…And the Prince
Slew
the Evil Dragon,
and Saved
the Princess,
and they lived
Happily
Ever
After…

Except.

Except
the Dragon
Wasn’t evil.
Or dead.
Merely knocked Unconscious;
and he woke
with nothing more
then a Bad
Headache.
He Missed
his Princess
and the Pudding
she made for him.

So,
He Left
to find
a cooking store,
and he used
some plunder
to refurbish the kitchen, and
to buy
an apron,
a chef’s hat,
and
some cookbooks,
in hopes
of Learning
to make
Chocolate
Pudding.

And he
was glad
he did:
there were
many
many
many more ways
to prepare
and to cook
a Cow
then he had known
Existed.
and He Discovered
that He was Quite
Good at
Most
recipes.
He Decided
to start
a Restaurant.

So out
he went:
to pick up
new ingredients,
to look at
commercial properties,
and to
Hire
Staff;
including a Chef
to make deserts:
for he
Still
could not
make
Pudding.

Except
the Princess
decided
she really
Didn’t Need
the Prince,
no matter
How
Witty,
Handsome and
Charming
he might be. It was
Boring, shut up
inside a Castle
All Day.

So,
She Left
to find
the Dragon,
who was very
Glad
to have
her
(and her pudding)
back.
He Hired her
on the Spot.

And she
was Glad
To be back:
After All,
you Meet
many
many
many more
Interesting people
as a
Dragon’s Princess
then as a
Queen.

So off
she went:
to have tea
and discuss
Philosophy
with Trolls;
to plan Bake-sales
and Carriage-Washes
for charity
with witches
and,
occasionally,
to fight
a would-be
Savior and Suitor.
of the knightly
persuasion.
All
in time
to come home
and make
her Dragon
a bowl
of Pudding.

Except
Meanwhile,
the Prince
Decided
he Never Loved
the Princess
in the First place;
and soon
he Eloped
with the Court Wizard.
he Talked
to his Father,
the King,
when he
Returned.

He became
a Diplomat,
and regularly met
the Dragon Princess
over Coffee
and Cake
at the Dragon’s
New Restaurant
(Charlie’s
Stake and Coffee House:
the Food cooked
right before your Eyes!)

They ate,
and they chatted,
Discussing
and Debating
Ogre land rights,

Giants Health Insurance,

and maybe

a Foreign Princess
Exchange Program,
where
Dragon Princesses
from
around the World
trade Dragons
for a few months
(or twelve).

Or a Lecture Hall
where Knights
and Kings
and Dragons
and Ogres
can Meet
and Greet
and Discuss
World Events.

A Summer Camp
where young people
can learn
that Dragons
are not,
Knights
are not,
Damsels
are not,
Royalty,
Monsters, and
Villains,
are not
Always
what they
Appear,
or Sound,
or
are
Stereotyped
to be.

So the Prince
Spoke
Foreign Languages,
and visited
Far, Far, Away places.
the Princess
discussed Philosophy
and Long Ago times,
and ran
the Summer Camp.
And the Dragon
Enjoyed
learning new delicacies
from Foreign Princesses
on Exchange trips
and eating
his Princess’s
Pudding.
And they lived
as Happily
as the could
Ever After.


Even with
the occasional
Interruption
from a
Well-Meaning
Knight.