Love Me, Dragon

9

Chapter nine

Amelia

Lady Matilda stood in front of us with her hands on her hips, her lips pursed, and her eyes stern. She looked at Lady Lucia, who was on the floor, and then at me, who was hovering atop her.

"I asked a question, so can someone give me an answer?" She exclaimed.

"Lady Matilda, I'm sorry for the ruckus." I started, since Lady Lucia didn't seem to have anything to say. "Lady Lucia here was harassing this lady, and I came over to ask what the problem was, but she chose to resolve the violence, so I pushed her away after she grabbed my hair." I told her.

"And what did this lady do to provoke Lady Lucia?" She said it with a mocking tone, and I frowned.

I looked at the lady who was standing behind me. She was scared and shaking; she didn't seem like she wanted to speak, so I decided to speak for her.

"Well, she bumped into Lady Lucia because she was pushed into her, but Lady Lucia refused to let her explain; instead, they started beating her up." I explained.

"So, how did you get involved in all of this?" She asked me, and I frowned.

What did she mean by that?

"Well, Lady, I decided to help her, since it seemed like no one else wanted to." I said.

I studied Lady Matilda as her eyes turned away from me to face Lady Lucia. From the look in her eyes, I could already tell that she wasn't going to do anything to her.

According to the rules that were given to us, Lady Matilda was supposed to give out the right punishment to Lady Lucia, but I knew she wasn't going to do it. That also meant that Lady Matilda had to be involved or had to have known Lady Lucia before this.

That was actually one thing I feared would happen at the competition. The judges and people in charge would favor the people that they liked or the ones that were their relatives. It disgusted me.

"Get up from the floor, Lady Lucia." Lady Matilda said to her, and with the help of her two friends, she was on her feet.

"It hasn't even been a few minutes since I spoke about the rules and living in peace, yet you all have chosen to disobey them. I am going to pardon all of you because it is still your first day, but do not expect this from me next time. I will not be that lenient." She said.

"You all better behave yourselves from now on. Now everyone, return back to what you were doing, and you. She pointed to the lady, who was drenched with water. "...get yourself cleaned up." She said the words with so much spite that it really made me wonder what was wrong.

After moving her eyes away from the lady, she looked at me, and I really couldn't decipher the look in her eyes before she walked away.

So they would have to get away with what they did.

The crowd dispersed as everyone returned to what they had been doing. None of them paid mind to the lady drenched in water. Lady Lucia gave me a dirty look before walking away with her friends.

I sighed and turned to the lady. I put my arm around her and led her to my space. I sat her on my bed and looked at her for a while before speaking.

"Where is your space?" I asked her, and she pointed me to one empty space on the opposite wall.

I walked there and grabbed one of her boxes and dragged it with me. I took it to the space beside me, as it was empty. I went back to her and bent down in front of her.

"Hello, what is your name?" I asked her.

"I am Lady Bianca, of the Thornhill house." She said that, and I nodded, even though I didn't know what she was talking about.

"So, Lady Bianca, why didn't you stand up for yourself? It was because they knew you wouldn't speak up that they did those things to you. If you had spoken up, they wouldn't have." I told her, but she bent her head and looked away.

"It's not what you think. Lady Lucia is a very fierce lady. She's very notorious among all the noble young ladies for being proud and arrogant. Her father is a high-ranking officer in the king's council, so that even added to her pride. My parents aren't as wealthy as hers, and my father isn't in a very high-ranking position, so I just did that to avoid doing anything that would affect my parents." She explained.

"Lord Keston has had another official removed from his position because the official's daughter had a squabble with his." She said that, and I raised an eyebrow.

I began to understand why other ladies had acted the way they did. They were all just afraid that the same thing would happen to their parents.

"I understand you, Lady Bianca. You don't need to explain any further." I said, and she sighed.

I have never seen anyone of them before, but what I know is that they can't touch my parents because they are merchants. They do not need the king's approval or the council's to do their business.

"But I've never seen you before. We've had gatherings and outings for all the noble daughters, but I've never even caught a glimpse of you before." She said that, and I laughed.

"Well, I've never attended any one of them. I never even knew that they did things like that. Even if I were aware, I do not think that I would be interested in attending." I explained, and she nodded.

I guess that was how all of them got to know Lady Lucia and who she was. It was just the first day, and I was already finding out that there was corruption among the kingdom's rulers.

It didn't feel right for an official in the king's council to use his power to intimidate others and for personal interest.

"I think you should stay beside me for now, or at least until the tension dies down. The space beside mine is empty, so you can use that."

"Thank you, Lady Amelia. I didn't expect anyone to stand up for me, but you did, and I'm very grateful for that." She said that, and I nodded my head. "Can we be friends?" She asked, and I was shocked.

It was the first time someone was asking me to be their friend, and she was actually my first friend ever.

I smiled as I looked at her face, got to my feet, and sat beside her. "I'll be glad to be your friend, Lady Bianca." I said, and she squealed, happy.

"But you can just call me by my name. No need to say Lady all the time." She said that, and I nodded.

My brain itched to ask her one question. The question that I had wanted to ask for a while since we started talking

"I really want to ask you a question; I hope you won't mind." I said, and she nodded, waiting for me to ask.

"Are you a dragon shifter?" I finally asked, and she looked at me strangely.

"Of course I am; it's not like it's something that I have to hide." She said that, and I gasped.

I had made my first dragon shifter friend. The joy I felt inside was blooming. A small part of my mind had actually been doubting what my father said. It was thought that maybe my father just said that to get me to be more interested in going out and socializing.

"Oh my, this is the first time I'm meeting a dragon shifter. nive never ever met one before." I said, and she looked shocked.

"Really?" She asked, and I nodded.

"I've been sheltered all my life, so I even recently found out about dragon shifters. I know next to nothing about the outside world."

"Well, then, you've met the right person. I'll make sure to show and tell you whatever it is that you want to know." She smiled, and I nodded.

The reason I decided to go to the palace was because I thought it would be an adventure for me. I had already started having experiences, so I knew I would enjoy my stay.

I watched Bianca walk to the space that I had shown her. She didn't look sad anymore, and that made me happy.

I smiled as I leaned back on the bed. I hoped I wouldn't run into any trouble now that Lady Lucia and Lady Matilda knew me.

I had to stay away from them.