The Dragon Prince's Flower

chapter 2

The pallid and frantic knight whisked Daliah to the secret castle town entrance, abandoning her paint project in the clearing. Her heart hammered in her chest wildly as she tried to collect her still-scrambled thoughts.

Who was that man? What was he doing in the clearing? She wondered to herself, clutching at her dress skirts to keep from stumbling over the grass and rocks. Her heart slowed and her tense emotions relaxed as she focused on her steps and where she was going. Counting each tiny click of her shoes on the hard stone helped to recenter her mind and release the squeezing vice in her lungs.

"Princess, i can't keep letting you sneak out like this! Your father would have my head." The knight sighed, and removed the bright silver headgear that identified him as a palace guard as he hopped over a dip in the grass to get to the stone street that lead to a drainage ditch for rain. He held out his hand for Daliah to cross over the ditch, which she took with a sweet smile.

"Well its a good thing you're part of the Royal Guard, then isn't it, Arture? Father legally can't behead the knights of his table." She said as she stepped over the ditch and carried on into the street, merging swiftly with the crowd of townsfolk and commoners. Much to the dismay of her knight.

"My Lady!" Arture called, chasing after her, exasperated. Daliah was a sweet girl, and a very lovely ward, but she always had Arture running around after her like a lost puppy. He wished to himself for the hundredth time that he could've just stayed in Millhaben with his mother. She looked among the townsfolk, who eyed her curiously, The people hadn't seen the Princess Daliah formally, so none of the commoners knew they were in the presence of their reigning Princess, but she didn't exactly look like another commoner to the average person. She had silver jewelery adorning her neck and ears, shiny trinkets embedded with quartz and sapphires, gifts from her brother and father. Long silk skirts and a corset decorated with more silver. She gave off a regal air everywhere she went. Though the Princess was of age, the King was hesitant to debut her to society, his reasons growing more and more fragile by the day.

"Stop wandering, my lady!" Arture said, panting after her. She giggled to herself, the uneasiness in her stomach untangling completely after being encased in the crowd, the castle town's walls made her forget the incident in the clearing. The smell of warm bread drifted lazily through the air amongst the clattering of conversation of civilians mingling with one another, the clanging of iron and ceramic pots in a vendor's stall to Daliah's left rang out like discordant music as the scruffy looking peddler called out his prices. The spattering of different vendors around the square had joined in his constant chorus, all trying to sell out their wares to any passerby as Daliah walked to the castle, but a homely peddler woman waved to her, catching her eye.

"My Lady! My Lady! Over here! Jewels for every occasion~!" She said in a sing-song tone. Daliah smiled to the woman as her feet stopped on their own to her stall.

"Lovely jewels for a lovely Lady?" The woman asked, offering a sapphire necklace to Daliah. Several styles of necklaces and earrings ranging in price were laid out neatly along the clean table, each shimmering in the evening sun.

"Your wares are lovely. Maybe i will buy something.." Daliah said, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she scanned the table of necklaces and adornments.

Only one caught her eye. Daliah reached for a small silver chain and plucked it up into her hands, flowers and vines wrapped themselves around the chain like vines to meet and hang a void like black stone from. As she touched the stone, an electric zap coursed itself through her fingers.

"Hmm..a good eye, my Lady." The woman chuckled, setting the sapphire necklace down. "That piece has been with me for a very long time. It has yet to find an owner, maybe you'd like to take it?" She said, crooking an elderly hand to Daliah.

"I..." Daliah said, unable to tear her eyes away from the necklace, the obsidian jewel in the center drew her in, like a moth to a flame. It entranced her for reasons she didn't understand. As Daliah opened her mouth to ask for the price, the woman held up her hand and silenced the words not yet formed from Daliah's tongue.

"Its yours my dear. Free of charge." The old woman said, a knowing smile creeping across her haggard face. The stone glistened with a moment of bright light as Daliah lost herself in the stone's endless depth, like an entire night sky in the palm of her hand.

"Please, i can't accept this free of charge! How much is this worth? Let me pay you." Daliah insisted, looking back up at the elderly woman, but she was gone. Daliah's breath hitched in her chest and she looked around the crowded city square for the woman, with no success. It was as if she had never existed in the first place.

"My Lady! Please come with me! You must return home." Arture called from behind Daliah, meshed in with members of the city crowd all pursuing their own errands. Daliah took one last look around the vendor stall, and realized the woman was definitely some kind of witch. Daliah opened her hand to see the necklace, and confirm its existence. The silver vine of the chain glistened in the sunlight, and Daliah felt a resolute need to never lose the trinket. She slipped it in her skirt folds as Arture caught up to her, and escorted her home. The visible confusion and suspicion of Daliah's hidden treasure was lost on Arture, he was too worried about the princess falling to harm than about a magic trinket she found. He fussed like a nursemaid over Daliah when he was worried, and he made sure to let her know it. he made a mental note to keep an eye on her better in the future, but as always, Daliah would find a way around him. He knew this. She was always finding new ways to run him ragged.