Silver and Gold

                                                      
On a very happy day a little girl was born to the miller family. She was a gorgeous baby and especially precious as they already had six strapping boys. And because she was so precious they named her Aurelia, the golden one. Growing up Aurelia fulfilled all the hopes implied by her name, her head became a sea of golden curls, her moods were mostly bright and she brought sunshine wherever she went. Her only drawback was her wilfulness. If things didn't go the way she wanted or if she was asked to do something she didn't like her lower lip would push forward into a pout, she would cross her arms in front of her chest and stamp her foot, setting the golden curls aquiver. Not that she needed to do this very often what with six doting older brother and parents who thought she was the sun itself.

Just a few hours earlier up on the hill in the castle another little girl had just emerged into the world. She also was especially precious as she was the only daughter to the king and queen who had had already given up hope after too many years of trying.

This little girl was exactly the opposite of Aurelia. A very delicate child with silver blond hair, blue eyes, translucent pink complexion and a soft and responsive temperament. The royal couple named her Selena after the silver light of the moon.

The two girls were opposites to each other. Where Aurelia would have a tantrum Selena would widen her big blue eyes, her lower lip would start quivering and then a single perfect round tear would roll down her cheek. This tactic would work every single time.

Aurelia grew up into a very homely child loving all matter of handcrafts, excelling at embroidery and her special love all things kitchen. At the tender age of three she tried her pudgy hands at pie crusts and outdid cook who had a lifetime of experience and at the advanced age of eight she was the best confectioner the court had every seen. This passion didn't go unnoticed by her body and even though a beauty she was more the equivalent of a luscious pink cabbage rose then that of a delicate apple blossom.

Aurelia on the other hand lived a very different life. Growing up in a busy mill and having six brothers made her competitive, trained her physically and out of sheer necessity she became tough and resourceful. Though when she needed an escape she turned to books, a rare commodity in a world of corn and flour. Over the years she entered into the family business, keeping the accounts, controlling the stock and liaising with the customers. Being smart and enterprising she knew how to use her looks and temperament to her advantage and managed to help grow the family business from one local mill into a chain of five in a few short years.

Aurelia was happy and in her element until one day her parents sat her down for a serious talk.

'My dear daughter,' the Miller said. 'Mother and I have been thinking and we both agree, you need to plan for your future - you need to marry.'

Aurelia stared at them dumbfounded and then her eyes narrowed, her lower lip started into a pout, she crossed her arms but before she could stamp her foot her mother interjected: 'Dear, please no tantrum, we only mean well. A girl needs a husband to be secure and some babies to be happy. Just look at your brothers!'

Now the foot came down with force. 'Exactly. They have wives,' she spat. 'And look at them, Polly is pregnant for the fifth time in as many years, Martha is nagging constantly, Annie is spending money as if there's no tomorrow, Kathy is fat as a house and the other two are pretty but stupid. I don't want to be like that.'

Her parents stared at her open mouthed.

So she continued: 'Whereas I have a business and am happy. And I would like to keep it like that.'

But her parents were not to be deterred. They let it be know that the miller's daughter was ready to be wed. There were suitors galore as Aurelia was a beauty and had a large dowry to boot. What they hadn't reckoned with was her wilfulness and fortunately that worked as a useful deterrent. On the other hand there were still some who either saw her as a challenge or an opportunity too good to be missed.

She still managed to discourage the smith by beating him in arm wrestling, the baker's son with his roaming hand by forcefully connecting her boot heel with his instep and the young tailor by making it clear that she wouldn't marry someone who couldn't run a hundred yards without wheezing. But it was getting tedious.

Selena was having similar problems. As she was the only child with not much interest in ruling and politics her parents thought she needed a decisive husband. They also assumed that being a good cook made you long to be a mother. So the king let it be known that his daughter was looking for a suitable husband. And the princes came thick and fast.

And left nearly as fast, too. Being such a talented cook Selena knew how to produce awful meals that induce all sorts of severe indigestion and stomach upsets. Also when the suitors managed to steal some minutes alone with her she dropped quiet hints of disastrous state finances and genetic diseases running in the male side of the family.

Then a real crisis arose. A dragon, a burning and pillaging monster that was devastating the borders of the kingdom. The king sent his army but it didn't manage to stop the menace. So he let it be known that he needed a brave champion to rid the country of the dragon. The dragon slayer would receive the beautiful princess and the prospective of ruling the kingdom as their reward.

This was the opportunity Aurelia had waited for. She immediately saddled the best horse in the mill's stable and made her way to the castle. There was already a long line of young men wanting to grab this same chance. And while they all waited the crowd grew and grew. When just after lunch the castle gates finally opened more than 50 more or less strapping young or not so young men and one woman entered the great hall.

At the top on a gilded throne sat the king in full regalia with his queen on his right and the princess Selena to his left.

It took Aurelia only one short glance at the princess and she was smitten. Never in her life had she seen such a beautiful creature. The silvery hair, glowing as if the moon shone through it, the pink curves of her plump cheeks like the finest white peaches you had ever tasted, the voluptuous body draped in shades of pink and white and those deep blue eyes like a lake in the morning sun. For several minutes Aurelia was totally out of it. So when the king asked the candidates to form orderly rows she was the only one who stayed rooted to her spot right in the middle in front of the throne staring at the princess.

And Selena was not any less taken. Never in her life had she seen such a vibrant and self-assured woman. Those golden curls dancing like snakes around her face, the trim body and the confident stance.

Aurelia came to again when her ears grasp onto the last of the King's words: '.... no women on this quest.'

Her head snapped up, her lower lip moved forward, her arms crossed themselves, she could just about stop her foot from stamping the marble floor but not before the words left her mouth: 'Why not?'

Everyone gasped. Then there was a loud moment of silence finally interrupted by a peal of laughter. Selena's wide smile beamed at Aurelia and then was directed towards the King. Suddenly her expression changed. Her eyes grew wide, her lower lip quivered, a single perfect round tear rolled down her cheek and in a small voice she said: 'Daddy, please?'

And thus Aurelia found herself the next day on the way to the borders on the king's best battle horse. 'Thanks goodness my brothers taught me how to ride properly,' she thought as the horse was huge and temperamental. She rode for several days and more and more devastation caused by the dragon could be seen. Burnt crops, trampled villages, snapped trees and people in fear.

And whenever she was questioned by people wherever she went she always answered: 'I'm on a quest to find the dragon and rid you of him.' Mostly this was greeted with laughter or disdain but Aurelia was not deterred.

Finally on a late afternoon she reached the foot of the mountain where the dragon cave was said to be. And true enough on the steep slope she could make out a wide gap in the rock. She led her horse into a nearby woodland to hide and tethered it to a tree. Then she went back to the edge of the trees on foot to observe the cave.

The sun was already setting when she heard the loud whooshing of big wings and an even louder argument.

'This is not right,' a gravelly voice shouted.

'So, what,' a different voice answered. 'You're mine and you must do what I say.'

'But it's not right. Those people are poor already. It's not right to destroy their farms.'

'Who cares, it's fun,' and a nasty laugh followed. 'Did you see the idiots running for cover today?'

'I did and I hated it.'

'So do something about it. Oh I forgot, you can't. I won you in a game.'

'Yes, I know, I'm an idiot. I should never have attempted to beat you at knuckles.'

Aurelia saw the big dragon with his rider on the back land right it front of the cave and vanish inside. A moment later a fire was burning in the entrance.

Later in the night, Aurelia crept quietly up to the cave. In the low light it was difficult to see and she thought she was safe as loud snoring could be heard from within the cave. A sudden hiss startled her.

'Stupid girl, what do you think you're doing here?'

And Aurelia realised that the dragon's head was protruding from the entrance, reptilian eyes wide open scrutinising the area. She jumped backwards and if the dragon hadn't grabbed her arm with his talons she would have fallen backwards down the slope.

'Watch out, you silly midget. You want to fall to your death?' the dragon hissed.

'No, I came to, to, well, actually I came to persuade you to stop harassing the people in the area.'

The rumble like a laugh emitted from the dragon and then a belch followed by a shooting flame.

'Pardon me, heartburn,' the dragon hissed. 'The moron who owns me doesn't give me any beer, the only cure for this wretched curse.'

'I heard you earlier. He won you in a game?'

'Yes, stupid me. I thought I could outwit him. Didn't realise he was cheating with the knuckles hiding them in his sleeves.'

'So why don't you just run off or kill him or what. I mean, you're way bigger then him.'

'Can't, losing casts a spell which can only be lifted if I win against him next time.'

'So, win.'

'Can't, he's cheating every time.'

'Let me think.' Aurelia closed her eyes, screwed up her face, opened her eyes again, surveyed the area, shook her head, looked herself up and down, looked the dragon up and down and suddenly she knew.

'We make you sleeves.'

The dragon looked at her suspiciously. 'How?'

Without another word, Aurelia to off her riding cape and pulled the laces from her boots. With her knife, she cut the cape in half and then bound the pieces of cloth to the dragon's elbows so that they fell down like sleeves over his paws.

The dragon first looked very suspicious but after having waved his arms around a few time a wide smile spread around his long snout.

'Might even work.' At that moment the constant snoring from the cave was interrupted by several grunts and the horizon was starting to turn pink.

'You better hide, girl. He's waking up. But I'll challenge him to a new game right after breakfast.'

Aurelia climb up above the cave and settled herself into a crevice in the rock hoping that temperatures would rise soon as she was starting to feel very cold without her cape. She must have dozed off anyway cause a loud whoop woke her.

'I won, I won,' the dragon's voice boomed over the valley. And a bit quieter: 'Now get running, you nasty little shite or I'll have you for lunch.'

Aurelia smiled. Their trick had worked. As fast as she could she scrambled down to the cave.

'Well done,' she beamed. 'What will you be doing now?'

'Don't know, I hadn't thought that far yet.'

'Why don't you come to the royal court with me. I could show you off and win the princess?'

'And wouldn't you like that.'

'Oh, I would. She's so beautiful and pretty and gorgeous and lovely and...'

'Oh my, it's hit you hard, hasn't it? You sure you want to marry a princess?'

'Why, yes, she's so pretty and beautiful and...'

'OK, I get the drift. I'll come with you and we'll see. By the way, my names Draconia and yours?'

'Draconia? Isn't at a girl's name?'

'Yes, just so you know, there are female dragons. How do you think we procreate.'

'Oh, yes, sure. I hadn't thought about that.' And after a pause. 'I'm Aurelia.' And she extended her hand. 'Nice to meet you, Mrs Dragon.'

The Dragon grinned and carefully shook her hand.

The return journey was much faster than the outward one. Aurelia was thrilled riding high above on the back of the dragon. The horse was less happy about the arrangements, a dragon's back doesn't fit a horse's physique very well.

When the people in the castle heard the loud whooshing of dragon wings they thought that disaster was upon them. But then a lookout spotted Aurelia on her back waving her riding cape cum dragon sleeves like mad and a servant was sent to the king to announce the return of the courageous dragon slayer.

On the journey they had stopped once at an inn where Aurelia had a pie and Draconia half a pig with potatoes and two barrels of beer, her favourite meal. So when she landed and let out a belch only some fumes escaped into the air and no flame at all.

No sooner had Aurelia climbed off the dragon's back than she was caught in a tight embrace and a voice as sweet as honey cooed into her ear. 'You're back.'

Aurelia lent back, smiled into Selena's face, and said 'I am.' And then slowly lent forward and places her lips gently then slightly more forcefully on Selena's. After a short pause, Selena answered back. The crowd around them broke into a loud and joyous cheer because that is what crowd do in these situations.

The king look at the queen and said: 'I think, we'll have a wedding soon.'

'But,' said the queen. 'But they're girls.'

'Sure, but do you think we can go against the choice of a dragon slayer and a princess?'

And so a big wedding was celebrated and they lived more or less happily for a long time.

Oh, and before I forget. The dragon became their foreign minister and no more wars were waged against the kingdom because as Draconia says: 'If I give the beer a miss, A little belch says more than a thousand words.'


©Lele Schirmeister, 2014