In Damsel, due to a centuries-old pact, the kingdom of Aurea is obliged to offer sacrifices to a vengeful dragon, voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo.
Before the kingdom of Aurea was established, the island where it now stands was inhabited by a fire-breathing dragon.
Elodie is told that the dragon was the last of its kind, but that is not true. The dragon had given birth to three daughters, making them the last of their kind.
The priestess of Aurea claims that the king who established Aurea built a village on the island. However, the blood-thirsty dragon attacked the village.
The king and his soldiers attempted to fight the dragon to defend their people, but they were no match for the fierce creature.
The dragon killed the soldiers but spared the king’s life, agreeing to share the island with him and his people. In return, she asked the king to sacrifice his three daughters, whom he loved dearly.
Ultimately, the king chose his kingdom over his daughters and sacrificed them to the dragon.
However, it’s only when Elodie is sacrificed to the dragon that she discovers the truth: the story of Aurea and its first king, however tragic it may seem, is full of lies.
Three were taken, three must be given
A shrine in the dragon’s lair indicates that the king and his soldiers killed the dragon’s three defenseless daughters.
Later, the dragon tells Elodie that she never attacked the village; the king and his soldiers entered her lair and killed her children unprovoked.
In retaliation, the dragon killed the soldiers. She spared the king, only to make him suffer as she did.
The dragon then made a pact with the king: she will allow them to live on the island as long as he and his descendants sacrifice three daughters every generation.
Unbeknownst to the dragon, the royal family has found a way to deceive her. They have not been sacrificing their own daughters but innocent women who marry into their family.
They perform a blood ceremony before the brides are sacrificed to make their blood smell like royalty.
For centuries, the dragon has been killing these women to take revenge on the royal family for murdering her children, and she intends to continue until her death.
However, Elodie manages to defeat the dragon and reveals the truth about the royal family’s deception. By healing the dragon’s wounds, Elodie gains her as a companion.
Together, they burn down the palace, which has been built on the sacrifices of innocent women, and exact their revenge before leaving the island together.
Also Read: Prince Henry: Damsel character explained