The Dragon Academy

Chapter Two ~ The Choosing

Virginia woke up with cold sweat streaming down her back and her heart pounding so loudly in her chest she was sure that the sound would awaken the entire village. She had just had a terrible dream, one that made her chest tighten in fear, but it was beginning to slip away as dreams do. After a few minutes, all she could remember was a cold, empty laugh and a large pair of amber-brown eyes that reminded her of cool honey. Then she remembered what was going to happen today. She quickly slid out of what served as her bed, an old cornshuck mattress, then quietly slipped out of her short nightgown and got into her only dress. She then began her morning chores. She swept the kitchen and dining room floors, fed the pigs, cows, horses, and chickens, washed the clothes that her stepmother, stepsister, and stepbrother were wearing yesterday, and began to make breakfast when everyone finally woke up. When Lucy and Bianca entered the kitchen, Lucy was wearing a large gloating smirk while Bianca fussed over her now braided hair.

"If they glimpse the tiniest flaw they'll not pick you, so remember all of the little things about proper etiquette that I've taught you over the years." Bianca told Lucy.

"Of course mother." Lucy said with a bat of her lashes.

"Okay," Bianca stepped back to admire her handy-work, "You look perfect!" Lucy was wearing Bianca's old wedding gown, a white dress made of satin that could barely fit Lucy's short figure. 13 bands of fake pearls (borrowed from Charlotte, no doubt,) were weighing down Lucy's neck, while she struggled to walk in the big, gray sandals that Bianca usually wore on special occasions. A white band with three purple flowers sat precariously on top of Lucy's carrot-orange head. Rose blush was spread across her cheeks, light purple powder was smeared on her eyelids, and her lips were shining with a light red color. Even though Lucy looked quite ridiculous, Virginia had to admit that Lucy looked a lot better than she did. With her curly, matted black hair, eggshell-pale skin, and dirt encrusted hands, she doubted she would win first prize for prettiest girl of the village. To her, her only redeeming feature were her eyes. They were a bright green, and they sparkled like stars were trapped inside. When everyone had eaten their fill of eggs, bread, and cheese, Bianca took Lucy to her room to see if she could make Lucy look even prettier, while Sam, Virginia's stepbrother, went to join his friends in taunting Lord Reddingham's dogs. After she made up the proper beds of her stepfamily, began lunch, checked the shop's inventory records, and polished the few surfaces in the house, Virginia decided to try and clean herself up before the Dragons arrived. Changing into her nightgown again so that she could clean her dress, she put the dress into the wash bin, added soapy water, and began to scrub.

When she finished cleaning her dress, she set it out to dry, and wandered outside. It was a beautiful day, with a cloudless sky, a warm sun, and a light, cool breeze that softly tickled the wildflowers surrounding their small cottage. Remembering the headband with purple flowers that Lucy was wearing with her dress, Virginia got an idea. She began to pick the wild flowers that grew in the side of the hill where their cottage sat. After gathering many blossoms of purple, blue, and white, Virginia rushed back inside, where her dress was now dry. After slipping on her dress and combing out her now neat hair, she began to make her idea come to life.

                                                                                                    ~*~

It was 20 minutes to noon, and the square was in total chaos. Mothers were fussing with their childrens' hair or clothing, fathers were bragging that it was going to be their child that was going to be picked, and the children themselves were either in fights with one another or trying to sabotage the others clothes while they thought no one was looking. Only one of them didn't take part in the turmoil. Virginia stood in the shadows, surveying everyone else. Charlotte of course was in the prettiest gown and jewelry in the entire place. With a light-pink silk dress, a pair of baby pink slippers, a gold and pearl necklace, and three golden bracelets, she looked like a princess. She even wore a golden tiara. Virginia also noticed that Charlotte had the royal dragon emblem pinned to her dress like a brooch and the red ribbon tied around her waist. Compared to that, Lucy looked like a fool in the too-big wedding gown.