The Dream Keeper's Dragon

3.5 Show Me What They Did To Him

Aurelie was consulting with the general in charge of Valice's watch, Mir, when something dripped down onto the palm of her hand. The elder guard lowered his round spectacles and wrinkled his nose while he observed the red drop. It started to spread across Aurelie's palm in thin lines. The lines formed words.

Dear Princess,

I have been moved out of the infirmary. Vera still, however, insists that I rest.

Please, do visit soon.

Revin

"Princess Aurelie," Mir removed his spectacles and placed them in the pocket of his jacket, "surely, this cannot be allowed."

Aurelie frowned. "Why ever not?"

"For one, that's the man's blood." He extended his hand toward her palm. "In fact, that should be enough reason. That cannot be safe." Mir withdrew a handkerchief and passed it to her.

Aurelie wiped the blood off. "Well, would you look at that," she said with a sly smile, passing it back, "I'm alive."

"Whatever is best." Mir folded the handkerchief.

He wasn't impressed with her but being in charge of a dragon's affairs was now the most dangerous and highest valued job in the castle and he wasn't going to risk that. There were four ladies giggling around the old, meaty man before Aurelie came up to talk. Arguing with her wasn't something he seemed to care much about. Not with the ladies still waiting for him on in a sheer curtained area of the grand common room.

"Now, we've increased Valice's daily sheep package, but she is still going out to hunt."

"Do we know where?" Aurelie didn't want her flying around Highfire unprotected. Well, she certainly looked like she could take care of herself but the first Dragon King was able to consume six dragons, despite being small enough for any of them to swallow whole. Aurelie wasn't going to take any chances.

"Around the farms," he said. "We can't keep up with the complaints. The Crown purchased most of them, but they're drying up with the amount she consumes. She's going out farther each day."

That wasn't good. "How many are we sending?"

"Ten a day." Mir leaned against the wall. His eyes shifted to glance at the girls. It would have been appreciated if he could focus on the task at hand.

"Can we afford more?" Valice was a big girl. Ten was a high number but didn't seem nearly enough to sate her.

The general placed a hand on his hip and swung his head from side to side contemplating. "We'd have to increase production by a margin and buy out more farms as it is."

"But that's with her still hunting, isn't it?" Aurelie sat down on the edge of the fountain that took up the center of the common room. She heard that the statue of the crowned woman standing in the center of it was her mother and that it had been a gift to the King from the Giliam family who were nobles from the east. Their son, the handsome man Aurelie noticed at breakfast, was currently a guest at the castle.

"If we could feed her pigs and cows, then we'd be able to stay ahead."

Aurelie bit down on her bottom lip. "She likes sheep."

"We're running out of those. The cook's been banned from cooking lam so that we don't run out of supply for the dragon."

"Well, send them, see if she likes it." Aurelie felt another drop land on her palm.

I've found a deck of cards. If you can come now, we can have some fun with them.

Revin