was to do the same as he had done and knowing that it was most definitely going to go terribly wrong. My silly notion when first getting on the dragon that he was a living version of an aeroplane was now coming to fruition, just minus the water landing.
“Come on, Princess, considering which realm you have just come from I’m sure you have no doubt done far worse, than to give reason to play coy with me now,” the King said in a teasing way I failed to see until it was too late, as I was already taking the bait.
“I'm not playing coy with you!” I stated in a tone that was verging on huffy making him chuckle. Then he crossed his arms over his chest, making the material at his arms tighten even further.
“No? Then prove it,” he challenged.
“Prove it by getting off the dragon?” I confirmed before looking around me and trying to find a way off this thing that didn’t include a slip and slide.
“Prove it by trusting me to catch you when you get off the dragon,” he confirmed, and when I didn't do it quickly enough for him he gave the dragon another command, which made his pet tip even further towards where the King was stood. This made me shriek in fright and soon I couldn't get my leg its back over fast enough. However, in my haste to get down the dragon, I caught my foot and fell face first as my fear of making a fool out of myself was quickly becoming a reality.
Thankfully, however, the King must have for foreseen this calamity about to happen and managed to catch me before I fell face first on the ground before him.
“Whoa, and there she goes,” he commented in an amused tone before lifting me up and setting me down on my feet.
“Note to self, clumsy people should not ride dragons,” I mumbled, making him throw his head back and laugh.
“I shall have to remember that,” he said looking down at me, for now I could see that he was extremely tall, even taller than Lucius. In fact, other than Ragnar and what little time I had spent around Caspian, it was the shortest I had ever felt. Which was why I blurted out without thinking,
“How tall are you?” He grinned down at me, before lowering half his body bending at the waist and whispering a single word,
“Tall.”
After this he motioned me to follow him by sweeping out an arm, causing his wide sleeves to sweep barely an inch from the floor. Honestly, I kept on expecting some director to shout cut, and the King here to then shake himself out of playing his character and introduce himself as Dave. Because it was like being in some damn movie! It had me wondering if Tolkien himself had accidently fallen into this realm and that was where he had got most of his ideas from… apart from the dragons of course. I swear but I came a foolish heartbeat away from asking him if he knew of any hobbits, and even found myself checking his hands for a gold ring… one to rule them all… I thought on a silent snigger.
Of course, this also had me itching to ask if Rivendell was his neighbouring kingdom or if he knew anyone called Elrond or Aragorn. Thankfully, I refrained from the urge as I didn't think it would go down too well. Besides, right at that moment there were much more important things that I wanted to know, and I was already an expert at Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit. I wasn’t, however, an expert on the Elemental Realm.
This was why I let him lead me into his stunning crystal castle that I could see now was carved and decorated in a series of art nouveau designs, that I would have expected from Fae life. I knew the elemental beings existed as I had read enough books to suggest that they were real. And even if I hadn’t, I was still in the know thanks to my aunty Pip, as she was born in this realm. Which naturally meant that given my curious nature (thanks, Mum) I would often ask her to tell me stories about what it was like.
However, considering this was a place she had also been kicked out of and banished from, this then meant that none of the stories she told really reflected well on its people. As it soon