A Duel with the Emerald Dragon

(Author's note: Before you read this short story, I wish to clarify that the dragon and certain human characters in this story are inspired by East Asian countries. I am an Asian-American who was born in East Asia, and I know well that dragons in the East are viewed differently from dragons in the West, which is a part of why I was inspired to write this work. If you are alright with reading about Eastern dragons instead of Western ones, please enjoy reading this short story!)

The kingdom on the western coast was once ruled by a large royal family, but due to a series of wars and illnesses, the number of heirs slowly decreased over the years, until at last, there remained only three princes who could inherit the throne after the current king's death. The youngest of the three was a strong and kind-hearted prince named Thomas, who practiced his swordsmanship every single day for hours on end to become a great warrior, capable of defending the kingdom against all enemies.

Thomas was the best swordsman in the land, and whenever he entered the battlefield, he and his soldiers always emerged victorious. Placing great trust in his ability to defeat their foes, both his older brother and cousin, who were also the king's heirs, fully acknowledged his candidacy for the throne, as well as supporting his ambition to become a stronger warrior, a sentiment that was shared by most of the royal court. However, the pain of losing so many family members to sickness and violence had caused the king to become rather overprotective of his youngest child, and despite Thomas's impressive military record, the king still kept him within palace walls as much as possible, much to everyone else's frustration.

It was during early spring when the kingdom on the eastern coast delivered a surprising announcement to all royal families in the west. An enormous dragon had suddenly appeared in the east, and though it showed no interest in killing humans, it knocked out every warrior who challenged it so far with ease. The dragon claimed it would leave only if a brave warrior managed to shatter the large emerald on its forehead. If any man could accomplish this tremendous feat, the eastern kingdom's ruler promised to grant that man his daughter's hand in marriage. A close alliance with the mighty kingdom of the east was highly coveted by many nations. The prince who married the eastern princess would become one of the most powerful men in the world, in addition to being heralded as the hero who defeated the emerald dragon. 

Immediately after hearing the eastern kingdom's announcement, Thomas's brother ran over to the royal library, where Thomas was reviewing and signing piles of documents. The younger prince was startled by the interruption, wondering if something unfortunate had occurred. He was even more startled when his brother marched up to him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and told him he was going to win the hand of a beautiful princess by defeating an evil dragon.

“If anyone can do it, it's definitely you,” the older prince declared, grinning at him.

Before Thomas could ask him what on earth he was talking about, he started explaining how there was a dragon in the eastern kingdom, how the kingdom's ruler had promised his daughter's hand in marriage to the man who drove the dragon away, and how the only way to defeat it was by shattering the emerald on its forehead. When Thomas asked him about the number of challengers who died so far, he admitted the dragon had yet to kill anyone, though he insisted the dragon still posed a threat to the eastern kingdom and its neighbors.

“But if the dragon seems to have no interest in killing anyone, wouldn't its presence be a great advantage to the eastern kingdom? Hardly any nation would attack the territory of such a formidable creature.”

“Dragons are vicious monsters that must be eliminated as quickly as possible. Also, the man who defeats it will marry the princess and gain political influence over the entire eastern coast. There's no way our family can ignore this opportunity.”

“If that's the case, couldn't you or Olivier go instead? Why send me?”

“You are the strongest warrior in this land. Only you can take up this challenge on our kingdom's behalf, but if you're really worried about going alone, Olivier and I can accompany you to the east as support.”

“The king will never let all three of us leave our duties behind to go traveling, David.”

“He will if it’s for the sake of our kingdom.”

The brothers went to tell Olivier about their plans to head for the east before speaking with the king. Their cousin thought it was a great idea for all of them to go together, and as he was the most talented at persuasion among the three princes, it was decided that he should be the one to talk the king into letting them leave. Although Thomas had no real interest in marrying the princess, he wished to know if he had what it took to face an actual dragon as an opponent. He wanted to become strong enough to conquer any enemy targeting his people, be it human, dragon, or an even more dangerous creature.

Later in the day, Olivier knocked on Thomas's bedroom door to inform him that the king had summoned all three princes to the throne room. He apparently wished to speak with his sons and nephew about their plans to travel east before deciding whether to give his approval or not. Within the next ten minutes, the princes were standing in the throne room and bowing before the king. Thomas had no doubt his father would allow David to challenge the dragon, considering his older brother was first in line to the throne, and a marriage between him and the eastern princess would benefit their kingdom the most. Sending Olivier to form an alliance with the east was also a good choice, as Thomas knew his cousin was the cleverest person in the kingdom, and the alliance would no doubt thrive under his influence. Both David and Olivier, however, kept insisting that Thomas was the only one who stood a chance against the emerald dragon. As expected, the king was reluctant to let Thomas go, but as a politician, he was forced to acknowledge the dangers of an enemy nation potentially developing close ties with the eastern kingdom. He was fully aware that Thomas, who always stood victorious at the end of every battle he entered, had a very high chance of defeating the dragon. Even so, he couldn't help but selfishly wish for his youngest son to stay out of danger.

“Do you believe you can defeat the dragon and come home in one piece afterwards?” he asked Thomas.

“I certainly have no intention of dying on foreign soil. Our people need a warrior who can protect them, and if I win against the dragon, I will have truly proven my strength.” Thomas raised his head, and his determined eyes met those of his worried father. “Please allow me to go, your majesty.”

“David and I will also travel with him. We promise to make sure he returns safely,” Olivier confidently said to his uncle.

In the end, the king granted his three heirs permission to head for the east, under the condition that they keep a watchful eye on each other throughout their whole journey. After spending the evening and the next morning preparing for their departure, the princes set out together in the afternoon. Their entourage consisted of a small yet experienced group of servants and warriors, all of whom were commanded to treat the princes like ordinary merchants, to lessen their chances of being attacked or kidnapped for ransom by enemies. For most of their journey, the travelers faced no significant obstacles aside from a few cases of stormy weather and wild animal attacks. When they finally arrived at the royal palace of the eastern kingdom, the king personally came out to greet his visitors. He'd already received news of their coming from the western kingdom's king, and he led Thomas to his throne room to discuss the ongoing situation with the dragon, while the other two princes and their traveling companions were asked to wait in the dining room, where a delicious meal would be served.

The king informed Thomas that over eighty challengers had tried to shatter the dragon's emerald so far without success, and because of these constant failures, he decided to have each challenger undergo a period of training with a specially chosen instructor before allowing the challenger to face the dragon. If the dragon wasn't defeated soon, the king grimly predicted that many of his people would move to other lands out of fear, which would leave his kingdom more vulnerable to attacks from enemy countries. Thomas was thrilled at the opportunity to train under another person highly skilled in combat, and he politely requested to be introduced to the instructor as soon as possible.

“I must tell you something before I summon your instructor here. The person you'll be training under is Lady Camellia, one of my strongest and most reliable warriors. If you do as she says and put your best effort into your training, I'm sure you'll be able to defeat the dragon once and for all. That is, as long as you don't look down on your instructor simply because she's a woman.”

“My mother was a valiant swordswoman while she was alive, your highness. I would be honored to train under a female instructor whose strength is on par with hers.”

The king seemed satisfied by Thomas's response, and he commanded his servants to send for the prince's new instructor. A few minutes later, the doors of the throne room opened, and a woman clad in armor stepped inside. She was quite tall compared to many other women, almost reaching the same height as Thomas. Her long, chestnut-brown hair cascaded down past her waist, and her youthful face was as beautiful as a flower, but the steely glint in her eyes was that of a brave soldier.

“Lady Camellia, this is Prince Thomas of the western kingdom. He is our latest challenger who seeks to defeat the dragon and win the princess's hand in marriage.”

“Please forgive me, your highness, but I've come here for the sake of challenging the dragon. As for your esteemed daughter, I believe she will be happier if she marries someone more worthy of her hand.”

“You mean you don't consider yourself worthy of marrying my daughter?” The king looked at him curiously. “May I ask why you think so?”

“I have dedicated my whole life to protecting my kingdom. While my brother and cousin are more than qualified to rule, I believe I'm more suited to serve my kingdom's people as a soldier instead of as their king. A marriage to a prince who is first in line to the throne, like my brother, would also be far more politically beneficial than a union with me.”

“In other words, you think the princess should only marry a king or a crown prince?” Camellia asked Thomas with a hint of amusement in her voice. “Several challengers who came here before you weren't of royal blood, yet the princess was still willing to marry the one among them who managed to win against the dragon. What matters is not your status but your strength.”

Thomas was rather surprised and impressed by the open-mindedness of the eastern royal family. He couldn't imagine his father allowing him or his brother to marry a woman of low social standing, though he himself believed mutual love and respect should be the main reasons for marriage rather than politics or money. Still, he feared the possibility of marrying the wrong person and negatively affecting his kingdom as a result, so he'd never tried to find a bride until now. Luckily, the king was not offended by Thomas's reluctance to marry the princess and offered him authority over a large portion of the kingdom's bountiful lands as a reward for defeating the dragon instead.

Camellia then led the prince to the palace's training grounds, where she requested a duel with her new student to determine the current level of his combat skills. Thomas was more than happy to oblige, and the two began dueling fiercely, the sound of their clashing swords echoing through the evening air. It was the first time Thomas truly felt he was going to be overpowered by his opponent if he let his guard down for even a second. Camellia's blade nearly pierced him several times, though his keen instincts helped him dodge her strikes before they could do serious damage. If he tried moving to the left to avoid her sword, she would change the direction of her attack in a split second, leaving small cuts on his arm as he reflexively moved to the right. Thomas knew simply dodging his opponent's sword was no way to win, so he swung his blade at Camellia whenever possible, making sure all of his attacks were swift and sure. He nearly knocked her backwards with the sheer force of his sword's strike once, but she managed to keep herself steady and block his next attack. After half an hour of intense fighting, Camellia decided to call an end to their duel. The king had ordered them to properly eat their meals, and since it was almost dinnertime, both warriors needed to head for the dining hall soon.

“Eating plenty of food is just as important as combat training for a warrior who is serious about becoming stronger. Remember that if you ever feel like practicing your swordsmanship when you should be eating meals.” She smiled brightly at the prince as they walked away from the training grounds. “I must confess, you're a lot more decisive during battle than I’d expected. You even aimed your blade at my face several times without hesitation, unlike the previous challengers I faced who seemed uneasy about hurting a woman.”

“My apologies, Lady Camellia. I merely thought holding back during our duel would be nothing but an insult to you.”

“Don't apologize. In fact, I'm delighted that you were using your full strength while fighting me. Never underestimating your opponent is something many warriors unfortunately forget sometimes, including myself.”

Camellia's confident yet humble demeanor perfectly met the expectations most people would have of an honorable soldier's conduct. She possessed extraordinary strength, but she never used her power to oppress others, and she was unfailingly kind to those in need. As an instructor, she was very strict about her student arriving at the training grounds on time, and if she noticed any weakness in Thomas's fighting style during training, she would carefully explain how he could correct it, in addition to teaching him alternative ways to attack enemies if he found himself in situations where he couldn't use his usual methods. One lesson Thomas learned from her was that, because opponents who were large in build often had a slower reaction time than those smaller than them, an effective way to defeat such opponents was to stab them right through the heart the moment they raised both arms to attack. Another way to defeat large enemies was to goad them into bending downwards and then stab them in the head at the first opportunity.

During the prince's training period, his brother and cousin were exploring every corner of the palace they were allowed to access. Olivier thought it was strange that Thomas had yet to be introduced to the eastern princess, despite that her hand in marriage was the prize being offered. He also thought it was odd there currently seemed to be no other challengers inside the palace. Surely there were countless men who were willing to take up the challenge of defeating the emerald dragon if it meant marrying the eastern princess and inheriting her father's vast kingdom. Thomas told Olivier that the king said his daughter was away at her aunt's residence in another land when the western king's message arrived, and she unfortunately couldn't return in time to greet Thomas's group. As for why there were no other challengers around, the king explained it was because he decided to allow only one challenger to stay within the palace grounds at a time, so that the challengers wouldn't be able to sabotage each other before facing the dragon. David also said he was among the first to hear about the dragon, and he'd informed Thomas of it immediately afterwards, which probably meant Thomas was one of the first challengers outside of the eastern kingdom to arrive. The king partially confirmed this, saying the previous challengers were all from his own kingdom or the neighboring countries, making Thomas the first challenger who was from a faraway land. Despite these explanations, Olivier felt certain the king was hiding vital information from them. He politely requested to observe Thomas's next training session and formally greet his cousin's instructor. 

When Olivier arrived at the training grounds, Thomas was in the middle of blocking an attack from Camellia's blade, but after noticing the older prince's presence, the two warriors quickly put away their weapons and ran over to greet him.

“Olivier, what brings you here? I thought you were visiting the fish cake shop with David today.”

“Not at all. David plans on going around tasting the local dishes by himself. I'm more interested in viewing the exquisite pottery and lovely scroll paintings in the king's magnificent collection room.” He smiled pleasantly at Camellia. “Such a pity that the princess is currently away. The king informed us that she's still on her way home from visiting her aunt's residence in a different kingdom.”

“Indeed, her aunt's residence is a great distance from here, so she won't be back for a while,” Camellia replied.

“Pardon me, but may I ask how you managed to get recruited into his majesty's unit? I heard from several soldiers that one is required to serve in the army for a minimum of five years to become qualified to work directly under the king. The soldiers mentioned, however, that you first began fighting alongside them only a year ago, and the king has already recruited you into his elite military forces. Your strength and battle experience must be quite spectacular, seeing as he personally bent the rules to recruit you.”

Camellia's expression grew a bit stiff, and she carefully replied, “I'm not as amazing as you think. The king recruited me because he wanted more female soldiers in the army to guard the princess. I'm usually assigned to guard her only when the more experienced female soldiers are fighting our enemies elsewhere.”

“Yet the king has chosen you as Thomas's instructor, and you've been teaching him how to defeat the emerald dragon over the past eight days. Surely you underestimate your own skills, Lady Camellia,” Olivier commented with a smile.

As if noticing Olivier's suspicion, Camellia awkwardly looked away from him while sheathing her sword, and she told Thomas their training session would end early today. Before Thomas could ask her why, she politely excused herself and started walking back to the palace's main building. 

Olivier beckoned Thomas to come closer, and as soon as the younger prince was standing right next to him, he whispered, “I suspect Lady Camellia is actually the eastern princess, and her father is trying to keep the exact details of the dragon's challenge a secret.”

“What makes you say that?” Thomas was greatly surprised by Olivier's words. “Why on earth would the princess be personally teaching me how to defeat the dragon?”

“I suspect it's because the princess and the dragon share a connection that the king wishes to hide from the world. Perhaps she might’ve been the one responsible for summoning the dragon here, or perhaps it's something else.”

Olivier considered whether he should tell Thomas more about his suspicions, but in the end, he shook his head and simply advised his cousin to keep training hard. According to him, it was essential for Thomas to grow strong enough to be allowed to face the dragon, if they wished to learn the whole truth. While sitting alone in the guest room later that evening, Thomas thought about what Olivier had told him. If Camellia was the princess, he wondered if her reason for hiding the truth really was a guilty one as Olivier had suggested. Maybe she was indeed responsible for the dragon's appearance in the eastern kingdom, and maybe the king was using the challengers to handle the consequences of his daughter's misdeed, but still, Thomas couldn't bring himself to doubt the resolve he saw in Camellia's eyes each time she drew her sword. The lady truly was a warrior devoted to protecting the people, and it was difficult for him to think she would do anything that would endanger the kingdom. He considered the possibility that she had summoned the dragon unintentionally, as a result of events she couldn't control, if Olivier's claim about her connection to the dragon was to be believed. Regardless of the reason behind the dragon's arrival, Thomas was determined to shatter its emerald and make it leave the kingdom, just as he'd originally planned.

Two days later, while Camellia was teaching him how to adjust his center of gravity after being struck by his opponent more quickly, he asked if they could practice the attack method she previously recommended to him, the one requiring him to make the dragon lower its head, and then jumping up to strike the emerald on its forehead while falling back down. Camellia also thought it was time for them to practice this attack, but she told him she needed a day to find and request one of the army's tallest soldiers, who could play the role of the dragon, to participate in their training session, so the simulated battle would have to wait until tomorrow.

“I don't see why you cannot play the role of the dragon, Lady Camellia. As the one who is the most familiar with my fighting style, you’d be a far more challenging opponent than a soldier I've never crossed swords with before,” said Thomas.

Although Camellia was surprised by his suggestion, she eventually agreed to act as the dragon during their practice battle. There was a niche in the palace wall with a removable statue, which was a decent substitute for one of the small caves in the dragon's stronghold that Thomas would enter to goad the dragon into lowering its head. When Thomas asked her how he could escape from the cave without getting burnt to ashes by the dragon's fire, Camellia laughed and assured him the dragon had no fire-breathing abilities.

“The dragons here are different from the ones you're accustomed to in the west.” 

She pulled out a paper scroll from her bag, and when she unrolled it, Thomas saw it was a painting of the emerald dragon. Its green scales and silvery claws were illustrated in great detail, with the majestic emerald on its forehead being the most prominently drawn feature.

“Unlike in the west, dragons are highly venerated in the east, and in addition to lacking fire-breathing abilities, eastern dragons differ from western dragons in terms of physical appearance. Eastern dragons have shorter legs compared to many other species of dragons. The emerald dragon you'll be facing has no wings and uses magic to fly, so I'm afraid trying to subdue the dragon by injuring its wing won't work.”

“You say it uses magic to fly. May I ask what other powers it has?

“The dragon can use elemental powers. Its skills include summoning lightning and creating fog, both of which you'll need to watch out for.”

A sudden thought struck Thomas as he listened to Camellia's explanation of eastern dragons. The king had previously told him that many people might leave the kingdom in fear of the dragon, but according to Camellia, dragons were greatly respected in the east. In that case, wouldn't the presence of such a venerated being make the people feel more inclined to stay than to leave?

“I heard from the king that the emerald dragon's presence will drive people away from his kingdom. However, you say the people here admire dragons, so why would he say such a thing?”

Camellia looked somewhat apprehensive, but after a few seconds, she let out a sigh and answered, “His majesty was probably worrying about the dragon's future descent into madness when he said that. The emerald dragon is rational and dislikes meaningless bloodshed, but it seems to lose control of itself whenever the emerald on its forehead shines brighter. The moment its emerald suddenly emits an ominous glow, it starts roaring in agony and destroying everything it sees. For this reason, the king wishes to have a brave warrior shatter the accursed jewel, so that all will know peace again, including the emerald dragon itself.”

“Do you suppose the king didn't tell me about this because he thought it would discourage me from fighting the dragon, or is there another reason?”

“I believe he did worry this information would decrease your will to fight, but not because he thought you'd feel scared. He was probably concerned you would take pity on the dragon once you learned it has been acting violently against its will, especially since it is possible that the dragon will die after its emerald gets shattered. However, both the king and I hope your determination to defeat the dragon won't waver regardless of its unfortunate circumstances. The dragon itself would prefer dying over becoming a mindless killer.”

“Rest assured, if I can save the dragon, I will, but if I cannot, I will grant the dragon an honorable death, before its noble claws become stained with innocent blood,” Thomas replied with conviction.

“That's what I wanted to hear.” Camellia smiled in relief. “Your opponent needs none of your cruel mercy, only the righteous strike of your blade.”

Thomas looked silently at her for a while, and then he suggested that they begin practicing the attack method right now. After removing the statue in the niche, they started acting out the scene where Thomas would cause the dragon to lower its head by running into one of the small caves. Before Camellia's sword could pierce him, he ran out of the niche and jumped into the air, pointing his sword towards Camellia as gravity pulled him back down. While he didn't actually stab her, he aimed his strike right next to her head to simulate the real battle as much as possible. As his blade swung down, the resulting gust of air briefly swept aside the locks of hair covering Camellia's forehead, and for a second, Thomas could see a greenish glint, though it vanished almost immediately.

“It seems the role of the emerald dragon truly does belong to you alone,” he calmly declared.

Camellia looked at him with equal calmness, and in a voice that allowed no room for argument, she said to him, “Remember, the dragon needs no cruel mercy. You must shatter its accursed emerald, no matter what may happen afterwards.”

“I won't hesitate, Lady Camellia. You have my word.”

The following week, Thomas went with his instructor to the throne room, where the king was waiting for them. He seemed both glad yet somber when Camellia announced that Thomas was ready to challenge the dragon, and he asked if the prince required another day to make preparations before going to the dragon's location.

“No need for additional preparations, your majesty. I would like to face the dragon today as soon as possible.”

“So be it then. My soldiers and I will take you to the dragon's location after breakfast. Lady Camellia, you shall remain in the palace while we're gone.”

“Understood, your excellency.”

Around three hours later, Thomas was standing before a long tunnel that led to the other side of the mountain less than a mile away from the palace, which the king explained was the path to the dragon's stronghold. It was pitch dark inside, and there was nothing to distract Thomas from his thoughts as he walked down the tunnel path. If his suspicions were correct, this was possibly the last day he would get to see the first princess he had ever come to care for as more than just a friend. The beauty of Camellia's noble heart shone a thousand times more brightly than even the world's most precious diamond, and Thomas had to admit he was entranced by her radiance. She was truly a strong and kind person whom he could share the duty of protecting the civilians with. In all honesty, he didn't want to put the dragon's life at risk by shattering its emerald, but it was his duty, both as a prince and a warrior, to do the right thing regardless of how painful it was. He’d promised Camellia to show the dragon no cruel mercy, and he was a man of his word.

When he finally reached the end of the tunnel, the dragon was standing right before him, as if it'd been calmly anticipating his arrival. Despite the only source of light within its stronghold being the handful of small torches attached to the walls, the emerald on its forehead shone brightly just as if it were basking in the midday sun. Thomas wondered if the jewel was affecting the dragon's rationality at present, but the dragon seemed perfectly composed, and it smiled in a way that displayed confidence instead of mockery.

“You are my latest opponent, I assume?” it asked Thomas in a mysterious voice that sounded like a chorus of many people speaking in unison.

“Indeed.” The prince removed one of his leather gloves and carefully threw it in the dragon's direction, making sure the glove landed on the ground near the dragon without hitting the majestic creature. “This is how the soldiers in my kingdom challenge each other to a duel. If their opponent picks up the glove, it means the duel may commence. So, may I know your answer?”

The dragon silently gazed down at the glove for a while before it burst out laughing, though in genuine satisfaction and not in derision.

“You would still treat your opponent honorably, even if your opponent is the evil monster you’re supposed to defeat?”

“True warriors must conduct themselves honorably at all times. Also, I know you’re no evil monster.”

“Is that so? Well then, I accept your challenge.” The dragon slowly picked up the glove with its talon, and taking care not to damage the leather item, it tossed the glove back towards Thomas. “However, I must insist that you keep both gloves on during our duel. You must protect your hands if you wish to keep fighting.”

Even now, you're still trying to teach me the ways of battle. I couldn't have asked for a better instructor, Thomas thought fondly as he drew his sword.

Soon, he and the dragon were fighting in the middle of the stronghold. Thomas tried goading the dragon into lowering its head, but the dragon refused to show any vulnerabilities. Though his blade managed to hit the dragon several times, its green scales were harder than the most durable steel, which meant it was impossible to make the dragon bleed. He quickly realized he would have to wait until the dragon's rationality grew less stable if he wished to carry out a successful attack. For now, he was doing everything he could to avoid and block the elemental forces summoned by the dragon. Torrents of rainwater almost sent him flying back outside through the tunnel, bolts of lightning nearly struck him where he stood, and just as he thought he'd evaded most of the dragon's attacks, he was suddenly engulfed by fog so thick he couldn't even see his own feet.

And here I thought fire-breathing dragons were the dangerous ones. Honestly, it's a miracle none of the previous challengers were killed.

As he looked around desperately, trying to see where the dragon was within the fog, he noticed a flash of green light a short distance away on the left. The sight immediately put him on full alert, and he managed to leap back seconds before the dragon's giant tail came swinging at him, followed by a slash from its razor-sharp talons. The dragon's attacks seemed to be rather unfocused, however, and the screeching sounds it was making were unmistakably cries of pain. It didn't take long for Thomas to realize the dragon was falling into madness, especially since he could clearly see the foreboding glint of the emerald despite the heavy fog. He knew it was now time for him to attack the dragon using the method he'd been practicing.

I'll free you from your suffering, just as I promised, he thought, strengthening his resolve even more.

Slowly and cautiously, he walked backwards until the heels of his feet softly hit the stone walls of the stronghold. Then he began running his left hand across the walls while his right hand was still holding his sword out before him. When he finally felt the opening of one of the caves, he quickly slipped inside, and he pulled out the bamboo whistle David had bought for him the other day from under his cape. Aiming to draw the dragon’s attention, he blew into the whistle, which let out a sound so shrill and loud that even someone standing outside the walls might have been able to hear it. It took less than ten seconds for the dragon to come charging towards the cave. As soon as it lowered its head to attack Thomas, he dashed out of the cave, jumped up into the air, and using the momentum he gained while falling back down to increase the force of his strike, he shattered the emerald on the dragon’s forehead with his sword. Immediately afterwards, the thick fog inside the stronghold dispersed, allowing Thomas to clearly see the dragon’s face. It was smiling gently at him, showing no lingering traces of madness, and he thought he could hear it whisper, “Thank you.”

The prince watched in alarm as the dragon collapsed onto the ground, where it lay still as if it were dead. Its scaled body was starting to glow, gradually changing in size and form before finally resembling a human’s body. When the light faded, Thomas saw Camellia lying on the ground unconscious, and he ran over to her in a panic. Fortunately, she was still breathing, but her face was very pale, and despite Thomas’s attempts to wake her up, she remained unresponsive. He lifted her up and carried her back outside through the tunnel, refusing to slow down for even a moment. If Camellia ended up dying because he couldn’t get her to a physician in time, he would never forgive himself.

Several of the soldiers who had escorted him to the tunnel were still standing nearby awaiting his return. They were all shocked to see him holding a barely alive Camellia in his arms. After helping her and Thomas get into the carriage, they mounted their horses and started heading back to the palace at breakneck speed. By the time they arrived, the king and a large number of the palace’s staff were gathered at the gates, with Olivier standing a short distance away from the group. As the royal physician was among those present, Thomas was able to quickly ask him to treat Camellia before her condition became worse. Despite the physician’s efforts, however, the princess remained unconscious. To make matters worse, her body was growing colder and colder by the minute.

“You were hiding the fact that your daughter was the emerald dragon, weren’t you, your majesty?” Thomas looked the king straight in the eye. “Is there any way to save her life?”

“I’m afraid only the sorcerer who cursed my daughter can prevent her death. He broke into the palace on her twentieth birthday and implanted the emerald in her forehead before she or my soldiers could stop him. The wretched man told us that her sanity would gradually erode unless the emerald was shattered, but if it did shatter, the poisonous magic rising from its shards would be absorbed into her body. He vanished immediately afterwards, and since then, no one has been able to find him.”

It was then that Olivier stepped closer to the king and announced, “Pardon me, your excellency, but I believe my cousin David has brought the man you've been searching for.”

A moment later, David entered the scene, dragging behind him a bearded old man bound in chains. The man glared at his captor, who merely looked at him coldly before shoving him in front of the king.

“This sorcerer is the one responsible for cursing the princess, is he not?” asked the older prince.

“He is indeed.” The king looked utterly bewildered. “How in the world did you manage to catch him?”

“It was all thanks to Olivier and the people at the fish cake shop. Olivier suspected that Lady Camellia was your daughter, and that you were hiding her identity because she was connected to the dragon in some way. He concluded that your daughter might either be the one responsible for summoning the dragon to this kingdom, or she might actually be the dragon itself, considering how secretive you were being. I offered to visit the local establishments to gather more information on what happened to her without rousing your suspicion. While I was chatting with the customers at the fish cake shop, they told me that, two years ago, several townspeople claimed they witnessed a sorcerer casting a spell on the princess, though the official announcement from the palace claimed that no harm was done. In order to lure out the sorcerer, Olivier pretended to be a foreign spy, looking for a powerful spellcaster who could put a curse on several of your best soldiers, so that your enemies could launch an attack on your kingdom more easily.”

“Of course, we mean no harm to you or your subjects. I simply wished to catch the wicked person who cursed your daughter,” Olivier stated firmly.

“Since Olivier is a stranger in this kingdom, the sorcerer easily believed he was an enemy spy. When he heard about the fortune that Olivier was willing to pay the spellcaster who agreed to work with him from the fish cake shop owner, who was also pretending to be a spy at Olivier's request, he asked the owner to pass on his contact details to my cousin. They soon arranged to meet at the shop this morning, but before leaving the palace, Olivier asked one of your royal mages to give him a special chain made to bind criminal spellcasters and render them powerless, claiming he needed it for security reasons.”

“The rest was simple. David and I went together to meet with the sorcerer. While I distracted him with business talks, David knocked him off his chair and quickly chained him up before he even knew what was happening.” 

“Now then, undo the curse you put on the princess, or else you won't live to see the dawn,” David said to the sorcerer threateningly.

The sorcerer looked furious at first, but after a while, his expression softened, and when he spoke, it was in a remorseful tone.

“I truly apologize for my heinous crimes, your majesty.” He turned towards the king and respectfully bowed his head. “I'm a poor man, and I've been earning money by any means necessary to feed my family. Two years ago, one of your enemies asked me to curse the princess, claiming she was the product of a vile marriage between a mortal man and a woman of dragon blood. I desperately needed money at the time, and the reward amount offered to me seemed too great to refuse. That is why I implanted that accursed emerald into the princess's forehead.”

The sorcerer then turned towards the princess, who was quietly resting in Thomas's arms once more, and said, “Set her down on the ground, young prince, and I’ll undo the spell I cast upon her. I promise she’ll be restored to full health by the end of the day.”

True to his word, the moment he removed the curse after the magic-restraining chains binding him were loosened, Camellia slowly opened her eyes again. She was still too exhausted to stand back up, however, so Thomas continued to carry her. His brother was holding his blade to the sorcerer’s throat, in case the old man decided to cast another evil spell.

“What should we do with this scoundrel, your highness? Would you like me to execute him right here and now?”

Before the king could give David a reply, Camellia said in a firm voice, “Please do not harm him. He has broken the curse, just as he promised, and his family would suffer greatly if he dies. We should gather as much intelligence on our enemies as possible from him through interrogation. If he provides reliable information, his sentence can be reduced from execution or life imprisonment to long-term community service.”

“Were you able to hear us talking this whole time?” Thomas asked her.

“Yes. I suppose the person who hired him to curse me was one of the many state officials who were opposed to my parents’ marriage. My mother was half-dragon, though her lineage was kept secret from those outside the palace. She could take on a dragon's form herself, and those who venerated her believed my father, an ordinary human who could wield no magic, was unworthy of becoming her husband. They urged her to marry a powerful spellcaster or, if possible, another member of the dragon race, but she refused to marry anyone other than my father. Unfortunately, she passed away soon after she married him and gave birth to me, causing the statespeople to blame us for her death. As I was unable to transform into a dragon, their hatred towards me only increased over time, until at last, about a decade ago, nearly all of them left our kingdom to serve other countries. It seems, however, that a few opposers have remained here, hiding their animosity and silently waiting for a chance to end my life.”

“I wished to delay your death for as long as possible, so I used the cursed emerald, which would cause its victims to suffer for possibly years on end but wouldn't result in their deaths unless a warrior of true strength shattered it. However, I didn't expect for the curse to transform you into a dragon, your majesty,” said the sorcerer to Camellia.

“The emerald's curse forced me to turn into a dragon for twelve hours a day, probably due to the special blood which runs through my veins. I could choose which hours I would spend as a dragon, so I cast off my human form mostly at night, while using my daylight hours of transformation to challenge the warriors who came to defeat me.”

“Did any of the other challengers realize you were the dragon?” Thomas asked.

“Only the challenger who trained under me just before you did. After realizing the truth, he couldn't bear to put my life at risk and forfeited the match right before he could shatter the emerald.” Camellia let out a sigh. “He left the kingdom without a word two days later. I was starting to give up on ever meeting a warrior of true strength who could destroy the cursed jewel, but fortune chose to guide you here.”

Thomas felt rather flustered by the way the lovely princess smiled up at him as she spoke. He wondered if it’d be dishonorable to ask for her hand now, considering his previous claim that he didn't wish to marry anyone. David seemed to notice Thomas’s inner conflict, and he tried very hard to refrain from laughing at his brother's expense, at least not in front of the king. Olivier, who was also watching Thomas in amusement, suggested that Camellia travel with them back to their kingdom, where they would introduce her to the king as Thomas's bride-to-be. Her father highly approved of this idea and urged Thomas to reconsider his earlier decision not to marry the princess, which the prince was more than willing to do.

Several weeks later, when the three princes and Camellia finally reached the western kingdom, the king, who'd been eagerly awaiting their return, came running out of the palace to welcome them home. He greeted the princess with the utmost warmth and respect, expressing his delight over her upcoming marriage to his son. 

The wedding between Thomas and Camellia took place at the beginning of summer. Both of them vowed to love each other and to protect the people together for as long as they lived. Their union allowed their kingdoms to enjoy many years of peace and prosperity, but as to the countless events filled with happiness and excitement that occurred during this period of time, those are stories for another day.