This story is completely different from my usual stories. This time I’ve written a sweet romantic fairy tale. I hope some of those who don’t like my usual stories will like this one and that those who like my usual stories don’t get too disappointed.

Once upon a time in a place beyond our world and time there was a village. The village had had a quiet existence for centuries. The inhabitants were quite happy with that. They only knew all too well that living in interesting times was not something that ordinary peasants enjoyed.

Of course life was not perfect. Sometimes harvests were bad. Three rich farmers had managed to get control of the village. Human weaknesses such as envy, greed, lack of courage, intolerance … were no strangers to the people in the village. However, in general life was good in the village. Then things got interesting!

A dragon couple took up residence on a nearby mountain top. That was unusual. Dragons tended to keep to the High Mountains. And as dragons are wont they started making demands on the village. At first they demanded a couple of sheep and cows. Fortunately that soon stopped. Probably the dragon couple just needed to settle in. After the first few months there still happened that a sheep sometimes went missing but that could have been the usual accidents and if there were nothing worse – well, the village could live with that.

Unfortunately the dragons soon came up with a new demand. The wanted a virgin who had had her first period left in a specific field at summer solstice. The three rich farmers had the daughter of one of the poor farmers grabbed, tied up and left in the field. That was the last the village ever saw of that girl.

Being selfish people just were happy that the whole thing just was over – until the next year. The dragons came with the same demand and once more a poor girl was grabbed tied up and left in the field.

The next year the boys and young men in the village enjoyed that all the young girls wanted to make sure that they no longer were virgins come summer solstice.

All the young girls, except one girl that had her period just the week before summer solstice. She also was never seen again in village.

The next year all prepubescent girls had been sent away before the three rich farmers tried to stop that. What should they do now?

The three rich farmers met one evening.

“There are no virgins left in the village. How can we appease the dragons?” said one of the three rich farmers

“The only “virgins” left in the village are some boys.” said another.

That’s when the third rich farmer got an idea. In the village there lived a poor orphan boy that as a baby had been found on the steps of the church one morning fifteen years ago. The only thing left with him was a beautiful big, smooth stone was the purest black ever seen. While the stone was beautiful it had no obvious value so the child had been allowed to keep it. The child had grown up delicate. With his small frame, lithe body and golden locks he was terribly bullied by the other boys, except George who always protected little Peter, though even he had started to act strangely around Peter lately. The only time Peter stood up for himself was when someone threatened his only possession, the black stone. The other boys soon stopped trying since while Peter was not a good fighter he was prepared to take all the beating necessary just to get in enough hits of his own to save the stone. And then there was George. George was also a bit strange. Instead of being interested in farming he pestered the priest so much that the priest spend hours teaching George not only how to read and write but also how to count! When George wasn't studying he had got hold of an old sword and kept practising with that. None of this was very useful for an elder son that was supposed to take over the farm. Anyway the third rich farmer’s idea was to turn Peter into a girl and to prevent him to leave the village before summer solstice.

The villagers all approved of the idea. Some because they had daughters that, while not virgins any longer, they were worried about. Others feared what the dragons would do if they didn’t get a virgin. Nobody cared about Peter (except George).

For months Peter was dressed up as girl and taught how to act like one. He spent his time with the girls doing all those things teenage girls do. They even got George to act as “her” boyfriend. Strangely enough George didn’t object. They were never left alone though. Just in case, virgin remember? Peter or rather “Lucy” as he now was known as was always surveyed in order to prevent any escape. Apart from that “Lucy” had the best time in “her” life, admittedly a very low bar.

Come solstice and “Lucy” was tied up and left in the field. When everyone else, except one guard, had left George said goodbye to “Lucy”. He had manged to get hold of the black stone, put it in a sack and since he knew how important the stone was to his friend he left it with him. To make sure his friend had it to the bitter end he carefully tied the sack around “Lucy’s” waist. He leant over, kissed him gently and told him

- I can’t help it. I know you’re a boy but I love you.

After a long wait Peter fell asleep. He woke up in the dragon lair. With him was a very obviously female dragon. She sniffed around him perplexed.

- (Sniff, sniff) You smell funny. (Sniff) You smell like a virgin and not like prepubescent one at that but you don’t really smell like a girl. (Sniff)
Tell me honestly – Are you a girl?

The thing about dragons is that their magic makes it impossible for humans to lie to them when asked to speak honestly or truthfully.

The her great surprise Lucy answered

- Yes!

Until that moment she had not realized that herself. And then she added to be really truthful

- But not in body

The dragon answered

- So that’s why. How very unfortunate for you. But that can be helped. I can do that for you.
- How?

The very obviously female dragon reared and spread her enormous wings and let Lucy have a good look at her.

- I was not born like this. I know how to make magical potions that turn the male body into the gorgeous female one.

And then added, tears slowly falling from her eyes (if Lucy could have collected them she could have made a fortune selling them)

- In every way but one. The magic can’t make a female that can procreate. This is also the reason why you not being a genetic girl doesn’t matter to me.

- Why?
- Female dragons are only fertile a short time after eating a fully fertile human female. The part about being a virgin is not really true but most dragons still believe that. I had Fafnir keep up the pretence. You see, dragons are terribly transphobic and Fafnir and I try to keep my background secret but somehow there is a rumour that I once used to be male. That’s why we moved here and why we ostentatiously try to procreate. In reality Fafnir has connections in the southern ports where we set up the girls with a good supply of gold and Fafnir’s connections.

- Fafnir?
- Oh, not THAT Fafnir, his nephew. The love of my life, my husband. No matter how much we try to deceive the other dragons I will never be a mother.

At that the dragon started to cry again.

When Lucy ran toward her to hug her and comfort her, the sack tied to her waist opened and the big black stone fell out.

The dragon sat up!
- A dragon’s egg! How come you have a dragon’s egg?
- I was found together with it. It’s the only memento I have of my parents. Isn’t it a bit small to be a dragon’s egg?
- Dragon eggs are smaller than humans think. An uncared dragon’s egg! That is unheard of! Dragons always cherish the young. Please, you must let me have it. I’ll give you any amount of gold!
- This is the only thing I have from my parents but if it really is a dragon’s egg I’ll give you it. On one condition!
- You name it. I’ll give whatever you want. Whatever!
- I don’t want anything for myself but you have to promise that you and Fafnir will love and cherish the young one no matter what.

The dragon smiled, something terrifying for a human to see. The smile however, was an oddly gentle one.

- Oh child, that is not an imposition. There could be no other way.

Sobbing when parting from the egg Lucy said

- Here. Be the mother the young one deserves.
- But you ask nothing for yourself. That I can’t allow. Tell me truthfully what do you most of all want in the world!

As we already know a human can’t lie to a dragon when asked to answer truthfully. The answer came quickly and to Lucy’s great embarrassment

- George!

The next day the dragon let the village know that she was terribly angered at their attempt to deceive her. She asked the responsible persons to be left in the field that same evening. To the great surprise of the three rich farmers the other villagers immediately grabbed them and they were left in the field. In the morning they had disappeared. At noon the dragon flew slowly over the village and announced that the three rich farmers had been pathetic. They had offered her no resistance at all. She wanted a challenge. At high noon the next day she wanted to meet the village’s champion while all the rest of the villagers were to be consigned to in the church. No exceptions or she would destroy the village.

The only one in the village who had any idea of fighting with weapons was George. He readily agreed. Not that he expected to best the dragon but without Lucy he saw no point in life. However, he’d do what he could for his village.

The next day all the villagers, without exception (excluding George of course), gathered in the church. There they could hear horrible fighting sounds and terrifying screams. When all calmed down they went out to see a completely scorched field drenched in what must have been dragon’s blood. No sign of George.

After that day no dragon was ever seen in the village again. To this very day the people in the village and far around venerate George as a saint (which he wasn’t, he was a good boy but not a saint)

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Eight years later in one of the southern ports.

A happy mother has brought her two children, a girl and a boy, to the port to see the ships. The biggest one is one of her husband’s, the most successful merchant in the city. The children run around under the watchful eye of the mother. Looking at the day labourers unloading her husband’s ship her face changed. The ship’s captain just passed so she asked about three of the men.

- Oh those! That’s a strange story. One morning they were found, naked, on the quay. They claimed to be rich farmers that had been abducted and that they ruled the village. They demanded to be taken back to their village. They were fat enough and arrogant enough to make their story believable but no one had heard about the village they claimed to rule and who cared? They had to work for their living. Not very well at first but now they are good enough even though they still lament the loss of their riches.

The merchant’s wife smiled and looked lovingly at her children again. She was so happy that that old softy Fafnir had found two such lovely children in one of the orphanages he secretly supported with regular donations from his dragon’s hoard. Hoard, wife and son now relocated to the High Mountains. As for the woman, her love of George and his of her had if anything grown in the last eight years.

She had no doubt at all that they would live happily ever after!