My heart, My love, My dragon

Chapter 10

A week had flown by slowly. Anya now knew various spells and settled down Spanish and French. It took hours and hours of practice and many hours of missed sleep. Her closet was rid of jeans and blouses and replaces with sundresses, ball gowns, overskirts, backless dresses, shirtdress...DRESSES, period.

She always had to wear a corset underneath and now knew how to walk straight and steady with four books on her head. She knew proper table etiquette, what the various silverware served for, and polite etiquette. She knew how to be docile, calm, and calculating. They were taming her, yes, but Luthor would always bring her back to who she was by cracking up a few jokes.

But this particular day was September 23. What Luthor told her was supposed to be a quiet morning was a busy one. No one seemed to be mourning. If they were, they weren't showing it.

At breakfast, Anya slipped into the seat beside Luthor. "I thought this was a day to mourn."

Luthor grimaced, "Somehow, Lucia and Master Hydreich found out that today was also your birthday. And since they are so hell-bent that you are Khaleesi's blood or sister bestowed by the heavens, they couldn't continue mourning with you alive."

Anya nudged him slightly, "Is that why instead of a fruit salad I have a stack of pancakes?"

To train Anya's body into a delicate beauty with a tiny waist, Lucia had made a specific diet for her. Luthor handed Anya the maple syrup, "Eat up. This is probably one of the rarest times you'll ever have breakfast like this. Khaleesi also had a strict diet and only on her birthday did she get the same plate as you are now."

"You're right. I'm starving," Anya closed her eyes and savored the soft pancake in her mouth.

"But there's a catch."

"Excuse me?"

"Khaleesi fell for it the first time too. She wolfed down everything which disappointed Lucia. She made Khaleesi run miles to burn down those calories. So what you need to do is act like you are disinterested and forced to eat ten bites tops. No more. Just ten bites."

"My, my, my...Weren't you quite the analyzer," Anya said.

"Don't you notice how Lucia is staring at you?"

Anya did as she was told and took ten disinterested bites and announced, "Lucia, I am no longer hungry."

Lucia clasped her hands together, "Quick! Give Anastasia her smoothie."

"Smoothie?" Anya asked. "I had a few sips of tea already."

"It's a detox smoothie," Luthor whispered lowly.

"s**t, is this woman aiming to kill me?" Anya breathed but her smile shown falsely. She was given the smoothie which was disgustingly green.

"This is what every heiress of a High House has to go through," Luthor mumbled. Anya delicately drank a sip of the smoothie. 

"It's delicious," her voice was strained. It was awful. Absolutely awful. She finished the smoothie and placed her hand on her flattened stomach.

"You okay?" Luthor asked kicking her leg slightly. "You look green."

"No....I thought I looked perfectly okay," Anya retorted. Luthor rolled his eyes, he was used to her sarcasm.

When Anya left the table with a polite curtsy, Lucia decided to stop her. "Anya your birthday gown is in your suite. How old are you turning today?"

"Fourteen, Lucia."

She dipped her head in acknowledgment and waved Anya off. In her suite, as promised, there was a gown on her bed. It was a gold sequin ball gown with off the shoulder straps. She switched out corsets for the one that was also laid out for her. Matching gold heels was where she placed her feet. A maid soon came in.

"The Misses told me to fix your hair," the maid said. She was a thin girl. Maybe 18.

Half of her hair was put into a braid which was later curled up into a bun. The rest was heavily curled. When the maid left Anya breathed a sigh of relief. Running away was out of the question. Where would she go? Even so, she would be recognized as the Heiress of High House Hydra. She would only have to wait until her training was over so she would be sent to the capital where maybe, just maybe, she could away to the fairy kingdom. The border was near the castle after all.

Eventually, Anya went back downstairs into the Ball Room. Luthor linked arms with her and lead her inside the enormous crowd of House Hydra.

"Something bad is going to happen," he warned but he had plastered a fake smile.

"What?"

"News reached out to the capital- to King Arin- that High House Hydra was celebrating on a day that they were supposed to be mourning like the Kingdom was. Sources report that the King was enraged."

"And? Lizard-boy can come here and throw a tantrum if he wants to. I didn't ask for this party, did I?" Anya scoffed.

"Don't say that. You are too blunt. Don't test a King's fury or his dragon. Arin might not have been as enraged but his dragon is beyond infuriated now. Arin is not Arin. His dragon has taken over now and there is nothing we can do now. How you ever had an encounter with Inferno?," Luthor's worry made Anya fear what was to come.

"Inferno?"

"It's what people call the King's dragon. You'd rather go to hell than cross paths with him. He was only docile and caring toward Khaleesi but since her death, he has become even more violent and merciless," it surprised Anya to see Luthor breathe a sigh of relief. "Of course, you are also his beloved. Thank the goddesses."

"Yeah, about that....." Anya trailed off remembering Arin's rant on how Anya could never take Khaleesi's place, how she is a treacherous witch, and how he hated her for being his beloved. "Arin's dragon doesn't really like me much."

"How?!"

"I don't know. He told me I could never take Khaleesi's place, I was a treacherous witch, and he didn't want me as his beloved," Anya shrugged.

Luthor suddenly tugged Anya to one side. "This is not good. We need to get you out of here."

Right as Luthor began to tug her into the crowd, screams were heard and a loud crash was heard. Anya paled, "We're too late."

When Anya turned to her left a ferocious Arin was approaching her. His guards trailing him. His eyes were red and Anya could only assume it was his dragon.

"What are you doing wearing Khaleesi's dress?" Arin growled.

Anya turned to Luthor, "You didn't tell me this was her dress," she hisses.

Luthor winced, "I forgot. Khaleesi wore the same clothing, shoes, and hairstyle on her last birthday before her death."

Anya sighed but Arin took hold of her wrist harshly. "You're even wearing her necklace," his voice was filled with indignation.

His hand slammed against her chest as he ripped away the necklace his nails scratched her bare chest. The beads of the necklace flew everywhere.