The Princess and the Dragon

The Princess and the Dragon
By Kimberly H. Carrillo
(Based on a True Story)

Once upon a dream, there lived a lonely princess. She was a princess with eyes bathed in tears and lips dressed in sorrows, for the fate she had was the fate of a forsaken. She’s been trapped in a dark tower for as long as she can remember.

The tower was covered with an atmosphere of dark clouds, surrounded by a garden of poison thorns and guarded by a fierce black dragon. The sight of her realm is fear to behold, and those who even dare to come near were scared away by the shrieks of the terrifying dragon. But Alas! She is stunningly beautiful and tales of beauty was spread far and wide, and thus a thousand fools died to save her.

Days and nights for our lonely princess were all equivalent to sentences of death. For all she did, was cry and suffer for all the misery surrounding her. But there is one tiny speck of hope left in her heart, because she knew that a handsome prince will be coming to save her. Thus she hoped, prayed and waited for the day that her one true love will come. The day when she will finally be free… a day when she will leave the tower and the dragon… the day which will end her misery.

Finally, her long wait was over when a prince clad in white from a far away kingdom found the tower and caught a sight of the lonely princess. He was instantly trapped in the spell of love by just the mere scene of her beauty, and thus he gained the courage to save her. Just as when the prince is going to climb the tower, the black dragon suddenly appeared with its wide wings fanning a wind almost stronger than hurricanes.

A burning breath of fire stunned the white prince and almost caused him his life. But he was fast enough to evade. More blows of fire came causing the garden of poison thorns to burn in torment. The princess was horrified at the terrifying sight of violence but there was even a more mystifying dilemma going on in her mind… a thought more disturbing than a nightmare, confusion beyond compare.

Finally the white prince raised his sword, and in a swift-steadfast blow, he struck the dragon in the chest… a fatal wound indeed, but not enough to kill the dragon in an instant. The dragon fell to the ground in grave despair, with the wailing sound of pain and the muffles of sobs.
A sudden pang swallowed the princess’s heart with the sight of the dragon’s hurting. Alas! The confusion she had was finally clarified. She did fear one thing to happen. She did not want the dragon to die…

But why? A very disturbing but reasonable question indeed. Why would she mourn for the death of such a fearsome creature? The sole cause of her sufferings and the one who kept her a prisoner of her own realm. Why would she cry for some loathsome dragon which only caused her pain?

But can we judge her? Why not lament for such grave lost? For all her life she lived with the dragon. On all her days, she stayed with the beast. Everyday of her suffering was witnessed by the eyes of the monster, though maybe distant but not naïve. In her entire life she knew no one except the dragon and those others who died before her eyes. Come to think of it… the dragon was indeed her sole and only family.

With the prince’s help, the princess was able to go down from the tower for the first time. At the foot of the tower lies the body of the dragon, breathing yet too weak to be called living “Dear princess why are you weeping? Rejoice and be happy for today is the end of your suffering” said the prince. But why can’t she stop crying? This pain inside her tearing her flesh apart. Why can’t she remove her sight from the monster that’s dying before her eyes? In very slow- unmindful steps she drew herself closer to the creature. Without fear and without hesitation, in an instant, she kissed the dragon and whispered a lonely “Goodbye”.

In her surprise the dragon was covered in white light, almost blinding. Suddenly the enormous beast disappeared and in its place laid a handsome yet still dying, prince. The prince was dressed in black robes with his hand drawn close to his heart; with no doubt that prince is the dragon. The white prince was astonished by the dragon’s transformation, while the princess is almost fainting in shock. But sadness took over her amazement and she held the black prince in her arms.

No questions were asked by the princess for she no longer cared how or why such things happened but some of her doubts were answered by the dragon prince’s last words. “Why weren’t you able to see? I didn’t want to lose you…because I am your prince”. On these last words the black prince died in the princess’ arms.

With a broken heart and with even more sobs than before, the lonely princess left her realm and journeyed with the white prince to his kingdom. Besides, she can’t stay in her tower anymore; the dragon is no longer there. The princess lived and married the white prince, but no one is sure if she really… truly… lived happily ever after.