"Watch out Harriet!"

Dominic pushed me out of the dragon's way. Standing in my place as the fire of the dragon bathed him and turned him into a roasted corpse. An abhorring sight.

"Dominic!" Peter exclaimed out of anger.

He pierced the dragon in lustful vengeance, but alas, the man was already dead, and nothing could bring him back. Legend speaks of true love no longer. How dare he? How dare he sacrifice his life for me? Why would an unsightly Mystonian sacrifice his life for a Finobian?

***

Dear Veronica, my name is Harriet, daughter of the proud king of Finobia, the great kingdom in the east. Although now I am Queen, and of course you know me as mother, it does not exclude the fact that that is my name. It's been over three hundred days since you left for Aguria. I hope the academy is as you dreamed it would be? I always think of you Veronica, I miss our little chats…I know your father does, he doesn't seem to stop talking about you. We miss you dearly. I dream of the day you shall return, but until then, please enjoy these little letters I send.

Among the many stories I have told you over the years, this is my favourite Veronica. It is about how your father and I met, how we defied our parents and the realm itself, for the sake of true love. I do hope you enjoy it.

Our story begins once upon a time, in the days when the kingdom was divided, there lived a noble prince and a beautiful princess. It was the time of truce between Mystonia and Finobia. The wars were no more, peace and unity had been evoked, but the hatred between both kingdoms still lingered on.

During these times, a terrible beast roamed both kingdoms. It was a dragon. Green, with wings as wide as the expanse of the heavens. The beast tormented the kingdoms of Mystonia and Finobia, destroying farmlands, marketplaces and killing livestocks. Its eyes were as red as crimson rubies, and its growls and roars sent shivers down the people's spines, possessing a sound similar to that of a soulless creature from the depths of darkness. Its lair was a crag in the middle of the Edlewudforest. No one knew how it got to there, but they all wanted it dead. Many soldiers had been sent to the forest to get rid of this dragon, but none ever returned.

Thus, in the wake of a new day, a difficult decision was made. After a persistent endeavour to get his father's permisson, the prince of Mystonia finally succeeded. The Mystonian king had summoned his son, Prince Dominic.

There the king sat, on his magnificent throne and on his laps sat his queen. She fed him the grapes presented before them. Queen Ariana in all her beauty and grace looked on to her husband endearingly, caressing his beautiful silver hair passionately.

Meanwhile, in the castle's garden, there were two young men fighting sword against sword. They were close to the end of their duel, one of them had the other on one knee. It was Prince Dominic, close to victory in his fight with lord Peter. The prince had a physique that was much more muscular and larger than the lord's. He pressed his sword against the sword of the young lord, but Peter refused to yield, even though he had no way of achieving victory. In the midst of their struggle to win this fight, a servant interrupted, with the message of the king's summoning.

They at once stopped their battle, dropping their swords.

"I guess we'll have to continue this some other time Peter," said the Prince, cleaning the sweat off his chest.

"And when that time comes, I will come out victorious."

Dominic cackled.

"Your bluffs are getting better brother, I'd eat my head the day that happens," he replied.

After a quick bath, they found their way to the throne room.

"What trouble have you caused the king this time, Dominic?" Peter asked. He dried his golden red hair, and that one part, braided by the beautiful maidens of the house of Faudem.

"Trouble?" Dominic asked sarcastically. "Me?"

Peter chuckled, shaking his head.

The Prince smiled. Then his countenance changed and he looked ahead with a stern stare.

"I only have one reason in mind why he would summon us this early," he said.

Peter exhaled.

"The dragon?" He asked.

"Precisely, the god-forsaken dragon!" The prince growled in reply, bursting through the doors of the throne room.

Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Finobia, not so far away, the king had summoned his daughter, the one and only heir to the Finobian throne. Princess Harriet. I was a girl of immense beauty, tall, with a body that would make any man who stared for too long impervious to her charms, (as they should be). My green eyes and lustrous black hair were a cause for admiration, and my voice one could only describe as heavenly. I was known to the people of the kingdom as Finobia's priceless jewel and in a seamless addition, the most talented swordsman in all of the kingdom.

With me was my beloved Amanda, the duchess. Equally a gem of gracious beauty, she had fiery enchanting eyes and braided golden red hair, one that all the kingdom's maidens admired. Lady Amanda and I were tending to the needs of some children at the gates of the castle when one of our servants whispered to us the summoning of the King.

"This is it Amanda," I said after waving the children goodbye. "We're finally going to kill that dragon."

"Your determination to kill is a thrilling sight, your highness," Amanda calmly replied, following me into the castle.

We made our way through the main hall, up the stairs and down the chimney hallways until we got to the chamber where the throne of Finobia stood. The guards standing before the doors bowed, then they opened the doors for us to proceed.

The throne chamber was twice as big as a hallway and echoed your footsteps while you walked towards the throne. The floors were garnished with golden tiles and the ceilings was painted purple. The glass windows towered upwards in their hexagonal shapes and the coloured glass shone rays of rainbows into the chamber. Although a far cry from our castle now, it was still magnificent in its time. The king and the Queen sat on their thrones, being attended to by the servants.

"Harriet!" Father smiled, when he noticed us approaching.

"Here I stand Father," I replied.

We had finally gotten close to the throne, a foot before the steps that led up to the thrones. The king dismissed the servants, and the Queen sighed, laying her jaw on her hand as she stared at Amanda and I.

"You are the only heir to the Finobian throne, I cannot afford your death," Father continued. "Going after the beast could be the end of you. What would your mother and I do if we were to ever lose you?"

"I will not die so easily father, you know that," I replied.

"Your lives are for the benefit of your people Harriet!" Mother reprimanded. "Amanda, what are your thoughts on this? Isn't she acting foolish? Tell her she would die if she goes after that creature."

"If I may speak freely, your Majesty," Amanda replied. "I believe this would be beneficial for the Princess' future as ruler of the kingdom. Her victory shall strike fear in the hearts of our enemies, they would consider her a formidable foe, even as a Queen."

Well spoken. Mother exhaled.

"You're in on this too, aren't you?" She replied.

Meanwhile, in a rather simultaneous nature, a conversation quite similar to ours was happening in the throne chamber of Mystonia. Prince Dominic and Lord Peter stood before their King and Queen with a smug look on their faces.

"Your lives are at stake here children," the king said, stroking his beards. "Why would I send the only children I have into the arms of death?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Queen Ariana inquired with a face drenched in worry.

"People are dying, mother. Of what use is a Prince if he cannot protect his kingdom?"

"With your permission, we shall bring the head of the beast to you," Peter added. "And rid this kingdom of the plague that is the green dragon."

And so, in a manner that seemed almost rehearsed, the king of Finobia and the king of Mystonia granted the wish of their children, decreeing that they go to the Edlewud forest and return with the head of the beast. Both parties set out that day, onwards to the Edlewudforest, seeking the same price. What possibly do you think would happen when these two parties eventually meet?