"Are you ready to get out of here?" She teased the dragon.

"Get on, now." He ordered with a glare. 

She did as he had asked, then he bolted upward to the skies above. 

"Sorry if I took too long." She told him as they flew. 

"It's fine with me. I spent some time with Kadrid." He informed her.

"You really like her." 

"Yes, I think I might even love her." The dragon admitted.

"I know that you do." The empress told him. 

"She is quite wonderful." Soranto told her as he flew through a cloud bank.

"I think so too." She replied.

"How's the queen?" He asked, changing the subject quickly.

"Doing just fine, same with the child." 

"Oh good for her, I'm glad to know she's okay." He told her.

             The empress enjoyed the view from up here in the late afternoons, when the sky would change from lavender to a rose- orange color.  A view so gorgeous she'd commit it to memory.  The flight back seemed faster as she peered down to see they were three- quarters of the way back already. She was fine with getting back to her favorite room sooner than usual. She also wanted to see what went on in her absence.  The empress stayed lost in her own spastic thoughts until the dragon landed right in front of her castle doors. 

"Thanks."  She told him as she slid down the dragon and headed into the castle.