[Abandoned] The Dragon That Is Most Certainly Not a Prince

In Which He Gets New Clothes

The old woman is ecstatic to see Alice and I again. Bellwyn seems to just be an accessory.

"Could we pay you to make some more of these for him, to help keep him out of unfavorable weather?" Bellwyn asks after the old woman stops admiring the cloak and how well it sits on me.

Laughing, the woman nods. "Oh, of course, of course! It's been so long since I've seen a little prince like this that I just had to admire how his little royal cloak fit so well! You two are treating him well, I hope."

"We are!" Alice chimes as Bellwyn hands some money to the woman, who places it on a side table and puts a little cushion full of needles and pins on top of it. "He is very happy."

"I can see that. What's his name, little girl?"

"His name is Verdant! And he really likes the cloak you made him. You're making more, so that this one doesn't get ruined when we go overseas, right?" Alice asks Bellwyn, who nods.

"The cloak is too beautiful for him to wear across the seas," Bellwyn says, reaching out and running a finger down my spine, the only place where the cloak really has any bumps, from the ridges hidden underneath. Even my wings don't really present much in the way of wrinkles, even as I fold and unfold them underneath. The cloak really is wonderful, and I would hate if it got ruined on the ocean.

The woman drapes a piece of cloth over my head, and, startled, I let out a chirp that makes her laugh. "Relax, little prince. I'm just going to add a hood to this next one, so you can keep your eyes safe as well." She takes the cloth off, and I shake my head, free of the sudden darkness.

It takes far less time than I would have thought for the woman to sew up four new cloaks, each a different color and made of different fabrics for different weather. With Bellwyn having left to check on the other preparations, Alice helps the old woman test the cloaks out on me. A dusty brown-gray hooded cloak to keep the water off, and they dump a small handful of well water over my head. The liquid rushes off of the fabric, and I shiver when it hits my tail, but the tail is easy enough to tuck underneath the cloak, should I need to. A heavy black cloak for when it's cold, and I already feel overly warm when they put it on. They just nod and take it back off before I get uncomfortable enough to take it off myself. A light sandy-colored fabric, with a large cowl that can go over my muzzle, and gets tightened in the back, and a hood that falls low over my brow, and also has strings to tighten it around my head. This cloak is longer, more of a coat, really, with little sleeves that can be folded out if I need them. The grandmother tells Alice this is for the desert, pointing at the hood apparatus and explaining that sandstorms are still bad for "little princes" despite the scales, and pulls at the fabric, giving it a little wave to show how light it is, to protect against the sun and heat.

Bellwyn returns in time to see the sturdy sea-faring cloak, made out of a mottled blue-and-black fabric that feels rough, even to my scales. Alice tugs it snugly against my neck, then tugs on the tiny laces that pull the front of the cloak closed over my shoulders and chest. When I lay down, the cloak sits securely against my hide, not pooling out like the others had, but tucking neatly under my legs and tail. The hood of this cloak is heavier than the actual cloak is. It weighs my head down a bit, but it would protect against heavy rain or salty sprays, sticking further out over my head than even the desert cloak to help protect my eyes, should I need it. Alice pulls it back from my eyes,and it sits in place, even when I trot around the small table I'm transferred to.

Alice thanks the grandmother, and I offer myself up for pets and scratches in thanks. Bellwyn puts my fancy cloak back on, then sets me on Alice's head in preparation to leave. The grandmother hands Bellwyn a small bag of the cloaks with a huge smile on her face. "Thank you for allowing me to assist the little prince. I pray you have good luck and safety on your travels."

"Thank you, ma'am," Bellwyn responds, bowing her head a little bit, being unable to curtsy in her pants. Alice curtsies instead, grinning almost as much as the grandmother. The two had probably had a little too much fun playing dress-up with me.

Inside the guild house once more, Alice decides she needs to demonstrate the cloaks once more, excitedly telling everything the woman had told her as I sit patiently through her giddiness. Even Julika smiles a genuine smile while Alice switches out the cloaks and sets them in a little pile on the table next to the bag.

Bellwyn, grinning, leans over the table to talk to Alice when she's finished, and the girl looks up at her without flinching. "Alice, would you like to take care of Verdant's cloaks while we travel?"

"Oh! Yes! Can I really?" she gasps, clapping her hands once in glee. Her smile is infectious, and Gavin reaches over to ruffle her hair, which doesn't do much to the permanent mess that is her short brown curls. I still don't know how old she is.

A laughing agreement, and then Alice takes the small bag of cloaks to pack it away with the rest of her stuff, and everyone splits up to go to their own rooms with an agreement to leave before dawn to catch a ship out of the country. Before Bellwyn can dismiss me so she can wash, I pull over a scrap of parchment and dip a single talon in the ink, hoping this works.

How old is Alice? I scratch out on the parchment, being careful not to tear it.

"She's turning nine... next week, I believe. Why?" she asks in a whisper, astonished at the writing before her.

Seems a little young for I stop to think about what it is we're doing. Stealing? Adventuring? Questing? this I finish with instead.

"Her mother's been taking her along since she was a baby, Verdant. She was born into this life and she loves it. I think you should worry more about yourself, little prince," she offers instead, tapping my nose with a finger before taking the parchment and throwing it away, stoppering the inkwell, and turning my head to the window so she can wash. This time, when she's done, she picks me up and takes off the cloak, dumping me into the water while she hangs the cloak on the edge of the desk. Reaching into the water, she rubs at my scales, being gentle with my belly and throat, but scrubbing off the dirt from... everything that's happened since I left my home, basically. It almost feels like she's cleaning off the remains of Prince Arthur and leaving a small, dark green dragon in it's place.

Bellwyn falls asleep after me for once.