Love Me, Dragon

8

Chapter eight

Amelia

We all stood facing the stairs, waiting for the person who was meant to address us. Those who knew each other started talking amongst themselves, and others were making new friends.

Nobody approached me, and I wasn't even interested in making new friends, so I just stood there looking around. But I would consider doing that if the person was a dragon shifter.

I heard footsteps walking, and then I saw a lady, accompanied by two others, stand at the top of the stairs. It seems like she was going to be the one to address us.

"Hello, noble ladies of the kingdom of Ixtal. My name is Matilda Heinrich, but you can just call me Lady Matilda. I am the head of all the serving ladies in this palace, and I am to be your caretaker." She announced, and everybody clapped.

"Feel free to come to me whenever you have a problem or need anything, okay?" She said that, and everyone nodded.

"Staying in the palace of the king is different from staying in your own houses. Here, you are to act with caution and to do things in an orderly manner, so as not to grab the attention of the king. The king detests noise and things that are not in order. So I would like to implore you to do your best to stick to every rule given to you and also to listen to everyone that is put in charge of you."

"Failure to adhere to these rules will result in you being sent back to your parents immediately or receiving a punishment that is suitable for the crime that you committed." She smiled. "I trust that we will all adhere to these rules, so that we will all have a peaceful stay here."

"Now, the king has granted you the rest of the day to rest, but from tomorrow, lessons begin. You will be taught proper etiquette and manners fit for a queen, and you will take lessons on arithmetic and general knowledge. These lessons may last for as long as a month, after which the competition begins.

"You will be judged on the way you dress, the way you walk, and the manner in which you handle things." Immediately after she said this, Constance turned to look at me, and I tried to stop myself from laughing. "You might not know it, but we will be watching your every move."

"The competition will be tough, as you are expected to have been ready to take them on. You will be informed of what the competition will be about when the time comes."

"You should all be careful about what you do and say. The eyes of the whole kingdom are on you. I wish you all success, and may the best lady win." She said so, and we cheered.

"You will all be taken to your designated chambers, and you have the rest of the day to rest. Don't forget, you have to wake up early tomorrow to begin your lessons."

"Have a good rest, and I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow." She said that, and we all clapped as she walked away.

Another lady came to the top of the stairs and asked us to follow her. Constance struggled to carry my bags, and I moved to help her, but she stopped me, saying that it wouldn't be good if I was seen helping a maid carry my luggage.

I sighed and let her do it since she insisted so much on it. We were each shown to our rooms, or rather, spaces. It was just a very big hall, but the spaces were demarcated by a curtain. Each space had a bed, a dresser and chair, a closet, and an empty space to just stay.

The spaces weren't small. They were large enough for one person, and we were asked to pick anyone. The maids brought our luggage in and kept it in our spaces, and then they left to go to the rooms that had been prepared for them.

I was able to pick a spot close to the end of the hall, and I felt comfortable there. I started arranging all my clothes in the closet that was provided for us. I looked around at all the other girls, and everybody seemed to be minding their business, and everywhere was quiet until I heard a scream and shouting.

I raised my head up, but I was still seated because I expected the noise to stop, but it didn't, so I stood up to check what was going on.

There was a crowd gathered at a particular place in the hall where the noise seemed to be coming from. I moved closer to find out what was going on when I saw three girls hitting, pushing around, and insulting another girl that was on the ground.

"What is going on?" I asked a lady who stood beside me.

"Well, that lady bumped into Lady Lucia, and now she's angry." The lady said,

"Was it a mistake?" I asked her, and she nodded her head.

Then why did they think it was right to do that to her? I looked around, and nobody seemed to want to get involved, and the lady was seriously being humiliated as I chose to step up.

"Why are you doing that to her?" I spoke up, and the three ladies stopped what they were doing and looked at me.

"And who might you be?" One of them, whom I assumed to be Lady Lucia, spoke.

"I am Amelia, and I want to know the reason this lady is being harassed." I said, stepping between them and the lady.

"I don't see why I have to answer to you, Lady Amelia." She said my name with as much contempt as she could.

"I do not think you have any right to treat the lady like that, no matter what she has done. If she has wronged you, then I suggest you take the matter up to the caretaker." I suggested.

"And who do you think you are to tell me what to do?" She asked, moving closer to me, narrowing her eyes.

I laughed and looked back at the lady that was on the floor, and I decided to help her up. She was drenched in water that I was very sure Lady Lucia had poured on her.

I pulled her to her feet and checked if she was injured before turning back to Lady Lucia.

"You do not need to know who I am, Lady Lucia. All you need to know is that what you are doing is wrong." I said to her and looked back at the lady by my side. "People like you don't deserve to be here if this is how you treat those who are meant to be your equals."

I put my arms around the lady by my side and started to help her back to her space when I felt a hand grab my hair. My hand let go of the lady, and she fell to the floor as I was dragged back by the hands that held my hair.

I turned back to see that it was Lady Lucia who had grabbed my hair. She held on to it so tightly that I felt some strands pull out.

I held onto her hands and tried to pull them away, but she held on tight. I looked down at the ground and noticed her feet. I raised my leg and brought my foot down on hers as hard as I could.

She screamed and let go of my hair as she fell to the floor and started screaming in pain, like she hadn't just pulled on my hair.

I stood over her, watching her shout, when I heard footsteps walking towards us. The crowd parted, and in walked Lady Matilda.

"Can anyone tell me what exactly is going on here?"