The Dragon

Erell hurried back to his room. His arm was burning horribly, as if flames were devouring his skin. Ignoring the few servants he passed, the Prince slammed the door of his chambers violently behind him. He immediately ripped off his glove and fell to his knees, inspecting his arm. The black scales covering it seemed to pulsate, and magic emanated from them. A groan of pain escaped him; it had been months since he had felt such pain, and he dreaded what was about to happen. Slowly, dragging his feet on the floor, he approached the mirror that hung in the room and looked at his reflection. If he could call it a reflection!

The thing in the mirror may have looked like him, but it wasn't him. His eyes were an unearthly glowing blue, which reflected off the black scales that surrounded his eyes like make-up would. He wore nothing on his arms, and both were covered in black scales that went all the way up to his shoulders. The reflection flashed a bloodthirsty smile at Erell, but the prince refused to be intimidated. It only excited the predator in front of him. He had quickly learned that behaving like prey made the situation worse, as the creature sealed inside him fed on his fear and all his negative emotions. What's more, losing control meant unleashing his prisoner's titanic powers on the innocent people who populated the palace.

After all, he was home to a dragon.

The beast had been captured when it had the misfortune to leave Ish-Al-Vin, its continent of origin, for the lands of humans. An old mage with powers donated by The One of War had been able to seal it in Erell, who was just a baby at the time. And now Voek had in his arsenal the devastating abilities of a dragon several millennia old. Enough to wipe many a city off the map, especially the capital of Aruhel. Or rather, Erell had these powers at his disposal. He had no real reason to obey his family's requests or even to protect Voek, apart from his own survival. Since he couldn't go out in the sun, he depended on others during the day.

The dragon was frustrated by the situation and deeply hated Voek for locking him up, but he didn't seem to care what Erell did with his powers. He was often completely indifferent to what was going on around them, which Erell understood. That evening, however, the dragon had shown a keen interest in Lady Maela Yale, the heiress of Pearlforest and the Southern Duchy of Aruhel. He had come as close as he could to the invisible barrier that held him inside Erell's body, like a caged feline pacing back and forth behind bars.

"Good evening, Erell."

"Good evening. Did you enjoy the banquet?"

"Not really, although one guest caught my eye.

"Yes, I noticed. What's so special about her?"

Erell thought she was pretty and interesting, but he doubted the dragon would be interested. He certainly had no opinion on human beauty.

"I can't say at the moment. But there is something. If you decide to spend more time with her, I won't complain. All I know is that she sensed I was there."

Damn! He was rarely so open to discussion. There was something really interesting about this girl.

"Lots of people feel your presence."

The dragon shook his head.

"No, they sense that you're powerful, that's all. A bit like standing up to a predator. They don't know I'm there. This human doesn't know what I am, but she knows I'm here."

Erell nodded, digesting the information. Could it be a question of sensitivity? The Yales were sometimes said to be more sensitive to magic than the other Old Houses, but that was probably not the case here. Her cousin - Hana? Harya? Anita? - did not seem to have spotted the dragon. Lady Maela was heir to the main Yale line, so perhaps that was the reason. Erell had to admit that he didn't know. The Old Houses had never interested him. He could raze them all to the ground if he felt like it. Only the royal family of the Islands, who controlled the water, could stand up to him, but that would be short-lived. So why bother knowing everything? It was a waste of time.

"I thought you wouldn't like it."

"I haven't decided yet. For now, I'm intrigued. It'll be infinitely more interesting than your daily life, anyway."

Erell couldn't deny that it was true. His life was very repetitive, and even he sometimes

lost track of time.

"I've enjoyed spending time with her, so I intend to keep seeing her. As long as you

don't scare her, you're free to observe her," replied Erell with a shrug.

"I can't wait to see you do your best to charm her. Between your rock personality and your inability to make conversation, it's going to be absolutely hilarious," laughed the dragon.

"Whose fault is it that I've hardly ever interacted with other humans?" grumbled the

prince.

"Your parents for turning you into a living prison for a dragon," retorted the beast, crossing his arms. "Go to bed now. You've got a lady to charm tomorrow."

As he removed his tunic, Erell noticed that new scales had sprouted. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Had the dragon made Erell feel nothing? I don't know why it decided to be nicer today, but I'm not going to complain," thought the Prince. He curled up under his blanket, hugging a pillow close to him. Ever since he was a little boy, plush toys, cushions and other blankets had provided him with more comfort than his parents. It was both pathetic and irritating. How dare they fear him when they themselves had inflicted this fate on him?

Erell was woken by Olyvar at around ten in the morning. The valet, who came from the lower classes, was probably the only person the Prince genuinely liked. Not once had he expressed the slightest fear, and he had looked after Erell as if he were her little brother. He had brought him cakes and other sweets when he was sad, and had taken him out into the palace gardens many times after dark to play with him. He had allowed Erell to forget that he was just a living prison for a dragon.

"Good morning, my Prince. How did you sleep?" asked Olyvar.

"Surprisingly well, and you?"

"Very well, I was delighted to see you enjoying yourself last night," replied the valet.

Erell blushed slightly as she thought of Lady Maela and her radiant smile. Olyvar laughed slightly at her expression and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Lady Maela is very nice," replied Erell. "Anyone would have fun with her."

"I don't doubt it," Olyvar replied, grabbing a brush to work on the Prince's tangled

hair.

Erell knew that his valet was teasing him. So he decided not to respond to the false provocation and let the man take care of him. Nevertheless, Olyvar quickly let out a cry of surprise when Erell removed his night tunic.

"My Prince, the scales! You must have been in pain, why didn't you call me? I would have brought you something," he cried.

"It didn't hurt. The dragon... he was quite active last night. I don't know if he did it on purpose, but it didn't hurt."

Olyvar frowned slightly, concern visible on his dark face and in his dark eyes.

"You assure me of that? Don't think I've forgotten that you were hiding your pain from

me."

"I promise. It hurt a little at first, but then it went away."

In fact, it had hurt like hell, as it did every time the scales spread over his body. However, he hated worrying Olyvar more than was necessary. As he hadn't been in pain for long, there was no need to reveal the truth to his valet. The latter watched him in the reflection of the mirror, his gaze inquisitive, but he finally gave up. Either he believed Erell or he knew that insisting was pointless.

"What do you want to wear today? Something comfortable?"

Erell hesitated. If he wanted to see Lady Maela, he had better be well dressed. She came from the South, and her fortune easily surpassed that of certain kingdoms. In the end, he chose to wear more jewellery than usual. He chose a white cloak, held together by a dragon brooch. Underneath, he wore a long purple tunic, which opened at the hips to let him move around. The edges of the garments were gold, and he slipped a few rings onto his white-gloved hands. He had also selected a number of necklaces of varying lengths, each decorated with semi-precious stones. Finally, he chose a purple scarf to protect himself from the sun, his sworn enemy.

"You look splendid, my Prince," Olyvar complimented him, "Mademoiselle Maela will

surely be as red as a rose."

Erell felt himself blushing brightly, and he glared at Olyvar. He must not have been very convincing, because his valet merely raised an eyebrow.

"Should I invite her to eat with you this lunchtime? She's invited to a meeting with the lords and other dignitaries tomorrow, so you have plenty of time to see her today."

"Is she invited to the meeting?" repeated Erell. "How do you know?"

"It's my job to assist you, my Prince. I just took the lead."

Erell would like to be annoyed, but that would be inappropriate. Above all, he was grateful, even if he was unable to communicate it clearly. A simple 'thank you' was strangely impossible to pronounce.

"I'll pass on your invitation. Should I suggest the Glass Gardens? It seems to me that's the best place for lunch."

"Yes, please."

Olyvar bowed once, then left Erell's flats. The Prince glanced at the curtains blocking the sun from entering the main room and waved his hand. Shadows began to move, rising from the floor like tentacles, and parted the curtains. Immediately, a ray of sunlight penetrated the room. Erell took a step backwards before the light could reach him. The weather was splendid.

Fucking dragon.

'It isn't my fault if I am the night and the moon' replied the creature trapped inside him.

Erell knew that, but he still wanted to be able to stand in the sun, if only once.

'Well, blame your parents and that bloody seal. I've always been able to stand in the sun without burning. If my scales covered your whole body, you wouldn't have this problem. Even better. If I wasn't locked up, you wouldn't have any problems at all!'

"I know! Will you let me swear in peace?" cried Erell, throwing up her hands to the

sky.

'Not if you insult me. Curse your parents instead, I'd be happy to cheer you on. That is, if you can call them parents.'

Erell bitterly regretted not being able to hit the dragon. He didn't need to remind her that her parents feared him and only kept him around when they needed him. And because he couldn't kill it, of course. He waved his hand again, and the shadows fell to the ground. The curtain closed, and Erell left her own chambers. The royal library and its thousands of books awaited her.

On his way, servants and nobles quickly moved aside. Even the bravest did not dare meet her gaze for fear of the dragon. They couldn't feel it as Lady Maela seemed to be able to, but they didn't need to. As a child, Erell had found it extremely difficult to contain the dragon and its rage. There had been several incidents, each with its own victims. It was on these occasions that fear had replaced his parents' affection, and without Olyvar by his side, he would have grown up entirely alone. He sometimes wondered what he would have become if the dragon had been his only source of companionship. If all he'd ever heard was the dragon's hatred for mankind, and that human life had no value.

Surely a monster, much worse than he already was. He would surely feel no compassion or regret for the unfortunate people who died when he lost control of his powers.

'And you shouldn't,' said the dragon. 'It's impossible for a human child to control my powers, even when sealed. The only regret you can have is that your parents didn't die at the same time. They would deserve it.'

"The castle employees didn't deserve to die. They were normal people, who weren't

involved in my family's machinations."

'Yes, but their deaths are on your parents, not you. If someone releases a rabid dog on children and the dog kills some of them, is it really the dog's fault? The owner should have known it was dangerous. The dog just followed its instincts.'

The dragon rarely comforted him. He much preferred laughing at him. But as soon as Erell felt guilty about these incidents, he intervened, never tiring. Perhaps he felt guilty too? No, impossible. He didn't care about the lives of a few humans. He was too old.

The Glass Gardens were located in the palace's largest greenhouse. Parasols and gazebos had been set up to allow visitors to enjoy the scenery while dining or sipping tea. Plants from all over the continent were tended by numerous gardeners. Erell had spent dozens of nights there with Olyvar, running among the flowers and playing with his valet as if he were a normal child. As he grew older, it became his favourite place to eat and relax.

He sat down at his favourite gazebo, enjoying the colourful flowers growing near him. The shade protected him from the sun, and servants stood by to open parasols if necessary. As he sipped a cup of tea while waiting for Lady Maela, he smell Olyvar. He looked up in the direction of the scent, and he saw his valet guiding the Dawnbringer through the Gardens, one guard behind her. She seemed amazed by the place, pointing at different plants and asking questions that Erell couldn't hear clearly enough to understand. When they reached the gazebo, the young woman bowed politely. As the day before, she bowed no more than was necessary. The pride of the southerners was not just a legend, it seemed.

Not that Erell gave a damn.

"Your Highness! I'm delighted to be in your company for this meal."

"Lady Maela, it is I who am delighted to see you. Please have a seat."

She did so, as graceful and beautiful as last night. Her dress was green, one of the colours of her coat of arms, and her shawl was silver. If he remembered correctly, the Silver Faction was Marquise Elanda Kale's faction in Aruhel. Everyone was gossiping about the succession crisis that King Rolan was imposing on his own kingdom. It was a real disaster, and Erell wondered why the king was allowing his bastard sons to claim the throne. He was guaranteeing himself more problems than anything else, and His Majesty Neve Blackstone's twins were not bad heirs. What he understood even less was the South's choice. Why were they following the Marchioness and not the Queen? Perhaps Lady Maela would tell him, if he managed to broach the subject.

"I don't know what you like to eat, so I've ordered different dishes. I hope you enjoy them."

"Oh, I'm not fussy, Your Highness! What's more, the Sunkiss cooks are incredible. I've rarely eaten as well as I did last night!"

He smiled, reassured. It was so easy to talk to her, and she gave off such a benevolent aura, that he naturally relaxed, despite the presence of the dragon in his skull.