The Last Dragon Rider (Book 1 of Rider Series)

Chapter 2

I walked around the town's square and did my business. I had a bunch of flowers that I usually gave to the women of Alikia. It was one way that I knew that would brighten their day because living here, there seemed to be worse than good.

Some days, people would stop me on the street and asked me if I could help them out with something, from fixing a leaking roof to babysitting a child for a couple of hours. And, I couldn't help but oblige because where I lived, there were usually people that could not afford such services.

"MAKE WAY FOR PRINCESS ALINIA," someone yelled, causing me to pause a moment. "MAKE WAY FOR THE PRINCESS!" The person exclaimed.

I paused in my work and shook my head. I knew that it meant that I needed to get into a building until she passed, but I didn't have time. I didn't have that much daylight left, and I needed to finish this before the gates closed.

"Are you deaf?" someone asked, causing me to stop. "Didn't you hear the messenger say 'make way for Princess Alinia'?"

I turned around to see that it was no other than Her Highness, Princess Alinia.

Her gray eyes were filled with annoyance as she looked at me. She had a rather pouty look about her, and her skin was soft as if she didn't do any work at all but pick up berries and eat them. Her blonde hair was kept in a tight bun, and it looked like a strand had never been out of place.

I curtsied, keeping my head lowered. "Your Highness," I said, keeping the hatred out of my voice. I wanted her gone, so I could continue working. Time was running out, and with it was my patience. I wasn't really fond of the royal family, even though I had never met them except on the streets.

"Are you deaf?" she asked, again folding her arms. She narrowed her eyes, giving her this constipated look as if she needed to use the restrooms. She tried to arch an eyebrow but couldn't.

"No, Your Highness, I am not deaf," I replied. I looked behind her and saw two guards, whom I had known from my childhood years. I wasn't surprised to see them because they had been trained to be a guardsman from a very young age with a man that I considered my father.

"Then why didn't you move out of the way when the messenger said 'make way'?" she asked, snottily.

"Well, I have some business to take care of, and I don't really have that much time to do it in," I replied. And I would be done, if you haven't stopped me, I thought bitterly.

She snorted and was about to say something when someone interrupted her with an "Alinia." She turned around and saw someone behind her.

"Your Highness," I said, curtsying again. I spotted her brother, Crowned Prince Mark Wester. I had heard that he was handsome, but I couldn't understand what all the fuss was. He looked like any other boy that I had known, except that he probably smelt better.

Princess Alinia changed her attitude, acting as if I was some horrible person. "Oh, Mark this girl is terrible," she said, choking back a sob. "She didn't move away when I had the messenger run around saying 'make way for the princess'. She stayed in spot and when I confronted her, nicely, she called me a-a terrible name a-a-and then she hit me." She wiped her eye and sniffled.

I couldn't believe the accusation that I had heard from her. Sure, I despised the royal family, but I wasn't going to hit them. They could arrest me, and I didn't want that to happen, because who else would look after the poor? The Royals surely didn't, and that was why I didn't really like them.

"Oh, did she now?" the Crowned Prince asked as he looked at me. His brown eyes were filled with humor and knowledge, and it looked as if he knew just how annoying his sister could be. "How can she hit you, when she has a heavy basket and has to use two hands to carry it?" He looked at his sister and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean she has to use two hands to carry it? She was using one hand to give flowers to the stupid, poor people."

I held my tongue, knowing that if I did say something, then it would be bad for me. I kept my head down, not wanting to have them think me of rude. However, I did glance at them from time to time, making sure that I had them both in my view.

"Is that true?" Crowned Prince Mark asked, looking at me. "Were you holding the basket in one hand, even though the basket is heavy?" He raised an eyebrow at me, and I could tell that he was a little surprised that a girl could do such a thing.

"Yes, Your Highness," I replied, "I was giving flowers to the women, as a gift." I curtsied again, not saying that I was strong enough to carry such a "heavy" basket with one hand and a hip.

"Well, we need to get going, Alinia. Let's let this peasant girl get back to work. I'm sure that she didn't mean anything by hurting you." He took her by the shoulder and started to lead her away, ignoring the protests that she sent his way. He glanced back at me and winked as if to say 'You're welcome'.

I gritted my teeth and curtsied, disliking them more and more. I knew that it was bad for me to be judging them, but I couldn't help it. I saw the pain and the torture that these people had to go through, and it looked like the Royals never cared. I saw people dying, and I didn't like it.

And, all I could pray was for a better future. All I could pray for was a way to get everyone out of the slumps, but I knew that that was wishful thinking. I just wished that there was a way to show the Royals that their people were suffering, but I didn't know how.