Found a prompt chart for Pride Month and figured I’d try my hand at it. I’m a day behind because life. Parings are random.
Thanks to @nerdsbianhokie for letting me ramble about this, and to @georgiew2304 for reading it over.
Samuel Lane, King of Smallville, had a headache. He had given his daughter to the dragon that terrorised the many kingdoms of the land to keep it from destroying his kingdom. Unfortunately, his people loved Lucy more than they loved him and so, to prevent a revolt, he had lied to them and told them that the dragon had kidnapped her. It worked to keep the people from seeking his throat, but led them to demand that he send for a hero to rescue her. As king, Sam was not a man who considered himself at the whims of those he ruled over, but he knew that a lack of action on his part could also spark rebellion. Thus, he put out a call for a hero to try and get her back.
That had been a month ago. In that time, dozens of knights had gone to try and rescue Lucy, but none had succeeded.
Which was why he found himself staring down at yet another knight.
“Who is this knight that comes before me to answer my call, Harper?” he asked.
Lord James Harper cleared his throat and looked over the scroll in his hands. His eyes widened at the name. “Alexandra of House Danvers, Princess of--”
“It’s Alex,” the knight interrupted, “and it’s Prince.”
Sam raised an eyebrow while Harper sputtered at the interruption. He leaned forward. “I wasn’t aware that the ruling house of Midvale contained a son.”
If he had, he would have arranged a marriage between Lucy and said son ages ago.
“It doesn’t, I am the eldest of my house, but neither a woman nor a man,” Alex said.
Sam’s eyebrow rose even higher at that. “Then what are you?” he asked.
Alex shrugged. “A prince, a knight, maybe a hero, who can say?”
Were anyone else to give him such a blase response, Sam would have them executed on the spot. But he wanted his daughter back and the dragon dead. Cutting down the self-styled Prince of Midvale would give him neither of those outcomes. If anything, it had the potential to doom Lucy and spark war between Smallville and Midvale.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Harper reddening with fury at the nonchalant Midvale royal. He raised his hand to stop his advisor from exploding. “Your presence in my court says that you are here to answer my call and rescue my daughter. Is this true?” he asked.
He leaned back into his throne. “I’ve had many knights before you come into my halls for the same purpose,” he said. “As you can see, none of them have succeeded. How do you think you will succeed where they have failed?”
A small smirk appeared on Alex’s lips. “Midvale is known for the impossible, Your Majesty, and as its prince, you can expect the impossible from me.”
Sam nodded. “Then expect the impossible I shall, Princess--”
He continued as if Alex hadn’t interrupted him, “Slay the dragon who kidnapped my daughter and return her to me, and you shall be rewarded.”
Alex gave him a curt, half-bow but said nothing. They turned on their heel and marched out of the hall, leaving silence in their wake.
Gertrude’s growls were the first sign that something bad was coming. Seconds later, an inhuman roar caught Alex’s ears. They looked up in time to see a giant red dragon approaching. They and the hellhound quickly dove into the bushes and watched as the dragon flew past.
Alex glanced over the bush they were crouched behind. To their dismay, their eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on them. Perched atop the tower in the middle of the open field was a dragon, an honest to god dragon. They thought Kara had been kidding when she told them that Smallville had dragons.
Alex shifted ever so slightly to try and get a better view of the area without exposing themself. They felt a branch catch under their heel moments before they settled into position.
It snapped under their foot.
“Who goes there?” a deep voice thundered.
Alex’s jaw dropped. It talked. Of course the damn dragon talked. They didn’t know why they were so surprised. They had a hellhound for a companion. Granted, she didn’t talk, but still. A talking dragon wasn’t the most ludicrous thing Alex had ever encountered.
“Who dares to enter my domain?” it continued. “What stupid creature dares to face my wrath this time?”
Alex reached down, picked up half of the branch they had stepped on, and threw it out into the open. They let out a shout, “I do!”
A gout of flame reduced the branch to ash.
“I’ll not stand parlor tricks!” the dragon roared. “Show yourself, mortal!”
Alex shared a grimace with Gertrude. They gripped the hilt of their sword and carefully made their way out from behind the bushes. They approached the tower, but signaled for Gertrude to stay a few paces behind them.
“Who are you, mortal? What is your business here?”
Alex drew themself up. “I am Prince Alex of Midvale,” they said, “and I’m here to rescue the princess you’ve kidnapped!”
The dragon laughed. Alex couldn’t stop themself from flinching at the noise. The dragon’s laughter was worse than its roars.
“Kidnapped? Smallville’s king gave her to me willingly, to spare his land from my wrath. I quite enjoy her company, and that of the other princess in my custody.”
Alex blinked. “What do you mean ‘other princess?’” they asked slowly.
The dragon gave Alex a smile that was all teeth. Even from the distance they were at and the sunlight shining above them, the darkness in the smile made both Alex and Gertrude take a step back.
“The king and queen of Blue Springs gifted her to me to remove the shame her proclivities caused,” the dragon said. “Her fear is so delicious. I’ll not relinquish her, nor will I release Smallville’s princess.”
Alex’s grip tightened around the hilt of their sword. “I’m not leaving without them,” they said, “and I’m more than happy to defeat you to make that happen.”
The dragon’s smile grew even darker. This time, Alex stood their ground. “You mortals are such fools,” it crooned. “I cannot be defeated by a man!”
Alex drew their sword. “Good thing I’m not a man, then,” they said.
“My kind learn from their mistakes,” it hissed and reared back. The way its throat lurched was the only warning Alex had before it spat fire at them. “No woman can defeat me either!”
Alex took half a step back and shouted, “Gert!”
Gertrude let out a loud woof and raced towards Alex. Alex held their hand out and remained steady, even with the fire roaring down towards them. They closed their eyes as thick black smoke enveloped them.
The trip lasted all of five seconds. Alex still swayed on their feet, though, when Gertrude dropped out of transport roughly forty feet away from where they had been standing. They recovered just in time to see the ground explode from the force of the fireball. It sent them and Gertrude flying.
Alex rolled to their feet, narrowly avoiding another blast. They grabbed Gertrude. “Up!” they ordered.
The two of them vanished in another puff of black smoke. Alex reappeared in the air right above the dragon, sword pulled back and ready to strike.
“No woman nor man can defeat me!” the dragon thundered. It reared back, ready to throw more fire at the falling prince-turned knight.
“I got news for you!” Alex drove their sword through its head before it could unleash another blast of fire. “I’m no woman either!”
Alex gave their sword one final twist, drawing a choked noise from the dragon, then yanked it out and jumped down onto the roof. They landed and rolled before quickly popping back up on their feet. A rumble caught their attention. They glanced over their shoulder to see the dragon’s corpse pitch over the side of the roof. Seconds later, the whole tower shook when the body impacted the earth.
Alex winced. They let out a sigh and closed their eyes before counting to ten. A woosh told them that Gertrude was back. They sheathed their sword, turned back to the two princesses, and felt their brain screech to a halt. The women in front of them were beautiful. One of them had striking green eyes that seemed to pierce Alex right to their core, while the other’s eyes had a steel and defiance behind them.
Alex startled when they felt a cold, bony nose nudge their hand. They glanced down at Gertrude, who shot a look of exasperation up at them. They swallowed and looked back up at the two princesses.
“Prince Alex of Midvale,” they stammered out.
The princess with striking green eyes looked rather unimpressed. “Princess Lucy of Smallville,” she said. She leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. “I wasn’t aware that the ruling house of Midvale had--”
“A son? It doesn’t,” Alex said.
The princess that Alex hadn’t planned on rescuing, spoke up, “I’d heard that the kingdom of Midvale was rather liberal about things like that.”
There was something odd colouring her tone, like she was both bitter about Midvale’s reputation but also in awe of it. It made Alex’s brow furrow.
“My father used to say that the people of Midvale are as free as the sea,” they said.
“Sounds nice. Blue Springs isn’t like that.” The bitterness came through clear with that statement.
It finally clicked for Alex. “You’re Princess Margarita--”
She cut them off, “It’s Maggie, just Maggie. And I’m no longer a princess, not if my parents have anything to say about it. My placement here should make that pretty obvious.”
“So your parents really did send you here,” Alex said. They glanced at Lucy. “And your father did as well?”
“My parents thought it best to remove me from Blue Springs, so that I wouldn’t have a ‘corrupting’ influence on my younger sister,” Maggie said. “So when they heard about the dragon, they figured they’d try to earn its goodwill preemptively and give me to it.”
Alex felt lost all over again. “Corrupting? What do you do, magic?” They knew that not all kingdoms held favourable views regarding those who were magically inclined.
They didn’t miss the way seemed to tense at their question. “I don’t like men,” Maggie said.
Alex nodded. They could see why that could be a problem in a place like Blue Springs, especially for someone slated to be the next in line for the throne.
“If we’re announcing preferences like this, then let me just say, I like both men and women,” Lucy said. She aimed a look at Alex. “And you too, you’re pretty cute.”
Alex looked away and coughed, “Thank you, I think.” Their cheeks felt hotter than the first time Gertrude had licked their face.
“Never been called cute before?” Maggie asked.
“I have!” Alex said immediately. “Just, not by beautiful women--”
In the background, Gertrude let out a heavy, exasperated sigh.
“You think we’re beautiful?” Luck asked.
Alex immediately started sputtering, “No! I mean, yes, but--”
They stopped abruptly fell silent when the sound of Maggie’s laughter registered with their ears. It wasn’t unkind; instead, it was warm. She looked happy. From the way Lucy’s lips twitched into a small smile and quickly concealed look of awe on her face, Alex guessed it was the first time Lucy had heard Maggie laugh. It made Alex smile.
Eventually, Maggie’s laughter tapered off, but happiness on her face remained. She grinned at Alex. “I’ve got to agree with Lucy, you’re adorable.”
Alex felt their fading blush come back to their cheeks with a vengeance. They rubbed the back of their head, muttering, “Just don’t go spreading it around, I have a reputation to maintain.”
Maggie winked at them. “Your secret’s safe with us, Alex,” she said. “Can’t have it be known that the Prince of Midvale, Slayer of a dragon, is so easily flustered by two beautiful women.”
Beside Alex, Gertrude let out a noise that was somewhere between a bark and a cough. Alex knew that their partner was laughing at them.
They scowled down at her. “Whose side are you on here?” they grumbled.
She nuzzled their hand in apology.
Alex sighed. “Asshole,” they said. They scraped their nails against her skull nonetheless, drawing a wide canine grin from the hellhound.
Lucy coughed. “Not to ruin whatever atmosphere we have going on, but now what?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.
Lucy shrugged. “I mean, what’s your next plan? The dragon is dead, you saved us, and you’re the only one who knows the truth about why me and Maggie are here,” she said.
Alex looked off into the distance. They had been around long enough, been ‘different’ long enough, to know to read in between the lines. They knew what Lucy was really asking: was Alex’s next step to give Lucy back to her father, and bring Maggie back to a family that had cast her aside, or was there something else in the works?
“I’d say,” they started, “that my plan is for you two to come back with me. To Midvale.”
Maggie and Lucy both blinked.
“You realise you barely even know us, right?” Maggie asked.
“I’d like to get to know the both of you better,” Alex said, “and if you come with me, I can do just that. We all can.”
“My father will never let me leave, not if it means losing his last bargaining chip,” Lucy said.
“Then we give him something that he needs: an alliance,” they said simply. “Both Smallville and Blue Springs need them, and they’re going to need to save face once word reaches your respective capitals that I’ve rescued you.”
Lucy scoffed, “That’ll never work.”
“I think it will.” Alex looked at the both of them. “Word in the taverns is that your father is desperate to secure an alliance between Smallville and another kingdom, but it’s been hard going because your sister eloped with some lowborn knight instead of going through with her betrothal to Prince Lex of Metropolis. And word about you,” they nodded to Maggie, “being missing hasn’t gone out. What kind of rumours do you think your parents will have to deal with when it comes out that their heir was missing and no one knew? They can’t plead ignorant.”
Alex watched realisation dawn on Maggie’s face.
“So instead of asking for a reward outright, your plan is to make them think they’re saving face by agreeing to an alliance with Midvale,” she whispered.
Alex nodded. “Exactly,” they said. “Lucy’s father gets the alliance that he needs, your parents get to think that they’re sending you away, and the both of you get to stop being pawns in someone else’s game.”
“And yet, we’d still be pawns in your game,” Lucy said.
Alex laughed. “My game starts when we enter your father’s hall and ends when the two of you enter Midvale,” they said. “Before that and after that, it’s entirely up to the two of you. When I said I wanted to get to know the two you better, I meant it, but only if you’re up for it.”
Alex waited and held their breath as they waited for a response from Maggie and Lucy. They knew what they had proposed was unorthodox, but they couldn’t find it in themself to care. They knew just how lucky they had it, being the Prince of Midvale. They were practically living their own fairytale just by being able to live as they wished. Maggie and Lucy didn’t have that and Alex wanted to give that to the both of them. They wanted to see that spark of happiness on Maggie’s face again, wanted Lucy’s striking green eyes to see that she was more than just a bargaining chip for her father.
Maggie was the first one to speak. “Okay,” she said.
“Okay, I’ll come with you.” Her gaze grew distant, as if she was seeing something far beyond either Lucy and Alex. “I’ve always heard things about Midvale. I want to see if they’re true.”
They are, Alex wanted to say. But they held themself back. Instead they looked to Lucy and raised an eyebrow. “What about you?”
Lucy smirked. Alex unconsciously swallowed at the sight. “I’m in,” she said. “Just promise me one thing before we start all of this?”
“What is it?” Alex asked.
“Promise me that this’ll work.” For a brief moment, Alex saw vulnerability. It made them realise that as much as Lucy wanted the freedom this could bring her, she also wanted her kingdom to prosper.
Alex grinned at her. “Midvale is known for making the impossible, possible,” they said. “This will work.”
Lucy nodded. “All right, then. I’m holding you to that then, Alex.”
Maggie came up to Alex’s side. “We both are,” she said.
Alex nodded. “I certainly hope so, I’d be both a very poor prince and a very poor knight if my word meant nothing.” They held their hand out for Gertrude. “Ready Gert?”
Gertrude let out a loud bark.
They fisted their hand through the thick smoke of her body. “Let’s go home.”
Black smoke rose up to cover all of them. Alex closed their eyes. Then, they were gone.
