It was foolish of me to call those words across the wind to her, but just as she couldn't help but tell me the truth of her actions I felt I had to convey to her what I was feeling. It wasn’t even until I had turned my back that I had realized it. Within a few short months’ time I was falling for a human, and not just any human, it was the one I was tasked to watch until the day she dies. 

I couldn't believe that the child that I had been tasked to watch fourteen years ago was a woman as beautiful, kind and wonderful as she was. For someone who has been kept away from society, she sure knows a lot of tricks and yet, all those years outside the walls, listening to her cries, her sorrow, her heartbreak, it was only a matter of time before I would come to care for the girl. I just didn't imagine that it would come in the form of love.

After realizing what my feelings were I took as many opportunities as I could to catch a glimpse of her, and every time I did she was there, waiting, her smile just as beautiful as ever, her eyes twinkling in the sun that shone high up above us. 

That afternoon I received word that the King was to visit in two days and instead of thinking about the poor beast from The Pits and how that could be me, I went straight up to her tower, giving her the news of his scheduled time, excited to see her reaction and wasn't disappointed when she beamed, ecstatic that her father was visiting soon. Instead of leaving to go back to my rounds I stayed by her tower and listened to her talk about her life and how, even though she was stuck here in this tower she was still happy. Happy that she could have met me, to experience a love she was cursed to never have, to not live a lonely life as she would have if guarded by some other being.

I don't know how long we talked, and before I knew it the sun was fading, the sunset painting brilliant purples and oranges, the breeze blowing the scent of lilies up to the tower. The flower, I had learned was what she was named after since she was just as beautiful, if not more than the white petals of the flower.

She stared across the distance between us, her blue eyes meeting mine, her smile radiant and I couldn't remember ever being any happier. She called my name, and asked if I ever believed in miracles. I looked at her, my eyes blinking in reply and she smiled brighter.

She told me she wished by some miracle that I could become human or she could become a dragon so that we could be together. Her words were so sweet that I closed the distance between us and nuzzled her face gently with my face, longing for the same.

She placed her hands on either side of my enormous face and took a deep breath. I stared at her expression, it had been so full of happiness just moments ago, but it had changed to that of sorrow. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine, a small tear escaping her eye and I roared out in horror, too late to stop the fate which she had undone.

© 2015 Amber Steinbeigle. All Rights Reserved