That was before! Now youll have lots of suitors.
I dont believe it! Surely this was my only chance for happiness. Fiancés arent for me.
Youll have hundreds of them! Thousands! And Ill deal with them all! Reason snatched a stiletto from one of the knights beside him and sharpened his claws.
The dragon left deep parched pits in the field from which strange creatures, either dwarves or dwarf-like monsters, were crawling. They shook their skinny black fists in displeasure and protested against the dragon.
Who were they? Estella had never seen such bizarre creatures in her life.
Boggles, said Reason, sounding reluctant. I cant stand them, though theyre better than boogeys.
Whats the difference?
Theyre just as bad, but theyre werewolves, too. They can turn into dogs and attack, Reason clung to Estella. Get a grip on your horse!
One of the boggles, with its weird red hat, galloped right out beneath the horses hooves, and the horse bucked.
Dont you know how to use spurs? Reason reprimanded me. Spur the horse, and let him gallop faster.
The horse calmed down as soon as the boggle ran past. The knights, who had not seen Reason, spotted the boggles and began to baptize.
What warriors they are! Theyll run to the temple at the first sign of trouble and leave the Princess alone in the field, Reason hissed in frustration.
Arent you afraid of boggles? Theyre miniature goblins!
You got that right. The dragon disturbed them. They would have been slumbering under the battlefield. The blood of fallen warriors fed them. Look how red their hats have turned. They become so red from the blood spilled above, and the boggles themselves sit beneath the soil and laugh at the fighting humans.
Reason spotted tiny creatures, each no bigger than Estellas little finger. They were moving in a flock away from one of the dragon-burned pits.
Hold your horse here! He commanded Estella.
Whats that for?
Dont ask! Do it!
Estella obeyed. Reason jumped down, climbed into the hole, brazenly dispersed a flock of midgets, and came back with a whole pot of gold coins. He threw away the pot of clay and poured the gold into the saddlebag of Estellas horse.
Leprechauns always have something to eat! He explained. Ill hide it in a hiding place under the throne.
What do we need so much gold for?
It is just in case there is a rainy day.
Are we so poor that we have to steal from the leprechauns? She turned her attention to the flock of midgets waving their fists in anger at Reason. He left them nothing but shards of broken pot, and took all the coins for himself. Shall we give them all back?
And what shall we do ourselves when times of famine come?
Dont joke, the country is prospering!
Thats for now! With a kindness like yours, it wouldnt take long for the kingdom to be wasted, Reason began lecturing her again. You might as well cover your ears for him!
Promise youll never steal again! Estella asked.
Youd better tell that to the dragon. Hes probably back in the dungeons, sleeping rough and snacking on guards.
So thats where cellar guards often disappear to. The dragon eats them!
And tell him not to drink anymore! Reason quipped. If you take away his keg of beer, hell be so angry hell snack on you.
I dont believe you. They say dragons adore princesses.
It doesnt care if it eats a princess or a man in a chain mail. Take my word for it. When hes drunk, he doesnt know the difference. And hes drunk all the time.
All right, all right, I believe you! Estella spurred her horse, and thought to herself that she would meet her dragon again. She liked him very much. He was beautiful, graceful, scaly, like a huge flying emerald. And what a protector he would be if she were to wean him off his alcoholic beverages.
If Reason were to slander him from the vein, what kind of defender would he be? After all, if the dragon were obedient, with such a strong friend, the princess could rule without reason.
Entertainment
Estella wanted to throw a ball to celebrate the resolution of the war problem. But Reason dissuaded her.
A ball is too expensive, he said. And there will be a great many people there too. A dragon, attracted by the noise, might crawl into the ball and frighten away all the guests.
Very well, then! I want to see it again! Estella clapped her hands together in joy. Lets hurry up and make the ball so the dragon will come to us, or fly over.
You are fool, he will not give you a bouquet of roses, and will die fire so that the entire ballroom will burn!
Can he ask a girl to dance? Or does the difference in size prevent us from dancing?
He can. But it will be your last dance on fire and ashes.
Dont scare me!
Did you see what he did to your knights?
But Im a princess, not a knight.
Not everyone is gentle with princesses, either. The dragon is a savage! He wont woo you.
Estella scowled like a hurt child. And why should she be the only one to obey Reason in everything? She wanted to do things her own way. But if she did her own way, without listening to Reason, she would be a fool again. How hard it is to live! If you do what you want, you will be called a fool, and if you submit to Reason, you will be deprived of all the fun you want.
Then there will be no ball! Estella sighed.
No, it is of course not. It will cost a great deal of money. Guests from other realms might come, and youd have to feed and wine them all, and entertain them all to the highest standards. And if you dont please them with the quality of drinks and refreshments, you can expect another war to be declared.
But you have so much gold stashed under the throne? Dont you have enough for a decent ball?
Reason clamped a clawed paw over her mouth. The treasures in the hiding place for a special purpose.
For what purpose is it?
Estella struggled to wriggle out of his claws.
Shall I tell you later?
What does it mean?
The right time comes. In the meantime, forget about balls, carnivals, masquerades, and feasts.
It is except the coronation, Estella reminded him.
Yes, the coronation is essential, said Reason. We cant do without it, Reason sighed. But wed better get it over to June or theyll think youre Mays queen, he chuckled.
He chuckled muffled at his own joke. Estella was embarrassed, for even she knew that May queens were usually proclaimed the prettiest peasant women who attended the spring village dances. To be May queen means to be queen for just one day.
I would set your coronation for the night. Midnight would be the best time.
Alas, tradition says you can only be crowned in the morning, no later than noon.
But then it wont be your last coronation, Reason muttered cryptically to himself, but Estella heard him.
What do you mean?
About your destiny, he scratched his paws. Ill make you the only queen on the planet, and Ill be your only advisor.
Oh, well, that sounds like a fantastic plan, Reason. Estella grumbled unhappily. Shes already finding Aluars crown too heavy for her, and hes going on about the world.
You do know there will be a fancy-dress ball after the coronation, she quipped. You cant cancel it. My predecessor, the legendary Queen Raymonda, established the tradition of a masquerade ball after the coronation.
She was rumored to be a dragon! Youd better not compare yourself to her, or the people will revolt against you.
Why dont we have the ball now instead of after the coronation? I want to dance.
It is absolutely not! We wont be alone at the ball. You must spend more time in my company if you want to get wise. Lets keep it simple and for only two people.
And so he and Reason sat down to play chess. He climbed the board, rearranging the pieces, and resembled a bizarre black monkey. Except that his sharp, werewolf-like claws left deep scratches on the chessboard.