The Dragon Rider's Curse

The Dress

The match was mostly him dodging me. He acted almost afraid to hit me this time but I still couldn't land a single blow. He shouted instructions and pointed out openings he could have used. My anger sizzled under my skin like a physical thing. It kept threatening to burst out of me somehow but I kept telling myself I was thankful for the lesson, the tips veiled in insults. When Dominic called the end of the match I collapsed in the dust I had been standing in. This was unfortunate as more dust kicked up and my heavy breathing led to coughing. A huge gust of wind drove all the dust on the ground and in the air, away. I looked up to see Bain watching me refolding his wings.

"Thanks Bain." I gave him a grateful wink. Dominic just looked annoyed.

"You need more stamina. I noticed you flagging that last hour." Dominic snapped.

Bain chuckled. "Rose, You did well. Much better than other fledglings that have been taught, holding a sword most of their life. You are also sly in your style. Perhaps you were a pickpocket?" Bain finished.

It took a moment to get over the shock that another riders dragon was talking to me. I know Bain did not mean it as a mean comment but I still pursed my lips. "Yes I did pick pockets. Only after I found the twins and when work and food was so scarce. I hated every minute of it. We got wealthy people in the areas I could be in but not wealthy enough to not miss a few trinkets or coins." I rubbed the back of my neck where an old scar had peeked out. "Someone always paid the price." I finished softly. "Are we done?" I asked Dominic who had a strange look on his face watching me.

"Yes." He turned to walk off.

"Thank you for the lesson master swordsman." I felt stupid pulling a title out of my hat recommitting all over again to study harder.

Dominic stopped and turned just looking at me.

I felt foolish and like a bug pinned by a needle with the look he was giving me. I rushed on nervously. "Thanks for the healing too I feel much better."

"Don't let me break you and I won't have to heal you. Don't let me break you." He said again emphasizing every word of the last part. Then he left Bain following behind gently shaking the ground with his massive footfalls.

I frowned wondering at his words. Dominic was odd. Or was he normal and I was odd? I wasn't sure, but I had never heard a person refer to other people as humans.

The next day was a rest day. As I left to have breakfast with the twins others were actually up at this hour heading to the mess or for the gates. People watched me curiously as I went past. The twins were doing well and preparing for an outing today. I was worried but Gertty reassured me that they would be safe. The twins apparently got sweets as rewards for picking up and doing chores without being asked. However, they had asked if they could have the money used to buy the sweets instead. Gertty was surprised they would rather have a few pennies than a sweet but I knew it was from growing up not knowing if you could afford moldy bread tomorrow or not and as for sweets their meals had enough sweets for kids growing up without any. It made me sad but the big grins on their faces cheered me.

"We now have money like the other kids and can buy something!" Alice said happily as Alex nodded beside her.

"That is wonderful!" I wrapped them in a big hug. "You stay safe and stay with Gertty ok!" They both nodded seriously.

Seeing them off made me slightly later than normal and professor Callum was waiting anxiously. He popped a test in front of me and started his watch. This test seemed easier than the others. I waited shifting my feet under my desk as he graded it.

"Well?" I asked when he finally looked up at me.

Professor Callum stroked his beard. "You have all the knowledge and then some as a third year student. You simply lack the manners and social structure noble families grow up with." He stopped to think thoughtfully. "I think some practical knowledge of these things are in order. You get along well with Dominic correct?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it. "I learn a lot from him." I finally answered and Professor Callum burst into laughter.

"That is a diplomatic answer." Professor Callum wrote something on a piece of paper and snapped his fingers. The paper burst into flames and disappeared, even the ash. "There is an informal dinner tonight at the Brooksten house. Dominic has been asked to attend. He can take you and you can learn more in one dinner than I can teach you in this classroom. Though it is informal you will need to learn which utensils to use when and how to eat and act and carry yourself." He must have clocked the look of horror on my face. "Don't worry, we will spend today learning those things."

I was mortified but listened as Callum explained about appropriate topics and things ladies were allowed to do as hobbies. I also learned the entire Brooksten family tree. Lunch was a fancy affair with multiple plates, courses and silverware. Then Professor Callum took me to an entirely new wing of the complex. We walked into a building that smelled like dye. Fabrics of every color where hanging from every available space including the rafters. A skinny woman with a hooked nose came bustling up.

"Callum. What do owe the pleasure of your visit to?" She had a high put-on sounding voice and I immediately knew we would not be besties.

"We need a dress in an hour, Penny. Rose here has an informal dinner with the Brookstens and doesn't have the correct attire. I would be much obliged if you could also do up her hair and face properly."

"An hour! My my my. Well she has a decent frame to her, but something off the rack won't do." Penny studied me then dragged me into a little room with a seat and stripped me. I protested heavily but I was no match for the woman who treated me much like a squirming toddler. "Ahhh! How ghastly!" Penny said when she saw my scars on my back. "Well we can't show your back off I guess. Hummm." Penny walked around me a few times as I tried to cover up my undergarments she had mercifully left. She played with my hair a little. "Such an unusual color and it's natural?"

"Yes."

"I think I have something that will work. Let me check your size." She yanked my arms away from my chest and measured them with a tape measure. "I was making a dress for Lady Cordillia Brooksten. However as I am almost done she changed her mind on the entire color scheme so I started from scratch with Gold and just finished. I have her unfinished gown that is a beautiful royal blue that will go nicely with your hair. I just have to change it enough to not look the same though I doubt she remembers it. Your bust is certainly much much larger than hers." Penny went out but kept tossing in undergarments over the opening at the top of the door. "Let's start with proper underwear."

The underwear seemed to make my bust look even larger but probably because it lifted and contained it all in one place. Penny pulled a gorgeous gown over my head. It had a simple, scooped bodice with tiny little poof sleeves that turned into sheer drop sleeves. The skirt hugged the top of the hips but flared out magnificently just below the butt with clean lines that was more flared than poof. There was slit from the bottom to the top of my thigh right below where it hugged my hips and butt. I stepped out of the room Penny pushing me out toward a little chair. Proffessor Callum, who had been reading sitting in a corner, looked on in shock as his mouth dropped open.

"Well Penny you do work wonders." Professor Callum stood up leaving his book to take a walk around me.

"I am not finished yet." Penny spritzed my hair and roughly began to comb out snarls and pinning it up. She finished with my hair pinned up in a tight stylish curl with ringlets curling down around my face and back. Penny held her hands about six inches apart and a glittering green ball grew there. With a twirling motion, she made it wrap around my hair and disappear.

"Now no matter if you do cartwheels your hair will stay in place as long as you keep the silver hair pin in. Penny applied a little make up but not much. I still looked unrecognizable in the mirror. Penny tried to removed my battered leather thong around my neck holding my piece of the glass dragon I had split with the twins.

"No I always keep this on. That is not up for discussion." I said, Penny looked affronted. But she recovered quickly pulling out a silver necklace with silver swoops and swirls and a silver dragon with ruby eyes, holding a sapphire under it's wing, which mostly covered up my simple necklace. "Well good news is if I screw up no one will recognize me."

"Dear after tonight everyone will know who you are. This beauty is not to be hidden." Penny said. Then she gave me one more look up and down. "I rarely get to work with such a marvelous frame, even if the bust was tricky. The only other woman with a bust like that is cook and she has ten children. They seemed to grow with each child-"

"Thank you Penny." Callum cut in. I had the feeling the reason I did not like Penny is because she was a gossip. Perhaps needed in her line of work but I hated it. "Send me the bill please." Callum steered me out.

I hadn't thought about the cost until he mentioned that. "I can't afford this!" I protested as Professor Callum lead me to the ring where all the color paths met.

"Hasn't anyone told you?" Callum asked. "The General is funding your stay. He can't officially sponsor you but it is close to the same thing."

"The General!" I gasped. The General and his dragon Strike was the highest ranked Dragon rider. He was on a level with the kings although his magic and his dragon made him the real leader. No one, even all four kings with their armies could oppose him in outright battle so he mostly got his way. No dragon would side with a king against him anyway. His Dragon Strike was their leader and was a rare red. I shivered, wishing I had a warmer cloak. Winter was almost here and the days were getting shorter and colder.

A rush of wings could be heard overhead as Bain and a grey dragon descended in the courtyard. The Professor headed to the Grey dragon with a "good luck."

"Thank you Professor Callum." I curtsied like he had taught me. When I looked up, there was Dominic with his normal frown. He handed me a beautiful navy velvet, fur lined cloak.

"You coming?" Dominic snapped. Standing next to Bain. I was still staring at the amazing cloak.

"But no one but their rider can be on a dragon." I hastily looked at Bain.

"I decide who can and who can't receive the gift of flight from me." Bain rumbled in his deep voice.

I chuckled under my breath. He made it sound so lofty. Bain caught my chuckle and smiled. When a dragon smiled it was a little disconcerting with all their teeth but I was comforted non the less and swung the cloak on and I immediately warmed.

Dominic bent offering me cupped hands to hoist me up. Even with his height, the boost, and Bain laying down I still had to scramble up. Bain was massive. When he stood I could easily see over two story buildings and the wall. I stumbled on his back but Dominic caught me and pushed me down on a thin strip of leather that must be a saddle. It had straps for the thighs and Dominic did my one leg but stalled as my other leg mostly bare since the slit and width of the skirt really only allowed one leg to be covered. My right leg was bare to mid thigh and showed the knife Dominic had given to me, but had moved it from my boot to a garter sheath. Dominic finally roughly strapped my other leg in. My skin sizzled where his fingers had touched and I bit my painted lip to keep from jumping in alarm and surprise. Dominic settled in behind me and I was painfully aware of the places his chest touched my back, his arms bracketing me in, and the tops of his thighs touching the back of mine. My blood sizzled even more and my skin looked like it was glowing in the dark. Dominic growled for no reason and Bain took off. I soon forgot everything as Bain gained air and glided. The joy of flying was amazing! I laughed and held my arms out catching the air. I forgot the cold and where Dominic was braced against me, the blush in my cheeks changed to rosy cheeks from the cold. The flight was far too short the Brooksten house being so close to the complex. The wealthier you were the closer to the college you lived. Bain landed in a courtyard big enough to hold an entire block of houses in the better part of the slums. I had to literally jump into Dominics arms to get down and didn't mind it even though my blush returned full force when he gently set me down.

"Thank you Bain." I said seriously. Bain nuzzled my chest.

Dominic slapped Bain's nose away. "Don't snot up her dress you dragon whore."

Bain gave Dominic a meaningful look then huffed and stalked away to where a large pile of straw was for Bain to make his bed. "Lazy dragon always sleeping." Bain swung his lethal tail around barely missing Dominic before curling around his body.

"I think he heard you." I chuckled.

"He hears everything. He is in my head. Result of the bond." Dominic said. I stared. So Bain could hear Dominics thoughts.

"So you better be careful who you bond huh?"

Dominic gave me a serious look, the kind that bore into the soul. "Yes." He said simply.

There was a flash of teeth tips on his lower lip. "Hey are your teeth different?"

Dominic turned away and when he looked back his teeth looked perfectly normal, no sharp fang points sticking out over his bottom lip. I must have imagined it after seeing Bain smile. Dominic offered his left arm still not saying a word. I was walking into a den of snakes of the worst kind. I would take a bar brawl any day over the dance of words and backstabbing with smiles this crowd did. I didn't know I was shaking until Dominic gently placed his right hand over mine on his arm. I took a deep breath as we headed inside.