Soft Silk Over Iron Hide

	Rolling spring meadows dotted by small lavender colored flowers gently sloped up and down in the midday sun. Rising like a stony island along the green sea of grasses was a lone castle. Not far from the weathered walls trekked two glimmering travelers that reflected the midday sun around them. One strolling towards the building was human, his intricate shining armor identified him as a knight of renown. The embossed lion on the chest plate made it clear this was Leo, the lion-hearted. However the man was perhaps becoming more famous for the companion he worked with than the insignia on his chest.

	Close behind him as they approached the solitary fortress, was a figure much larger in size. She was a dragon, easily identifiable as the iron-hide variety with her thick coating of reflective metal scales. Much like a more permanent suit of armor than her companion’s. The duo had gained fame just from the sheer oddity of their cooperation, but it was soon doubly matched by their actual skill working together. The byproduct of an increasingly tightknit relationship formed over their travels. They may have never said it publicly, but just from their demeanor together rumors spread of a rather unorthodox relationship between the couple. Yet even those wary about the idea of such odd lovers found themselves without any better hired hands for menacing monsters and marauding pillagers.

	Entering the empty courtyard the structure appeared in good condition, but clearly unoccupied as the garden grew indistinguishably from the outside fields. Crouching slightly to maneuver herself under the wide archway, the dragon spoke hushed to Leo. “Why is this place so empty? I figured our next job was here when you said how it important this trip was…” Practiced in reading her face, the human responded to her concern by flipping around and walking backwards to gesture to the whole of the building itself. “Aha! That’s what I was waiting to surprise you with… This place IS empty, but that’s because WE are the new owners!”

	Esme’s wariness turned to dumbfounded surprise before her heavy tail began stirring the dirt slightly behind her. “Wh-when did you go buying a castle!?” He jumped atop the edge of a dry fountain to spin idly along the spout. “That’s the thing, King Nacrezzer, Neckraszka, however you say it… he was so impressed we managed to clear out the camp of giant raiders with all the kidnapped noblemen alive, he threw in an old family estate of his!” His excitement lowered a smidge as he continued, “…technically the law forbids putting a deed in a dragon’s name, but I pulled a few strings to r-”

	His legal quarrels were smothered by two large wings wrapping around him in a heavy metal hug. Esme may not have been able to fly with her dense wings, but they proved to be powerful shields and capable of rather inescapable embraces. “Ooooh! And to think I used to mope around a cave all day, now I have a castle and someone to share it with!” Nuzzled gently by the smooth edges of her otherwise fearsome head, Leo reached into his pocket and braced himself for the most intimidating deed he’d done in years.

	Cleverly hidden with fey magic, he unveiled what appeared to be a small wooden chest otherwise too large to fit in his pocket. He had spared no expense for what he was about to do, the real surprise he wanted to show today. The affectionate reptile may have been holding him close, but she was too busy studying the bricks of their new home to notice what he was doing. Speaking up rather gently, the knight refused to waiver. “You say, ‘someone to share it with,’ but I don’t want to just be ‘someone’ to you…” Esme thought to protest how that wasn’t what she meant, but his sudden flare in seriousness caught her attention. Wide amber eyes watching him closely as he continued. “We have more wealth than some kings now, and a real homestead to call our own… so it only seems appropriate I do the proper thing…”

	Esme gave him a little breathing space from her wings as he kneeled down, wooden box placed atop his knee. “I’m saying I want to make this official. I couldn’t see myself spending my life with anyone else…” Lifting the lid to the box, he revealed a large hoop of gold, intricately decorated with sparkling gems. Not even the smith making it realized it would be a ring for a rather large woman. “I guess I’m saying, no, I’m asking… Will you marry me? Take me as your husband and you as my wife?”

	Esme was listening before, but being unaware of many human customs she was rocked by the sudden realization of what he was getting at a serious form of courtship. Her heartbeat went from zero to one hundred as her stomach fluttered and spun with abrupt nerves. Dragons may not have been considered adept at expressing emotions, but her stare of disbelief was universal. Bringing her body low to the ground to eye the extraordinary ring more closely, she whispered nearly inaudibly. “…I’m about to wake up, aren’t I? This can’t be real…”

	Only able to watch her stare, Leo began to feel anxious as well. Gesturing the ring nearly the size of his fist closer to her, she whispered slightly louder in response. “Am… am I s-supposed to do something with the ring?” Setting the box down but keeping his kneeling position, he regained his nerve. “I just need a yes or no, the trinket really doesn’t matter now…” In response she lowered her great head close to his. What was meant to be a gentle exhale from her nostrils heated his face like steam, bringing out an obvious blush in the both of them. “Of course, I may not understand what this tradition entails, but if it’s with you then I’ll do it! Yes, yes I agree to this!”

	Overjoyed to hear her acceptance, he wrapped his arms around her head and up to her horns. Esme took advantage of his hold to lift him in the air, before flipping herself over and depositing him on the breast of her smooth underbelly. Leo was unphased by the movement as he shouted happily, “Perfect! When do you want to be wedded?” He watched her hesitation for just a moment before continuing, “It’s um, a sort of ceremony to show our devotion to each other.” She simply grinned widely, showcasing her sharp teeth. “As soon as possible! No delay whatsoever!”

	Currently sitting on cloud nine, as well as his future wife, Leo stroked her long chin slowly while putting on an overly heroic voice. “A difficult challenge, but if you want it soon, I will make arrangements the second the I can!” Feeling the rise and fall of her breathing relax underneath him for a moment, an unmistakable trembling rumble pushed through her supple stomach. With her gassy nature no longer hidden from him, Leo could only manage a knowing look while Esme demurely brought a clawed hand to her face. “It was a heavy breakfast... I’ve just been holding it because I thought we were meeting someone important and well, the LAST time I let anything out during a meeting wi-”

	It was the knight’s turn to softly shush her frantic ramble with a squeeze of his hand over hers. “It’s just us, so I don’t want to see you taking any discomfort for my sake…” Swiftly removing his gauntlets and letting them slide to the ground, he brought his hands trailing down her sides and into loving circles. “So come on, could you relax for your future husband?” Already feeling his practiced hands work out any knots in her system, pushing a surge of pressure lower in her body, she could only give a flustered sigh. “You know I can’t refuse you when you put it like that…”

	Parting her legs slightly and easing the resistance on her gargantuan hindquarters, she let her tail fall limp as her gaseous burden neared the exit. Heralded only by a contrastingly delicate grunt of effort that vibrated along her throat, her hindquarters erupted with what she’d been holding in since morning. The scorching wave of draconic methane poured out of her with the spirit of a war horn, gradually morphing into a choppy cheekflapper over it’s inhumanely lengthy duration. Even in the open air, her billowing plume of sweltering smog hung heavy and clung to their surroundings like a fog of volcanic sulfur and earthy roasted vegetables.

	Unwavering in his comforting, the man continued to stroke alongside her deflating stomach, breathing her rather unforgiving creation as if it were fresh flowers. Not stopping his light touches until the beast of flatulence roared to a wispy end, he relished in feeling her quiver slightly from the relief, exhaling deeply in contentment. Parting her mouth slightly to let a low moan of relief escape, she quickly felt a brief kiss from the man atop her. “There, now doesn’t that feel better?” She returned his confident gaze considerably more sheepishly.

	“I still can’t believe you enjoy my restless guts… let alone tolerate them…” Before Leo could protest, she returned his gaze. Half lidded eyes focused direct on him, she cooed into his ear. “But that only proves it was destiny we met.” Her statement was punctuated with a fierce grip around her lover, holding him as tightly to her body as she could. Her arms wound around him in an attempt to show how she’d never let him go. Although the dutch oven created by her following cocoon of loving wings was unintentional, nothing could be better for the equally lovestruck man.

For the moment, the ring would remain forgotten on the ground. The two had more important things to focus on at the moment.

Namely each other.

. . .

	It had been less than a week, yet the previously unoccupied castle was a blur of frantic activity. On the outside an elderly druid created a vibrant garden in moments across the courtyard, at the entrances a dedicated team of dwarves worked to modify some of the tighter spots for the draconic inhabitant, and all throughout gnome bakers carried white cakes and orcs hefted in great slabs of meat. Renovations for the old abode were heavily mixed with preparations for the wedding starting that very same day. Pacing the halls as everything was prepared were the happy couple themselves.

	Due to the constraints of the hallways Leo marched in front of Esme, giving feedback as decorations were hoisted and chairs moved. “That’s right, food goes down to the left! Nice to see the new doors in! No, wait, try more white flowers instead!” Getting just as caught up in the atmosphere, Esme occasionally added words of encouragement.  Sometimes she added the opposite when overhearing the occasional small talk about the oddity of the couple by sharing a glare that could (and had) sent warriors running. Even a couple of fairies whizzed past the man to make laps around his armored companion. “Woah! We’re going to need a lot of silk for this one!” The first miniature tailor called out, before her coworker responded. “Call in the drider, this is going to be a big order.”

	Among the commotion, Leo stopped abruptly, causing his betrothed to nearly skid on her claws to avoid bowling into anyone. Despite the initial assumption something had gone wrong, the knight called out warmly, “Brother! I’m surprised any family made it on such short notice!” Slightly shorter and less athletically inclined, he still retained the family resemblance. In response his kin only let out a low whistle seeing the dragon lifting her head to look above Leo’s shoulder. “By the gods, you’ve even got a dragon as a guest?” Leo fumbled a moment before clearing his throat and gesturing towards the towering reptile.

	“This is Esme, you know, my beloved I’m marrying today?” Esme tried to smile brightly, but the excessive effort came off more like a fearsome showcase of her sharp teeth. Leo’s brother faltered for a moment before speaking softly. “Uh, don’t take this the wrong way but I thought ‘the dragon’ thing was a nickname... kind of like how you’re ‘the lion’ but not actually... a lion...” Unsure how to proceed, his brother coughed quietly. “But I’m sure she’s a wonderful girl, no offense.” Bringing her head closer the human flinched, but after a moment he realized she was taking a bow. “No offense taken, I’m sure if you’re anything like Leo we’ll get along well.” Thankful for the pass, he returned the bow, albeit noticeably more nervous.

	Soon as things settled down the brothers made small talk trying to catch-up over the years. Meanwhile Esme listened idly before her attention was drawn to some of the luxurious foods being lifted through. Smells of cloyingly sweet dishes covered in melted chocolate and dense frosting reminded her she hadn’t eaten anything this morning in all the rush... not even that much for dinner last night. She could hardly focus on something about an aunt owning land in a faraway hamlet when a freshly cooked rack of enormous ribs was slowly dragged by. Exotic spices dripping down as a small trail of juices and sauces irregularly pittered against the ground.

	Interrupting the two for a moment, Esme breathed down to them, “I um, skipped breakfast so I hope you don’t mind if I-” Leo perked up immediately, “I’m sorry if we were boring you, please, go and help yourself. I think the catering went overboard when they figured out I meant ‘enough food to feed a dragon’ literally.” Pushing past as delicately as she could, the large dragon made a little wave with one of her wings, “It’ll just be a quick bite, see you soon love!” She lingered on the last word, feeling a more than a little strange saying it out loud in a crowded room when they had kept their relationship under wraps for what felt like ages. However the aroma of nearby food quickly put a pep back in her step.

	Watching her try to mask the obvious excitement she was feeling just thinking about the food being served, the groom sighed happily. Yet his moment was interrupted as his brother took the moment alone to tease him, “I shouldn’t be surprised with how much time you spent with that beastfolk girl growing up…” Leo reacted by shoving him lightly on the back, “Oh, shush! Anyone should be able to see that pure maiden’s heart…” Unabated his brother continued, “Leo likes ‘em biiiiiiiiiiig…” In response the knight jeered, “You better have brought a biiiig gift then, otherwise I’ll have her come back and make you quake in your boots again.”

. . .

	As Leo continued his unexpected reconnection, Esme pushed her way to the large dining hall. She had grown familiar with this area given it had a large enough ceiling for her to fully stretch out her wings, yet the transformation from dusty shambles to the center of the wedding was still astounding to her. Refurbished chandeliers twinkled from up high along white banners and countless chairs along the long tables. But her attention was mostly drawn to the confections lining the walls with an audible rumble from her stomach.

	She’d been having hunger pangs lately, but she attributed that to her growing more comfortable with the… “results” due to her betrothed’s love. Or at least that was the best theory she had in mind before it was replaced by the scent of food. Mouth watering over the options available, she was drawn irresistibly to an immense hunk of meat likely meant for her. At least she hoped so as she eyed the room for witnesses before tearing into the food like a flank of a beast.

	Enjoying the savory flavor, she made short work of what would otherwise make a rich, heavy feast for several humans. Yet even in her feeding frenzy she ate in large precise bites so as not to make a mess, something that also ensured every marinated fiber made it into her maw. She had to show some human manners after all during an important human event like this. As she continued even bones were no match for each greedy chomp of smoked goodness. A little surprised in herself once she licked the last searingly spicy drop off the edge of her mouth, she blushed realizing how improper that must have looked. Yet seeing the lack of caterers and assuming they were on break, she listened to the bottomless pit inside her.

	Still hungry for more she spotted an assortment of plump whole roasted chickens. She reassured herself, “A little more couldn’t hurt, don’t want to be hungry during the ceremony.” Lifting the cooked bird with her tongue alone, she rolled it into her mouth rather deftly. Tasting the juicy meat only briefly, she swallowed the entire thing whole. And then another, and another… Sated on normal meat for the moment she shifted to a different table. Dozens of deviled eggs disappeared in moments, followed soon by a pot of hearty vegetable stew, several long fillets of magnificent fish seasoned to perfection… even the large bowl of a peculiar fizzy fruity elvish drink was gulped without hesitation.

	As she steadily depleted several pantries worth of food, she picked up on the enchanting smell of sweets nearby. They hadn’t moved in the extraordinarily large tiered wedding cake yet, but a few smaller ones were out for guests. Yet even the smallest ones were decadently decorated with drizzled chocolate and puffs of cream. Maybe she could just sample them a little…

. . .

	A few tables were cleaned entirely of food now. Cuts of several large beasts gone and swallowed, dozens of intricately designed cookies and ivory cakes decimated, and large cauldrons filled with fibrous greens drained empty. Her previously ravenous hunger was slowly but overwhelmingly being replaced with the feeling of a full stomach. Stifling a burp from the sudden feeling of being stuffed, she eyed the opponent ahead of her. One of the larger cakes taunted her with it’s hide of shining white frosting opened wide by an unmistakably razor toothed bite deep into it’s succulent yellow insides. Mentally she scolded herself, “I can’t just leave it like this! And besides… everyone would know it’s me who did it…”

	Not wanting to ruin the human ritual she had become so enamored with, she steeled herself and opened her mouth as wide as she could. Then with resolve better suited to the battlefield, she finished off the sugary adversary by lifting it’s remains in her maw, and tilting it back for a visible lump that moved down her long throat. Relaxing slightly after finishing the cake off, she realized her stomach nearly touched the ground. Thankfully her underside took on such a wide curve most wouldn’t notice, especially if she straightened herself out and lifted up a little higher with stiffened legs.

	Feeling the final mass of cake hit her gut, something stirred within her. In an effort to make more space her body pushed a column of something other than dragon’s fire up her throat. Bulging her cheeks for a moment, she let out an incredibly unladylike belch before even realizing what happened. Stiffening abruptly to see who heard something loud enough to make the nearby glasses tremble, she sighed in relief no one had returned here yet. But what she did start to notice were the rather apparent empty spots now dominating the dining hall. “Did I really eat THAT much?” the concerned dragon whispered to herself. With sudden urgency she sluggishly moved out the dining hall, both to get away from the scene of her crime and to catch up with the groom.

. . .

	Feeling considerably slower than before, she lumbered her way in search of Leo. Rounding a corner, she was surprised by two glittering little figures that stopped to land on each of her horns. Urgently one spoke, “Hey, even with magic we’re starting to think it’ll take longer to get this dress on you than planned.” The other continued her coworker’s statement, “Yeah, so follow us and we’ll start getting to work!” Esme responded quickly, “Are you sure Leo shouldn’t be here for this?” The fairies giggled in a way that was starting to annoy the dragon. “He shouldn’t see you in your dress until the ceremony! So come on, let’s get this started so you’ll be on time!”

With a huff from her nostrils that nearly sent the little women flying, she hesitantly agreed. “Okay, I just thought we’d be seeing each other before the big moment.” One of the teeny seamstresses called back, “Oh, don’t worry, we can relay a message if it’s really that important.” Thinking for a moment, the dragon answered in a hushed voice, “Tell him that I love him, and that I’m overjoyed he’s so proud to be with me he’s setting all this up and that-“ The list went on as she realized this was a golden way to tell him how she felt without fear of expressing herself poorly. In fact as the three moved down the hallway, the fairy had to take out a piece of paper just to jot down everything she was saying. Internally the tiny woman scoffed, “How come I always get the nervous brides?”

. . .

	Much time had passed while the fairies poked and prodded with measuring tapes while shuffling sheets of intricate fabrics over her body. Looking out the window while the two did their work, the dragon watched nearly as many carriages arrive as the number of little love notes her and Leo insisted on swapping through the fairies like they had been separated for months. Anxiety churned her stomach fiercely in twisting knots while she waited on Leo’s latest equally over-saccharine reply. Recalling what she had learned about weddings over and over in her head, she gasped lightly when she felt a length of measuring tape pull under her volatile gut.

	One of the fairies muttered to the other, “This is isn’t right, even for a dragon this is a bit too much...” The one holding the tape took her word and pulled tightly, causing an unexpected surge of pressure on her midsection currently simmering away at the mountain of dense food inside her. Involuntarily the dragon felt a short burst of sweltering heat puff past the base of her tail, a silent burst of internal steam that caused her to lower her head in relief for a moment before jumping back to attention.

	A couple of dainty coughs rang out behind her, followed by her own miniature heatwave reaching her own nose. It smelled heavily of beef and gamey meat, buried underneath an overwhelming cloud of brimstone. Embarrassment burning her scaled face, she simply kept her gaze focused out the window while trying to fan the dense vapors away with her tail. Catching her breath one of the fairies spoke up, “Sorry, that uh, that was my fault for squeezing you...” The other followed closely, “Yeah, it’s ummm, just nerves before the wedding... but good thing you got it all out of your system now, right?”

	Lying through her teeth Esme breathed out, “Yeah, that must be it... sorry, I’m never like this...” With the miniature women fanning considerably harder with their wings against the overpowering gas leak, the large reptile clenched her teeth as well as her rear. She knew that was small, even for her on a good day. Silently she pleaded in her head, “I know what human food does to me, but this is orcish, or elvish, or whatever, so please, please, PLEASE don’t react the same way!” Noticeably more aware of a steadily growing supply of fumes, she tensed up and pressed her claws into the stone floor just hard enough to make small gouges, However she relaxed a little seeing the third fairy come through the window, the one who had inadvertently become the designated messenger between the mutually anxious couple.

	Unfolding a rather lengthy piece of paper in her small arms, the fairy began reading aloud in Esme’s ear without any fanfare or excitement. She wasn’t hired for this, but oh, her sisters insisted they needed to keep the dragon bride happy, even if it meant relaying a message every other minute. Regardless of the dull tone, Esme listened closely with a wry grin as she began, “To my beloved bride, my precious little armored maiden, and best companion in battle. I assure you even if you might be every bit as nervous as me, we have surmounted much greater challenges. This is a beautiful day for-“

	Listening closely and letting her tightened muscles relax, she loosened her grip and let her body sink lower. Even her stomach began to press into the ground before the force pushed a surge of pressure straight towards her rear exit. Too late to stop it, a loud thundering blast of pure draconic flatulence exploded from her backside, carrying a deep bass that no doubt could be heard outside the heavy door on the room. The resounding depth of tone carried on without wavering for a few seconds, before being abruptly cut off by sheer willpower from the dragon. Closing off her internal gas valve with a grunt, she forced an awkward laugh realizing the fairies had gone silent beyond fanning their faces.

	“I’m sorry, it really must be my nerves...” Fanning the air gently with her own large wings now, she waited a moment for the shock to wear off for the fairy beside her ear. In a bit of a huff, she continued the message. “This a beautiful day for a wedding, and I wouldn’t spend these moments with anyone else. You are simply too...” The fairy wrinkled her nose for the next description considering the now tainted atmosphere. “...sweet.” Regardless it made the blushing bride giggle like a schoolgirl before leaning her fanged mouth in to give her own return message. One conveniently leaving out any details of the brewing storm she was currently keeping in check. Even if she knew deep down he might actually want to hear about it, she could faint at the idea of having someone carry that message for her.

. . .

	After an untold amount of time being prodded and poked by the seamstresses at work, Esme was at her limit. From tip to tail her large body was tensed up, wracked with gas cramps as her large meal was quickly expanding to become a roiling sea of superheated gas. Yet as much as the idea of bearing down and turning this room into a rather aromatic sauna with a single fart appealed to her, she’d just have to keep imagining that kind of relief. Even a small movement of her body would disturb the sheets upon sheets of silk they now had delicately draped over her, so she had to keep still while they assembled the dress. Only a warrior’s strength and the occasional sweet words from the groom kept her focused enough to keep the growing pressure under control. Something that was only becoming more difficult as time went on.

	Interrupting any fantasies about letting Leo rub everything out of her system right now, a fairy buzzed by her face. “Okay, we’ve nearly sewn several driders worth of silk on top of you tight enough it won’t come apart, and we’re bringing in the mirror right now!” As the door opened, it was actually one of those driders who had been providing the silk that lugged the large mirror into the room. The reflective sheet took a few moments to be angled appropriately in the dimming sunlight, all the while Esme held her stomach from a new type of nerves. She had no idea what a dress would really look like on her form, what if it looked terrible?

	Yet staring back at her was a resplendently clothed dragoness, yellow eyes wide open trying to take in every detail. A long flowing mass of white and delicate frills traced along the back of her body, completely masking the hard reflective exterior in soft fabric. Her tail was wrapped in a long covering almost like a long stocking, complete with little white bows along the length. Atop her head a small veil was carefully pulled over her horns in a way to cascade down her head, even a small gold tiara was placed atop her rough scales to complete a look royalty would die for. Shifting the mirror slightly, she even realized her wings were coated in a nearly transparent weave of lace, allowing the sparkle of her metallic hide to shine through like delicate jewelry rather than a weapon of war.

	Overcome by emotion in that moment, she could hardly believe it. Troubles of her indigestion forgotten for the moment, she sniffled lightly. “Oh, this must be some kind of illusion magic, I look like one of those princesses I have to rescue with Leo so often…” Feeling the closest to a delicate maiden a dragon possibly could, she shimmied in front of the mirror a little to really get a look at herself. Leaning up to one of the fairies she spoke awestruck, “Oooh, I must tell him about this!” The previous messenger answered her bluntly, “You can tell him yourself, we barely finished on time so you better get over to the altar real soon.”

	Freezing at the words, a twisting stomach cramp of unexpected anxiety coursed through her overfilled insides. Struggling to keep the polite face she had been practicing for this social gathering, she muttered, “Wh-what do you mean? I thought I would get time to prepare…” The fairies began to pack up their tools as they floated towards the door, “Look this part’s up to you, but you’re going to be late if you wait much longer…” The sounds of jubilant horns and harps and whatever instruments Leo could hire players for started from below to punctuate the urgency of her statement.

	Feeling her claws once again puncture the stone floor, Esme watched the team leave while she considered her situation. She didn’t want to be late to the wedding, but she was also pushing some record breaking bloating right now. The thick delicious food had simmered into a thick churning slop that bubbled and boiled and burbled and churned inside her with untold quantities of gas. She was well aware that a single human sized breakfast made quite the number of foul breezes inside her… but this? This would be disastrous. Even worse she didn’t have time to really try and find a hidden corner to let loose, and she was already getting later with every second. On top of that she knew their marriage was more than a little controversial, so letting anything slip during the ceremony would be horrendously embarrassing for her and her lover… Maybe even bad enough to impact their mutual careers.

	Feeling the pressure double at her tailhole she whispered her rushed plan to herself. “I’ll… let off a little pressure now… and then I’ll make it through with the extra room…” Lifting her tail as well as the lengthy skirt of her dress, she backed away from the door before taking a deep breath and relaxing her hold. Immediately her draconic anus erupted like a geyser of humid air heated in her blast furnace of a gut. Her wide backside burst like a steam pipe from all the built up pressure, causing the mirror leaning against the wall to vibrate in the pointblank gale of rancid air and slowly hide the reflection of her newly woven silk underwear as the surface of the mirror fogged up. Moaning as the deep bellow forced it’s way out of her rear, she groaned when the scent hit her nostrils.

	As potent as every eruption from her volcano of a backside was, she wasn’t prepared for this unusual mixture that worsened the longer she held it. Something like cabbage boiled in bitter chocolate sauce and sulfur-infused broth. The spices added a tangible kick that made the lingering spoiled sweetness even more apparent. The unspeakable foulness was all the more reason for her to doubledown and get this out of her system quicker. Crouching slightly she forced out the last few seconds of the lengthy outburst, rustling her new dress as the small room swirled with the thick noxious fog. Letting the massive release putter to an end, she sighed in frustration as any relief was short-lived. She knew from experience if it was this bad already, she’d be rocking the castle foundation later tonight… but hopefully it WOULD be later that night.

	She turned around to the mirror to straighten herself out, only to realize it was rendered useless under a condensed layer of steamy draconic methane. Doing her best regardless, she delicately used her sharp digits to straighten out of her dress and readjust the tiara. She could listen to the cries inside her bowels to immediately fart like that again later, she was getting married today, and it was an absolute dream come true. And besides… the longer she stayed in this stuffy room the more likely the smell would settle into her clothes… like it eventually did everything. Fanning her tail to get any trapped pockets of gas out of her dress, the gilded dragon pushed open the door and rehearsed what she could remember in her head.

. . .

	Down below in the dining hall, the blushing bride’s own explosive horn was mostly covered by the playing of the ragtag band while things were going in full swing. The catering had only partially recovered from the ravenous dragon’s attack, but there was still more than enough food left for the guests. Even if the space was mostly full, roughly half of the seats were simply hired workers taking a paid break. Some of the other actual guests included Leo’s brother, seated opposite a couple elves that had hired the couple before. A half giant who had fought alongside them once sat with a few small tables stacked on top of each other to accommodate his height.  A gaggle of beastfolk that heard wind of this wedding earlier gathered in the corner, and even a handful of tieflings that had crossed paths with Leo before he even met Esme showed up.

	It was an overall unusual assembly, but it was quite fitting for the unusual couple. Leo stood taking in the refurbished hall’s ample decoration hung from the rafters and adorning the walls. He was covered in a resplendent suit adorned with bits of metal to reflect his knighthood. It wasn’t family tradition to marry a dragon, but at least he could wear the customary clothes of his lineage. Despite his trademark bravery, he found himself sweating in the heavy fabric and toying with the small trinkets on his suit as the minutes ticked by… she should have been here by now. What could be holding her up? Did she get cold feet, uh, claws? Yet his thoughts were interrupted as the large doors opened up.

	Sparkling metallic scales glimmered faintly through the fabric of her dress as she demurely tiptoed through the doors. Yet to him she appeared like an angel, certainly a rather unorthodox one between her size and fearsome appearance, but a beautifully sparkling apparition nonetheless. Even if she made her entrance unsure, her speed and confidence grew as she spotted Leo through the thin veil. Everyone watched the pair come together as an older druid took the space between them. Turns out a traditional cleric couldn’t wed such a pair, especially not on such short notice, but some of the more obscure faiths welcomed the idea openly.

	The face of a dragon was hardly hidden by a silk veil, but Esme kept it draped over herself as the ceremony started. His eyes locked onto her golden orbs, and they both relaxed slightly as the man in heavy green robes took center stage announcing their arrival. The music softened while they stood opposite each other, Esme lowering her neck to remain eye-level despite the size difference. While their hearts swelled, admittedly so did Esme’s stomach, but she didn’t let it show. A quickening drumming in her breast preoccupied her thoughts as well as resisting the urge to let her eyes water. She was totally in control. She might have felt ready to blow, but she had shrugged off the clubs the size of trees and blades of every kind. She could handle a wedding… even if the whole situation had her woozy with disbelief.

. . .

	The ceremony was longer than either had expected, the druid providing a couple unanticipated chants and something involving ritualistically burning a flower and growing a new one. No one in the audience really grasped the symbolism of it, but it certainly kept them entertained. While Leo went along with the customs, Esme assumed with curious eyes they must be standard practice. However while he elaborated “...and may the couple’s spirits be guided together by the breeze of renewal even in the great beyond when the mortal body is condemned to the soil that s-” she was slowly moving her tail beneath the dress to try and add an extra layer to the seal on her ticking timebomb. Internally she winced as the urge to vent even a little of the pressure bubbling inside her grew more desperate. This was truly a beautiful moment, but she could do with him skipping a few lines about the seasons and fruitful couples.

	Esme resorted to zoning out for a moment to stop thinking about creating a “breeze of renewal” of her own... or more likely a windstorm. Trying to hum silently to herself, she jerked to attention when the robed man gestured to Leo. “And before I unite you with your chosen love, do you have anything to say?” The knight fumbled for a moment equally surprised to suddenly have an active role again. “Well, I didn’t write much. I’m no poet...” He cleared his throat before glancing at a crumpled piece of parchment. After staring at it for a moment, he simply forced it back in his pocket. “I don’t need to recite anything, and I don’t need to be redundant after all the things we said to each other before this ceremony. You mean the world to me, and it simply wouldn’t be complete if we were apart.”

	Expecting a longer speech to make the walk up the aisle, a fairy carrying the two vastly disproportionately sized rings flew into the air to intercept the couple. “So even if it might not be truly necessary, I wanted to declare my love more clearly with this wedding,” pausing a moment to let the tiny woman drop the hoop of heavy gold in his hand, he took one of her talons softly and raised it in the air. “Will you take me as your husband?” The dragon spoke immediately, “Of course!” she paused a moment before speaking up a little quieter as she remembered the way they rehearsed it. “I do.”

	Letting him slip the ring onto her large digit, she didn’t wait a moment to launch into her own vows. “Leo, you’ve helped me leave my cave, see the world, open myself up to others, and even learn to love myself. I asked you for none of this, but you provided anyway. So if I can ask one thing of you, it would be to take me as your wife. So will you?” Without hesitation he mirrored her response, “I do.” Pinching the ring delicately between the tips of her claws, she dexterously slid the ring around his finger, and completed the matching set adorned with engravings of lions and dragons alike.

	The officiant gave the word, “You may kiss the bride.” Leo lifted her veil with both his arms, revealing a scaly face already leaning in for the kiss. Her eyes were shut but that didn’t hide the twinkling drops making their way through her armored cheeks. Returning the gesture he brought his lips to the end of her snout, and the assemblage cheered. It was good timing for the band to start playing because as they embraced a rather ominous gurgle resounded throughout her core, something that she couldn’t hide from the man now pressed against her.

	Breaking the kiss a little surprised by what he knew well as some serious indigestion, Leo didn’t watch the level of concern Esme was showing. To her that noise was a fearsome omen, the last straw before her hold broke. Under different circumstances they would have lingered in the hall and chatted with the guests, but gifts could wait. The dragon lifted Leo up with a small gasp of surprise into a bridal carry to make a speedier escape. Oddly the choice was fitting, even if backwards, because they were crossing a threshold into their home, but that wasn’t on her mind. Carried close to her face Leo managed to whisper, “Is this about what I think it is?”

	Already bursting through the doors and advancing down the hall with the groom in her grasp she answered over another warning from her overinflated insides. “…the catering didn’t agree with me and I’m going to need to be FAR away from our guests when I drop this one.” Leo felt himself oddly eager pressed against her trembling underbelly as she said that, ignoring the somewhat confused looks as he was swept away like a prince kidnapped by a dragon. Thudding past a couple concerned dwarves still working on renovations, her getaway began to lose steam as the rapid movement after standing still so long churned everything inside of her.

	Turning a corner she felt a raspy whisper of pure stench trail behind her before she could regain control. That wouldn’t be the end of her hallway cropdusting as her pace slowed another puff of abysmal smog would escape her ample behind. If she wasn’t so focused on looking ahead, Esme might have noticed they were faintly visible like steam from stewing in her heated guts so long. Restraining something between a moan of relief and groan of failing concentration, the dragon whispered a request to her willing captive. “Now that the wedding is o-over, ugh, can you take the dress off me?” More quietly she tacked on, “…the last thing I need is this beautiful thing reeking…”

	Fumbling to loosen what he could, the painstakingly fitted silk came fluttering off her layer by layer. Even if it was standard for her to be without clothes, there was something concerningly lewd about disrobing his bride like this in such a rush. She on the other hand just figured the dress was better off on the floor right now, something confirmed as a short sharp fart changed the trajectory of her veil falling behind her. Nearly back down to her normal metallic hide, her slowing dash came to an abrupt stop as she wedged herself into a particularly narrow doorway. Pressed against the walls by her bloated belly, she instinctually snapped her tail between her legs to muffle a rumbling gas leak that took her the longest to cut off since she started sprinting.

	Dropping Leo for a moment to pull with all her legs, she was only rewarded with a sickeningly deep gurgle from the pit of her stomach. More than a little enamored by the display, the human wrapped his arms around her head to calm her down for a moment. “Look, you’re not going to get through there until you… decompress a little more. We’re more than far away enough, I’m sure no one will hear.” Honestly that was probably a lie, but at this point a mix of lust flushing his face red and care for her above any offended wedding guests swayed his words. Rubbing the soft spots on the bottom of her neck with intimate precision, the flustered dragon calmed down.

	Lowering her head to his ear, she took a deep breath. “I guess you’re right love… maybe if I can make a quick…” With his hands grazing the portion of her stomach through the tight doorway he spoke as calmly as he could muster. “Take as long as you need, you should know I’m not bothered in the slightest.” Melting at his touch she gave in to the pressure mounting inside her. Slowly she raised her heavy tail high enough it hit the low ceiling, and she let her wobbling legs slump enough to rest on her bloated underbelly. With all restraints dropped, she finally let out some serious steam.

	For a moment it started soft and airy, but in less than a second the restrained pressure behind this release turned the sound into a violently vibrating warhorn spewing her cloud of fermented funk. Still picking up bass and sheer volume as the trapped windstorm raged out of her, Leo felt her head slump on top of him in relief, taking a good bit of his strength to support her relaxed weight. Starting to own up to the beast bellowing from her butt, the dragon lowered her front legs even more to raise her rear high in the air and crank up the intensity of her monumental fart.

	Unbelievably still cranking out of her with a ferocity that rivaled cannon fire, Esme felt a leg involuntarily curl upwards in bliss as the pain of any gas cramps were rather forcefully evacuated from her body. All she could do was close her eyes and let the relief fog her mind. Feeling the vibrations course through her body, she moaned as her ass reached it’s roaring flatus-filled crescendo before it abruptly fell into the same airy hiss it started with. Once her tailhole closed for the first time in over ten seconds, the dragoness let her scaly rump fall with a loud thud.

	With her body completely relaxed, the doorway opened just enough to let a wave of rancid heat flood their side of the hallway as well. As Esme fluttered her eyes open after letting that burden go, she realized Leo was still propping her head up and gently rubbing along her face. Yet underneath her chin she felt an unusual prodding. Sure enough with a glance of her eyes downward, she realized her spectacle had her husband pitching a tent in the expensive suit. A glance back up at his face confirmed he was breathing rather deeply, savoring the overwhelming atmosphere of sulfuric dairy and noseburning digested meat.

	Taking in his rather unabashed enjoyment she felt a quiver between her legs. If anyone had been unfortunate enough to have been behind Esme for that tornado of indigestion, they would have spotted a rosy slit open beneath her tail with carnal desire. Leo spoke first between similarly labored breathing. “Are... are you feeling better now?” Knowing full well the effect it had on him, she breathed her next words out directly into his ear. “Heavens no, I’ve still got a loooooooot more brewing.” Groaning as a tinge of her previously erased cramps returned she continued with a lusty tone. “Maybe we should take this to the bedroom so you can ease all of it out for me...”

	As soon as he nodded at her proposal, she felt a burst of primal desire replace any worries about keeping quiet tonight. Not willing to delay another second, she opened her maw and lifted him by the bulk of his chest in a rather tender hold between otherwise deadly teeth. Leo may have been getting more accustomed with how intensely Esme could get into the mood, but he could only watch in surprise as she carried him gracelessly so she could move with all four legs like a bedroom seeking missile of heavy scales.

Unprepared for such a reaction, Leo was even more taken aback as a weighty dragon tongue forced itself into his clothing. Heavy hot breathing moved along his body as her slippery organ snaked eagerly into his undergarments. Evidently the taste of his mutual arousal caused her great pleasure as a purr of delight rumbled through her throat and she managed a few words through the mouthful of knight, “By the godsh I luff chu.” A lesser man could only faint at the full brunt of her draconic desire, but the man in her maw had more than willingly signed up for this. He was Leo the lion-hearted and he had no intentions of disappointing his wife tonight.

. . .

	The newlyweds nearly burst through the large wooden door of their bedroom, Esme taking a moment to deposit a rather moistened Leo on their unusual bed. The makeshift furniture was shorter than a standard bed seeing as it was mostly a thick layer of pillows and blankets, but the assembled bedding was quite large and formed a circular shape. This allowed enough space for the dragon to sleep in her preferred curled formation atop a pillowy surface, often with her knight somewhere underneath a wing, between two limbs, or even wrapped under her tail.

	Sprawled out on the bed with his suit a sopping mess of dragon saliva, he watched eagerly as she closed the door deftly with her tail. “Maybe I should have waited until you were undressed to pick you up like that...” Her brief apology was eclipsed by a loud gurgling reminiscent of bubbles pushing through muck, reminding her exactly why she had rushed into the bedroom so quickly. Feeling her breathing quicken she let out a low groan. “Let’s see what the walk over here stirred up...” Lifting a hindleg casually she dropped another bomb of wretched haze potent enough to dominate the room’s airsupply during it’s comparatively much shorter duration of a few seconds.

	Make no mistake about it, just about anything from her scaly rear outclassed something a human could fire off. Especially being so bloated, the sheer quantity of gas that escaped her ass like a high-pressure hose could’ve sent people running from the oxygen depriving cloud of bitter brimstone and cloying earthy vegetables. The man with her instead fumbled to remove his clothes as fast as possible to get closer to the source of this volcanic smog. Even if the dragon would’ve preferred a normal digestive system, she relished in letting go like this, content it was with the one person who delighted in in her rather plentiful fumes.

	With her stomach a churning mess of gas cramps she groaned before towering over her prone lover. “Oooooh, I need those hands on me as soon as possible!” Esme took a moment to position her bulk carefully over the man, before letting her gut land squarely on top of him. Leo was immediately pressed into the soft bedding by the weight of her bloated stomach. Even with her restraint for his sake, she pinned him in place under an avalanche of soft, smooth, groaning, churning, and gas-filled underbelly. Yet even if the human hadn’t tried to soothe her rumbling stomach from such a position before, he outstretched his hands with some effort, feeling his fingers sink deep into her discordant belly from the sheer force of gravity from the woman sprawled on top of him. Knowing exactly what to do he made large soft circles across her scales, intermixed with strong kneading downstrokes that he could tangibly feel shift pockets of gas lower and lower into her.

	Sure enough, his motions started really untwisting her aching guts, letting her massive backside fire off a series of trumpet trills that clouded their windowless room in yet another plume of her steaming miasma. With each violent sputter trembling her tailhole, she felt the relief mix with the pleasure she felt as the vibrations of her bombastic bass coursed through her engorged slit. Groans of relief were gradually morphing into moans of pure pleasure as her endless supply of gas was slowly channeled out of her. While her tail jerked to let out every burst of eyewatering stench, her nethers began to drip a steady stream of thick lubricant into the bed.

	Lost in mutual bliss, it took a while for the dragon to return to reality. A rather large bubble of her potent brew was nearing the exit, and she could feel it was going to be a big one. Not wanting to be a selfish lover, she raised off the now indented man, and presented her still steaming backside to him like a monumental eclipse. Breathing deeply in anticipation, he could feel the temperature swell and the contaminated air grow thicker from the residual gas left on her twin moons as she lowered them closer and closer to his face. Nearly able to kiss him with her fuming anus, she spoke up to him, “Brace yourself for this one.”

	With a grunt of effort, her tailhole expanded briefly before erupting with a geyser of wind reeking of sugary decay and deviled eggs. The torrent of sulfuric sauna vapors poured into his face and overwhelmed all of his senses. Airways filled to the brim with vile bubbles of spoiled fish, tongue layered thick enough with pure ass condensation he could guess what the catering tasted like, ears unable to hear something other than this earthquake of pure flatulence, skin rapidly heated by her jetstream of internal smog that buffeted him like a wind before scattering across his nude flesh, and the sight of her ass belching out everything troubling it.

	Before her windstorm of thick fumes ended, the reptile found herself unconsciously grinding that spot between her legs against his chest. Moving her wet and superheated opening back and forth, she left his body a soaking mess of her fluids as she deflated on top of him. Once the meaty expulsion came to an abrupt puffing end, the dragon slumped into the sheets to rest for a moment, breath panting with need. Not yet done slowly bobbing her hips all around Leo, her head shot up in surprise when she felt something unexpected. A human tongue darting into her tailhole, undeterred by the gastric destruction she was unleashing.

	She was so caught off guard by the swirling motions along her rear exit that a short puff of gas escaped her in surprise. As small as it was, it was still more than enough to make his cheeks swell with her gas before he could choke down the condensed cloud of funk. Yet even after that he huffed her ass deeply, like his life depended on it. Her hindquarters twitched from such a small touch while her stream of love-nectar only grew stronger with her desire. She knew he like her gas, but THIS much?

Newfound lust burning inside her like fire, the dragon flipped positions, brining her fang filled mouth close to his erection at full mast. “Enough, I need you to put your weapon…” She paused to extend her slippery tongue over his dick, making a teasingly slow lick from base to tip. “…to it’s FULL use against me.” She ended her statement by falling on her side, hind legs spread wide to present her swollen opening on full display. “I only ask that as my husband you hold nothing back.”

	Making a quick passionate kiss he panted out his response. “I trust you’ll hold nothing back that might flow out of you?” She nodded in response, but shook her hips in a desperate attempt to entice him to quell the burning in her loins. Seeing this maiden in need of desperate help, Leo wasted not a moment to brace an arm around her raised leg, and push his tip into her well-lubricated opening. Despite the ample juices coating her lower lips, her entrance was an impossibly tight vice. As his hips slowly forced his length deeper, Esme moaned primally, sounding like an enamored roar she fought to quiet.

	With each inch deeper inside of her, she felt herself shudder and moan more. Even if her hide was practically impervious, she was hopelessly sensitive down there. Gripping the bedding hard enough to cause her claws to shred any fabric she touched, she felt him bottom out inside her, before sliding back nearly out. Slamming his shaft back into her with a frenzied lust, she cried out once again, quickly degrading into a whimpering moan as he refused to relent in his attack. With each thrust inside her she felt more gas forcefully evacuated from her body, coming out in noisy crackles and wet sounding spurts, all raucous and in rhythm with his love making.

	It wasn’t long before the man felt the squeezing walls around his cock tighten even more, squeezing every inch of him tightly before exploding in her first orgasm of the night. Tail spasming against the wall, she restrained a bestial roar into the bedding as her swelteringly hot insides contracted to grip him tightly. Even if he could feel the fire well up along the length of his member, the knight willed himself to keep going. They were consummating their marriage after all, he could keep going.

	Letting a gargantuan burst of unruly gas erupt from her ass that quickly devolved into a discordant symphony of choppy flatulence, Esme was shocked to feel him still going, only pumping faster into her increasingly sensitive interior. Moaning loudly she fell from her side and onto her back, taking the man with her, clinging tightly to keep up his motions. He was a mess of sweat in the room now chokingly thick with the product of her explosive behind, but he only quickened his pace maddeningly.

	Getting closer and closer to his limit while the otherwise unstoppable dragon writhed under his hips she forced out any pockets of gas trapped inside her with ear splitting rumbles. Taking deep breaths of her aroma and pumping his piston as fast he could, he gripped her stomach and shifted all power into his pelvis. As Esme felt herself get pushed to the edge once again, she stopped to regain control of her shaking legs and wrapped them behind her lover. Pushing him deep inside her as he could go, and refusing to let him retreat, she bent her neck to look him in the eyes. “Don’t wait any longer, just give it to me already!”

	With a guttural grunt, he made one last push into her spasming walls before he unloaded everything inside his balls. Esme roared once again, but this time straight into the open air. It was likely heard throughout the castle as she pumped forth a deluge of thick dragon lubricant once again while milking every ounce of seed she could from the man. Rope after rope, and load after load, he painted her insides white while they both rode out the euphoria of release. Speaking of release, while the newlyweds savored the fog of carnal bliss, the dragon let out a long airy expulsion to empty out her gas tank. Long and unhurried to drain her overactive gut, the spray of flatulence continued on and on, bringing the room to nearly toxic levels of methane concentrations.

	Bowels temporarily empty, and her slit dripping with her husband’s love, she sluggishly pulled Leo upwards to her breast, leaving an absolute mess of fluids to slowly reach the bedding. Content just to have each other’s faces close to one another, their frenzied breathing slowly softened. Feeling the rise and fall of the dragon’s chest underneath him, Leo relaxed into her further, and Esme wrapped her wings around her lover to form a tight embrace. If this is what being married was like, she figured more dragons should try it.

. . .

	Eyes closed and peacefully listening to the sounds of his now dozing wife, Leo jolted awake at a knock from the door. At first he tried gently to slip from her tight embrace, but in her sleep she refused to budge. Physically lifting each individual clawed finger gripping him like a stuffed animal, he called out to whoever had visited. Esme was a heavy sleeper, so he could manage a hushed response. “Who, uh… who is it?” The voice of his brother responded sounding almost just as awkward. “Hey… just wanted to check on what was going on in here.” Worming out of the dragon’s grasp, the knight scanned the room for something to wear, yet nothing but his spit-soaked suit remained. Haphazardly throwing on what pieces of clothes he could, he approached the door.

	Leo ventured a guess for his visit. “Did um, did you hear anything, earlier that is?” His brother lowered his voice, “I’m going to be honest, there was a LOT of noises to hear, and frankly, I don’t need to know what you’re up to Leo, I trust if you’re talking to me now, whatever that was is sorted out.” Reaching out to open the door, Leo stopped himself at the last moment, realizing he would unleash a wave of horrendous odor on his family member if he opened it. “Wait, what did you wish to speak about if you think it’s fine?”

	His brother cleared his throat, “Well… when you two ran off I asked one of the elves to do some magic or whatever and figure out where you were. As small as this place is it’s a bit of a maze.” Leo nodded before responding through the barrier. “Yes, and?” His sibling continued, “The strange thing was that… although she blushed and refused to elaborate, which by the way I’m pretty sure I know what that means Leooooo, but she mentioned something was strange.” The knight pressed his ear against the door to listen closer. “She mentioned she detected more than two heartbeats in that room with you, were you attacked or something?”

	Turning back to watch the sleeping dragon with a ring still around her claw casually loose a soft hiss of silent gas, he considered the possibility of a lurking assassin. Yet the idea of anyone waiting through that whole display, let alone staying silent through that hurricane of gas, was a difficult one to believe. No, it had to be something else. Possibly picking up on his confusion without even seeing him, his brother volunteered an explanation. “You know, if you two really were ‘consummating your marriage’ in there, it wouldn’t surprise me if you had gotten her pregnant before all this...” Mind reeling back to the first night they had lain together in that mountainous blizzard, the knight realized that his joke was very much possible.

	“Sex before marriage, and I thought better of such a chivalrous m-“ However his taunting would have to wait as the door opened abruptly, flooding his brother with a mindmelting stench that made him cough and hack. Leo on the other hand embraced him in his still stick suit, overjoyed at the idea maybe the legends of half-dragon children were real. “An heir! Are you saying I might really have an heir?” Covering his face now reddened in disgust, his brother could only cough out, “What the hell was going on in that room?” Leo simply clapped him on the back before ushering him away from the hazard zone.

“I think we’re going to need a long walk to talk about all this…”