Chapter 2
I walked through the forests of an island I would frequently visit when I wanted to get away from all the stress of being the princess. I made it to the cove I loved to relax in and made my way down. I settled on a rock that was always in the suns glow. It felt so good to sun here, it was quiet and it was far from any other dragons that would always try to court me.
Mother had been trying to set me up with a suitor for decades when it became apparent that I wasn't going to imprint on anyone. None of them really loved me, they just wanted the benefits of being the princess' mate. That is not what I wanted. But I was starting to doubt that I would ever imprint or find true love.
I closed my eyes and listened to the relaxing sounds of the birds and the wind around me. It almost lulled me to sleep But I was interrupted when I heard someone coming down into the cove. I jumped behind the rock and watched the one who came in. It was a young boy, probably no older than a youngling of a decade and a half old.
I felt a warm wave wash over me as I watched him. I almost found him beautiful, with a bright auburn hair, emerald eyes, and he wasn't the large hulk of muscle that most humans I had seen before. He was thin and moved with ease as he walked. As the sun shone on his hair it made him almost shine as bright.
I watched him walk to the lake and sit down. He just sat there tossed a few pebbles into the water. He almost looked sad, I couldn't say why, but then again, I couldn't show myself to him to ask. The humans were less than excepting of us and I had no hope that this one wouldn't run.
After a few minutes, he turned and faced my direction, when I looked into his eyes I felt a wave of hot warmth wash over my mind. I didn't even feel like I was attached to the earth any more, I was floating on air. He never saw me, and left the cove. But even when he was gone, I couldn't get him off my mind. I flew back to the nest and still couldn't stop thinking about him, not even when my mother was combing my scales.
"Sweetheart, did you hear me?" I heard her say snapping me from my daydream.
"Uh, no what was it you were saying?" I said feeling very stupid.
"I was trying to say that you have another suitor coming tomorrow. I am sure you will love him, he is a Night Fury and a strong, handsome one at that."
"How can I love him if I don't even love him?" I argued then realized something else. How could I feel the way I did about that boy if I didn't even know the first thing about him. But I didn't even have time to think about it.
"You have no idea how important it is that you find a mate. If you are not mated before you second decade, you will be banished and you will lose your right to your father's throne." My mother growled at me. "Is that what you want?"
"Mother, I don't care about the throne, I don't want to be with someone I don't even love. I hate that you are trying to force me into this. If I do find a mate, I want it to be for love." I said turning back to the opening in my hollow.
"Honey, I am sorry but unless you imprint on someone, you won't find love. Love doesn't exist for us with imprinting. Your head is in the clouds and it is time for you to wake up. You have to mate within two months or you will lose your father's throne." She warned me and left me to my thoughts.
I didn't believe her, I had my eye on someone, someone who I knew was out of my reach. I had to see him again. I couldn't stop thinking about him and I felt myself being pulled to him. It suddenly dawned on me why I was being drawn to him without even knowing him, I had imprinted him. I had imprinted on a human.
