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The ball takes place as scheduled, with all the chaos of mortals. The kitchen prepares a feast, unfortunately, no pork. It seems someone kissed the kitchen worker as a sort of game and he became mortal again.

I take my serpent form and find a place in the prince’s hair. Even from up close, I look like a snakeskin headband, with onyx eyes and a slit for lips by Ming’s ear. Cub plays just outside the castle’s doors, far from the guests’ view. I watch for Shen-Mei as I whisper to the prince.

“Watch your right foot!” He nearly steps onto another poor girl’s foot. The spell I cast earlier mistook clapping for musical beats, sending Ming into a hilarious crazed spin around the room. I quickly removed it. Of course, no one called his dance crazy, he is, after all, the prince and everything the prince does is regal, even if he is running about the room like a lunatic. The dance mercifully ends and he makes an excuse to sit down.

“She smelt of liquor.” He comments.

“Barmaid, at least the last one was daintier.” I point out as I circle through his hair to find a spot not soaked with perspiration. Perhaps a barmaid wouldn’t be the best for his drinking problem anyway…

I hear a loud neigh of a mighty stallion. A carriage door opens. The smell of ripe watermelon scents the air. I spot Shen-Mei making her fashionably late entrance. She sports the navy gloves and the dress of the same black as my cloak. She walks gracefully into the center of the dance. Her eyes search the room, frightened, but alive.

“Her…” Ming whispers as his mouth drops open.

“Drooling is not very princely.” I comment and slide down from his head onto the floor. I return to my normal form and gesture for him to move. He stands and walks to her side. I sit and watch like a child at the theatre, knowing the play, but not knowing the moves of the actors. A hush spreads through the ballroom. I can hear their exchange.

“I do not believe I have had the pleasure of meeting you,” Ming says with a small bow. The girl does not dip her chin into her chest, but holds it high and proud. She accepts his hand to be her partner for the dance.

After several quiet moments of staring at each other, she breaks the silence. “You are not as handsome as it is rumored.”

“Rumors are notorious for being wrong.”

I smirk at his quick response, a sign that he has become comfortable.

“Rumors also say that you are to select your bride at this ball.”

“If I should find a girl befitting the position,”

“After only one dance?”

“Well, I suppose that is too short a time to evaluate the queen potential in a girl. Would you agree to the next dance with me?”

She seems taken aback by this request, quickly stammering, “I had no intention of being a princess when I came here. I only wanted to see what was beyond the gates of my home.”

“Then allow me the next two dances to tell you of places beyond your home and beyond the palace.”

She looks off into the distance for a moment, noticing the people staring at her. “Alright,” she finally answers. “If you should reject me as your bride, then I will at least know of worlds where I may never venture.”

I close my ears to their conversation, watching only my handiwork on her clothing. Their conversation lasts for the length of the song. And the next. And the next. And for the rest of the evening as the prince dances with no one else.

A tap on my shoulder interrupts my peace. I look up and see the royal family. “Who is she?”

“His match,” I say confidently. They nod and walk away as the prince races up to me. His face is red and he is panting heavily.

“She’s gone.” In his hand is one of her gloves, the one to hide her crimpled arm. “I grabbed her hand and the glove came off and she ran. She’s gone. Some of the people went after her.” I mumble some curses at him but forget them as I race out the door. I nearly trip over one of her braces. Damn fearful mortals. I change into dragon form, may the beasts forgive me if I am the ugliest dragon they have ever seen. The blasted band remains tightly around my scaly neck, but I do not care about it now. I have to save Shen-Mei, even if it means I need to burn the entire province, even if it means I would never be freed, I will not let the innocent suffer.

The prince climbs onto my shoulders without a word. A low growl from the cub sounds from the bushes where I hid him. I shake my head. Stay. It prepares to disobey. I have no time. I fly to her home.

“How do you know where she lives?” He asks over the winds.

“I’m a witch. I don’t need to explain myself!” I shout back and dive at it. We land at the front door. Horse bones and a rotten watermelon lies to the side of the yard. I immediately become my normal form. He pounds on the door with his fists. It opens. The one known as Nana stand there. Her hair is a mess, clinging to her pale forehead in a sweaty golden mess. Her dress is in disarray. Risen scratch marks cover her forearms as she pulls her sleeves down to her wrists.

“Prince Ming, how good to see you!” Nana says with a grin. She turns toward me. They show no emotion at my presence. I taste evil. The smallest whimper reaches my ears. I taste more evil. Tears splash onto the earth. I can feel it, hot, wet, and pleading. A piercing scream breaks something inside me.

“Where are your daughters?” I ask in my sternest tone.

“I’m sorry,” Her apology is ice, just as worthless, just as cold. “I don’t believe we have met.”

My eyes become as black as the night. My hair changes into thousands of snakes. I step forward as the snakes try to bite at her painted face. “Where are they?” She shrinks back finally, but doesn’t move from the doorway.

The prince pushes her aside and runs into the home. Whimpers sound louder. He thunders through the home and slams open every door. He finally finds her, and Nana’s daughters pressing on a compression machine to dry clothes. Shen-Mei’s arm is between the levers. They freeze silently. It is my turn to act. I clap my hands once. A sound wave ripples through the air. Evil falls to the floor, crippled, deafened. My serpents drop from my head and race to their ankles and wrists. They bite down, hard, and begin to take its revenge. I clap my hands twice. A wind washes through the house and moving sins. Evil receives the deeds it once inflicted. Bruises appear. Bones snap crisply in the hot air. The third time, they feel the pain I have seen, they see the mortals who ravage each other, they feel the knight’s arrow pierce their dragon hearts, they feel their skin separating from their bodies, and all the atrocities I have kept within me for all the eons I have lived.

I clap a final time. Shen-Mei’s injuries heal as her bones straighten. She stands and walks toward her prince without her limp. He holds out a glove. It fits perfectly, aligning to her perfection. Her gown forms. He kneels and places on her shoe; it hugs her once broken bones. A horse neighs in the front yard. Sweet perfume fills the air.

I turn away and with a wave of my hands, I collect Evil into the backyard. They curl up against each other, fearful. I spread my arms to my sides and look up at the night sky. The moon looks down scornfully. The stars will be the silent witnesses. I turn to the earth. Demons and Devils of the deep, reclaim your children you will keep. The earth opens up with a roar. Liquid fire lies at the bottom, always ready for more damned souls. It rears up like a tongue, and eats its children. They try to scream, but my serpents slip into their mouths and bite at their insides.

The wind catches an ember of the deep’s fire. It flies towards me. It touches the metal around my neck and sets me free. The metal slips off and lands with a clank against the earth at my feet. The earth closes silently, full and content. My hair returns, in all its black glory. My skin glistens in the moonlight, pale as ever.

I hear footsteps behind me. Ming and Shen-Mei smile at me. A small shadow at their ankles catches my eye. It barrels at me and collides into my legs. I smile at the cub. It stares at me longingly. Spoiled brat, I think to it as I lift it into my arms. It sniffs at my hands, sensing my magic. Perhaps this is my familiar. I never actually had one; I never cared to attach another to my lifestyle. Even the dragons often complained that I never seem to sleep. Perhaps this creature would be my match.

“You’re free,” The prince says as they walk up to me. I nod happily. They seem like a good pair, on the outside, darkness and light, lowly and privileged, but on the inside, all the same.

“You have been most compassionate,” Shen-Mei whispers as she holds tightly to her beloved’s arm. I roll my eyes.

“Ming will tell you different.” With that, I return to my home in the mountains with the cub, determined never to be involved in royalty nor mortals again. I never heard from Shen-Mei and Ming again, though I did hear they had a dark haired daughter, whom they named Tao-Yin. One can interpret it two ways; chaos, or kind winter. I prefer chaos.