Princess Moments
Freedom’s Price
You created the monster. Now you must destroy it.
Therese closed her eyes and shuddered, bracing herself against the cool mountain side as a wave of heat pressed into her, stinging what little of her skin remained uncovered. She turned her face up, back to where the faint glow of blue sky crested the mountaintop, backlighting the crowd clamoring to catch a glimpse of their princess. Of her.
But there would be nothing to cheer for, not when all that her people would see was her demise.
You are Craiglan’s only hope.
Yesterday’s cheers waned into pulsing paranoia. Did her people feel it too as they looked on from above? By no small miracle would she survive this.
As the heat subsided, she pushed out a breath before resuming her journey, bounding over the rocky terrain, sliding down the cliffsides. Down, down, down…as if she trekked into Sheol itself.
The scale-lined dragon reared its ugly, serpent-like head, and she tumbled into a crevice, crouching within a shield of rock.
Her final conversation with her father echoed through her mind. “I’ve nothing else to try, Therese. I can think only to go myself and battle the monster.”
Nothing else to try.
Gone were the militiamen, willing to offer their lives for the sake of their loved ones, so eager to wage war on the beast who had burned away their land and livelihoods. Gone was the king’s army, the strong and refined and trained. Gone even was the king’s personal guard—the best and brightest—reduced to dust and ash.
From dust I have come, and to dust I will return…
Therese shuddered. She would join their ranks tonight unless Father’s hopes were founded and only a royal could vanquish the fiend.
She had shared his hopes when she’d offered to go in Father’s stead. Valiant, she’d been. He had resisted, but how could he disagree? He was far less agile than she, and should the attempt fail, he would be needed to lead the people on to safety. He was, after all, their king.
So he’d embraced and kissed her. Their tears had intermingled, and then he’d sent her on her way. “Surely the monster will respect you, my beautiful, strong daughter.”
Therese curled her fingers around her sword hilt. As if the dragon knew respect.
No, one of them would have to die.
May it not be me.
She shimmied back into the open, and light assaulted her senses as fire raged in what had once been Craiglan’s fertile valley. Dolion had been charged with protecting it, groomed from birth by Therese for this very purpose.
This is what she got for striking a deal with darkness. If only she had known the truth—
No, she had known it. If only she had believed the truth.
Young and innocent, she had seen all things as pure, including the egg of a dragon long thought to be extinct. Despite lessons to the contrary, despite her father’s strict reminders of their kingdom’s struggle against the beast’s destruction, despite the burning fire in Dolion’s eyes…she had held out hope.
“I thought you were better than this!” she cried to the dragon.
Dolion turned fiery eyes upon her, millions of rows of scales glistening in the firelight. His jaw opened to release an earth-shaking hiss, jagged teeth clearing away for a forking tongue to slither out.
The ground beneath her tremored and gave way, an avalanche of rock sweeping her feet out from under her and carrying her to the monster’s feet. His eyes roved the mountain above—did he search for her? She held in a gasp, pressing a hand to her lips to keep any sound from escaping.
His wings heaved, and he took to the sky, fire raining from his lips. Therese buried herself in a cluster of stones and measured her breaths.
How had she mistaken such evil for good? And how was she going to save her people from this monster of her own making if she didn’t face the beast head on?
If anyone deserved to die, it was she.
The weight of lives already lost slammed into her heart, freezing her to the ground. Her foolishness had stolen so much. The lure of something mystical and powerful, her constant desire to contribute something to her kingdom…
She had been enticed and given over to disobedience. Now she bore the consequences—death.
If only it wasn’t just her life Dolion had taken.
None more. Not on her head. If it was her life he wanted, here she was. She pushed herself into the open, fire rising and dancing on every side. Her lips dried and her hair was singed, but it was time for this to end.
“Dolion!” She pointed her sword at his arching, writhing figure in the sky. “I have come to defeat you!”
He swooped down and imparted another rattling hiss, sending her cloak and skirts flapping. She scrambled toward him, angling a frantic swing at one of his thick, plated legs. The blow glanced off, serving only to anger him. His front leg slammed into her, tossing her against the surrounding rock.
Her head pounded, and her body slid to the ground. His strength easily overpowered hers a thousand times. How could she possibly win?
But there were scant seconds to think. The pounding of his heavy footsteps pushed her to her feet and set her mind to strategizing. If she could just get on his back…
She ran for his tail and took hold of a pair of scales, digging her fingers beneath them. As she’d hoped, his tail swung wildly, flinging her into the air. She landed near his neck and again dug her fingertips in. Like the mountains of her homeland, she climbed, using his thick scales as footholds. He shook and stomped and swatted at her, but within minutes, she edged up his neck.
What she found at the top stole the breath from her lungs.
Where had it gone?
When he had been younger, a soft spot had remained at the back of his head, but now it too was covered in a layer of shield-like scales.
His hiss sounded almost like a cackle this time. His vulnerable spot was gone. There was no way to win.
His tail swung up and hit her. Weakened by the blow, her grip gave out, and she flew against the wall again. This time, she didn’t rise.
There was nothing to rise for.
She pulled her cloak around her like a blanket and wept. What have I done?
Dolion circled back, lumbering madly over the rocks.
“Help,” she yelped.
Light washed over her, sudden and bright, but it wasn’t the flickering orange glow of fire. She sat up, and a sharp pain drew her hand to the back of her head. A deep gash left warm, sticky blood on her hand. She shuddered, but still, hope took hold.
She heard the voice before she saw him. “Take me.”
Therese clung to the rockface and channeled her remaining strength into rising, into getting a glimpse at this fool come to join her suicide mission.
She squinted but could scarcely make him out—a slight human silhouette shrouded in radiant light. It emanated from him and filled every crease and crevice. Even Dolion winced.
Then, in an instant, the light-cloaked figure was turning and looking at her. His face kind and sorrowed and powerful all at once. “Come, child.”
Was it…
No, that voice didn’t belong to Father.
She limped toward him, and though her limbs protested and her eyes begged to drift shut, she pressed on toward the light. Her toe caught on a rock, and she stumbled, splaying out on the hot stone surface.
“Rise up.” He was at her side, his hand in hers, lifting her to her feet.
The pain in her head eased, and she felt a measure of strength return.
She squinted in the brightness and saw a crown glinting atop his head. “Who are you?”
“The only one who will satisfy the dragon.” He offered a sad smile as he strode toward the beast, whose shock was replaced now by simmering, fiery anger.
“Wait, but—” Therese tripped after him. “But I created the dragon. Can’t I satisfy it?”
The man stopped and glanced back. “Its hunger for souls is insatiable.”
“But then how can you—” Therese’s eyes widened as she neared the man again, turning her face up to his. “Are you…”
“I am Osias, the anointed one.” He stepped closer and touched the back of her head. “Only my life will satisfy the beast.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “But I deserve to die. My disobedience has cost so many.”
“It matters not what you deserve. I want you to live. Think of your father—would he not give his own life for you, if he could?”
She nodded, though she couldn’t meet Osias’s gaze.
“This is why I have come, Therese. That you and your people may live.” Osias started toward the raging dragon. Dolion swooped and swayed over him, his tail flicking back and forth.
Therese stretched her hand out, stumbling forward. “Wait!”
Osias looked over his shoulder.
She threw her arms out. “What am I to do?”
“Tell them about me. Tell them they are free.” He trudged forward and stopped in the open center of the dragon’s territory, arms spread wide. “Take me!”
Dolion let out a horrifying screech and hurtled toward him. Osias made no move to fight as the dragon swallowed him.
Therese screamed and raced up the mountain, waiting for the dragon to reaffirm her as his target. A thud sounded behind her, and she spun back around. Dolion fell dead against the ground, and light exploded into the mountainside, washing over her, extinguishing the flames.
You created the monster. He gave his life to set you free from it.
“Tell them about me…”
Disbelief washed over her. Could the reign of terror truly be over?
She and her people were free. She sprung up the mountain on hinds’ feet, not pausing until she reached the top.
The crowds swarmed her, their questions lost in the sea of voices. Only one mattered, breaking through the din. “Therese? Are you well?” Father raced to her, his thick arms surrounding her.
She touched the back of her head, but there was nothing there—not even a trace of the gash. “Yes, I am…perfect.”
“What happened?” His aged face was mapped with wrinkles, his silver beard tickling her shoulder.
She stepped to the edge of the cliff and peered down. “Our salvation has come.” The dragon still laid silent, its hunger quenched, as Osias had promised. She lurched back into Father’s arms, shameless tears trekking her cheeks and edging down his armor. “We are free. Finally.”
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
–John 8:36 NIV