The Forgotten Princess

I could smell the smoke above the trees before I saw it, and instantly knew what was causing it. I recognized the smell from four years ago. As I ran through the trees, Firefly following behind me, the sound of screaming girls reached my ears, and the sound of metal on scales. I halted at the edge of the trees, and looked through to see a crescent moon shaped clearing, and the clearing's edge appeared to be the drop off of a cliff.
What I saw through the trees wasn't pretty. Jonathan, with Crystal and Latrissa cowering behind him, was trying to fight off a dragon. Wonderful. To make matters worse, I recognized this dragon. Firease. Jonathan had his sword set against on of Firease's claws, and the dragon's other hand was about to swoop in and knock Jonathan off his feet.
I sighed when Jonathan was knocked to the ground. After a blow like that, the impact should have killed him. I recognized Crystal, as she ran over to Jonathan and knelt beside his body. Poor girl, she would find the noble to be dead. I was shocked though, when Crystal's expression changed to one of relief.
"He's alive!" Crystal shouted. "But he's unconscious."
"Good, now get out of here," I whispered.
She tried to drag him, but the armor was too heavy for her to lift. The other three girls ran over and started to drag him away, but Firease came between them and the trees, blocking their escape. He raised a hand, talons out, and prepared to swing.
What I did next was stupid, I should have just let him kill them. But no, I had to step out of the trees and approach so I was standing between him, the girls, and an unconscious Jonathan.
"Get out of the way girl!" Firease snarled, his voice as rough and ragged as I remembered.
"Now, is that how you treat old friends, Firease?" I said calmly. I glanced at his underbelly and saw the long white scar left by the wound I'd healed all those years ago. "I see the wound has left you a nice scar, I hope you haven't done anything else to get yourself nearly killed since we last met?"
A look of surprise crossed the dragon's features. "How do you know my name, human?"
I smiled, walked over to Firease to kiss his side, picturing the bracelet as I made the sound for friend. Instantly, I felt the warmth in my lips as the spell took place. It wasn't much warmth, but more than it took to pick a lock or grow a bush. Memory spells always did use a lot of magic.
A glaze seemed to cross his eyes, as Firease relived that day at the beach for a moment. When he came to, his lips curled into that fanged smile of his.
"Is it really you, Annia of the Elements?" Firease asked.
I placed myself between him and the girls again. "Of course it is, Firease of the Wind." I pulled up my sleeve to show the bracelet on my right arm. "I still have it, never take it off."
Firease looked at the bracelet, and his smile grew broader.
"What's going on?" Crystal cried frantically.
I turned to her. "You will stay out of this."
Her eyes narrowed, obviously she didn't like getting orders. "Or what?"
I raised my eyebrows. "You know, I could just let him eat you."
A flicker of fear crossed her face, and I watched amused. "You wouldn't." But her voice was shaky and uncertain.
"How do you know what I would and wouldn't do?"
Her lips pressed into a tight line, and she quieted. I turned back to Firease.
"Firease, it's been a while."
The dragon laughed. "Four years, if I remember correctly, Annia of the Elements."
"Your memory proves to be correct." I gestured at the group of people behind me. "Please don't eat them, it would be a shame for Jonathan to have to start his search all over again."
The dragon bowed his head. "I will this once, Annia, but only for you."
I bowed my head in turn. "Thank you, Firease."
"No thanks are needed, Annia."
With that the dragon took off, his blue scales glinting in the sunlight.
"Who are you?"
I turned to see who had spoken, and saw it was Latrissa. I stared at her, not answering.
"Who are you?" she repeated.
"My name is Annia." I turned to walk away, but Latrissa grabbed my arm.
"Are you The Forgotten Princess?"
I turned back to her, playing the part of innocent. "You mean one of you aren't?"
Her eyes narrowed. "None of us are."
"I am so!" Crystal claimed.
Latrissa rolled her eyes. "You are not! None of us are, we just want to make something of ourselves in the only way we can!" She pointed a finger at me. "You are The Forgotten Princess, aren't you?"
"No." I gave her a cold look.
"Yes, you are. Only The Forgotten Princess would have dealings with dragons, and he bowed his head! Like in the prophecy: 'Dragons will bow'. You are The Forgotten Princess!"
I stared at her in stunned silence. She was a smart one, quoting the prophecy.
I sighed. "I should have let the dragon eat you."
Her eyes brightened. "You are! You are The Forgotten Princess!"
Then Crystal jumped to her feet and grabbed my arms, questions spurring from her mouth too fast for me to make sense of them.
"Stop!" I shouted. The girls let go, and I stepped back, out of reach. "So what if I am? It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does." Crystal sighed with envy. "You could be a queen, an icon to all. You have magic. And you could marry Jonathan!"
"Jonathan?"
"Yes, he's the prince."
I was slack-jawed for a moment. He's the prince! "He is?"
"Yes, and you could marry him!"
I shook my head. "Did you ever think that maybe The Forgotten Princess hadn't revealed herself because she wanted to remain forgotten?"
Latrissa was puzzled. "Why would you want that?"
I laughed without humor. "I'm happy with my life now! Why would I want to go off, marry some prince, rule a kingdom during war, and end all the things I have come to love now?" I shook my head. "I couldn't live with it. Never to sing with my sisters again, never to swim in the deepest part of the ocean, never to speak with the dryads and elves. What would be the point!"
"You have sisters?" asked Crystal.
I nodded. "I have an adopted family."
"What are they?"
"What does it matter?" I turned away. "I'm leaving, and please don‘t tell Jonathan about me."
A quick glance over my shoulder showed Crystal nodding her consent, but Latrissa merely stared at me. The look in her eyes said that she might tell, might not. It was her decision if she chose to or not; whether she could continue to lie to him or not. I turned back and ran into the trees. If they never found me again, it would be too soon.