[ TT ] [ WP ] The King has sent you , a wandering mercenary , to slay the Dragon and bring the Princess home . However , upon arriving at the Dragon 's Keep , you learn the Princess was not kidnapped , but instead is a runaway .

“ Put me down! ” the girl yelled slamming her fists against my back. “ I order you to put me down. ” 
 
 
 “ Sorry, Princess but I ’ ve got orders from the King and last time I checked he out ranks. ” I climbed down the towers stairs the young Princess bouncing up and down over my shoulder. 
 
 
 “ I don ’ t care what my Dad says; I told you I ’ m not leaving! ” I sighed, wishing I could warn my younger self about the foolishness of any attempts at naïve chivalry. This rescue was looking more and more like a Kidnapping every moment. 
 
 Also didn ’ t help that said princess was about half a decade younger than most valiant knight would like to imagine and… “ Ow, what in God ’ s name? ” She bit me! This little brat bit me! I grabbed at my ear and in the process the *fair* princess Agatha squeezed free, and cursed again when I noticed blood on my fingertips. She rushed up the stairs and I followed grasping from the streams of her dress, always a hairs breadth out of reach. We reached the top of the tower and she then slammed the door into my out stretched arm. I ’ ve fought ghouls that have given me fewer scars than this little girl! I withdrew my arm and the door slammed shut. I kicked the door a few times just enough to hurt my toes and establish that it was very solid and likely reinforced wood, that I was unlikely to breakthrough anytime soon. 
 
 
 “ Princess, your father is very worried about you. Don ’ t you want to see your family again? ” I asked. 
 
 
 “ No he doesn ’ t. He doesn ’ t care at all ” she said. 
 
 
 “ Of course he does! He ’ s your father isn ’ t he? ” I said sitting down on the landing before the door. 
 
 
 “ Shut up, just shut up and leave me alone, please! ” We sat there in silence as I removed arm guards to examine them where the door had slammed. “ If he really cared he ’ d know why I left. ” I tried to think back to old King Baldric. His search for his daughter seemed a strictly practical affair, but I must admit I am rather ignorant of the familial ties of fathers since I rather lacked one myself growing up. ” Sorry about your arm ” she said. I was surprised by her concern, but other than some heavy bruising on the forearm there were no broken bones. 
 
 
 “ I ’ ve had worse. ” I lied. “ Being a Knight you know, were prepared for these sorts of things. I ’ m sure it ’ s just a arrghungh ” I groan in pain and grit my teeth. 
 
 
 “ Are you alright? ” she asked. 
 
 
 “ What no of course I ’ m, ahhhhh ” I stand leaning against the wall and then collapse on the floor in a most brave and heroic fashion. 
 
 
 “ Knight? Sir Knight? ” after pause I heard the door unlock and swing open at which point I sprang to my feet and over power the girls meager strength to force my way into her chamber. I just wish to remind everyone that I was hired by the King, her father, to do this; that makes it okay. The princess sprung backwards and ran toward the chambers balcony. I followed shortly after and under the glare of the sun grabbed her by the wrist and then it felt perhaps a bit unseasonably warm, perhaps for a moment. Then I turned oh, that right. I was supposed to slay a dragon. I ’ m always forgetting these things. 
 The perching on the root was Dragon staring at me with jewels for eyes it barred its teeth. I rose up my left hand in defense and before I knew I knew what was happening it was engulfed in flames. I screamed in pain and strategically withdrew back to the princess ’ s chambers patting the flames dead as which point the beast leaped and bit into my ankle and I feel to floor in a heap. 
 
 
 “ Rocky heal! ” shouted the Princess moments before the monster was about the lunge for my neck. I slithered back eyes still on me and trotted over the stand by the princess like an obedient hound. The Princess rested her hand on the Dragons back. Despite the dragon being nearly as tall as she was, the princess seemed unconcerned. “ Knight, I don ’ t know what lies my Dad has told you but you can tell him this most certain truth. I am not going back, and there is no way I am ever going to let anyone kill Rocky! ” she said hugging her dragon around the neck. Rocky stared down at me and I knew that before long no one absolutely no one was going to be able harm either of them ever again. 

