The prince’s godmother, in fact, was a dragon. Kya held her mirror tightly and gazed up at the scaly creature, which narrowed its slitted eyes. “I’m not on display, you know?” the reptile hissed.
Kya stepped backward. “S-Sorry.”
The dragon sighed. She stretched, and Kya caught a glimpse of the glittering hoard that she was sitting on. “Well, what are you here for? Little princess, I know you’re not here just to marvel at my beauty. Most people come for my gold or, if they have a sense of self preservation, information.”
Kya gulped, considering how best to phrase her question. “Um, do you know how to get to the golden swan?”
The dragon arched her back, her iridescent green scales catching the light. “Oh, her,” she muttered. “Very well. You’ll find the bird in the ruined castle by Else Woods Lake.”
Inside the mirror, Saro gasped. Kya barely surpassed a grin. She knew where that was, and it wasn’t too far! “Thank you!” Time to break the spell, she thought happily, turning to go.
“Don’t leave so quickly, little princess,” the dragon hissed.
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Kya froze. “What?”
“You forgot to give me something in return. I gave you the information you sought, and now I’d like something for the trouble. Gold, precious gems, magical items—anything valuable will do.”
Kya looked herself over. All her valuable things were at the castle. “Okay, I can go and get—“
“Well, I can’t let you leave with no insurance that you’ll return,” the dragon rolled her eyes. “If you have nothing with you, you’ll just have to stay.”
“But I can’t—“ Saro had appeared in the mirror, and she caught his eye. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded. “—how about a magic mirror?”
The dragon perked up. Once again, her hoard was revealed for a moment. “What does it do?”
“Well, it,” she swallowed, thinking fast, “it answers questions. Like this.” She coughed and spoke into it. “Magic mirror in my hand, who is the bravest in the land?”
“It is you, Kya.” Saro’s voice cracked halfway through the sentence. The dragon looked suspicious.
“How do I know it doesn’t just flatter me?” she asked. “Try a different question.”
Kya looked into the mirror again. “Magic mirror in my hand, why do rainbows grace this land?”
She could imagine Saro flipping through books for the answer. After a while, he replied, “Sometimes it’s because water bends light and reveals its many colors. Other times it is because a fairy made them.”
“Interesting.” Her eyes sparkled with greed. “Very well, I will take it.”
Kya fled the lair more quickly than she’d entered it. Saro would let the dragon ask questions for a while, and then he’d leave to find Kya. If all went well, the dragon wouldn’t know she’d been tricked until Kya was long gone.
