Chapter 15

"I shall really miss you when you return home, Your Highness" said the dragon as the pair sat outside his cave one morning in early April, the day before the Princess Sara was due to begin her long walk back home - she was still not permitted to ride the horse, and so would need to start soon if she were not to be late.

"I'll miss you, Bill" replied the Princess, moving away from him as he exhaled cigar smoke - at least he was smoking a decent brand by this time!

"I see you have finally managed to capture a damsel - well done! I'm so incredibly happy for you, old chap!"

They both turned towards the cave entrance, where one of the village maidens was securely tied to an iron ring fixed in the rock. She was wriggling desperately in a hopeless and doomed attempt to get free. For reasons best known to herself she did not seem to share Princess Sara's happiness at the dragon's final success in damsel capturing after so many disappointments.

"Mind you, Bill, old fellow, she's not half as good looking as I am! It will only be a pretty third grade knight who comes to her rescue. She could be in for very long wait indeed, poor girl!"

The dragon sighed sadly at this. "I suppose so - but one has to start somewhere! A journey of a thousand miles begins with just a single step. And she doesn't look too bad, especially if the lighting is satisfactory and you view her from the right angle."

"With your eyes closed is the best way to look at her!" replied the unkind Princess in a voice loud enough for the captive to hear.

"Another disappointment is that she is not naked like you." complained the dragon. "I shall miss looking at your nice tits, that tanned flat stomach, rounded, gorgeous, tight, firm young rump, and the whole golden skinned loveliness of you, after you leave tomorrow. I really will!"

Sara blushed prettily and smiled even more prettily at this compliment. She then stood up and went over to the captive damsel. She looked back at the dragon.

"If you want her to be naked, then why not undress her? It's getting warmer every day - she won't freeze!"

"I don't like to interfere with her to that extent" said the dragon. "I feel rather embarrassed about handling her that intimately."

"Well - here's one last favour. Think of it as a good-bye present!" said the Princess with a silvery laugh, which caused the dragon to regret even more that this lovely neighbour was so shortly to be gone. With these words she ripped off the poor girl's peasant clothes, after which she bent down and removed her boots. Sara's delicate, beautiful little nose wrinkled disgustedly as the odour from the girl's unwashed feet reached her sensitive royal nostrils. "There, young lady, that'll teach you not to out late in defiance of your father's wishes. Parents have good reason for making these rules." she muttered to the cowering and shivering girl.

She walked back to her place next to the dragon and resumed her squatting position at his side.

"There you are, my scaly, cigar smoking neighbour! One naked damsel! If you value my advice you will give her a good hosing down. She's really high! Stinks to high Heaven. I can't decide if I did the right thing or not in stripping her for you. I mean to say, just look at her! She's so horribly flabby, and her skin tone is terrible - spots all over her! Not enough exercise and too much junk food - disgusting! No knight in his right senses would ever ride to the rescue of that! Best let her go in a couple of days. The knight would only kill you, anyway - they always do, you know! You hadn't been told that, had you?"