"Why aren't you in your dragon form?” the knight in black heavy armor took his helmet off and asked as he stabbed his sword on the ground. Obviously irritated for being belittled and the fact that he was in this cave again, fighting to rescue the princess for the fifth time.

"Are you looking down on me?" He asked threateningly at the dragoness before him. He gave her a death glare.

"How about you just hand over the princess this time. I'm sick of fighting you." The man said heartlessly. He glanced at the princess.

"Don't worry this will be over quickly princess. I'll bring you home in time for you're tea party this afternoon." The knights blue aura of mana exploded as he dashed at the dragoness.

The dragoness with beautiful red hair and silver draconic eyes was dressed seductively in light armor. Her cheeks blushed embarrassingly as well with a bit of annoyance and anger. "Hmph, I don't need my dragon form to face you. You will have to make me change if you dare." She said flustered as she blocked his sword with her transformed hand like claws.

The knight growled. "So be it." And so a fight began as the princess watched tiredly.

This has been the fifth time in the past three months that a showdown has happened between these two. The princess gave an exhausted look at the hopeless dragoness and the incredibly dense knight of hers.

I'm sick of being kidnapped. The princess thought. The first time the princess was kidnapped and saved was when the dragoness fell in love. Something about the way the knight fought fearlessly captivated her that day. The princess was quite surprised when the dragoness showed up in her draconic human form outside the balcony of her room that very same night. The princess could tell the dragoness was embarrassed to ask for help as she practically pleaded with the princess to let her kidnap her again so that she could meet and face him one more time before confessing.

The princess was flabbergasted but thought getting a dragon to owe you a favor would be advantageous to herself and her kingdom so she relented. Then it happened four more times...these passed three months have been eventful to say the least. During this time the dragoness and princess became sorta close as the princess with long flowing blond hair continued to help the dragoness find a way for her own knight to fall in love with her.

But why?!

Why was he so dense?! The princess thought for the umpteenth time today as she looked at the flirtatious fight happening in front of her as the dragon play fought the knight. While the knight carried a small smile. She watched as the dragoness dodged in such a way that showed off her cleavage while the knight tried "seriously" to defeat her. She wanted to palm her face in embarrassment at the two but couldn't as she had to play and act as the damsel in distress. She continued to watch until she simply couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop it, you two. Right now." The dragoness and knight looked at the princess in surprise as they paused their battle mid motion. The princess looked at the knight.

"You, you are very dense. Can't you see what's happening before your eyes?" She practically screamed.

"Huh?" The knight looked bewildered.

"W-wait, Laura, d-don't!" The dragoness cried out as her draconic ears flushed violet.

"First of all, this is the 5th time I've been kidnapped by the same dragon. This should have been you're first clue. Secondly, look at how she is fighting you?! How obvious can it get?! Haven't you read books on dragon mating rituals before?! Don't answer that, it was rhetorical. Of course you haven't. Let me just tell you. When a dragon likes the opposite sex, they fight! Playfully! And lose on purpose!" The princess took a heavy breath in as she continued her rant. The dragoness was speechless as she turned around and crouched down to the floor as if she wanted to disappear. She did...as she casted an invisibility spell on herself. The princess looked over sympathetically at where the now invisible dragoness was.

"I'm sorry but sometimes men can be so incredibly stupid that they don't know what's in front of their eyes unless it's just told out loud honestly. If you won't confess. I'll do it for you. This dragoness likes you okay?!!"

The knight was speechless. His face turned a bit pink as he took all of what she said in.

"I-I see...I-is that so. The dragoness likes me... To be honest I had a hunch but I never acted on it. My job is to protect the princess. My feelings can't get in the way of my duty." He said respectfully. He looked around the cave.

"Umm. If you're still out there...just know...that the feeling is m-mutual." The man replied to the open cave. Suddenly the dragoness appeared again right next to the knight her silver eyes gazed at the knight in pleasant surprise.

"R-really?!"

"Y-yes. I enjoyed our battles. If you'll have me. Would you give me a chance?" He asked hesitantly.

"Of course!" She said almost too eagerly that the knight took a step back.

"Ehem. I mean sure. I'll give you a chance. Human." She turned her face as she was too embarrassed to look at the knight any further.

"Great! But I need to ask. What is your name?" The black knight asked as he smiled in relief. The dragoness looked at him blankly as she tried to recall if she told him her name only to realize she has not. This made her want to crawl in another hole and disappear again.

"You can can call me C-Claire." She stuttered.

"Claire..Claire.." the man mumbled to himself.

"Okay. Claire would you like to join the princess and I for tea?" The man asked on a whim.

"Sure!" The dragoness smiled sweetly while the princess sighed and laughed in relief.

Thank God. I don't need to be kidnapped anymore! And they are kind of adorable. The princess's heart melted at the display in front of her. This was worth it. I'm so amazing. I should become a professional matchmaker... The princess thought cockily as she practically skipped while humming a famous tune as they left the cave.

"Seriously Ulina, is this the only thing you can think of?"

I crossed my arms, staring across the table. On the other side sat a beautiful woman, wearing a shimmering blue dress. Long blonde hair ran down her back, as she stared at me through slitted pupils.

"It works. He comes, we have a nice chat, then you get to go home."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing.

"You do realise he tries to kill you each time, right?"

She gave a nod, the dragoness looking into the distance with a dreamy expression.

"I know, he's wonderful."

I shook my head. It had been funny the first couple of times, but now I was getting annoyed. My parents were talking about ways to protect me, which would limit my own freedom.

"Listen to me Ulina, you can't keep doing this. At some point one of us is going to get hurt. Most likely you. Dad is gathering a group to put you down permanently, and I don't want that to happen."

She dragged her gaze to me, the smile dropping.

"But... what else can I do?"

I gave her a smile, an idea forming.

"Leave it to me."

-----

I watched Alrek enter the cave. As always he wore the armour I had ordered be made for him, along with the sword gifted by my parents. His eyes spun around, looking for both me and danger.

"Up here."

I called out, immediately getting his attention. His head jolted up, seeing me looking from an opening high above him.

"Kayra, thank goodness you are still safe. I'm sorry this keeps happening."

I shrugged.

"It's fine. Listen, come up here as soon as you can. Don't worry, the dragon isn't going to bother you."

He frowned, looking around. I rolled my eyes, calling out for one last time.

"Thats an order!"

I didn't like to always boss him around. But sometimes he needed the shove. He disappeared into the main tunnel, one that would take him to the staircases Ulina had carved. I retreated back to my room, looking over at her as she sat on a rock.

"He's coming."

She shifted nervously. Scales rose up around her eyes, as she momentarily struggled to keep her form. But it passed, and she returned to her normal draconic human look.

After a shirt wait the door opened. Alrek stepped in, looking around. He saw me first, relaxing at the sight of me. But he sook noticed Ulina sitting there, her cheeks reddening slightly at his gaze.

"Right. Alrek, for the next five minutes please just listen. Ulina, talk to him, for the sake of the Sun River."

She looked at me, and I gave an encouraging nod. Alrek had a look of concern, his hand adjusting the grip on his sword.

"Hi A-alrek, um... I'm Ulina, the.. um... dragon and.... I like you."

I could tell how much it took for her to say that. I turned to look at my friend, a small snort escaping my lips. He had never looked so utterly blindsided. I crossed my arms, grinning as he took a moment to find his voice.

"You what?!"

Part 1:

"No hard feelings, princess," the dragon says as she dips her great golden head through one of the arched doorways that line Melisana's wing of the palace. "You'll be coming with me though. You know how this goes."

Melisana heaves out an exasperated sigh. "For the spirits' sake, Korana, again? This is the fifth time this season!"

Draconic faces aren't built for expressing shame and Korana doesn't feel it anyway. Melisana knows this because Korana has told her several times before how impressed she is by her own cunning in bringing kidnapped royalty back to her lair in exchange for ransom. Melisana hadn't agreed, but it's hard to argue with someone with five-foot-long teeth in her grin, and she is grateful that Korana had been honourable enough to not eat her at any point.

"Your dear queen mother pays well," is Korana's answer with a shrug. The motion of her wings knocks over a priceless statuette carved by one of Melisana's ancestors.

"You could at least try not to break all of my belongings in the process," Melisana grumbles as she grabs the bag of essentials she'd started keeping after the third kidnapping and walks over to her. The guards outside her rooms stay still and silent, clutching their weapons tightly but making no moves towards the dragon; the queendom had paid dearly during that first encounter when they'd tried to fight off the dragon taking the heir to the throne, and after their efforts had proved ineffective at anything except provoking the dragon's ire, the queen had ordered them to stand down so as to prevent further loss of life. Better that only one life was lost, she'd said, even if that one was her child.

Delicately scooping up Melisana in a clawed hand large enough to fully enclose her, Korana spins around and launches herself into the air, flying swiftly northbound towards her lair in the warmer parts of the region. The wind tears at Melisana's thick hair and snatches at the edge of her tunic, chilling her down to the bone, and she's glad when a short time later Korana lands with a bone-rattling thud at the mouth of a familiar cave.

"And now to wait for your negotiator," Korana says in satisfaction, settling herself down across the entrance. "Make yourself comfortable, you know where things are."

There's no way to get past her, Melisana knows from hard-learned experience, so she picks her way through the rocks and wind-blown debris as she heads deeper in, following a smaller tunnel branching off from the main cavern until she reaches a pile of furs and pine branches next to a shallow indentation filled with clear water. With another sigh, she drops her bag to the ground and lays down on her makeshift bed. This will be home sweet home for the next week until Tenir arrives.

Their relationship had started as nothing more than the occasional word passed from princess to guard, Tenir just one of many in a rotating line of people trained to give their lives to keep her safe. She knew their names, but little more than that; as heir, she had many duties and little time for more than minimal social pleasantries. But things had changed after the first time Korana had entered their lives. Tenir had been part of the group sent to rescue her and while others had tried to strike the dragon down, he had instead proven himself a surprisingly eloquent negotiator. Korana had been intrigued enough to agree to a duel (which Tenir had lost, though he'd fought well) in exchange for a smaller ransom that wouldn't beggar the queendom, and after their return, Tenir had been given a knighthood and the position of Heir's Champion.

In the years since then, Melisana and Tenir have grown closer, with each offering the other a sympathetic ear and advice and eventually coming to consider themselves dear friends. Each time Korana takes her and Tenir chases after them though, Melisana fears that this might be the one when Korana decides she's bored of their back-and-forth and ends it.

There's nothing she can do but wait though, so wait she does. Korana brings her seared rabbits and wild greens to eat and they talk occasionally, but for someone used to a day full of decisions to make and people to manage, the passage of time is frustratingly slow.

With little else to do, it's easy to notice small details; the pile of coins, gems, and beautiful shimmering cloth that makes up Korana's hoard has definitely been moved closer to the entrance, and if Melisana's not mistaken, it seems less haphazardly piled and more arranged than last she saw it. On the fifth day, she catches sight of Korana sweeping aside some of the larger rocks in the entrance with her tail, and on the seventh day she notices Korana scraping her horns and claws against a particular rock to give them a burnished gleam.

"He'll be here soon," Korana says with a grin when Melisana cautiously asks about it. "Can't have the place looking like a troll's den." Which is not something that Korana has ever cared about before, but Korana refuses to elaborate further.

True to her word, Tenir arrives less than an hour later with a small contingent behind him. He's weary and scuffed from the journey, but there's a spark in his eyes and the hint of a smile lurking about his mouth as he looks up at Korana lounging on her hoard and says, "I hadn't realised you enjoyed our lady's company so much that you would bring her here again before the season's end, Korana."

Korana gives a languid stretch before descending, her wings nearly scraping the walls on either side of her. "How else would I make sure that my hoard has enough to be worthy of me? Find some other humans who aren't nearly as entertaining as you?" she replies, baring her teeth in something that Melisana can't tell is a grin or a threat. Knowing Korana, it could be both.

"I'm flattered," Tenir says with a little bow of his head. "Would you tell me your desires? We have a great deal of that crimson silk you took a liking to last time, if that is of interest. It would look beautiful against your scales."

"My desires, hmm..." Korana lowers her head so that she's at eye level with Tenir. He doesn't flinch. "I can think of a few things. Ten thousand yian and a dozen bolts of that silk would be good, yes. Five in crimson and the rest in any colours you think I would like. Surprise me."

Korana's not the only one surprised - Melisana is taken aback by how little Korana is asking for compared to her usual requests. By the look on his face, Tenir is thinking the same. "And... is that all?" he asks cautiously.

She lets out a growl of a laugh, blowing air like a desert wind across his face. "Of course not," she says. "I also want you to fight me, my negotiator."

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