A/N: Hi, everyone! Thanks, as usual, to my wonderful readers Miss Piratess, Malon Aniku, and zeldaisthebest, and to our newcomer, Lizai! I really appreciate it, guys. You make me want to finish my stuff. You know that I never finished any ongoing writing project before this except for "Caffeine"? This is the closest I've come, and I'm proud. Thanks again. And yes, Lizai, I have read the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and consider them Wrede's masterpiece. They subconsciously influenced this story, but they inspired my novel. I'm not telling what it's about, but if it ever gets published, I promise to tell you guys what it is so you can read it.
"What's wrong with a dragon drinking a cup of tea?" Aranel demanded. "We're people too!"
"You are?" Lute asked.
Aranel glared at him.
"I mean, of course you are," Lute amended quickly. "But if you're people, why do you wreak havoc on lesser species?"
"'Wreak havoc'?" Aranel echoed. "We dragons do not 'wreak havoc'."
"You don't?"
"I should think not!" Aranel cried. "You," he said, pointing at Cassandra. She jumped. "Do you live here in Hyrule?"
Cassandra nodded.
"I see. And have I, or any other dragon, once caused a problem during your lifetime?"
"Well, there was Volvagia and the Goron incident..."
"That can hardly count," Aranel huffed. "Dragons have criminals, and Volvagia was one of them."
"So, you mean, there are good and bad dragons, just like good and bad people?" Lute asked.
"That's exactly what I mean. Have I once done anything negative to the Hylians?" Aranel continued, looking at Cassandra.
"Not that I know of," she said.
"Correct! So how would you feel if every couple of months, some idiotic knight or prince comes to your house bellowing, 'Come and fight, you cowardly dragon!'? Does anyone think of me? No. Does anyone try to negotiate? No! It's just 'Slay the dragon!'"
"I understand," Lute said. "In that case, can we negotiate?"
"That's much better!" Aranel exclaimed. "See how peacefully things can work?"
"You're right!" Cassandra agreed fervently. "They have no right to come up here and disturb you."
"That's what I try to tell all of them! You're the first ones to listen!"
"Well, why should there be bloodshed for no reason?" Lute said.
"Exactly," Aranel said, tapping the tabletop with his golden claws. "Now, would you mind telling me why all you knights and princes come up here all the time?"
"They want to marry Zelda," Cassandra said off-handedly.
"Zelda? The princess, you mean?" Aranel said, sounding shocked.
"Yes, that Zelda."
"You mean to tell me that you people try to murder me so you can marry that imbecile?!" Aranel practically roared. "Are you all daft?"
Lute looked scared, but Cassandra giggled.
"In my opinion, more of you stupid Men should marry girls like her," Aranel continued, pointing at Cassandra. "I'd say she'd be a better match for you, boy. You can't base everything on looks."
Cassandra's cheeks turned a furious red.
"Not that you're not pretty, my dear," Aranel added, noticing her sudden ferocity. "But most of your pretty-boy knights are blinded by Zelda's appearance, and they pass up people like you who have the brains as well as the beauty. Aren't they?" he asked Lute.
Lute shamefully nodded. Hadn't he been drawn in by Zelda's beauty when he'd first seen her? Boy, how long ago that seemed, and yet it was only yesterday morning he'd arrived in Hyrule.
"So, anyway, would you like me to explain to the King about you?" Lute asked, trying to change the subject.
"Actually, I was reading the Hylian Times this morning, and it seems that Zelda's having her wedding this afternoon," Aranel said, squinting at the tiny newspaper on the table.
"Really?" Lute asked. "Who's she marrying?"
"Link," Aranel replied.
"Link!" Lute cried. "What, does he think I'm already dead?"
"I have no idea," Cassandra said. "But if we go now, we can probably stop it in time." Oddly, she sounded mournful as she said it.
"Well, let's go crash this party!" Aranel shouted. He got down from the table and laid down on the cave floor.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Lute asked.
"Climb on!" Aranel chuckled. "You really think I'm gonna get somewhere lying here?"
Cassandra scampered up the scales on Aranel's side and perched herself behind his head. "Come on," she urged Lute gently.
Reluctantly, the prince made his way up, his fingers gripping the miniscule spaces between the scales. He settled himself behind Cassandra, clutching one of the dragon's horns.
"Here we go!" Aranel cried, running out of the cave and flapping his wings. He dove off the side of Death Mountain, and for a horrible instant, it felt like they were falling, falling...Lute and Cassandra were screaming and holding on to Aranel for dear life, and then it was over...they were flying, flapping their way over Hyrule Field and over Hyrule Castle Town, headed for the castle.
A/N: WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! Next week is the last chapter! However, you will all be happy afterwards!!! )