Tears of Raven

10

Raven had never been admitted to the first floor, let alone in the royal quarters. She understood why now. Everything was lavished, cleaned and if it even made sense, dragon sized. The rooms were built, designed and thought to hold dragons walking in the spacey corridors and even in place where adult dragons couldn't be accommodated, Raven saw remainders of them. The banisters were long beautiful wings, every statue, every vase had some kind of hatchling or full-grown dragon on it.

The heavy stone used to build the entire palace was fireproof and could resist even the strongest of dragon fire.

She was escorted to the furthest part of the castle, in a room that only from the outside looked five times the other guest rooms and when she walked inside, she understood why.

The further east, there was a dragon nest made of black Vulcanic stone that even after almost one thousand years, was still fuming with small streak of lava. For Araxys, she thought. So, he would sleep I the same room as her.

This little alcove overlooked a cliff where a gurgling beautiful waterfall could be heard under it. never I her wildest dream, she would have imagined something this breathtaking.

And they were saying this was hers.

"Clean the Princess. I'll send the prince to escort her to dinner and please, make her presentable." The pause did not go lost on Raven, but she could smell the sulfur on her skin, she surely wasn't a very good show to look at.

Nevertheless, she wondered why they had the tendency to talk as if she couldn't hear them. Like she was some kind of maroon child, not so bright to understand.

"Because to them, you are. They're going to be so disappointed when they discover who they're against to."

"You say it like I'm some kind of deadly threat."

"Because you are, Hatchling."

"Are you always in my head?"

And of course, he decided not to answer now.

Raven's breath sucked in her lungs when two women, both petite and almost deadly silent, approach her to guide her in the bath chambers where a large steamy pool was waiting for her. they were slaves, the mark on their neck as clear as day. As much as Raven attempted to talk to them, none of them would answer.

She kept asking if they were okay, if they needed anything. they kept pulling her hair, brushing a sponge on her arms, like she was never one of them.

She wanted to say so many things. To tell them that she understood, that they didn't need to take every breath with their head a inch lower then hers. But the only thing she could do, was show them compassion ad tenderness and not touch the countless whip streaks on their cheeks and arms.

Each one of them, made her heart sunk deeper.

She made a mental note.

117.

On both of them.

And she would give them back with interest to the only person she was sure, would send a good signal to the royal family.

"What are your names?" she inquired. None of them spoke.

Her curly hair had bee straightened, her hands mended, and now they were trying to have her wear a deep blue dress but she was refusing.

You can't run in something like that.

"The moment you'll need to run, will be when I'm a carcass, hatchling."

"aren't you one yet?"

The growl that came from far away was answer enough to make Raven laugh but the two maids didn't find it as funny. They immediately proceed to offer her with other kind of clothes. It was still a dress, she wouldn't call it any other way, but it had pants ad green leaves that crawl around her hips leaving the Highter part of her stomach uncovered before closing on a heart shape top with bell sleeves.

"Do you think that if I refuse to change clothes, they would get punished."

"You know the answer to that better than myself, Hatchling."

"Yes, I'm afraid I do."

She accepted the cerulean dress and thanked the maids who looked stunned when she even smiled to them.

"I'll see you tonight, yes?"

"Hatchling?"

"Yes X?

"Don't ask."

"Right."

Raven let them dress her, pin her hair on each side with golden dragon wings and then order them to be there when she'll be back and they seemed pleased.

They were less scared of orders then kindness.

The door busted opened and only a moment after, there he was. As blinding as the sun, dressed regally from head to toe.

"Why is she taking so long-"

Raven was scoffing, attempting not to trip on her long leaves, but when she heard the prince cut off, she inquired with her glare to see if perhaps he had chocked on his own saliva. Instead, she found him wide eyes, staring down at every inch of skin on her body. Ad then he fixed his glare on her hair.

"What happened to her?"

His teeth literally came out when he eyed the women. Raven was in his way before he could take a step too close.

"I asked them to."

"He's going to be pissed. Make It wrong again."

"Wrong?" Raven, even this far, could feel the marble chest irradiate an insane amount of warmness. It was insane to explain really. "You mean my curls?"

"Your dragon has made it perfectly clear not touch a single hair on your head or else. Now your entire head is fucked and I don't have the energy to argue with a soul as old as that-"

"I'm sure he was speaking figuratively."

"No, I was not."

Raven took a quick scan, then found a pitcher by the vanity and poured the entire content on her head then shook her strands for the excess water and scrunched small pieces until the curls were all back in place.

"Here. Better?"

"Yes." Both Araxys and the prince answer.

She rolled her eyes as she followed the large shoulders that barely pass through the door with all the ego he was carrying.