Twisted Embers

So This is Love.

Fir didn't remember much after bursting out of the throne room. There were flashes of servants shouting, glass breaking, a rush of air, and then black. Fir slowly opened her eyes, a high pitched ringing in her ears. At first all she saw was green, but as her eyes adjusted, shapes began to take form. All around Fir there were towering sequoia trees and lots and lots of foliage. Oh, I must be in the Fae Kingdom. She felt something wet along her scales. Scales, right she was pure dragon as of now. Fir looked down and watched a water droplet trail down her white scales, browned in the soil. It didn't look like it had rained. She looked up and with her sharpened eyesight found a bromeliad on a higher branch. That made sense. Fir got up and flew to the branch. Perhaps there were more plants she could use to get the dirt off. The nearest stream was one the Fae reserved for drinking, and she didn't want to start a fight over something as simple as a bath. Much to her delight, there were indeed an abundance of bromeliads. She spent a good 10 minutes getting the mess off before gliding down to return home. But wait, there was a reason she left in the first place. Yes, the marriage. Suddenly she didn't want to go. So, independent as she was, she didn't. She could spend the rest of her long life living secretly in the forest. Technically dragons weren't suppose to be in or much less live in Fae territory, but that's what made it a wonderful hiding place. Fir's stomach growled. Perhaps there were deer nearby. She began to search, talons sinking into the undergrowth. It was odd, unless it was sand or snow her claws always stayed above the ground rather than in it.
Oh well, it was something she could get used to. Her tail flicked, and a forked tongue shot out of her mouth for a quick second. Similar to a snake, the Draconis could taste/smell their prey in the air with their tongue. There it was. A young doe, back turned, completely oblivious. She crouched, creeping up on it. 3...2...1...pounce! Right before her teeth snapped it's neck, she was thrown to the side by some strange force. Before she could right herself, a net was thrown over her. She flailed, succeeding in tangling herself more. Fae we're approaching. Of course they had detected her. She willed herself to calm down, think rationally. She could cut the bindings, she only had to wait. She blinked, and they were gone. In their place, a pure black dragon, scales like obsidian, stood. Fir beamed. "Nikita!"

Nikita didn't like to admit it, but she had flipped when Fir went missing. She wasn't supposed to worry, patrols were being sent out, but after a night of no news she set out herself. She followed her scent until it became too mixed with other stronger smells to pick out, then made informed guesses from there. Luck must've been on her side, as when she flew under the canopy, she spotted her Princess. Without thinking, she swatted the Fae's surrounding her away and landed. "Nikita!" Fir yelled. She cut away the net around her, then sauntered over and threw her wings around her. Nikita couldn't help but to smile and do the same. "Are you okay?" Nikita asked when they had pulled away. "Yeah, just a little sore is all." "Good. Now what in the living hell were you doing?!" Fir winced and Nikita almost felt bad for yelling. Almost. Fir sat. Then got up and went to a tree. Then came back and sat. Got up, made a circle, and sat. Finally she sighed and told Nikita what had gone down. Nikita felt... sad? Angry? Afraid? She didn't want Fir to be married off to any dragon. This was her friend. Wait. That didn't make sense. She shouldn't feel possessive of her. If they were just friends, she would support her, try to convince the council to marry a male for love in the least. But the thought of her with another made the flesh under her scales crawl. Oh no. I've fallen for her.

{Ooooooh watcha think? The art above is not mine, it is a reference photo for Fir's dragon form. It is an Icewing created by author Tui T. Sutherland. All rights and credit go to her.}