The next few days passed without incident. As always, whenever something unpleasant happened between my father and I, he found it easier to pretend as though nothing had happened at all rather than to deal with it. As it happened, this approach suited me perfectly, as it was during this period of forced ignorance that he tended to spoil me.

It was how it always happened. He felt inadequate as a parent and his resort was to shower me with gifts, jewellery and clothes that I had no need for, or pretty, expensive bottles of scent that would remain untouched on my dressing table for years, or until I felt the need to smell like a box of pot pourri.

So far, this particular incident had earned me a new, midnight blue frock, brand new, expensive-looking riding equipment and, when I frowned in confusion and pointed out that I no longer had a horse, an athletic, grey stallion. The last of the gifts arrived in a large box, tied together with luxurious ribbon which was sat, waiting for me in my chambers. It was exquisitely wrapped, and looked so perfect that I almost felt bad about opening it. Almost.

Inside the large box, was the most perfect precious stone I had ever seen, and as the daughter of a rich man, I had seen my fair share. It was nestled in a bed of brightly coloured, shredded parchment, the rough surface of it's environment only serving to emphasise it's smooth, brilliantly polished surface. I heard footsteps behind me, and I recognised them immediately as my sister's.

"What's that? Ah…father's latest attempt at an apology, is it?" She opened her mouth to add something else, probably another snide comment regarding my father's predictability, but as her eyes fell on the contents of the box, she was stunned into silence.

"I'd say it's his best yet." I replied, numbly, my eyes never leaving the gleaming surface of the stone.

"It's beautiful! It must have cost him an absolute fortune! Just look at the colour…I don't think I've ever seen such a deep shade of purple…like a midnight sky, illuminated only by the moon's glow…" her voice sounded dreamy and I turned to look at her, eventually tearing my eyes away from the beautiful object.

"Get a grip, it's only a rock." I teased. She stuck her tongue out at me and I crossed my eyes. "Very mature, Selena. And to think, this is your twentieth year…" I sighed, exaggeratedly.

"Yes, but at least I have a husband, Katharean." She replied, only half-seriously. I rolled my eyes at this statement.

"Well, you may have a husband, but I have a purple stone."

"When you put it like that…your purple stone doesn't seem so great anymore, does it?"

"Hmm…I don't suppose it does…but I also have a new dress, and a horse."

"Yes, but I have true happiness." She replied, triumphantly.

"Yes…and whoever said money can't buy happiness, hmm, Selena?"

She stiffened slightly and I instantly regretted what I had said. I knew it was painful for her, to bring up the past rumours that her husband only married her for my father's money. My apology must have shone in my eyes as I looked up at her from my position on the floor, because she smiled, understandingly.

Even though Selena and I were not sisters by blood, she had been a sister to me in every way, ever since we were children, and my father married her mother, and I loved her dearly. I was ashamed of my harsh words towards her, but I had not meant for it to sound as bad as it did. She knew this, I'm sure, but she smiled at me and muttered something about supper, before making a quick exit, leaving me alone with my guilt…and the stone.

I carefully removed it from it's bed of green parchment paper and placed it gently on my bed. I was instantly surprised by how light it felt in my hand, for I had expected it to be more weighted. Perhaps this was a quality specific to the material from which it was made. I sat down and examined it, rolling it through my hands. As I did so, the light caught what appeared to be an imperfection on the surface that I had not noticed before, a small crack marring it's otherwise perfect appearance. I brought it closer to my face for a closer inspection, and almost screamed aloud in shock when I felt it jump of it's own accord in my grasp. I let out a squeak and, before my reflexes could kick into action, the stone came flying out of my hands and I winced, preparing my ears for the dull thud that would surely follow, but all that came was a soft thump as it landed lightly on the carpeted floor and was still.

I lifted myself gingerly from my perch on the end of my bed and slowly approached the stone. I reached a foot out slowly to nudge it, still thoroughly alarmed by it's earlier activities, although not quite allowing myself to believe that it had actually moved. My suspicions were confirmed, however, when the stone slowly rolled away from my outstretched foot before I could reach it, then rolled back towards me.

I let out another yelp of surprise and jumped back up onto my bed, watching with alarm and fascination as the beautiful purple stone rolled backwards and forwards, slowly at first, but then faster and more violent. I gasped as large cracks appeared all over it's gleaming surface. Ridiculously, my first thought at this was not that something incredible and magical was happening in my bed chambers, but rather that it would be difficult to explain the damage to my father.

These thoughts were soon forgotten, however, when the impossible happened. The egg, for I realised now that that was what it was, was rent apart as the creature inside of it made one final effort to be free of it's prison. For a moment, it lay still, panting with exhaustion. I, too, stayed perfectly still, allowing the shock of the last thirty minutes to sink in. Then, sensing my presence, the creature on the floor, which was roughly the size of a small dog, twisted it's body around awkwardly to face me.

It was a dream, of course, I told myself…only it was happening. I pinched my arm and rubbed my eyes fervently, but all this achieved as a sore, red mark on my forearm and bleary, bloodshot eyes. This was no dream. The creature before me was one that I recognised instantly, although I had never seen one in life. Very few people had. There was only one other like it in known existence.

There, on the floor of my bed-chamber, wonderfully, terrifyingly and impossibly…was a dragon.

AN: I was going to drag the beginning out a lot longer than this, but I get really bored really quickly, so I have to try and keep myself amused :P Please, please review! It makes me really happy J And…flames welcome…I guess…if it makes you happy too J