Page 34 of The Dragon Maiden
She sat down at the other end of the couch, much too far away for my comfort, but I stayed in my spot, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. She fidgeted with her hands for a few moments before finally looking at me, her face red. “What exactly is my purpose?” she asked. “Why do Dragon Maidens exist?”
Her question surprised me. “Well, long ago, dragons realized if they formed a pact with a human, they would become stronger. No one knows the exact reason behind it, but there is a philosophy that a pact of trust and understanding between the two ruling species of the world helps garner hidden powers of each. Dragons are known for unlocking additional powers after accepting a Maiden, so that honor is only reserved to the Dragon Lords.”
“And why didn’t you pick one until me?” she asked. “You’re…” She trailed off. “I don’t even know how old you are, but surely it’s been a long time?”
I chuckled. “I’m around ninety in human years,” I said, and her eyes widened. “Which is considered young for a dragon. Lord Hiram is many centuries old. I am the youngest High Dragon Lord in recorded history, having assumed the title twenty years ago. But around age fifty, I could have appointed a Dragon Maiden.”
“So why didn’t you?” she asked.
Shrugging, I said, “I hadn’t found the right one yet and it didn’t seem like an urgent situation to focus on.”
“I’m sure our short lives also make it difficult too,” she said. “You would have to keep finding new ones to replace the old ones.”
“Not necessarily,” I said.
Her eyebrows furrowed in an unspoken question.
“A Dragon Lord taking on a Dragon Maiden tends to elongate both of their lives. But in most cases, a Dragon Maiden dies because they either broke a rule too grievous to be allowed to survive or they are killed off by an enemy of their Dragon Lord in an attempt to weaken them.”
“Having a Dragon Maiden is really that important to be strong?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“For some, yes,” I said. “I’ve heard that when losing a Dragon Maiden, a Lord is overcome with overwhelming pain, and any strength he gained from her is immediately sapped. If a Maiden is killed at an opportune moment, a Lord could effortlessly be killed, which is not an easy feat.”
“How many Maidens has Lord Hiram been through?” Valora asked. “Alonsa’s stories make it sound like she’s only been one for the past twenty or thirty years.”
“He’s been through more than most,” I said, nodding at her question. “Over the centuries, there have been many attempts made on his life, but he’s managed to escape every one of them. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Maidens that he’s had. And at his age, as long as the Maiden can perform her basic duties, he does not care who it is. Some of the other Lords are pickier about who they choose as their Maiden.”
“Like you,” she prompted, a smile crossing her lips in pride. My heart skipped a beat and I wished I could see her smile like this all the time.
“Like me,” I said, mirroring her smile.
I noticed her quick intake of breath, and a flush crossed her cheeks. “So have you felt any stronger since you chose me?” she asked.
My smile fell. “Since we haven’t exchanged the oath, you are not officially my Dragon Maiden yet,” I said, and a slight frown crossed her face. “A ceremony needs to take place to seal the bond between the two of us before I gain that additional strength. Instead, I have this ring that makes me stronger, even though it doesn’t grant me any special power.” I gestured to the blue ring that I constantly wore.
“Why haven’t we done the ceremony?” Her voice was small as she looked away.
Immediately, I could tell she felt insecure. I reached a hand over, grasping hers. She looked at me, and I could see the glimmer of tears in her eyes. Holding back a sigh, I knew I would have to choose my words carefully. I did not want to hurt her needlessly.
“Usually, there is a trial period to ensure that the candidate has what it takes to be a Dragon Maiden,” I said. “And then the Lords vote on the decision. The Dragon Lord with the potential Maiden has the largest share of the vote. Being High Dragon Lord, the decision comes with a lot more weight.”
“And I’m sure that my escape a few months ago didn’t help in that consideration,” she mumbled.
I wanted to tell her that she could be my Dragon Maiden, that the vote had turned in her favor, but for some reason, I held back. I wanted to somehow know that she was truly ready, that she was willing to go the extra mile to be with me, that she wanted this as much as I did. Though her escape had been recent, I hoped that she would do something soon to show me that she wanted to be my Dragon Maiden, that she had what it took to be in my life.
She let out a sigh. “I guess I’ll just have to work harder to prove that I’m worthy,” she said, a gleam shining in her eyes.
“I look forward to seeing what you show me,” I said, giving her hand a small squeeze of encouragement.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Valora
Now that spring was on its way, the caves were a flurry of activity. On a daily basis, I ran back and forth between Lord Dracul’s and the other Lords’ caves, passing back papers and summons for meetings. The High Dragon Lord had grown busier over the past few months, worry about the Starfire clan’s activities causing a stir among the populace. As I passed by the human servants, they’d whisper about the problem and what it would mean if Lord Dracul was overthrown.
More dragons from the main part of the caves started to appear more frequently, as well, delivering updates to Lord Firenze, Lord Hiram, and Lord Dracul. They always appeared in their human forms, as moving around the corridors as dragons would easily cause congestion due to the frequency of people around nowadays. The dragons were easy to spot because of their eyes. Most were unusual colors, or their hair would give away their true identity. Because of the bustle, Lord Dracul and I did not have much time alone anymore, and I was unable to ask him more questions, instead having to glean information on my own.
I hoped that my efforts since my escape would prove that I was ready to be a Dragon Maiden and go through the ceremony, but after that initial conversation, neither Lord Dracul nor I mentioned it again. The other Dragon Lords eventually warmed up to me, finally greeting me when I stopped by to drop off papers or missives. This gave me hope that I was making progress with them. Deep down, I knew that becoming a Dragon Maiden would mean finally turning my back on trying to find my brother and receiving answers, but I found that the more time I spent with Lord Dracul, the more the need for answers lessened.