Once Upon A Time

by Jo Pilsworth

  The Chamberlain bowed as he moved backwards out of the room. I follow him through the open door climbing the many stairs to the top floor of the castle. Reaching for the door that will lead me unto the roof I push it open and walk regally out my robes billowing in the wind.

  Standing on the roof I feel the scales form on my skin like mother of pearls shining under the darken night. My wings spread with the same shimmer. I am impressive in my size. My feet and hands now heavy with thick claws. I looked to the other side of the roof and swallow hard when I see his red dragon form formidable and yes, sexy as hell. I hear the Chamberlain saying that it was time.

  Taliesin Llewelyn

  Just a sliver of a moon lit the night sky, as I was escorted to the opposing tower to the Queen's quarters in the castle. For tonight, my flight must start from this, the guard tower. Henceforth, provided that I gained the Queen's approval, we would fly together from her tower. But tonight, the Ddraig Goch must fly to the Queen, and not with the Queen.

  In some respects, I was more than ready for this flight. From the time that I started to train, to make myself the best choice as Consort, I had also planned and considered how I might win the Queen in First Flight. I had watched eagles. I had watched the red kites, native to our land. I had watched how the males won over their mates. I had watched the native creatures of air in their dances. And I knew in my heart that I had prepared as much as I might. May the Gods grant that my preparation was enough.

  As I waited on the tower, in my dragon form, my wings open to the wind, I flexed my muscles, warming them for this most important moment. A poor launch would mean a poor flight. Opening my wings to their full breadth, I let the wind swirling above and around the tower catch them, pulling at them, making me yearn for the skies. But first, I must wait for my Queen.

  I watched as she left the door to the top of the tower. I watched as her robes billowed around her, and I watched as the scant moonlight caught the white scales as she transformed to her white dragon form. White dragon, to remind us that the Consort must before all else, protect the Queen from evil.

  As her wings opened, they danced almost lazily in the wind, before with a snap, her powerful legs drove her upwards, her wings catching that first essential down stroke, which carried her upwards into the clouds. For a moment, she circled above the tower, before glancing down. And that was my signal. My own wings moved from their lazy movements as my own legs drove me to the skies. With powerful beats, my wings swept me upwards, towards my target. Each wing-beat brought me closer, before with a mocking cry, my Queen ceased her own lazy hovering above me and continued to climb.

  "Catch me if you can, Consort." That cry was understood by all. Fear not, my Queen. I have no intention of failing.

  Ariawen Llewelyn

  I leapt off the roof my wings flapping with a downward sweep, my body lifting off the roof and climbing high into the sky. as soon as I clear the clouds I call out to the consort "Catch me if you can!"

  Then I took off my mighty wings flapping strongly as I soar higher and higher into the night sky. I can hear the Consort’s wings flapping loudly into the night. I can look down below me and I see him racing towards me.

  I veer off to the right and swoop down staying above the clouds. the stars looking like diamonds as they twinkle over our heads. Then making a quick turn I rise up once again. Flying loops and curlicues in the sky. I can hear the male coming closer, laughing loudly.

  Taliesin Llewelyn

  As my wings beat powerfully in the night sky, carrying me higher and closer to my quarry, to my Queen, I could not help but laugh as she danced in the sky above me. Is it possible for a ddraig to be a ... how did the French come to call it? A coquette? She spun, she swooped, she danced in the air above me, showing her strength, showing her grace. Showing that she was, above all, the Queen of the Ddraig Clan.

  But, I must play my part. I must prove to the Queen that I am not only a worthy Consort in terms of my ability to protect her, but that I am worthy of that grace and majesty. And yes, when it comes down to it, I am worthy to be the sire of the next generation of Ddraig which will be the result of any eggs that she might lay.

  Then again, the day that she lays a Queen egg will be one of sorrow for me, because it will mean that the Gods have decreed that a danger is present which may lead me to lose my Queen, and face a life when I must raise our next Queen, our daughter, to maturity and see her take her own consort.

  But such maudlin thoughts have no place in a First Flight. To win our Queen, I must be clever, as well as demonstrate my power. For me, that meant, using the thermal draughts that I could feel around my body and under my wings. Using those draughts, I let my wings take me higher, above the clouds, and yes, let the Queen lose sight of me, as I climbed above her. I intended to win this prize.

  Folding my wings, I watched as the Queen continued her lazy dance in the sky, enjoying her flight for the sheer pleasure. And then I dove down, extending my legs, my target clear, the Queen's shoulders, seizing her firmly, feeling that hint of panic as her wings were fouled, my long tail wrapped around her gleaming pale form, red against the white, before I opened my wings again, and with powerful strokes carried us upwards again, my cry of triumph echoing in the sky and across the mountains.

  Let the humans wonder, although some would know what that cry meant.

  Ariawen Llewelyn

  The freedom of flying in the night sky was joyous as I danced across the sky. Letting my guard down for once, I wanted to be caught by this magnificent male flying past me and out of my sight, but he must also prove to all that he has the strength and power to catch me. The sheer pleasure of being free from problems of the clan and responsibilities that being queen means.

  I was enjoying my flight circling all the while searching for the new Consort in the night sky around me. I know he is somewhere nearby as my nerves begin to tingle and then I let out a harsh cry when I feel his talons grab hold of my shoulders and shivers course through my entire body when he lets out his cry of triumph,

  The dragon in me wants to fight off his claim and I try to use my now captured wings however with his tail wrapped around my body tightly I am truly captured. He flies us up higher into the sky, his powerful wings beating a rhythm, matching my heart, I wonder can he hear it also? This dragon, my Consort; is as my father stated before his death, the perfect male for me. First Flight must be high and it must be fast, and in taking me in this way, Taliesin was proving beyond all doubt that he had both the skill and the strength to be my Consort.

  I would be remiss to say I wasn't interested in his forms both his human form and his dragon form. I will do my best to be the best queen for our clan and with this proud male at my side our clan will be the best it can be.

  May the Goddess bless our clan aiding in keeping our secrets from those whom would love to destroy us.

  Taliesin Llewelyn

  I recall the day that the young Cŵn Annwn Alpha came to see us. The English were still fighting what they would come to call the Hundred Years War, so for the moment the Welsh were of little interest to them other than in providing them with the Welsh archers that history would come to know well. Still, this young Alpha, had come to meet with us.

  For such a young creature, a mere 150 years old, she was a canny one, intelligent enough to appreciate that alliances were not just for the humans, but for us, as beings with a geas the average human could never hope to understand. I would watch the humans, as they marked the borders of the lands they considered to be their property, regardless of any other boundary which might have existed in times gone by. In some respects, it was fortunate that we chose to live away from humans, in the mountains or in the areas less accessible to these two-legged creatures.

  Why did I watch them? It was my duty as Ddraig Goch, and as the Queen's Consort. I am sworn to protect my Queen with my life's blood if it is needed. I had taken solace in that in the years since our first flight, Ariawen had laid no queen egg, which meant that, whi
lst evil existed, it was not of a magnitude that I might risk losing my Queen.

  When this pair of young Cŵn Annwn met with us, it appeared merely as if two human couples, reasonably well-to-do by their clothing, met in an inn. A private dining room had been requested, which was not unexpected. The Cŵn Annwn Alpha had a way about her which was entirely in keeping with the image of a young woman of gentle breeding. Her Beta, a male, was clearly her balance. I could see the hint of a smile on her lips that said all her posturing was an act, and indeed, the Beta would touch her arm, communicating directly to her mind no doubt, before he would speak. It was a game they had played before, and played well.

  They had no young yet, but they wished to establish alliances which may be necessary further down the line. I could see no risk to my Queen in doing this, and had so advised Ariawen with regard to accepting the Cŵn Annwn proposal. In exchange, we gifted them with a signet ring, bearing the Ddraig crest. This ring could be passed down the generations to come, and thus the alliance would perpetuate.

  They had no young as yet, but there was time aplenty for that. We had laughed together. For humans, they had a frantic need to breed, but for us, we had time. We could wait.

  Ariawen Llewelyn

  I recall that we were sitting by the lake the young Alpha female had approached us asking for an alliance. Taliesin and I agreed to meet them. I liked the couple immediately and could see the love they held for each other, I thought it was a shame that they had no children as of yet but my inner sight showed me that these Cŵn Annwn would not always be childless.

  I watched them the male acting as if seeking the approval of the Alpha female. I could tell there was much more to them that what they are showing us. Taliesin Llewelyn informed me he that he would think this alliance would indeed be a good thing.

  I was sitting at the table, the signet ring of my father on my finger. Sitting there at the dining table twisting it around, I listened to Taliesin answering questions as well as asking about important information. I could see that Taliesin was taken with this young couple and with my insight already forming I could see that the child they will bear is going to play an important part of the human world as well as our own.

  I nodded my head slightly, twisting the signet ring off my finger and placing it on the Alpha's own finger making our pact. I wished them luck we watch as they depart, knowing deep in my heart that a time would come when they would need all the strength the Goddess might grant them. "I believe we have made a good alliance with the Cŵn Annwn.", I suggested to my Consort, tracing my long tipped nail along his arm where he is sitting next to me. “As usual you have helped me in making a sound decision that will help our clan.”

  Smiling up to him I held out my hand, which he took to help me from my seat, presenting the image to the humans around us appropriate to our time. I tucked my hand into his arm and we walked out of the little Inn returning to our home in the mountains.

  Taliesin Llewelyn

  Forty-five years had passed since that meeting with the Cŵn Annwn Alpha and her Beta and Mate. Forty years as the humans measure it, two generations for them, and yet but the blink of an eye for my Queen and for me. But the year 1490 was to mark a significant event for the Cŵn Annwn pair. At the same time, I had to applaud them for the strategic decision they made, to play the political game of humans to their advantage.

  Both events would have long reaching effects. The first was, as the humans would come to call it, the Battle of Bosworth Field, which saw the defeat of King Richard III of England, the former Duke of Gloucester, and the victory of Henry Tudor and his ascension to the throne of England as King Henry VII. As a descendant of the Tudors of Penmynydd in Anglesey, the family had not been unknown to the Cŵn Annwn, given that their lands covered areas of North Wales. They had formed an alliance with this new King, an agreement which would ensure that they retained title to their lands in perpetuity, or at least as long as the Tudor dynasty held the throne of England. In return, periodically, a young male would appear in King Henry's private quarters, with a missive from his Pack. He would inform the King of potential treachery in an era when this was commonplace. By ensuring that the King was kept on the proverbial 'straight and narrow' path, the Cŵn Annwn were able to maintain their duty to their Goddess and maintain their position in the world of humans. As I said, the Alpha and Beta pair was a strong one, and they were clever.

  The second event of note was that they were granted a child by the blessing of their Goddess. A male pup was born to them, but he was unusual. Rather than the white form that was the norm for a Cŵn Annwn, this pup was a black wolf. Clearly his sire's genes predominated, as we were to find this was the same colouration as his sire. They named the pup Gabriel Black.

  In the meantime, we continued to live our lives. Humans were encroaching more on the lands we had called our own, such that we were having to use our ability to remain invisible more and more, as well as use our human forms over our ddraig forms. How this would change further during the years would have some significance, but for the moment, it was but a minor inconvenience. They did not threaten my Queen, and as I have said before, the protection of Ariawen was my priority.

  Taliesin Llewelyn

  Witchfinders. Dyn syn hoffi chwarae gyda cociau dynion eraill. And no, I will not translate that into the man's bastard English tongue. My duty to my Queen is to protect her from any who would do her harm. That includes unwashed humans who preach to the peasants who have lived in peace with us for generations that we are not the beneficent creatures that they have known us to be. No, of course not. We are demons. We are spawn of the Christian Devil.

  Efallai y Duwiau rhoi amynedd i mi. May the Gods give me patience. Demons? Spawn of Satan? From where do his ideas come? Out of his arse, that is for sure.

  However, the fact remained that if we wanted to avoid mass slaughter of our kind, we had to remain hidden and withdraw from sight completely, at least in our ddraig forms. It was the crowning irony that my Queen's line had driven the white dragon of evil from our land, and yet here was this man. Was there a greater evil that turned neighbour against neighbour?

  We were not the only creatures affected. This new English King, James I of England, but James VI of Scotland had been brought up a 'god fearing man' and he had a terror of witches and the evils that they might perpetrate. It was at his behest that the witchfinders toured the land, determined to root out evil and turn the people back to more godly ways. There was another species also seen as the spawn of Satan. All I could say, somewhat irreverently, was that this Christian Satan must have been a very busy creature to leave all this spawn around.

  However, all joking aside, the day that we heard the news was a sad one. The male Beta of the Cŵn Annwn Pack had been out running his wolf form with his pup, Gabriel, when the witchfinders had seen him. He had roused the local peasantry and a mob mentality had overtaken them. The male was not just killed, he was slaughtered, having given his life to protect his pup. We were told the news by a messenger from the now widowed Alpha. This was more than the loss of half of a Mated pair. He had been her balance, and as a harvester of evil, the very opposite of the accusation levelled at her Mate, she had needed him to keep her sane. lest the evil she had to consume for her Goddess overwhelmed her.

  That night, I had held my Queen in my arms and we had mourned for her. It was only a matter of time before matters would reach a head. We knew that this young pup was destined to make an impact on the world around him, but would he be ready to take his Pack in hand now, when to do so would mean him having to kill his own dam?

  Taliesin Llewelyn

  As if King James I of England was bad enough, his line was temporarily interrupted by Oliver Cromwell, and his Parliamentarians and their particular interpretation of the Christian faith. In what had been Royalist Wales, he was a far from popular figure.

  The question is, did I see him as a threat to my Queen? Any fundamentalist can be a threat, and that is the simple truth. It is not b
ecause they are willing to die for their beliefs, be they political or religious. No, their threat is that they are willing to let others die for their beliefs. So, yes, perhaps the man himself was not a threat to my Queen, but those who followed him, in their religious zeal that the Protestant Church was not 'pure' enough in some way, they were definitely a threat to my Queen.

  Still, in our mountains, we were relatively safe. The Propagation Committee was focussed on the settlements in the south of the country. What it did mean for our Ddraig Clan was that there was a rising tide of thought leaning towards what was called non-conformist. Perhaps this was slow to start with, since when Charles II regained the throne of England, the Anglican Church focussed on portraying Cromwell as a murderer and demon. But ultimately, we as a Ddraig Clan saw the people around us forgetting their history and legends.

  The Ddraig and what we had done in the past seemed to matter less and less to them, and as the Industrial Revolution started to take hold, and the 'marvels' of Victorian engineering made even the formerly inaccessible parts of our land something for tourists, we had to take a harsh decision. Did we stay, and risk exposure, or did we withdraw ourselves, hiding our true forms by staying invisible when we had to fly.

  And we did have to fly. Clouds of smoke hung over formerly clean valleys. Rivers were polluted with outflow from mines. Our land was changing, and I was not sure if it was for the better. The drive to profit by a few at the expense of the masses seemed to prevail.