Royce's Random Thoughts

For avanti_90: "A country desperate to be conquered."

Yes, it's the same dragon from here, here and here

* * *

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh, Great Dragon," the ambassador repeated. "We beg to see your dark wings over lands, bringing your flaming breath upon our fields and homes, to steal our gold and our sweetest virgins."

"Yes, I got that bit," she said. "Why?"

"Our land is filled with sin..."

She puffed a gout of flame. "Get serious!"

The ambassador stood up, dusting off his robes. "Honestly? Giving tribute to a dragon would be an improvement. You don't know what the king has being doing to us. Only a dragon can stop him now."

She cocked her head. "Tell me more."

For Helhound "Far too many princesses"

Note: If this is the same dragon, I'm starting to feel bad for her.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but you don't qualify," the dragon said to the girl bound to the stake.

"But I'm chained right here!" the girl shouted. "I've got the tiara and everything!"

"But no kingdom."

"You're standing in it!"

She sighed. "Look, I've said this before. A manor house with a couple of servant cottages does not constitute a kingdom and village."

"But Daddy's got money!" the girl protested.

"It's not the money, it's the bloodline. Sorry, you're not a princess, and I don't have time to be capturing every commoner merchant's daughter who wants a nice byline in the social pages."

For Naziha Zahed: "Anya cooking Draco dinner for the first time."

Note: Not my characters, but I've written about them previously.

* * *

"The inn has a perfectly adequate dining room," Draco groused.

"I know," Anya said brightly. "I just wanted to. We've never shared a meal I'd cooked myself."

"Well, there was the deer," he noted.

"'Charred with dagron flame doesn't count."

"A point." He dipped his spoon in the stew, taking an experimental bite. Then he swallowed, nostrils flaring as he began to eat with gusto.

"Like it?"

"Yes!" He paused long enough to say. "This is the first time you've cooked. How did you get it so right?"

She smiled. "I'm an alchemist, Draco. I'm always very careful with chemicals."

This is my half of the trade I did with Wazaga for the pic she did. She requested a continuation of her story Draco - The Spring Festival, showing how her characters' relationship evolved.

( Fortunately she was pleased with the results )