The Dragon Has Cancelled Our Wedding

How it begins

The dragon waited until Ada Moss had said the word willing before setting fire to the ceremonial carpet.

Smoke curled around the marriage flowers. One petal drifted onto Ada's shoe, briefly glowing like a very small disagreement.

Not the bride. Not the groom. Just the carpet, which had taken six women a winter to weave and would now become a diplomatic problem.

Ada stepped away from the small line of flame.

Beside her, Emil Solano looked at the dragon. "Was that a no?"

The creature lowered its vast silver head until one eye filled the archway.

"That," it said, "was restraint."

Behind them, the two families began speaking at once. Ada heard her uncle demanding respect, Emil's mother demanding guards, and someone much farther back asking whether the lunch would still be served.

The sanctuary stood between their countries, higher than either army cared to climb. For six hundred years, dragons had witnessed promises made on its stone floor. They had been expected to remain picturesque about it.

Ada lifted her skirt clear of the smoke.

"What is wrong with the vow?"

"You haven't reached the wrong part yet," said the dragon.

Emil turned toward her. In three formal meetings, he'd worn the expression of a man trying to survive a portrait sitting. Now he looked almost awake.

"Perhaps we should hear it out," he said.

A guard moved toward them. The dragon breathed once, gently. Every candle in the sanctuary went out.

Ada raised her hand before anyone could draw a weapon.

"Nobody moves."

To her surprise, Emil repeated the instruction to his own side.

The dragon settled its chin on the stone between them, scattering a few bright threads from the ruined carpet.

"Better," it said. "Now tell me which village you were planning to give away."

Ada looked at Emil.

For the first time that morning, neither of them had a prepared answer.