The Princess & the Dragon

Chapter 5: First Day

Curtains that hang from the window swing with the warm breeze that comes through the wide opening. It's a reminder that summer is here to stay. The heat makes me sweat under the covers of the duvet. I push them off of me and wish for a colder night so I can sleep. Back at home we have air conditioning in the house and sleeping in the cold air while it's burning hot outside is bittersweet compared to the lack of relief here.

I sit up in bed and the room around me is quiet, with only the sound of birds outside my window singing. I look and notice my door is cracked open halfway. I wait for someone to appear. Maybe the boy will surprise me and show his face again. I imagine his black hair hanging down in his face and his bright eyes looking back at me.

The door swings the rest of the way and in walks Sirena with her hands full of what looks like to be prom gowns. All I see is glitter, sparkle and poofy girl dresses. I walk over to where she stands at the end of my bed and peek through the pile of gowns that she sets down on the duvet.

"What are these, Sirena?"

"Kerlin and Staca would like to take you into town to pick out some appropriate things to wear during your stay here. Dila was generous enough to let you borrow one of her dresses while you go into town."

"I have to wear one of these while I go into town?" I ask her while glancing at each gown. Nothing here is my style and I wouldn't be caught dead walking around in town in one of these.

Gowns of blue, pink and yellow with puffy sleeves and so much ruffle it would make someone vomit. The one at the bottom catches my eye and makes me laugh. The top is covered in sparkle and reminds me of something Cinderella would wear to a ball. "I can't wear these, Sirena."

"You must Miss Camden, Kerlin won't approve of anything you have brought with you."

"Would you wear this out of the castle?" I lift up the sparkly dress for her to see then toss it down on the bed. "These are nice for girls like Dila and Marie, but they aren't my style."

Sirena laughs. "I am not one in favor of sparkle Miss Camden, maybe this one is more to your taste." She holds up a light blue dress made of silk that has very little sparkle on top, with thin straps that cuts off at the knees. I take the dress from her and hold it up against myself. It doesn't look so awful now that I'm seeing it on me and decide this is the one.

"I'll wear this one."

"Perfect choice." She takes the other dresses and hangs them in my closet, pretending like there is a chance I'll wear any of them.

I go into the bathroom, close the door behind me and change into the light blue dress. After I go under the sink where my toiletries are zipped in the bag I brought from home and grab my hairbrush to brush out the knots in my hair. I add some foundation to the bags under my eyes from the lack of sleep I've got since leaving home and decide this is as best as its going to get with no power to do my hair and the heat making it too hot for too much makeup.

I feel out of my element here, but there's a sense of change and adventure that makes me excited to start my first day here in Lindo. Since I arrived, I have wanted to explore the halls of the castle. Sure Kerlin has forbidden it, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him. I'll just have to do it when no one is looking and during the day so another accident like last night doesn't happen. Whatever that dark shadow creature was outside the castle walls, I could sense he wanted to hurt me and if the boy wasn't there to save me, I'm not sure how the night would have ended. I need to be more careful.

Downstairs I sit and wait on the bottom step for my family to finish their breakfast. Sirena said I was required to attend, but I'm just not that hungry. Instead I listen to the beautiful summer day that awaits for me. While I wait, I wonder if the boy is in his room. I could go look and see if he's there, but I'm afraid of being caught. If they knew I met him last night they'd know about me leaving my room and he may too be forbidden.