A Bed Time Story

The woman slid into bed, settling her girl half atop herself cuddled in the crook of one arm. She pulled the blankets up around the both of their shoulders before she began.

"There was once a great and brave warrior princess, known throughout all the land for her skill with sword and shield," the woman began, her voice soft. Her girl listened, still squirming a bit to get the covers around her feet the way she liked. The girl watched closely as her Daddy gestured broadly with the hand not wrapped loosely around her girl's smaller body as she continued. "She was heir to a kingdom vast and wide, with people of all races and origins, which she used to spend every year riding from end to end on her great white steed. The mare had been raised from birth by her hands, and the two were inseparable, to the point that the princess kept her armor a glistening white so they'd seem to be of one being when riding."

The girl smiled and snuggled closer against her Daddy, murmuring, "she sounds pretty cool..."

Her Daddy paused to kiss the top of the girl's head. "She truly, truly was, and all the lasses in every town she visited wanted, some day, to ride behind her. She always had to tell them nay, of course, for she knew in her heart that none of them could bear the burden of being queen to the land, as they would have to be if they were to be her bride. Still, she did tarry a bit long in a few of the towns, but that's another story, or, rather, several other stories. One day, as she reached the furthest western reach of her kingdom, she came upon a town often marking the end point of her journey and discovered a great curiosity within. It seemed there were none of the lovely lasses that normally greeted her to be seen this time!"

The girl yawned in spite of herself and tried to hide it with a well-placed blanket edge. Her Daddy noticed the clenching of eyes and gave her a soft hug, resolving to keep the tale moving quickly.

"Who did come out to greet her was the wise village elder, a man of many years with graying hair and a sun-darkened complexion. He told the princess that the hills to the north were now the roosting grounds of a great green dragon, and that it had taken to snatching whatever fair lasses it could find out on the fields for its supper. Knowing this, all the lasses were well hidden underground, and he bade the princess to take shelter tonight and return swiftly the next day from where she came. Being so brave and skilled (and a touch foolhardy), though, the princess scoffed at his words, and, following a brief supper of her own, went quickly out into the hills to find the predator. Up high on a winding path that her mare could just barely fit upon, she found a great cave, and heard the rumbling of the dragon from within. From where she stood, it sounded like great snoring, so she left her mount and crept as quietly as she could into the dark, foreboding cavern.

"Clinging as hard as she could to the shadows, she soon found that what she'd heard was correct, and that the mighty dragon lay slumbering. Its scales were as brilliant as emeralds, and looked to be twice as hard. For its bed was a great expanse of gold and clothes and the bones of its victims, but hung on the wall was its most valuable treasure. With wrists shackled clumsily above her head was the most beautiful woman the princess had ever seen, with hair dark as ebony and skin as rich as pure chocolate. Her beauty was such that I could probably tell another story just about such, but you're nodding off against me so I'll hurry past that part. The princess, convinced this lass must be saved, drew her sword too swiftly, and woke the dragon with the rattle of steel leaving its sheath!"

The girl snuggled up a little more actively, listening to the good parts.

"The great green creature roared and reared up on its legs, moving to guard its treasures. The princess swiftly unslung her shield and pulled it up, just barely in time to block a great gout of flame as it poured from the creature's mouth. The princess leaped forward as the fire stopped and, remembering what she knew of dragons, struck hard at the underside of its massive neck and belly in an arching blow. The scales proved more dangerous than she thought, though, and they caught on her sword and snapped it in two! Startled, the princess couldn't dodge as the dragon batted her aside, slamming her into the wall and waking the dark-haired maiden. The maiden, startled now in turn, screamed as loud as she could in fright. Now, whether by fate, or by luck, or by some unconscious timing, the scream reached the dragon just as it was preparing another blow of flame, and caused it to pause and reconsider roasting its prey along with the intruder. It was then the princess saw her opening, literally! She jumped as high as she could and landed square on the dragon's tongue, then drove her sword up into the roof of its mouth, ending the beast's tyranny once and for all.

"Tired, she went to free the lass from where she hung on the wall, and then promptly fell unconscious at her feet, for one does not enter a dragon's mouth and not gain a few new gashes, no matter what sort of armor one is wearing. The lass nursed her princess back to health there in the cave, and the two grew fast in love, but that all is another story, and I'm afraid this one has come to an end."

"Thank you for the story, Daddy," the girl said through a soft nuzzle.

"Of course, baby girl. Now get some rest, alright?" her Daddy replied, kissing lightly at the top of her girl's head.

"Yes, Daddy," the girl whispered, nodding, "g'night."

Her Daddy nuzzled softly and rested beneath her girl, starting to drift off herself. "Good night, little one."