It was finally dark when Katherine Stoppable finished her story of her great grandfather. Indeed there was a lot more to the man than the legends suggested. He was more than just the last dragonslayer that ever lived; after his exploits as a Kingsguard, he had returned to Middleton and became a benefactor for one of the biggest orphanages in the country. He'd also led a small militia against the bandits in the dark woods and scattered many of them, bringing a modicum of peace to the north.
As he grew older, his deeds easily won him adulation among the people of Middlevale and he became the mayor of Middleton. Along with his deputy mayor, a Bonnie Rockwaller, from the privilege Rockwaller family, they developed Middlevale into what it is today; one of the busiest trading posts in the north. And finally, at a ripe old age of 74, he passed away, leaving behind a legacy that has since become legend.
"Thank you very much, Miss Stoppable," I nodded my head as I finally set down my pen and gazed at my notes. "There's just so much here to write and I can't wait to start writing."
"It's my pleasure," Katherine beamed at me, with her charming smile and twinkling emerald green eyes.
"One last thing," I wanted to ask. "I've heard so much about the exploits of Ron Stoppable, but almost nothing about his personal life."
"What do you want to know?"
"Umm…" I scratched my head, thinking back on all the facts I could remember about Ron Stoppable. "Like what about his wife? There's almost nothing mentioned of your great-grandmother."
Katherine laughed. "As my mother would tell me, she was a very quiet but strong woman, even in her old age. She was content to let Ron bask in the limelight, although he would never allow anyone to forget her contributions too. She was always by his side, until the very end."
"Really?"
"Yes, it would seem that nothing could ever come between the two of them," Katherine explained with a smile. "My mother told me that the night my great-grandfather passed on, she sat at his bedside for the entire night. And when my grandfather discovered them the next morning, they had both passed on together, hand in hand."
"Wow…" I whistled as my pen flashed, taking down more notes at a breakneck speed. "Not only a hero to the people, but also a romantic at heart." Tapping my pen on the table, I spoke again, "I don't mean to be rude, but you do know that there has been some quarters who accused your great-grandfather of being a fraud."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't mean to offend, it's just that the dragon's body has never been found."
"My great-grandfather did kill a dragon," Katherine remarked tersely. "He brought its heart as proof to King Drakken, and unless my father's accusers would also accuse King Drakken of lying, then I dare them to repeat their words again before a court of law."
"I know," I apologized. "It's just that, don't you think it's strange that a dragon's body could have just disappeared like that?"
"Maybe it was just lost," Katherine shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Unless you're suggesting that a dragon could live without a heart, then I'm certain that the dragon is dead."
"Right, right…" I said hurriedly. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know what's your take on that."
"It's okay," Katherine replied. "It's just that after so many years, people still doubt the achievements of my great-grandfather. But no matter what, there will always be disbelievers."
"I understand."
"So, Mr. Load…"
"Wade, please."
"Wade, would you like some more soup?"
"That would be wonderful," I replied with a smile. "Thank you very much."
"It's no trouble at all," she nodded her head gracefully as she got up from the kitchen table and strode towards the stove. She clearly was a very beautiful person, I had to admit. Her long jet-black hair reached down to her waist, and she had a glow around her. If I didn't have Joss, I would… I shook my head at the thought of it and smiled wryly to myself.
I gazed through my notes again. Like most of the official accounts, there was very little detail to the battle that Ron fought with Sherainz. That would have been a ballad sung countless of times. But then again, since Ron rode off to fight the dragon which attacked his village on his own, I don't think there were any reliable witnesses.
Suddenly, a small green flash caught my eye, and I looked up to see Katherine bent over at the stove, with a small jet of green flame escaping her lips, licking the pot. Hurriedly, I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. As I blinked, she was standing at the stove, gently stirring the pot, while humming a soft tune. It must have been my over-active imagination running wild again this late at night, and I found myself yawning.
"Katherine," I asked. "Tell me more about your great-grandmother, Ron's wife. What did she look like, and where did she come from?"
Katherine walked towards the table, and set down a bowl of hot soup. "My grandmother said that I have her raven-black hair and emerald eyes," she replied with a smile. "But she never talked much about her grandparents. All I know about my great-grandmother was that she was from the north, and she had met my great-grandfather after her brothers were killed."
"What was her name?"
"Her name was Shego."
"Last name?"
"I… I don't remember…" Katherine wracked her brains for an answer. "I guess she left behind everything in her past when she married my great-grandfather."
She had long sensed his presence, even before he was anywhere nearby. In her draconian form, she drew on the full range of her senses and could hear the rustling of grass and snapping of twigs miles away as he crawled through the underbrush, climbing the foothills and descending lower reaches of the mountain. She could hear him as he stopped to catch his breath after stumbling through the small streams and rooks that crisscrossed the hills. And all she could do was lay motionless, barely breathing as she waited, prayed, for his presence to drift further away from her. It had been painful for her. It had been two weeks already. He wouldn't give up. Shego cursed silently. But she was helpless to do anything. She could only hide and wait until he gave up and went back home.
He was only human, after all! For some unfathomable reason, she felt almost certain that he had some sort of sixth sense and that it was only a matter of time before he had found her. He had come dangerously close thrice already, all by seemingly dumb luck on his part. She allowed a slow, careful sigh of agony to escape her lips, lifting her head to sniff the afternoon wind wafting into the cave and listened.
She could still hear him a ways off. He was still out there, breathing hard. His labored breaths were punctuated by a sharp wheezing sound. He was already at the very edge of his limits. The Kingsguard had barely stopped to eat, drink or sleep. Yet he'd been talking to Rufus to keep his spirits up as he droned on about the inanities of Middlevale. How the crops in farmer Guberman's fields were growing. His amusement at Bonnie's desire to meet the author of her favorite romance books, which were written by his long dead love Kim's bookish cousin. Tara's new beau. Felix's latest adventure. Mrs. Possible's meatloaf and the orphanage…
Shego shifted her long serpentine head in panic as Ron's voice suddenly cut off short. She could no longer hear his or Rufus' footsteps, yet their mingled scents lingered vaguely in the wind. A cold fear suddenly gripped her heart as she wondered whether the blond had stumbled into a ravine. She strained her ears and tried to drown out the other distracting noises of the forests.
A feeling of dread started to envelope her heart when she could no longer pick up a hint of the man's presence. She shifted her bulk towards the mouth of the cave wondering if he had at last collapsed from fatigue. As she took a step forward to the light, a voice called out suddenly, startling her.
"Shego!" Ron's voice rang out from near the entrance of the cave.
She stiffened and pressed her back against the cavern wall. How did he find her? It was impossible! She had been careful with her tracks. There should have been no way for him to know that she was here, let along able to sneak up on her like that! But then again, he had this penchant for dumb luck…
"Shego! I know you're in here…" Ron yelled out again as his silhouette appeared against the bright backdrop that was the mouth of the cave.
From the depth of darkness, she gazed longingly at the shadow. She wanted to rush forward and throw her arms around him, god be damned that she was a dragon. Yet she restrained herself. There was only so much wishful thinking she could let herself indulge in. From a distance, she studied his figure; her verdant emerald slit eyes easily made out the sling around his neck, cradling his broken left arm. A brief stab of guilt washed over her.
Ron, you deserve better, she thought to herself.
Ron took a large step into the cave as his eyes gained a small measure of adjustment to the cave. He couldn't step in further yet, but it was obvious he was anxious to. Instead, he used his right hand to draw his sword from its scabbard, the screech of metal bouncing off the walls. "Shego, I know you're in there," his voice again echoed flatly across the cavern. "And I'm not leaving until I see you."
A dry feeling seized up her throat as she gazed at the glint of metal in his hands. Damn him for that stubborn streak of his! Shego fumed as his words struck home. It was that same stubborn streak that got her into this mess in the first place. The way he'd thrown himself in harm's way just to protect her… Even though she hadn't needed protecting! The way he'd ingratiated himself with her as a traveling companion all the way to Middlevale. The way he had chased her across the mountains for the past two weeks…
He stood unmoving and stared into the depths of the cave watchfully. Finally, his eyes grew accustomed to the dark and he watched for any shadow of movement. Suddenly, he saw a shimmer of movement at the back of the cave. "Shego!" Ron cried as he took a few steps forward.
Ron… She finally broke her silence. Ron seemed to relax ever so slightly as the echo of her mindvoice filled his head. Leave me alone.
"Not until I see you!" Ron yelled out.
Slowly a large shadow shifted as it snaked toward the front of the cave. Ron gazed up as the green and black draconian form of Shego seemed to fill the cavern. The ground seemed to tremble as she paced purposefully towards him. It was the first time he had seen her up close, and Ron instinctively gulped at the enormity of her. His eyes darted towards the dragon's head which was larger than a wagon; her maw was large enough to swallow Rufus and him whole, twice over. He glanced nervously down at the claw that was barely a few feet away from him. Each of the five obsidian talons were sharp enough to rend apart even the thickest suit of armor.
Shego looked down at the blond Kingsguard and she could literally smell the fear wafting off him. Despite the fact that she knew this was the normal reaction humans had for her, she cringed at the knowledge. Despite herself, she brought her muzzle down to his level and bared her fangs to reveal two rows of razor-sharp teeth. Then she let loose a blood-curdling roar, half expecting him to turn around and flee.
Leave! Shego squeezed her eyes shut as she barked angrily at the man. I don't ever want to see you again!
For a moment, Ron felt a strong urge to flee for his life and scream his head off. Her sharp jaws snapped so close to him that he could have been cut in half if he had taken as much as half a step forward. Yet he stood his ground, dispelling the urgings of his common sense to run away. Gulping down his fear, he lifted his chin and stared back at her. "Not until I get some answers," Ron demanded as his adjusted the grip on his sword. "Why'd you run?"
You fool! Shego brought herself to sneer at the man. What did you think was going to happen? A human falling in love with a dragon? Shego suddenly slammed her foreleg on the ground dangerously close to Ron and the tremor from the blow rattled his nerves. Nothing good will ever happen out of it. Now leave me alone! She growled threateningly at the man.
"No!" Ron gulped as he held his sword tentatively. "Not until we talk, Shego…"
My name is not Shego! Her mindvoice screamed. My truename is Sherainz, daughter of Ghordun, son of Isolith! Shego was just the name of a weak, sniveling illusion of a human being that never existed! There is no Shego here to speak to you!
Ron winced as the scream of her mindvoice tore through his head. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the fearsome beast before him, adamantly glaring with green-glowing eyes and small puffs of smoke trailing from her nostrils. "No…" Ron steadied his voice as he shook his head. "That's not true. Shego is real. She is as real as you are. She is you! She's a beautiful strong woman who is not afraid to speak her mind or fall in love…"
Shego bellowed a mocking laugh. Love? Is that what you think, you fool? Clearly, her loving you was a mistake! She knew nothing about love! Nothing! She is how I imagined you weak humans were in your strange ritualistic courtships! A figment of my imagination brought to life! So tell me, human, her mindvoice grated mockingly, how does it feel to fall in love with something that does not exist?
"But Shego does exist!" Ron retorted angrily. "She exists because her feelings exist! I have memories of her, I remember the things she likes, the things she wishes she could do and even the things she finds annoying! She isn't just some figment of your cruel imagination; she's real! She exists there, somewhere in you! You know everything about Shego, don't you? Somewhere deep inside you, she's there, isn't she?"
Feh! Shego growled foully. Is that what you think? That Shego does not exist! Shego is a lie!
"I don't believe that!" Ron challenged her. "I believe that Shego had feelings for me!"
Lies! Shego blurted out angrily. I never felt anything for you…
"I?" Ron looked at her strangely. "Is that you answering, Shego?"
Shego bit her mental tongue as she cursed her slip of the tongue. Damn you, that's not what I meant!
Looking closely at her, he asked, "Then who am I talking to now? Shego, or would you prefer that I call you Sherainz now?"
No! Shego's eyes flared at his question. She raised one clawed hand above the blond Kingsguard, threatening to smash his feeble human body into paste, before hesitating for a moment. Instead, she slammed her claw into the ground, throwing up bits of stones and dust into the air. Hissing in anger, she spat. Just… Get out of here before I kill you.
"Okay then… Sherainz…" Ron spat out. Ron hid a brief flare of triumph as the use of her truename struck her like a bolt of lightning. "If that's how you want to play, then I'm going to call your bluff."
Shego couldn't bring herself to say a word without breaking down. Clenching her jaw, she forced her muscles to tense and regarded the Kingsguard.
Ron held up his sword in his right hand before he suddenly drew back with all his might and threw it into the darkness of the cave behind Shego. The metal clanged noisily against the stone floor, and the echoes reverberated around then. "So Shego," he spoke, a little tremble creeping into his voice. "I'm going to bet everything I have and lay my heart out in the open." He drew in a deep breath before yelling at the top of his lungs. "I love you, Shego! Do you hear me? I love you and there's nothing you can do to change that! Not even if you change into a dragon and fly away! So if I'm stupid for falling in love with you and if you don't feel anything at all for me, then kill me!"
What? Shego didn't even bother disguising the shock in her voice.
"If you're right and I'm wrong, then Shego doesn't exist and you don't have any feelings for me. So you can just kill me right now for bothering you," Ron went on. "After all, if you feel nothing for me, then it should be easy for you. So what's it going to be?"
You're crazy!
"No, I'm not crazy. I'm in love."
No… Shego's eyes widened at the conviction in his declaration. Shaking her head mournfully, she lowered her hands to the cave floor, her graceful neck drawing her head down next to her hands as she stared at the floor, No, no, no… It wasn't supposed to be like this…
As she gathered her magic around her, her body shimmered a little as it started to shrink, the black-green scales which covered her body faded away into pale skin. Her draconian limbs shrunk and grew slender as long black tresses streamed forth from her scalp, until finally, Shego's naked human form knelt on the cavern floor where her proud draconian form once towered.
"Shego!" Ron called as he ran up to her, quickly removing his cloak to throw it around her shoulders for warmth and to protect her modesty, "It's alright, Shego, I'm here…" he cooed as he carefully wrapped his arms around her.
"Dammit, Ron," Shego whispered sadly as she looked downcast. Glancing up at the blond Kingsgsuard who was embracing her, she pressed herself tightly against him, sorely missing the warmth of his body. "Dammit… I must be crazy too…" Tilting her face up, she pressed her lips against his hungrily, as a lone tear streaked down her cheek. As she let herself adrift in the passion of his kisse, she began to feel the feelings of doubt well up again inside her. Breaking off suddenly, she opened her eyes and gently pressed her finger against his lips. "Why, Ron? Why did you come after me?"
"Because I love you," Ron whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers, "Isn't that good enough a reason? I'd be the biggest damned fool in the kingdom if I let you go."
"You shouldn't have come," Shego choked back a sobbed as she pressed her face tightly against Ron's shoulder, clutching the hem of his tunic tightly, "It is impossible for us to be together."
"Why do you say that?"
"Isn't it obvious? Humans and dragons are natural enemies! We can't coexist in peace together!" Shego exclaimed, "Humans hunt dragons, dragons kill humans! There is no other way!"
"That's not true! Humans and dragons have lived with each other for many centuries before…" Ron bit his lip. He understood now, that it had been just over a decade ago when King Drakken announced dragons were a scourge and had to be wiped out. He held Shego tighter in his arms, "No, I don't believe it. It doesn't have to be that way…"
"Does it, Ron?" she asked sadly as she caressed his face, "Your entire village knows that I'm a dragon by now; they must have seen me flying away. Do you think they can accept a deadly beast like me among them?"
"Are you kidding me?" Ron exclaimed out loud, "That's not all they want to do; they wanted me to bring you back and throw you a banquet!"
"What?" Shego looked surprised, "Why?"
"Because you got to be a damned blind fool not to realize that you saved the village!" Ron laughed out, "Everyone's been talking about you for days! How you scared those bandits away and rescued my sorry blond ass."
"Really?" Shego whispered to herself in disbelief. "But didn't a dragon destroy your village five years ago?"
"So?" Ron retorted incredulously. "Was it you?"
"N-no…" Shego stammered, "But it could have been me! I've done my fair share of horrible deeds, I've scorched farmer's fields in retaliation and I've wrecked villages in cold vengeance after my brothers were slain. I have so much blood on my hands that… Would you find it so easy to forgive me if it was me who killed Kim, your first love?"
Ron shut his eyes as he thought about her words, before he answered, "Easy? No… But… I would, if you did, and I will forgive you, for whatever else you've done."
"How? How could you?"
"Because it's the right thing to do!" Ron exclaimed, "That is what Kim would have wanted me to do anyway! Humans and dragons have been at each other's throats for so long that… Hell, Shego, don't you think it's a little pointless anymore to continue this blood feud? All I know is that I don't want to lose another woman... Dragon…" he threw up his hands helplessly as he gestured at Shego. "Whatever… You! I don't want to lose you, another someone I love, all because of this stupid idea that someone got into his head that knights must kill dragons and dragons must eat princesses!"
"We don't eat princesses," Shego narrowed her eyes, "We prefer a prized bull or a fat, juicy pig than some scrawny shrieking bitch any day."
"See?" Ron declared, "There you go! Break that stereotype! I don't care anymore! All I know is that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you!"
"But what would your family and friends say?" Shego shuddered in his arms as she thought of the betrayal they must have felt when they learnt that she was a dragon.
"It's okay," Ron explained, "Felix, Mr and Mrs P and Tara are okay with it. Bonnie's a little shaken, butc'mon! This is the stuff of romance she's been swooning over… And Felix? Dammit, Shego, Felix was the first one who told me to haul my ass out here to look for you otherwise he'd do it himself!"
"Felix said that?"
"Felix…" Ron sighed as he recalled his best friend's words. "Felix said one thing that made all the sense to me after I was shell-shocked when you flew off like that. He said someone who could feel love can't be all that bad."
"But… Why? His legs… A dragon almost killed him…"
"So?" Ron shrugged nonchalantly, "Just because he's been hurt by a dragon, doesn't mean that he's going to hate all dragons for life, right? It's Just like hating all human beings just because a bunch of lowlife bandits decide to attack the village! Or hating all Kingsguards because some of them kill dragons!"
Shego blushed furiously as she recalled her initial animosity towards the blond Kingsguard. "It would be understandable if I was hated," she turned away from his gaze, "I probably deserve it anyway…"
"No!" Ron growled, holding her away enough to stare hard into her eyes, "You're wrong!" Ron sighed, lowering his voice and softening his gaze as he continued with a sigh, "No one hates you and everyone's waiting for you to come home."
"Home? That's a nice thought… But… Thank you, Ron," Shego smiled to herself as the dread clouding her heart slipped away, "It's enough for me… Just knowing that you… I just needed to know whether you would still love me even when you found out the truth about me."
"What are you talking about, Shego?"
"It's just…" her voice faltered a little. "I can't go home with you."
"Why not?" Ron cried out. "Is it something I said? Or something I did? Or didn't do?"
"No, Ron," Shego smiled sadly as she rested her hand over his, "It's just that word would have gone out by now that a dragon has been sighted up north. You know what that means. The sellswords, bounty hunters and mercenaries will descend on Middlevale like a plague looking for rich rewards. And then the king's armies would set up camp up north and make life for the villagers harder…"
"We will move away from the village if we have to, then! You can hide as a human being, cant you?" Ron replied fiercely, "I couldn't… I never want to be without you, not again."
"No! I couldn't…" Shego 's eyes blazed for a moment, before she relaxed in his arms, "I don't want to take you away from your family. Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's only a matter of time before my secret gets out," Shego pointed out sadly, "Everyone will know that I've been hiding as a human. King Drakken would round all the villagers up… He'd force them to speak under his mages eyes, or execute everyone one by one until I'm found… You may be willing to risk your life for me, but would you risk your village for me?"
"No…" Ron shook his head vehemently. "There's got to be some way…"
"No, Ron," Shego shook her head sadly, "It is my fate to be hunted down and slain like a beast. There is nothing you and I can do about it." She looked at his face and proffered a weak smile, "I've thought about it for days, Ron. There's no way we can be together. I'm just happy to know you, Ron."
"No!" Ron cried out. "That's quitter talk! You can't give up! I will not allow you to die!"
Shego closed her eyes as a smile lingered on her lips. "It's okay, Ron. You don't know how happy you make me feel," she raised a finger to touch his lips, before her smile faded, "If only you were a dragon…"
"Huh? Why does it matter whether I'm a dragon or not?" Ron asked.
"Because…" Shego fell silent as she brushed his words away, "It doesn't matter anyway, Ron. You're not a dragon and nothing can be done…"
"Why? What's your plan? Tell me, Shego," Ron shook her shoulders a little, "I'm not giving up you up without a fight!"
"It's…" Shego's feelings raged inside herself as she wondered whether to tell him or not, "It's just… I was thinking a few days ago… Whether there was a way to fake my death…"
"Yes! Let's do that!" Ron exclaimed in excitement. "How do we do that?"
"We can't. King Drakken is no fool," Shego sighed, "We would have to give him some sort of trophy as proof of my death… And there's no way we can magically conjure one up to fool him or his mages…"
"What does this have to do with me being a dragon then?" Ron asked.
"I was thinking…" Shego bit her lip, "I was thinking that you could cut out my heart and present it to King Drakken."
"What?" Ron recoiled in horror, "Are you crazy? Why would I want to do something like that? I could never bring myself to hurt you!"
"No… No…" Shego smiled to herself, "It's just that if you were a dragon, then I wouldn't die…"
"Wait, how does that make sense?"
"It's just…" Shego sucked in a deep breath, "There's this bonding ritual that magically binds the lifeforce of two dragons… Two truemates, as we call them… Two dragons who love each other so much that they would pledge their destinies together would undergo ritual… It's a joining that ties the future of both dragons together as one… It's like… Well, some of the words spoken are '…for better or for worse, in sickness and in health until death claims you.', but it's more…"
"Huh? Wait… That sounds familiar. It sounds like a wedding vow…"
"It…" A crimson flush spread over Shego's pale cheeks as she turned her face away, "I've heard a few human weddings, and I suppose you humans do have a similar ritual… But without the magical binding…"
"How would that save you?"
"Because our lifeforce would be one..." Shego squeezed her eyes shut as she spoke, "According to magical theory, you could cut my heart out and I could still live because we share a single lifeforce; I can't die unless you die too… And vice versa…"
"According to magical theory?"
"I don't know!" Shego exclaimed in frustration, "That's what I was told, what I understand from my readings… It's probably just a dumb idea anyway! I've only heard about it and read about the process before, I've never seen it done! Anyway, most dragons go through their whole lives without finding their truemates. It could be just some dumb story for young lovestruck teenage dragons…"
"So let me get this straight," Ron spoke slowly, "To save your life, we've got to convince Kiing Drakken that you're dead by presenting a trophy, in this case, your heart to him. But before we can do that, we've got to magically bind our lifeforce together by getting married?"
Shego's heart almost skipped a beat when he said the M-word. "N-… Yeah…" she nodded sheepishly as she tried not to look at his eyes. Sighing, she looked away bashfully, "Look, it's a dumb idea anyway… You're not a dragon…"
"Does it have to be between two dragons?" Ron asked, "Couldn't it work with a human too?"
"Err…" Shego thought for a moment, "Magically speaking, all living beings have the same lifeforce so it may be possible… It's just that… It can't be done without complete mutual trust! It could kill them, or one of them, driving the other insane! That's why it's rarely been done, even among dragons."
"So it's possible between a dragon and a human, then?" Ron asked.
"Maybe…" Shego sounded hesitant, "But… I don't want to risk losin-…"
"Then let's do it!" Ron interrupted, his eyes trusting as he stared into hers.
"Huh… Wh-…" Shego turned a stunned stare at the blond. She stammered, "Are… Are you sure?"
"Of course!" Ron replied confidently as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I'd try anything to save your life."
"Y-… You do know what you're asking, right?" Shego's voice faltered as she blushed again. She clutched her hands together and sat up, pushing the blond Kingsguard away from her so she could stand and pace, "It's… You're… I…"
"I know, Shego," Ron gave her a knowing smile. Taking a deep breath, Ron stood himself and grasped her hands in his, pouring all of his intense feelings into his words and his gaze, "Shego… Will you marry me?"
"I… I…" Shego boggled at the man proposing to her, a dragon. "A-… Are you sure? You barely eve know me? Don't you want to have a normal relationship with a normal woman like Tara or Monique, or even Bonnie?"
"Dammit, Shego," Ron raised his voice, "How many times do I have to tell you? I love you! I can't even come close to saying how much I love you, but hell, I'm just going to say it anyway. I love you more than I love Good Cheese Wraps, and that's more than a lot! So yeah, I'm sure I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, that's why I want to marry you. Sure, if marrying you saves your life, then it's only just an added bonus. But I am damn sure I want to have children with you, grow old with you and spend my golden years with you! So what say you, Shego? Will you be my truemate?"
"I…" Shego smiled to herself as she felt his hand in hers. "I do… I will, Ron Stoppable…" And together, in the darkness of the cave, their lips met in the slow, tender caress of two souls in love.
Ron strode into the grand hall carrying a large, bloodied sack in his hand. Even though the blood seeped through the seams and stained the carpet, he paid no attention as he limped up to the throne. Everyone, from the noblemen to the jesters, from the ordained knights to the courtesans, and even King Drakken watched as this audacious Kingsguard barged his way into the grand hall unannounced. Their eyes were unerringly drawn to the bag in his hand that bore with it the fetid smell of death. Throwing the bloodied sack at the feet of his king, Ron knelt and announced himself.
"King Drakken, I am Kingsguard Ron Stoppable of the Eighteenth Corps, come straight here with word of my success in battle!" the man announced reverently. Strangely, his appearance lent credibility to his simple declaration. There were tears and burns visible in his armor. The hair on one side of his head was singed, and although stubble was growing back, the skin of his scalp and upper left side of his face was the angry red of severely burned, but recovering skin. His left arm hung splinted and in a sling and he had several other wounds on his arms or visible through the rips and tears of his armor.
Despite all that, and the obvious, soul deep fatigue in his eyes, his voice was strong as it reverberated across the huge chamber with an authority that seemed innate as he continued, "I bring news of great import to you and to the kingdom!"
"Rise, Kingsguard and explain yourself!" King Drakken ordered as he regarded the mess at his feet with disgust. "Or I shall have the executioner sharpen his axe as entertainment for tonight?"
"Rumors must have reached you by now of a dragon sighted in the northlands?" Ron declared easily, unfazed by the threats of execution.
"Would I be worthy of being king if I paid attention to little rumors and old wives' tales?" King Drakken remarked flippantly.
"If it were only a rumor," Ron replied evenly, "Then your scouts wouldn't have brought word of its truth, and you wouldn't be mobilizing the Fourth and Fifth Legion, Sire! However, I am here to spare you your troubles, for I have slain said dragon."
Immediately the grand hall broke out in hushed whispers and mumbling that grew louder and louder. "Silence!" King Drakken demanded as he slammed his fists angrily on his throne. Fixing an eye closely on the blond Kingsguard, he asked, "What proof do you bring me then?"
"Aside from the battle wounds I've received, Sire?" Ron asked in a matter of fact manner, "The proof lies at your feet! I give you the dragon's heart which I cut from its chest as it lay dead at my feet."
"A single Kingsguard, slaying the dragon Sherainz?" Drakken all but spat, his tone incredulous, "The Slayer of Portsland, the Burner of the Two Rivers City? Rise and explain yourself, Kingsguard!"
"I know it seems incredible," Ron said easily as he stood, favoring his left leg, "But my training by Captain Barkin, and as he has said, my ability to dodge blows as if God had touched me with some of His own luck were but a part of my success!"
"Bring me word from Captain Barkin, as to the truth of this Kingsguard's claim," King Drakken muttered in a suspicious tone as he nudged the bloodied sack with the toe of his foot before he gestured for two royal guards to pick it up and open it. Glancing into the sack, his nose wrinkled in disgust, before he turned back to Ron. "While I have my royal mages confirm the validity of your claims, regal me a bit if you'd please, of how you slew this dragon. How many men did you lead against this beast?"
"None, Sire."
"None?" the king echoed in surprise. The court immediately broke out in hushed whispers and dozens of shocked scoffs as they regarded the lowly Kingsguard with renewed respect, awe and suspicion. Again, King Drakken slammed his fists to silence the court. "Silence, now!" the king bellowed, but even with the threat of an executioner's axe in the king's tone, it took several long minutes and several more powerful blows to the throne's handles to calm down.
Finally, the king turned his attention back to the seemingly unflappable Kingsguard. For a moment, King Drakken had considered he might indeed be capable of killing a dragon, before his eyes narrowed and he addressed the man again, "You can't expect me to believe that you killed a dragon alone. I've lost hundreds, thousands of my best soldiers to those wretched beasts! It is clearly impossible for a man to slay a dragon alone."
"But I wasn't alone, your highness," Ron replied stoically, unnerved by the king's disbelief and thinly veiled threats. "I had my loyal steed, my training and the luck Captain Barkin claims I have, and most of all I had God's might on my side."
"Really?" King Drakken hummed in a drawn out manner. His thoughts were interrupted by a large armored man jogging into the main hall. All eyes were on the captain of the guard as he stopped near the foot of the throne, knelt and bowed deeply, waiting for the king to speak. "Captain Barkin!" King Drakken grated, "This man, this… Kingsguard here claims to have been trained under you and also audaciously claims to have slain a dragon by himself… Is one of your trainees capable of such a feat?"
Captain Barkin gaped at the king's question, before turning to look at the bedraggled man next to him. He sized him up as he recognized that same freckled-face with blond flaxen hair he thought sure to kill himself with his own sword. His eyes swept over the still fresh injuries that marred his body. The huge man had in his time fought dragons as both a footsoldier and later, a captain. Most of the men he had fought alongside against dragons had come out worse from wear. Broken limbs and singed bodies were the norm.
But he knew how lucky this boy was. How he always seemed to dodge at just the right moment, and even his best training sergeants and he himself were hard pressed to land blows against him. How the boy, no, man, now, could keep going, despite his complaints, despite pain, after others had long since dropped from exhaustion. Nodding, he cleared his throat and looked back at his liege levelly. "Your highness, despite Kingsguard Stoppable's poor results when it came to exams, Stoppable is the only man I could think of who would stand even a grain of sand's worth of a chance against an ocean to defeat a dragon."
A brief susurration ran through the court as King Drakken considered the words. He knew that Captain Barkin was not a man to exaggerate or lie about himself or anyone he knew, and he could see by the officer's stance that he disliked this Stoppable. The king flicked his hand negligently, dismissing Captain Barkin to the side. The king turned his gaze to Ron and nodded at him, "So, either you are the greatest con-man this kingdom has ever seen or the luckiest bastard to ever grace this court! So tell me in detail, how you came to prove victorious over this beast."
"Yes, your highness!" Ron answered with conviction, "I was back in my village, Middlevale, when the beast attacked. It killed a few men before flying off, seeming to have had its fill of death for the night. Filled with the desire for vengeance for my fellow men, I tracked it down into the mountains, where I finally discovered its lair. I laid in wait for the beast and it soon returned, its belly full of game and livestock. As it lay down to slumber, I snuck up on it, skewering its wings where they met the body, as Captain Barkin once taught us to do if we ever had the opportunity."
"So you slew the beast while it slept?" the king raised an eyebrow condescendingly with a scoff.
"Where God gave dragons fire, keen senses, flight and talons, God also gave humans cunning and wit. It would be foolish not to use our strengths when the dragons wield theirs in every fight!" Ron explained calmly. "But no, Sire… Although, I got the first blow in, the fight did not end there. The beast refused to die and awoke with a blinding rage."
"I drew my sword as I attempted to bar the beast from charging out of its cave, however, its tail caught me," He nodded to his broken arm, "My shield was dented beyond repair, but the smiths of the kingdom are the best in the world, so at least I wasn't torn in two. Nonetheless, it turned and tried to breathe its horrid breath at me. As you can see, it almost cost me everything. It had tried to fly, however, while the lance in its wings broke, it tore the wing enough to keep it grounded! So the beast took to the surrounding forest. I took to my steed and gave chase, following the path the beast tore through the mountainside.
"I tracked it for a day before it was tired enough and decided to ambush me," Ron indicated at the gash along his leg. "The dragon threw me off my horse and drew blood from me as its talons raked my leg. I had managed to roll to safety and drew my sword against the beast. Both tired from the chase, we decided that this was going to be a battle to the death. We fought like this for one whole day and night. Back and forth until finally I managed a fortuitous blow."
Ron was eerily calm as he recited his tale. King Drakken glanced uncertainly at Captain Barkin for a moment as he noted the look of rapt fascination on the old captain's face. Disregarding the king's momentary lapse of attention in his story, Ron continued, "It was trying to find a place of advantage, and as I led my steed through a long draw, and the dragon tried to bit us both from the top of the draw. But it was tired and wounded, and misjudged the distance, missing us by only a few handbreadths! It had struck its neck out too far and exposed its neck to me. I thrust my sword upwards and took the beast's eye while my blade dug deep into its skull."
Ron paused, as if remembering a horrible sight, "It fell down into the draw, and even thrashing and shuddering in its death throes it tried to kill my steed and myself both. But its chest was stuck, wedged unmoving in a narrower part of the draw. I crawled up the side of the draw, careful to avoid the flailing arms and tail, and fell upon the chest with all my might."
He winced as if in remembered agony, and reached down to rub above his leg wound, "Despite the pain and fatigue, my sword stroke was true! I pierced into its heart and it finally breathed its last breath. That was when I cut out its heart and rode straight here to present it to you, my liege."
Drakken nodded pensively for a moment. Luck, it would seem was with the Kingsguard… God's own luck, if Stoppable's claims of Captain Barkin's words were true. And if it was indeed a dragon's heart. At that moment, a page crept up to the king before whispering a message to his royal highness. Nodding in approval, he dismissed the page with a flick of his wrist before turning back to the Kingsguard.
"Since my royal mages have ascertained the genuineness of the dragon's heart, your story must be true. You must either be the greatest warrior the kingdom has ever known or the biggest fraud the kingdom has ever seen." He paused and regarded the stoic Kingsguard who didn't flinch a bit from his accusation. "Or the luckiest man throughout the kingdom. Tell me then, what boon would you request from your king for your heroic deed?"
"Five thousand pieces of gold or the equal in jewels and five hundred acres of land near Middlevale." Ron announced without bating a breath.
King Drakken regarded him closely for a moment, before breaking out into a maniacal laugh. "What a man!" he chuckled and the entire court decided to join him in sycophantic mirth. "I would have given you a dukeship, no, even a barony for your deeds. You could have your pick of any one of the Western Kingdoms to rule over, you could be a regent even, but all you ask for is five thousand pieces of gold and some farmland? I may even consider granting you my daughter's hand in marriage! But it must truly be my lucky day that I get such a bargain. Fine, you shall have your boon."
"And my retirement, your highness," Ron added quickly. "After such a battle… I have no wish to see any more bloodshed for the rest of my life, and I would like to hang up my sword."
"Ah," the king grinned as he looked at him closely with that scarred left eye of his. "Well, if there had been any more dragons left in the world, a man of your skills would find yourself wanting. But since you've just delivered the heart of the last dragon, you've automatically become out of a job. Have it your way then."
"Thank you, your highness," Ron bowed as he turned to leave the grand hall.
"Wait, Hero Stoppable" the king ordered him amid the gasps from the court as he bestowed the rarely given title on the man, "Will you be staying for the grand celebrations in recognition of your heroic deeds?"
"Your majesty," Ron bowed with a flourish. "It is enough honor for me to be of service to a great king such as you."
"Fine, fine," King Drakken beamed at the hero's words of flattery. "Be off with you then."
As Ron left the grand hall, he paused only to stop by the royal treasury to pick up his boon. He flung the heavy bags carrying one hundred pieces of gold over his shoulder after tucking the title deed and the bag of cut jewels into his pack. Flipping the royal accoutant a gold piece as tip, he left the castle. He made his way quickly towards the stables his horse was quartered. After a few minutes walk, he came upon the stables where his steed, Rufus, and a woman wearing a white hooded greatcloak holding Rufus' reins stood waiting.
Instantly a smile blossomed on his face. He walked up to Rufus and the woman, his tone cheerful as he murmured to her, "You know you needn't have come with me for this." He slung the gold over Rufus' saddlebags, then reached out to embrace her.
"I just don't want to be apart from you longer than I have to," Shego replied as she returned the hug.
After a moment, Ron drew back a little. He brought his hand up touch her chest, which was bound with a swath of bandages. To anyone looking on, it would seem as if he'd placed his hand over her heart, although her heart was even then being taken to the royal taxidermist. "Does it still hurt?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.
Shego smiled slyly as she placed her hand gently over his. In a husky whisper, she replied, "Not if you kiss me, my truemate…"
"Then I shall oblige," he replied quickly and pulled his wife into a kiss, "Let's get out of here, and start our life properly…" He helped her into Rufus' saddle and held the reins as they walked out of the Kingdom of Go and into the annals of history.
Author's Notes
And thus it ends. Though I wonder, hmm... human and dragon courtship. Does it count as bestiality? If you don't know what that means, please don't Google it. Aww damn, now you're going to Google it. I should just shut up.
I really did break out the cheese for this chapter. Yes, a couple of cheesy lines. I've been keeping them in a WAFF-y footlocker at the foot of my bed. Never mind.
Yes, plenty much thanks to kriegsherr-wy for pulling in some last minute work, despite his hectic schedule, hot lesbian parties and off-days. Okay, I'm kidding about the hot lesbian parties. Anyway, it's really to his credit that this chapter turned out this way. For the better. Seriously it's good. I should have credited him a couple of chapters back, but this is the first and last ANs that I would actually edit and write on the spot. So thank you, and yeah, it's been a good four years.
Right. And as promised, (though I did miss the timeline) the fic is now complete. Really. See you in the year 2525.
