Tears of Raven

21

"No, no. Your Grace. Is, One, two, two, one, three."

To Raven, they all looked the same. She kept repeating the steps Lela was showing holding Ami, but she couldn't see it.

"Again, your grace."

This every night after etiquette lessons, endless hours where the queen would present her with lists of names forcing Raven to remember. After what she had done to Lady Maril, they had been extremely grateful when Rave would take part in anything and they would smile forcefully and never get on her wrong side.

"Her face is completely dressed in bandages. Her father is furious. He says no one would ever marry her now." Raven caught the two maids discussing the day after the incident.

"None of the High ladies dare to speak to the princess anymore." Lela was heading to the servant quarters to change the sheets when Ami stopped her. "I'm sure they don't wat to end up like... you know."

They giggled and Lela took a quick scan to see if someone was listening before continuing. "You know, today the teacup in the princess hold slipped a little bit and every single one of the ladies winced. I barely hold it in there. It's nice the queen believes we have some kind of soothing power over her so she leaves one of us to keep her company. Tomorrow is your turn." She instructed Ami and the taller girl bit her lips not to laugh again.

"She's will get better at it."

"I'm sure she will."

They stared at each other for a moment before sighing knowing damn well Raven was not suited for what they wanted her to be. They went their separate ways and so did Raven's hopes.

By the fourth day, Raven was drained. When the maids would leave, she would sink in her bed and Zeus would stomp around before perch in the nook between her face and her shoulder to rest.

She wouldn't move till the next day.

The firth night, two days before the ball, Raven let her hair down and went to sit next to Araxys. She discovered very soon the burning stones dripping lava didn't scorch her skin. No fire did anymore. She sat at the edge of the nest and looked outside while the wind rocked her now straight dark hair away from her face.

"What is it hatchling?" Araxys asked, his very sharp teeth grazed her shoulder but she didn't mind it.

"I feel, like I've never felt before."

"You're simply tired, that's all." The dragon was crouching trying to find a comfortable position when Raven spoke again.

"I've been tired. This is different. I feel like I'm... dying out." Raven encircled her knees and placed her chin on top of them. She had no tears on her eyes, it was her heart that was truly the problem. It was heavy and she couldn't understand how to fix it.

"Die out?"

"Like a fireplace that has always had the strongest wood to burn and now everything is turning into ashes. I'm scared that by living here for too long the extraordinary will never find me again. I will get used to eat from silver spoons and have someone do simple things for me. I've always lived at my own terms. And yet now I can see myself being ordinary while someone else shines of my own light. He will take my flame and all that will be left for me are the ashes of the marvelous life I could have had. It's just hard to accept."

Araxys looked to down Roylat plane and then back to his young friend.

He opened his wings, rising them up and took a step close enough for Raden to see his claw but not nearly enough to crush her.

"Hop on before I change my mind."

"Uh?" she was speechless.

"No one with a dragon should ever feel ordinary. If you did, then it was my fault. Now on my claw, I'm hungry."