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Benjamin and I raced through the crowd. My dress was causing me to be very sluggish. The silk rustled at my ankles as I puffed to keep up. Ugh! I thought lifting the many layers of cloth from the ground and freeing my feet. Ben’s eyes widened as he saw my bare legs and worse, my ankles.
“Father should decide to disown you for such impropriety, Sonya.” Ben said with a twinkle in his brown eyes. I slapped his shoulder playfully. He was such a cad; a lovely, kind, patient cad.
“Father would not dare disown me. I keep you in line.” I said with a laugh. We slowed to a walk as we entered to ornate marble entry of the palace of Mekiya. I released my skirt and Ben chuckled. I shot a sharp look at him as I made myself presentable. The hall we walked into was only used once a year for the most important ceremony in Lemaire. The Choosing of the Future.
The boys looked nervous in front of the crowd. I smiled in sympathy. My smile dissolved when I saw Erik’s fuming face. “Sonya! How dare you! You have brought shame to me, not to mention yourself. Showing your bare legs like that…” Erik’s forehead vein bulged as he turned to Benjamin. “She is your sister. You must keep her from attracting the wrong kind of attention. You have to protect her.” Benjamin lowered his head. “Yes, Father.” My face turned as red as my hair. I didn’t need protection. I knew Handcraft Combat from Ben and could knock any man who dared approach me flat. “It is not as if someone would rape me in full sight of all the nobility of Lemaire!”
Erik’s face softened as he held back a chuckle at my indignance. I bristled visibly. I was not a source of entertainment. Why was it that only men could display genuine annoyance or anger? Erik saw my obvious irritation and his eyebrows lowered into a scowl. “Do not be pert, Sonya. Please have some grace.”
I turned away from him to watch. I twisted my ruby ring as my temper settled. A ruggedly tan and blonde boy caught my eye. The boy grinned with a gentle confidence that pulled at my heart. His blue eyes were full of laughter and sweetness. I lowered my eyes and grinned, as was proper.
I knew that I was well- favored. My hair was shockingly crimson, hanging to my waist in lovely ringlets. My eyes were as clear a blue as the sky over Perron, my home. I was of a creamy, unblemished, ivory complexion. I was very graceful in appearance and possessed goddess-like beauty. As Ben had once said, my face had “poetry.”
I nervously twisted my ring, fearing that this beautiful boy would not find me slender enough. That was the one discouraging thing about my appearance. My waist was tiny, but my hips and thighs were muscular. My governess Nettie said it made me look “womanly.” I said it made me look like a hog.
I sighed and looked up. The boy winked at me! I smiled openly, abandoning any sense of propriety. Erik tapped my leg, drawing my attention to the ceremony. I leaned forward in my seat as King Roderick, Queen Zaria, and Prince Aubrey entered the hall. Aubrey had the face of a seraph, an angel among men. I had the pleasure of viewing this angel upon many an occasion. His hair was black as raven feathers, his skin as pale as fresh snow; his gentle eyes were the color of dewy grass in the morning. Roderick was handsome with chiseled features and serious eyes, but it was from Zaria that Aubrey received his fine features. The queen had wavy black hair, silver eyes, and skin whiter than raw cotton. Her beauty was striking and unforgettable.
I smiled to myself, thinking of the love story between the king and queen that had become the basis of many a legend. Zaria was a half-Pitran daughter of a duke and a Lemari mother. They met at a diplomatic meeting for Zaria’s father was the ambassador between the two warring countries. They saw each other and fell madly in love. Zaria was thirteen and Roderick was seventeen when they married. Aubrey was born less than a year later. It was a wonderful tale of love conquering all that rivaled some of the stories in the books that I so loved.
Aubrey was looking around distractedly. His eyes settled on me. He smiled sweetly; his pale face coming alive. I blushed as red as my hair and lowered my face. When I finally raised my head, Aubrey was with the other boys and Roderick and Zaria were seated on a pair of elaborate thrones.
Just then, a very large and muscular young man dressed in a tan leather tunic and breeches strode commandingly into the room. His bald, ebony head glowed in the light streaming from the windows in the ceiling. Everyone quieted.
“I offer many thanks to you all for being here to celebrate the most important event of the year,” his thunderous voice paused dramatically. “The Choosing of the Future.” The boys shifted uncomfortably. The man continued. “Each dragon will choose their Wingstrider by telling them name. The boy shall say this name to you and only then shall the two be paired. This is the way it has been done. This is the way it shall be done.”
There were gasps of awe and admiration from the nobles as the dragons were led into the hall. They were all very young and only about eight feet from snout to tail. The dragons would grow to their adult size within two weeks of choosing a Wingstrider. Ben sighed. I knew he was wholeheartedly committed to becoming a Handcraft master, but it always made him sad to look at the gorgeous dragons and see the other path he could have chosen. I reached over to clasp his hand, and he winked at me. I smiled softly.
“Prince Aubrey of Lemaire,” a royal page said in a pleasant tenor voice. Aubrey strode forth confidently. The largest dragon, a shining, silver male walked to meet him. Aubrey placed one hand upon the dragon’s brow as was customary. There was complete silence.
“Moonwing!” Aubrey said with a wonderful smile. The audience stood and applauded, so proud were we of our prince. Roderick beamed and Zaria clapped happily for their only, dear child.
“Lord Kinsley of Carro.” The page said. The beautiful blonde boy loped to the center of the hall. It toke a moment, but soon a dragon nudged him from behind.
“Oh! There you are little tyke,” he said to the tricky bluish white female dragon. The audience chuckled. I laughed heartily, drawing a glare from Erik. Kinsley placed a hand upon her brow. “Cloudbeat!” Kinsley said with a grin. He winked and blew me a kiss. I stood up, surprised, and applauded until my arms hurt.
At this point, I noticed the second largest dragon, a breathtaking gold one, looking at me quizzically. The dragon stood up and walked confidently over to where I was seated. Ben looked on with shock and Erik with pure horror. I do not know what came over me, but with no regard to logic, I reached out… to touch its brow.
Sunflight. I am Sunflight and I am yours and you are mine and we are one. The dragon thought in a low, bell-like voice that I recognized as my own.
“B-b-b…” I sputtered.
No, I can only understand your pure thoughts, not that garbled human speak. She thought with a hint of disdain.
I AM A GIRL! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING! I shouted mentally.
I am a girl too. This is happening, whether you want to accept it or not. There is no need to shout. I can always hear you, no matter the distance. She said in that same eerily familiar voice.
I accept you. I said without thinking and found it to be true.
Announce yourself. Proclaim it to Akasha. Sunflight nudged.
I swallowed. Akasha, give me strength. I laid a hand upon the smooth scales of Sunflight’s forehead. “Sunflight!” I said with far more confidence than I felt.
The crowd that had previously been silent lunged to its feet with cries of shock and anger. Ben and Erik swung in front of me, daggers unsheathed. I stepped in front of Sunflight to protect her.
“Witchcraft!” Someone screamed.
“She is a harlot, sent from the Black Plains to corrupt our sons,” shrieked another.
My eyes almost fell from my face in shock as both Aubrey and Kinsley stepped in front of me. Aubrey looked ready to rip off someone’s head. Kinsley clasped my hand, and in spite of all that was happening, I had to smile. Aubrey slid me behind his six foot frame. He was so tall for twelve! I was exceptionally tall as well, at five feet and seven inches.
“Enough! Anyone who calls a threat or insult to the Lady Winglet will face the charge of treason,” Aubrey boomed. His voice was between that of a boy and man, yet he spoke with all the authority of Roderick himself.
Lady Winglet. It had a charm to it. This was my last thought as the world spun and finally went back. I felt gentle arms catch me and then no more.
I awoke with my face upon a soft, velvet coverlet in a well-furnished room. A woman in her late twenties was sponging my face with lavender water. She swept a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. He hazel eyes looked so very kind in her cinnamon colored, heart shaped face; I could not help but to trust her.
“Well look who finally decided to grace us with her presence. There has been a mighty bit of talk ‘bout you, miss,” she spoke with the heavy accent of Mekiya, the capital city.
“I am Emery. Gon’ be your governess whilst you are in trainin’,” She sounded like Nettie and I loved her immediately.
“Who carried me to my room?” I asked as she handed me a goblet of sweet wine which I gulped greedily.
“Why Prince Aubrey o’course. He is a sweet lil thing. I do believe he fancies you,” Emery said with a grin. I blushed scarlet.
“The prince… carried me?” I whispered.
“Now didn’t I just say that, miss?” Emery asked, teasingly. There was a knock on the door. Erik didn’t even wait for an answer before he came bursting through to crush me in a hug.
“I am so very sorr-“ I began to say, but Erik interrupted.
“I am so very proud of you. They have asked you to be a Winglet. His Majesty was against it, but the prince spoke for you and Her Majesty agreed with her son. It is a hard life. Are you willing to work for it?” Erik said, his eyes glistening with tears.
“Of course,” I said with more conviction than I had ever felt before in my life.