“Oh, you… You mean to say you sent out that leaflet?” As Leslie slid her visor up, the ill-fitting helmet let out a small creak of protest. She felt her face flush as the lady before her smiled a toothy grin that promised to eat her, although not in which specific way.

“Well, it does get rather lonely out here. And don’t get me wrong: I’m into some rough stuff. Anyone not prepared to slay a dragon is going to have a rather hard time dealing with my particular needs.” Her sheer gown left her scaly hide visible, smooth and hard as her slender dragon snout shifted into a smirk. She slid a claw along her humanoid thigh while purring, “And it looks like I found just the playing I need. Who could have imagined a gryphon’s daughter would answer the call?”

Leslie gulped, knowing her own fur would protect her somewhat, but unsure whose claws would prove sharper. As luck would have it, that’s exactly when the bedroom’s door burst open and the dragon king entered the room.

“Exaline! You’re late to court again! And how many times must I remind you not to send quests to foreign lands asking for someone to rescue the princess from a dragon!? Now go get prepared, you’re the crown princess and expected to rule one day! Leave your plaything here in your room, I’m sure she’ll still be here in a few hours. We have several verdicts to give and I want you there.”

“Aww, Dad…” the dragon princess whined, but smoke billowed from her nose, and her form began to twist and warp within the cloud until she stood, now a quadruped, tall and winged and terrifying to behold. “Please forgive the interruption. Have a bath and wait for me here. Duty calls, but I’ll truly enjoy you when we get back.”

Leslie stared, dumbfounded, as the two dragons left for the throne room. She tapped her lips, casually trying to decide just how far to let this madness go, before making her way into the magnificent bathroom. Golden trim on the onyx fixtures made for a bathroom which was both glimmering and dark at once. The polished stone reflected the light of dozens of candles, and Leslie noticed with some delight that the water was feeding from a nearby hot spring. Soaps of all varieties lined the rim, and she took her time selecting from the different fragrances.

Grime, soot, ash and blood (none of it hers, thankfully) melted away in the hot water, and steam rose around her in wisps as she finally got the last of her long journey removed from her skin. She pulled her hair back in a simple ponytail and drifted, letting the heat and scent of lavender and tea carry her away.

She must have fallen asleep, because she woke up to a very pleased, and very predatory, princess staring at her. The shape she had adopted was much closer to a human this time, but there was no mistaking the heat and desire in her eyes.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself. Most knights would have run away, after getting prepared. You simply seem to have prepared yourself for me. Why is that?”

“Well, it’s been an awfully long trip, and it would be a crying shame to leave such a lovely lady wanting. I’m still not sure what to make of all this, or where it will go, but I knew my life was over when I started on this quest. I might as well enjoy seeing all of this to the end. We can decide exactly where to go, together. But for now, I’m sure court drained you, so why not join me for a little while and let me see what I can do to tame the stress you’ve built up deciding the fate of dragons?”