Page 3 of The Dragon Maiden

At last, we stopped at the opening to a large cavern. “Here we are,” Lord Dracul said, gesturing to the room.

My mouth dropped open and I gasped at the enormity of it. Lavishly made beds were scattered around, each covered in a different colored set of blankets and embroidered pillows. Dark mahogany wardrobes overflowing with clothes lined the walls, filled with all sorts of finery in different sizes, and next to each was an open chest filled to the brim with different shoes. Next to each wardrobe, a mirror hung on the wall, a stool placed in front of each one. And in the middle of the cavern was a bubbling lake, the heat of which could be felt from the doorway.

My head spun as I turned to Lord Dracul for answers. “I’m not the only one that lives here, am I?” I asked, my eyes alighting on the multiple beds.

A smirk crossed his face. “No, you’re not.”

He roared loudly, and I covered my ears, wondering what was going on. To my surprise, five women rushed into the cavern from a doorway across from us that I had not noticed before. They stopped in front of Lord Dracul and knelt at his feet.

“How may we serve you, my Lord?” one of the women asked, her face still pointing downwards. She seemed older than the others, with graying, mousy-brown hair that was gathered into a bun at the nape of her neck.

“This is to be your newest Dragon Maiden,” Lord Dracul announced, nodding towards me when all their heads shot up in unison at his words. “I expect you all to treat her well and to train her when she is not receiving specific instructions from me.”

“My Lord, does this mean one of us is to be replaced?” the woman asked, her face paling. The other women gasped at her words.

“Not yet. I have not decided what to do with her yet, other than she is to become a Dragon Maiden.” He gave each a look to reassure them.

“Yes, my Lord.” The woman bowed once more and did not move until Lord Dracul left the cavern. I felt the knot in my stomach begin to loosen after he walked away.

As soon as he was gone, everyone swarmed me. Once more, I felt under scrutiny, not dissimilar from my visit to the village earlier that morning.

“Oh my goodness, where did he find her? She looks positively dreadful!” One woman’s tone was filled with scorn as she looked me up and down, her green eyes focusing on my travel-worn clothes. Her emerald velvet gown matched her eyes and a golden necklace draped across her throat. When my eyes met hers, she smirked and twirled a lock of her short, red hair around her finger.

“Hush, Vimery,” the older woman chastised. By her age and the authoritative way she spoke, I assumed she was in charge of everyone. “You don’t want Lord Dracul to overhear you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Vimery said, bowing her head slightly.

The older woman turned towards me. “I’m Alonsa Evertree. Now what is your name?”

“I’m Valora,” I said, leaving out my last name. These women were still strangers to me and based on Vimery’s reaction, I did not trust them.

“Welcome to the Dragon Maiden chamber, Valora,” Alonsa said, coming forward and linking her arm through mine. Gently, she pulled me further into the chamber and out of the doorway. “Now, how were you chosen? How did your people pick you?” She led me to a set of cushions and sat down, the other women following and sitting as well, gathering to hear my story.

Slowly, I sat, still clutching my pack to me. “I wasn’t chosen,” I said, trying to pick my words carefully. “At least, not the way I think all of you were.”

“What do you mean by that?” The youngest of the women was excited, her dark-gray eyes sparkling with her enthusiasm. Her expression was warm and kind, I could tell she meant no harm by the question.

“Shh, Bethany,” Alonsa chided softly, pushing back a stray lock of blonde hair that had fallen into the younger girl’s eyes. “Let our guest speak.”

“Well, I did not live in the village where I was taken,” I said, shifting under their stares. “I was just passing through. I was out of food so I needed to stop. There were a few other villagers about when I entered the market, but they all disappeared as soon as they saw me. And then I was taken by a green dragon.”

Silence followed my words and I could see the shock in the other women’s faces.

“I tried explaining to Lord Dracul that I don’t belong here, but he just ignored me.” Tears once more pricked at my eyes and I blinked them away.

“Regardless, you were picked for a reason. Just as we all were,” Alonsa said, gently placing her hand on top of mine. It provided me a small amount of comfort. She reminded me of my mother. “Now, I should introduce everyone. We have Vimery Cottonthrall, Bethany Twisten, Gwen Unilow, and Hyacinth Unilow.”

Each of the women nodded as their name was spoken. I was unsurprised that Gwen and Hyacinth were related. From the same last name and their looks, I would assume they were twins, both wearing their dark-brown hair in a tight bun and possessing the same passive hazel eyes. Out of all the women, they also wore the plainest dresses made of undecorated blue muslin.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” I said after a moment’s pause. My pack shifted in my hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Oh, let me show you where you can put your things,” Alonsa said, standing and leading me to the bed closest to the doorway. It was covered in cobalt blankets and pillows, matching Lord Dracul’s scales. Looking around, I was somewhat dismayed at the lack of privacy as I put my things next to my bed. “Today, you can settle in, and tomorrow, we’ll begin your training. Unless Lord Dracul has other ideas in mind.”

Fiddling with the hem of my shirt, I asked, “What exactly does a Dragon Maiden do?”

Vimery snorted at my question, and I felt my face flush.

“That’s right, you aren’t from the usual towns,” Alonsa said, giving Vimery a look. “Each of us is assigned a Dragon Lord to attend to. There are five main Lords, and then the High Dragon Lord, Lord Dracul. Once a month, we polish our Lord’s hoard and pick up their cave. Occasionally, they will have us cook for them, help with administrative duties, and look after any of their younglings. And any banquets, we help organize and prepare those as well.”

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