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Tilla wasn’t sure how long she had been in the dragon’s belly when she realized that she was, in fact, not dead. It wasn’t even that bad in here. Sure, it was a little slimy and cramped, but she didn’t have any trouble breathing and didn’t appear to be in any pain. Her muscles weren’t even cramping, and they definitely should have by now.

She pressed a hand against one of the walls, which gave slightly beneath her tongue before springing back. “H-hello?” She stammered. She took a deep breath, then spoke again, louder this time. “Hello? Dragon? Can you hear me?”

Tilla waited, listening. For a few tense moments, she could only hear the wet sounds of the belly pulsing around her and the soft, deep lub-dub of the dragon’s heart somewhere nearby. Then, finally, she felt a rumble, and a feminine voice answered her, seeming to come from all around her.

“Yes, feline, I can hear you.”

“Wh-why am I still alive?” Tilla asked. “Not that I’m complaining, but I thought…”

“That you would be digested by now?” The voice was powerful, but more cultured and feminine than Tilla had expected. “What is your name, little one?”

“Tilla.”

“I am called Sapphire. The reason that you have not been digested, Tilla, is because you are not in my stomach. You are in my crop.”

“Your what?”

“It’s a small sac near the base of my throat where I can hold food. It keeps my food fresh, so it can be safely digested later.”

That would explain why Tilla was still alive and feeling healthy: she was being “kept fresh.” The thought didn’t make her feel a whole lot better. “So… So I am to be…?”

“Not exactly, little one,” Sapphire said. “For the last hundred years, your little kingdom has been sending knights and heroes to pester me. They’re no threat to me, of course, but they do make it hard to get any sleep. I understand that these kingdoms often place great value on their princesses; am hoping that my possession of the kingdom’s only princess, combined with my display of force at the castle, will dissuade them long enough to let me finish my nap.”

So Tilla was to be a hostage after all. The dragon’s plan might just work, too: the city folk might like Tilla, but the nobles (her father included) had never been too fond of her. They would likely spin a story about how they want so badly to rescue her, but that sending men would put her at risk, thus satisfying the city folk and leaving her safely out of the way. She would be stuck until the dragon let her out… though at least she was still alive.