Lady of the Black Dragon

As she walked stood in front of the doors, waiting for them to open and listening to Shay’s last minute courtesy lesson, Brilyn did not feel as sure. Emyrus stood close to her side, trying to give her some confidence. It seemed like ages that they waited before the doors finally opened from the inside, and Shay laid a gentle hand on Brilyn’s back, urging her forward.

She walked forward, keeping her eyes on the king’s feet on the opposite side of the room. It was rude to make eye contact before the king had addressed someone, and Brilyn wasn’t about to look at the people that lined each side of the room. She could already feel their eyes judging her, and she was suddenly eternally grateful that Shay had dismissed the idea of her wearing her own clothes.
When she had reached the steps that led up to the king’s throne, she curtsied, holding her position until King Richard told her to rise.

“Sire,” she said, nodding her head again. “It is an honor.”

The king nodded and looked at Emyrus, and she was finally able to actually look at him. He was older than she had expected, or at the least, older-looking. He wore a gold crown that was so encrusted with jewels that Brilyn wondered how he could hold his own head at all.

“Well,” the king said, turning his gaze back to her and leaning to one side of his throne. “Do introduce yourself, and tell me how you came across the egg.”

“My name is Brilyn Tierney, Sire. This is my Dragon, Emyrus.” Emyrus straightened, and stood a little closer to Brilyn. She was grateful. “I simply found the egg, sire. It was in the river. I didn’t realize what it was, right away, and I retrieved it. Once it was out of the river, he started to hatch.”

The king studied her, and she found herself looking at the armrest rather than at him. “Do you know, Lady Brilyn, the importance of a black Dragon?”

Brilyn started to shake her head before a cough from Shay reminded her it was rude not to give a direct answer. “No, Sire.”

“The last black Dragon died over a hundred years ago. Armel, was her name. Does that ring a bell, for you?”

“No, Sire. There are many historic stories that I do not know.”

“Of course not,” the king said, raising his hands in the air in exasperation. “Because you were not trained to be a Dragon Rider, yet you found the most important egg of any of our lives!”

“Father,” a man softly said, soft enough that most would not hear it. Brilyn realized that he had been standing behind the king this entire time, yet she hadn’t noticed him. He was obviously Prince Jerrod.
The king was entire still for a few seconds, then lowered his hands. “Well, Lady Brilyn, you have much to learn. I trust that Shay and Kevin will teach you.”

“Of course, Sire,” they both said. Brilyn had forgotten that they had been with her this entire time.

“Then do so. Jerrod will see that you are made at home here,” the king said, motioning to his son. “I shall see you soon enough. You may go.”

The entire meeting took less than fifteen minutes. Less than fifteen minutes for Brilyn to realize that although they would allow her to stay, she was far from accepted. As the king said, she had not been trained to be a Rider. She had not been raised in Court, she hardly belonged with these people.

“That was not so horrible,” Emyrus said to her, as they followed Shay and Kevin back to their rooms.

“It could have been better.”

“I belong with my Dragons, and you belong with your Riders. We will be at home here soon enough.”
Brilyn looked down at her young dragon. Even if she knew that she did not belong here, she knew that her Dragon did. Emyrus deserved to be with other Dragons. She would stay, for him.

“My Lady Brilyn,” a voice called out from behind. The three Riders and Emyrus turned to see Prince Jerrod, briskly walking to catch up to them.

Brilyn curtsied, “Sire,” she said.

“Oh, none of that. Formalities are for formal occasions, after all. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He took her hand from her side, kneeled, and held it to his lips. His blue eyes met her dark ones before he arose.

“Jerrod, one day, your flirting will only get you into trouble,” Shay said, smiling at the prince. “You would never had told a man to forego the formalities.”

Jerrod only grinned and laughed. “Why would I want such a pretty face to bow to me? It should be up, where I can see it.”

Brilyn could only watch the two banter, but she was at a loss for words. Luckily, Shay realized and changed the topic. “So, where shall Brilyn be staying?”

“Well, I thought that the old room of Jaden would be appropriate.”

Brilyn watched the expression on Shay and Kevin’s faces turn from surprised to amused, to a simple smile. “What would the king say?” Kevin asked.

“I don’t want to cause any strife,” Brilyn added, looking between Kevin and Jerrod. She sensed that something about their conversation was unusual.

“Nonsense,” Shay replied, taking Brilyn’s arm. “It is fitting. And as it is Jerrod’s idea, the king will not say anything.”

There was no point arguing with Shay, so Brilyn said nothing as she was led through the big courtyard, up a flight of stairs, and into a room. Once she was in the room, however, Brilyn started to have second thoughts.

“I do not need a room this large,” Brilyn said, turning around in the large circular room. “It is larger than Shay and Kevin’s, and they are much more respected here than I. It is too grand.”

“Oh, now, come on,” Jerrod said. “It is empty, and it has been for a hundred years. It is rightfully yours, after all.”

Brilyn looked at the prince, who was only smiling at her. “What do you mean by that?”

“This room belonged to Jaden, the rider of Armel.”

Brilyn looked around. “And no one has dared to stay in it until now,” she said, a statement rather than a question. She briefly wondered how many hours were wasted dusting all these empty rooms of the castle.

“More or less,” Jerrod said, looking around. “It will be quite homey soon, I am sure. I should find a maid for you, as well, I suppose.”

“I don’t need my own maid,” Brilyn said, sitting down at the table. Emyrus found a place on a cushion by the fireplace, and appeared to be sleeping.

“There are certain rights with being a Dragon Rider, Brilyn,” Shay said. “There are also certain expectations to act the part, whether you believe that you are succeeding or not.”

“I will take the maid,” Brilyn replied, her voice weary. “Thank you.”

“Is there anything else I could do for you?” Jerrod asked, leaning against the wall. “Do you need someone to bring up your bags?”

“I don’t have anything,” Brilyn said, standing and crossing the room to stand at a window that overlooked the valley.

“We will need to arrange a time to meet with the tailor, then,” Jerrod said, taking the information in stride.

“We will also need the barber to cut her hair,” Shay added. Jerrod took a piece of empty paper from his pocket, and unfolded it. He began writing, as they plotted out her schedule not only for the next few days but also a normal routine.

Brilyn crossed the room again to a window on the other side of the room. She gasped as she saw the Dragons, mostly all of them, she assumed. Basira and Kismet were the only gold Dragons, but there were three reds, and about a dozen blues and greens.

“Where are the rest of them?” Brilyn asked Emyrus, choosing not to disturb the planning that was happening at her table.

“That is all of them.”

“But the field is so large.”

“There was once much more, more than would ever fit on that field.”

Brilyn watched the Dragons a while longer. They mostly laid on the sand or walked around, but a few of the greens seemed to be playing tag in the air. They were large, of course, but much smaller than the golden Dragons, and Brilyn enjoyed watching them flip and turn in the air.

She noticed that the reds were standing in a circle, each facing a different direction. “What are the red Dragons doing?”

“They are guarding the eggs.”

Brilyn looked at Emyrus, but he appeared to be sleeping. “I thought there were no eggs?”

“An egg has not hatched in many years, Brilyn. Nearly two and a half decades. Jerrod is a prince, he is reaching his maturity, yet he has no dragon. But just because they do not hatch does not meant they do not exist. There are exactly thirty eggs there.”

“If there are eggs, then why don’t they hatch?”

“They are waiting.”

“For what?”

But Emyrus did not reply, and Brilyn was left with only her thoughts.