The bottom of the dress stuck to her leg like some discarded seaweed. A bridal gown was not meant to get wet and this pure white elegant costume threatened to drag her under as she slowly edged deeper into the lake. Despite it being noon, and the sun high in the sky, goose pimples cover what was exposed of her arms. She shook, she shivered, she was scared but she would do her duty, she was a Princess after all. She hoped her sacrifice would appease him and the younger ones would be spared. Her footfall faltered as she looked for any ripples on the surface that may tell her of where he might lay. She steadied herself, breathed deeply and paused to compose her thoughts. She needed to stop herself turning, fleeing the situation and putting her father’s city in more peril.

She had blocked out all sounds, missing the noise of hooves approaching. The glint of sun off of highly polished armour, however, caught her eye and she turned quickly. Standing a few metres away on the rocky shore was a Knight on a steed of the purest white she had ever seen. Plate armour covered all extremities, over which he wore a brilliant white tunic to match the horse. Emblazoned upon this was a red cross. A small triangular flag with the same design, a red cross on a white background, sat limp against the spear the Knight held upright.

Before she could tell him to turn away he had dismounted, placed the spear between some rocks and was walking towards her, removing his helm with both hands. “Pray fine lady,” he spoke in dulcet tones as if an angel from heaven, “why is one as beautiful as you walking in a lake on what is clearly your wedding day?”

She was mesmerised for a few moments, barely sixteen she was still considered a child by some and prone to teenage fantasy. She felt a strong connection as if this was the man she was to spend the rest of her life with, destiny sent to relieve her of her duty and present a new future instead. ‘Duty,’ she thought, ‘yes duty is why I am here, I will spend the rest of my life with him but it will be a short life.’ This thought snapped her out of the trance that had descended, the almost aura like glow her mind had placed around the figure dissipated. Though she wanted to shout and scream, tell him to run and never return, her status as a Princess meant decorum ran through every vain. Calmly she replied, “I am not to be wed today and this situation is not of my making, neither is it your destiny to interfere. Pray gentle Knight,” she stated in a slightly mocking tone, “leave me to my fate and never think of me again.” It seemed strange to talk in this way, she had just met this man and, although slightly in jest, she felt like she was losing a friend, nay a lover, that she had known for years.

The Knight had stopped by the shore, looking on as she now stood almost waste deep. Noticing her tone he replied, dropping the more archaic note in his voice, “am I to come in there and risk damage to my armour? Surely it will clean it up but rust cannot simply be polished out and I paid a good price for this.”

This made her chuckle, she blushed, head towards the surface of the lake but eyes never releasing their gaze from this creature. In truth it was not the creature she had expected to see that day and now all thought of what lurked in lake was gone from her mind. She raised her head again, “I shall not be coming out if that is what you ask.” This was no longer because of her fate; this was now a game of love, of courtship. The rules never changed, you never let a man straight into your heart, he had to work to even hold your hand.

The Knight placed his helm next to the lake and as he started to enter uttered, “I see, but a maiden in distress is more valuable that all the armour in the world.”

“What makes you think I am maiden in…no, come no further,” the realisation hit again.

He did not heed her words and continued on his errand to in some way rescue her. “Something is troubling you but I know not what. Until you tell me I will not leave.”

She had no time for a lie, the dragon would surely surface soon and both lives would be forfeit. She had to save this man, this man she loved, this man she felt she knew her whole life despite having only spent a matter of minutes in his company. “There is something in the lake, something foul.”

“Then it is no place for a young lady.” He did not stop and was now almost upon her.

“Wait,” she cried holding both hands up, palms towards him, “you will think me mad but you must hear the full story.”

“You have my ear.”

“If for any reason we are interrupted, promise me one thing.”

“And what is that?”

“Run!”

“I cannot promise but I will hear your tale.”

“So be it.” She rushed through trying to make sure he heard ever last detail before the beast surfaced. “In these waters lives a dragon, it is a plague on this country. I hail from the city of Lasia not one mile over that hill,” she pointed toward where the Knight had entered the lake, “I am the King’s only child, the Princess of Lasia. To stop the dragon destroying our town we fed it sheep, but our flocks are decimated and we can afford to feed it any longer. The council decided that now food is limited we would need sacrifices. Every Monday a lottery is held and every Monday a child of the city is sentenced to death. Today is my day and I must do my duty. You must leave before he surfaces; you must leave before you too are part of his next meal.”

The Knight thought for a moment, “I understand you are scared but I see no dragon.”

The Princess was getting desperate now, the top half of her body animated and willing him to leave, “you must understand, there is a dragon and the more we speak the more likely he is to come, you must go!”

“I will not leave you, if this dragon appears I will fight it.”

“But you cannot,” a tear rolled down her face, had she had more time she would have questioned why she felt this way when she hardly knew him, “he cannot be defeated.”

“He is a mortal creature like any other and God will protect me.”

“There is no God here!”

“Then I bring him with me.”

“You will not kill him.”

“Does he not bleed when cut? Does he not suffocate when air is taken from him? Does he not suffer when illness comes?”

“I do not…”

Water sprayed into the air, showering them with fine droplets. With an ear shattering roar they turn to see the dragon in its full majesty. But this was unlike any painting seen hung or tapestry draped across castles walls. There were no vibrant reds or greens, no clear shimmer to its scales, no beautiful fire orange eyes. This dragon was black, dark like the pits of hell. It stood around three times the height of the Knight, casting a deep shadow over the figures below. Its jet black scales were dull and tarnished, whilst on its breast was greyer softer flesh. Debris such as various species of pondweed and algae clung to bone spines across its back. It quickly stood up on its hind legs and unfurled skeletal wings cover with a thin membrane. As it screeched again the Knight saw deep into its jaws, sharp teeth stained yellow and black were accompanied by bits of flesh and bone that had become lodged between molars at the back of the mouth. Once the terror had set in, the smell was next, a mixture of rotting fish, putrefied meat and general damp insulted the nostrils.

The dragon went to bite down but the Knight dived to the side, plunging himself and the Princess into the cold water. As she surfaced she noticed that he had done precisely what she had asked and darted away towards the edge of the lake. Cold, drenched and scared she stood up as the shadow moved over her again. She looked deep into its eyes as once more it leered over her. All the dark of the world she saw in those eyes, the pain, the suffering, the destruction. She had not really expected the Knight to stay but still her heart dropped. This was the end, this was it, and she did not know if her sacrifice would be enough.

As she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable she heard a voice shout.

“Christi crux est mea lux.”

Both dragon and Princess turned towards the edge of the lake. There, on the shore where he had entered, was the Knight. The sun shone off of a sword he now held in one hand whilst he made the sign of the cross the other, passing his hand from forehead to chest then left shoulder to right. The dragon lifted its head and screamed loudly into the sky, whereas before his wailings had seemed like preparation for an attack this sound made him sound pained. His gaze shot back to the Knight and with mighty bounds he charged from the lake as if he were walking through air and not water.

The Knight readied himself, but just as contact was about to be made he spun to the side and drove his sword upwards. Blood oozed from a gash in the beasts side and a few seconds later it was past him, but it did not turn and retaliate. It simply stopped, breathing heavily as if it were mortally wounded. The Knight slowly and carefully walked towards the dragon. He could not believe it would be that easy but with every step confidence grew and victory seemed more assured.  He was just a few metres from the back of the dragon when it twisted its long next and, contracting its eyes and snarling fiercely, gave him a look even the Devil would be scared of. Before he could react it whipped its tail round and took him straight across the midriff. The Knight was knocked off his feet; hitting his head on the sharp rocks below. He felt dazed, he felt confused, he felt blood trick across his forehead. Then he felt a weight turn him and press down on him. Shadows come over his face, he blinked a few times to clear them but the only clarity that came was the vision of what had happened. He was pinned down by one of the dragon’s front claws. The beast paused, looking over him, almost deciding whether he could stomach this or if it was a rich banquet. The foul breath shot into the Knight’s face and his eyes threatened to water. ‘Maybe the girl was right,’ he thought, ‘maybe I should have just fled. At least I will die in honour and doing God’s work.’

“Hey, you, I’m here.” The shout was clearly the Princesses.

The dragon turned its neck to see her standing in the shallows waving her arms. But why pursue a tiny moral when you had a feast laid out in front of you? The gaze lasted no more than a few seconds before it turned back to the Knight. The beast started to salivate, he would enjoy this, this was new, this was exciting. Something hit his large hide, then another, and another. Something was peppering his back with small projectiles. He turned his head to notice the Princess picking small rocks form the shore and hurtling them at him. With another screech at her the pressure on the Knight eased slightly and he managed to wriggle free. This did not upset or dismay the dragon as he had another target. The feast could wait till later, firstly he needed to deal with this impudent girl.

The rocks stopped and the Princess froze in terror as the dragon lolled its way over to her. It was a walk that had been developed for thousands of years by dragons, the walk that struck fear into hearts, the slow, creeping walk that told you that you were about to die and the thing doing it was going to enjoy every minute.

“Christo et Ecclesiae.” The cry came from behind.

The dragon was once again caught between the two meals; it again screamed into the air as if in pain and then turned back towards the Knight. In a brief second it screamed in pain again, this time louder and higher pitched. In the time it had taken the dragon to stroll to the Princess, the Knight had come fully to his senses; he had run to his steed, picking up his spear in the process. Mounting the white horse he had charged towards the beast, telling the world he was doing this for his lord. The spear had pierced the soft underbelly of the beast and now it writhed in pain, clawing at the spear in an attempt to dislodge it. Both horse and rider had bundled into the dragon, bouncing off when the spear lodged in. Both hit the floor separately, but there was no time to worry about injury, the beast was stunned but not down. The Knight would not make the same mistake twice.

“Throw me your belt,” he called to the Princess as he saw his steed bolt and run off.

It seemed like a strange request at a time like this, but now was not the time to question. She pulled the cloth belt, adorned with green and blue stitching, through the loop and threw it at the Knight. It fell slightly short but he sprang forward and collected it quickly. He waited, watching the dragon’s failed attempts to remove the weapon. It was uneasy on just its back two feet and seemed to be getting unsteady. After another unsuccessful effort it placed in more force than before, losing its balance and toppling over. This is what the Knight had been waiting for, he charged across and, like a lasso, threw one end of the belt over the dragon’s neck. Before it had worked out what had happened he secured the belt like some sort of cat’s collar. In a rage the dragon flicked its head and once again knocked the Knight to the ground, this time he landed right on his tail bone. Pain flared up the Knight’s back and as he winced the dragon rose again.

“No,” the Princess screamed, feeling her world crumble, a world she had only just entered. But this teary eyed scream did not distract the beast.

It went to roar, to roar its victory and its place at the top of the food chain. As it pulled in breath to enable this to be the loudest roar it had ever achieved the Knight made the sign of the cross again and uttered quietly, “cruce, dum spiro, fido.”

The dragon’s mouth opened, the dragon’s mouth closed. The only noise was a small whimper. Then the dragon sat, like a dog, wings furled, four legs tucked up underneath its massive bulk and tail laid down by its side. It sat there looking pleading, all hatred drained from its eyes. The Princess walked across and proffered her hand to the Knight. He took it and was aided to standing, pain and exhaustion clear on his face with every movement.

“What happened?” the Princess asked in shock.

“Do not worry, the Lord has protected us.”

“But…but…”

“The Lords business is the Lords business, we are not here to question.”

The Princess shook her head, how had he tamed this creature in such a short space of time? Surely it must have been the work of God. All she could manage to say was, “what now?”

“We take him to your city and show the people the power of God.”

“But what if he comes to his senses?”

“He will not, have faith in God.” With that the Knight placed his hand on her should. She felt a renewed strength, as if she had been reborn. A smile broke across her face.

“We best get going then.”

As they walked away from the lake towards the hill the dragon, as if by magic, followed quietly behind.

“Just one question,” the Princess noted.

“Yes my lady?”

“I do not know your name.”

“I beg your pardon my lady, I did not mean to be so rude. My name is George.”

~

The city walls cast long shadows now the sun was lower in the sky. George and the Princess, who had now found to be called Sadra, saw bowman ready and the gates locked and barred as they approached. A small wooden window high up was opened, from it the Chief of Guards spoke. “Halt! Who dare bring that abomination here?” There was concern in his voice. The city was clearly in lockdown, the beast must have been spotted as they navigated the crest of the hill. At this time the gates would usually have been wide open and noise of market traders, soldiers and entertainment would be spreading well beyond the walls.

“I am George,” he shouted toward the window despite not being able to see the figure inside. “I have done battle with this beast and he is now under my spell. He will not harm you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I have God on my side.”

“God has no place here.”

“That is why he has sent this beast, to purge unbelievers.”

Silence echoed around the walls, the absence of sound giving the city an eerie feel, even if you were on the outside. After some time George broke the silence, “Will you not bade us enter?”

“You have no business here,” the Chief of Guards replied, “the doors shall remain firmly locked.”

The Chief had been too intensely focused on the dragon to notice his own Princess standing beside it. She took a step forward and pronounce, “I am Princess Sadra of Lasia and I order you to open these gates and allow us to enter.”

“Your highness,” the Chief of Guards bumbled out, “I am sorry, if I knew it were you I would not have spoken so, however the King has decreed that no one is to enter or exit the city.”

“Then go tell him I am here,” she replied harshly.

George and Princess Sadra could hear mumbling high in the window but could not make out any words that were spoken. Shortly the Chief of Guards addressed them again, “I have sent for the King, thought I know not if he will appear.”

“Thank you; you have done your duty well.”

The Princess and the Knight stood in silence for almost ten minutes as they waited, hoping to see the King. All that they thought to say to each other had been said on the journey from the lake. Soon the gates creaked open slightly, enough to let one person out. They expected someone one on gate duty, an unlucky courtesan or possibly the Chief of Guards himself. To their surprise it was the King who came out alone. Tears were rolling down his face, sheer relief took over every contour, every line. It was not the way of Kings but he broke with tradition and ran to his daughter, embracing her in a vice like hug. This set off the Princess and tears that could have filled the whole lake fell from their eyes. Once their joy at finding each other again was satisfied the King turned to George.

“Pray, sir Knight, I thank you for bringing my daughter back,” he uttered.

“It is my pleasure, King…?”

“Selinus, King Selinus of Lasia.” With this the King took a deep bow.

“Then it is my pleasure, King Selinus.”

“I am so happy, but tell me, how did you tame the beast?”

“I have God on my side and God does what it just and right.”

“But God holds no sway here; surely it is some other power.”

“The beast has been placed here to teach you the ways of God, I pray you listen.”

“I thank you, but God is not a part of my life and never will be. But I am an honest man, I will repay you, name your price.” He thought of his daughter’s hand in marriage, that was customary was it not? Having a powerful Knight like George on his side would also strengthen his position.

“Your faith in God is all I seek.”

“I cannot just tell my people to believe in something they have not seen.”

“Then allow me to show them. Let me bring the dragon to your forum. Gather your people, if they choose to worship God and become good Christians then I will kill the beast and rid you of this curse, as is God’s will. If they do not wish to follow then I will place the dragon far away, but I cannot be responsible for what plagues will ail you.”

Surprise filled the King’s face and he raised his voice, “that beast in my city, never!”

“Father,” the Princess attempted to calm his rage, “he saved me, he tamed the beast through the power of God. Everything will be fine.”

“He has brainwashed you as well. He means to take the city with the aid of this foul demon.”

“Father,” the Princess was shouting, “how dare you! Was it not the people who decided not to take gold to spare my life but to sacrifice me as the lottery intended so that their children may live? The people run this city, not you. You are only here because of them. Let the people decide.”

The King faltered, it was true, Princess Sadra’s name come up on the lottery. The King had promised gold to everyone in the city if someone else’s child was taken. But blood is more important that gold and no citizen of Lasia would part with their own child. If the King sent them away and rumours spread that God had saved them then he could have a revolution on his hands.

“Very well,” he said turning to George, “you have half an hour to prepare your case, I will see you at the forum. Sadra will show you the way.” With that he was gone, back into his city, back to what he hoped would be his seat of power come nightfall.

“Lead the way fair lady,” George uttered, motioning for her to take the lead.

With a slight blush she stepped forward and immediately the dragon followed. The three entered the city. Inside it was dark, tall decaying buildings blocking out valuable sunlight. Plaster chipped away and dust fell in the twilight-like existence, some revealed stone work, others wooden panelling crudely covering holes. The only noise was the echo of their footsteps bouncing around small alleyways the dragon could barely fit down. If it were not so dark they would have seen shutters slightly open and whites of eyes peering out. The city was watching but it was far from alive. After a few minutes they arrived at the forum, it was set within the grounds of a garden and contained large circular steps where hundreds of people could sit or stand. A great circular area was at the bottom of the steps, this was used for a market place, theatre and public discussions. Today, however, it was empty.

Princess Sadra led them down the steps, the unevenness meaning she needed to lift her dress slightly and jump down at times. The dragon, then George, followed after. The beast was set across the stage and George thought of what he would say to this city. There was only one place he could look for inspiration and thus he got down on one knee and prayed.

~

The forum was still silent, but now the forum was full. Every eye trained on the prostrate figure of the dragon below. No one dared utter a word. The crescendo of quiet echoed off of every wall in the city, it was as if the dragon had devoured every last citizen, as if he had flown over and decimated every building. But the people were alive, yet the people were still scared.

The sun had dipped away behind a cloud and one of the few open spaces in the city was now cast into shadow as if the doubt of the people were shutting off its light. George was still praying, asking for a way to convert these heathens. He would make them wait till he had worshiped his lord before rising and addressing them.

Slowly he rose and took in his audience, he could smell confusion, he could feel the unrest. But this, he felt, was from the fact that the dragon now sat before them, it was not a fear of him, it was a fear of it. He would use this fear to show them the true path. Standing near the beast’s head, he did not know exactly he would say, he would just allowed the words to come.

He drew his sword from its scabbard and thrust it above his head, “friends, I am here to tell you of your fate.” At this point the sun decided to appear from behind the cloud and bathed him in warm sunlight. To the transfixed audience he seemed to glow and take on a new power. They were stunned, they wanted to listen to him, they wanted to follow him to the ends of the earth and back. He pulled the sword down and used it to point towards the dragon. Moving in front he continued his speech, “this dragon, this beast, this abomination has been sent to show you the error of your ways. This city worships false idols, there is only one true God and today I bring his message. Believe in him, trust in him, give yourself to him and I will protect you. If you wish me to rid you of this creature then lay down your life in service to the Lord and save your souls in the process.” He feel the mood, he was losing them. The idea of servitude and giving up their lives sounded too severe, the dragon was a threat but this man was offering them a life of imprisonment.

George needed to change tact, he needed to make them realise that loving God was about freedom. “All the one true God asks is that you love him, that you follow his rules, that you labour for six days then rest on the seventh. On this day, the Sabbath day, you must also worship him.” This seemed to appease them, it was now appear to be easy to be one with God and be protected from his wrath. “Those who do this will have a seat in heaven where they shall live by his side in eternal bliss. So, my friends, what say you? Do you follow the rightful path? As a sign of his power, I, one of God’s vessels on this Earth will strike down this beast and forever rid you of its plague. Praise be to God.” He stopped, waiting for the uproar, willing them to turn towards Christianity but they faltered. The silence descended again, their mortal souls may be at risk but they were unsure. They wanted to join him but did not really understand the price. Was there a trick in this deal? Were they being taken for fools?

The Princess stepped forward, “praise be to God,” she stated loudly.

In a moment a muffled voice in the crowd stated, “praise be to God.” Then another, louder, repeated, “praise be to God.” Then another and another until the noise rose in decibels and the whole chorus in front of George were chanting.

“Praise be to God.”

“Praise be to God.”

With steely determination in his eyes his moved back to the head of the dragon and drew his sword upwards. Mouthing the words, “deo duce, ferro comitante,” he thrust the sword deep into its neck, blood splatted back over his face and armour. The dragon gave a small cry, laid its head down and closed its eyes. George simply pulled the sword free and walked away.

The chorus died down as realisation of what had just happened hit. The citizens of Lasia felt joyousness in their hearts. The beast was dead, the torment ended. The people flooded out, the streets filled with noise once again and food and wine were brought from every corner of the city. The parties lasted well into the night. Princess Sadra had watched as George exited the stage, rather than feeling saddened she simply made the sign of the cross and left, knowing what she needed to do next.

The following day the beast was quartered and carted out of the city. Princess Sadra spent the rest of her life building a church on the spot where the dragon was killed. The Church of the Virgin Mary and Saint George. It is said that a spring leapt from the altar and anyone who drank this was cured of any illness. The news of the Knight and the dragon spread and missionaries went forth, converting other towns and cities to the way of the one true God.

George was never seen again in Lasia and to the people this was a sign. A sign that he was their guardian angel, that he would appear whenever trouble arose and strike it down with the power of God. Therefore, they believe, or rather hoped, hence forth, that God was watching over them.