Treasured by the Dragon

Ch 22: Scheming

I sneak into my old room and pull out a fresh outfit from the wardrobe. None of the Waterhearts spot me along the way and I make it down to the dining room unscathed. I'm about to step into the grand hall, but Jennit is there to stop me.

She informs me that the Waterhearts and Cephias are having dinner at the table while the rest of us are to dine in the kitchen.

I breathe easier once I grab a stool around the crowded counter. The yeasty aroma of freshly baked bread fills my lungs and my nerves relinquish their hold. My body vibrates with the release.

"Are you cold, dear?"

Aleta grabs my hand and brings it close to her lips so she can blow her warm breath over my fingertips.

I smile in response.

"No, just grateful to be in a safe space for a little while."

With all these bodies—ones that are naturally hotter than an average human—in this enclosed space, I'm actually sweating. I picture the Waterhearts bundled beneath several layers of clothing. They seem to take the cold worse than I do and I wonder if they would still shiver in the kitchen as it is.

This thought tickles the back of my brain, whispering something I can't hear. I shiver, causing Aleta to frown.

I offer a nervous chuckle before reassuring her. "I think my body just needs to shake the stress out."

"You should also weigh yourself down with a hearty meal."

Bellina passes me a basket of rolls while a plate of roasted venison and a bowl of root vegetables circles the table.

"If you have a heavy belly, your nerves won't have enough room to bounce around."

I'm not sure I follow Bellina's logic, but I feel the sentiment, nonetheless.

Once food has found my plate and a warm ale is in my cup, I allow the conversation to swell around me. I drift away into my thoughts, my eyes finding peace watching the crackling fire in the kitchen's oven.

The tickling whisper grows louder as I settle all the other thoughts swirling through me. Something's screaming for attention in the back of my head and my eyes narrow with concentration.

The flames dance with mischief, taunting me with something left unspoken.

"I believe in you, miss...I mean Taliyah. Whatever awaits you tonight, I know you will come out of it all right."

Jennit's gentle voice coaxes me from the blurry images taking shape inside my head. Her hand grips my fingers and the warmth radiating in her touch eases a few more knots from my strained muscles. Her natural heat rekindles the idea, begging to be heard, but I ignore it so I can face the dragonith with a sigh.

"Thank you," I say in a low voice, so the kind, young woman's concerns don't infect the others. "I've been prepared for much as a princess. What may befall me tonight is one of those things."

Despite Irving and Gatteo's assertions that my maidenhead is quite safe from the water lord, I still must prepare myself. I'd rather not be caught unaware.

That being said, learning to lie there and do your duty was a lesson hammered into me at far too young an age. Dissociation is key, and it's a trusty tool in my kit.

My mind flashes back to my biology classes, where we thoroughly reviewed the reproductive system. However, I also find glimmers within my memories from lessons beyond the human body. Something slithers in those fragments and the picture that's been forming gains definition.