Cressida pulled open the heavy oak door.

“Yes? What can I help you with man? Make it quick I need to get back to the dragons.”

Benedict shuffled his feet. This isn’t how things were supposed to go.

“Erm...well...I’ve come about rescuing the princess.”

“Oh that. I’ve only been waiting 3 decades so I decided to get on with things myself. You’ll notice you’ve had an easy passage through the thickets of briars. Took me a good few years to get that mess under control. Come on in and have a cup of tea. Just mind you wipe your boots before you come traipsing through. I’ve got enough cleaning to be getting on with without having to clean up after would be rescuers.”

Benedict hurriedly wiped his iron boots on the doormat and clanked his way in full armour through to the kitchen where Cressida was now bustling about with a kettle.

“Erm...is that a dragon?”

“Oh yes. This is Reggie. He was the runt of the litter but he makes an excellent kitchen utensil. He’ll have the kettle boiled in a minute.”

This definately isn’t how things were supposed to go Benedict thought. He was supposed to be The Knight in Shining Armour. He’d stayed up all night making his armour gleam especially for the occasion.

“You were aware you were supposed to be rescued?”

“Oh yes” Cressida replied, “But everyone seemed to be busy getting on with their lives. I know theres been a bit of a war going on and there hadn’t been any callers for quite some time so I decided enough was enough. I said to myself right, Cressida, you are more than capable of rescuing yourself, you don’t need a man to do it for you. Its just a silly dragon thats guarding you. I did a bit of reading in the excellent library my captors left for me and it turns out that dragons are nothing to be afraid of. Yes, they tend to flame a bit when they get excited but they’re rather like a puppy really. Talk to them in a stern voice and they soon do what they’re told. It was Reggies mother that was guarding me. Especially dangerous a brooding mother. Just wants to protect her eggs. Anyway, me and his mum eventually got on rather well. Company for eachother I suppose. I helped her look after her babies once they hatched. Unfortunately she died two maybe three years ago now, so its just been me and the little ones. Would you like to see them? They’re just in the sheds outside. Its feeding time so they’ll be expecting me anyway.”

Benedict was definately a bit put out, “You mean you don’t need rescuing?”

“No thank you dear, we’re quite fine as we are. If you are coming to the dragons you better take off that armour though. We don’t want the dragons to get overexcited by seeing their reflections in that armour and roasting you alive dear.”

“I think I’ll be off then. You know how it is. Plenty of princesses locked away to rescue and if you’re sure don’t need me.”

“Not a problem dear. Its been nice having someone without scales to chat to. Do drop in if your passing again.”

Benedict clanked his way back down the hallway, through the old heavy oak door, down the garden path and through the tended briar maze on to a proper adventure.