by Donna Colwell Rosser

Photograph by Christopher Essex

Chrysalis was kept in a cold, lonely tower of the Castle Brandenford at the edge of the Fleecewood Forest.

Belvedere was equally cold and lonely in a tower of the Higgenbuick's Castle adjacent to the Forest of Glendale.

It so happened that they were both prisoners of Kingsbane, Dragonkeeper of the North. This villain owned many castles and kept many dragons. The fiery, ferocious Freestone guarded fair Chrysalis, while searing, incendiary Cherryberry kept lovely Belvedere entrapped.

If being in a bad position was depressing, then both Chrysalis and Belvedere had reason to feel hopeless. Each was locked in a dragon-head-high, one-windowed tower. Neither knew if anyone even searched for her anymore. Cold, lonely months had passed since they had been kidnapped from their warm, happy homes. Each had tried the usual escape methods: growing long hair, tying sheets, forcing the locks on the doors with eating utensils. Kingsbane had reacted by shaving them bald, keeping the beds sheetless, and making them eat with their fingers. None of the escape attempts had been anywhere near successful. Things looked dreary for both of them.

There was a difference between Chrysalis and Belvedere, however. Chrysalis was a hopeful sort with an optimistic frame of mind. She kept her bald head busy concocting other plans of escape from Brandenford. She also tried to get along with those she had occasion to meet. Keykeeper Latchport Stodge had not been thrilled when she mangled the lock with a breadknife. However, now that she was utensil-less, he would actually grimace in her direction as he delivered her meals of old bagels and sour orange juice. She was certain he was smiling. She tried to stay on good terms with Freestone, too, whose hot breath was often the only warmth available in her cold, lonely cell. Of an evening, her voice could be heard echoing out across the moat in a soothing lullaby. Freestone would curl up near her tower and snore obligingly in her direction. Life was not quite peachy, but she did the best she could.

Belvedere, on the other hand, had had it. She was sick of being cold and lonely. She was embarrassed to be bald even though only Loophole Mange, the keykeeper, ever saw her. She had given up on ever leaving Higgenbuick's, and spent most of her time crying plaintively on her unsheeted bed. Loophole would serve her meals of stale whole wheat crackers and unsweetened lemonade with a grimace. Belvedere was sure he hated her. Cherryberry never even got to know her. Though he slunk by her tower often, he never heard anything but crying and complaining. Belvedere did not know that Cherryberry had an identical twin being lulled to sleep near a castle much like this one, by a maiden similar to herself. Therefore, she also did not know that heat, even though accompanied by dragon-breath, was available. She just knew her situation was the pits.

The day came when Chrysalis' hair had grown long, again, Latchport forgot to lock the door, and Freestone fell asleep directly beneath the tower window. Chrysalis did not know which way to go at first, but chose descending the stairs as the safest. It is one thing to keep warm by singing to a dragon, and quite another to hop down onto his scaly back. Unluckily, she heard old Latchport Stodge trudging up the steps grumbling about age and rheumatism and a bad memory. She dashed back up to the room and, after ascertaining that Freestone had not budged, plunged desperately out the window onto his reptilian hide. His reptilian hide was extremely sensitive and, awakened suddenly, he careened down the hill, hurdled the moat, and was halfway to Chrysalis' home in Fleecewood Forest by the time he slowed down enough for Chrysalis to grab a tree branch as they flew by. Fortunately, she did not dislocate her shoulders in that attempt, and when she stopped twirling around the branch like a gymnast, she found her way home. There, reunited with her deliriously happy family, they celebrated. Then they decided to move to a safer neighborhood.

The day also came when Belvedere's hair had grown, Loophole left a loophole, and Cherryberry tripped and knocked himself senseless next to her tower. Belvedere, though, pessimistic as ever, knew Loophole Mange would be back to lock the door, and that Cherryberry was just trying to fool her into stepping upon his reptilian hide so he could have flame-broiled Belvedere for dinner that night. She stayed right where she was. No one was going to fool her.

Luckily (we all get lucky, sometimes), Chrysalis' family encountered the Castle Higgenbuick at this moment, while passing it en route to their new home. They heard Belvedere's hopeless crying which, through practice, had become exceedingly good, hopeless crying. Bravely, they raised a ladder over the unconscious Cherryberry and rescued the unbelieving Belvedere just as Loophole Mange climbed the stairs mumbling about getting older, arthritis, and something he was sure he forgot.

They delivered fair, though red-eyed, Belvedere to her home which, by sheer coincidence, sat in the same neighborhood into which they had planned to move! Fearing further trouble from Kingsbane of the North, both families packed it in and moved South. They were certain it would be safer living near Hondaccord Castle under the ruler, Queensruin, because she only kept sea serpents and imprisoned sailors. This was an advantage for both landlubbing families, although they had to cancel their plans to go swimming.

Chrysalis and Belvedere became best friends, probably because their attitudes were so complementary, and they lived happily, more or less, ever thereafter, as friends are wont to do.