Princess Serene wasn't normally the screaming type, but she made an exception for flying through the air at high speed, a thousand feet or more above the countryside, clutched in the grasp of a large red dragon and held against his chest.
Barely a minute ago she'd been on the ramparts of the castle, enjoying the warm summer air and waiting for her history teacher to show up. Then, it had gotten dark suddenly, she had heard people shouting, and something had grabbed her and lifted her up from behind – and now, here she was, flailing futilely against a creature several times her size, wind whipping her long golden-blonde hair about her face and blowing her white dress every which way.
She ceased her struggles as she realized both that they were pointless, and that even if she did manage to get free, she would plummet to the ground and be smashed to bits in some farmer's field. I'm better than that, she told herself, trying to take stock of her situation. For lack of anything better to do with her hands, clad in silk gloves that went up to her elbows, she held onto the dragon's huge digits that were wrapped around her waist and legs, clinging to them to make sure that, even if its grip slipped, she wouldn't plunge to her death. While her screams had fallen on deaf ears, the dragon was holding her securely, yet delicately, and didn't seem to want to hurt her, which meant he didn't intend to eat her. Probably. Dragons ransom off princesses, don't they? Unless some knight comes to save them…
The dragon was an impressive beast; it would have been over twice her height if standing on all fours, with a wingspan that quintupled its width, the massive appendages occasionally beating to keep it aloft but mostly held horizontal to allow it to glide. Most of its body was covered in bright red scales that glittered like rubies in the sunlight, doubtlessly requiring a special weapon to pierce, and even its yellow underbelly, which seemed softer and more flexible, would withstand any feeble flailing she could muster.
She certainly wasn't going to be able to fight it. So, she'd have to escape, from wherever it was she was being taken.
She turned her gaze forward, amazed at the huge distance they had covered already. Glancing back, her view was mostly obscured by dragon, preventing her from gauging the full distance. Looking forward once more, she saw that she was being taken up into the mountains, the very same mountains that everyone from peasant to court lady spoke of in hushed whispers, crossing themselves afterwards. Her heart sank; would anyone come to rescue her from such a place? Would she ever be able to escape and make it back on her own? She didn't even have appropriate clothes for a trek across the wilderness, let alone the knowledge.
As the dragon banked to the side and began to descend, she could see what she presumed was the destination: the ruins of an old keep, long since abandoned in some war or other. It probably had a name, but she didn't know it; maybe her history teacher knew, and had tried to tell her, and she had simply forgotten. The main building at the back was positioned against the edge of a cliff, with the walls extending forward to encompass a courtyard and a single tall tower that rose up several stories, no doubt providing a commanding view of the area.
As the dragon came in to land, it switched its grip to hold her in one hand, and landed at the foot of the tower, flapping its wings and landing feet-first, bending its rear legs to cushion the landing. Climbing up the tower exterior with its hindlegs and free foreleg, the structure apparently strong enough to bear its weight, the dragon carried Princess Serene up until it could place her on the tower balcony, much in the same way that she had once placed dolls in a dollhouse when she was much younger. The balcony was small and rectangular with solid stone railings that Serene grabbed onto to steady herself after the flight, a little woozy from being at high altitude, casting a forlorn glance at the surrounding barren mountains. Escape was seeming increasingly unlikely.
Meanwhile, the dragon continued to climb, its massive claws scraping against the stone audibly, and then making a strange rasping sound as it climbed onto the shingled conical tower roof. From out of her sight, the dragon curled around and lowered its head, tail peeking into her vision from the other side, the tip of it twitching idly back and forth like a cat's might. It was impressive that the tower took its weight – but I suppose it wouldn't bother taking over a keep that couldn't withstand it, she thought to herself.
She swallowed nervously as the dragon regarded her with large, golden eyes with slitted pupils, the two smooth horns on its head gleaming like polished ivory. What she could see of its body was covered in muscle, unsurprising for a fearsome predator like a dragon – how was any knight supposed to save her from those massive claws, the huge teeth, or whatever manner of infernal blaze it could blast forth from its maw if it felt like it? What would she do now? She might have to just wait and see what the dragon wanted with her – there was no way her abduction had gone unnoticed, and even now her father would be sending off knights to-
The dragon spoke.
"I hope the landing wasn't too rough, your highness." He – for with a deep voice like that, it seemed reasonable to assume it was a he – said to her, bowing his head in a dignified manner. Or at least what appeared to be an attempt at dignity. "Your rescue should arrive before sundown tomorrow. I hope you find your accommodations comfortable." She had expected barely-comprehendible bestial growls, yet instead, this dragon spoke as well as any member of court; it came in a deep rumble, sure, but it was inflected with a reassuring, almost parental tone, full of wisdom and cunning.
He… kidnapped me, to hold me for a rescue he already knows is coming? What's going on here? She wondered to herself, staring into those large eyes, two deep, entrancing pools of gold. Her thoughts wandered for so long that it made for an uncomfortably long pause in the conversation before she came back to her senses, realizing the dragon was waiting for a response.
Captive or not, she still had to conduct herself like a princess. Hoping the flush of her cheeks wasn't too obvious, she pulled herself up to her full stature, and with a flick of her wrist she sent her long, straight blonde hair back over her shoulder where it belonged, catching the sunlight with a flash of gold – the flight had made a mess of it, but this would have to do for now, and hopefully it looked good enough. Taking a breath, and placing her hands on her hips, she assumed her best courtly voice, and responded.
"While I… appreciate your concern over my comfort," she began, "if that's all you care about, why bother with the kidnapping to begin with? Bait for some dumb knight, so you can have something to fight for five minutes?" Maybe she could convince the dragon that he had better things to do than keep her captive.
The dragon looked at her skeptically, blinking once, the golden orbs of his eyes covered for a brief moment. "…were you not told?" He inquired, and upon seeing her blank stare, he lifted his head slightly and let out a deep almost wheezing sound that she realized after a moment was likely supposed to be a sigh. "This is all for show." The dragon explained in a patient, but weary voice, "Your father paid me – quite handsomely – to kidnap you. The townsfolk see a dragon carry off their beloved princess, the king sends off some knights, one of them returns a hero and marries her, and they all live happily ever after. Dragon included. It happens all the time."
Lowering his head again, the dragon returned his gaze to the princess. "It's a lot easier than stealing treasure, you know." He remarked conversationally, "And much less dangerous, too. Once in a while there'll be a knight who actually knows what he's doing and…" The dragon trailed off before making a rumbling, coughing noise that was likely an approximation of clearing one's throat. "…well, anyhow. They usually let the princess know so that she doesn't get scared to death."
There was another awkward pause as Princess Serene stared at the dragon, processing what he had just said. Then, with a furious scream that didn't suit her name, she turned on the spot, clenched her fists, and swung in impotent rage at the stone rampart. She immediately regretted her decision to slam solid stone as hard as she could, cursing in a very un-princesslike manner as she rubbed at her hands to ease the pain. "That stupid, arrogant, pile of… rrrgh!" She turned again, even angrier now at the pain throbbing in her hands, startled as she saw the dragon, having completely forgotten there was a witness. "Oh! Er," she began, doing her best to compose herself, "sorry about that. You're fine, you're just doing a job, I guess."
The dragon watched her quite calmly, unafraid of the flailing fists of a delicate woman who wouldn't be able to hurt him even if she hit him. "My apologies." He said sincerely, inclining his head toward her. "If it helps, you're not the first princess who was less than pleased with the situation, but I'm just here as a facilitator. If not me, then some local baron might lock you in a dungeon instead, or some mad wizard, or the barbarians in the hills, or…" He glanced at Princess Serene, who seemed more and more uncomfortable with each presented alternative scenario. "…in any case, I trust you will find your accommodations here more comfortable than a prison cell, or a cage suspended in the air."
With one claw, he gestured downward, and spoke a word that Serene not only didn't recognize, but was fairly sure she wouldn't be able to pronounce if she tried. The balcony doors behind her clicked and swung open smoothly by some draconic magic, and as she turned to look, she saw a surprisingly luxurious room with a huge bed. This dragon treats his prisoners better than most humans, she thought to herself.
"I understand if you are upset, but please don't break anything." He added, a slight hint of pleading in his voice. "Princess Valeria was very unhappy, and I had to replace several of the flower pots after her rescue."
Princess Serene glowered at the door in her leftover frustration, making her way to the bed and flopping onto it face-first, leaving the door open behind her so she could continue to chat. The bed was exceptionally cozy, especially after having spent several minutes suspended in the dragon's grip; he was gentle, but it was still far from comfortable. "Well, it's better than my last cell, at any rate," She remarked, trying not to wonder right now if that had been a set-up, too, and abandoning all attempts at proper princessly speech. "So, how's the kidnapping racket work out for you, anyway? Seems profitable, at least."
She heard his claws scraping on the roof and stone, presumably so he could get into a better position to observe. "It works out rather well, I must say," He remarked, "I get more treasure, the knights become heroes, the kings keep the peasants' minds off of revolting, everyone wins… except the princesses who don't want to get married, I suppose, but I stay out of human affairs." He made a funny noise, something that Serene took as a sign of amusement. "Like the whole marriage thing to begin with! If a knight desires you for his mate, he should just bring you some treasure, or food – any suitable gift, really – and present himself to you."
Eugh. Princess Serene focused very hard on not letting that particular mental image take root, as it was one she certainly didn't need right now. The dragon continued conversationally, "…but, I suppose that's why I have an entire mountain range to myself, and you humans fight each other over small bits of land."
"It is stupid!" She responded angrily, crimping up the blankets in her hands, turning to look at the dragon with impotent anger directed at her general situation. "People are always forcing responsibilities I never asked or cared for on me, even while making sure I'm the docile little princess, all dolled up without any God-damned agency over anything!" She slumped a little on the bed. "I swear, you have the good life compared to what I put up with every day, believe you me."
He snorted at that; at first she thought he was angry, but then realized he was simply amused. "That I do, princess," he said; she had rarely been so disappointed to have someone agree with her. "I'm afraid I can't quite help with that predicament – I've been paid quite well to keep you here, and I am a dragon of my word and honor – but if you require anything to make your stay more comfortable, any particular food or books, you need only ask. Just call for me; I will hear it." Inclining his head, he added, "My name is Sarynn. May I have yours?"
She gave a small smile as she tried out his name, grateful that it wasn't too hard to pronounce. "Sarynn, huh? Suits you. My name's Serene, which doesn't fit nearly so well. Pardon me if I don't get up to curtsy." 
"Of course, Princess Serene." The dragon responded. She flopped down onto the bed, resigned, assuming the conversation was over… until something he had just said registered fully, and she propped herself up on one elbow. "Wait – did you say you had some books?" she asked.
He had started to lift his head away, but returned quickly. "Hm? Why, yes. And not just some books, princess. It is quite an extensive collection. Eastridge Keep boasts a rather impressive library!" He lifted his head, looking rather proud of his claim. "I suppose it was a feast hall or something when I first got here, but a room that large, I can fit into, even after lining it with tall bookshelves. And you'd be surprised how readily people pay in books instead of gold! Both are good to collect, of course," he remarked conversationally, as if it were the most obvious statement in the world, "but I suspect most humans don't recognize the true value of books." 
He made a deep, uneven rumbling noise that Serene approximated as a chuckle. "The bookshelves themselves, there's a good story about those, when there was a book-burning a while back – humans can be so foolish sometimes – but they just left the library bare and abandoned… but I can tell you later. Come with me, princess, and I will be happy to show you around. If you do not wish to take the stairs, I can bring you down."
Excited at the opportunity to do something more interesting than stare at the horizon, Princess Serene grinned and got up off the bed quickly, stepping back out onto the balcony. "Oh, gladly. Once I got over the screaming part, the flight in was pretty incredible, honestly."
"Of course!" Sarynn responded, "I can barely imagine how awful it must be to have to walk everywhere." This time around was much less uncomfortable, as he was able to take his time to get a better grip around her body, and it only took a few seconds for him to climb his way back down the tower to the ground. It was much faster than taking the stairs would have been; at the time of her abduction, the princess had been wearing overly ostentatious and incredibly impractical high-heeled shoes.
As Sarynn set her down in front of a huge pair of doors to the main building, he commented, "I am very fortunate that those who built this place thought to include high, wide archways, otherwise I would never fit." With another gesture and a word of power, he opened the enormous doors and strode on ahead, leading the way forward. Following along, the princess shook her head in thought; until today, she'd only seen dragons in pictures, tapestries, or stained-glass murals, where they were invariably either breathing fire at things or getting stabbed. Yet, here she was following one into his library to chat about books while effectively taking a vacation from the annoyances of court. How much weirder was this day about to get?
"Are you looking for a particular tome, princess?" the dragon inquired as he rounded the corner into what had once been a great hall. All the walls were lined with bookshelves that went quite a bit higher than her, but were perfectly reachable for the dragon, which was presumably why there wasn't a ladder to be seen. They were quite stuffed with books, top to bottom, sometimes two rows tall or deep or even both, and even a few disorganized piles of books were scattered around yet to be sorted – or perhaps there was simply no room for them. Even the tops of the shelves had a few stacks.
"Not particularly," she replied glumly, looking around the impressive collection. "Have any fiction?"
"Not much, but I do have a few of those over here." He said, leading her over to one side of the room. His modesty proved to be a massive understatement – that, or by 'a few' he meant 'a few bookshelves', as there were more tomes of fiction there than she could read in a whole year. "Have you read any of these?" he asked, gesturing to the lower shelves where she could see the titles on the spines.
"Certainly not. I'm not allowed to read at the castle, outside of my studies. The King," she said with the best disparaging tone she could manage, "says 'It puts too many strange ideas in your head'. Of course, to him, having any ideas is a novel concept." Clenching her fists and grinding her heel against the ground, she realized after a moment that she was pointlessly griping to someone who already had said he wouldn't help her with those particular problems.
Her upcoming apology was cut off by the dragon. "Not allowed to read?" Sarynn burst out, turning around to face her, "How do they expect you to learn proper sorcery if you don't read? You can't just be told runes of power!"
"Learn sorcery?" She blurted back, "You have some very outdated ideas of what a princess is allowed to do. For starters…"
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Serene's long diatribe about the exact details of the mundanity of a princess's life was ultimately met with a stunned look and a blunt, yet not inaccurate "How dreadful." From there, she picked out a book, and he left her to her own devices to go and do… dragon things, whatever those were. Fly over some farms, maybe, steal some sheep perhaps. Then again, considering how different he is than I expected, I wouldn't be surprised if he's off in another room having tea and knitting a scarf.
To her surprise, despite the generally dilapidated state of the keep as a whole, the books were in excellent condition, and the room itself seemed magically lit. She became deeply engrossed in her book and didn't even realize how long she had spent reading it until she looked up at the window and saw it was getting dark outside as the evening set in. Taking the book with her, she went back up the tower to her room, and was even more surprised to find a serving dish on the bedside table, with a full meal underneath it.
I could get used to this, she thought to herself as she ate, heading out to explore a bit once she finished. The front gate was shut fast, naturally, and most of the rooms of the keep were completely bare, already picked clean of everything of value long before Sarynn had come. The only other room she found in use was another large hall, perhaps the throne room for the keep lord at some point in the past, which now served as Sarynn's hoard. Heaps of treasure were scattered about, mostly gold and silver coins, but other works of art as well, from things as mundane as cups and plates to statues and suits of ceremonial armor. The dragon himself was sprawled out on top of a heap of coins, rather contentedly as well, tail flicking as he regarded her impassively with one eye as she looked around. When's the last time I was content? This dragon's living the high life, that's for sure…
Retiring to her room to read and eventually sleep, she awoke the next day feeling refreshed like never before – usually because someone came to wake her up for something instead of letting her sleep. Looking around, she was only mildly surprised to find a tall mirror in the room with a bronze frame next to a set of ivory combs and brushes. She used them to fix up her appearance, straightening her hair from the tangled mess it had gotten into. Her clothes had seen better days and would need a proper ironing, but she looked more princessly now. After lifting the serving dish lid to find a hearty breakfast waiting, she ate and then settled in to read, picking up where she left off.
It was deeply disappointing to eventually be snapped out of her focus by a trumpet blast from outside the walls late in the afternoon. I'm not even halfway through the book! she thought to herself, willing the new arrival to go away and come back later. Sadly, she knew that wouldn't work, and headed out to the balcony to watch as Sarynn came out into the courtyard. On the other side of the wall, she could see an armored knight and his squire standing near a pair of horses, flying a banner she didn't recognize.
The knight was shouting with an impressively loud voice, issuing challenges, intentions of vengeance for her kidnapping, demands for trial by combat, and a few insults mixed in for good measure. He was unable to see Sarynn on the other side of the wall as the dragon sat down, spade-tipped tail curled around his side as he listened, mostly with amusement, but commenting "Speak for yourself" as his nostrils flared when the knight called him smelly.
When he had heard enough, Sarynn gestured to the gate and opened it, getting onto all fours and assuming a more fearsome position. "How does this go again…?" he mused for a moment before making a gravelly sound as he cleared his throat, taking a breath and raising his voice.
"Pathetic human!" he roared, taking on a more fearsome tone in line with what Serene had been first expecting after her abduction. "Your princess is mine, and she will be my bride. If you wish to win her back, you will have to defeat me! Flee now, or face my wrath!"
Well, he got to the point a lot faster than the knight. Princess Serene thought, rolling her eyes as she started to settle in on the balcony to watch. She realized she was supposed to be part of this whole charade too, and ought to be calling for help, perhaps. But she didn't really care enough to play along, and instead simply settled on not making any rude comments. She ignored the cold stone under her feet – she had foregone her high-heeled shoes, which were uncomfortable even at the best of times, but it had left her barefoot instead. Her handmaiden would probably notice and have some words, but she didn't care.
She watched as the knight and the dragon squared off, in a show fight even more obvious than a street performer. The knight's swings of his sword were slow and wide, and Sarynn's claw swipes were overly telegraphed. When he breathed fire, it came out only in short blasts and missed by a mile. It was a total mockery, the underwhelming conclusion to her kidnapping for show, a complete sham played out for control over her… not unlike court life so far, really.
Thankfully, the farce didn't go on for too long. Sarynn suddenly reared back with a fading roar, and flopped onto his side overly dramatically (taking care not to crush his wing), shaking the tower slightly. "Oh no," he said in a tone bordering on overly hammy, "I am bested this day. The princess I have stolen is your rightful prize. I am vanquished!" With that, he closed his eyes and went still, except for the obvious rising and falling of his chest despite his 'death'.
Princess Serene straightened up as the knight turned to her and looked up, raising the lower part of his mask to call out to her. "Have no fear, Princess Sarah!" he shouted, making her clench her fists in irritation at the fact that he hadn't even gotten her name right. "I will be up to rescue you in but a minute!" He lowered his visor once more, and clanked off… away from the tower, sword still drawn, moving toward the dragon's neck.
Her eyes went wide as she realized what was about to happen. "H-hey, wait! You're not supposed to-" Realizing he wouldn't stop, she instead leaned forward on the balcony and inhaled, shouting as loud as she possibly could, "SARYNN! GET BACK!"
Without waiting to see if her warning was sufficient, she ran back inside, grabbing the first large object she could find: one of the flower vases. She rushed down the stairs two at a time, the vase under one arm as she held the railing with the other, grateful that she had already abandoned her high heels. As she descended, she heard an enraged roar, followed by a much longer and larger blast of flame. He knew… that knight knew this was a sham, but he was going to kill Sarynn anyway! Her coherent thoughts contrasted with the incoherent stream of undignified cursing that came from her mouth, which would have shocked anyone at the castle to hear. At least the sound told her that the knight hadn't killed Sarynn…
Sadly, the tables hadn't fully turned, as she still heard the dragon stomping around as he got to his feet to face the attacker, and the clanking of the knight's plate armor. "What is the meaning of this? We have an agreement! You get the princess!" she heard Sarynn shout, the fury in his voice plain to hear.
Why is this tower so high? she thought as she rushed down the stairs, past tiny windows that were never oriented correctly to let her see outside.
"Why settle for a princess when I can bring back a dragon's head and all of its treasure?" She heard the knight respond. "Foul beast, your scourge ends here!"
She burst out of the tower doors just in time to see Sarynn step back away from an overhead sword slash, and for the knight to leap back out of the way of a claw swipe that could have disemboweled a man in one stroke. The knight clearly wasn't all talk; he must have been a competent fighter to last even this long one-on-one with a dragon, and he was surprisingly agile for being in full plate – his armor possibly even enchanted, at that. Sarynn lowered his head and let out a blast of flame that struck the knight dead-on as he raised his shield, but the flames flowed to either side of it, and what would have melted or burnt to a crisp any normal man left him no worse for wear. The knight lunged, and Sarynn stepped back again, flaring out his wings for balance.
"I will be Sir Ronald the Dragonslayer!" the knight taunted, approaching with his shield raised and sword held ready. "The whole realm will know my name!"
Princess Serene dearly wanted to respond to that, but realized that – just this once – it would be far better for her to keep her scathing tongue in check. Out of desperation, she stepped forward and hurled the vase at the knight, hoping that if nothing else it would at least serve as the distraction Sarynn needed. Unfortunately, Sarynn's eyes flicked over to her as she moved, and the knight noticed; turning on the spot, he caught the vase on his shield where it shattered harmlessly, making Sarynn wince and dig his claws into the dirt.
"Foul beast!" Ronald cried out as he turned back to Sarynn before the dragon could take advantage of the opportunity. "You put her under a spell!"
The dragon reared up and took a quick slash at the knight, barely missing as his target twisted out of the way. "I think not," he rumbled, "I think she's as fed up with you as I am." Quickly retreating several steps and considering his options, Sarynn fixed the knight with a sharp gaze, ready for whatever he might try.
"Lies!" the knight responded, "She will be my princess, and I will not leave without her. I am more than a match for any dragon!"
"I'm not going anywhere with you, creep!" Princess Serene exclaimed.
Ignoring her and focusing on the knight, Sarynn raised a foreleg, keeping his distance. "Is that so? Tell me, then…" His claws traced a motion in the air, weaving some magic far more deeply powerful than merely opening a door; Princess Serene saw burning purple runes appearing in the air around his hand.
"…can you defeat two dragons?"
Suddenly, ribbons of purple light shot from Sarynn's hand, twisting through the air. Ronald dodged, but they weren't aimed at him – Princess Serene realized with a sudden shock that they were aimed at her! She tried to step back, but as the ribbons approached, they spread out and surrounded her, forming circles of runed lines on the ground around her. Suddenly frozen in place, Princess Serene was at least relieved to be able to still breathe, but she felt strange and tingly all over her body, almost like pins and needles but without the painful part.
The knight stared in shock at her, dropping his guard. "Vile demon, what have you done-" he began, but was cut off as Sarynn took advantage of the opening, swiping with his other foreleg. With a heavy clang of metal, Ronald was sent flying, dropping his sword, and landing in a clattering heap by the gate, saved by his armor from a blow that would normally shatter bones. 
To Princess Serene's dismay, he got back up, if a little slowly, using his shield as leverage to push himself off the ground. She tried to move, but was still bound firmly in place. What was happening to her? Either way, maybe she could help with Sarynn's distraction to finish off the knight. "If you won't fight fair, Ron, why should we?" she taunted. Then, she let out a gasp as the magic lifted her into the air for a few moments, pulling her back to the center of the circle before dropping her down as the runes dissipated all at once. Suddenly she could move again, but an eyeblink later, she felt her right hand swelling and stretching, bulging outward in a way that looked like it ought to be painful, but wasn't. Not that that stopped her from panicking, but as her forearm followed suit, she noticed that it felt so much stronger, unlike the delicate, frail arms she normally had. The long white glove on her arm tore in several places before ripping open entirely and falling to the ground in tatters, revealing her normally-pale skin – but now it was bright red, as though flushed with blood. Her fingers curled and lengthened into draconic digits, fingernails hardening and extending into sharp ebony claws, patches of skin starting to harden into scales – slightly darker than Sarynn's, more of a crimson than his ruby red, but no less smooth, shiny, or beautiful. She stared at it in awe, flexing it experimentally as the scaling continued up her arm to her shoulder, muscle forming on her upper arm.
Can you defeat two dragons? Suddenly the full meaning of Sarynn's words fully registered. Her panic was replaced with excitement as she felt the raw power of her new limb, and she grinned from ear to ear, which was apparently an unsettling sight for the knight.
"The princess!" Ronald cried, drawing Princess Serene's attention from her arm. "You… you monster!" He dashed over to try and retrieve his sword, moving surprisingly quickly for how much armor he had. But Sarynn was quicker; quite casually, with a flick of his wrist and a lowly-uttered word of power, Sarynn sent the sword flying up high into the sky and out of sight over the back of the keep's walls. 
"Sit back and watch, little human," he said flatly; with the knight disarmed, he had nothing to fear. "It would be good for you to learn why not to break your word to a dragon!"
Princess Serene then felt her left leg stiffening, tingling all over. Her bare foot, sore from the run down the bare stone of the tower stairs, started to swell much like her hand. Her tiny toes began to lengthen and curl just as her hand had done, but into even bigger digits, toenails extending into enormous and deadly ebony talons that started to dig grooves into the courtyard's dirt, the whole foot lengthening as her ankle raised up, leaving just her toes on the ground. Her knee bent suddenly as her leg grew scales, calf and thigh thickening as fragile skin was replaced with tough red dragonscale, covering powerful muscles – but with one leg now digitigrade and the other plantigrade, not to mention different sizes, she couldn't keep her balance for long, falling forward onto all fours, wiping the grin off her face.
Once on all fours, she felt her upper body swelling and straining against the overly fancy dress, which was about to experience much worse than a few creases. Seams creaked and popped until the top half of her dress was ripped apart entirely, the laces on the corset underneath giving way, exposing her mostly-bare torso where already patches of scales were forming. She winced, not from pain but rather from surprise, only half-watching the knight and the dragon as the latter loomed menacingly over the former. Mostly her new scales were the same deep red scales as those on her arm and leg, but now softer yellow scales much like Sarynn's were growing on her chest, running down the center of her front. As the red and yellow scales spread over her breasts, they shrank and flattened out against her body, instead becoming the muscles necessary to move her draconic upper body as it swelled out again, the spread of scales stopping partway down her torso, to her disappointment – silently and inwardly, she willed the changes to continue.
Snapping out of his shock, Ronald looked over at Sarynn as the dragon inhaled loudly, and immediately the knight dashed for the gate, taking cover behind it in time to avoid a long blast of flame. Sarynn took slow steps forward to stand by Princess Serene, clearly toying with the knight once more as Ronald took another sword from his squire – a sight that made the dragon gave a deep laugh. "You could not win even with a dirty trick and an enchanted sword, little knight" he taunted, "What chance do you have in a fair fight with an ordinary lump of steel?"
Princess Serene had nothing to say, especially as she felt a pleasant tingling intensifying at the base of her spine. And then, she suddenly felt more, more scale-covered flesh where there was none before. The sound of ripping fabric filled the air as her undergarments were torn apart by the tail that suddenly and rapidly grew out from her, making a pleased sigh escape her lips, eager to see this transformation through to the end. With a scant covering of scales that hardened and toughened up soon after, the whole appendage thickened and gained more muscle over the next several seconds. She was instinctively aware that she could knock someone off their feet with it, as spikes grew along the top from her tailbase to the far end, which once it stopped growing began to swell on the sides to form a spade-ended tip just like Sarynn's. With a little experimentation, she found that she could move it around just like an arm or leg, and turned her head to peer over her shoulder at it, watching it wag back and forth just as she willed it to. With some effort, she got back to her feet, using the tail to keep her balance now despite the differences in her legs.
The remnants of her clothing fell from her body once she was upright once more, two lumps on her back suddenly starting to form, pushing aside her hair as they expanded outwards. They began to unfurl like rolled-up parchment, getting bigger and bigger all the time, expanding into a great, majestic pair of wings, with an impressive wingspan sure to let her feel the joy of flight under her own power. The weight of them also forced her off-balance, and pushed her back down onto all fours, her right leg growing and twisting into digitigrade stance to match the left, scales covering it quickly. She flexed her wings, folding and unfolding them, tilting and flapping slowly with movements that seemed as natural to her as breathing.
Come on, hurry up! She thought impatiently to herself as she folded her wings, daydreaming of using them instead of paying attention to the insults and curses Ronald flung in lieu of a ranged weapon. I want to fly! She knew, just simply knew somehow the right way she could launch herself into the air with her hind legs, and beat her wings to stay aloft, and she so desperately wanted to try it she didn't even care that the as-yet untransformed parts of her were naked.
"You demon!" Ronald called out, leaning around the corner, "The king will have your head for this!" He quickly ducked back into cover as Sarynn opened his mouth and inhaled, but the dragon simply closed it again and chuckled.
"IF the King doesn't have YOUR head first," the dragon proclaimed, taking another step forward, "Then you can tell him that if he sends so much as a single soldier, his eldest daughter will be next! We dragons do not take kindly to liars and oath-breakers – like you." He put extra emphasis on the 'we' in 'we dragons', and Princess Serene felt his tail touching hers, sending a shiver up her spine – a sensual touch of scales against scales, in a way that was just meant to be. 
A gasp escaped her, and her tail froze for a moment before she rubbed it back against his own, all but forgetting about the knight's presence. She looked up at Sarynn, and in that moment she felt her face starting to shift; her mouth and nose extended outward as scales began to form over them, stretching out into a combined draconic muzzle. Her uselessly small teeth spread out inside the growing snout only to grow into long and sharp fangs with a mighty jaw, a combination that could rend and crush anything. Her tongue lengthened and thickened inside her mouth, and at the same time knowledge of the draconic language manifested inside her head, as if it had always been there like some long-forgotten memory. Her eyes shifted to the sides of her head as it grew in size overall, ears stretching out into scales and membranes that served as protective frills over the ear-holes themselves. Her vision blurred briefly, forcing her to blink repeatedly, but by the end of it her sight seemed so much sharper and clearer, the threads of magic around her that had been invisible moments ago now plain to see. Her long hair simply fell off of her scalp down to the ground, scales growing over her bald head. Two bumps formed just above her ears, from which in turn a pair of strong, ivory horns grew outward, sharp, hard and fearsome, if slightly smaller than Sarynn's.
Testing out her new sight, able to see much further into the distance than before, picking out finer details of the surrounding mountain range. She caught the motion of Ronald peering around the corner shield-first, and in the polished steel surface she saw her reflection – her eyes now golden orbs, just like those of the dragon standing next to her, with vertical slitted pupils. She saw her left arm swell out just as the first one had, tearing apart the glove on her left arm, which was summarily ripped open by her expanding arm, falling to the ground to join the rest of the destroyed clothing that lay there. Muscle grew on the dainty limb, useless fingernails became sharp claws, delicate skin replaced with superior dragon scale. With all her limbs changed, she now felt much more stable on all fours, comfortable even, but she wasn't done yet.
The knight trembled in place, her superior senses now able to pick up the sound of his rapid breathing and heartbeat and the rattling of his armor. "M-m-monster!" he cried out, "She's… she's a monster! She's been cursed! You cursed the princess!"
Sarynn barely even regarded the knight except to chuckle in response, leaning in and nosing her neck with his snout, eliciting a low rumble from her. "If she is a monster, she is the most beautiful monster I know." he murmured, a foreleg reaching out to scratch under her chin in just the right spot, making her eyes lid and her tail swish back and forth happily, filling her with contentment. Only her waist remained in its inferior original state, and she inwardly willed for it to hurry up and change already, so she could be a dragon from head to tail, wings flexing impatiently with the desire to try them out.
Not that she had to wait long; scales began to creep around her belly as she sensed the magic around her starting to fade, but not before it finished its task. Her hips broadened, tearing apart the very last remaining item of clothing still on her body: the lower half of her dress, already damaged. It tore open at the waist and fell to the ground in a useless heap where it belonged, leaving her naked just as a dragon like her ought to be. She shivered as she felt the cool outdoor air against her loins, bared to the world, but only until the yellow underbelly scales grew down far enough to cover them. Her slit became protected by those scales, forming a seal to shield it from the air – it would get cold high up in the sky, after all. Scales grew from the other side as well, joining her scaled tailbase to the rest of her scale-covered body, and continuing over her rump and between her cheeks, surrounding her other hole with yellow scaling. As the last scales covered up the final remnants of bare skin, her body swelled and grew all over, her front getting disproportionately larger at first until the rest of her caught up, scaling her body up to almost the same size as Sarynn himself.
Sarynn gave a low rumble of appreciation, the subtleties of his sounds now easily interpreted by her. "Mmm, perfect… I now have a queen of my own. From princess to dragon queen, hah! You're moving up in the world, my dear."
Serene caught movement from the corner of her eye; out of desperation and naught else, Ronald hurled a rock at her. But in her new form, she didn't need to care about such trifles, and the stone bounced harmlessly off her shoulder, the dragoness barely even feeling it strike. She was content to ignore it, but Sarynn turned and stomped forward, standing before her protectively, raising his head and flaring his wings to appear as large and imposing as possible.
"Come back, you coward!" he roared, as the knight and squire made a hasty retreat from the enraged dragon. "I thought knights were supposed to protect beautiful ladies, not throw rocks at them!"
Standing up fully, and walking forward on four limbs, she reached out and gently placed a forelimb on his back. "Sarynn, wait." she said, the dragon speech coming to her more naturally than the inelegant, clumsy human language she had known before. "He doesn't matter. They don't matter, not any more."
Turning back to her and ignoring the sound of horse hooves galloping into the distance, and some weak proclamation of returning another day, Sarynn stared at her, taking the time now to enjoy the splendor of her draconic body, the gleaming of her scales in the sunlight, the display of her wings as she fanned them out for him to see, and the rhythmic swaying of her tail. "Yes, you are right, my queen." he said to her, this time in the language of dragons, sounding so much more precise and eloquent than the rough, uncouth human speech that had disgraced his lips before.
With a wave of his hand, and a command in draconic she now understood perfectly, the gates at the front of the keep swung shut, and Sarynn walked to the main building, beckoning for her to follow with his tail. She came with him, as he brought her into his treasure room – where she stopped at the entrance, entranced by the glitter of the coins, gems and other treasures piled there, calling out to her enticingly with some instinct she had not had before. But it wasn't her hoard, and it was the height of offense to touch another dragon's treasure uninvited…
Ahead of her, she saw Sarynn stop and sweep an area with his tail, flattening out the pile of treasure, sending a glittering rain of silver and gold coins clattering to the floor. "Come, my queen. It is only us now."
Needing no further invitation, she clambered up onto the flattened part of the treasure mound and sprawled out on her front. The cool metal felt wonderful against her scales, the whole mound shifting, the loosely-arranged coins conforming to the shape of her body. It was theirs now, both of theirs, and she would have to add to it, to collect more coins and precious items to grow the hoard. Trying her wings out could wait just a little bit longer.
"All that I have is yours." He murmured into her ear as he lowered his head close to her own. "I can get more coins, and more gems, but you are irreplaceable, my queen…
"…you are the greatest treasure in my hoard."