Renee laid in the meadow just outside the castle walls. Her long brown hair was tangled among the tall grass and wildflowers. Her hazel eyes sparkled in the starlight that shown overhead. She loved the stars. Many nights she would lay awake stargazing until at last she fell asleep. Sleep didn't come easily for her. She had seen many horrors in her eighteen years.The stars and the purple river of light soothed her. They reminded her of the times when she was a girl and would sit up late to watch the stars with her father.

She could still remember the stories her father would tell her about the luminara, the purple ring of light around the planet of Anoria. He said that they were what gave the wizards their power. I wonder if it's true... or just another of his fairy stories, she thought.

Her eyes wandered to the two stars that were different from all of the others that filled the night. They were brighter than all of the others, one of them was red in hue and the other was blue. She could remember her father telling her stories about the stars symbolizing a prophecy. She couldn't remember the whole story, but she remembered him saying that the blue star was hers. Of course her father had often told her fairytales in which she was the heroine and would marry a handsome prince and together they would vanquish a dark lord. For a long time she had actually believed that was how her life would turn out... until that fateful day when she lost everything. Her dreams became poisoned by nightmares, her thoughts strayed from longing to defend and bring peace to the land... to seeking only vengeance. Her only dreams were of a soft bed and a warm meal, and a place... any place she could call home.

She sat up as she heard the sound of giant wings flapping behind her. She turned to see a large black dragon land in the grass a few meters away from her.

She didn't run or even make any movement to flee. The dragon was her friend, her oldest and dearest friend. Some nights he would come to visit her, somehow he always seemed to know where she was.

She smiled happy to have his company. She'd been alone for many years before she came to work at the castle. But he had always been there. He always seemed to appear when she needed him most. Tonight was one of those times. She couldn't stop thinking about her father, she missed him terribly.

The dragon came over to her and laid down behind her so that she could lean against his side. Most nights they would sit together this way watching the stars, until at last they would fall asleep snuggled together. 

They were both silent for several moments as they watched the heavens.

The dragon noticed that she was quieter than normal. He studied her face for several moments before noticing the tears in her eyes. "What's wrong, my starlight?"

She smiled at him, he had called her that every since he learned of how much she loved the stars. "I was just thinking about my father. He used to tell me so many fanciful tales. He told one about those to stars..." She pointed to the two stars. I wish I could remember the whole story. "...but I was so young that I scarcely remember it. Do you know the story about those two stars?"

"There are many tales... many rumors. But no one knows for certain," the dragon replied.

She moved her eyes from the heavens to look at her dearest friend. "But you are an ancient and wise creature."

"I am not much older than thou, fair maid. I have not lived much more than twenty years of men," he replied.

"My father said that it was a prophecy... something about the one who would defeat Obsidian. But I remember little more than that for I was a small child and many long years have since passed," she said.

"Hmm... a prophecy. It may well be true, my starlight," he replied, then he fell silent.

She grew worried as he didn't say anything. "Is something wrong, my dear friend?"

"I'm just scared. I don't know what will happen. I am afraid of what will happen to someone I love," he whispered.

She reached over and gently brushed her hand over his black scales. The cracks between them were red like fire. His scales were warm and smooth to the touch, not rough like some dragon's scales. She had always felt warm and safe by his side. Though she'd had many dealings with dragons that had nearly ended with an ill fate, she had never felt any fear of him. She had always known him to be a gentle creature.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I pray they will be alright."

"Thank you," he replied. "I don't know what will happen to me. I fear I shall never see you again. Never again shall I hear thy beautiful voice as you sing, nor know the kindness of your heart. Nor shall I look again upon the fairest of all maidens."

"No, please don't say that. You have always been my dearest friend. I don't want to lose you." She began to cry.

He nuzzled against her cheek, letting the hot wet tears fall onto his scales. "I wish I could stay with you forever, but this is out of my power," he replied.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, my starlight," he told the kind young maiden. "But I will always love you. You will remain in my heart forevermore."

"And you will always be in mine," she replied.

They laid there for a while longer watching the stars, until at last she fell asleep.

~✧~

When she awoke, as always the dragon was gone. She continually missed him when morning came and she was alone again. But now there was fear in her heart, fear for her dearest friend. She was afraid that this would be the last time she saw him. She couldn't bear to lose him. For many years after her father had died his love had been the only love she had known. He was her best friend in the whole world.

She sighed trying not to think about what her world would be like without him in it. She would have no one to watch the stars with, no one to share all of her dreams and secrets with. She had a few friends, but none so dear to her as he...

Tears twinkled in her eyes and she blinked them away fiercely. She looked up at the sky, it was still night and the starlight still shown overhead. Though it was still dark, dawn was drawing nigh.

She watched as the stars faded and the sky melted from a violet-blue to a pale grey. Finally the sky was alight with brilliant reds, pinks and violets. The golden sun kissed the horizon sending bright rays of sunlight over the meadow.

She sat up and took a deep breath, breathing in the sweet fragrance of wildflowers that surrounded her. Lilacs, daisies, lavender, and countless other varieties filled the meadow with brilliant colors. Renee loved flowers nearly as much as she loved the stars. She liked picking them and bringing them into the castle so that they could brighten the cold dark stone halls. The king and queen were indeed kind and just rulers. But their hearts were saddened over their long-lost son. His absence had left a void in their hearts. As a result the castle had become a dreary place. It had been that way since before Renee had come to work there, but some of the older workers said that it had once been bright and full of life. Renee hoped to see it that way once more. And she hoped that in a small way filling that halls with vases of wildflowers would help make it more bright and lively.

She stood up and began gathering a large bouquet of wildflowers as she did every morning.

When she was finally satisfied with the collection of flowers she had gathered, she made her way to the castle.

As she walked through the castle halls, she was met with the judgmental stares from the nobles. Grass and flowers were tangled in her long faun colored hair. Her tan dress was covered in dirt and grass stains from laying on the ground all night.

She knew that everyone thought her odd for sleeping outside. I don't care what they think of me. I love awakening to the songs of the birds and the sweet frangrance of the flowers... I love watching the stars fade and the sunrise. I love sleeping beneath the stars, and getting to stay up late talking with my dragon.

Most dragons were evil and would try to kill any human they came across, so he could never get too close to the castle. She didn't want the royal guards to slay him. But she couldn't blame them for fearing dragons. She had been to the land of dragons, she had nearly been burnt alive by a dragon. But he was different... he was kind and gentle. He had always protected her and loved her. He was her oldest and dearest friend. She didn't want to give up those long talks they shared. Night was the only time she got to see him. Her heart grew heavy as she realized that she might never be able to have those long talks again.

Renee slipped through the castle halls still thinking about the kindhearted dragon.

Before she knew it she reached the door to the king and queen's chambers. She knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard the queen's voice call from the other side of the door.

She opened the door and stepped inside. Queen Mea was sitting near her vanity waiting for her.

"I picked some flowers for you this morning, my lady," she said, putting the flowers into a vase.

"They're beautiful. Thank you, Renee," Queen Mea said admiring the assortment of flowers.

"You're welcome, my lady," she replied.

Mea smiled at her, tenderly removing a blade of grass from her hair. "Since you came to work here I'm happier than I have been in many years. You always try to cheer me up."

Renee began to comb her hair. "I want you to be happy. I never knew my real mother. You're the closest thing I have."

Mea smiled at her through the looking-glass. "I love you like my very own daughter. Henry and I always wanted to have a daughter."

"Why didn't you?" Renee asked gently.

"There were complications during Benjamin's birth. I wasn't able to carry any more children after that," Mea answered.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring up a painful memory..." Renee whispered.

"It's alright. The day he was born was both the scariest day of my life and the happiest. We were so lucky that he survived. I almost lost him, but he made it through. He is the light of my life and after he had to leave I felt as though my world had grown dark, but you've helped to brighten it back up again. You remind me so much of him," Mea said.

"I do?" Renee asked. What can I possibly have in common with an evil man who wears a dragon mask to frighten helpless children? A man who murders all in his path?

Mea nodded. "He used to sneak out to pick wildflowers for me, and when his nursemaid wasn't watching he would slip out at night to watch the stars. Sometimes he would be gone all night and he would scare me out of my wits. But we always found him out in the meadow."

Renee nodded, trying to hide her disdain for the prince. Queen Mea didn't know the truth. Renee could never tell her that her father had died by the hand of her son. It was the only secret she kept from the king and queen and she did it only to protect them.

"He sounds like a sweet boy," she said for the queen's sake.

"He was. I wish you could have known him... before the war. Before he became Dragoth, when he was still our son, Benjamin. You would have loved him. I'm sure that both of you would have been the best of friends. I can just see the two of you sneaking out at night to watch the stars together."

"Yes I imagine we would have gotten along wonderfully together," Renee agreed. If only things could be the way Mea thinks they will be... the way I thought they would be when I met him when I was a young girl. But I could never be friends with the prince, not after what he has done to my village, to my father... to me.

Renee was certain that the prince Mea loved so dearly was lost forever. All that remained of him was a heartless dragon warrior.

"If he were still here now I think the two of you would be more than friends," Mea said with a small smile.

Renee didn't know how to reply to that. She had heard rumors that Drake's knights had cut out their own hearts and replaced them with half of a dragon's heart. It was told that they had unnatural powers. Worse she had heard that they lost themselves... that they were nothing but an empty shell enslaved to the wills of the cruel dragons whose hearts they carried.

Renee shuttered at the thought. She began brushing through Mea's long black hair. A few strands of silver glistened in the morning sunlight, no doubt earned from years of worrying about her lost son.

She looked up to see that Mea was still waiting for her response. "Why would the prince fancy a girl of the streets?"

"Benjamin never cared about wealth or class. He would love you for who you are," Mea replied. "He would have loved nothing more than a girl who loves the trees and the meadows as he did."

Renee nodded, though she was sure it wasn't true.

"I miss him so much. I just wish he would come back home," Mea started to cry. "It's my fault that he isn't here."

Renee rubbed her back soothingly. "It's not your fault that he betrayed you and joined Drake's army. You didn't make that choice, he did."

"No... I did. It is my fault. He didn't betray me, I betrayed him. I wish that I hadn't..." her voice faded away. She stared at the wall which was adorned with a painting of her with the king and their infant son.

Renee looked at the queen, not understanding. Everyone had heard stories of the prince who had betrayed his parents and his kingdom by joining a rebellion against both. Now it was clear that there were things about that story that most did not know.

I wish she would just tell me the truth. I want to know... I need to know. If only I knew why he did the things he did, perhaps I could forgive him and move on, Renee thought.

"I believe that you will see him again, Mea," she whispered at last. "You will be a family once more."

"Thank you, Renee. You're the only one who will listen to me about Benjamin, other than Henry but he blames himself too. Everyone else acts like our son is a monster they don't seem to understand that he's just a boy who has suffered much. I fear that you are the only one other than Henry and I who is willing to give him a second chance."

Renee swallowed hard feeling bad about her pretense. She longed to slay Dragoth, but her kindness stayed her hand. Still she did not believe he deserved a second chance. But she knew that Mea needed hope for her son so she gave it to her as best she could. She hated Dragoth for killing her father, but she couldn't let that hate hurt the woman she loved as a mother.

"I believe there are some who would give him a second chance, my lady," she answered.

"I pray you are right," Mea replied.