Dragon’s Prophecy

I was born with scales, violet colored scales that shined in the sun light. I had my father’s brown eyes and my mother’s golden hair. As I grew up, I grew wings, those too were covered in violet scales. All the kingdom’s advisors couldn’t figure out why I was part dragon, but it did not seem to bother the kingdom. Those who worked in the castle got used to it, even enjoying my presence. Those who lived in the kingdom thought the fact that I was part dragon would help keep away the dragons from our western border, which it did.

              The kingdom’s seer had predicted I would be born with scales and that I’d grow wings. At my birth she had also predicted that I would be killed by a prince before my eighteenth birthday, but she wouldn’t say how the prince would kill me. The seer had made all the predictions when it came to the kingdom. The seer had died by the time I was five, which meant I would never be able to ask her about the prediction. The new seer knew nothing of this prediction and never saw this specific prediction in all her time.

              I grew up surrounded by fear. My parents worried their only heir would die and this fear only got worst after the seer’s death. On my thirteenth birthday my parents sent me to live in a tower. It was only me and my lady-in-waiting.

I spent my time reading books about princes that saved princesses that looked nothing like me. Many of the princesses were in towers just like mine, which made me wonder could the prince be coming to save me instead of killing me. I asked my lady-in-waiting about it once and the next day all my books about princes and princesses were gone and replaced with new books about my homeland.

              A week before my seventeenth birthday, was the first time the prince arrived. Before that I had never seen a prince outside of my story books before with the only men, I had ever seen to that point being my father and a few elderly men who worked in the castle.

              My lady-in-waiting had gone back to the castle for supplies, leaving me alone in the tower. I peeked through the window to find a prince who seemed to only be a year or two older than me. He was hidden behind a dark cloak.

              “Princess!” The prince kept calling to me.

              “Who are you?” I called out, making sure to remain unseen.  

              “Prince Terence.”

              “Prince Terence of where?”

              Before he could answer my lady-in-waiting was shooing him off. She kicked off her shoes and rushed after him, screaming at the top of her lungs. Once she thought he was far enough away she climbed back up my tower.

              I saw the prince again a month later. This time the visit was at night and my lady-in-waiting was fast asleep. I was awake reading when I heard a loud thud against the glass window. And then there was another thud and another. I went to investigate the sound. Outside the window I found the prince throwing rocks against my tower. It was dark so I could not tell what the prince looked like.

              Again, the prince yell for me and again I hid out of sight as I spoke to him.

              “What brings you here especially at this hour?” I asked the prince, for I was skeptical.

              “I heard of the princess trapped in the tower and I wanted to see her. They say she has long golden hair and brown eyes that shine like stars. They say whoever frees her from the castle wins her hand in marriage. I tried investigating during the day, but that lady ran me off.”

              “She can be a bit intimidating, but she means well.” I called down to the prince. “Is that all you heard about when it comes to said princess?”

              “Yes, are you her?”

              “I am the princess. They call me princess Calypso, but I live in this tower for my safety which means I can’t leave until after my eighteenth birthday.”

              The prince was silent for a second but then he spoke again. “Then I will come back until you are free to come down.”

              I stood ready, for I had prepared for this moment for years. The dagger was hidden under my cloak. My ruse was working, for this demon believed I was a prince. I was the son of a noble who did not want to see a part dragon princess take the throne.

              I threw the rocks like I had for almost a year and Calypso appeared, but this time she came to the window, and this time she did not hide. I tried not to be disgusted by the scaley beast in the tower, for if she suspected the plan would fall apart.

              “Please let me see your beautiful face in person.” I called up to the beast.

              “I’m not sure. I still have an hour to go.” She called back.

              “You can trust me; I should have proven myself by now. I have come here every day for nearly a year and I would hope that would prove to you that I can be trusted.”

              There was silence for a few minutes and then she appeared in front of me. I jumped back for the monster was too close for me.

              She held out her scaley hand to try and crest my face. “I know I am not what you expected.”

              “No, I knew.” I pulled the dagger and used it to cut the claw like hand before me. “I am not really a prince.”

              “You lied.” She fell to the ground grabbing her bleeding hand. “Why?”

              “The kingdom deserves a real princess, not a beast like you.” I plunged the dagger into her chest.

              Had she only waited one more hour. I thought as I wiped the blood from my hands. Then the prophecy wouldn’t have come true.