The Girl With A Dragon

Alina's Dream

Alina

I open my eyes and I’m running down a sandy beach. I’m chasing after a little boy and he puts sand in my hair. A woman’s voice interrupts our play and I wake up with a jolt.

Was this a dream or a memory? I shake my head. My eyes go around the darkroom where I’m staying in La Mer. My eyes adjust thanks to the moonlight streaming through my window. I can hear the ocean crashing not far from my room.

My mind goes to the heartfelt dinner that I had tonight.  The queen even lent me some of her dresses made from linen. The tropical weather here was too much for my thicker fabrics.

 All of this feels familiar. Like I’ve done it before. It’s like a shadow of a feeling. A shadow of a memory that I can’t reach. I shake my head and decide to get out of bed and roam the castle a bit.

I walk out of my room and into the main living area. Along one wall there is a mural made of shells. I run my fingers along with the pattern, feeling their smooth texture with my fingertips. Even this feels like I’ve done it before. Why the hell can’t I remember any of this?

asks a voice behind me and I jump.

Elric

I’m walking into the castle after flying through the beginnings of a hurricane. Flying through a large storm is not ideal, but if I waited, I might have been stuck in the northern kingdoms for another week…...With their rather annoying daughters lurking nearby, I’d rather take my chances with the storm. I feel like these treaty meetings are being set up more as a chance to ensnare me into marriage than to actually come to agreements on trade. 

I shake my head. I’m exhausted from both the storm and having to be overly polite for the past week. I’ve got enough on my hands with running a kingdom at twenty-three and my father getting sicker by the day. He hasn’t said anything, but I’m pretty sure that he is dying. Slowly, but dying.

I walk into our main living area and my breathing stops. There she is. The girl that continues to haunt my dreams all of these years later. She’s running her fingers over the shell mural. I’m not dreaming though. She is actually here again. I feel my heart rate go up a tick as I notice how the moonlight is reflecting off her shoulders.

I ask. She jumps out of her skin and turns towards me. I force myself to focus on her face and not all of the skin that is showing with her being in just a linen nightgown. 

I say this all rather quickly, realizing that I was being a complete @ss.

she said this while smiling. Hopefully, that means that she isn’t holding my rudeness against me. 

she said with a small shrug.

I was hoping that she wouldn’t catch that, but of course, she did.

I say honestly while giving her a half-smile.

She then realizes that she is in just a nightgown and looks embarrassed. 

she says this and walks away quickly. She comes back in one of my mother’s linen gowns. I liked the nightgown better, but I know better and I hide my disappointment. 

We walk outside and head across the back gardens, down a path to the beach.

We start to walk down the beach, the moon is full and bright and reflecting off of her. Between her light hair and light skin, she looks like she could be the Moon Goddess herself.

as she says this, her green eyes are changing from a light to a dark color. Whatever emotions she’s feeling are strong. Her eyes are always the first to give me warning signs. She is too damn smart for her own good.

I say back. I'm lying straight to her face and I'm sure that she knows it. 

I hope that she stops asking questions. She isn’t ready for those answers yet. I’m not sure if I’m even allowed to tell her.

I see her expression change to anger and expect some sort of backlash, but then she sighs and looks at the ocean.

I’m happy that you’re back too. In more ways than I can tell you. Instead of that I simply say

said Alina, abruptly changing topics.

as she says this, she puts the word weaker in air quotes. I try not to laugh and instead chose to whistle under my breath.

Uh, there she is. The firey dragon princess that I grew up with. 

as she asks this she stops walking and looks me in the eye.

Alina smiles and we continue walking.