Page 10 of The Dragon Maiden
“That’s not how Dragon Maidens are supposed to talk to the High Dragon Lord.”
Lord Dracul’s cheeks puffed out before erupting into laughter, echoing throughout the cave. “None have certainly tried before,” he said.
“What’s going to happen to me now?” I fidgeted as he stared at me, contemplating his answer.
“Nothing,” he said. “You are certainly different from the other Maidens.” His expression sobered. “But you are not to talk to me that way again, do you understand? Especially in front of the other Lords. I will be forced to punish you and that’s not something I wish to do.”
His answer surprised me, and I felt my body freeze. He did not want to punish me? “I understand,” I said, bowing my head once more.
“Good. Now follow me. I have another task for you.” He led the way out of the cave, and I followed closely behind.
Chapter Eight
Valora
We walked through a different set of tunnels, far away from where the other Dragon Lords resided and away from Lord Dracul’s hoard. I was slowly building a map in my head of the cave system, though my knowledge was still very limited with my activities from the past week. Eventually, Lord Dracul stopped in front of an opening that, to my surprise, was covered with a large navy curtain. It shielded a massive doorway, big enough to fit him in his dragon form.
“That’s different,” I said. So far, everything I had seen was open caverns with no form of privacy.
“I am allowed this, as I am the High Dragon Lord,” Lord Dracul said. “These are my chambers.” He pushed the curtain to the side with his snout and gestured for me to enter.
As I stepped into his quarters, my mouth dropped open. The entire floor was covered in thick, plush, navy carpeting. Like Lord Verhorn’s study, he had bookshelves and a desk, though his collection of books was much vaster. A couple gray couches sat in front of the bookshelves near a lit fireplace, making a cozy reading area. Towards the back of the room were a few tables filled with glass vials and instruments, and a spigot leading from the cave wall into an empty basin. On the table, a few books were open, and from my vantage point, I could see that there were words circled. To the left was another small hallway leading to what looked like more rooms. Small stairs curved up the side of the cavern’s walls, ending at a landing where a telescope looked out of a large window carved into the side of the mountain.
I turned to look at Lord Dracul, who I suddenly realized had been watching my reaction very carefully.
“You like to stargaze?” I asked. I had read about telescopes, but had never gotten to see one in person before. All my knowledge of the constellations, I had learned from my father. His book contained all sorts of stories about the stars.
Lord Dracul nodded, stepping into the room with me. “I do,” he confirmed. “And it seems you do as well. One day, perhaps we can stargaze together.”
I could not explain it, but his expression filled me with an unknown warmth. “I… I would like that very much,” I said softly.
He cleared his throat, looking away from me suddenly and staring at the room. “I think I would like you to start with dusting the bookshelves first,” he said. “It’s been a while since someone has cleaned in here. I do what I can, but it’s… been some time.” He looked around as if seeing the room through fresh eyes. “I don’t want you touching the back tables, though,” he said, pointing towards the vials of potions and concoctions. “There are things I’m working on that I don’t want disturbed.” He led me to a hidden closet which housed cleaning supplies. “Everything you need should be here.”
“I will get started then.” I grabbed the soft cloths, my hands itching to investigate his book collection. Besides my father’s book of stories, there had not been much material to read back home. Maybe if I was careful, I could sneak a peek in a few of them.
Lord Dracul let out a sigh, and steam began to emanate from him, obscuring him from view. When the steam cleared, a man stood in his place. Long, deep-sapphire hair that matched the color of his scales fell down his back, past his waist. He turned to face me, and I felt the usual knot in my stomach that appeared when he was nearby suddenly tug harder than it had before. His silver eyes were the same, but on a clean-shaven face that I was unaccustomed to. Under an open set of navy velvet robes, he was bare chested. My eyes followed the line of his muscles to the top of his light-gray flowing pants, and my gaze shot back up to his face. I flushed as he smirked at me, knowing exactly where I had been looking.
“Enjoying the view?” he teased, walking over to his desk and sitting down.
I opened my mouth, trying to say something, but the words would not come out. “I will get started right away,” I stammered, walking over to the nearest bookcase, my face burning. I heard a slight chuckle coming from the desk and my face flamed further.
Slowly, I started cleaning the dust off the books, starting with the bottom row. I took each book off the shelf and gently rubbed it with the soft cloth, removing the dust before placing it back on the shelf. My eyes glanced over each cover, eager to learn what kind of books Lord Dracul had in his library. I took my time cleaning, giving myself more time to admire the craftsmanship that went into each one.
After several minutes, I heard Lord Dracul clear his throat, drawing my attention to him. He had an eyebrow raised. “Did you get distracted?” he asked, a smile crossing his face.
The knot in my stomach deepened.
His words made me realize that I had opened up one of the books and was reading it. I had stopped dusting completely. My face flushed once more and I put the book back on the shelf. “I’m sorry, my Lord,” I said, bowing my head. “I didn’t realize I had stopped… They’re beautiful.”
“Maybe when you finish your work, I’ll let you take a closer look at them,” he said.
A rush ran through me. “Do you really mean that?” I asked, my voice rising in excitement.
He nodded, and his smile deepened. “I do,” he said. “And if you tell me what you’re interested in, I can pick out a few recommendations for you.”
I immediately turned back to the bookshelves and continued cleaning, this time focused on my task. I needed to show Lord Dracul I was a good worker, and he would be more inclined to let me read his books. The thought filled me with excitement and carried me through the rest of the morning.
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