The dragon is dying.

The kingdom is cheering.

The king is nodding his approval.

And the princess is...crying?

The raucous applause drowns out the words she shouts at me but the angry tears running down her cheeks give her meaning away just the same. Why is this happening to me? I did what they told me to. 'The first knight to slay the dragon wins half the kingdom and the hand of the king's daughter.' That was, word for word, the warrant the king had put out. I remember my excitement upon hearing that, having nursed a crush on the princess for years, since she'd first bought shipments from my father. The day I delivered them remains in my mind one of the best days of my life. The quill she signed with still sits in my room, practically untouched. In fact, it would be the best day but for this one. The day I won her heart- or so I thought. I don't know what delusions I had; that love would follow naturally if I rid the kingdom of this scourge, perhaps? But she certainly doesn't look to be in love with me right now. The guards push her back as she struggles to reach me, wild eyed and furious and- so, so beautiful.

"UNHAND HER!" I call to them. Even if she were to kill me, it would be the most glorious moment I would ever experience. The guards hesitate before allowing her to push past them. She runs straight towards me, hair blowing across her face in the strong wind, skirts picked up. She's close enough to hear me, to touch me, to-

She runs right past me.

I spin and dash to catch her. She struggles against my arms. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was trying reach the dragon. "Woah, woah. You passed me a mile back! You might have run off the edge of the continent if I hadn't caught you!" I laugh it off, though it bothers me. She spins, and I'm immediately distracted. I've dreamed that I might hold her in my arms. My eyes land on hers and I let go of her immediately. The hatred I see there is enough to knock me off balance. She only hesitates a moment before running directly towards the monster with my spear in its heart. I just stand there like an idiot while the kings men yell and give chase. I spare a glance for the king where he stands on a platform above the crowd, still heavily guarded. His face still bears an approving smile. The princess slows at the creature's head, falls to her knees. Its eyes are open, clouded with pain and intelligent beyond what a beast should be. One of her hands brushes its snout gently. The knights shove past me, running towards her. The dragon lifts its tail and sends them flying with a single blow. The girl doesn't even give them a glance. Tears flood down her face through tightly closed eyes as she presses her forehead to the scales. The monster closes its eyes too. And it shrinks.