Blue greeted the sky like a long-lost stranger, shoving the months-long blanket of clouds that seemed to have an infinite supply of rain to pour down on the land aside.

Queen Mab’s castle, Dreamstone, was made of multi-hued faerie stone. Dreamstone was built in the time of The Crones and stood at the top of Pointed Peak, but you’d never know its heights today, as after the rains it rested just above the water line.

Dragons Dorms and wine cellars were now submerged. Dragons are amphibious, so it was no major inconvenience to them awake or asleep.The wine bottles were fished out by the younger dragons, but the labels on the bottles had washed off or the ink was illegible.

Phyllis was the ruling dragon in the cluster, by virtue of being Queen Mab’s favorite. The morning the blue showed its face, Mab and Phyllis soared over their queendom, looking for signs of survivors of all kinds. From Dreamstone to the redwoods, now barely above the water, they saw pockets of life clinging.

Mab knew that Dolorea was vindictive, but she’d gone too far in seeking revenge. Was it Mab’s fault that Corinthus desired only her, not Dolorea, which was so strange as they were identical twins. The more Mab rejected and pushed Corinthus away, the more fevered his attempts became. When Dolorea walked into the stables one morning, Corinthus had just pulled Mab close and forced a kiss on her. No matter how many times Mab tried to explain the sequence of events, Dolorea wouldn’t believe her. She’d flown off straightaway, her howling screams carried on the west wind and back to Mab.

Corinthus, happy to have driven a wedge between the sisters, felt confident Mab would reward his persistence. What he didn’t expect on his next uninvited visit to Pointed Peak was Phyllis perched above the gate, with instructions. A great belch of flames cooked Corinthus inside of a minute, after which he was clenched, tossed in the air, and gulped down like a piece of popcorn.

Mab always played nice with her sister, as she loved her twin, even as insufferable as she often was– but this was too much. Once the drying spells were cast and the land healed, Phyllis would be given her next set of instructions.

Paula Light is the host of Thursday Inspiration.  Paula says:
This week’s theme is castle and the picture is [above.]  Here is the song snippet from “Castles in the Air,” a song written by Don McLean in 1970.

And if she asks you why
You can tell her that I told you
That I’m tired of Castles in the Air
I’ve got a dream I want the world to share
And castle walls just lead me to despair