Page 31 of The Dragon Maiden

The next morning, I woke to raised voices—Dracul and someone else were arguing. Their voices echoed through the landing, reverberating in my head as the two went back and forth, escalating more as the conversation went on.

“It’s against protocol!” I vaguely identified Lord Verhorn’s voice in my sleepy haze. “She is to be in the Dragon Maiden cavern every night!”

“She is my Dragon Maiden and if I decide that she can spend the night in my quarters, then she can.” Dracul’s tone was even, but his voice was loud.

“She just received punishment for trying to escape. She shouldn’t be spending any time outside of the cavern!” Lord Verhorn screeched. I could only imagine what he would look like in his human form—cheeks red and his eyes bulging. “Don’t you see what kind of message this sends?”

“Why does that matter?” Dracul’s voice dropped so dangerously low, I had to strain to hear him.

I could tell Lord Verhorn could sense the danger he toed, as he paused for several moments before responding, his voice much quieter this time. “Lord Dracul,” he said diplomatically. “I know you are High Dragon Lord and that you are afforded more liberties with the rules, but you might give the other Dragon Lords the wrong… impression if you continue to favor her so.”

I sat up at his words, my face flushing at what he implied. Though there was a certain closeness to the relationship Dracul and I shared, that line had not been crossed. Last night, I had not even thought about the implications of staying overnight in Dracul’s quarters and could only imagine the insults or insinuations Vimery would throw my way.

I shimmied my body closer to the edge of the landing so I could watch from my perch.

Dracul stepped towards Lord Verhorn. “You should choose your next words very carefully,” he growled.

Lord Verhorn visibly paled and took a small step backwards. “I’m just warning you to watch how you behave, my Lord,” he said. “Having her stay here overnight gives the wrong idea. There are rumors already swirling around about how you’ve given her special treatment. I would hate to see your leadership skills brought into question because of this.”

I swallowed at his words, thinking back to what Lord Hiram had said yesterday. If news got out outside the Shadowvale clan, it could give more credence to Borthen’s claims that Dracul should not be High Dragon Lord. I did not know what went into being High Dragon Lord, but it sounded like Borthen would not be a good fit for the position. Though I was glad that Dracul seemed to have good Dragon Lords surrounding him, looking out for his reputation, I did not like the insinuations Lord Verhorn made.

“Your advice has been heard,” Dracul said in a strained voice. “I will take it under advisement.”

Lord Verhorn heard the dismissal in his tone and bowed before leaving the room in a swirl of robes. Dracul muttered to himself before walking over to his desk and collapsing in his chair, his hand on his forehead. After a few moments, I stood and slowly descended the stairs, my gaze trained on Dracul.

He glanced up when my feet hit the floor, a sad look on his face. “You heard all that, didn’t you?” he asked.

I nodded. “Most of it, yeah.”

“I don’t want you to pay Verhorn’s words any heed,” he said, waving his hand.

“Based on what Lord Hiram said yesterday, it sounds like I should stick strictly to the rules,” I said, fidgeting with my hands and averting my eyes.

Dracul stood and walked towards me. “Do I make you uncomfortable?” he asked.

I did not answer, my gaze focused on my feet.

“Valora,” he said gently.

I looked up, staring into his molten eyes that always seemed to set my body on fire.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“No,” I said. “But I don’t know if we are the same as the other Dragon Lords and the other Dragon Maidens.” I paused, trying to choose my words carefully. “Dracul, I don’t want to be the reason that others are questioning your leadership.”

His eyes were impossibly kind as he took my hands, fire spreading further through my body. “I can handle any rumors they throw my way,” he said. “I am High Dragon Lord. That’s not a title that’s easily rescinded—I inherited the position from my father and the other Lords agreed with my appointment. And as High Dragon Lord, I am afforded more privileges than most. Everything is going to be fine, I promise.”

I slowly pulled away, fighting the urge to continue holding on to his hands. “Regardless, I should probably go have breakfast with the other Dragon Maidens,” I said. “I’ll have to face them sooner or later. I might as well get it over with.”

Dracul nodded, taking a step away. “I will work on paperwork in the meantime then,” he said.

Feeling awkward at this wall I placed between us, I left, taking my time heading back to the Dragon Maiden cavern. I could feel a pit in my stomach, only imagining the tension that would be there when I entered. Everyone was chatting as I walked in, and from the snippets I caught, I could tell they talked about me.

A hush fell over the room, all eyes focused on me. Looking at each Maiden, I could see clearly on their faces that any trust I had built in the past months had dissipated completely. I hung my head, walking over to my bed and sitting on it. I did not want to be the first one to break the silence, only imagining what they would say.

Vimery was first with her scathing remarks. “Did you have fun kissing up to Lord Dracul?” she sneered, her face twisting into an unpleasant expression.

A quick glance at the other Maidens, and I could tell she voiced their unspoken opinions.

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