Page 42 of The Dragon Maiden

The music started up in a jaunty tune and Dracul began to move. I stumbled, tripping over my feet, trying to follow his nonverbal cues. A couple steps went by without issue before I tripped again, and I could feel my face heating in embarrassment.

“You’re doing fine,” Dracul murmured. “Left, back, right, forward. There you go, just like that.”

I finally was able to follow him and relaxed slightly as the music went on. At one point, Dracul gripped my hand and spun me around. I was able to continue following him after that, and I beamed, proud of myself. He smiled encouragingly at me.

Finally, the song came to an end and I curtsied while Dracul bowed. He led me from the dance floor while others flooded in, eager to frolic as the music started up again. The other Lords led their Maidens for a customary dance while I watched on the sidelines with Dracul.

“You did very well,” he leaned over and whispered to me.

“I was like an animal learning to walk for the first time,” I said. “I stumbled all over my feet.”

He let out a low chuckle. “Regardless, you did well with no training,” he said. “We can practice more later, if you like.”

At the end of the second song, the other Maidens swarmed me. They had all completed their obligatory dance and were now free to do what they wanted. Lord Dracul had mentioned that sometimes other dragons would ask the Dragon Maidens to dance, but he stayed nearby so no one would ask me, sensing that I did not want to embarrass myself.

“You did magnificently,” Alonsa said, coming forward to give me a hug.

I beamed at the compliment while the others echoed similar sentiments.

“Though your dancing needs work,” Vimery snorted.

My face flushed, but I had no rebuttal. She was correct.

“She did fine,” Dracul said quietly, his tone a warning for Vimery to behave.

She paled, not having noticed him before, and bowed her head. “Yes, my Lord,” she said. “I apologize for my comment.”

He huffed and looked out towards the dance floor, but I could tell his attention was still focused on me. Every once in a while, his eyes darted towards me, checking to see how I was doing. The music rose in tempo, and I could see the dancers speeding up to match the music, their colorful outfits swirling around the floor.

“I’ll have to take lessons from you sometime,” I said to Vimery. “You looked wonderful dancing.” She and Lord Firenze had glided around, easily dodging the other dancers.

“Thank you,” she muttered, her cheeks reddening slightly before walking away.

“What did the fire feel like?” Bethany asked, leaning in close for my answer. “The changing color was so unexpected! Did it hurt?”

At this point, I could tell Lord Dracul’s full attention was on me, standing unnaturally still at Bethany’s question.

“It felt warm and welcoming,” I said. “A pleasant heat, no pain or anything.”

At my words, his shoulders immediately relaxed. I was surprised that he had been worried about how I would feel in the fire. He had seemed so confident earlier today.

“That’s amazing!” Gwen exclaimed. “That means you two have a close bond! You’ll be an amazing Dragon Maiden, Valora!”

“I hope so,” I said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. The music, the crowd of people, and this new responsibility became too much for me to process. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to step out for a moment.”

The other Maidens shifted out of the way, moving to the side of the dance floor to watch the dancers. Immediately, Bethany and Gwen were asked to dance by two younger dragons, and smiled as they eagerly accepted. My feet took me to outside the cavern, where I was able to breathe in the cool, fresh air. I had not realized how stuffy it had gotten inside.

“Is everything okay?” Dracul’s voice came from behind me, and I spun to face him, not expecting him to have followed me.

“I needed some air,” I said. “I was just getting a little overwhelmed.”

“You did wonderfully today,” he said, putting his hands on my shoulders. Once more, I could feel heat spreading from his hands throughout my body. “I’m sure you must be feeling relieved that it’s all over now.”

“I am,” I said. “I’m looking forward to what happens next.” I heard a cheer coming from inside, and a smile crossed my face. “I’m sorry for my dancing earlier. I’ve never had much need for it before.”

“You were perfectly fine,” he said. “But if you want to practice any time, I will gladly dance with you.”

We could hear the next song start, its melody floating out to us in the hallway.

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