Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

he said cautiously. 'Nobody's ever captured a real live dragon before . . .'
    'Well then, that's our answer!'
    'Don't you mind being captured?' asked Rupert diffidently.
    The dragon chuckled. 'I could do with a bit of a holiday. Travel to strange lands, meet new people; just what I need.' The dragon peered about him and then beckoned for Rupert to lean closer. 'Er . . . Prince
    ...'
    'Yes?'
    'Do you by any chance rescue Princesses? Only I've got one here, and she's driving me crazy.'
    'You're holding a Princess captive?' yelled Rupert, jumping to his feet and clapping a hand to his swordhilt.
    'Keep your voice down!' hissed the dragon. 'She'll hear you! I'm not holding her captive; I'll be glad to see the back of her. Some Court's elders sent her up here as a sacrifice, and I haven't the heart to kill her. She can't go back, and I can't just throw her out. I thought maybe you could take her off my hands
    ...'
    Rupert sat slowly down again and rubbed gently at his aching brow.
    Just when he thought he was getting the hang of things, somebody changed the rules.
    'She's a real Princess?'
    'Far as I know.'
    'What's wrong with her?' asked Rupert warily.
    'Dragon!' yelled a strident voice from a side tunnel. The dragon winced.
    'That's what's wrong with her.'
    The Princess burst into the cavern from one of the side tunnels, and then stopped short on seeing the Prince. Rupert scrambled to his feet. The Princess was dressed in a long flowing gown that might once have been white, but was now stained a dozen colours from dried mud and grime. She was young, barely into her twenties, and handsome rather than beautiful. Deep blue eyes and a generous mouth contrasted strongly with the mannish jut of her jaw. Long blonde hair fell almost to her waist in two meticulously twisted plaits. She was poised and slender and easily six feet tall. As Rupert considered the right courteous words with which to greet a Princess, she whooped with joy and rushed forward to throw her arms around him. Rupert staggered back a pace.
    'My hero,' she cooed, bending down to nuzzle his ear. 'You've come to rescue me!'
    'Well, yes,' muttered Rupert, trying to break free without seeming too discourteous. 'Glad to be of service. I'm Prince Rupert ...'
    The Princess hugged him fiercely, driving the air from his lungs. I was safer with the dragon , thought Rupert, as bright spots drifted before his eyes. The Princess finally let him go, and stood back to take a good look at him.
    He couldn't have been much older than she was, she thought, but the recent scars that marred one side of his face gave him a hard, dangerous look. His long slender hands were battered and torn, and covered with freshly dried blood. His leather jerkin and trousers had obviously seen a great deal of use, his cloak was a mess, and all in all the fellow looked more like a bandit than a Prince. The Princess frowned dubiously, and then her mouth twitched — all in all, she probably didn't look much like a Princess either.
    'Where's your armour?' she asked.
    'I left it in the Tanglewood,' said Rupert.
    'And your steed?'
    'At the base of the mountain.'
    'You did at least bring your sword?'
    'Of course,' said Rupert, drawing the blade to show her. She snatched it out of his hand, tested the balance, and swept it through a few expert passes.
    'It'll do,' she decided, and gave the sword back to him. 'Get on with it.'
    'Get on with what?' asked Rupert politely.
    'With killing the dragon, of course,' said the Princess. That's what you're here for, isn't it?'
    'Ah,' said Rupert, 'the dragon and I have talked it over, and I'm going to take him back to my Castle alive. And you too, of course.'
    'That's not honourable,' said the Princess flatly.
    'Oh yes it is,' said the dragon.
    'You keep out of this,' snapped the Princess.
    'Gladly,' said the dragon.
    'Whose side are you on?' demanded Rupert, feeling he needed all the help he could get.
    'Anybody's who'll rescue me from this Princess,' said the dragon feelingly.
    The Princess kicked him.
    Rupert closed his eyes a moment. When he got back to Court he intended to give the minstrels explicit instructions on how to sing their songs. This kind of thing needed to be pointed up more. He coughed politely, and the Princess swung angrily back to face him.
    'What's your name?' he asked.
    'Julia. Princess Julia of Hillsdown.'
    'Well, Princess Julia, you have two choices. Come back to my Castle with me and the dragon, or stay here on your own.'
    'You can't