Book Three: Damon
Our final tale recalls one of the last connections made between a human and a dragon—one of trust, loyalty, and friendship.
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Once there lay a kingdom in a valley between tall mountains. The kingdom was ruled by a powerful king, and in the neighboring mountains lived a clan of dragons. King Sullivan had everything his heart could desire, but he was a vain man. He envied the dragons who lived high above the castle. If he could not have the same strength and power as they did, then he saw it fit to overthrow them. Nothing would please him more than to slay the dragons.
The king’s only daughter, on the other hand, adored dragons. Princess Diana was amazed by their capability of flight and was content watching them from the comfort of the palace. She enjoyed the peace between the kingdom and the dragons who lived in the mountains, and was furthermore determined to keep things as they were.
One night, the king held a ball at the castle. The whole kingdom was invited for an evening of celebration and entertainment. Princess Diana watched as the people danced in merriment to the music. She particularly enjoyed court jester Beatrix's performance, watching her and the troupe aerial show. The princess turned to see her father’s reaction, only to realize that he had disappeared. In search of the king, she found him in the castle barracks ordering an attack to bring down the dragons.
Mortified, Princess Diana slipped away from the barracks unnoticed. She would not allow her father to do something so terrible as slaying a dragon, yet she herself could not go against his authority. She remembered the aerial show from that night and had a plan. With no one else to turn to, the princess sought out the court jester to warn the dragons of the king’s army. The princess pulled aside the court jester to ask for her help.
"I can't go against my father, not directly," Diana explained. "But you are fast and strong. You can find the dragons and warn them ahead of time. Will you do this, for me?"
Beatrix was not sure why the princess wanted her specifically to approach the dragons, but she would not be one to turn down her request. After all, she was quite flattered that the princess would want her help. Taking Diana's hands in her own, she answered, "Yes, of course I will."
With that, the jester prepared to leave the next morning to find the dragons. Trekking up the mountains was no easy task, but Beatrix was able to scale the rocky cliffs with ease due to her athletic abilities. Reaching the cavern of the dragon's roost in the mountains, the court jester called out.
From the shadows, a red dragon emerged, watching the young woman with keen interest. In a deep voice, he spoke. “I must say, it is rare to have a visitor here on the mountain. What brings you to my home?”
“I am Beatrix, court jester from the castle,” she said. “Princess Diana sent me to warn you of her father, King Sullivan. He intends to harm you and the other dragons.”
The red dragon blinked and laughed in response. “You truly jest. No one can contest the might of a dragon.”
“Perhaps,” Beatrix replied, “but he intends to send a whole army to bring down your clan.”
At that the dragon’s laughter ceased, and he glared down at the young woman. “Is that so? And how am I to trust you, court jester?”
She gestured to the valley below. “You can see for yourself. I will go with you myself to stop the king’s army before they can even reach the mountain.”
“Very well,” the dragon nodded. “I, Damon, will allow this.”
The dragon and the court jester flew from the mountain and into the valley below. What Beatrix said was true—an emissary was seen riding horseback from the kingdom and towards the dragon’s roost. To deter them away from the mountains, Damon swooped down and used his breath to create a wall of fire, blocking off the path entirely. The startled horses and the men turned and fled back to the kingdom.
With the army dispersed, the two flew onwards to the castle to ensure that the princess was alright. From above, Damon and Beatrix spotted a dispute taking place on the highest tower. The mad king, having discovered that his daughter turned against him, was ready to attack the princess. Just before King Sullivan could raise his weapon against his own daughter, the dragon landed and pinned him to the ground. With the king ensnared, the princess called for the guards to arrest him.
Time had passed in the kingdom. King Sullivan, being unfit to rule, lost his title and was banished from the castle. Princess Diana was praised for protecting the dragons and had become the new queen. She and Beatrix had taken a liking to each other and were married not long after. Nonetheless, the queen and her wife were sad to see the dragons depart.
“Will you not stay?” Queen Diana asked.
“Eventually there will be someone else determined to slay a dragon," Damon explained. "My kin and I will not stay long enough for that to happen."
“I understand your concern,” she replied. “Though I hope you know that you and your family are always welcome in our kingdom.”
“Perhaps,” the dragon mused. Then, turning to Beatrix, he said, “continue to watch over her, young jester.” She smiled back at him, nodding.
With that, the pair watched as Damon took off to the sky above. From the mountains they could see the wings of dragons taking flight to join their companion. From then on, the two ruled over the kingdom peacefully. As for whether or not the dragons returned—who knows?