Page 14 of Wild Bond

I would stare too. Iwasstaring. It was hard not to when that powerfully built body which moved with a predator’s grace was only a few feet in front of me.

For her part, Skye was taking in everything around us with a boundless curiosity that I was quickly discovering was an integral part of the being she was—at least when she wasn’t being overly protective.

I had many more questions but decided to keep them to myself. The commander didn’t seem in the mood, and I didn’t want that glare of his turned on me.

Before long we arrived at the castle gates. The guards took one look at Rakim and let us pass. I stared up at the massive stone structure disappearing into the night sky overhead. The dark stone walls seemed to shift in the light from all the torches and lanterns hanging from its walls and throughout the courtyard. As we walked forward, I couldn’t help but think of the night I was captured, and how my life had changed so drastically. The scar on my arm itched, and a chill raced down my spine, and I tried to force that night from my mind.

Lost in my thoughts and clinging to my connection with Skye for something to ground me, I was hardly aware of anything, least of all my surroundings, until we entered what I could only assume was the ballroom.

I fought to control the sudden bout of nerves that assailed me. The room itself was one of the most beautiful and massive things I had ever seen in my life. Creamy marble and gold filigree dominated the open space. Marble pillars lined the dance floor on all sides leading up to a balcony that overlooked the floor below. Music drifted down from where I could see a group of musicians playing at one end. Nobles in their finery and riders clad in armor filled the ballroom, everyone eating, talking, drinking, or dancing. I also noticed a few younger riders sporting brown trainee leathers like mine. Servants in the green and silver livery of the crown ducked in and out of the crowd, carrying trays of drinks or delicate creations that I could only assume were food of some kind, though they looked more like art.

A few dozen dragons, all in their minor forms, flitted around the room, most staying close to their riders.

Rakim led me over to one of the marble pillars on the left of the dance floor where dozens of couples were currently dancing.

“Wait here,” he ordered. “I’ll let the queen know you’ve arrived. No doubt they’ve been waiting to begin the presentation.”

I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, he and his dragon had disappeared into the crowd.

Clenching my hands at my sides, I tried to take several deep breaths while I glanced around, trying to ignore the eyes on me. The scrutiny didn’t appear to bother Skye at all. She was even more curious than I was as she took in our surroundings.

I was mesmerized by the dancers and how everyone seemed to know the steps, falling into them easily, even when the song changed. The women all looked beautiful in their colorful dresses and elaborate hairstyles, while all the men appeared dignified and elegant as they moved their partners through the steps.

The dancing I was used to seeing in the lower city streets and taverns during the celebrations was very different. The music and movements were much more lively and loud than the graceful ones I was witnessing here. I couldn’t help feeling like a fraud at that moment, wondering how I was suddenly supposed to belong here. I couldn’t imagine ever fitting into this world.

After several minutes of watching the dancing couples, my eyes were drawn to the opposite side of the dance floor where Prince Pierce was speaking to another man in long dark robes. I wondered how the prince had gotten here before us, but then remembered that he was a dragon rider. He had likely flown here while Commander Rakim had escorted me through the city on foot, since I couldn’t fly yet. The man the prince spoke with was older, thin, and pale to the point of almost looking sickly. He had a hawkish nose and slicked back, light-colored hair that was a mix between gray and blonde. He wasn’t dressed as a dragon rider, and I had never seen the man before, so I assumed he was a nobleman. There was an air of oily superiority practically dripping off him that I didn’t care for.

He glanced my way then, and our eyes clashed. Unsettled by the odd flare of calculation and avid interest in his eyes, I hurriedly looked away.

Trying to pretend I hadn’t been caught staring, I let my gaze drift casually over the crowd until they fell on a little boy who couldn’t be more than five or six. He caught my attention because he was dressed in a smaller version of the trainee leathers and was holding a little ruby colored dragon in his hands. He stood by a man and a woman that were dressed in the more simple style of commoners. I guessed they were his parents.

Skye noticed where my attention had landed and sent me images of the boy bonding with the tiny dragon he held. The images took place during the day, and I could tell they were in the large arena known as the Nest. I realized this was Skye’s way of telling me that this boy had bonded with his dragon during these celebrations and that she had been there to witness it. He would be presented to the queen tonight as well.

The music came to a halt, and everyone quieted as a steward addressed the onlookers and welcomed everyone to the Exodus Ball on behalf of Her Majesty.

I stepped forward so that I stood on the edge of the crowd facing the dais that was set up on one end of the ballroom—the dais where the queen now sat with her two children by her side.

I had never had a chance to see Queen Elaide in person before. She was a tall, older woman, nearing her seventh decade. Her auburn hair was streaked with gray and pulled back from her lined face, complimenting the dark green gown she wore. She was still beautiful, despite her age, and held herself with a regal bearing. A polished wooden cane with a golden dragon’s head atop it leaned against the arm of her throne within easy reach.

Prince Pierce, who looked just as formidable as he had in the council chamber, and Princess Mercedes, sat in smaller chairs on either side of the queen’s throne. The prince’s scowling face regarded everyone in the room as his dragon lounged on the step below him, staring just as imperiously out at the crowd.

Princess Mercedes, on the other hand, looked nothing like her older brother. She had long auburn hair that mirrored her mother’s, with glasses perched on a small nose. Her pretty face boasted a light dusting of freckles. She smiled sweetly, but her willowy frame was draped in a lavender gown that looked stiff and uncomfortable. I didn’t know much about the princess other than she wasn’t a rider and was said to be rather shy. If that were the case, then no wonder she looked so uneasy surrounded by all these people.

“Bring my new riders forward,” the queen commanded, interrupting the steward, her tone somehow impatient and slightly bored at the same time. I would have chuckled at the flustered look on the man’s face if I wasn’t so nervous.

I took in all the nobles, riders, and unfamiliar faces surrounding me as I stepped forward. I caught a glimpse of Rakim standing just off to the side of the dais. There was a few feet of space all around him, as if people were wary of getting too close.

The little boy I had noticed earlier, and a young girl who could be no older than ten, came forward as well. A noblewoman with the same dark hair and eyes as the young girl stood at the edge of the crowd. She gave a reassuring smile when the girl looked back at her. A silvery white dragon was perched on the girl’s shoulder, and she stroked its tail lightly before turning back around to face the queen.

The little boy was clutching his ruby dragon to his chest. The animal looked tiny in his small hands, reminding me more of a lizard with wings. From the way it was wriggling around, I guessed the dragon could not be much older than a few years, still very much a hatchling.

“Only three of you,” Queen Elaide mused aloud. “Another lean year.” She wasn’t speaking very loudly, but her voice carried in the quiet of the hall.

The queen stood with the help of her cane, using it to walk the few steps down from the dais until she stood not a dozen feet away from us. Her assessing gaze took each of us in one at a time.

“Penelope,” she addressed the girl first as if she recognized her.

Penelope sank down as if to drop into a curtsy, but then seemed to remember she was in her training leathers so instead dropped into a quick bow. “Your Majesty,” she murmured, placing a hand to her heart, her cheeks pinkening.

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