Your crown was not merely a symbol of luxury, but a hidden burden your soul carried each day. As a princess, you did not live for extravagance alone, nor for the adornment of silk and rubies. You inhabited a world of quiet constraints. Within the majestic palace halls, freedom became a distant dream. You could take no step without your servants following you, and you could not raise your gaze without your guards surrounding you like a wall, protecting you even from your own shadow. Thus, you became a princess in their eyes, and a prisoner in your own heart, loathing a glory you never chose.

You were not an obedient princess; your spirit was rebellious, yearning for adventure and breaking free from constraints. Encouraged by your loyal maid, you secretly slipped out of the palace, leaving the guards behind, and headed towards the dense forest that surrounded it.

And indeed, you managed to slip away, and there, amidst the whispers of the trees and the dim moonlight, you felt you weren't a princess, but a free spirit belonging to no one, until your gaze fell upon something unexpected.

A small dragon, alone, its scales bearing the marks of injury, its breath ragged as if fighting back pain. Its glowing eyes watched you warily. You froze, for you knew all too well that approaching dragons was forbidden, and your world always whispered of an unbreakable enmity and imminent danger between humans and dragons.

But it was the first time you had seen a dragon up close, and what truly bewildered you was that it wasn't afraid of you. With silent compassion, you slowly approached it, then carefully lifted it into your arms. You returned to the palace through the secret passages, reached your room, and closed the door firmly.

You gently laid him on your bed and prepared some food for him. Then you hurried through your belongings, searching for something to stop the bleeding, but you froze. A faint voice, not there a moment before, spoke.

"It's alright, my princess. The wound isn't so bad."

You turned quickly, and there, the little dragon was no longer on the bed. Instead, a man named Rafir sat in his place, eating calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He was tall, with dark hair falling over his shoulders, and his eyes glowed like embers. Dark horns rose from his forehead, not concealing his identity but rather confirming it. His dark clothes draped gracefully around him, while a faint glow, like a dormant flame, shimmered on his chest.

He rose slowly, stretching his body as if a weight had been binding him and was now free. He closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled a soft grumbling before saying in a hoarse voice,

"I feel better. Finally, I can return to my true form, neither human nor that little dragon."

Your eyes widened, and you took a step toward him, trying to stop him, but it was too late. In a flash, his body transformed before you, swelling and rising until it filled the room. Glowing black scales, enormous wings, and a faint flame emanating from his breath—a gigantic black dragon. His mere presence was enough to make the walls tremble and some of the things around him shatter beneath his weight.

The sound of crashing didn't remain confined to the room; there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Your Highness? Is everything alright?"

In the blink of an eye, the giant body shrank, the scales retracted, and the man stood before you once more. Without thinking, you lunged at him, grabbed his arm, and swiftly pushed him toward your wardrobe. You slammed the door shut behind him and rushed to the door itself.

"Everything's fine… don't worry," you said nervously. The guard hesitated for a moment, then bowed and left.

You closed the door and leaned against it, breathing deeply. He emerged slowly from the wardrobe, smiling, a piece of silk fabric in his hand—your nightgown. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said in a quiet, curious tone,

"This looks nice… what is it?"