When asked if wanted to ride his horses, the Prince said, "Nay… I'll do it later, I'm busy right now." When asked if he wanted to train the knights, the Prince said, "Nay…I'll do it later, I'm busy right now."
The King grew more and more frustrated with the Prince.
"How can I get him to do something? … Anything?" the King asked his court.
"I have an idea, Sire, that might help motivate him," the Magician said. "But I will need the help of the Dragon that guards the castle gates."
"Why, of course," the King said. "I'll give you anything you need…just get that boy out of his room and doing something!"
"Thank you, Sire," the Magician said.
That evening, the Magician snuck into the Prince's quarters. He took his DS and flat screen TV away and hid them in the Dragon's Lair, a dark cave at the top of Black Mountain.
The next morning, the Prince awoke and found that his things were missing.
"Where are they?!" the Prince demanded. "I want to play Dragon Quest right now - I'm on the last level!"
"Sire, it seems that the Dragon was interested in playing Dragon Quest, as well," the Magician said. "Last night, he flew into your chambers and stole your player and TV. This morning, he has not taken his post at the castle gates, but instead, he is high up in his lair, playing Dragon Quest. Every time he kills a bad guy, he gets so excited that smoke and fire fill the skies!"
"Well, I must get it back, then," the Prince says. "Servants, ready my horses. Gather the knights. We are going on a Dragon Quest of our own!"
The Prince mounts his horse and rides to where the knights are waiting. "We must ride to the top of Black Mountain and recover what was taken from me!"
So the Prince leads the nights through the Phantom Forest and up towards Black Mountain. As the slope was too steep for all of the knights to climb, the Prince went up the mountain alone.
When he reached the Dragon's lair, the Prince snuck into the cave. There he saw the Dragon, curled up on rock playing Dragon Quest. So involved in the game, he was, that he did not notice the Prince's arrival.
The Prince spoke up. "Dragon, I challenge you to a duel! To the death! What say you, Dragon?"
The Dragon looked up from the TV screen and met the Prince's eye.
"I accept your challenge!" the Dragon said. He smiled and bowed his head. "So I shall set the game up for two players, then?"
The Prince smiled. "Yes, that's a great idea!"
So the Dragon and the Prince battled together, killing each other over and over. The Dragon snorted whenever he won, setting fire to the rocks near by. The Prince roasted marshmallows over the flames, eating one every time he defeated the Dragon.
As night fell, the Prince prepared to return to the castle.
"So I shall return the same time tomorrow and we will continue to battle?" the Prince asked, eyeing the Dragon.
"Yes, Sire, that sounds like a great idea!" the Dragon said, smiling.
And so the very next morning, the Prince rose very early. He rode the horses and trained the knights for battle. And then the Prince climbed up the mountain to the Dragon's lair and they battled until dusk. Day after day, the Prince rose early, rode the horses, trained the knights, and battled with the Dragon.
Upon hearing this great news, the King called the Magician to the court.
"I am afraid, Sire, that my trick has produced mixed results," the Magician said. "I did not expect that the Dragon would be lured in by the game as well."
"Nonsense!" the King said." I am grateful for the success you have had. At least you have gotten him out of his room! At least, he's out socializing! Thank you, Magician, for all of your help.…Now, there is just one more thing… Can you find me another Guard Dragon? I'm afraid that the castle gate is not very secure without one…"
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay
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