by D A Stein
Everyone knew a true princess would be able to feel that pea and not be able to sleep. We would see if she was a princess.
Amelia immediately began to toss and turn, moaning as if in great pain. I leaned back, shocked by how fast it began to work.
Smoothing the covers back down, I hurried to leave the room before anyone heard her discomfort. As I opened the door to leave, I stepped back as Lyon came into view.
Chapter Five
Lyon
I was surprised to see my mother emerge from Amelia’s door. I narrowed my eyes and visibly dared her to say she hadn’t done anything to hurt the girl.
“I was just checking on her. She’s sleeping.” Lilliana said as she stared me straight in the eyes. I could hear Amelia moaning, then tossing and turning.
Sweeping past her, I stood beside Amelia’s bedside and observed her intently.
“What did you do to her? Tell me the truth, Lilliana, or I’ll tell Darius you’ve done something!” I hissed at her. “He has feelings for her already! Do you think hurting her will bring you what you want?”
“Lyon…” She started, but she heeded the warning she observed in my eyes.
“Mother.” I said no more than that.
“I don’t have to prove myself to you, but I didn’t do anything to hurt the girl. Your brother can only marry a princess, and that still has to be proved.”
By this time she was standing beside me as we watched Amelia, our eyes wide open. It was almost like an invisible giant was moving her body this way and that, lifting her up into the air, the bedcoverings hanging off the side of the bed. Her body was then tossed back to the bed like an unwanted toy. We had never observed anything like it.
I grabbed Lilliana’s arm by her biceps and almost dragged her from the room. She struggled and tried to pull herself away from me but I was stronger. I hauled her down the hall to her apartments, our footsteps echoing off the walls. Luckily Darius’ apartments were on the other side of the penthouse. I hoped he wouldn’t visit Amelia any time soon. At least, not until I could try and figure what was going on.
I thrust her into her small living area, and Lilliana drew herself up tall, a haughty set to her face. Her nose pinched and her lips thinned to a straight line. “You will not treat me like that again. I am your mother.”
I pinned her with a stare that should have turned her petrified.
“Then act like one, and not some conniving traitor,” I snarled back. “You know not to do anything so obvious. That’s what you taught me. Be devious.”
“What did you do, Mother?” The words strangled out of my throat as I asked again.
Not being able to stand looking at her anymore, I stalked from one side of the sitting room to the other. Over and over again.
My dragon wanted to shed my human skin and find relief in the freedom of the skies, releasing fury in fire.
I understood now how dragons of old ran rampant, destroying villages. I wish there were a few villages for me to destroy. I wish I had the courage to destroy my mother.
A dark look escaped in her direction as she pretended a nonchalance she obviously wasn’t feeling. Needing an outlet for my beast, my fist bashed into one of her delicate side tables. The crashing as it splintered into thousands of tiny pieces was more than satisfactory to my ears.
Turning away from her again, I turned back quickly at a high-pitched peel of laughter. Huh?
“I am asking you one more time, before I turn you over for Darius to deal with. He’s the prince.” I knew my jealousy was showing, but at the moment I did not care. “What did you do?”
She tossed her head at me but her washing of hands showed me she wasn’t as nonchalant as she wanted. “Did that satisfy you Lyon? I hope so. I didn’t do anything bad. I put a pea under her mattress. There. I admit it. I did an awful thing. A pea under her mattress.” The sarcasm thick in her voice.
Narrowing my eyes at her, I said, “A pea? That’s it? That couldn’t have her acting like that. Even a seizure wouldn’t be that bad. What did you actually do?” I pulled my phone out of my back pocket. Holding it up I put my contacts up for her to see. “I can call Darius right now. He’s on speed dial.”
“Sir.” A voice quietly said from behind me. I turned so fast I almost fell embarrassing myself. Where had this girl come from? She was young, and pretty. Very pretty. Too pretty.
“How can I help you?” I asked gently.
Her eyes flashed at me, but her voice was calm, “What your mother said is true.”
“True? “A loud huff of laughter escaped my throat. “Putting a pea under a mattress is true?”
“Yes.” Her nodding was bobble head like. “It’s an old wives’ tale. But a true princess wouldn’t be able to sleep with a pea there.”
“An old wives’ tale, huh. Tell me. How do you work for my mother?” I was curious as to where this young woman came from.
“My grandmother is her maid.” She glanced quickly down a blush delicately staining her skin.
“Lyon, leave the girl alone. We have bigger problems,” my mother said, shaking her head, her lip slightly raised.
“Ma’am.”
“Mother.”
Our voices tumbled over each other as we stated our protests. Our eyes met for a moment before my mother loudly cleared her throat. “Well, what are we going to do?”
Chapter Six
Amelia
I blinked. Where was I?
My eyes opened again, and I glanced about the large room I was in. Slowly my memory began taking hold again. I was in the penthouse of Darius, the royal dragon. A dragon.
Giggling, I threw the bed coverings off. Trying to move elected a deep groan, and any movement brought great pain.
I pulled the unknown nightgown off my shoulders and, down to my waist. From what I could see looking down at myself, I was covered in black and blue bruises from wherever was visible. I looked like I had been beaten by a crowd.
I moved slowly as I scooted off the high bed and set my bare feet on the carpeted floor. In the corner, I dropped the rest of the nightgown in front of a full-length mirror.
I turned this way and that, gasping in shock. I thought I was black and blue before. Now it looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to me. I thought about it, I was exhausted, as if I hadn’t slept at all.
The bed looked extremely comfortable. Wondering could be wrong with it, I climbed on top again. There must be something wrong with it for me to be so exhausted after sleeping all night.
Laying in the middle of the bed, I could feel something large and thick. Scooching down off the bed again, I knelt beside the bed and tried to peer underneath the mattress. Nothing there that I could find.
A lock of hair found it’s way in front of my eyes. With a loud huff of air, I tried to blow it out of my way. With a loud “ahhh” I pulled the strands away and behind my ears.
Then, I leaned forward and thrust my arm under the mattress and moved my hand and arm around trying to find the huge item that had kept me from sleeping comfortable.
All I could find was a large dried pea. A pea.
I held it up in front of my eyes with two fingers to study it. A pea.
Turning it around, I finally sat back on my heels admitting defeat. What was I to do with it. What was a pea doing under my mattress? No clues. No ideas.
That was when the door slowly opened, revealing the head of a young girl peeking around the door, who sighed in relief when she saw me awake.
She raised a hand to her open mouth, covering it when she saw me naked and covered in black and blue bruises and welts.
“Oh, Miss.” Tears well in her eyes as she put a hand out to me.
“I had a really bad night.”
The door opened again this time to show Darius’ tall, broad-shouldered form. His smile changed quickly to a slack jawed expression. His eyes wide, at the sight of my naked, bruised body.
His eyes changed to a burning darkness. “What happened.” The words strangled
through clenched teeth. He stepped further into the room, his hands fisted at his sides. He took one fist and slammed it into his suddenly open palm.
I hesitated briefly, shaking my head so my long golden hair flew about my face. “I must have done this to myself while asleep.”
I leaned, my elbow digging into the mattress, still sitting on my heels. They were starting to ache from being in this position so long. My hand rested against the spot where I had lifted it before. The softness a balm for my body. Wishing I could lay on it again. Instead, for a moment of relief, I rested my forehead against the deep side.
I had forgotten I was naked until I saw the look in Darius’ eyes, when I finally glanced at him again. His eyes burned with a dark anger.
The maid had the presence of mind to tear the comforter from the bed and drap it over me.
Glancing from the maid back to Darius, I commented, “you want to know what’s weird?”
A noncommittal.“Uh hu?”
“This was the only thing under the mattress. I would have thought with how bruised I was, maybe a castle or some such was under here. Not a pea.“
I held up the pea between two fingers. He studied it like it was an alien object. His eyebrows drew together, and his mouth made a silent ‘what?’
He came closer to inspect the pea as well. “It’s a stupid pea. Right?” I asked.
Darius scratched at his cheek as he gazed at me, his eyes glazed, “That’s what it looks like to me, unless it’s under a magic spell.”
That got my eyebrows raised almost to my hairline. Magic spell? Was that really a thing?
A knock tapped on the open door and all three of us turned to see who it was.
Chapter Seven
Lilliana
I pushed the door open and strode boldly into the bedroom. What shocked my eyes was the tableau before me. Amelia was kneeling on the floor, naked I assume, a comforter off the bed covering her body. My maid’s granddaughter, stood over her, a horrified expression on her face as if they had been caught doing something wrong. And Darius stood over her as well, but his hand was on a bare shoulder.
“What is going on here?” I demanded, while watching the three look from one to the other before Darius replied. “Amelia show my mother your arms and legs. Maybe she can give us an idea about what is going on here.” She looked questionably at him before releasing some of the comforter from her legs to expose them. Next, she brought an arm out of the depths of the blanket and I began to see what Darius meant.
The bruising was awful. Black and blue shading into green spots. Large, raised welts covered parts of her body. I couldn’t believe a dried pea could cause all that damage.
“Mother?”
I glanced quickly at the pea between Amelia’s fingers and took a deep breath before answering. “I put the pea under her mattress, to prove whether or not she was truly a princess.” My gaze settled apologetically on her. “Obviously, the legend is true. You are a true princess.”
Darius’ expression was hungry as he gazed at Amelia. She, shy, as a princess had been taught to be. Knowing she was a princess made his attraction to her acceptable. We’d have to find out who her family was and begin negotiations. My time as being queen would soon be over. I had so liked it. I sighed in disappointment.
I stood smoothing my hands against my slacks. No need to appear nervous. “Do you have any memory yet, princess?”
She frowned, a deep wrinkling between her eyes. I’d have to teach her to not do that. No need to look wrinkled before her time.
Amelia shook her head slowly and suddenly stopped. Her head cocked to the side, her eyes unfocused.
Watching her amazed me, as she tried to riddle her life back together. Her head moved between both Darius and myself as she said, “I remember flying a long way. Tired. So tired. My wings felt heavy. I was being chased from my homeland, in Europe. They were the princes of the higher families who wanted to mate with me. The last princess born in our generation. They were fighting amongst themselves. The strongest were what was left.”
Amelia shook her head as if coming out of a trance. Her eyes slowly focusing again. “What did I say?”
“You don’t remember?” Darius asked. She shook her head again. “You’re a dragon. Like we are. You were being pursued by male dragons of European royalty. We’ll protect you.” His chest expanded, his expression tight and fierce.
Male ego, I thought. So easy to use.
“Slow down tiger. Or…err…dragon.” My smile was tight lipped. I didn’t do that often. “And yes, we will protect you. You’re one of us now, and we protect our own.”
“Do you want to see my dragon? Maybe yours will want to come out then,” Darius said, his face lighting up like the sun. Like a damn puppy, I thought, disgusted.
Amelia nodded slowly, still unbelieving.
“Get her dressed. I’ll meet you on the roof.”
It didn’t take long for them for them to arrive. Amelia slipped through the doorway first and my dragon’s head met her. I don’t know why a head the size of a train car with black spikes along the back of my head and neck would scare her. Not at all. But she screamed, loud and shrill.
I ducked my head down to rub the side of my head against my shoulder as the sound pierced my ear drums, I backed up fast.
Well, at least she jumped into Darius’ arms. He walked them forward until they stood next to my head. She stood in front of him, trembling, as she stared at me, his hands holding her upper arms lightly.
My eye was level with Darius. He put a hand out and touched one of my ridged nostrils. With his other hand, he gripped one of Amelia’s and placed hers on my other. Her small hand was cold against my warm scales.
The tales of old said we were cold blooded reptiles, but we were, in fact, warm. Hot even. Even in our human bodies.
Her mouth opened to scream but no sound came out. Her body shivered; I didn’t know I was that terrifying. I thought I was worse as a human. I was dark, but beautiful, if I said so myself. If I had a large enough mirror I would see a dark purple body with black spikes that travelled from the top of my head all the way down my spine to my tail where it ended in two huge, deadly spikes. There were also a large, black horn over each of my eyes.
Raising my head up made Amelia try to jump back, but Darius was standing right behind her. His arms reached around and held her in place by her waist as I changed. We dragons were magical beings compared to the rest of the shifters. We were able to become invisible to the humans in our dragon forms. And if we needed to, we could talk to our family members telepathically as well.
I swiftly changed from a skyscraper sized dragon to human size in a matter of seconds.
I cocked my head at my son. “You know Darius, you could make her take dragon form. You did that to make her become human.”
His face went slack as he shook his head with a I know that expression. “I don’t want to do that unless I have to.” He turned Amelia, so she was facing him, rubbing her arms with his hands urgently. “You see that there actually are dragons. Right?”
The heavy, steel door leading to where they were opened with a slam, the noise so loud it echoed. The door hit the wall so hard it made an indentation.
“Mother! I did it! I contacted them and they’re on the way to get her!” Lyon yelled in glee. A grin split his face almost in half.
I rolled my eyes at my youngest. His stupidity still surprised. That was when what he had said hit me. “What did you do?” I wanted to either shake him to death or slap him silly. How did he survive to the age of twenty?
“Lyon. I did not tell you to do any of those things,” I hissed urgently at him. “I asked to inquire subtly. Find out if there was a missing princess in one of the royal families. Not start a war.”
“But, you want her gone. She’s not a princess,” he said slowly as if trying to understand what I was saying.
“You fool. That’s why we used the pea. To prove that she was. You’ve just sent the European dragons
at us. Get downstairs and start conducting emergency measures. We’ll need everyone here that’s able bodied. Men and women. Hurry!” I pushed him off and turned to scan the skies. We had no way of knowing whether it would be only the mating males or the royalty thinking we had kidnapped her. My dragon’s exceptional hearing would alert us to anything unusual.
A hand gripped my shoulder and body turned to face him. Darius. A furious Darius. His lips thinned to the point of white lines. A red-faced Darius. “What have you done, Mother?”
“Nothing. That idiot did this all on his own! Before I knew Amelia was a princess, I told him to discreetly inquire if there was a missing princess. He over stepped himself.” I gritted my teeth at trusting him to do anything right. He would now get us killed. All of us.
Chapter Eight
Lilliana
We had to set up an army inside this building now. That was what was important: this clan and protecting it. If I had to get rid of the girl afterwards, then that was what I would do. The clan and my son’s inheritance was what mattered to me, not some scared slip of a dragon girl. She was not worth a snap of my fingers to me, even if she was a princess, I’m sure I could hide her body where it would never be found.
Rushing through the door with Darius and the girl, we ran down the stairs almost flying we ran so fast. Of course, the girl far behind, not having an affinity with her dragon. Once she finally connected with her beast, she would heal faster and be able to move as fast as we could. She was as weak as a human as of now.
This shivering whimp of a girl would not be queen in my place. Not if I had anything to do with it. A queen needed to be strong. To be able to make hard decisions. She couldn’t be wishy washy and not be able to make those harsh decisions that I made daily. Protect our people. That was my motto.
