Taming the Dragon Collection Page 4

  She didn’t know which was worse: being paired with the psychotic Val Woodshadow, who would rape her or slit her throat without a moment’s thought, or being paired with the monstrous dragon who sought to exploit her as slave labor for the rest of her life. At least Aleksander wouldn’t rape her, or so she hoped. She had asked the other maids if he had ever tried to obtain carnal knowledge of them, but they all laughed it off and said he wasn’t interested in humans.

  Were there dragon females around for him to mate with and foster offspring? Were dragons even born like regular creatures, or were they created from some magic land that she wasn’t privy to? These questions danced through her head every day, but she couldn’t get any answers out of Aleksander.

  She was normally shy and demure, afraid to speak her mind and upset those around her. But something about the way Val treated her had snapped something inside of Mara and she found herself voicing complaints and questions to the other maids that she never would have dreamed of before this ordeal.

  She stopped in front of the entrance to Val’s chamber. Behind the huge animal hide that hung over the doorway, he waited by the fire for his food. She had not been in this chamber during his feeding time yet, and she wondered what he looked like and how he ate. Did a dragon eat like a gentleman or like an animal? She was about to find out.

  The animal hide moved easily to the side as she dipped into the chamber, holding Aleksander’s large bowl with both hands. The chamber was very long and narrow. It contained a large wooden table in the center and two fireplaces, one behind Aleksander and one to his left. Both burned brightly as the dragon lord sat at his table, appearing every bit like high nobility waiting for his meal. He still wore his white robes, but there was an air of dignity about him that Mara had not felt before. He was the king of this castle and he knew it.

  In front of him were a simple stone cup and a bottle of wine. Mara didn’t recognize the label on the wine and she wondered from how far away it had come. Had Aleksander taken it from someone or had it been given to him as tribute? Again the questions about the dragon and his life came flooding into her mind.

  He looked up, barely regarding her as she entered the chamber. She smiled and nodded at him but he did not return the gesture; he just continued to stare with his sapphire eyes. Mara found herself lost in his beauty as she crossed the chamber, being careful not to spill any of his stew. She had never expected a dragon to appear so radiant and god-like, but here he was appearing just so.

  This has to be part of the charm spell, she thought. I can’t be this fascinated with him. I didn’t even get this excited when I looked at Val.

  But Val was no Aleksander; he wasn’t even in the same league when it came to magnetism and beauty.

  Mara finally finished crossing the chamber and set the bowl on the table, looking expectantly at Aleksander.

  “I made it all by myself tonight,” Mara said. She was so nervous she was barely able to get the words out of her mouth. Why was he having this effect on her? Her chest felt heavy and her palms were beginning to sweat as she stood by the table. He glanced up at her and stared into her eyes for at least thirty seconds before turning his gaze to his meal. Mara was sure that she would pass out while he was staring at her, but she maintained her composure.

  Aleksander picked up the spoon from the bowl and slurped the food noisily, taking a large chunk of meat into his mouth as he did so. Slowly and deliberately he chewed the meat and swallowed before taking a sip of his wine. Then he sat up straight and turned to Mara. She realized she had been holding her breath as he took the bite, hoping he would enjoy it.

  What happened next almost made Mara’s knees buckle. Aleksander smiled and nodded at her, giving his approval for the bite he had just taken.

  “Will you need anything else?” she asked, gasping for air as the words left her.

  “That will be all,” Aleksander said, waving his hand to the door.

  Mara turned to walk out, smiling as she did so. She had pleased Aleksander, and for some reason that made her happier than she had been in quite some time.

  Chapter 6

  Over the next several weeks Mara decided to make the best of a bad situation. Maybe if she pleased Aleksander enough he would see her in a different light from the other maids; maybe he would view her as a human being. If he did that, maybe he would take pity and allow her to return home to her friends and family. It was a small, faint glimmer of hope, but one that Mara clung to as she fixed his meal every night and cleaned the living quarters.

  She had been shown other chambers, ones she hadn’t known existed, including large living quarters that had a very comfortable looking chair and several bookshelves filled with dusty old tomes. Apparently Aleksander liked to sit in the chair and read the books, looking for tales of treasure or faraway places that he could travel to and retrieve more for his hoard.

  “But he’s always here,” Mara said as she prepared Aleksander’s stew one night. This was a special occasion; she was trying a new recipe, one she was sure Aleksander would enjoy. The desire to please him had become overwhelming to her. Each time she brought him a delicious meal he said more and more to her. Eventually she hoped he would have a full conversation with her. It was quite apparent that he wasn’t used to having company, especially that of a female. “When does he find time to go treasure hunting?”

  “In the spring,” Raylene said, looking disapprovingly at the meal Mara was preparing. “You can’t change the master’s recipe. This will not end well.”

  “It’s okay,” Mara said. “He likes my cooking. Surely he will like this. It’s my father’s favorite stew recipe.”

  “He is not your father,” Raylene said, putting her hands on her hips. “The quicker you get that through your head, the better off you’ll be. The master likes things a specific way.”

  “I know,” Mara said. “Just let me try this.”

  “Fine,” Raylene said, throwing her hands up. “If he asks, I didn’t know what you were doing, though.”

  “So he leaves in the spring?” Mara asked, bringing the conversation back to Aleksander’s habits.

  “Oh, yes,” Raylene said. “The master will disappear for months at a time when the weather gets warm.”

  “He’s a white dragon, though,” Mara said. “He’s built to live in the snow. Even his breath weapon is one of icy death. Why wouldn’t he take off in the cold?”

  “It’s just one of the master’s quirks,” Raylene said. “He likes to spend the warm months out hunting for treasure and the winter months counting it, polishing it and reading up on where he’ll go in the spring.”

  “How long have you served him?” Mara asked.

  “Oh, let’s see,” Raylene said, tapping her forefinger on her chin. “I’d say this is my thirteenth winter to serve the master. It’s Priya’s eighth and Abigail’s seventh.”

  “What was it like when it was just you and him?” Mara asked.

  “A lot quieter,” Raylene said. “I rarely saw the master in those days.”

  “Do you like having the other girls around?”

  “Of course I do. It gives me someone to talk to, but if you don’t do your job right then we don’t have a lot to talk about, do we?”

  She shook her head in disgust as she looked at the pot of stew before turning and shuffling away, muttering about Mara’s lack of respect the entire way.

  “She’s wrong,” Mara said, stirring the stew. “He’s going to love it. I’ll tell him I used to make it for my father and then he’ll realize that I have a family and a life waiting for me. Just wait.”

  Mara found Aleksander in the same place she always found him, sitting stoically at his table with the dual fires illuminating his face as he sipped his expensive, imported wine. As usual he wore a white robe, which Mara had learned from the other girls was the only thing he wore aside from armor. As always he took Mara’s breath away and made her face hot when she laid eyes on his chiseled body and stern face.

  His f
ace was always so somber, so disapproving, the few times that he did smile and nod his approval sent Mara into giddy fits of laughter when she got away from him. It disturbed her, but anything that broke that stony visage was enough to make her feel like she’d won.

  “Your stew,” she said, setting it down on the table.

  Aleksander picked up his spoon and began to dip it into the stew before pausing and looking back at her. He cocked one eyebrow and then leaned forward, sniffing the bowl and inspecting it up close.

  “What is this?” he asked.

  “Your stew.”

  “No it’s not.”

  “Yes it is.”

  “This is a stew, but it is not my stew.”

  “It’s a different recipe,” Mara said, bobbing excitedly as she talked. “I fix it for my father all the time, and he really likes it. I thought maybe I would let the other man in my life try it.”

  “I am not a man,” Aleksander said through gritted teeth. “And I do not want to eat this slop. I want my stew and nothing else.”

  “Try it,” Mara coaxed. She could see that Aleksander was clearly getting agitated, but she refused to back down.

  “It’s different,” Aleksander said.

  “Different doesn’t mean bad,” Mara said. “I think you’ll really like it. Please just try it.”

  “No,” Aleksander said. “Return to the kitchen and fix me my stew. You have already wasted enough of my supplies with this foul concoction.”

  “What’s the difference?” Mara said. “It’s just got carrots in it instead of onions and it’s got more meat. You’re a dragon, you eat meat, right? What’s the difference?”

  “I am in human form,” Aleksander said. “Your digestive systems are weak and flimsy. This one cannot handle what I would be eating as a dragon.”

  “Which is?”

  “An entire cow or goat or elk,” Aleksander said, looking up at her. The blue ocean of his eyes was now a swirling storm of anger and malcontent. “Raw.”

  “Well, eat this,” Mara said. “It’s good for you.”

  “If you like it so much, then why don’t you eat it?” Aleksander asked, pushing away from the table and standing up. “I will not eat it and I am hungry. Return to the kitchen and fix my meal.”

  “You know,” she said, feeling her face growing hot with embarrassment. She lifted her finger and pointed at Aleksander. “When my mother was alive, she’d fix dinner and tell me I would either eat what she fixed or I would go to bed hungry.”

  “Are you going to send me to bed without my supper?” Aleksander asked, looking down at her finger with fury. The malicious gleam in his eyes made her very afraid he was going to bite the offending finger right off.

  “I just might,” she said, putting her hands on her hips and standing up tall.

  Aleksander threw his head back and roared with laughter. His whole body began to shake as he laughed. “I have never heard one of my maids act so silly and petulant. Return to the kitchen and fix my meal correctly, now.”

  “But…” Mara started to say.

  Aleksander picked the bowl of stew up and flung it into the fire behind him, staring as the bowl shattered and the stew boiled out over the flames and logs. “Now. I will not order you again.”

  Mara put her head down, trying to hide her embarrassment and shame. She had tried something new for the dragon, hoping to land on his good side, but in the end she had landed on his bad side. The anger and frustration he felt with her were enough to bring her to her knees and make her sob the night away, but she didn’t have time for that right now.

  I have to make his meal correctly, she thought, turning and shuffling quickly out of the room. I have to start the stew and get it cooked quickly.

  She couldn’t believe that she was letting him speak to her like that, that she was letting him order her around like she was a slave. But in the back of her mind all she could think about was how much she wanted to please him and make sure that he got the meal he wanted. It was disturbing how much of his approval she sought when the most he had ever spoken to her was on day one, when he had told her in no uncertain terms that she was his property. What was wrong with her?

  As she stumbled into the kitchen she saw Raylene standing over the boiling cauldron, slicing carrots and onions. She turned and gave Mara a look of sadness as she walked in.

  “I told you to bring him his meal right, girl,” Raylene said. “I just wish you’d listen.”

  “He’s so mean,” Mara sniffed. “He treats us like faceless slaves. I’m a human being, dammit. Doesn’t my life mean anything?”

  “Hush with those thoughts, dear,” Raylene said, then walked over and put her hands on Mara’s shoulders gently. “The only thing that’s important right now is getting the master his meal and getting it right. Let’s hurry this up, okay?”

  “Okay,” Mara sniffed, then she walked over to the cauldron and began stirring.

  It’s not okay, she thought. I can’t live under the dragon’s spell for the rest of my life. I have to get out of here, and soon.

  Chapter 7

  Mara turned the idea of leaving over in her head for several days after the incident with Aleksander’s stew. She knew that as long as she remained in the twisting maze of his chambers she would be under his sphere of influence. She had to break the charm spell and get home.

  As much as she hated the idea of doing anything with Val ever again, maybe he would still be in her village, waiting and planning for his next strike against the dragon. Aleksander had said he had defeated the dragon slayer; he hadn’t mentioned killing him. It made her sick to her stomach that her only hope was Val, but that was what it came down to.

  One day her opportunity finally came. Aleksander was nowhere to be found, probably off rolling in his treasure hoard in his dragon form. It seemed to be a favorite pastime of his. A lot of the gems and coins got stuck in the scales on his belly, making his dragon form glow brightly and colorfully for anyone who happened to walk underneath him. At first Mara had found it wondrous and amazing, now she just found it greedy and terrible. Whom had he stolen this treasure from? How many people had he killed to obtain his riches?

  The other maids were busy cleaning other chambers and she was left alone to clean the dining room, which was pretty close to one of the exit tunnels. As she began to wipe down the great table Aleksander sat at, she glanced around. She was completely alone in this place, not a soul to be found. She walked to the door flap and peered out, hoping not to see anyone else in the corridors. She smiled as she realized she was indeed alone. She couldn’t even hear the other maids.

  Trying to move as quickly and silently as possible, Mara darted out of the dining chamber and into one of the tunnels that led down into the mountain. She knew that she would come dangerously close to Aleksander’s treasure chamber, but if she went through the right twists and turns she would actually end up above the chamber and out of sight of the dragon.

  Mara stopped at a fork in the tunnel, trying to remember the proper way to go.

  “Left or right?” she wondered out loud. She walked casually into the left-hand chamber and strained as hard as she could to hear. The faint clanking of coins falling against one another met her ears. She did the same in the right-hand chamber and could hear nothing. Right was the way to go; left would lead directly into the treasure chamber.

  Mara ran through the tunnels again, this time not caring if she made noise as she was far away from the other maids and their deft hearing. Raylene had keen senses; she knew every time Mara got up to pee in the middle of the night. She was like Aleksander’s personal spy and informant, and that really bothered Mara. How could the maids be so in love with a dragon who held them captive? Why would they want to please him constantly? The spell. That was the only explanation for their actions and Mara’s own innate desire to please the dragon.

  As she exited the chamber she found herself on a walkway high above the treasure chamber. She peered over the edge to see Aleksander
in his great dragon form, lying on his stomach in a large pile of coins and gems, slowly counting a pile of platinum pieces with one of his mighty claws. They were nothing more than pebbles to him, but even so he moved them easily between his claws, stacking them as he counted.

  She couldn’t help but stop and admire him as he counted. His white scales were so shiny and radiant, they would catch anyone’s eye. Each scale was different from the others, like unique snowflakes covering his body. She had expected a dragon’s face to be terrible and frightening, but Aleksander’s face was anything but. The way his frills dipped below his chin like a beard almost made him appear like an old, wise wizard, and his eyes were bewitching in any form. He looked like royalty as his slender neck moved around the pile, observing each and every part of what he owned. Maybe in a different life she would have enjoyed the company of a dragon, but not this life.

  Sighing, she continued down the path, shaking her head and trying not to let the charm spell affect her any longer. Every time she lingered and looked at him she knew the spell was tightening its snakelike tendrils around her heart. Soon she wouldn’t have any free will left.

  Mara stopped and took one more look at the dragon as she exited the walkway and entered another chamber that dipped low into the mountain. She shook her head and hoped that she would never have to lay eyes on the magnificent beast again.

  Eventually the tunnel narrowed, forcing Mara to drop to her stomach and crawl through the cold mud that made up the tunnel’s floor. By the time she exited the tunnel on the other side she was dirty from head to toe. She stood, starting to wipe herself off before she realized it was a futile action. She would only get dirtier on this trip.

  The tunnel continued snaking through the mountain for some time before it exited into a colossal cavern that had to be forty feet high. A thin layer of ice covered the rocks in this cavern and a small stream flowed through its floor. She expected to see some sort of blind, underground fish moving through it but she found nothing in the stream except shiny rocks. She bent low to look at one as she walked by, mesmerized by the brilliant colors of the various rocks.