I slept well into the following afternoon. I awoke when someone started slamming things down and opening doors followed by slamming them shut.
"Who is making all that noise?" I bellowed covering my head with a blanket.
"Do you know what time it is?" the voice asked.
"I do not care. I wish to sleep."
"Evelyn, get up. It's afternoon. Do you wish to sleep the entire day away?"
I peeked from beneath the covers and saw Elizabeth standing near the bed.
"If you would stop making so much noise, yes, I would like to sleep the day away."
"Too bad. You can't. The prince is requesting your presence in his study," she said, rolling her eyes.
"What does he want now?"
"To see his future bride. I'm not sure. Get out of bed." I sat up, holding the blanket to my chest and glared at the woman. "Evelyn! Did you sleep without your clothing? And the diadem is still in your hair?"
She shook her head at me while calling for one of the maids.
"Yes. I slept without my clothing. I was tired and didn't feel like searching for a sleeping gown."
Elizabeth held up a long, white piece of cloth. "It was very difficult to find."
"You called, ma'am?" a young girl asked, coming into the room.
"The princess needs a wash...make that a bath. Can you prepare a hot tub for her?"
"Of course." She curtsied and hurried from the room. Her cheeks were a deep scarlet when she realized I was naked.
Elizabeth untangled the pearls from my hair and handed me a robe to cover up. "Come on, Evelyn."
"I hate you, Elizabeth."
"No you don't."
"No. I don't." I sighed and climbed out of bed. "I don't know why I'm so tired."
"What did you do yesterday?" she asked.
I shook my head trying to think about what could have caused me to be so exhausted. "Nothing. It was a typical day."
Elizabeth led me down the hallway toward a door around a corner. Inside the large room sat a large, wooden tub. White fabric hung over the side as a team of men and women carried steaming buckets to it.
"Okay, so a hot bath would be nice."
I sat in it and allowed them to wash my hair as I scrubbed my body. I didn't want to get out, but James was probably growing impatient. I held my arms up as the many layers of my gown lowered over my head.
Today's dress was made of a beautiful purple silk and black lace. Elizabeth quickly twisted my hair atop my head and reached for a gold and ruby tiara.
"No tiaras."
"It won't kill you to wear one occasionally."
"The last one I wanted to wear turned out to be poisonous."
"This one isn't. Wear it, Evelyn." Before I could protest, again she tucked the jeweled headpiece into my hair.
"Elizabeth."
"Evelyn."
"You impossible woman."
"You impossible child." She arched her eyebrows at me and pointed toward the door. "Act like a princess, please."
I rolled my eyes and walked toward the prince's study.
Knocking lightly on the door, I waited.
"Princess Evelyn, please come in." The same tall man I had seen when we first arrived bowed as he opened the door.
"Thank you."
"Evelyn, I wanted you to meet someone before you go out to the barn."
"Who?"
James turned an odd, wheeled chair around, resting his hand on the shoulder of an older man. His face was drawn; his eyes still had the faint gleam of green as James's. His hair kept short and a mighty golden crown sat upon his brow. The blue doublet and black trousers fitted to his frail body.
"My father. King Alasdair."
I curtsied before the old king. I'd heard my father speak of him repeatedly. The man battles they fought before his crippling wound against the Romans incapacitated him, confining him to the castle for the past ten years.
"Your majesty, it's an honor to meet you."
The king followed me with his eyes, not saying a word.
"He hasn't spoken in the past four years. He knows you're there and what you're saying, but he can't speak."
"Why?"
"The physicians are unsure. He went to bed as he usually does one night, when he woke he was different."
"I'm sorry, James."
"Don't be. He's still here. I take care of matters of the state, but he's still the king. I confer with him on things, he is able to nod or shake his head when I can't make a decision. So he's still there."
"Remarkable."
"We had something made for you."
"What?" I asked, looking at the two men.
"If you're going to be a dragon rider, you need to look like one." James nodded toward the man who I'd forgotten was even there. He blended in with the background so well. As any good servant does, and how they find out everything.
He held up beautiful, shimmering armor. The bottoms were a gold and brown leather and metal combination. I'd never seen anything like it before. The top was brown leather with gold, metal detailing covering the vital areas of a body. The shoulders were covered by the same intricately designed leather and gold combination. A leather belt cinched at the waist with various pouches and a sheath for a sword. A helmet of similar material and goggles rested on a table. Brown leather boots sat beside them.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Something new. I had our blacksmith create a new type of armor for you. As the only woman dragon rider and the future queen of Scotland I thought you deserved something a little different."
"It's so beautiful." I stepped toward the armor and ran my hand over the smooth material. "It's so cold."
James nodded his head. "It was forged with the fire of Draco."
"Dragon's fire is cold?"
"It's a paradox."
"Is the fire deadly?" I asked.
"It is. It will burn you."
"But it's cold?"
James nodded his head again. "Take these to the barn and change. Draco is waiting for you."
"Okay."
I wrapped the garb in a sheet and snuck out a side door, heading for the large building. Inside I looked around for the mighty dragon.
"Draco?" I called.
"Princess?"
"Please, it's Evelyn."
"Very well, Evelyn."
"James gave me the armor."
"Is it to your satisfaction?" he asked.
"It's quite amazing."
"Why aren't you wearing it?" he asked again.
"I can't stroll about the castle in dragon rider armor. I shall change now." I quickly darted into the room at the back of the building and removed the burdensome gown as fast as I could.
I pulled the armor on, strapping and clipping each part into place. It felt so light on my body and seemed to meld to my every curve, almost like second skin. I emerged and gasped at the sight of Draco. He adorned a beautiful black and gold saddle. At least a dragon for of a saddle. The material was thin and formed to his body as my armor did. Steel stirrups rested at his side unmoving, unlike a horse's saddle. A black strap wrapped about his snout and horns, resting on the saddle.
"You look like a true dragon rider," he said.
"You look absolutely fierce!" I exclaimed, running my hand over the soft material. "It feels like my armor."
"It should. It's made of the same material."
"Amazing."
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"I think so. Do I need weapons?" I asked.
"Not today. I want you to be used to flying and for us to be as one when we are together."
I nodded and climbed onto the saddle. A cold rush ran through my body as we went invisible. He pushed the barn door open slightly, peeking out to be sure nobody was around, before bursting through with a mighty flap of his wings. We soared through the sky, my heart slamming against my chest.
"You need to relax and trust me. Loosen your legs and grip on the reins."
"Okay!" I shouted, hoping he heard me over the whoosh of wind as it whipped about us.
My legs tensed at takeoff, I tried my best to relax them, but as a person who was meant to keep her feet on the ground, I was nervous. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes. I released my grip on the reigns and held my hands out to the side.
Trust Draco. He won't let anything happen to you.
"Good. Good!" Draco said with a laugh as he turned upward, darting even further into the clouds.
I opened my eyes and stared around me. The ground below seemed so far away. The people looked nothing but ants to us. Draco dove toward the ground, his wings resting at his side as we fell through the clouds. I bit my lip and resisted grabbing the reins. I tightened my legs around him as I began to lift off the saddle. His wings expanded, catching the air, as we dashed forward, his claws skimming the water of a river we came upon.
He landed softly in a field. I looked about, the castle nowhere in sight.
"Where are we?"
"A few hundred kilometers north of the castle."
"We've gone that far?" I asked.
"Yes. It's a quiet and desolate area. Not many people live here."
"Why?"
"Fear of dragons."
"What?"
"We're close to the nesting grounds. The guardians scare people off."
"Can we see it?" I asked.
He nodded his head toward a rocky cliff. "It's over there."
I walked toward the area, looking down into a grassy area. Large boulders surrounded a smaller section with large, white rocks.
"Where are the eggs?" I asked.
"In the center."
"The large white rocks?"
"Those are the eggs."
"They're so big."
"Dragons aren't small."
"I know. I just thought you started off smaller and grew."
"Some of us do. It depends on the dragon."
"Oh."
"Do you want to go down?"
"Yes!"
I climbed back into the saddle as Draco drifted down to the nesting grounds.
"Who goes there!" a melodic voice called out.
"Stand down, Cerilia. It's Draco."
A slender, white dragon appeared before us.
"Who have you brought?" she asked.
"Princess Evelyn, future queen of Scotland and my new rider."
The beautiful dragon narrowed her eyes at me. "A female dragon rider? Impossible."
"It's true. We bonded," I said, siding off Draco's back.
"His bonded rider died long ago."
"No. We had not bonded correctly," Draco said.
"You conferred with the Elders?"
"Yes."
"Interesting." She looked at me again. "You are interested in our eggs?"
"Yes. Before arriving here I'd never heard about dragons let alone seen or your eggs."
"You're in luck. One of our eggs has reached maturity. It began the hatching process this morning."
"Wait. You mean I can watch a hatching?"
"Who's egg?" Draco asked.
"Mercuria."
"I see."
"Is she here?" I asked.
Cerilia looked away and Draco lowered his head.
"What's wrong?" I asked again.
"She was killed shortly after laying her egg."
"Oh."
As the egg rocked back and forth, a few people emerged from a cave. They stood around the egg, watching and waiting.
"What are they doing?" I questioned.
"They protect the dragon inside from hurting itself while hatching."
"Who will take the baby?"
"I am," Cerilia said, stepping forward.
"You are taking on Mercuria's egg?" Draco asked.
"Yes."
"What shall you name it?"
"Her name is going to be Mercuila."
"Fitting," Draco said.
"It's happening, ma'am," one of the people said.
Cerilia nudged the egg with her delicate white snout as the egg rocked furiously before tipping over and hitting a rock. A crack splintered from the spot where it hit. I gasped, but everyone else smiled. I watched in fascination, as the crack grew larger and larger until a small black and white nose emerged.
"What kind of dragon is it?" I asked.
"She's supposed to be a fire dragon."
"Are fire dragons black and white?"
"No." Draco stared in amazement as a tiny head emerged with a white and red horn.
"It's a fire and ice baby!" Cerilia declared.
She pulled away parts of the shell, allowing the baby to fall out. Beautiful designs of red and white swirled about her tiny black body.
"Oh my!" I exclaimed. "She's beautiful."
"She's special."
"When will she begin bonding?" I asked.
"There is no way to know. It could be now or in a few years. As long as she's bonded before maturity in twenty years' time."
"Of course, that may no longer hold true. I bonded well after maturity," Draco said.
"Draco, I don't think you will ever reach maturity," Cerilia responded, shaking her head.
I put my hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh.
Draco shot me a glare before snorting smoke from his nose.
Tiny Mercuila let out a tiny roar and spit out a chunk of ice while snorting smoke through her nose. Cerilia smiled at the baby dragon as she stretched out her small wings and tried to fly.
"Not yet, dear one. You are much too small for that." She nuzzled the baby, allowing it to grip her nose as she lifted her head.
The small dragon let out another small roar and hiccupped, shooting a small ball of fire.
"It seems that you have your claws full, Cerilia."
"Thank you for allowing me to watch."
"It was my pleasure meeting you, princess."
I climbed onto Draco and we were off, heading for the castle.