Dragon's Keep

Chapter Nine: Deadly Beauty

The specially warmed water had long since accrued a thin layer of grime floating on its surface, though thankfully, neck deep in perfumed bubbles as she was, it was easy for Sabeline to ignore. A vast array of hair potions and skin lotions surrounded her, each in various size, shape and coloured bottles. There were ones that smelled of moon lotus, ones that smelled of fruits and ones that claimed to smell of things like “morning mist.” Sabeline sank deeper into the water. She doubted very much the dragon would care what she smelled like as his fangs dragged through her flesh in a few short hours.

   At least the soak was soothing on her wounds. They’d had time to heal and partially close since her last encounter with the dragon, the tilweed wrapped around her side had already worked wonders on her battered muscles and skin. She stretched her arms and back upwards, relishing the gentle lap of heated water running over her. She would make the most of this while she could. Her logical half screamed that t made no sense to heal up, but the part of her in touch with her own morality told logic to take a hike back to the dungeons. Facing death clean and in less pain gave her some dignity, rather than being coated in dirt and leaking from her injuries, people would remember her last moments the most and she would be as strong as she was able in those moments.

   A few more minutes, just a few more and then I’ll get out. Her wishful thinking was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door and the entrance of a rather timid handmaiden. “Excuse me ma’am?” she uttered weakly.

“Yes?” Sabeline answered with a sigh. Was nothing sacred anymore? Just a bit longer was all I wanted.  

“I’m here to help you prepare for the ceremony.”

“Ceremony?” She questioned puzzled. She was going to die, there was no ceremony about it, no matter how King Falon dressed his ludicrous decree up.

“Yes ma’am. I’m to help you dress and appear presentable in accordance with the old tradition.” The handmaiden murmured. Idly, Sabeline wondered what family she served, the King had no daughters after all and the Queen had long since passed. Probably some wretched nobles from Upper Town.

“I’ll be wearing my armour and my hair is too short to be displayed in a fancy style. I understand you’ve been sent here, but I’m afraid your service is not required.” She answered as evenly as she could. She didn’t want to scare the poor woman who looked delicate enough as it was, but she was having difficulty keeping calm. She was the one being forced to meet her end by the beast she despised. Why did no one in the castle understand that?!

   The handmaiden’s face was aghast. “You cannot wear your armour; it is against the old tradition.”

By the goddess, that’s it. “Listen, I am being forced to die because for whatever reason, the King wants me dead and has turned this murder into me voluntarily sacrificing myself so no one can speak against it. If I want to wear my armour in my final moments then by the goddess I’m going to, no matter what you, the King or the bloody dragon prefer!” her voice has risen steadily as she spoke and she found she didn’t care. Funny how impending doom could do that to a person.

   The handmaiden let out a little squeak at the end of her tirade. “I’ll have to check your attire with his majesty.” She stuttered, “but you will have to wear this.” The handmaiden gently placed a woven crown of flowers and other flora down on the floor.

“Check it if you need to, but either way I will be wearing my armour.” Sabeline’s eyes blazed and she turned them towards the hand crafted crown. It was rather exquisite, though she noticed some of the flowers interlaced were known to glow under starlight. That was one way to make sure the dragon detected her from the sky. She also caught sight of small and medium sized berries scattered across the thick leaves forced into this thing. While bright and almost ornamental in appearance, Sabeline couldn’t help but wonder if they were an attempt to provide the dragon with a balanced diet. The whole adornment was a carefully constructed instrument to call the creature to her.

“And don’t think for one second that flower headdress has fooled me. It’s a beacon designed from pretty things to maximise the chances of my death.” She spat at the uncomfortably shifting handmaiden. Maybe she was being too harsh, after all, she didn’t know if the handmaiden had made it, she might just be following orders and was just as surprised with the revelation. She seemed the type to blindly follow what she’d been told and from the unsure glancing around and silence emanating from the handmaiden, Sabeline believed she’d made the correct conclusion. Eventually the handmaiden found her voice and with a “I’ll go get approval for your attire now” she scampered off.

   As her shoes disappeared behind the closing door, Sabeline released a loud groan. Her brief tranquillity had been ruined and with the arrival of that handmaiden, it meant that events were progressing. In other words, the King expected her to be done with bathing by now. Resigned to the fact that if she didn’t emerge from the basin now, someone else would be knocking on the door shortly, Sabeline hauled herself out of the water. She grabbed the towels that had been left aside for her, scrubbing her short dark locks with the cloth to dry them and wrapping the longer towel carefully around her body. She didn’t want to aggravate the wounds she’d spent blissfully easing for the past however long.  

  Her bare feet padded over to wear the flower crown had been placed. Bending down, her fingers clutched part of the branches making up the base and lifted it to her face for inspection. All the hidden little secrets this thing has…It was apparent there was a lot more than berries and glowing flowers wrapped in it. Plants that released a particular fragrance in the right conditions, plants that resembled shiny treasure, all of which would pique the interest of a dragon.

   It was beautiful, no doubt about that. But like most beautiful things, it would only reveal how deadly it was when it was too late.