There once was a kingdom that was rich in both resources and conflict. Many neighboring nations sought the abundance of treasure located within, and it wasn’t long before the raids were beginning to take their toll. Lacking a strong army, the king opted to make a deal with the dragon Nicolaos. A powerful creature who was well versed in ancient magic.

He would use his magic to defend the kingdom as long as every future king granted a favor of his choosing. The king agreed, and soon a thick miasma surrounded the border of the kingdom. It created a swamp of deadly brambles and pitfalls that no creature could hope to tread through and survive.

Decades passed before a new king took the throne. Nicolaos asked for a castle of his own to live in. Nothing fancy, no need for many servants, simply a quiet and elegant place to call his home. The next king granted extended Nicolaos’ property to include the nearby forest. With no humans allowed within, it soon became a haven for many a strange creature.

More years passed, and then the day came where the health of the king was starting to fail, leaving Princess Linnea to be the next to seek out Nicolaos and grant his request. She was a frail-looking creature with auburn hair and eyes that held an orange hue, not having seen much of the world, but she, like those who had come before her, set out alone to the dragon’s castle.

The castle was indeed small. It was built partially onto a hill and was comprised of a single, spiraling tower. Time had not been easy to it, as vines of wisteria curled about the stone and had cracked it in several places. Undeterred from how abandoned it appeared, the princess dismounted and knocked feebly at the door.

It creaked as it opened from the slight pressure she applied. She didn’t know why she would think it would be locked. Twas silly to think that a dragon would be concerned with home security. Her head shook away her foolish thoughts and called out loudly from the entrance.

“Hello..?” Her voice echoed about. It would appear as though the castle was built as an entrance to a large cave, which would explain how a dragon was able to live in such a tower.

“Enter.” A crackling voice called back. It spoke in a language she understood but carried with it an inhuman nature that made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

Linnea was careful as she went. The hem of her skirt was lifted up so that it wouldn’t be soiled as she ventured further within. Darkness soon gave way to the light of oil lamps hung up on the carved walls of the cave. A minor distraction to the sight of the creature that laid waiting for her at the back.

What she noticed first were the bright lilac eyes and scales that shifted between blood red and deep purple in the flickering light. His horns gave off a faint light as his pale tongue flicked out of his mouth to clean a nostril. What shocked the princess most was the size of the creature as he slowly moved forward to give her a closer inspection.

In truth, he was smaller than a horse, considerably shorter, but long bodied with an even longer tail. He quickly enveloped her as he looped about her body, careful not to touch her as he did so, and his back becoming rigid as he reared up to greet her eye to eye.

“Maiden. Why have you come to my den?” He croaked out. His breath had a slightly acidic scent to it that stung her nose, and it slowly flowed out of his mouth as a stream of blue fog.

The princess took a step back, nearly tripping on him as she did so. She did her best to gulp down her fears as her fingers twisted about the fabric of her skirt. “My name is Linnea. I’m the princess of this kingdom, and my father is quite ill. It is time that I grant your request so that I may be crowned as queen.”

Nicolaos pulled away from her so that she had some space to move. He lowered himself down and his wilted wings quivered with anticipation. “Time for my boon already?” The tip of his tail twitched slightly as he thought. “A queen this time? You humans have matured ever so slightly since the time your ancestor held the crown, yet you all serve me loyalty since I was the one that fathered this kingdom with your great-grandfather.”

Linnea nodded warily. “Yes. There are many stories of how this kingdom was formed.” Stories that she had told since she was a small child sitting on her own father’s lap. “But I am not a queen yet. Not until I complete your task.”

“Your father granted me this forest, and your grandfather built for me this meager castle. Do you know what the first favor was?” She shook her head and the dragon replied with a sneering grin. His tail flicked into the shadows and returned with a crown hanging from its tip. “This.” He swayed it in front of her in a tempting manner.

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“A crown?” It was something that suited Nicolaos’ appearance. Black metal studded with jasper, coral, and sugilite.

Nicolaos gently placed it upon the girl’s head. “It suits a girl such as yourself.” Nicolaos purred out. “The boon was that I would granted ownership of the first daughter born to the family, one I have feared your family had forgotten, but I am fortunate to have been granted a beautiful human to do my bidding.”

Linnea was quick to pull off the crown. “I cannot abandon my place at the palace and become a possession. Despite what my predecessor may have promised you, that is something I cannot abide by, as there is no other option for an heir. I apologize.”

“Do not be so rash about such a decision. It is not as though I am asking you to be my bride or anything dreadful like that.” Nicolaos’ pale tongue flicked about the absence of his lips. “Tidy up the place a bit and make a meal here and there. You will be returned to your home soon enough, as soon as I figure out exactly what it is I hope you to do.”

“I cannot see the benefit of such a partnership.” Linnea spat out. “My father is very ill, and I do not have the luxury to idle about.”

Nicolaos let out a calm snicker. “A month. Merely a month of your life.” His tail flicked back and forth in thought again. “Everything I would want from you will be accomplished by then.”

Her father may last until then, and surely the court would understand. Only Nicolaos had a say in who ascended to the throne. They would have to abide by his wishes. “I will do as you ask.” She then looked around. “Is there a place I might stay?”

“The tower was built with you in mind, but it is not my fault if you took many years to appear.” Nicolaos shifted past her. Despite his cool demeanor, the faint fluttering of his wings gave away his excitement. “I have errands to do now that you are here. A servant will come by to bring you sustenance later.” He slithered past her on his stumpy little legs, and easily squeezed through the door that she had carelessly left open.

Linnea gave a sigh as she examined the crown within her hands. It was lighter than she would’ve first imagined but it still had a way to make her nervous. She decided to make her way up the tower to see what sort of room awaited her. Unsurprisingly, it was as equally full of dust as it was furniture.

It was designed for a young woman in mind. A vanity was in the corner, and there were dresses of varying sizes set aside in an armoire. There was a bookshelf full of children’s stories and romance novels, and the walls were covered in paintings of flowers. It was somewhat an eclectic mess, but she would do her best to clean up.

Objects were cleaned of dirt and dust, and clothes were checked to see how badly damaged they were by moths. It would seem that a tower hidden within the woods was the worst possible place for storing clothing. The fabric was brittle and yellowed, and any lace tore at the lightest touch. She worried that the same would be true for the books.

Linnea settled for sitting by the window while she undid her braids. She closed her eyes against the afternoon sun and listened to the birds. Nicolaos was out of sight, but her horse remained nearby. Soon enough, she found herself wondering what sort of servant the dragon had.

As the sun began to set, her eyes flickered open as a strange sound filled the air. A high pitched ringing tone, like someone, was tracing their finger around the edge of a bell. Will-o-wisps began to fall like snowflakes from tree branches. When they landed, they bloomed into the shapes of people. Their mouths hung open. singing in an inhuman tone as they traveled in a straight line.

Linnea found herself entranced. She lifted up the edges of her skirt and raced down the stairs to see where they might be headed. They led her to a clearing where the will-o-wisps had begun to dance around an oleander tree. Their song became louder, and their movements were wild and free.

The princess joined them. Her feet moving elegantly below her as she skipped and jumped about. She giggled furiously as she kicked off her shoes and danced about in a frenzied manner. Although they matched her movements, it was impossible to tell if the will-o-wisps were enthusiastic about her presence. Their blurred faces were unable to convey joy, sadness, or disappointment.

She continued to dance with them until the moon reached the peak of the sky, and then all were silent. Moving as one, the will-o-wisps turned towards the tree and fell to one knee. Its pink blossoms had bloomed, and golden light trickled from each, creating hundreds of tiny waterfalls.

A lean looking man rose up from the ground, lifting himself up from the liquid that had pooled around the tree roots. He gasped as he drew his first breath, steadying himself as he gained his bearings. His dark green hair was short and framed by a leaf crown, and he had blush colored eyes that glowed faintly in the night. The will-o-wisps shifted back into small glowing balls that drifted up towards the stars, and he, in turn, bowed respectfully towards them.

Linnea averted her eyes, biting on her lip as she made her retreat. Specters were one thing, but being alone with a man was another. As she turned around, she was shocked to see that he had appeared before her. Golden light was still dripping off of his skin as he leaned in for a closer inspection.

“Who are you?” His voice was lyrical and mystifying. The sound of it alone made her cheeks burn painfully. Her lack of response made him take a step back. He bowed before speaking again. “I am the king of these woods. You may call me Oleander. Won’t you tell me who you are?”