Eulia And The Butterfly Dragon

Chapter 22 Dexter

Jacob, David and Jeremy were in uniform waiting in the lobby of the Dexter Inn. Eulia and her friends descended the great staircase regally smiling at them as they approached. "You look breathtaking, Eulia," Jacob whispered.

"You've seen me in this dress before," Eulia teased. She wore the long dress she had worn on Market Day. She had neckline of the dress fully opened baring her shoulders, the short puffy sleeves just off her shoulders covering her branding mark. She also wore her green necklace. Jacob recognized it as the one Mable had given her to mark her adoption. She also wore her tiny dragon medallion. Her hair was braided and rolled at the back of her head with a few loose curls hanging free of the bun. The green of the blouse and the stones of her necklace matching her eyes and complimenting her red hair. She smiled brightly and took his arm. The other dragon riders were similarly dresses, all of them smiling. Jeremy was simply staring at Jo, his mouth open.

"My eyes are up here," Jo whispered softly teasing him. He blushed as he closed his mouth and looked into her eyes.

"Sorry Jo," he whispered. Jo laughed and held him tighter and kissed his cheek.

"I do appreciate you looking," she whispered.

"Why are you all so conservatively dressed?" David asked. "Actually there is nothing conservative about you except for the long shirt."

"We thought we would go incognito," Phoebe said, "so we dressed like this."

"I even got two petticoats on," Eulia whispered.

"No shoes?" Jacob asked smiling. "Were are we going?"

"I really wanted to show you our room in the inn." Eulia said smiling with mischief.

"But that would cause quite a scandal," Phoebe added.

"And we're still under orders to refrain from flirting and fraternizing," Jo added piously.

"Why did you move to the inn?" Jeremy asked.

"There are baths here, and the food is good," Eulia said. "And so we could have some time with our plethora of boyfriends."

"How many boyfriends?"

"Hundreds, right Jo?"

"At least," Jo responded.

"But only one boyfriend with a capital 'B'," Phoebe added.

The dragon riders were carrying their musical instruments so the men took and began to carry them. "What's this Jo?" Jeremy asked.

"It's my hurdy gurdy."

"Are you ladies going to play for us?" Jacob asked.

"Perhaps by the fountain," Eulia said, "and later tonight at the inn. We can dance too, and if you're really nice I just may give you a kiss."

"I would like that!"

"Let's visit the fountain first," Jo said as they began walking. There were a lot of people out walking. The city's young women obviously pared off with uniformed men from the republic. They approached the fountain and the three women giggling held their shirts above their knees and immediately waded into the pool." Jacob and his friends sat on a bench and watched. They did not see the cloaked butterfly dragons flying around the fountain but the dragon riders did.

"Let's skinny dip," Eulia teased laughing at Jacob.

"I think not, Euly," Jacob teased back. She responded with a pout and the three of them sat on the pools edge with their feet in the water.