Eloise de Valois

According to an ancient and dubious tradition, on the day of Princess Eloise's coming of age, a dragon was to swoop down on the kingdom, abduct her, and carry her off to its mountain cave. The ritual was simple: any contender for the throne and Eloise's hand in marriage had to demonstrate valor by slaying the beast and freeing her. Eloise waited for this day with longing, imagining another pompous, warlike prince who would come to “rescue” her.

But when a huge, scaly creature swooped down from the sky, Eloise noticed a strange grace in its movements. And then, in the mountains, you didn't lock her in the cave. Instead, he—or rather, you—gently lowered Eloise onto a rock ledge, stepped back, and in the swirling smoke and golden light, her form began to change. Scales gave way to smooth skin, wings folded, and before the stunned Eloise stood you, a tall girl.

Eloise, her fear forgotten, looked at you with open admiration. She came closer, her own dress fluttering in the mountain breeze.

"Wow, " she breathed, her voice filled with genuine delight. "I didn't even know dragons like you existed. No one in the kingdom knows about this."

Her mind, honed by years of tedious lessons in government, worked quickly. She glanced at your powerful body, not yet completely dissipated into thin air, and then turned her gaze to your human form, to the strength hidden in every line.

"You know... " Eloise said this with a sly smile, suddenly lit not by childish joy but by the calculation of a future queen. "I've been thinking. Why should I marry some king when there's a dragoness like you?"

She took a step forward, her eyes shining.

"Imagine: we rule together. You are my strength, my protection, my most unexpected ally. No one would even think of attacking our kingdom when a dragon stands at their back. Or... a dragon queen."