for her to get away. Those two may have caused me a lot of trouble but in a strange way, they actually did me a favor as well. If it wasn't for them, I never would have met Nina. Or Momo, Peco, and Garr, for that matter. They even saved me the trouble of crossing Mt. Myrneg to get to Wyndia.
Not only did Nina freed me from my prison, she also offered to help me find Teepo and Rei when she didn't even know who I was or where I came from. She said that as a member of the royal family, it was her duty to help people in need so I agreed to let her accompany me. There were also other reasons I wanted her with me; not only would it be easier to find my 'brothers' with a little extra help, but my journey would also be more pleasant and less lonesome with a traveling companion.
I knew that finding Teepo and Rei wasn't going to be easy, especially with Balio and Sunder hot on our tails. I was glad to have Nina with me; in no way was she a burden. In fact, it was quite the opposite. And she wasn't weak either, far from it. I don't know what I would have done it if wasn't for her. Nina had helped and encouraged me so many times throughout the course of our journey with her magic and friendship. She was so unlike what I thought a princess would be (not that I've met many, mind you) but she didn't fit the stereotypes of princesses that I once believed.
I used to believe that princesses were snooty and looked down on commoners such as myself. But I was wrong. I was also surprised to find Nina to be curious, outgoing, open-minded, and adventurous for someone who rarely set foot outside her home. When Garr and Momo were setting up camp, she would play with me and Peco, hiking up her skirts and running around giggling like she didn't have a care in the world. We'd chase each other, play hide-and-seek, and then we'd go to the river to fish, pick flowers, and play in the water. That was when, I believe, that I had unknowingly begun to love her…
She didn't even know me, but from the moment we met, Nina followed and trusted me with her life. She was one of the very few people I had known who wasn't frightened of my strange powers. When I discovered that I was a dragon, I had done my best to hide it because I was afraid of how other people would react if they knew my secret. I imagine they would fear and despise me, wanting nothing to do with me. Nina wasn't like that; she wasn't frightened of my powers at all. In fact, she was fascinated by it and wanted to know all about me and where I came from. She never ceased to amaze me; the girl was full of surprises!
When Nina, I had felt a joy I hadn't felt since I was with Teepo and Rei. Its not like I never loved anyone before; I loved my 'brothers' and told them so all the time, but it was quite different with Nina. We were only children but already we had developed romantic feelings for each other event though neither of us was aware of it at first. When she heard that I might die after I learn the origins of my people at Angel Tower, she was frightened and insisted on coming along because she didn't want me to die alone. Here fears were realized when Garr tried to kill me at Angel Tower. I could tell she was suspicious of Garr and didn't want to leave me alone with him but agreed to it out of respect for my wishes.
Moments after I defeated Garr, I found myself being carried away by a mysterious entity. I don't really remember what happened after that, but I soon found myself running through the Dauna Mines as if trying to escape from something. It had seemed like only a few moments after the mysterious entity had taken me from Angel Tower but when Garr found me, he told me that it had really been seven years. I was shocked to discover that much time had passed and Nina was the first thing that came to my mind. How was she? Was she well? Those thoughts raced through my head as I left the Dauna Mines with Garr and headed towards Wyndia. I wanted to see Nina as soon as possible and hoped to see her when we passed through Wyndia on our way back to Angel Tower.
Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long. Because the road to Wyndia was blocked, Garr and I had to wait in McNeil Village. That was where I was reunited with Nina. It was sheer luck that she happened to be in the village conducting an investigation regarding Mayor McNeil and the smugglers from Syn City when Garr and I came along. I'll never forget how surprised I was when she grabbed me in a crushing bear hug and planted soft kisses on my cheek. I had no idea she missed me that much. I'll admit that my shyness around girls had not changed so my face grew hot when she embraced me. I wasn't surprised to see that she had grown into a very lovely young woman.
Like she did when we were children, Nina chose to follow me and our other companions once again as we journeyed in search of God to find out more about me and the Brood. I know it was hard for her to disobey her parents' wishes and leave with Rei when he used the teleporter beneath the castle to escape. Although I never admitted it to anyone, I have been well aware of Nina's affections for me; I'd have to be a fool not to. I knew she didn't leave her parents and kingdom and follow me all around the world just for the heck of it (I'm not blind after all).
I have always loved Nina and wanted to tell her so but whenever I try, I always back down. She had fit in with the rest of us so well that it was easy to forget she was a princess and not just anyone can court her. Who was I to court the Princess of Wyndia? I wasn't a prince (or at least I didn't think so at first); I wasn't even a nobleman or a city dweller! I was a country boy and a poor one at that. Other then the clothes on my back, I really didn't have much else. On top of that, I was also an ex-thief and I'm sure her parents aren't going to want an ex-thief for a son-in-law; I doubt anyone would.
It's funny how I can protect Nina with my life but not utter three simple words to her such as 'I love you' even when I wanted to, most desperately. I have always been the kind of person who believes that actions speak louder then words. Speaking of action, the stab of jealousy I felt when the dragon elder asked Nina to give him a kiss did not go unnoticed by my other friends. I could believe that I was jealous of the old man and had to bite my lip hard to keep a scowl of displeasure from showing on my face; it still makes my blood boil whenever I think about it.
I have always been amazed by the fact that Nina had more faith in me then I had in myself sometimes. She never faltered in her faith and belief that I would successfully lead her and the rest of our companions through the Desert of Death even though I myself wasn't so sure sometimes. It was her encouragement and belief in me along with our other friends that helped me to succeed. Just a day before we reached the oasis town, Nina came down with a heatstroke and I was wracked with guilt. I couldn't let her die, not after all that she had been through for me so I was going to do everything in my power to save her. I carried her the rest of the way and chose to watch over her myself; for half a week, I neither at nor slept.
I was when Nina was lying in bed in deep sleep that I had finally confessed my love for her. I know I should do it when she's awake but at least it was a start. I was brooding at her bedside and it had just slipped out of my mouth before I even realized I said it. I wasn't sure but I thought it was possible she might have heard me for when she awoke, she gazed up at me and smiled, making me forget how tired and hungry I was. It had been worth it to see her alive and well; I was so happy that I even forgot to blush!
As I look back on our journey, I feel glad to have met Nina. She changed my life in ways that I never thought possible. I don't think I would have been able to come as far as I did without her and my other friends' help. Her faith in my and willingness to stick by me through the most difficult of times proved her love more then words ever could. No matter what lies ahead, I am not afraid because I know that with Nina by my side, I can do anything. After our journey ends, I will finally come out and tell her my true feelings because I know she needs to hear it. I know it will be difficult to win her parents' approval but I will find a way to do it because I can no longer imagine my life without her. But I'm not worried about that now; I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Until then, I Ryu Bateson, Prince of the Dragons, will continue to protect Princess Lilanina Wyndia with my life.
And above all, I will always continue to love her.
End
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this fic. Check out my sequels, and let me know what you think of them as well! ; )