Fire

Chapter Twenty Eight

This is nothing like I thought it was going to be. I figured that it would be like the birth ceremonies at home, everyone gathers and the baby is presented to the elders and it is blessed and we party for the rest of the night. It is nothing like that at all. Basically, I am being paraded around at a dinner party, and eventually a ball like thing. The dinner party hosts all of the royals and higher status dragons and then the ball will have every dragon present. Emil is dragging me from person to person, parading me around like some prized possession. The men stared at me lustfully while some of the women fawn over me and what I'm wearing and the others are glaring at me for being with Emil and the children hide behind their parents' legs, looking at me curiously. After an hour of being scrutinized by the rich dragons, Emil pulls us off to the side.

"I have to go give a small speech and be crowned the Crown Prince of the Dragons. You will stay here until it is finished. There is a chair over there that I had the servants place for you. Sit there and I will come and get you after it's done." He doesn't wait for me to respond before he turns and swiftly walks towards his father. Looking around, I quickly find the chair that Emil was talking about and sit down on it. I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh audibly. I sat like that for a few minutes before I felt small fingers running themselves down my arms, touching my face, and back. Looking up, I see small children staring up at me. I quickly sit back and they jump, startled at my quick movements. Seeing their alarm, I still my movements and they begin to creep back over to me. They once again run their fingers up and down my arms and back.

One brave little girl walk right up to me and stands directly in front of me, her arms reaching up, trying to touch my face which was too far away. I slowly leaned forward, so as not to scare the other children. When my face was close enough, she gently put her hand on my face, running her tiny fingers along my cheekbones, over my nose and lips to rest on my lower cheeks. Looking at her carefully while she is doing her thing, her eyes seem to be different, like mine. They are a yellowish-green color with pupils like a cat. Or a dragon, I suppose. I slowly reach up and gently grasp her hands, bringing them where I could look at them. I see that the back of her hands were partially covered with scales and her nails partially resembled the talons of the older dragons.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" I ask her gently. She eyes me up before answering.

"Renee," she says with a melodic voice.

"Hello Renee," I smile. The other children stop what they are doing and shuffle over towards Renee, looking at me with curiosity. "And who are your friends?" I ask her.

"This is Skylar, Nyx, and Jacob," Renee says as she points to a blonde girl with blue eyes followed by a black haired girl with violet eyes and a smaller boy with brown hair and blue eyes. The little boy hides behind who I assume is Skylar, the blond girl.

"Hello," I say softly to the three of them. Skylar smiles widely and looks me straight in the eyes, Nyx continues to look me up and down, and Jacob hides further behind Skylar. Renee beams at me and grasps my hands tighter.

"We have been trying to find you since you got here... We wanted to meet our future Jud," Skylar say, smiling as she does.

"Your future Jud? I don't understand..." The three girls exchange looks with one another, deciding who will explain. None of them get the change before the King starts his speech.

"Hello my friends!" He says flashing his charming smile. "Today, we celebrate my son becoming Crown Prince of the Dragons and the future King!" Everyone cheers at this. "As you know, the ceremony is private so we cannot share it with you, but we can party!" Once again, the crowd cheers. "As well as showcasing my heir, I would like to show you his soon to be bride." I get nervous and confused about this. I haven't seen anyone else in the chambers and I am considered to be his slave. The children are shifting nervously beside me as Renee squeezes my hand. Around us, the dragons mutter among themselves and speculate as to who it could be.