Another boring, stressful day. Responsibilities, work, training - all part of a normal day for the princess of Ruchile. Just about ready to collapse, the girl allowed herself to take a seat on the nearby bed, sighing at nothing in particular. Kicking off her shoes, the girl laid back, hoping that, for just a moment, she’d have time to relax. A week- nay, a day devoid of responsibilities would be heavenly. “Cerys! Princess Ceryse! You’re needed in the throne room.” A shout from the hallway only led to her continued exasperation. Alas, nothing in the kingdom could save the princess from needing to assume her role, Ceryse slowly pulling herself back to her feet in preparation for whatever was needed.
A sudden sharp crack drew Ceryse’s attention, the princess freezing as she listened for the sound again. Silence resumed for several seconds, the girl standing there listening right up until the sound repeated itself, this time from near the window. Ceryse spun, searching for the sounds source only for her eyes to open wide, her jaw dropping in fright. The bright yellow eyes of a dragon smiled at her from behind the broken glass.
Wandering through the marketplace in civilian clothes, Rosemary, knight of Ruchile, looked up with the rest of the crowd at the roar. She, along with the others of the kingdom, saw clearly the dragon flying through the sky, glaring down at the crowd below. What she noticed that the rest of the crowd didn’t, however, was the face of her childhood friend, Princess Ceryse, on the figure clutched in the dragon’s claws. Rushing towards her home, Rosemary made for her armor, sliding it on as quickly as she could manage before jumping on her horse and racing after the giant shadow gliding across the ground.
Sword clutched in her trembling hand, Rosemary stood outside the cavern entrance she was certain she’d seen the beast disappear into, dryly swallowing as she faced her fate. By far, this situation was the most terrifying she’d ever been in throughout her career as a knight, far worse than the bloody battlefields of the past. Her will faltered for a moment as she considered the possibilities; who was to say that the princess hadn’t already been killed? Surely nobody would blame her for coming home empty handed. A simple shake of the head cleared her head, the woman steeling herself against further fear as she took a step in. Even if Ceryse was dead, she owed her old friend the courtesy of confirming that herself.
The light slowly disappeared behind her as Rosemary wandered further into the cave, a sudden unpleasant smell confirming her observations. Sulfur, she was certain. Exactly what one would expect from a dragon’s lair. Following the trail as the scent grew ever stronger, Rosemary caught a glimpse of a glow in the distance, closer examination revealing what seemed to be a… wooden door?
Concern that perhaps she had mistaken the dragon’s trail clouding her mind, Rosemary pressed forward, intent on at least verifying her mistake before giving up hope. She placed her hand on the door, pressing inwards to reveal a nursery, an infant playing with a set of blocks in its center, blissfully unaware of the smell coming from its obviously full diaper. Now entirely confused at the completely unexpected sight, the girl took a few uncertain steps inwards, her sword arm falling to her side as she stared at the surroundings. “Rosie!” Hmm... Now there was a name she hadn’t been called since childhood. That voice sounded familiar as well. “Rosie! What are you doin’ here?”
Finally realizing that someone in the room was calling for her, Rosemary shook herself from her trance, eyes darting around until they landed on the little girl. Memories came flooding back, the baby’s appearance suddenly seeming very familiar. “C- Ceryse? Is that you?”
“Uh huh!” The confident yet small voice definitely matched that of Rosemary’s friend, not to mention the nickname nobody else knew. “Mama dragon brought me back.” The little one’s eyes turned towards the floor as she continued. “I’m sorry, Rosie. I couldn’t be a princess anymore. Mama offered me a chance to finally relax, to get away from it all and just be her baby. I couldn’t say no to that.”
Having absolutely no idea how to react to this news, Rosemary chose to stand there in shock, trying to process what she’d just heard. Her friend ran away? With a dragon? To become a baby? All of this seemed too strange to be real, yet so far beyond normal it seemed that there was no other option but belief. The girl barely noticed the thumping behind her, lost in thought up until the moment her friend let out a squeal. “Mama! You’re back!”
Raising her blade once again, the knight spun around, the scaly grin in front of her a far cry from the warm yet threatening voice emanating from the dragon’s throat. “Threatening my baby with a sword? What am I to do with you? I definitely can’t let you go.”
“No, mama! She came to save me… She’s my friend; we were basically sisters!” The baby’s plea didn’t go unheard, the dragon snorting in response.
“Sisters, hmm? That sounds much better to me.” A glint in her eyes, the dragon opened her jaw wide. Rather than eating the girl, however, she exhaled, a pink smoke covering the knight completely. As the smoke cleared, a baby of similar age to Ceryse sat on the ground clutching a rattle, the fabric of her footed sleeper patterned as if it were a set of armor. Frightened, shocked, and overwhelmed, the now much smaller Rosemary began to wail and cry, tears streaming down her face as the dragon’s form shifted into one much more human. “Shh, sweetie. It’s okay. Mama’s got you.” The motherly figure lifted the little one into her arms, rocking the girl as she patted her back. Too panicked to do anything else, Rosemary wrapped her arms around the woman, burying her face in her new mama as she cried.