DRAGONET,
by Esther Friesner
This story was selected for Black Cat Weekly
by World Fantasy Award-winning editor
Darrell Schweitzer, the former editor of
Weird Tales and Worlds of Fantasy & Horror.
This is the castle—Righteous Garde. Here over eight hundred knights, ladies, lackeys, squires, toadies, and the odd monarch live and work together in peace and harmony. Only sometimes harmony’s too much to ask. That’s where I come in. My name’s Britomart. I’m a damsel. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.
839 A.D. The Dark Ages were well under way, and most of the ladies were counting the months until the Norsemen showed up to carry them off. I was catching up on my tapestry work. Just then, Helios came in. He’s my partner. He’s a unicorn.
“How’s your latest maiden, Helios?” I as
