The Wyrm of Grog — Robert Siegel

Something sinister is happening in the dark, oppressed Kingdom of Grog. The evil Prince Boris, who has a pet wyrm―a dragon named Purr―needs to feed it once every three months or it will break loose and wreak havoc on his kingdom. So, every three months, the prince convicts someone of a capital crime so he can feed his dragon. The fair maiden in this second novelette in the Wundle series is the Prince's sheltered daughter, Gwynne. The hero is Cor, the son of a jewelsmith who meets Gwynne at a magical swimming hole, not knowing who she is, only that he is enchanted by her. When they part, he gifts her with his most precious possession, a decision which may cost him his life. When Cor sets out at the behest of his father to meet up with a jewel merchant, he stumbles into Grog borders and finds himself the capital criminal of the quarter―he is soon slated to become a dragon's dinner.