Envy ran rampant amongst the captain’s own comrades when she was tasked to slay the dragon. The captain disagreed with the king’s notion to kill a dragon for its territory and only intended to make negotiations with the creature, but her comrades saw no difference. They cut her down in the forest, dragging her to the foot of its den in order to lure it out… but they were fools. The dragon, sensing their betrayal and trickery, turned their horses loose with a roar and slayed them all. As it approached her, she bowed her head in defeat only to be scooped up like a cub and taken into its den. The dragon tended to her wounds, showing no malice even as she turned one of his precious blue fabrics into a tourniquet. Judging by the vast amount of valuables within the dragon’s hoard, she realised that land wasn’t the only thing the king was after and further resented him.
She mused if she was part of the dragon’s hoard now since dragons tend to think in possessive terms, but saw that he never tried to stop her when she tried to leave. Instead, he would only come after her when she succumbed to her reopened wounds, slightly teasing her as he took her back into his den to care for her again. She found herself having deep conversations with him and laughing at his stories, intrigued by how much he knew about the kingdom’s history than the king himself. The more she grew attached to the dragon’s company the less she desired to return home, and it seemed the dragon was enjoying her company as well, but she knew she had to return. She wasn’t sure how to thank the dragon for his care even when he told her staying in his company for so long was all he needed. She gathered flowers and he watched her curiously as she created a crown out of them, and as she beckoned him close she placed it onto one of his horns. What she didn’t know was the implications of this kind gesture, and even when she found out she didn’t seem to mind.