The Dragon Queen's Heir [book one]

6

OLIVER AND I CHAT FOR A WHILE, but soon, my plate is empty, and as I yawn for what feels like the millionth time that night, Oliver says, "I should probably show you your dorm now. You're going to need lots of rest for tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" I ask, stifling another yawn as I stand and take my plate and cup, searching for a spot to throw them away.

Oliver grins, and something mischievous glints in his eye. "You'll find out tomorrow. Think of it as a sort of rite of passage." I immediately frown. What could that mean? But Oliver has already taken my trash and opened his door, and I have no choice but to follow him down more hallways, watching as the furniture becomes newer and the walls show less cracks.

"After the school was almost destroyed, we had to rebuild most of the castle. Professor Singh let me keep my old dorm from before the attack, but most Riders have their dorms in here," Oliver explains as we reach a large set of wooden double doors. The hallway around them is quiet; all the other Riders must still be in the courtyard or already be in bed. "You can pick any dorm with a number still on its door. I'll leave you here. See you tomorrow, Ash." He smiles a little and returns down the way we came, his long braid and red robes sweeping around behind him.

I turn to face the double doors, blowing out a long breath before reaching for a handle and pulling. Both doors open even though I'm only pulling on one, giving me the appearance of someone trying to make a grand entrance but failing. Luckily, there's no one inside the large chamber, and as I close the doors behind me, I marvel at the sweeping white pillars holding up the roof at least four or five stories above where I'm standing, the elaborate staircases, the furniture that could give my old home a run for its money.

A lantern hands from the wall between each door, making it easy to see which doors have numbers and which don't. There are no numbers left on the dorms on the first or second floors, so I quickly ascend to the third, running my hand over the polished marble of the staircase as I move. Most of them are gone on the third as well, but I pick the first empty one I come across, the numbers 671.

Unsure what to do, I place my hand on the doorknob and push the door open. Immediately, every lantern, as well as the number on my door, disappears, plunging the chamber into darkness. I stifle a scream and slam the door closed, covering my mouth with my hands, memories from my vision at the Selecting returning in full force.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I jump again at the voice behind me and slowly turn around, coming face-to-face with a beautiful brown-skinned girl. Golden strands of what I assume is thread loop through her hair, giving her the appearance of some kind of goddess. "H-Hey," I say, glancing around my room. It looks exactly like Oliver's, minus the mess and the smell. Turning back to the girl, I take in her simple clothes. "Are you a servant or something?"

The girl nods, running her eyes over my body. "Yeah. My name's Mikki." She pauses and meets my eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You look like you need a good, warm bath."

I almost welcome the idea, but suddenly I remember what has to happen when a servant helps you take a bath: you remove your clothes, and the removal of clothes means I have to take off my stone. "No, I think I'll be fine," I say, reaching for the door again and holding it open for Mikki to leave. "I'm really tired, and—"

Mikki huffs and crosses her arms. "The headmaster told me who you are. It's impossible to hide anything from a servant, anyway." She pauses. "But if you still don't want that bath . . ." She shrugs one shoulder and takes a step towards the door.

I quickly close it. "No, I do." I smile hesitantly. "I wonder who doesn't know my identity by now."

Mikki shrugs. "Most of the school." Then she comes around behind me and helps me remove my shirt, leaving me in only my underclothes. She rubs her hands on my shoulders, and some of the tension from the day relaxes. She continues until I have to remove my stone, and, after a moment's hesitation, I do so. As soon as my appearance returns to normal, Mikki gives me a low whistle.

"You're beautiful, honey. Has anyone ever told you that?" Mikki says, quickly walking me to the bath, where hot water is already pouring into the tub.

I step in, relishing the feel of the tension leaving my muscles, and shake my head. "Not really. Most of the suitors my mother paired me with only cared about money and fame, and I didn't exactly go out into the public much."

Mikki scowls and reaches for the soap. "That's a shame. If everyone here was more accepting, I could do some serious magic on your appearance. Boys would be lining up at your door for days."

I blush. "I don't care about boys much." The thought of anyone having power over me, even in a marriage, puts a scowl on my face. I've had enough of control from my mother.

After Mikki's done helping me with my bath, she picks out a nightgown from my closet and slips it over my skin. I immediately suck in a breath. The cloth is loose-fitting, brushing my legs only when I walk, but it's so soft I could easily pass for being covered with the puffy white of a cloud instead of simple fabric. "This can't not be enchanted," I say as I climb into bed.

Mikki grins. "You guessed it. And that's only the nightclothes. Wait until tomorrow. That's when the real magic starts." Then she winks and flips off the light to my dorm, soundlessly exiting my room and leaving me with only my thoughts.

Enter Mikki: the sassy servant who's a lot more important to the story than she first appears :P Comment what you think about her (and this chapter) in the comments, and please consider voting if you enjoyed reading this :)

~ Amber