-Ashes-
It was time to head back. We had spent just over a week in the North, and I was eager to return home. Even my brother seemed a bit homesick, or maybe it was the cold that was getting to us. Strangely enough, I felt warm enough inside the castle—something I refused to attribute to the fanciful notion of a dragon kept underground. That was a tale for children and princesses.
“Is my wife inside?” I asked as I approached our room.
Two imposing northern guards stood outside, clearly stationed to protect the entrance. This indicated she was indeed inside, but I hesitated to barge in, concerned she might be preoccupied with getting ready. The guards merely nodded, and I took that as a sign the coast was clear.
I pushed through the doors, and the princess came into view, with Ladon he
