Page 5 of Lady Dragon
Kirek felt her lips twist as she responded, “Should I try to begraceful? Womanly? We don’t have this concept as dragons. We are female, yes, but not like you.”
“So you don’t like men, and you don’t appear to like women. Do dragons like humansat all?” The princess paused before continuing more determinedly once it became apparent that Kirek wasn’t going to answer. “Being womanly isn’t only about grace. Nor is grace a bad quality.”
“Grace is unnecessary,” Kirek said. “As are flowers without purpose.”
“So you only do what’s necessary?” Samansa’s voice had wound tighter.
“I try.”
“Is that why you’re not terribly nice?” The princess’s eyes widened, as if she was startled by her own words.
Skies above, this girl can scareherself,somehow, Kirek thought. How was the future ruler of this realm so flinching?
Never mind that Kirek had come here for this exact reason—to assess their weaknesses and report back. Not that the humans knew her ulterior motive, and they wouldn’t discover it, not with the dragons’ secret means of communicating. Her mother would be pleased at what she was finding. But instead of satisfaction, Kirek only felt bone-deep disgust.
“Yes. Niceness is useless,” she said. “Niceness doesn’t win your battles and defeat your enemies.”
“Butwe’renot enemies. Right?” It was an obvious bid forreassurance that Kirek ignored. Samansa continued, “And life isn’t always about battle, but also beauty.”
Kirek abruptly turned and faced the princess, baring her teeth. “If you’re an overripe fruit, gone soft in the sun, don’t be surprised when someone plucks you up to eat you.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she hissed in a breath. She risked revealing too much, through these unwieldy words and too-malleable expression. She forced her face to return to smooth indifference. Jamsens had moved a few steps closer than his previous discretion had allowed, his hand on his sword. Kirek only flicked him a glance.
“Areyougoing to eat me?” Samansa bared her teeth in return—and then Kirek realized the princess wassmiling, albeit sharply.
Samansa was assuming Kirek had smiled first—hadjestedabout the princess’s precarious position. What luck, if a mistake on Samansa’s part.
Kirek almost wanted to warn the fool to run the next time she saw a dragon showing her teeth—bodyguard or no. Dragons didn’t smile, and they didn’t jest. And a man like Jamsens would fall like cut grass, no matter the weapons he wielded.
But Samansa wasn’t stepping back, despite their proximity, standing within reach. Remaining so close to Kirek showed a lack of wisdom, indeed, whatever form the dragon might be wearing—smile or no smile. Kirek could have snapped her neck in a blink, had she wanted to.
Fortunately for the princess, Kirek didn’t want to—yet.
“I told you,” Kirek said, “I don’t like sweets.”
To Samansa’s credit, her tone had bite when she snapped back, “If I’m an overripe fruit, let me guess whatyouare.”
“A honed blade,” Kirek answered immediately. She would have preferredtoothoverblade, but she didn’t want to frighten the princess—or concern Jamsens—more than she already had.
“I was going to say a dried-up stick.” The princess’s gaze darted beyond Kirek. “But I think you’re more of a cat.”
Kirek turned to see that exact animal strolling across the path behind her. So there wasonecreature, at least, hunting among the flower beds. It paused to stare haughtily at them, and then continued on its way as if they were beneath it, despite its vastly shorter stature. It was orange and striped and absolutelynothinglike her.
“I don’t even want to guess as to how you came to that conclusion,” Kirek said, turning back and folding her arms. Humans did that to show they were relaxed, yes?Notready to inflict violence? Her amused scoff was entirely genuine, at least, and Jamsens seemed to uncoil somewhat. “And you don’t want me to guess which beastyouapproximate, because it’s one I like to eat and that wouldn’t be veryniceto suggest.”
The princess covered her mouth in yet more shock. “That wasn’t nice of me, either, was it, to compare you to an animal? In fact, that was terribly rude! My mother is going to—where are my manners? My apologies, Lady—erm—Lady Dragon.” She bobbed another curtsy. “You’re not like a cat, even if that’s rather more flattering than a cow or a pig or a sheep, which is what I assume you were implying with regard to me.”
Kirek ignored that last part. “Did you forget my name? Because it isn’tLady Dragon. It’s Kirek and only Kirek.” She found herself frowning again, but not because of the atrocious title. “And you can withhold your apology, because I rather appreciated seeing your teeth, for once.”
Samansa blinked. “What does that mean?”
Kirek spun away from her, putting a safe distance between them once again. “I’ll leave it to you to find out. One can’t learn everything in a moment.”
If only, she thought, a bitter taste on her tongue.Because then I would be done with this place.
“I thought you wanted to learn frommeon this little outing.” The princess had to hurry once again to keep up, despite being the supposed guide, picking up her ludicrous silk skirts, which were pale and fluffy and about as substantial as a cloud against either a dragon’s clawsora blade.
“And I have learned from you.”About you, Kirek didn’t add. She nodded at their opulent, ridiculous surroundings. “I won’t ask why the path beneath us is made of tiny broken rocks, because I know it’s for your soft, unclawed human feet. But please, do tell me why your walls are arranged in such a cramped and yet ineffective way, never mind why they arebluewith gold cracks to weaken the stone?”
