Chapter One
The road south was dreary and abandoned, overridden with weeds and field grass. Spots of snow weaved in and out of the land, uncertain whether to stay or to go with the growing day. We walked for miles. Not a single carriage, wagon, or horse passed us by. Mama and I trudged along the grassy edges of the dusty road, and her face swelled red from exertion. Her shoulders stooped lower than normal.
She stopped for a moment and put a hand on my shoulder to steady herself. "Let's rest awhile, child."
"Mama, we don't have to do this. I don't want to go to the Wise Women." I adjusted her cape over her shoulders and let my hand trail along her wrinkled cheek. "Besides, the new King and Queen are lenient about that law."
She grunted as she used my arm to lever herself into a seating position under a tree. "You must go," she panted. "You must be married. You are almost too old for the Choosing already."
"I want to stay home with you and listen to your stories by the fire every night. We are free, Mama. Why would I want to become a man's property?"
She hushed me sharply. "That is no way for a princess to talk. It is your duty."
I sighed. What princess lived in a dirty little hut, toiling in the earth day after day while her Mama cracked her hands raw and bleeding from work? Mama had an imagination, but other than that, her mind was sound.
"Child, look how old I am. I've only got a little while left before I pass on to the world of the gods. You will be lonely. Someone must look out for you."
Her gnarled hand, cold and rough, shook as it tried to grab at mine. Her shaking had gotten so bad she could barely hold a spoon. Even as she reached for my hand, she missed it twice.
I caught her hand. While I held it, I stroked it with my thumb. "I can take care of myself, Mama."
"You will be all alone."
"I am comfortable alone. We have always been alone, out in the hills."
She heaved a sigh and looked heavenward. "It was for your protection. Did I ever tell you how your mother and father met?"
I stood and helped her up. "Yes, Mama, many times. It doesn't matter: you're my mother now. We've no time for stories. We must get somewhere safe before dark."
We sat in silence until she caught her breath. When she was ready, we took up our journey again, this time slower. I kept silent as we walked, hoping to save Mama's breath for the walking.
We crested over a hill, and flat land sprawled below us for miles. From our perch, we could see smoke and fire below: a village on fire. Two dragons flew at each other with great roars we could hear, even from our distance.
"So Dragon Masters really exist," I said, as awed as I was afraid. They looked like tiny specks atop their dragons.
The blood drained from Mama's face. She stood, stunned immobile, and then suddenly sprang to life, as lively as if she were my age once more. Dragging me off the road and behind a big, billowing bush, she urged, "Hurry!" and "Hush!"
One of the dragons disappeared, falling behind a hut. The other dragon flopped in the air like a giant fish on a hook, rippled into invisibility, and then dropped back into sight again. It was as if there were an invisible curtain in the air, and he slid back and forth, in and out of our world, all the while flying straight for us. I reached for Mama's hand, and she gripped mine fiercely.
"It's a Dragon Master," she said. "You must not let him claim you. You are princess and cannot yet be claimed."
The dragon flopped in and out of sight. I could see a man on his back, his head bowed as if praying. The dragon floundered in the air, flying straight for us. It gave a great blast of fire, then thundered to the ground. It shook the dry leaves off the bush.
The man's head was still bowed, but he was not praying.
"Is he dead?"
His body was red and raw, most of his clothes blackened, burned, and torn. The edges of fabric stuck to oozing blisters, and he was limp in the dragon saddle. The dragon's chest heaved, glistening brightly even in the cloudy day.
Mama gestured for me to stay hidden, and I shook my head frantically. I grabbed at her hand and whispered for her to stay, but she stood up and shuffled to the road, leaving me alone and hidden.
"Who are you?" she demanded. Her hands shook more than normal, and I feared she wouldn't be able to stand much longer. I ran to her side and gripped her elbow, trying to give her support.
"Are you with the rebels?"
He lifted his head, blinked, and collapsed on the saddle. His lips were cracked and dry, his lashes singed clean off his eyelids. "Diana," he whispered.
Then he blew out, and pitched straight off the dragon's back, a height almost twice as tall as me. I'd never met a woman or man taller than me, so I was surprised the man wouldn't die from the fall alone.
The dragon gave a great whine, turned its head toward us and let out a stream of fire that ended in a cloud of black smoke. Its red body toppled and fell on its side, shaking the ground so hard we nearly lost our balance.
A softer black cloud of smoke rose from the dragon's nostrils, and it's eyes stared up at the heavens, unseeing.
"Mama," I whispered. "Is it dead?" I glanced at the Dragon Master, crumpled in the grass. "Is he dead?"
She set her jaw and went to the man, putting her cheek nearly to his nose and looking toward his chest. "He breathes," she said. "Come, we must go before someone finds us."
"We can't just leave him!" I cried. I stared at the man, fascinated. I'd only seen two or three men in my entire life. Every few years, a man would come to Mama in need of her herbs and healing. There hadn't been many women to come to our little hut, either: we were far from any towns, and few knew of our existence.
"I have kept you safe for near twenty years and I will not see you in danger now."
I planted my feet.
Her shoulders dropped and she shook her head. "I should have switched you as a child. I've spoilt you and now you're headstrong. Come, we must go. Someone will come for him."
"No, Mama," I said, even though I was blinking back tears from her reprimand. She'd never called me headstrong or spoilt. "You called me a princess. If I were a princess, what sort of princess would I be to abandon a sick man?"
I gasped as he blinked, his eyes opening. He let out a groan that ended in a whimper. After a few more gasps of air, he called for Diane agan, then passed out.
Mama shook her head. I had hoped, for once, she would deny I was a princess and abandon her silly game, but she just said, "You stay by him, make sure he keeps breathing. You remember how I taught you to help him breathe if he stops?" She knew I did, so she didn't wait for an answer. "I will gather what I can."
I bent toward him, even though a wave of repulsion rippled through me. Part of his arm was so burnt, I thought I could see bone under the seething flesh. I gagged at the charred skin and the cooked smell of him, and swore to myself I would never eat meat again. It was selfish of me, but I prayed he would keep breathing so I wouldn't have to go much nearer.
The air in front of us suddenly rippled, and a great green dragon emerged from nowhere. I jumped up and stood in front of the fallen man as another Dragon Master peered down at us from atop his beast.
"Stand aside, woman!" His dragon let out a stream of fire toward my feet.
I could think of nothing to say. I just stood, trembling, feet planted. Another stream of fire lit at my feet, this time burning the edge of my shoes and heating the skin underneath. I did not whimper.
The Dragon Master had black hair and a long, silken cape that was held over his shoulders with a gold chain. His mouth curled into a sneer and he licked his lips as if he were hungry.
"Stand aside, or I will spread your legs and have you before you are wet!"
I blinked. I knew what sex was, even though I had never seen a man naked. I'd seen our cats at it, even our dogs. It was a humiliating affair for the female, and I trembled at the thought.
I found my voice. "He is dead. Leave us be."
"Who are you?" he demanded. He flew his dragon up in the air again, astride me so he could lean over his saddle and peer in my face. "You are familiar."
"No one," I said, but I told him my name. "Kia." The dragon's wings created a wind as they flapped, and the tips nearly brushed my face. I did not step back.
"You would risk your life for a dead man?"
I thought quickly. "His gold will feed us for a year."
"If you come with me, I'll give you enough gold to feed you for a lifetime."
"I cannot. My baby needs me," I lied.
He frowned in disgust. After staring me down another moment, he turned and flew his dragon toward the town. The air rippled once more, and he disappeared behind its invisible blanket.
I ran back to the Dragon Master and checked his breathing. It was shallow enough to make me worry, and I rolled up my sleeves in preparation to help him breathe. Mama limped from the hillside, carrying herbs and a sack of water. She was overheated again, strained and short of breath.
"Mama, be easy."
She kneeled and handed me the small sack of water. "Just a few drops at a time in his mouth." She paused, winded. "We have only enough herbs to keep him alive for a little while." Her chest heaved with the effort of talking, but her hands were steady as she crushed the herbs onto the man's skin.
I dribbled a little water into the man's mouth, but he did not swallow. His hair was partly singed, partly black with soot. I let a some water trickle on his forehead and used it to gently clean his brow.
I heard a whoosh, and before I could look up, two dragons landed on the ground with a thud. I jumped up, prepared to protect Mama. A woman dismounted from one dragon, almost as tall as me. Another woman followed her off the saddle, scrambling directly to the Dragon Master's side. "Eloy!"
The woman who had ridden as Dragon Master strode up to me. "Sierra," she said, and I thought she was introducing herself.
"I am Kia," I said.
A man dismounted from the other dragon, then helped a woman climb down. He joined Sierra, putting his arm around her while he stared at me.
"Master Alek," she introduced him. "Lady Ivy," she gestured toward the woman,"and that is Diana." She pointed to the woman fussing at the fallen Master's side.
I kept my eye on the man, the Master Alek. He returned my gaze impassively.
Sierra addressed us. "I can see you have been kind to Master Eloy. Can we offer you a ride to where you are going?"
I stared up at the two dragons and shook my head automatically.
Mama stood. "We are going to the Royal Wise Women. A ride would be appreciated."
The man who stood next to Lady Sierra narrowed his eyes at me. My stomach clutched in panic, but I said nothing.
"Do you have the fee?" he asked.
Mama squared her stooped shoulders and much as they would go and harrumphed. "There is no fee to learn from the Wise Women. There never has been."
Master Alek said nothing, and Lady Ivy spoke up. "I host the Royal Wise Women at our mansion, and we charge fifty gold. Do you have a phallus?"
Mama set her jaw. "She is princess. All will be provided for her."
I said nothing, but mentally defied them to challenge her. How could they contradict an old woman's fancies?
Master Alek spoke sharply. "We are not the ones to play a fool's game with. We've left the princess at the palace only an hour ago, and she is certainly could not have grown six feet in only a few minutes."
Mama clapped her hands together. "Ah!" she grinned. "The Little Master Erik has had a daughter, has he? Wonderful news!"
I stared at her, speechless. No one said anything, and Mama kept talking, gesturing toward my sack. "We bring gifts of Kia root and leaves for the Wise Woman." The plant was my namesake, well known as the plant to heal injuries of fire.
Lady Ivy looked thrilled, but Master Alek growled. "And you did not use them on the Master?"
Mama spoke, "We did not have the time to boil the root, Master." She bowed her head deferentially. I took her hand and scowled at the man. Master Alek glared back at me distrustfully.
Diana interrupted us with a wail, and Mama returned to tending the Dragon Master they'd called Eloy. "We cannot keep him alive. He needs to go to the Wise Women immediately. Does Wise Woman Bella still live?"
Lady Ivy shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Master Alek will take us to the Wise Women presently." She stared at me curiously, the friendliest of them all. "I've never seen a woman as tall as you."
Conversation with strangers was something I had never done. "I have never been in the company of so many people," I said. She cocked her head at me and grinned.
Master Alek strode to the dead dragon. He rested his hand on the beast's snout. After a moment, he bowed toward his own dragon. The dragon lumbered over, snout close to the ground like a sad puppy.
Master Alek glanced at me. "Move away."
I swallowed and backed towards Mama. I crouched to help her, then felt a hot blaze at my back. We all looked over to see the Master Alek's dragon burning the dead dragon with his fire. It was a horrifying sight, and I once again gagged at the smell of cooking flesh. Master Eloy fluttered his eyes open and whimpered, "No... no." As he passed out again, I saw a tear trail down his face.
Mama said, "It is good he has tears. Give him more water, Kia."
"How will we get him on a dragon?" I asked.
Diana wiped tears from her eyes, her lips shaking. "My Master," she cried, leaning in close to kiss his lips.
As the dragon continued to burn beside us, Master Alek strode over. "When can I move him?"
Mama shook her head. "No time is a good time, Master. He may die if you take him through the fold, but he may die if you do not get him to the Wise Women within the hour."
"Then we will take him through the fold." He leaned over and pulled Master Eloy up like a sack of flour. He flipped him over his shoulder, and Master Eloy awoke again with a blood-curdling cry. Diana choked on sobs, pressing her fist to her mouth in an effort not to cry. Master Alek did not blink, but crawled up the side of the dragon and harnessed Master Eloy into the saddle.
He called to Sierra. "Bring Diana, and I will come back for Lady Ivy. And bring the Kia root and leaves."
Mama grabbed my sack and held it to her chest. "No," she said. "You cannot take the herbs unless you take my Kia with you."
"Mama," I said, astonished. "Give them the root."
But she could be as stubborn as I could. "You will not take the herbs and leave my Kia behind. She is a princess, and she must be trained with the Royal Wise Women."
Master Alek yelled, "She is no princess, crazy lady. Now hand over her sack or I will have my dragon cook you as it cooked the dragon who'd gone to the gods!"
I couldn't help but glance over at the burning carcass and grimace. Mama clutched the sack to her chest and said nothing.
"Mama, I won't go. Give them the sack and we will go home."
She did not spare me a glance, just stared back at Master Alek.
"Mama, if you don't hand over the sack, then I will refuse to go anywhere."
She glared at me. "If you do not go, I will throw the sack into the fire and this man will die. You will be to blame, for Kia root is as rare as a princess."
"Mama! You cannot do this. Give them my sack."
Master Alek pressed his lips together. Sierra bowed to her dragon and the dragon lowered himself. She climbed up the side and settled into the saddle.
Master Alek gestured for me to follow. "Go. I will be back for the sack in a few moments. Lady Ivy, will you be alright until I get back?"
She nodded.
"I will not go," I said.
"You will not stall another moment!" he roared. I remembered the man dying behind him, and I ran to the woman's dragon and climbed up behind Sierra. I gripped the handle as hard as I could, fearful of riding the great dragon.
I almost rocked off the saddle when the dragon beat its huge wings and lifted into the air. My stomach lurched, and the dragon heaved itself up toward the clouds. There was a great rip and the breath was torn from my body. The world disappeared into a sea of air, and then there was another searing rip and we were in front of the largest barn I had ever seen. The dragon landed with a jarring thud, and I threw up all over Sierra's back.
She was kind, even thoughs she visibly struggled not to feel disgusted. She handed over her dragon to some men and disappeared behind the dragon barn. I was slower climbing down, and one of the dragon hands helped me down.
Two more dragon hands came out with a stretcher. After Master Alek had helped Master Eloy on the stretcher, he left once more with his dragon.
I stood in front of the dragon barn, waiting for Master Alek to return with Mama. He ripped into the air, Lady Ivy with him in the saddle.
"Where is Mama?" I demanded.
His dragon stomped his feet as if irritated by my yelling. Master Alek jumped down. "She would not come."
"You lie!" I cried. I looked to Lady Ivy, who had smiled at me before. She held my sack of herbs. "Please make him go get Mama. I cannot be without Mama."
She climbed down from the dragon gracefully and gave me a tired smile. "She would not come, I promise you. Master Alek, you'll take her to Wise Woman Anna? I will go bring these to Eloy."
My heart stopped beating for a moment. How far was Mama from here? I didn't know which way to go, how to get home. Tears filled my eyes. I blindly started walking, sobs gripping my chest.
I'd only walked fifty feet when Master Alek's hand gripped my arm. I tried to tear myself from his grasp, but he used his other hand to smack me on the butt.
I gasped, stunned to be struck as I never had been. I tore myself from his grasp and stumbled backwards, falling onto the grass. He grabbed my arm and lifted me up.
"Whatever scam you and the old woman are running, I will not tolerate this princess nonsense at the expense of Lady Ivy's kindness." His hand struck my butt twice more, and I was shocked by the pain. The sobs in my chest stuck in my throat, choking me. I finally gasped in a breath and tried to get away.
"You are lucky I do not take my dragon whip to you." He sat down and tugged on my arm so I tumbled over his lap.
He pushed his hand up under my dress and I screamed. I feared he would violate me, but he pushed my dress up to my back, baring my butt. I screamed again and tried to crawl off his lap.
His hand burned across my butt again, and I clamped down on my scream. He could take my dignity away, but he could not make me scream or cry. As his hand smacked my butt over and over, my mouth trembled and tears ran down my face, but I did not make a sound.
He said nothing more, only spanked me and spanked me and spanked me. His hand hit my butt with such force, he pushed me off his lap. Every few spanks, he would stop and pull me back into position. With each spank, I gasped at the pain and the humiliation and the indignity.
"Let me go!" I cried.
This seemed to infuriate him further, because his hand sped up, whacking my butt and upper legs in a fury of fire. I gripped at the grass and tensed my whole body with the effort of not crying. Despite my efforts, he continued to spank me until I could no longer resist. I did not cry, but I succumbed to his beating, and went limp in exhaustion and pain.
He stopped and grabbed my chin so that I was forced to turn my head and look at him. "Are we clear on the order of things?"
My mouth still shook uncontrollably even as I kept myself from sobbing out loud. I wished he could not see the tears rolling down my face.
"No?" he said when I did not answer, and he flipped me over his lap again.
After another agonizing attack to my butt, he asked me once more.
I managed a "Yes, Master," and he dragged me up to standing.
"Now we go to Wise Women Anna. You will treat her with respect. I am going to warn her of your princess foolishness. We will have no games or threats this close to the crown. If I hear of it again, I will not spank you, I will see you hung."
I gasped. "Master, it is only an old woman's story. Please be kind to her."
He frowned at me, then gripped my arm as he tugged me across the field. I followed only because I had no choice, my butt still burning, and my heart aching for Mama.
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