Bronze She-Dragon

Chapter 1: Abandoned

YEAR 115 AC

The sun was setting above Runestone. A peaceful night was approaching, covering all the worries of the day with the veil of darkness. The chambers of the castle were still slightly lit with the remains of the daylight, slowly making space for the pale light of the candles.

"My lady," a quiet voice of the servant lady was heard, "It's time for your evening bath. The supper will arrive soon as well."

The words were addressed to a small child, sitting by the window. The curious eyes of the girl were watching everything that was happening behind the window glass: the wind moving the tree branches, the sun setting, and the moon showing its presence to everyone on the land. But even more carefully she was observing the road that led to the main gate of the castle.

"I'm not going anywhere without my lady mother." The child said sternly, not taking her gaze away from the road. "I will wait for her to come, and then we will proceed to the dinner together."

The woman sighed heavily.

"Please, my lady, your lady mother has ordered me to get you ready before her arrival, as she might come late." She asked again, looking at the child with almost a begging stare. The head of the house, Lady Rhea, didn't quite tolerate disobedience, she preferred things to work exactly as she desired. The servant woman knew about it, not by hearsay.

The girl turned around that very moment.

"I said, I'm not going anywhere without my lady mother. She... She promised me she will come early today." The voice of the child trembled slightly, uncovering the underlying worry in her words. The girl, even though it didn't always seem that way, wasn't a spoilt child, like most children born in high-standing families. However, she never seemed to lack determination in defending her principles, like both her mother and her father.

The servant woman approached her little mistress, taking a seat next to her. She, it felt like, truly cared for the child, understanding her anxious feelings quite well. She took the girl by her hand, squeezing it gently.

"My lady Daena, I am sure your gracious lady mother will soon be here. But let us not upset her with your disobedience. You wouldn't want to see her upset with your misbehavior, would you?" She said quietly, looking the child in the eyes.

Little girl, Daena, sighed in response, fidgeting on the surface she sat on.

"Fine." She said. "I will take the bath. You can fetch the water, Nilly."

The servant, Nilly, smiled at the girl, getting up from her place and giving the child a small bow.

"Yes, my lady." The woman said, disappearing behind the doors moments later.

Daena, as she watched the servant leave, approached the mirror slowly, her eyes unintentionally focusing on her reflection. Some said she resembled her mother a lot, but the girl rarely saw it. All she ever noticed was her long silver hair and light purple eyes, quite an unusual appearance for the resident of the Vale. Daena touched the strand of her hair with the tips of her fingers, an expression on her face turning almost emotionless. She hated the fact that she didn't quite look like her lady mother, only bearing a striking resemblance to her father. Her father was never there. He only visited Daena several times on her name days. The girl barely remembered what his face looked like, only being able to recall two features: the ones she inherited from him, silver hair, and purple eyes.

Soon enough Nilly returned, fetching two buckets of hot water. The steam filled the room, making it harder to breathe. Daena was quickly put into the water, for the servant wanted to make sure that the water wouldn't go cold. Baths were quite enjoyable for the girl overall, so it didn't take her a lot of time to temporarily forget about her worries while playing with water splashes and tiny waves surrounding her body. Soon enough, though, the door opened, and someone entered the chambers. Nilly, who was kneeling before the wooden bathtub, quickly got up and bowed to the person who came in. Daena's face, however, was immediately lit up with a happy smile.