Not All Men Dance With Dragons

The Little Dragon

Most dragons in the stories were great giant beasts. Devastation that took the form of a flurry of fire, claws, and teeth. They were the kind of things befitting of Aegon the Conqueror and his campaign across seven broken kingdoms, forged mostly together under the flames of Balerion the Black Dread. Maelena thought that as her dragon grew with her, they would somehow be in sync. Like her father and Casiran were or Borin with Suneater.

The other half of her soul. A mount that matched her spirit.

Wisp, on the other hand, was a pale lithe thing. Her ghost-colored body slunk out of the shadows of the lower level of the Dragonpit with two keepers on either side, chaining her to keep her to heel. Her eyes were attentive and large like a cat's and they zeroed in on Maelena's lone figure as she stepped forward from the group.

When her chains were released, Wisp wormed her way forward with her serpentine body at a pace no one could have predicted. A rough shove to her back had Maelena stumbling forward a few steps. Thinking quickly, she stuck a hand out and commanded firmly in High Valyrian. "Obey!"

The pale dragon came to a halt. She tipped her head curiously at the girl because of her words spoken in their mother tongue. Elation began to fill Maelena's chest at the way Wisp yielded. Already they were off to a far better start than the last few times that they had tried the exact same command. She grinned. "Obey."

Her eyes were as pale as her body, shining like opal gems as they scanned her rider. She was looking for something in Maelena. The same way that Maelena was looking for something in the beast. Hope maybe-

The dragon before her curled her lip back to bare fangs.

Suddenly, Wisp screeched, high-pitched and stubborn. A thin column of fire erupted from her mouth to scorch the floor in front of her before she backed away from her rider.

Frustrated, Maelena growled right back as she whipped back to the others. "Why is she always so rude?"

The head dragonkeeper's deep-set scowl did not move on his face at her childish question. It never did though. He nodded to the other keepers and they were quick to close the chains around Wisp's neck again though she snapped at them. Her thrashing meant little when she was so small. Two grown men were able to drag her away.

"A dragon is its own spirit. Just as you are. She must believe you are worthy of her."

"She's an ugly lizard who can't burn more than a calf and I have to become worthy of her?"

Not the attitude that she needed to have and Maelena knew it but she was just as upset as Wisp was. All those stories about what dragons had done, what they were capable of, and Maelena had to be the one stuck with the brat.

"Perhaps, your belief that you deserve her is making her rebel." Princess Helaena expressed dreamily. Her cousin had not spoken two words to her since they entered the Dragonpit but she always had something to say.

Maelena narrowed her eyes in confusion at the older girl. "What do you mean?"

"Dragons can be as fickle as we." Helaena shrugged. "If you do not earn her respect then she will not wish for yours."

There was nothing else that could be done that day if Wisp wouldn't cooperate so Maelena was allowed to leave. Pouting, she stomped her way out of the dark and dusty Dragonpit to finally suck in real air that was free of the stench of dragons. However, she did not wish to immediately be taken back to the Keep. If she did, her Septa would sweep her away for her afternoon studies and history had never been Maelena's strong suit.

A sharp whistle had her attention snapping up to glare but her anger quickly dissipated at the sight of the one waiting for her.

"Ser Jorran!" She rushed forward across the courtyard and wrapped her arms around the knight's waist excitedly. He was almost thrown back into his horse from her tackle.