It is common for dragons to stare at castles from distant mountains.

Even more normal is for them to watch funerals. A few of them might bundle together in the sky and watch a war. They make bets and sometimes even pick sides.

But today, none of that was happening. Ragged, the Romanian Thunderhorn, had been watching his favorite romance turn into an awful tragedy. The princess, Lana, had been perfectly happy until her lover was murdered by a jealous prince.

Of all days, this very one was when she walked down the aisle. She tried running a few times, but the guards caught her, turned her around, and sent her back.

And from the distance, Ragged shook his head. The vows were awful.

The priest turned to Lana. “Do you take this man in holy matrimony?”

Each time she said no, the priest tried to end the ceremony, but the Prince ordered he ask her again.

Ragged watched it go on as long as his temper could. Atop his mountain perch, he jumped into the air. His wings spread as he glided over the forests surrounding the castle. Stopping above the wedding, he landed on the castle’s walls. “You can stop the ceremony now.”

The Prince looked up. “You can go to hell. Guards!”

The guards fired arrows and such. No luck. Ragged even ate a few of the arrows. They stopped when he blew fire into the air.

Ragged roared. “Let’s try this again. Lana, do you take this halfwit in holy matrimony?”

“No!” Her voice now louder than ever.

“Then, here you go.” Ragged lowered his tail as if it was a set of stairs.

She ran for his tail and the guards dropped their weapons.

The Prince stared at the dragon. “You will rue the day, dragon!” He pulled a sword from its sheathe on his side.

Seeing as Ragged heard this before and kept count, he simply said, “Don’t make me lose count.” He waited until she made it to his back. “Now hold on tight.” In a few seconds, the two were in the air.

Lana held tight to the dragon. “Thank you, whoever you are.”

Ragged merely smiled. “Now, is there any place I can safely leave you? Preferably, a couple kingdoms over.”