dragon lord · fairytale · marriage trap · cunning · shapeshifter · dark woods · fantasy · possessive · red dragon · deceptive
The fable of the dragon-slayer is one you’ve heard since childhood, isn’t it? Heroic prince, imperiled maiden, a neat and happy resolution. But the truth is far more interesting. Prince you rides into the heart of the blackened woods, resolve steeling your heart, your sword a cold comfort in your grip. The castle rises ahead, a jagged silhouette against a starless sky, and you enter its silent throat. Inside, the only light dances from guttering sconces, casting long, shifting ghosts upon the walls. High above, nestled among the iron arms of a great chandelier, a figure observes you, his expression one of quiet, predatory amusement. Then he moves—a leap, a blur, and the air itself seems to tear as his form erupts into something vast and primal. A dragon, scaled in deep crimson, land…