Relying on the Dragon

CHAPTER FOUR

Kala

    Kala had slowly made her way to the kitchens, her body was throbbing from the unwanted movement. This was a whole new torture, in itself. Entering the kitchen the servants turned to her and gasped at her appearance. She must really look as bad as she felt. Now that she was in the light, she could only see out of one eye, and her skin pulled every time she moved her lips. She saw Martha approach her, she was grateful when the older woman put her arm around her and helped her walk to a bench where she fell into a sit. Her legs giving out. Another servant handed her a hot mug of mulled wine to sip. She attempted to smile in thanks, but the swelling of her left cheek turned it more into a grimace than anything. 

    “Thank you.” She said softly. 

    “My lady, I put some herbs in it that will help with the pain. I know your orders, and we don’t need you collapsing. The Baron is already angry enough, we don’t need him doing worse to you than what’s already happened.” Martha said, gently. Kala felt tears welling up in her eyes, the worst has already happened, but she couldn’t tell the woman who had been her wet nurse. Martha was like her second mother helping her mother in her raising, then taking over her raising after her parents died.

    “As long as the herbs don’t put me to sleep.” Kala said, though she would have been grateful for that. A healing sleep was what she truly needed, but that wouldn’t be happening until after the meal and her uncle was done with the help. Only then were they allowed to go to their rooms and collapse in exhausted heaps. 

    She looked up to see that her fellow maids were already taking food out to place on the tables. She went to stand up, she needed to be doing that as well. If her uncle noticed that she hadn’t joined the other maids in setting out the food, more punishment was due to come. Her heart started beating, as panic took over, she couldn’t go back down to that cell, flashes of Thomas on top of her caused her to start shaking. 

    Noticing her panic, Martha took the mug from her and gently gathered her into her arms, and Kala couldn’t help but start crying. Martha stroked her hair and made gentle soothing sounds like she used to do when she was a small child. She rocked Kala, careful not to cause her more pain. 

    “It’s alright, we have everything handled. Rest, and then once the meal gets underway you can join us in serving. You have a few minutes.” Martha reassured her, but it didn’t help Kala’s emotional state. 

    “Oh Martha, I can’t do this.” Kala cried into the woman’s neck. “It happened. I am ruined.” She confessed. Martha pulled Kala back and looked her in the eyes. 

    “What happened, my lady?” Martha asked, concerned. Kala couldn’t keep it in, despite her shame she explained what Thomas had done to her. Martha gathered her close again. 

    “Oh my dear, shhh, I have you, I am so sorry.” Martha tightened around her. “We’ll figure out something.” Kala could hear anger in her voice. “But you can’t stop now. They are here, we have help now. They have finally made it into the fortress.” Kala sniffed and looked up at her wet nurse, whose mouth was set in a determined line. 

    “Who is here?” She asked, thinking back to the four men who had arrived earlier. 

    “Your mother’s people. Just like was promised when you were only days old. When you can’t go on anymore, they would come and protect you, help you go on.” Martha explained. “The dragons are finally within Clarion walls.” Her voice was excited. Kala tried to make sense of what she was being told. 

    “What are you talking about?” Kala asked. 

    “Two years ago, months after your uncle came to Clarion, four brothers arrived in the village looking for you. But the man had already put so much fear into the people, they refused to help them. They wouldn’t tell them anything and they didn’t want the Baron finding out, so they refused the brothers shelter. We had known that they never left as the cows they kept sending into the forest never came back. It was the people’s way of checking to see if the dragon’s were still with us. We knew they had been watching Clarion ever since, though they never tried to get back into Clarion. We knew why they had come, and we had hoped they would come and take you. They have finally come.” Martha explained quickly. 

    “You keep saying my mother’s people and dragons in the same sentence.” Kala shook her head trying to make sense of what Martha was saying. 

    “Your mother never got to tell you the truth about where she came from, who raised her. She was taken from us along with your father too soon, may their souls rest in peace. It is time, you were told the whole truth.” Martha said, as Kala sat back up and Martha took her hands in her own. 

    A servant came rushing up to them out of breath. Kala saw it was a pale wisp of a girl, Clare. “Message has been delivered Martha. Also, the Baron is demanding that the meal gets underway.” She interrupted in a rush. Martha sighed. 

    “This will have to wait then. Are you feeling any better?” Martha asked. Kala rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath, and felt a very slight tinge in her rib cage. The pain had eased into a very dull ache, her face had stopped throbbing for the most part. She nodded. 

    “I feel much better, there is still an ache but it’s much more bearable. I do thank you so much Martha.” She said, she didn’t ask about whatever message Clare had delivered and to whom. Martha was always planning something. The two women stood, and Kala hugged Martha tight. Martha dried her Kala’s eyes to make sure there was no evidence of weakness. 

    “I’m glad my darling, now we need to get out there before it’s noticed you're missing. You are to wait on the Baron tonight. We couldn’t escape it this time. But he has one of the dragon’s at his side, so you’ll at least have one pleasant dinner guest tonight.” Martha said, as they headed towards the door with the rest of the maids who hadn’t made it to the great hall yet. Kala nodded. And they entered the great hall proper. 

    The noise in the hall was overwhelming, as always. The maids headed for the tables full of her uncle’s men. They picked up the pitchers that had been placed on the tables earlier and started pouring pints of ale, mead and wine. Some maids were grabbed, groped as they tried to do their job, some were quick and stealthy escaping hands. Others allowed themselves to get caught. 

    Kala made her way to the head table, where instead of two men sitting, there were three. Her uncle on his throne, Thomas was on his right, and a tall, dark brute of a man on his left. Keeping her head down, she quickly grabbed the pitcher of her uncle’s best mead off the table and started to pour drinks. First she went to her uncle, despite what courtesy and etiquette called for, her uncle was to always be served first before any visitor. If she dared to serve their visitor first, it would only end badly for her. She kept her face turned away from the visitor, hoping her hair hid her swollen eye from him. 

    As she poured the visitor’s mead, she could feel his eyes on her. She wanted to look at him, but she knew it would be a violation she could be severely punished for. Maybe in another life, she would have been able to face this man eye to eye, but not now. She had given up everything to live, though she now lived in hell. 

    “That’s a bit cruel of you, isn’t it Cedrick?” The visitor asked of his host, and Kala was stunned to hear that they were on first name bases. Maybe Martha was wrong, nobody had come to save her. Her heart dropped and her hope died. She was once again on her own. 

    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cedrick said, as Kala moved to pour Thomas his mead. She tried to do it quickly, as her skin crawled from being so close to him. She almost spilled the mead, when she felt his hand grip her ass and squeeze. She put the jug on the table, and avoided his hand as it tried to go exploring moving away as quickly as she could. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the visitor watching her, and she could have sworn he was growling. Her face flushed red and she sped away, his eyes stuck in her head. Those brilliant, ice blue eyes that seemed to flash. 

    “You injure a servant and then expect her to work merely hours later, with no time to recover.” The visitor pointed out. She could feel him follow her with his eyes as she rushed to the wall where the other maids stood, beside the doors that led back to the kitchen. 

    This was where they were to stand, awaiting further instructions, whether that was to refill mugs that had gone dry, or to replace emptied platters with new ones. Against the wall stood the maids that hadn’t been snatched up by men. She didn’t hear the rest of the conversation between her uncle and the visitor. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of him though. 

    He was muscular, his tunic was tight along his broad shoulders, his hair was black, and she swore it had a tinge of blue to it whenever the torchlight caught it. His body screamed strength and power. He had a deadly force about him. His back was straight and his hands while huge and strong were delicate. He puzzled her. 

    She then started looking for his brothers. They had scattered among the men, as her uncle had decided that he didn’t want all four at the head table. Not surprising as she found each brother, they were all huge men, very intimidating when they were together she was sure. Who would want to be surrounded by that much brute strength? 

    One of the brothers was consumed in a drinking game with a few of the men at his table. Chugging pint after pint, while being cheered on. She watched him closely, while he swayed and hiccuped in feigned drunkenness, his eyes were watchful and he kept looking at her. This brother had shorter blond hair that had streaks of red through it, his lips were full but a straight line and she wondered if he ever smiled. He sat back straight, he was lean and well-muscled but not like the man seated beside her uncle. 

    The third brother she found, was sitting quietly, watching the room, and listening to the men at his table. His eyes didn’t stop roaming. He didn’t sit comfortably and looked like he was ready to jump up and fight someone. He gave her the sense that he was a brawler. Then he looked in her direction, like he had felt her eyes on him, and he flashed her a smile. She quickly looked away. Damn, she didn’t mean to stare for so long at him. His smile had been friendly though, not like when Thomas smiled at her, his smile was cruel and filled with lust and violence. Or when her uncle smiled at her, his smile was filled with hatred and hostility. This man’s smile was reassuring and gentle. 

    She looked for the fourth brother, and found him quickly. She guessed he was the youngest of the group. He was tall, lean, but built much like his brothers. He was carefree, and more relaxed than his brothers. This brother had more innocence about him, than his brothers, she got the sense that she hadn’t seen as much battle as his brothers had. She had seen many battle-tested men before and they had eyes that spoke of fatigue, that were hard from seeing the c*****e of war. This brother didn’t have that. When he looked at her, he gave her a big grin, she almost expected him to wave at her, but he seemed to stop himself and focus on what was happening at his table. She was confused by that. These four brothers confused her. 

    Kala was snapped back to the reality, with Martha shoving a heavy platter into her hands. It was a hot platter of roasted pork. Her mouth watered as the smell of the hot meat entered her nose. Her stomach rumbled, and she couldn’t remember the last time she ate. She looked at the table and cringed, she didn’t want to go. She felt Martha give her a small push. 

    “Go on now, before he starts yelling. Please my lady, don’t give him a reason to beat you.” Martha urged her forward. Kala nodded, knowing Martha was right. She shuddered, at the thought of going back down to the cell. 

    She walked forward, she placed the platter on the table, and reached to grab the empty platter that she was replacing. She kept her eyes on the table, hoping to go unnoticed as she grabbed the empty platter. She could feel eyes on her, but she dared not look up. 

    “Why my lord, you seem fixated on our little maid here. I thought you dragon’s didn’t like human intimacy.” Her uncle said, Kala struggled not to give in and look up. She knew that if she did, there would be consequences. There was no response though. “But if you are ever interested, I have girls that would love to accompany you." Kala turned her back on the table, gripping the empty tray hard until her knuckles turned white. Of course he wouldn't offer her, that would put her right in the lap of these men. 

    “You offer your women as gifts?" The stranger growled out.

    “Why yes, and it is, and it is rude to refuse a gift.” Her uncle explained. “As it is human tradition and hospitality that a host offer his most esteemed guests an offering of peace, consider it an exchange for the information you have on my enemies.” The stranger made no response. Kala noticed her uncle's favorite maid approach, Amy usually waited on her uncle and Thomas, and enjoyed it. 

    “If you don’t want her, I will take great offense, but I have someone else who is very interested in taking her for the evening.” Kala started walking away, she shuddered at the thought of who that interested person just might be. 

    “I wouldn’t want to insult you. I will take one of your women for the evening.” The stranger accepted, Kala felt her heart drop. Strangely she felt jealous and let down that Amy was going to enjoy time with the stranger, who she didn't know anything about. She wanted to shake herself. "I want that one." 

    "You don't want that one." Her uncle protested, "she's trouble. Amy will bring you much pleasure." 

    "No. If you are going to give me a gift of one of your women, I want that one." Kala heart sped up, her back was turned, and she was hoping that he was choosing her. 

    Please let it be me. She thought over and over.

    "You can't have that one, she is promised to another tonight." Her uncle was starting to raise his voice angrily. He slammed his fist on the table. 

    "No, she is going to be my gift. Or I don't want any of your women, and I will take offense." The stranger threatened. "You don't want to know what happens in dragon culture what happens when you offend one of us." There was an exasperated sigh of defeat. 

    “Girl!” Her uncle called and she turned around. 

    “Yes, sire?” She asked, quietly. Turning around slowly.  Her uncles face was beat red with anger, she knew that she would be paying for the stranger's defiance. Amy was hanging close to her uncle and her full lips were pouting. She always hated rejection. 

    “You’ll be spending the evening with our visitor, Lord Drake, and possibly his brothers. Do not disappoint.” Her uncle left the unspoken threat hang in the air, like a whip waiting to crash down on her.

    “Yes, my lord. When will I be needed?” She asked, nodding. 

    “As soon as the meal is over.” Drake answered, before her uncle had the chance.

    “After her chores.” Her uncle argued.

    “If she is my gift just for this evening, I want to start enjoying her as soon as possible.” Drake stated. 

    “Fine. Girl, tomorrow you’ll be doing double the chores to make up for what you’ll be missing tonight.” Her uncle ordered, “now get out of my sight.” She nodded her head, curtsying to the table, she spun and scurried away. 

    It’s going to be a long night. She thought, now wondering just what this evening was going to hold for her. She was anxious not knowing, but relieved as it kept her out of Thomas’ clutches. She was also giddy, knowing that the stranger had chosen her against her uncle's wishes, but frightened knowing that tomorrow she was going to pay for his insistence.  Drake was a mystery, she had been told that he and his brothers were here to help, but now he was taking her as a gift? What did that mean? She didn’t think about the options. Now she couldn’t wait for the night to be over, and dreaded the end of the meal, as she took her place back in line waiting. 

        *********

Drake

    Drake watched the girl walk away. He had been staring at her the moment the meal had started. She was small, to think about the damage she had done in the meadow, she didn’t look that strong. She was an interesting creature, the heiress. She had kept her head down as she poured the mead, he noticed that she made sure to keep her injured face hidden. Like she was embarrassed of her injuries. 

    He nibbled at the food in front of him. What was with humans and their cooked meat? Their vegetables? He longed for a fresh deer, but pushed the thought of fresh, bleeding meat from his mind. He wondered how such a meager meal could fill a human up, he couldn’t wait to get back in the forest and get a real meal, one of more sustenance that his kind needed. The usurper had been talking, but he wasn’t paying much attention. He was keeping an eye on his brothers. He also had no interest in what the man had to say. He was here for the girl, and he tracked her. 

    He had noticed that the man with the scratches had an interest in her, the way he leered at her, licked his lips when she was near. There was definitely something going on there, and he didn’t like it. When he had grabbed the heiress' ass, he wanted to rip the man’s throat out. 

    Whoa brother. Thorne was in his head.  Drake shook himself internally. Where had that come from? He was feeling possessive of the heiress and he didn’t know why, where were these emotions coming from? He looked at his brother. 

   The usurper offered his women as gifts for the exchange of information? What was wrong with humans? Whatever happened to gifts of gold and jewels? But Drake knew he needed to get the girl. He had an idea of just who she had been promised to, and he wanted to kill the man who laid hands on her.  

    We have the girl. He informed his brothers. Their excitement was internal, he felt it, though they showed no physical acknowledgement to his message. They knew better. Now if only this horrible meal would end already. He also needed to figure out a way to keep the girl with them for their visit. He didn’t want her out of his sight.