Swan and Dragon. Dragon Empire. Natalie Yacobson

to the bridge.

      Rose did not expect to hear the familiar whistle in the sky, but the song of the dragon’s wings reached her at the most unexpected moment. Rose shuddered all over. After all, Edwin warned that outside the castle walls she would be left without protection. She should have obeyed his advice, not rushed to find trouble.

      The shadow covered the moon. As soon as she saw a luminous spot in the dark sky, Rosa rushed away. She managed to reach the bridge before she heard the wild, frantic roar of the Golden Lord.

      It was necessary to cross to the other side of the river as soon as possible. Rose’s footsteps echoed from the stones of the bridge. Flaming torches cast light on the princess’s marble-white shoulders. The scarlet dress made her an excellent target for the dragon.

      Rose bent over the parapet, but the cold and darkness of the water forced her to give up the idea of throwing herself into the river abyss. All the same, the beast will guess that she is hiding under the bridge. At that moment, a winged shadow fell on the stone bridge. Flames of torches hissed and fluttered from a gust of wind.

      By the way, the carriage door opened, and a lanky man in a long cape and a wide-brimmed hat, casting shadows on his face, came out.

      “Help!” Rose screamed, hoping he would hear her. And he noticed her. Their gazes met and sank into each other. What Rose saw in his eyes. Only grief and darkness. Still, this accidental traveler was her last hope of salvation.

      Rose rushed to him across the bridge. Lush skirts prevented her from running, and the ring on her hand lit up with such a bright light that it could compete with the eyes of the dragon. Amethyst always shone when the winged pursuer approached.

      The girl could already feel the burning breath on her back. When she reached the middle of the bridge, she stumbled over a stone and fell on her back. Blood oozed from the injured leg. Rose raised herself in her arms and wanted to get up, but sharp claws wrapped around her waist.

      Rose grabbed the parapet and the stones protruding from the masonry. For a moment, the dragon’s grip loosened. The golden wing landed on the bridge. The intolerable shine of the scales hurt her eyes. The dragon’s paw stepped cautiously onto the bridge, blinding with its golden sheen. Claws screeched across the cobblestones, leaving deep scratches.

      Rose screamed and covered her face with her hands, fearing that the dragon would hurt her. And when, plucking up courage, she opened her eyes, she was numb with surprise. Next to her stood a silent youth in a black cloak.

      “Edwin!” Rose whispered and was surprised herself as her tongue turned to call this arrogant, unfamiliar person Edwin. He had the same dazzling curls, the same azure-blue eyes, glaring fiercely and haughtily. What unknown force could so harden his pale face.

      “This is a dream,” thought Rose, and at that very moment Edwin disappeared, a golden dragon towered in his place. He let out a heartbreaking cry, grabbed the princess and rushed up with her.

      Rose has no strength left to resist. She watched the river and the bridge and the belated carriage disappear from view. The dragon picked up speed. In his claws, he clutched the prey, which almost escaped him.

      THE JUDGMENT OF FATE

      The castle towers appeared in the distance. In the blink of an eye, the dragon overcame the snow-covered valley and flew up to the highest spire. Here he unclenched his claws and released his victim.

      Rose landed on the castle roof. She tried to get to her feet. Darkness reigned around, the wind howled. Snowflakes circled in the icy air. The slippery stone floor made all movements clumsy and useless. Rose was looking for something to grab onto, and groped for some kind of support.

      Suddenly several torches flashed. Holding on to the support, Rose knelt down, pulled herself up, and then her palm brushed against a cold, sharp object. The girl looked up and saw that a huge monster with bronze wings and the head of a goblin was rising above her. Her hand brushed against the claws on his leg.

      Rose drew back from him. She looked with horror at the gloomy monster looming over her. He stood motionless, as if he had no intention of attacking at all. The glare of the fire gave it a majestic and ominous look.

      Only now did Rosa realize that in front of her was a bronze statue. Probably, the sculptor tried very hard to create such a gloomy creation. Even after making sure the monster was not alive, Rose was still afraid of him. She crawled away and came across the same statues. There were many of them here, dozens of bronze monsters, frozen on pedestals.

      Two rows of silent, ugly figures stretched on either side of the Rose, forming a kind of gallery of fear.

      Meanwhile, the dragon landed on the roof. There was enough space for him too. It hung over the Rose like a sparkling rock. The girl prepared herself for death. Now nothing could save her.

      Sparks of green and red danced across the dragon’s scales. A flash of blinding light forced Rose to close her eyes, and when she opened her eyes again, the golden pursuer had already disappeared. In his place, Edwin stood and studied the wedge-scale brush. One might think that a plate gauntlet made of gold and with claws was fastened on his arm.

      The bright shine of the metal slowly faded away. The disfigured hand returned to its former appearance. A smooth wing flashed and disappeared behind the young wizard.

      “I warned you,” Edwin remarked, not without reproach. His previously calm voice had a threatening note.

      “So you are a dragon!” Rose exclaimed. She watched the one whom she had recently considered her friend. How she had not previously guessed about his duplicity. Of course, his ideal human appearance could mislead anyone. Who could have guessed a bloodthirsty dragon in a beautiful, silent youth.

      “Why did you run away?” Edwin asked, trying to hide the bursting rage. “Do you have any idea what danger awaited you on the other side of the river? If you had time to cross the bridge, even I would not be able to free you.”

      “So you’re not going to kill me like those peasants?” Rose inquired suspiciously, crawling backward from the terrifying, stately figure wrapped in a dark cloak.

      “What for?” Edwin asked a counter question. “All the same, you won’t be able to give out my secret to anyone. I will never let you out of this castle again.”

      He walked with slow, firm steps towards Rose.

      “Suppose you run away,” he said after a little thought. “You will survive under the bullets and arrows of the enemy and return to your kingdom, which has now become the scene of a bloody battle. The Queen will try to remove the spell from you, but it will be completely useless. The stigma that was put on you in the courtroom attracts a dragon. In human form, I am still capable of pity, but in the form of a dragon, nothing can hold me back. Relatives can hide you behind a door bound with iron. But I will still find you and bring you back.”

      “Why do you need me?” Rose crawled away from him, as far as possible, trying not to touch the terrible statues, lined up in two lines. The snowfall made it difficult for her to see.

      Edwin waved his hand and a protective, shining film surrounded them, preventing the snow from falling into the enclosed space.

      He shrugged casually as he considered his answer.

      “You will be the decoration of this castle,” he said finally. “Because dragons are collectors, they want the best.”

      “But I’m a human, and people get old.”

      “If you stay here, you will never grow old,” was the answer. “To stay forever young, you have to become either a sculpture or a fairy.”

      At these words, Rose almost choked with horror.

      “All those statues in the lobby and corridors,” she began to recall, “were they living people?”

      “Almost everything,” Edwin corrected.

      “How