As Rahnee walked back toward the ogre family's estate, she heard a voice call out to her.
"Hello, Princess…"
Her blood ran cold with fear. She heard bones crack and screams of pain as the memories froze her in place. She managed to slightly turn her head, and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a ghostly figure watching her. He chuckled. "So you're turned on by the mere sound of my voice?" he said. Wha?...
"Why don't you just come back to me? We're made for each other. You're not good enough for anyone else."
Sick…twisted…
"You know you love me…"
I…I do not…I don't…!
"I don't love you!" she cried, turning to face him, shaking and breathing heavily. "Then who?" he said. "Surely not Murdoc. That simple-minded ogre. He can't even tell whose side he's on. How do you think he knew your name?"
I know what he did, but I also saw how he was…confused…temporarily lucid…incomplete…someone's been controlling him…but not continuously…
The figure watched Rahnee as she though, her expression changing from fear to adoration.
…He kinda reminds me of…my mom…
"Enough! I will make you mine! I know what a princess dragon likes, and I can get my revenge on you for taking my drag-entity!"
The memories came back full force. He had beaten her up and then kissed her. What a princess dragon likes? What am I, a Xanthian ogress? Her sisters had come to her rescue, and they treated him in kind. Then she remembered the second he had tried to hurt her.
One of the tests included in becoming a knight entailed spending the night in the sanctuary of the church, alone, naked, with naught but your sword as protection. Rahnee had come out unscathed, but she had revealed him to be nothing more than a human prince with a stolen drag-entity.
Although she had stood up to him once, she was not sure she could do so again. Please, deliver me from this human's stupidity…Rahnee swayed and fell over onto the grass as her knees buckled. The figure looked at her unconscious form.
"Hmm. How unlike a princess dragon. I must consult my books again…"
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Tickles…
Rahnee awoke and yawned, showing off her sharp white teeth. A tiny ant was marching across her nose. She gazed at it cross-eyed a moment then licked it off. She was in a good mood as she looked around, getting her bearings. She realized her face was sticky and tight, so she pulled out a gold, heart-shaped compact.
"Hi, there, Princess! Oh, have you been crying?" asked the chibi dragon face on the mirror inside. "I…I'm fine," Rahnee answered. "I do need to see my reflection though." "Oh, okay," the chibi dragon giggled and vanished. Rahnee's face was stained from her ash-filled tears, something every princess dragon has until she is a queen dragon.
She sighed, pulled out a black handkerchief, and spat on it, using it to clean her face. She tried to remember why she had been crying as she studied the handkerchief. It had the letters "R", "H", and "L" embroidered in gold in the corner. Her parents got it as a present for her when she became a Knight of the Circle of the Tail.
Rahnee's face blanched slightly as she stood and walked to where she had seen the ghostly figure. The scent of magic was everywhere. When she pinpointed the cause, she found a tiny white pebble. He was gone. He couldn't hurt her now. In fact, he hadn't really been there.
Rahnee glared at the pebble. She was fine now, but…when he was around, she was very afraid. How did he have such a hold on her? She roared in confusion and frustration at the sky and crushed the pebble in her hand.