Free The Princess' Dragon Lord by Mandy Rosko

she looked down at it and recognized it as
the same cloak Azoth's father had worn that day he threatened her
uncle.
    Azoth was no longer rambling now that he
could see she was all right. He simply adjusted the cloak to better
fit around her shoulders, watching her with open concern, and Diana
held it tighter around her like it was a security blanket.
    Azoth continued to murmur soothing voices to
her, like she was a small animal in need of petting and coddling.
It comforted and annoyed her at the same time.
    When she pushed herself up to stand,
declining his constant offers to carry her, but more than happy to
accept his arm to lean on, she allowed him to lead her out of the
steaming bathing room and into the warm, open airs of his treasure
trove.
    The red dragon, Big Azoth, she'd named him in
her mind, was crooning sadly as she limped across the rock clearing
of the bright cavern, steadied by Azoth, and towards his bed.
    After asking her more frantic questions, all
of which she'd answered with a mumbled yeah, or mmhmm, Azoth took
the hint and finally stopped asking her. He became her silent rock
to lean against.
    When they made it to his room, he pulled
aside the covers of his bed and helped her underneath them where
she gratefully snuggled under the soft leathers. She hadn't noticed
until now how warm they made her feel, and that made her eyelids
even heavier.
    Even with them shut, she could still sense
Azoth's presence above her. He watched her silently for so long she
might have fallen asleep, but then woke up again at the sound of
his nearly silent feet padding out of the room.
    “Wait,” she sat up, suddenly afraid of what
would happen if he left her alone.
    He had one hand on his carved doorway. The
curtain that he'd used as a door was gone, and with a start, Diane
realized she was wearing it. If he'd lived here alone for so long,
maybe he'd only put up his father's cloak in the first place for
her benefit.
    Azoth half turned to look at her,
waiting.
    She'd sat up, and that made her dizzy. “Don't
go.”
    His entire body went tight, but he didn't go.
“I will find the sprite responsible for this and kill him,” he
vowed. “And if he is already dead, I'll make his afterlife Hell.
I'll not rest until he who makes you suffer, suffers in
return.”
    She couldn't take it anymore, sitting up had
been too much effort, and she fell back against his many pillows as
the room swirled around her. She opened her eyes and Azoth was
again above her. They seemed to keep meeting like this.
    She smiled and thought to tell him that, but
he spoke first, his eyes seemed to be glued to the scar that
crossed diagonal from her forehead, between her eyes, and down her
left cheek.
    “You should never have come here. I am the
cause for this. I know it now.”
    “Azoth, no—”
    “Do not tell me no!” he snapped. “Surely this
is a new form of punishment. I have grown content with my prison,
so now the only form of suffering that can be heaped upon me is in
the form of my love, returned from the dead, and suffering as I am
helpless to do nothing but watch.”
    Diana tried to keep the room from spinning by
focusing on Azoth's face, but it wasn't working, so she threw her
arm over her eyes. The darkness barely helped. “That's the most
ridiculous thing I've ever heard.”
    “You cannot even look at me while you say
it!”
    She pulled her arm away and glared at him,
using the pounding in her skull to add to the anger that was no
doubt showing on her face.
    It had the right effect. She'd often heard
how fierce she appeared when angry, especially with the scar
twisting her features into an even more frightening visage whenever
she sneered at someone.
    It was good for keeping her students in line,
and it was working on Azoth now as well.
    He jerked back, but didn't get up off the bed
where he sat next to her and move away. “I'm looking at you now,
and I'm telling you that, that is a load of self agonizing
bullshit. Stop wailing over