Princesses Don't Fight in Skirts

by Aya Ling

  “We’ll give you three days,” the high chancellor said. “If you do not find out the cause within that time frame, we shall have to execute the dragon. The people of Linderall are already displeased about letting it live.”

  Ari watched as James walked inflexibly toward the dragon, which was still sleeping peacefully. She kept a hand on Great Aunt Matilda’s sword, lest anything unexpected happen. James reached the dragon’s large head and slowly lifted the eyelid of the dragon. The dragon stirred, but James laid his other hand on its nose, saying something in soothing words.

  Ari held her breath. “Well?”

  James looked grim. “I still need to take blood samples to analyze, but I feel that the dragon has been possessed.” He walked around the slumbering dragon, inspecting its scales, talons, and even the horns.

  Ari was fascinated. He might look carefree and sloppy, but when it came to magical creatures, he was more meticulous than anyone. Finally, he finished his work and came over to her.

  “Ari, would you mind running over to your father to ask if he can provide any historical records of dragon fighting during the Dark Lord’s invasion?”

  “No problem,” Ari said, glad that she was able to do something. “To see if what Scarlet suffered was similar to those dragons the Dark Lord controlled?”

  “Exactly,” he smiled at her. “I’ll ask one of the soldiers here to fetch me the physicians, so we can draw blood samples of the dragon. The spell will most likely fade away when it’s dead, so we need to make haste.”

  “Right.” Ari turned to leave, and was surprised when he caught her hand.

  “When this is over...” he began, and paused. A pink flush diffused over his face. “When this is over, will you consider coming back to Riviera with me?”

  Ari stared. Usually, James didn’t pause or blush when speaking to her.

  “But I am going back. Classes aren’t over yet.”

  “What I meant was something different.” His other hand closed over her hand, so he was holding with both of his hands. “I know you don’t have any feelings for me now, but won’t you at least consider it? I don’t care if you want to be a traditional princess, or a woman warrior, or even a food-taster like Valeria. I just want to be with you.”

  His hands were warm and comforting. Heat rose in her cheeks, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe naturally.

  Was he—could he—be proposing? Looking into his eyes, she thought he had never looked more serious. This was—real. He wasn’t teasing her, he wasn’t laughing at her. But honestly, she hadn’t thought about a future with him. She had always pictured herself becoming a noble lady like her mother, though the goal was sort of hindered. And then there was the Academy...what about the training?

  “I... I will think about it,” Ari stammered. Gracious, what had possessed her to speak like that? She never stumbled over her words—at least, not when James was involved.

  “Good.” James gave her another of his dazzling smiles, and squeezed her hand. “Now let us be back to business.”

  Ari couldn’t help smiling back as she turned to leave. She asked a servant where the king was, and was informed that he was currently in the “parchment” room, the place where he usually was surrounded with parchments of negotiations and deals and disputes. It was as she expected; nine times out of ten she’d find him there.

  Remembering that James had told her to make haste, Ari thought that she might as well go to the royal library first. It was on a lower level, and once she had found it, she could go straight to her father, then leave to find James. Ari went down a long hall; the library lay on the far end.

  Using her imperial tones, she demanded the librarian bring her all books on the history of Linderall. Then, when thumbing through a thick volume on the Great Wars, her eyes widened. This must be it.

  Ari tucked the book under her arm and left the library. As she walked, she became aware of faint voices coming from a distant corridor.

  “I don’t think this is practical, milord,” Celestine’s ethereal tone floated out. “I suggest that instead of allowing the Rivieran prince to conduct his experiment, we should kill the dragon as soon as possible.”

  Ari halted abruptly. What was Celestine talking about?

  “Killing by our own hand is always a risky, messy business,” came the voice of the high chancellor. “Anyway, what can that boy prove? He has never even seen a dragon.”

  “You underestimate him, milord,” Celestine said coldly. “I have been at Riviera for ten years, and I know that the younger prince has had much experience dealing with griffins and wild beasts. He might find something.”

  “So you believe that we should do it in secret? But how? How are you going to kill it? Even though it’s injured and shackled, I am not risking my life to drive a sword through its belly!”

  “There are other ways to kill,” Celestine said quietly, a hint of contempt in her tone. “I myself will carry it out. I can slip poison in the dragon’s throat, but that will be easily discovered. I shall have to open an old wound, preferably using sharp points of the shackles. The dragon will bleed to death, and it will simply look like it has driven itself to its own demise.”

  A shiver ran down her spine, soon to be replaced with anger. Ari clenched her fists. How dare they suggest murdering the dragon deliberately! But why? Why would they choose to commit murder in a covert manner? Moreover, why was Celestine having a clandestine meeting with the Linderall high chancellor?

  Ari moved a little closer, wanting to hear more, but their conversation had ceased.

  Backing away as quietly as possible, Ari moved away into the main hall. She clamped her sweaty palms around the book she was holding, hoping that it would provide the evidence that James wanted.

  She had to go to her father as soon as possible. She was his daughter; he would believe her. He must! They could lie low and watch for Celestine’s attempted murder of the scarlet dragon, and then they would be convinced of her crime. She wondered what had caused Celestine and the chancellor to cavort together, and what had made them so desperate to kill the dragon.

  There was a shortcut to the parchment room. Ari clutched the book to her chest and hurried up a narrow flight of stairs, arriving at a small round room. A door from the room would lead to a long corridor, and the end of the corridor would be where the king was. Before she could reach for the door, however, she sensed someone following her up the stairs.

  Ari twisted around, but it was too late. A flying arrow had pinned one of her long sleeves to the wall.

  Celestine was standing on the top of the stairs, a small but sturdy crossbow in her hand.

  “I see you have found the history of the Great Wars,” she said, pointing the crossbow at Ari.

  Ari felt her heart pounding hard, and a trickle of sweat ran down her neck. “Distract your opponent if you are at disadvantage!” Ulaf’s loud voice echoed in her mind. Without a weapon, she was certainly at Celestine’s mercy.

  “Why?” she asked. “Why do you insist on killing the dragon?”

  “We have our uses for it, the chancellor and I,” Celestine snapped. “He would take the horns and scales, and I the flesh. Dragon oil is invaluable for spells.”

  “You can cast spells?”

  “I discovered an old book when I went back to the elves’ dwelling.” Celestine narrowed her eyes. “With the key ingredient, dragon oil, I could make a spell of eternal beauty. You should understand. Now give me the book, or I swear you will regret it.”

  Ari gripped the book harder; sweat on her palm made it feel slippery. She had to keep stalling.

  “Why do you bother?” Ari said. “There must be hundreds of books on the Great Wars out there.”

  “We’ll deal with that later,” Celestine said, her eyes glittering. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll hand over the book right now.”

  “You wouldn’t dare kill a king’s daughter.” Ari’s heart was thudding heavily as she tried to discreetly pry her sleeve loos
e. “And Great Aunt Matilda will have your head if anything happens to me.”

  “Oh, I don’t think it’s necessary to take your life.” Celestine gave an evil smile. “All I have to do is give you a permanent scar. It wouldn’t be too hard to disfigure your face.”

  Ari gasped. “That’s LOW! Despicable! How dare you!” She was so horrified that she couldn’t even form a coherent sentence.

  “Then it should be an easy choice,” Celestine said. “Give me the book.”

  “I’d rather give you a good punch on the nose.”

  Righteous fury was rising within her, blotting out any fear she had earlier. Ari seized the arrow pinning her sleeve and pulled it out of the wall.

  At the same time, Celestine fired another arrow. It whizzed through the air, aiming for Ari’s face. The princess ducked, just in time, but the arrow had grazed her ear and drew blood.

  “Don’t waste your time.” Celestine fitted another arrow and aimed it at Ari again. “How can you fight with an arrow in one hand and a book in the other? Listen, if you promise to put this aside, I can even give you a bit of the spell. Just one sip, and you can be guaranteed of clear, blemish-free skin forever.”

  The offer was tempting. But she couldn’t accept it. If it meant the ruthless killing of more dragons, she couldn’t do it. Not to mention destroying more villages.

  Ari moved slowly against the wall, her eyes fixed on the crossbow, ready to dodge the next arrow. Celestine took a couple of steps toward her, not so close that Ari could strike, yet closer so that the princess might not dodge in time.

  Realizing what Celestine had in mind, Ari knew that she had to make her move first.

  Fourteen: The End... or Beginning?

  Ari launched herself at Celestine, arrow in hand. It wasn’t even a move she’d been taught before, for they didn’t have any classes involving fighting with an arrow. Still, she had to fight back, or Celestine’s next arrow would certainly find its mark.

  Caught by surprise, Celestine’s hand slipped on the crossbow. Her arrow shot out, but it was off course. Instead of striking Ari’s face, it headed towards her shoulder.

  With an accuracy that amazed even herself, Ari reached out and parried Celestine’s arrow with the one in her hand. Celestine’s arrow went spinning in the air, hitting the wall with a clinking sound. Before Celestine could fit her next arrow, Ari had reached her, wrenched the crossbow away from her, and pointed the arrow at her throat.

  “You lose.”

  Celestine glared. Her out-of-the-world beauty, which had once seemed glorious beyond words to Ari, didn’t look so appealing now. Her lip curled, her eyes flashed, and up close, the elf’s skin did not appear as flawless as it originally was. It looked drier and duller, and fine lines had appeared around her eyes and mouth.

  Now what? Ari suddenly realized that while she was trained in fighting, the instructors hadn’t taught them what to do after the fight.

  A brief gleam of metal flashed before her. Celestine had produced a small dagger and slashed at her, causing a gash across her arm.

  “You underestimate me, little princess,” Celestine hissed. “Did you think that one paltry year at the Academy could enable you to win a fight against me? Just then you only had the advantage of surprise. My next strike will not be so lenient.”

  Like a cat, she sprang at Ari with the dagger. The princess ducked, narrowly avoiding another attack to her head, and in her terror, dropped the History of the Great Wars on the floor.

  Celestine pounced on the book and proceeded to shred it with her dagger.

  Ari screamed. The book was sawn in half, the pages fluttering on the floor.

  And then, Celestine suddenly became still. The tip of an arrow protruded from her chest.

  “There.” Great Aunt Matilda lowered the crossbow—somehow she had retrieved it from the ground when Ari had flung it away from Celestine.

  “Good thing I hadn’t forgotten there was a shortcut to Harold’s throne room.”

  It was over.

  With Celestine captured and Great Aunt Matilda interrogating her, the rest was easy to deal with.

  When King Harold learned that his precious daughter was nearly disfigured, he immediately ordered that Ari retire to her room and Howard guard her door. Ari was glad to comply; she was still recovering from her fight with Celestine, and happily chose to stay in her chamber for the day. Gladys brought her hot tea and biscuits, lighted a roaring fire, and called for scented candles. She also tended to Ari’s wounds, which were nothing serious, but were still nasty to look at.

  “What were you thinking, Your Highness?” Gladys tutted and fussed as she changed the bandages on Ari’s arm. “You should have called for help right away! Such danger you put yourself in!”

  “Ow!” Ari pulled her arm away. Even though she was no novice to pain now, having the bandage being ripped away still made her yelp. “Could you have at least warned me before taking the bandage off?”

  “It would have hurt more if you peeled it off slowly, Your Highness,” Gladys said severely. “Thank heavens, now they’ve taken care of that terrible elf, you are safe now. No more of that damned Academy! You can stay here. I should tell your father that he can start finding a husband for you.”

  Ari didn’t reply; she was more concerned about other matters.

  “What happened to Celestine? Is she dead? And what about the high chancellor?”

  “The elf is still alive, but we don’t know what the king’ll decide. They will definitely be punished for sure! Releasing dragons all over the Continent! The nerve of them!”

  There came a knock on the door. Gladys went to open it.

  It was another servant maid, flushed and excited. “That charming prince of Riviera would like to see Her Highness... is she decently dressed?”

  “Or even better if she’s not,” Gladys murmured under her breath. Raising her voice, she said, “Your Highness, the Rivieran prince has come to see you.”

  Ari quickly grabbed her hand mirror. She still looked rather pale, and her hair wasn’t exactly silky and shiny, but James had seen her in worse states. Plus, she was dying with curiosity about what he had to tell.

  “Let him in.”

  James came in. His eyes sparkled, and he sent her one of his heart-melting smiles. “My dear Ari. How glad I am to see you safe and sound.”

  Ari glimpsed Gladys drawing a sharp breath. No doubt her maid was scandalized. If it were just her and James, she would have simply laughed and chided him, but with her maid nearby, she had a reputation to maintain.

  Ari cleared her throat and assumed what she hoped a dignified expression.

  “Have a seat,” she said, waving to a chair. “Is there anything you’d like to drink?”

  “I’ll have anything you’re having.”

  “Excellent. Gladys, bring another cup.” Ari pointed to the teapot. “I’m sure you’ll like camphor tea, it has a wide range of soothing qualities.”

  James coughed. “Er, water would be fine.”

  Ari smirked, wondering what James’ expression would look like if she hadn’t told him about the tea. But then, camphor had such a strong smell, he would be certain to notice it before he drank.

  “So.” Ari tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Tell me everything.”

  “I’m afraid that would take a very long time, darling. It shall be well onto midnight when I finish. But if you insist on risking your reputation, I shall be happy to comply.”

  “Get. To. The. Point.”

  “All right.” James assumed a more serious expression. “It turns out that the high chancellor and Celestine have conspired together to kill off the dragons. Celestine has apparently stolen an old spell book from the elves, which listed a couple of ancient spells that could prevent aging. Dragon horns and talons, when ground to fine powder, can be used for a spell that can lengthen one’s life by fifty years. Dragon oil, when extracted and boiled with some other herbal ingredients, can guarantee a lifetime of clear, unblemis
hed skin without wrinkles. Since Celestine is a half-elf—she’s not a real elf actually—you can imagine her desire to be granted a longer life. She cannot acquire eternal beauty unless she performs magic.”

  “So they want the dragons killed,” Ari repeated. “But how did they make the dragons mad?”

  “The book you used your life to protect.”

  More like her face at stake, but Ari did not say that.

  “You see, history has recorded that the Dark Lord has controlled the dragons through two methods: first, a Dark object that can brainwash the dragons and make them charge at whatever the Dark Lord wants them to. Second, by burning a piece of mandragora.”

  “Mandragora?” Ari repeated. “Does it have anything to do with dragonwood?”

  “It’s the complete opposite of dragonwood. While dragonwood can make the dragon fall into a heavy, dreamless sleep, the roots of mandragora, when incensed, produce fumes that evoke madness in the dragon. The dragon will feel agitated, irrational, panicked. It will trample around, fly into the air, and release fire in a haphazard manner, in order to be rid of those crazy feelings.”

  Ari shivered. “But how did Celestine administer the mandragora?”

  “Do you remember when Celestine came up with the idea to shoot the dragonwood into the valley? Well, it turned out that she had this idea long ago. She attached burning mandragora to arrows and released the arrows wherever the dragons could be hiding. It took some time for the spell to take effect, but when it did, the results were disastrous.”

  “But when did she do it?” Ari said. “She returned to the Academy well before we heard about dragons going mad.”

  “Oh, she got your chancellor to do it. Apparently, he lost a huge sum of money from gambling—a good deal of it came from losing a bet on you.”

  “Me?”

  James grinned. “He bet that you wouldn’t last more than three days at the Academy.”

  Ari was dumbstruck. She couldn’t imagine that she had played a part in—er—impoverishing the high chancellor.

  “So this is how they tried to get what they wanted.” James leaned back in his chair and continued, “Because Celestine wanted the dragons, but had not the power or ability to capture them on her own, she deliberately caused the dragons to turn against humans, so they would be killed. With the chancellor’s help, she could acquire the ingredients for her spell of eternal beauty. The stronger the spell, the bigger the sacrifice. Celestine gets the dragon oil for her spells, while the chancellor gets the scales and horns for bags of gold.”