The Dragon Slayer." "That's a nice name," the boy says, and fiddles with his shoelace. "Would you like a job?" the princess asks. The boy shakes his head. "No, ma'am." "Not even if I said you could work in the stables, feed the horses and chickens, clean their water troughs?" The boy's eyes brighten. "They have clean water here?" "Certainly," the princess says. The boy looks around. "Then I'd like to work in the stables." The princess smiles. "I shall have a job for you as soon as you have eaten. In the meantime, I can show you around my palace." The boy's eyes widen, and he says, "Can I have some milk, please?" "I thought you said you didn't want to stay," the princess asks him. "Yes, ma'am, but can I have some milk?" "Oh, very well," the princess says, but she takes her time. "I hope you won't find the palace boring, young man," she adds, handing him his bowl of soup and a glass of milk. The boy sips the milk and takes a bite of his soup. The princess watches him as he drinks it. He puts the bowl down and stares out at the garden. "Would you like more milk?" the princess asks. The boy says nothing, only stares out at the garden. "Are you lost, young man?" she asks. The boy shakes his head. He takes a sip of his milk. "Are you lost?" "No," the boy says. "Then why are you staring at the garden, young man?" she asks. The boy points to the pond. A blue dragon is gliding over the pond. "No," the boy says, as if he can't hear what he is saying. "Blue dragon." The princess leans back against the chair and stares at the boy. He doesn't notice. He just stares out at the pond. "Blue dragon," the princess says. The boy looks over at her. "Blue dragon," he says again, only louder this time. The princess leans forward. "Who do you mean, dear?" she asks the boy. The boy stands up and runs for the door. The princess picks up her bowl of soup and her glass of milk and follows him. # Chapter 5 The little boy leans against the door and stares out at the garden. He can still see the blue dragon. It must be a long time ago that he saw it, because the princess is standing there with him, holding her bowl of soup and glass of milk. "What was that?" the princess asks him. The boy points to the pond, and she follows his finger. "What?" the princess asks again. "Blue dragon," the boy says. "Blue dragon," the princess says. "He's called a blue dragon?" "He," the boy says. The princess stares at the boy. He doesn't seem to be listening. She turns around and sees the blue dragon again. She can see the castle towers in the background, and she knows where she is. The boy points to the tree where he is supposed to be sitting. It's only a little to the left of where the princess is standing. The princess starts back toward the door, but stops. "Do you have a blue dragon tattoo?" she asks the boy. The boy points to the dragon on his right shoulder. The princess stares at him. "Blue dragon?" The boy points to the dragon on his left shoulder. "A blue dragon, I presume," the princess says. "He is beautiful. What a wonderful tattoo. Who did it for you?" The boy says nothing. "Do you have a blue dragon tattoo?" the princess asks. "Do you have a dragon tattoo?" the boy asks. The princess reaches out her hand to touch him, but the boy steps back and takes a few steps backward. He holds his breath. "It's all right," the princess says. "It's all right. What do you mean, a dragon tattoo? What are you talking about?" The boy sits down on the floor, then pushes his plate and bowl to the side. He puts his head down on his knees. The princess sits down on the other side of the doorway and puts her own plate and bowl on the floor. "Blue dragon," the boy says. The princess doesn't say anything for a while. "Blue dragon," she says. "Blue dragon." "When you find a blue dragon, you should tell him to be careful. He is beautiful," the boy says. "But how does he look? Is he brown and black?" the princess asks. The boy looks up at her. "I'm sorry," he says. "He is the blue dragon." "You mean the one over there?" the princess asks, pointing out to the garden. "The blue dragon?" The boy shakes his head. "Not the one over there. Not the blue dragon," he says. "That one." "Oh," the princess says. "Blue dragon," the boy says, and then stops. "Can I have some milk, please?" The princess gets up and goes over to her bowl and pours some milk into the boy's glass. The boy drinks it. "Blue dragon," the princess says. "Blue dragon," the boy says. "Blue dragon." # Chapter 6 The little boy sits on the edge of the pond, staring out at the garden. He doesn't know why he is doing this, but he does. He has been sitting here for a long time, and he can still see the blue dragon. It must be a long time ago that he saw it, because the princess is standing there with him. He is going to tell her about it, but she isn't. He doesn't know how long he's been sitting here, but he has been sitting here a very long time, and there has been a lot of talking. "Blue dragon," the princess says, "Blue dragon." The boy stands up and looks at her. She nods at him and sits down on the stone bench. "When you find a blue dragon, you should tell him to be careful," the boy says. "He is beautiful." The princess nods again, and the boy goes over to the stone bench and sits down on it. He points to the garden, but when he talks about blue dragon, he never points to the blue dragon. The princess stares at the garden. The boy sees that she doesn't understand, so he goes over to her. "Blue dragon," the boy says. "Blue dragon." The princess stares at him. "Blue dragon," she says. "When you find a blue dragon, you should tell him to be careful. He is beautiful," the boy says. The boy puts his hand on the princess's leg, but she shakes her leg off of him. She can't stand this stupid game. She doesn't know what he is talking about. She takes a few steps away from him. "No," the princess says. "No." The boy looks at the garden. "It's not fun anymore. It's just silly," he says. "It makes me think of..." "Blue dragon," the boy says. The boy sits down on the bench. "Blue dragon." The princess tries not to listen, but she can't. She thinks of a blue dragon, and she gets scared. "Blue dragon," she says. The boy looks at her and shakes his head. He stands up and walks over to the stone bench. He puts his hands on his face and stares out at the garden. "No," the princess says. "No, no, no." "No," the boy says. "Blue dragon." "When you find a blue dragon, you should tell him to be careful. He is beautiful." "Blue dragon," the princess says. The boy takes his hands off his face and stands up. He walks over to the stone bench and sits down beside the princess. He nods his head. "Blue dragon," he says. "Blue dragon," the princess says, and covers her face with her hands. "He is beautiful," the boy says. "No," the princess says. "He is beautiful," the boy says. The princess takes her hands away from her face and stares at him. "No," she says. "No. No. No. He is not beautiful. He is not beautiful." "Blue dragon," the boy says, and puts his hands back on his face. "Blue dragon." The princess covers her face with her hands again. "No," the princess says. The boy puts his hand on the princess's leg. "No." The boy puts his