The Princess Who Flew with Dragons

by Stephanie Burgis

  Ugh.

  Even Lena and Anja looked unusually subdued as we all took our places for our third day of travel. No number of washes could clear the stench from the carriage by that point, and the glass windows had been sealed for flight. They couldn’t be opened without breaking them.

  Every one of us had tried.

  But as the third hour of flight began that day, something nigh on miraculous occurred. High, round, colourful domes shaped like curling seashells appeared in the distance below us.

  A gleaming white palace rose up from the centre of the shimmering seawater beyond and the older guard, Jurgen, spoke for the first time in our whole journey. ‘Villenne.’ He jerked his square brown chin at the window in a nod. ‘That’s it, Your Highness.’

  ‘Uhh!’ A croak of pure joy escaped my throat as I lunged forward to spread my fingers against the glass. It felt blessedly cool against my skin. The sight below felt even better. I took it in with a greedy gaze, absorbing every detail as we swung back and forth above it and my stomach lurched in accompaniment.

  Somewhere down there, in that massive cluster of islands connected by sparkling white bridges, was the university where Gert van Heidecker lectured to enraptured students in serious blue robes.

  Somewhere too was the Diamond Exhibition, the reason I’d been forced into this carriage of horror in the first place.

  But most importantly …

  Somewhere down there was a bed – a real bed, with a mattress and a deep, cosy duvet, in a room with a door that actually locked. Soon I would be tucked underneath that duvet with my brand-new books and a steaming pot of hot chocolate in my hands. I could hardly –

  ‘Move aside!’ Jurgen barked as he and the younger guard jerked upright in their seat across from me.

  ‘I beg your pard–!’ I began.

  He yanked me away from the window as something round and black shot past it.

  Screams filled the wildly rocking carriage. I didn’t join them. I just absorbed the message of that cannonball with pure, cleansing fury.

  ‘They’re shooting at us,’ the younger guard, Konrad, announced.

  ‘Of course they are,’ I snarled.

  Thank you so much, Katrin.

  Enough was enough.

  Ignoring my guards and ladies-in-waiting alike, I grabbed the door handle and flung the carriage door open in mid-air.

  CHAPTER 3

  Cold wind rushed into the swinging carriage. I gripped both sides of the doorway for balance, leaned outside as far as I dared and bellowed, ‘You flaming idiots! Don’t you know who we are?’

  The carriage shook harder and I staggered. An ominous rumbling sound exploded above me, making me flinch – until I realised: giant Émeraude was actually laughing.

  I glowered up at her green-and-silver belly. ‘And just what are you amused by?’ I shouted.

  Her long, scaly neck snaked down through the air until her massive head was grinning directly at me with dozens of long teeth fully bared. ‘You, little princess,’ she said in a voice like thunder. ‘I find you amusing.’

  Another cannonball whooshed past me, less than a foot from my head. I tightened my grasp on the door frame, resisting my guards’ attempts to pull me back into the carriage.

  ‘Have you even noticed we’re being shot at?’ I demanded.

  Émeraude’s great green lips pulled back even wider, revealing – impossibly – more teeth. ‘My scales are impenetrable,’ she said with malicious satisfaction. ‘They can shoot as many pebbles at me as they like. I’ll take no notice.’

  ‘Gaah!’ I stomped my foot in frustration – and the carriage tipped, throwing me forward.

  ‘Aaaahhhhh!’ Desperately, I clung to the doorway, my feet dangling in mid-air …

  And my guards landed with twin thuds against my back.

  I fell forward, screaming. My arms windmilled in the open air, but there was nothing there to save me.

  The connected islands of Villenne spread out far below, strange and lovely, the last sight I would ever see …

  Or so I thought, until something much worse appeared before me.

  ‘No-o-o!’ I twisted desperately, but gravity was inescapable.

  I fell directly into Émeraude’s open mouth and landed in hot, stinking darkness as her massive jaws closed around me.

  Everything blurred in a fog of horror and disbelief.

  Nonononononononono!

  Sunlight pierced the darkness. Émeraude’s great, hot tongue curled beneath my body. I was tipping, tumbling, falling …

  And I landed on the wooden floor of my carriage a moment later, panting and staring up at the horrified faces of my companions.

  ‘Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!’

  I slammed my mouth shut. But I couldn’t stop the desperate wave of shivers that shook my body against the floor.

  The smell of the dragon’s mouth clung to my skin and my hair. My hands and gown were sticky from her tongue.

  I had been inside a dragon’s mouth!

  ‘Your Highness?’ Lena peered down at me, blue eyes wide. ‘Are you all right?’

  I stared up at her in disbelief.

  Was I all right?

  ‘She should really have a bath,’ Émeraude said through the open doorway, smacking her lips. ‘She tasted like sick. Disgusting.’

  That was it!

  I pushed myself upright. Breathing hard, I grabbed hold of the closest bench seat and pulled myself the rest of the way up until I stood on wobbling legs.

  ‘Tell me,’ I said to Jurgen. ‘Did my sister bother to warn the Valmarene royals that I would arrive with a dragon?’

  ‘Er …’ Jurgen gave a sidelong look at our dragon, whose green-and-silver face still filled the doorway. ‘I believe she thought it would be a more effective show of strength if it was unexpected, Your Highness.’

  ‘An effective show of strength.’ My teeth clenched on the words. ‘And did she have any ideas about how we could stop our hosts from thinking they had to defend themselves against fiery death when we arrived, out of the blue, with a terrifying dragon?’

  He cleared his throat, looking pained. ‘She … gave me to understand she had discussed that matter with Lady Émeraude’s family.’ He glanced at her again, even more nervously. ‘I believe there was meant to be a flag? To assure our hosts that we come in peace?’

  Émeraude snorted, her hot breath swirling through the carriage. I shuddered uncontrollably at the too-familiar smell of it.

  ‘I don’t care for carrying silly flags from my mouth,’ she informed us disdainfully. ‘And I am not a citizen of your puny kingdom.’

  ‘Oh, for –’ As another cannonball flew past our unbroken window, I let out a growl fierce enough for any monster. ‘Fine!’ I snarled. ‘I’ll do it myself then!’

  So that was how I entered the fabled city of Villenne on my first-ever diplomatic mission: hanging halfway out of the open door of my carriage, with dried dragon spittle covering my hair and skin, and my two guards gripping tightly to my legs as I dangled a heavy Drachenheim flag in the air.

  It was a good thing I’d never expected to be the perfect princess for this mission, because this had to be the most embarrassing first impression ever.

  *

  When we finally landed on Villenne’s central island, swooping low over the glittering blue water that surrounded it, dozens of black-robed battle mages were waiting for us. They stood in tight, martial lines, framing three edges of the large, tiled square between the great white palace and the water. Near the back of the square stood a couple draped in silks and furs who must have been the king and queen of Valmarna … but six more rows of armed soldiers stood between them and us.

  Every one of them looked poised and ready to leap into action the very moment we chose to attack. It might almost have been funny if I hadn’t been fighting so hard to keep myself from being sick again in front of all of them.

  Émeraude dropped the carriage the last few feet on to the ground with a thunk that bounced me off
the floor and cracked my head against the open doorway. Grinding my teeth, I pushed myself up, letting the flag fall from my hands and kicking my legs free from my guards. I could feel every eye in the square watching me, and it made every inch of my skin burn with horror.

  I hated looking stupid. I hated it so much! But because I’d been born on royal display, someone was always watching me whenever it happened.

  So I jerked my chin into my haughtiest pose, as if I didn’t care at all, and patted down my spittle-sticky silk gown while my ladies-in-waiting fussed behind me and clucked despairingly about my hair. There was nothing that could be done about that without a bath or, better yet, a pair of shears. I would have shaved my entire head just to be free of that dragon-mouth stink!

  But right now, it was time to act like a princess for the sake of my people, my kingdom and my own trampled pride.

  Lifting my disgusting skirts, I stepped as gracefully as I could from the carriage … and every soldier before me yanked up their musket in challenge.

  I froze. My guards lunged from the carriage to throw themselves in front of me.

  The sound of Émeraude’s laughter rolled ominously through the air … and I finally realised that those muskets were all pointing up at her. She had dropped down just above us while I’d been focused on my own humiliation, and her wings cast a cool shadow over the tiled square.

  ‘You needn’t worry, puny humans,’ she rumbled down to us. ‘I’m not hungry for any delicious little snacks like you today. I only wished to say farewell to my valued ally.’ She tipped her massive chin at me, her golden eyes glinting, and lowered one scaly eyelid in a wink. ‘I’ve enjoyed these past few days, young one. I look forward to meeting you again.’

  I glowered at the malicious amusement in her gaze. ‘We thank you for your kindness,’ I growled, ‘and look forward to meeting you again as well.’

  But only in my nightmares, I finished silently.

  By the look in her eyes, she knew it. Chortling, she circled low over the square as the soldiers’ muskets tracked her, waiting. Then she shot high into the sky, sending a gust of cold wind billowing over all of us in her wake.

  Phew. My shoulders relaxed for the first time in days as I turned to the royal couple before me, shifting my guards aside and ignoring all the soldiers who still stood between us. Five minutes of empty compliments on both sides, and I’d be finished with this unbearable journey at long last! I’d be conducted to my guest room in the palace, I’d take a luxuriously long, hot bath, and then I would finally be left alone to snuggle up in warm duvets with my new Gert van Heidecker books and –

  ‘Well!’ King Henrik’s bushy grey moustache quivered with fury as he strode towards me, scattering soldiers in his wake. Small and skinny, he was barely two inches taller than me, but his chest swelled impressively as he swaggered to a halt much too close to me for comfort. ‘This was not the courtesy we expected from a guest, young lady!’

  Argh. All my instincts warred against my training. ‘Your Majesty,’ I began tightly, ‘if you would simply –’

  ‘Are you attempting to order me around? You?’ He raked his gaze over me, lips curling with open disgust. ‘If you are a princess of Drachenheim,’ he spat, ‘which I doubt, then what exactly do you have to say for yourself? I can only hope, for the sake of your insignificant little kingdom, that you have come prepared to grovel for your behaviour and your most inappropriate appearance!’

  Enough.

  I had never grovelled to anyone in my life – and if this man thought he could stand here and bully me, he had no idea of what I’d already endured.

  I had been inside a dragon’s mouth!

  So I raised myself up until I was looking directly into his glaring eyes, and smiled fiercely as I said, ‘I beg your pardon. Did no one ever bother to tell you we had allied with dragons?’

  In royal talk, what that actually meant was: Your spies must be terrible. How sad for you!

  His face flushed bright red. ‘You impudent little … Of course we knew of your cursed alliance! But to fly over our capital city with no warning –’

  ‘Oh no, were you frightened?’ I cooed with gooey, sickly-sweet sympathy. ‘Oh dear. We’re such good friends with dragons ourselves, you see, we sometimes forget that other, weaker kingdoms might fear them.’

  Beside me, Konrad gave a convulsive cough that made his lanky body shake. Jurgen thumped his skinny back with one big hand as the king’s face shifted from dark red to dusky purple.

  Who knew that diplomacy could be fun?

  Before King Henrik could explode from fury, though, his tall, silver-haired wife glided up behind him, resplendent in deep purple silk and an ankle-length silver cloak. ‘Forgive us, Your Highness,’ Queen Berghild said sweetly, ‘but we were so taken by surprise by your magnificent entrance, I’m afraid your proper quarters aren’t ready for you yet.’

  ‘Oh?’ My entire bruised body sagged as my vision of bath, bed and books slipped even further out of reach. ‘I’m sure I could make do with –’

  ‘No, no.’ The queen heaved a sigh of almost-perfectly-faked regret. ‘You see, the room we’d originally assigned to your party would never do, now that we’ve met you. Those quarters in our palace are far too small for a princess who is such good friends with dragons!’

  Hmm. I narrowed my eyes up at her suspiciously. ‘And the quarters that would be appropriate?’

  ‘Oh, those won’t be ready for at least another week … or maybe three. Possibly not until the Diamond Exhibition is long over.’ A triumphant smirk stretched Queen Berghild’s lips. ‘Luckily,’ she added in a kind, motherly tone, ‘we have quite a pleasant little terraced house set aside for moments when such honoured guests arrive without warning. Better yet –’ her eyes widened – ‘it’s a good forty minutes away from here, so you won’t be distracted by any of our nation’s inferior entertainments or royal gatherings.’

  ‘Forty minutes?’ My voice came out as a croak. Suddenly I could feel every piece of dried dragon spittle on my gown and in my hair, as if they were burning directly into my skin.

  ‘Forty minutes,’ repeated the queen with deep satisfaction. ‘First by boat and then by carriage. I should warn you, though – the boat journey can be a bit unsettling.’ She glanced at my spittle-stained gown and her smirk deepened. ‘I do hope you don’t get travel-sick?’

  Behind me, Anja let out a groan.

  For once, I couldn’t blame her.

  From: Her Most Exalted Highness Princess Sofia Alexandrina Maria of Drachenheim

  85 Svëavagan

  Gemlarna

  Villenne

  To: Her Most Exalted and Serene Highness the Crown Princess

  Katrin Augusta Sibylle of Drachenheim

  The Royal Palace

  Drachenburg

  Drachenheim

  Dear Katrin,

  Well

  As you may have predicted

  You won’t be surprised to hear

  Next time you expect a dragon to follow human instructions or logic

  I wish

  I’m sorr

  Never mind. I’m sure you know what happened already. You always do. So I don’t know why I even tried to write this letter.

  CHAPTER 4

  Thump! I thumped my pillow as hard as I could.

  Thwack! I threw myself down on top of my narrow bed and crossed my arms tightly, locking myself in.

  This was exactly what I’d been longing for, wasn’t it? The chance to lie in a comfortable bed without interruptions?

  Fwoosh! My abandoned letter to my sister fluttered off the writing desk and landed on the rug beside me like a cream-coloured accusation.

  I squeezed my eyes shut as laughter floated through the floorboards from the salon below. Were my ladies-in-waiting all laughing together about just how badly I had mucked up this mission? I’d been sent here to prove my value to my kingdom, and instead I’d got myself expelled to the middle of nowhere in this shabby, doll-sized house. Half the
rulers of our continent were meeting at that beautiful white palace to eat and dance and forge nation-changing alliances … and I wasn’t invited to join any of them.

  Even my new books were sitting in the palace without me.

  I rolled over on to my stomach and buried my face in my pillow with a groan.

  It was one thing to fail myself – or even to fail my sister. I was used to both of those. But to fail everyone else who needed me …

  Would Katrin really give in to the merchants’ demands and tear down those new houses on the riverbank only because I’d been an idiot? Surely not. She’d always said our most vulnerable people’s welfare had to be our highest priority.

  But then she’d also always said that I had to live with the consequences of my actions.

  This was why it was better to stay locked in my room, back home, with my books. Whenever I left it, bad things happened. And now –

  Rattle, rattle, rattle!

  That sound was coming from the windows. Was this whole house going to fall apart in the wind?

  ‘Argh!’ I pushed my face deeper into the pillow.

  ‘Miaow!’

  My head jerked up.

  Two wild green eyes stared expectantly at me through the window. One brown-and-gold paw batted impatiently at the glass.

  Rattle, rattle, rattle!

  I stared back in astonishment. It was an actual cat!

  I’d caught glimpses of them before, but only through my carriage windows. They prowled the crowded streets of Drachenburg like miniature tigers in a moving jungle of human legs. I’d never understood how so many people could ignore those clawed and dangerous creatures slipping so close to their ankles.

  But this one was looking straight at me – and demanding to be let inside.

  This whole day had been surreal beyond belief. So I slid off the bed, padded in my stockinged feet across the floor and had already begun to swing open the window before my mind finally surged into action.