Macster - The Last Dragon

"And I'm so looking forward to that," Virginia said at last with a smile. She extended one gloved hand to him. "Shall we descend, Lord Wolf?"

Wolf took her hand and then linked arms with her, guiding her toward the first steps. "It would be my pleasure, Lady Virginia."

Upon reaching the ground floor, the two of them followed the sound of the music along a wide hall lined on both sides with floor-to-ceiling windows, its roof supported by elegant flying buttresses. At the end they emerged into a vestibule, passed through another arch, and found themselves in the ballroom. Virginia's breath fled. It was fully large enough to hold two football fields, the entire expanse of the floor covered with parquet inlaid with gold, while fluted pillars lined the walls and the ceiling was painted with a mural that put her in mind of the Sistine Chapel. Waiters, decorators, and other servants dashed here and there about the room, adding the finishing touches to the bunting, streamers, and exotic vining plants that lent even more color and beauty to the room. At the far end, rank upon rank of tables hung draped with lace tablecloths, but Virginia couldn't see many details except one, a magnificent ice sculpture on the central table carved into the shape of Briar Rose and Colin's heads and shoulders.

"Wow," she breathed at last. "The Nine Kingdoms sure know how to throw a party. Did these guys go to the same decorating school as Lord Rupert?"

Wolf threw her a quizzical look. "I wouldn't know, my creamy darling."

"It was a joke, Wolf." She chuckled, then looked around the ballroom again. Down by the tables she saw a dais with two thrones, presumably for the king and queen, with another pair set at a lower level for the happy couple. She frowned for a moment, recalling now King Arundel's blithe pronouncement from the previous evening how Colin and Briar Rose were to be betrothed. They certainly didn't waste any time getting acquainted here, she thought sourly. Of course, after just escaping from the terrible curse, they would naturally be anxious to ensure the future, and in any case she knew arranged marriages were the norm here, as they had been in Europe for centuries. But that didn't make her any more approving of the practice. She had seen how the Piper and the princess looked at each other, but still, what if they weren't meant to be together? What if they wouldn't be happy?

As if her thoughts had summoned them, Colin and Briar Rose suddenly appeared from a pair of heavy walnut doors behind the dais, and Colin waved to them encouragingly. "Lady Virginia! How marvelously beautiful you look! Come here, the princess has been most eager to meet you both."

Virginia raised an eyebrow even as she and Wolf strolled over toward the waiting couple. Briar Rose seemed to have a short memory, she'd already met them up in the garret. This seemed but one more sign that the princess was not the sharpest tack in the box. Girding herself for several rounds of endless small talk until the banquet began, she forced a smile.

"Good evening, Lady Virginia," the princess greeted her warmly, inclining her head just the amount required for propriety and no further.

Virginia wasn't sure if Colin had told her she was to marry Wolf, who was a prince, or anything about her status as a heroine of the lands, but in any case this airhead's respect didn't matter to her at the moment. "Good evening. Nice to see you, ah, so well-rested."

She meant it as a little dig at Briar Rose's eighty years of cursed sleep, but the princess took it as a joke and laughed merrily. "I should think so! After pricking my finger on the spindle, I fain would never lay my eyes on a bed again!"

Another reminder of Beauty's lack of intellect, considering how many times she must have been warned to avoid spinning wheels. Virginia nodded absently and took to studying the Piper. She had almost not recognized him when he entered the room, she was so used to seeing him in his particolored traveling costume. Now he wore a royal uniform jacket and trousers adorned with countless medals and emblems, rather like the one she had seen the Dog Prince and later Wendell wearing at the coronation, only this one was a brilliant azure, exactly the shade of Colin's eyes. She thought he looked incredibly dashing in it, every inch a prince. Briar Rose wore a dress similar in style and cut to the one she had worn in the tower, only this one was mauve, and her ebony hair now lay in an elaborate series of braids and curls down over one shoulder.

Virginia realized the princess was saying something and focused on her words. "Prince Colin has been regaling me with tales of your adventure together. Is it true you faced down an ogre and won?" Her eyes were wide and a trifle frightened.

"Yes," she replied succinctly.

Briar Rose shook her head in amazement, and a gleam of respect came into her eyes. "I salute you, then. My fiance also tells me that you and Lord Wolf are two of the...Four Who Saved the Nine Kingdoms?" She pronounced the title with some hesitation, as if still getting used to it. The look she gave Wolf was admiring, without a trace of the hatred normally found in Nine Kingdoms citizens toward wolves. For that reason alone Virginia found herself more inclined to be forgiving of the princess's mental capacity.

"Yes, that's what everyone calls us." She didn't mention that the title was derived from something Tony had mentioned to her in passing, that one of his cell mates at the prison, a goblin named Clay Face, had carved a statue of them with that title as the legend, well before the adventure had gotten under way. She didn't mention it mostly because she wasn't sure herself how that had happened. Wendell had observed later that goblins could read the future almost as well as Gypsies and had left it at that. "Has he told you about all of our adventures, then?"

The princess shook her head. "Only in the barest of sketches. But I would be most pleased if you could do the honor for him."

Virginia sighed; she seemed to be forever repeating the past when around the various courtiers and royals she encountered in the Kingdoms. "Well, you see, it all started when Relish the Troll King used his shoes of invisibility to break into the Snow White Memorial Prison..."

By the time she had finished telling the whole story, with help from Wolf, all of the other guests had gathered and were genteelly chatting away as they sat or stood around the banquet tables. But none of them, not even Briar Rose, noticed anyone else around them. The princess seemed enthralled by the tale, rarely interrupting it to ask any questions, but the few times she did, they were very perceptive and astute questions that made Virginia take back her superior judgment of the girl's intelligence. For example, Beauty glossed over the parts of the adventure most of her listeners wanted to hear--the various chases, escapes, and battles--and instead focused on emotions and feelings. She asked how Virginia felt when she first saw Wolf at the Grill on the Green, when she was in her mother's cell, when she stroked Wolf's tail in the beanstalk forest, when he climbed her hair to save her. (She was amused at the comparison to her mother.) She asked why Virginia believed in Wolf when he was arrested for Sally Peep's murder, why she succumbed to the magic of the swamp. And when they reached the climax of the tale, instead of caring about the "poisoned" guests and the death of the Huntsman, she took Virginia's hand and with strong empathy asked to hear the Evil Queen's final words.

As tears stood in Virginia's eyes and her voice faded out, Briar Rose looked at her with understanding, regret, and tenderness. "You truly are a heroine, Lady Virginia," she said at last. "Not only for what you have done for our Kingdoms, but also for what you had to sacrifice to achieve it. It does not surprise me in the least that it is by your hand that the prince who could kiss me awake found his way to me."

Virginia did not know what to say to that, so all she could do was smile and squeeze the princess's hand back. Silently asking for forgiveness for misjudging Briar Rose, she looked at Colin. "Thank you...I'm just glad we could help. It's always a good deed to help further Happy Ever After." Nevermind that both she and Wolf had their doubts about the Piper or that their motive in coming to the castle had not been pure. Now she knew they had done the right thing.

Before any of them could say more, a loud trumpet blast echoed in the ballroom, and all eyes turned toward the walnut doors at the back of the room. Beside them stood a page bearing a scroll--perhaps even the same one they had seen asleep in the throne room. "All rise and pay homage to the noble sovereigns of the Kingdom, brave King Arundel and wise Queen Rapunzel!"

Everyone who was seated rose to their feet, and all the guests applauded wholeheartedly as the doors opened, allowing the monarchs to stride into the room along a crimson carpet leading to the thrones. Virginia joined Briar Rose in curtsying while Wolf and Colin bowed, the same motions echoed throughout the chamber as the rulers passed.

When the king and queen stood on the dais, Arundel raised a hand for silence. "This will take but a moment, my faithful subjects," he assured them. After all were quiet, he began. "We are here on this most august occasion to celebrate the removal of an insidious curse from our fair land, the rescue of our princess from an endless sleep, her betrothal to the prince who saved her, and the presence of two heroes of the Kingdoms. Let it be known as of this moment that Prince Colin, the Pied Piper, and the Princess Briar Rose are officially affianced, and furthermore that this day shall be remembered as a national holiday!"

Applause followed this announcement.

"Now that that has been settled," the king went on, smiling, "let us begin dining on this feast!"

Virginia had hoped to find some out-of-the-way seats where she and Wolf could stay out of the limelight, but to her embarrassment all four royals insisted they sit at the head of the central table, beside them. Trying to avoid all the awed looks turned in their direction, she busied herself with unfolding her linen napkin, even as she noticed how extremely expensive all the tableware was--crystal goblets, silver utensils, golden serving bowls and plates of the finest porcelain. She was almost afraid to handle anything.

But soon the doors to the kitchens opened, allowing the mouth-watering scents of the meal to waft in, and then the cooks and waiters entered and began setting out the dishes, and she forgot all about the place settings. She had never seen so much food in her life, not even at Wendell's banquet after the award ceremony. She counted at least five different meats--lamb, turkey, sirloin steak, ham, and pheasant--every style of potato she knew of; several varieties of fish; bowls of fruits and vegetables, both familiar and strange; baskets of steaming buttered rolls; stews and soups and gravies of every thickness and ingredient; more salads, candied yams, fresh juicy corn; and so many cakes, puddings, pies, and pastries that Virginia's stomach growled at the sight.

Between the long trek from the Fourth Kingdom and the incredible appetite the pregnancy had bestowed on her, Virginia ate far more at that one banquet than she had ever eaten in her life. There was barely time for her to speak between mouthfuls, but she did manage to thank both the cooks and her hosts. The only time she paused to take stock was when, in the midst of eating a salad, she was confronted by a collection of thick white roots and fresh green leaves, a vegetable she had never eaten before but that was so delicious she simply had to have more. As she took another plate, she recalled this was the same plant she had seen growing in abundance out the window of the tower.

"Wolf, what is this?" she mumbled.

He looked up only momentarily from the rack of lamb he was devouring with groans and moans of pleasure. "Rampion, I believe."

Something about that name rang a bell, and as she glanced down the table at Queen Rapunzel, it suddenly came to her. In the old Grimm fairy tale, rampion had been the vegetable Rapunzel's mother had longed for so badly that her husband had had to steal some from the garden of a witch--who caught him and demanded Rapunzel in exchange. Apparently the queen and all in her kingdom had an affinity for rampion as a result.

Eventually, after two hours, the banquet concluded, washed down with a wine so rich Virginia had to take sips no matter how much she longed to gulp it down. She marveled at how such a spread could have been produced by the barren wastes she had traveled over the last two days, how the magic had completely restored it.

As the guests began pushing back their chairs and conversing once again, music trilled and rippled through the air from the other end of the hall where the orchestra played, announcing the onset of the dance. A pageantry of color and motion soon developed as lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses, dignitaries and ambassadors of every stripe and mien took to the floor and entered the intricate patterns of a dance Virginia didn't know.

For a while she and Wolf had to wait until the music changed to a dance Virginia knew, but she didn't mind, as she was still recovering from the enormous meal. When a waltz's stately music filled the air, she took Wolf's hand and led him out onto the floor to join the others, and to her pleasure and surprise he was a graceful, talented, and wonderful dancer. She'd always suspected he might be, considering how lithe and svelte his frame was, but she'd rather thought he wouldn't have had much chance to learn the steps when in prison or wandering the wilds. Perhaps his aunt or his mother taught him when he was younger.

On and on they danced, taking rests every hour or so but always returning later, for Virginia could not get enough of being in the protective circle of Wolf's arms, leaning against his warm, strong chest, resting her head on his shoulder, or listening to him whisper sweet nothings in her ear. The only time their romantic embrace was interrupted was when the two of them danced past Colin and Briar Rose, and she inclined her head to listen to their conversation.

"Colin...I cannot stress how deeply I treasure your company, how grateful I am to you for your arrival here, how much I am growing to love you and your gentle, tender ways." The princess paused, whirling about on the dance floor, then came back into the Piper's arms. "But there is one thing I would ask that you do for me, if not before we marry, then after."

"And what is that, my love?" Colin asked, devotion and desire mingling in his gaze. "You know I would do anything for you."

"Please...if you do not wish to aggravate and annoy me for the rest of our days together, do something about your arrogance, would you? I simply cannot abide it. You are handsome, intelligent, and good-hearted, but you are not God's gift to women and the world." Briar Rose's lips twitched into a smirk, showing she was teasing Colin...mostly.

The Piper blinked, clearly stunned at how Beauty had been able to see so clearly through his actions and words when only knowing him for a little over a day. Then he caught Virginia looking, blushed, and chuckled before guiding Briar Rose back into the steps of the dance, away across the floor. She didn't hear his answer, but she had a pretty good idea what it was going to be.

"Well," Virginia said to Wolf, smirking herself. "I'd say she's the one for him after all."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Wolf chuckled and nuzzled her cheek before once more launching them into a sweeping arc across the floor.

She thought about that as they continued dancing, and then something that had eluded her before burst into her mind, something so obvious she couldn't believe she'd missed it. Eight days ago--had it really been so short a time?--the Piper had summoned her to his cave in the mountains of the Second Kingdom, and they had all assumed the pipe's spell had malfunctioned, or brought Virginia only because, as Wolf had joked, she would make a good mate for anyone. But what if the pipe had known that by coming with Virginia, Colin would find his true love in the course of the journey?

"Destiny makes fools of us all," she murmured.

"What was that, my love?" Wolf kissed her earlobe.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Late in the evening Wolf and Virginia finally retired from the dance floor and took seats along the side of the hall, sipping champagne and watching the other guests. It had been a wonderful night, better than Virginia could have dreamed, and she was growing sleepy, on the verge of calling it a night and asking Wolf to carry her upstairs to her room when a servant beckoned to her. Curious, she told Wolf she would return shortly and went to see what the servant wanted.

"Her Majesty wishes to speak with you," the man said deferentially when they were relatively alone.

She blinked. "Her Majesty? As in the queen? Queen Rapunzel?"

"That is she. She says there is something of grave importance she must tell you tonight, before you leave in the morn for...the dragon's cave." The servant made a face that was part disgust, part fear.

Flustered, confused, and intrigued all at once, Virginia asked no more questions as the servant led her to the dais where Rapunzel sat alone, watching the festivities. Her husband was out on the dance floor, performing the obligatory duty of escorting various ladies and courtiers, but the queen seemed content to remain where she was. Perhaps, Virginia thought with her usual practicality, she simply could not dance with such extraordinary hair weighing her down. And if it happened to fall to the floor and be trodden upon...

Wincing as she remembered what her scalp had felt like after the Huntsman stepped on her hair, she approached the queen and tried not to feel nervous. She failed. "Your Majesty wished to see me?"

Rapunzel nodded slowly, respectfully, and gestured to the chair where Briar Rose had sat earlier. "Yes, I did, Lady Virginia. Please sit down. And try to set yourself at ease, my dear. I may have a title, but I am no more nor less than you are...a woman who finds herself in amazing circumstances and must take advantage of them in order to achieve her destiny." She smiled kindly.

Carefully Virginia sat and looked up at her, blushing. "Am I that obvious?"

The queen laughed softly and nodded, but soon returned to her serious expression. "Virginia, my daughter has told me of you and your past adventures, and your consort as well as Prince Colin have explained your current quest and what it is you seek. That is why I have asked to speak with you, because it is only through me that you will find your way."

Sitting up straight, Virginia could not hold back her excitement. "Do you mean you know where the dragon is?"

"Yes, I do." Rapunzel held up a cautionary hand. "But before I tell you how to find him, there is something you must hear."

Virginia sat back and let her shoulders slump. "More riddles?" she grumbled in spite of herself.

"No. Only advice." Rapunzel gazed out across the interweaving couples on the dance floor, but her eyes were not focused on them, seeing something else beyond them. "How well do you know the story of my life, Lady Virginia?"

She blinked at the seeming change of subject. "Fairly well," she replied guardedly. "It's been a long time since I heard it, but I think I remember the gist."

The queen returned her gaze to Virginia. "There is one part in particular I wish to draw your attention to, so I shall refresh your memory. Do you remember what happened to my husband, the prince, after the witch caught him in the tower, using my shorn locks of hair to lure him inside?"

Virginia concentrated. "Um...he jumped out the window, didn't he?"

Rapunzel nodded. "He did. And he landed amongst brambles, their thorns scratching his eyes and blinding him."

Virginia had forgotten that part, and said so. Rapunzel looked at her without surprise. "Most people do...few wish to recall the trials and tribulations of the Five Women Who Changed History, only their happiness and love. But what few also understand is that it is those very trials and tribulations that make the happiness and love possible. If we did not learn the difference, how could we appreciate our Happy Ever After? And if we did not obtain wisdom through suffering, how could we teach future generations the right way to live?" She shook her head.

"Each of us had to learn a different lesson, you know," Rapunzel confided. "Red Riding Hood had to learn when to trust and when not to; Gretel had to learn to be brave; Cinderella had to learn humility and that whatever her outward appearance, she was beautiful inside; Snow White had to relinquish her pride and abandon obedience to the will of others." The queen paused, and her voice became soft and solemn. "And I...I had to learn to see truth."

Leaning forward to hear her speak, Virginia found her words as compelling as Snow White's had been. "What do you mean? What truth?"

Rapunzel sighed. "The greatest truth of all...the truth of independence. For you see, all of my life I lived alone in a solitary tower, with no one to care for me except for the witch. I knew nothing of my real family or how I came to be where I was. I believed the witch to be my mother, an ugly woman with darkness in her soul but one who truly loved me. I had no idea she was anything other than what she said she was. That was the first lie I had to see through, and Prince Arundel opened my eyes to it when he first climbed my hair to my chamber." Her eyes drifted to where the king stood conversing with Wolf, and tears formed visibly.

"But that was only the beginning. I also had to learn to resist the lie of weakness. Even once my prince had found me, and we had fallen in love and determined he would free me, I still remained in thrall to the witch. I feared her; I felt helpless without her; I believed I could not survive outside my tower. That is why I was so susceptible to her magic, and why I inadvertantly gave away the prince's visits, because I so feared the outside world that I felt I had no choice but to seek her protection from it...from Arundel. And that is why, as punishment for my foolishness, he lost his vision."

Virginia frowned thoughtfully. "Obviously there's a lesson there, but what does it have to do with me?"

Rapunzel focused on her, her voice sweet and ethereal, the voice whose songs had once captured the heart of a prince riding through a forest. "The lesson is this, Virginia: Arundel went blind because I was blind, and until I could truly see, until I understood my own strength, until I claimed my independence in the forest where the witch had hidden me, he could not find me and have his eyes healed by the tears of my true love. This blindness is not unique to me. No matter what the age, it never leaves us. The Ice Queen suffers from it, believing she must keep all from changing, keep the world the same, or she will fade into uselessness and be forgotten. Red Riding Hood III suffers from it, believing she cannot be wrong lest she be made to perish for her sins. And the dragon suffers from it, believing if he remains hidden in the Sixth Kingdom forever he need never face the prejudice and hatred that has plagued his species for centuries." The queen let the significance of her words sink in before she continued. "And so you must combat this blindness, this insecurity, if you are to convince him to aid your cause."

Trembling internally, Virginia searched for a reply, her hands clasped tightly before her. "But...but...how do I do that?" She believed in herself now, she had ever since speaking with her mother, but that didn't mean she knew what to do, how to go about such a great task.

"It is both easy and difficult at the same time, my dear." Rapunzel smiled sadly. "You must bring about change. Change is what will defeat the inertia of the Ice Queen, change is what will heal the Second Kingdom and Carmine's heart, and change is what will show the dragon a different path. You must talk with him, persuade him, show him that prejudice and hatred are not the driving force of life. Help him to see that if he loves, if he opens his heart and allows himself to care, he won't be hurt. You of all people can teach him this lesson, from what my daughter has told me. You were meant to do this."

"But why me?" Virginia asked plaintively. "I still don't understand...you, Snow White, my mother, you've all said I have to be the one, but why? What makes me so special?"

Rapunzel eyed her assessingly, then said, "Because you understand this blindness. You have been blind to your own worth for so long...and just as important, you have been blind to your heritage."

"My heritage?" Her distress faded into puzzlement. "You mean that the Evil Queen was--?"

"No, no, not that," the queen interrupted. "Your father."

Virginia paused, giving Rapunzel a long, slow, skeptical look. "Dad?"

"Do not underestimate what a parent can give to you, Virginia...even without knowing they are doing it." The queen reached out to take her hand. "You are a Lewis, are you not?"

Slowly she nodded.

Rapunzel sat back triumphantly. "I thought so! Then all is explained." At Virginia's confused look, she continued. "I am not without my resources, Virginia. One of the few objects of magic I was able to obtain from the witch when Arundel and I escaped the forest was an oracle, a sort of crystal ball that can see other places, far from here. And that includes your world, my dear. I have seen the Tenth Kingdom, long ago, before the curse was cast on my realm. And I know the lineage of your family."

Virginia felt her knees go weak. Somehow she had a feeling Rapunzel was not about to reveal she came from a long line of waitresses and inventors.

"In telling me the story of your first adventure in the Kingdoms, my daughter mentioned that you came here by way of a Traveling mirror that had been buried in the cellar of the Snow White Memorial Prison. Were you aware that the prison was once a castle, Castle Dur, owned by the House of Charming?"

"Charming...as in Prince Charming? Snow White's husband?"

Rapunzel nodded. "It belonged to a nobleman who had one daughter. I will not delve into her tale because it would take too long. Suffice it to say she loved one man but was compelled to marry another, and wished to flee her life, to escape her fate. The manner in which she escaped was by way of the Traveling mirror, which had been a gift for her wedding. She came to your world, just over one hundred years ago. No one knows what happened to her...except for me. At the time of her disappearance, I was curious as to her whereabouts, so I used the oracle and it showed me what occurred. She met a man there and married him. His name was Geoffrey Lewis."

"What? Geoffrey...Great-Grandpa Lewis?!?" It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. "No, no...it can't be...what was her name? Tell me!" Maybe there was more than one Lewis with that name...

"Lady Celeste."

Once again Virginia felt her world spiral apart, dissolving and reforming in a new pattern. Celeste...that had been her great-grandmother's name. And now she recalled the stories Tony used to tell her when she was a girl...of how his grandfather had found his grandmother wandering in Central Park with no money or food and only the clothes on her back. She and her father used to laugh about it, they never believed it. Great-Grandpa Lewis was prone to telling tall tales, and before he died he was quite senile. It made for a good joke and nothing more...but now...

Central Park. Central Park! Where the mirror opens...

Rapunzel waited for her to come to terms with it, with all the ramifications, and then she said, "You see now why you are so important...why it is you are destined to be our heroine. It is not simply that you are the daughter of Queen Lydia's successor. It is that you are descended from the House of Charming...you are meant to bring Happy Ever After back to the Nine Kingdoms. You began in the Fourth Kingdom. You have continued your work here in the Sixth. Now the Second and the Eighth lie ahead of you. You must not fail us. It is your duty."

Virginia felt like melting through the chair into the floor. Never before had she felt such a burden placed on her. It had been bad enough when Snow White told her in the ice cavern above the falls that Wendell was counting on her to save his kingdom. It was bad enough when Snow White told her again, in her dream, that she was the one who had to appeal to the dragon to stop the Ice Queen. But now...now she knew that she did have a destiny stretching way back in time, that endless generations counted on her, that the nobility she had only recently discovered flowed in Wolf's veins flowed in hers as well, and that because of it she was expected to set right all that had gone wrong. Here, at last, was the true reason why she and Tony had stumbled through the portal into the middle of a fairy tale. And now that she understood it, she wished she didn't.

The queen gazed at her with intense sympathy, and despite the fact that she was the one who had unveiled this shocking truth, Virginia felt comforted and soothed by that gaze. Finally, she began to accept what she had heard. And as she did, Rapunzel smiled. "Now you can see truth, my dear. And you can impart it to others. You are ready for what awaits you. Shall I tell you now where you must go to complete your destiny?"

Mutely Virginia nodded. How could she do anything else?

Gently then, with precise words, as the dancers and music and colors continued to whirl around them in the beautiful ballroom, Queen Rapunzel told her how to find the dragon.

With a weary sigh, Virginia leaned back into the soft velvety seat of the carriage and tried not to think about what lay ahead of her. Outside the window, the morning sunlight bathed the land in warmth, illuminating fields of wheat and corn, distant mountain peaks, gentle rolling hills, plains of endless grass, and a castle several miles away, perched on a cliff overlooking a bustling village. Slowly she shook her head as she gazed at the view, at what had been dead and buried and enchanted for eighty years--at what would still be a ruin if Colin had not kissed Briar Rose awake.

Glancing out the other window, she saw a gently sloping rise descending to a shining white beach lining the shore, where churning combers rolled and swelled on the ocean before crashing relentlessly on the land. The driver was following the coast, as ordered, bearing her ever southward in the search for the dragon.

She sighed. It was now the second day of her travels. She had slept the previous night at a roadside hostel, given the best room in the house by the fussy, matronly hostess, who seemed quite excited by the prospect of having such a fine lady and heroine stay in her establishment. Virginia had been polite and grateful, of course, but her mind had been only on sleep, on a soft bed instead of the rather hard seats of the carriage, on a room where all would be quiet and peaceful without the endless creaking of the traces, the clopping of hooves, and the nickering of the horses. She was also glad to escape the thick, choking dust, both that billowing up from the roadway and that which coated the inside of the carriage. The stablehands had swept it clean as well as they could, but eighty years' worth of dust was rather hard to eliminate.

On the other hand, she had not enjoyed the emptiness and loneliness of her room, of sleeping in a bed without Wolf at her side. It was true that back at the castle he had not slept in her chamber either, but at least there she had known he was nearby, that if she needed him he would come running in an instant. Here she was far away from him. But, she chided herself, it was by her own choice, and she knew it was the best course of action however her heart felt.

Wolf had protested vehemently, of course, arguing and insisting and finally begging to be brought along, but Virginia had put her foot down. She was not going to risk his life, not so soon after the ogre incident. Her declaration of independence in the fox burrow was fresh in her mind, and so was the constant assurances from Snow White, her mother, and now Rapunzel that she was the one who could make the dragon see reason. Nowhere in there was Wolf mentioned. His presence might hamper the mission; it might even make it impossible. At the very least, the dragon might see him as a threat, and she was afraid he would be like the one that killed the Seven Dwarves, the one who had "flamed first and asked questions later".

What had finally convinced him to stay behind was when she informed him of the shocking secret, that she was a descendant of the House of Charming, and so it was her destiny to seek the dragon out alone in order to set right the wrongs of the past. Wolf had been flabbergasted, but had accepted it readily. She envied him that childlike understanding of the world. She also envied him his unwavering obedience to destiny. Upon realizing that she now possessed the rank and power of a royal, he had deferred to her instantly. It didn't seem to matter that he too was a prince; the instinct to relinquish dominance to her was ingrained, and as a result, he would follow any order she gave. Virginia found this very disconcerting, even if it did help her win the argument, because she was unaccustomed to seeing Wolf so docile and willing to please, especially when it came to protecting her. Perhaps, too, he was also remembering how she had reacted to being smothered, but even so...it was strange.

Virginia ran her hand over the carriage seat and fixed her gaze on the mass of white, puffball clouds piled high in the sky over the western sea. That wasn't the half of the strangeness. She was reminded of her almost despairing complaint to her father, that she had always wanted her life to be a fairy tale and it had become one. If only she'd known. Now she was a princess, a relative of the fabled Prince Charming she had always thought was just a myth, or an idealized romantic construct--she was even a long-lost cousin of Wendell's! And worse, she was now expected to fulfill a monumental quest, to take up the mantle of her ancestress and make her proud by saving the Kingdoms.

She didn't know why this bothered her so, why it was so hard to accept. It was not like she was new to the idea of unfair expectations. All of her life, ever since she was old enough to understand, she'd been expected to do difficult things--to earn the highest grades, to graduate at the top of her class, to become a college-educated scholar, to get a job, to earn her keep, to become someone successful and worthwhile in the world, to take care of her father, to live up to her grandmother's dreams. But no, she realized she did indeed know why this new burden bothered her. It was because it was so different from all the others she had previously shouldered. When she went to school, when she worked, when she took care of the household, the only ones affected by her choices, by her successes and failures, had been herself, Tony, and sometimes her grandmother. No one else could be hurt. But here...here the consequences of her actions would be immense. Here, if she failed, countless people she had never met would suffer, would lose the chance to be happy, would die. And all those who had come before her would see their sacrifices come to nothing. It was a daunting prospect.

Yet...at the same time, there was one thing that all of her burdens had in common, something that ultimately made it possible for her to accept her situation. It was that, in the end, she had no choice, it was not a request but a duty. Not because someone simply told her this was the way it had to be--if that was the case, she would simply walk away, destiny be damned. No, it was because her heart insisted this duty be carried out. Once, not too long ago, she had been uncaring, selfish, wrapped up in her own world--cold, as Snow White had put it. But ever since Wolf opened up her heart, ever since she allowed herself to care and love someone other than herself, her world had expanded. Now she cared what happened to other people. She didn't want them to suffer. The ethic Tony had always espoused (even if he had never seemed to follow it), of a caring society where people did things for each other, was now her dream. No longer was it enough for her to just look out for number one. Others were affected by her actions or lack thereof. To abandon her heritage, her destiny, simply because she was scared, or didn't feel like it, or didn't care what happened to the Kingdoms...that was wrong. Now she understood. She had always thought royals and other titled nobility were useless, elitist and arrogant, with only the right of birth to determine what respect they received. But now she knew that was wrong--along with the respect and riches and prestige came responsibility, duty. Kings and queens (and princesses) might seem to be only absolutist tyrants, but those with good hearts and consciences knew that their position was only worth as much as their motivations. That the reason they were to be revered and respected was not because of their wealth and power, but because of what they could--and should--do with it.

It was the only way she could ever accept being a member of the upper crust, and it was certainly true now. She was a princess, and as such it was expected that she do all in her power to protect those she ruled. True royals knew that they served the people, not the other way around. Wendell had not known that, he'd had to learn it by being transformed into a dog. But she knew it, she felt the obligation. That was why she had to succeed, why she had to fulfill her destiny--not because someone told her to, but because it was her responsibility. Because she had the opportunity and courage and power to do it. And because, frankly, she wouldn't trust anyone else to do it for her.

Virginia smiled wryly. Who would have thought she would end up like this...thinking and feeling and believing things that ran the gamut from impossible, to fantastical, to diametrically oppositional. But despite all the change and confusion and stress, she wouldn't have it any other way. Because now, with the blessing of hindsight, she saw what kind of person she had been before coming to the Nine Kingdoms...and she hated that person. She wanted nothing to do with her. She was an unhappy person, but only because she had not deserved happiness and in fact drove it from her. But now all that had changed forever.

Finally feeling at peace with herself and her future, she settled back into the cushions again and tried to enjoy the ride.

Around noon, the carriage arrived at the last hostel, on the far southwestern coast of the Sixth Kingdom, and the driver brought them to a halt in the flagstoned courtyard. Climbing down from the seat, he opened the door and held out a hand for Virginia to disembark. "Here we are, milady. This is the furthest we can go by coach. From here on, the road is far too rough." He pointed past the hostel, where the road angled eastward to follow the coastline, his finger indicating another fork, faint and rugged, that descended to the west. "That is the path that will take you to the dragon's lair."

"I know," Virginia said with a touch of impatience; she remembered quite clearly Rapunzel's directions.

The coachman paused, then looked up at her with a mixture of solemnity and trepidation, his young earnest face uncertain. "Are...are you sure you're going down there, milady? And all alone? I...if you want someone to go with you..." He swallowed hard, but looked at her bravely.

Virginia smiled, touched by his concern. "I really do have to go down there. And no, I have to go alone." She paused, glancing at the carriage. "If I succeed, I may not be returning to the castle the same way. And if I fail...I won't be returning at all."

He nodded, gulping visibly. "Understood. You won't be needing the carriage, then. But forgive me if I stay here at the hostel...just in case. And so I can find out how it all turns out."

She chuckled, resting a hand on his shoulder. "That'll be fine. But don't wait too long, I'm sure you're needed back at the castle."

He waved the matter aside, blushing.

As he went off to stable the horses and fetch a meal, Virginia took stock, breathed deeply, and set off along the narrow roadway.

After only ten minutes or so, the hostel disappeared from view, and she found herself incredibly alone. Nervous, she increased her pace, following the winds and bends of the path, descending in angles across the landscape. Soon the coast became even more rugged and barren, rocks and stunted trees rising above the path to hem her in. Passing under an arch of stone, she emerged onto a very narrow ledge, the southern side of the path falling away into a sheer cliff, making her feel even more vulnerable and exposed. Far below, she could see the waves crashing and foaming on jagged rocks. The only vegetation now was withered and dying, clinging to life, and much of it seemed to be coated with ash and scorch marks. The sign of the dragon.

Gradually the crashing of the waves became more insistent, louder, shaking the base of the cliff until the entire rock face trembled and rumbled ominously. Now and then Virginia had to stop and hold out both arms to stay upright. She was extremely glad she no longer wore the fancy gown from the ball but instead a simple, loose summer dress of the palest pink with matching slippers. The etiquette master in Rapunzel's court had been appalled at her choice, claiming she must wear something more befitting her rank, but she had not relished the idea of attracting undue attention from the villagers with her regal attire, nor had she wanted to ruin the beautiful dress with sweat and dirt. And now she had a third reason to bolster her choice, the need for quick movement and light weight.

Finally, about halfway down the cliff, she rounded a bend and was confronted by an enormous cavern, looking like nothing less than a gigantic round throat tunneling back into the rock. The broad, rounded shelf fronting it was littered with bones and skulls, mostly of animals, but she did see a few humans among them. The cave itself gave off a great heat and a smell like burning brimstone, as if it were an entrance to Dante's Hell, and it took all her willpower not to abandon hope. The closer she stepped, the hotter it became, until she felt faint and had to stop, leaning against a dead cottonwood tree and fanning herself. When she felt ready to go on, she brushed back her limp hair and precariously picked her way forward, cautiously skirting loose rock and openings in the ground that might be steam vents. After agonizing minutes of progress, she took a deep breath and stepped inside the cave.

For the first hundred yards or so the light of day still penetrated the gloom, and she was able to see without much trouble. But eventually the light faded, and she was left in twilight, then darkness. She waited for her eyes to adjust, but there was not much improvement on her vision. With hands outstretched, she carefully followed the unseen floor, hoping there were no dropoffs or ledges or holes that could end her quest very quickly. Her steps were tentative, her breathing slow and shallow, her eyes wide. Time seemed to inch forward, and the more minutes passed, the more frightened and distressed she became. Somewhere in this cave was a dragon, a firebreathing monster that could flame and devour her in seconds. And she was walking right into his lair. For a moment she regretted her choice in not bringing Wolf along for protection, she longed to have his strong hand to hold onto. Even the coachman would be better than nothing.

The cave seemed to go on and on, with no end in sight, as if it burrowed into the core of the earth. But it was not empty. Somewhere ahead in the blackness she could hear sounds, faint but unmistakeable--a soft hissing, too regular and rhythmic to be a vent; the occasional crunch of rock underneath something ponderously heavy; the rough scraping of scales against each other; even a low growl barely audible above the crashing of the waves outside. And the heat was growing stronger, worse than the day a few years ago on vacation in Arizona when she and her father had been stranded in the desert for two hours, waiting for a tow truck to come and fetch their stalled car. It was worse than a tropical rain forest, for there was also intense humidity in the air, water vapor most likely condensed from the dragon's breath, a natural heat exchanger like a dog's panting. It approached the heat of what she imagined a lava tube would feel like.

Something moved again in the darkness, and she froze, paralyzed by fear. Another growl came, much louder and clearer, and she knew the dragon could not be far ahead. If she did not announce herself now, she would be flamed for certain. Weakly she cleared her throat, summoning up all the steel she could inside. But when she spoke, it was a plaintive wail, like a whimpering child. "Hello? Is anyone there? I...I don't mean you any harm...and I don't wish to disturb you, sir...but...I need your help. Desperately."

There was a very long silence. The breathing continued, stentorian and even, not showing any rising rapidity to indicate an imminent ball of fire, or even an arousal of interest. Then, finally, when she had just decided to speak again, a voice came to her, as from the depths of an oubliette--echoing, sullen, and disdainful, so profoundly low in the bass registers that she almost had trouble hearing some of the words.

"Who art thou?" it rumbled. "And why is it I should deign to hearken unto thy pitiful words, rather than dispense with thee forthwith, crunching thy bones and rending thine incinerated flesh as I have elected to do with all other trespassers on my demesnes?"

Again came the sound of scraping scales and slithering flesh, and then Virginia had to bite back a shriek of horror. Only a few feet away, a part of the darkness seemed to detach itself from the rest and undulate forward, approaching with the casual nonchalance of a predator that knows its prey cannot escape. It had been right in front of her the whole time! Even as she struggled with this mind-numbing thought, the dragon slid closer, closer, rearing up above her, an impenetrable wall of muscle and scaled flesh. Two colossal feet splayed before and below the great bands of interlacing sinew that formed his chest, their claws wicked-looking sickles that were each longer than she was tall...tapping impatiently on the stone floor. Above that, the dragon's shoulders and upper forelegs bulged with tremendous muscles, bunching and swelling beneath the armored hide, which was a deep and lustrous ebony. Behind and above him, his enormous wings curled and uncurled, unable to fully spread in the confines of the cave, but she could see they were as immense as sails, waving like a river of ink between the thick and rippling struts, each of which was tipped with a long yet massive razor-sharp claw, also of ebony.

Then, from somewhere higher still, the dragon's breath hissed again, and fire began to lick and flicker about, not a gout of flame but only a few tendrils, just enough to cast light on the scene and make it even more terrifyingly clear. And slowly, very slowly, Virginia lifted her head, tilted it back, gazing along the long, rigid, mighty neck that arched above her...looked up...and up...and up...