Dragon's Breath

Chapter four

I shuffle to the dining hall trying not to trip over this stupid dress. Next time, I'm getting myself ready. What could have possibly been going through their minds when they dressed me like this?

I walk to the doors of the dining hall. Pausing before I push them open, I decide to alter my look just a bit. Though it could be nice to see their reactions to how I’m dressed, I can’t risk offending them. Pulling the bright yellow dress up to my knees, I rip the fabric, tossing it to the floor. The once floor-length dress turns into a knee-high one. I then pull out the pins from my hair, allowing it to cascade down my shoulders. I'm sure I still look terrible but it has to be better than before, I suppose.

Shoving the doors open, I stride into the room. All eyes are focused on me the second I enter, causing me to shrink away. I wish I could just leave. I despise being the center of attention, and right now I feel like a zoo animal.

Looking around, I note just how extravagant the dining hall is. There are large golden chandeliers covered in diamonds. A silky red rug lined with gold sits under the large rectangular dining table. The table is a dark brown, covered with a golden tablecloth and an assortment of food. The delectable smell wafting from the food fills my nose causing my mouth to water.

An old man with long elbow-length snow-white hair and deep brown eyes stands up when he sees me. He’s dressed in long white robes. "You must be Princess Eleonora. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined," the man, who I assume to be the king, compliments in sugary voice.

He stares at me with his wide eyes as if he can read my very soul, and for a moment I feel my heart stop. His eyes are piercing, but not in a terrifying way. It’s more like they’re watching everything carefully.

Putting a fist over my heart, I bow to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you, your majesty." I force the words out trying my hardest not to show just how uninterested I am in conversing. When I rise, I see many people staring at me in shock. I twitch my gaze shifting downward.

An older woman with curly blond hair sitting opposite the king stands up, glaring at me.

"You disrespectful dragon scum. In the presence of the king, you should be on your knees,” the woman scolds me through clenched teeth. Based upon how bold this woman is acting, she must be the queen of Samirya.

Now this is laughable. I'll never bend the knee for any living thing, much less a human. I stare her dead in the eye with a sharp and haunting gaze. Along with my anger, my dragon dominance fills the room. The unsuspecting humans submit to me under the pressure of my dominant aura. The queen, who was previously mouthing off, sits down almost as if she’s been knocked over. Calming down, I draw my aura back to me.

I keep my eyes on the queen as I speak in a deep menacing voice. "In my culture, we do not kneel for anyone except our gods and the deceased. Putting a hand over your heart and bowing is considered a way to greet those who you respect. As a foreign ambassador, it is unbecoming of a queen like you to speak to me in such a manner.”

When I'm finished talking, the room is engulfed in silence. The queen stares straight ahead furious. I glance in the king's direction, and I am surprised to see that he doesn't look mad. In fact he looks as though he's about to laugh.

"My, my what a way to start off a family dinner. My dearest, do not be upset. I'm certain princess Eleonora meant no disrespect. We invited her here. Therefore, we should respect her customs. However different they may be,” The king says, looking deep into the eyes of his queen.

"Yes, my king,” the queen replies.

The queen seems so meek compared to a moment ago. It's almost laughable.

"Now my dear, please come have a seat." The king says to me pointing to a seat next to a young man. I wonder if he's to be my intended?

He's not bad looking. His tousled semi-long chestnut brown hair, frames his face. Flecks of silvery light perform ballets throughout his light chartreuse eyes. His face is strong and defined, his featured molded from granite. I must say he's fairly handsome for a human.

Lifting my head up high, I stride over to my seat and sit down. Clearing his throat, the king stands up. "Now that everyone's here, I have an announcement to make. As you all may have heard, the dragon horde Betsalel is threatening to take over our kingdom. Myself and the Chieftain Valron of the Perilous Horde have come to the conclusion that the best way to prove the strength of our alliance is to hold a royal wedding. This wedding does not just show our strength. But a grand celebration such as this will help to calm the people in these troubled times. So tonight, I'm here to announce the union of my son prince Geoffrey and the dragon princess Eleonora."

The room erupts into loud cheers that hurt my sensitive ears. The man sitting next to me turns to face me with a faint smile.

"It's nice to finally meet my future wife. I'm Geoffrey,” he says. His voice is silky smooth and soft on the ears. For some reason, this man seems just the least bit likable.

"I am Eleonora, but you are free to call me Nora. Consider yourself lucky, human,” I say, my lips twitching.

He simply lets out a hearty laugh at my words.

"You know, Nora, you might want to change how you address people while you’re here. You might one day find yourself stuck between it a rock and a hard place,” prince Geoffrey warns me.

I take back what I said. He’s not very likable at all. I feel anger creep in at his words. Is he threatening me? I turn to look him in the eyes, giving him my coldest deadliest stare.

"I do not take things like being threatened lightly by anyone, no matter who they are,” I seethe.

For a moment, I see a flicker of fear, but it is soon covered with a mask of indifference. Clearing his throat, he stares into my challenging eyes. "I would never dream of threatening you. I was simply giving my future wife a few words of advice,” Geoffrey explains himself.

I turn away from him with a scowl. This man might be attractive, but he sure as hell knows how to push me. He keeps calling me his future wife as if to rub salt on my wound. Anyone could see that I'm not happy with this arrangement.

"You should smile, Nora, you might look better if you do,” Geoffrey teases, trying to lighten the mood.

"If I am not happy, I will not force myself to look happy,” I respond.

No more words are exchanged between us for the rest of the night. Once dinner is over, I rush back to my room.

I can't wait to be rid of this godforsaken dress. I'm never wearing this damn thing again. Pulling the dress from my body, I sigh with relief, and quickly change into a loose cotton shirt. These are the clothes I'm most comfortable with, even though they are 'unbecoming' of a princess.

After washing the makeup from my face and brushing my hair, I climb into bed exhaustion taking over me. I guess I didn't realize how tired I am. Closing my eyes, I allow the darkness to take over, pulling me into a dreamless sleep.