LADY SERRA AND
THE DRACONIAN
CATHERINE BANKS
Lady Serra and the Draconian
By Catherine Banks
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Catherine Banks
All rights reserved.
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CHAPTER ONE
The sun was still slumbering when the maids woke me for another day of school. My eyes were heavy with bad dreams and another sleepless night, but luckily my eyes didn’t need to be opened as they groomed me. The men had it so easy; they just woke up, ran their hands through their hair, threw on clothes and went to school. We, the ladies, had to spend two hours getting ready with makeup, hair, and corset cinching. If I had been born to a lower class, I could have escaped all of this. Sadly my father was a Viscount so we were part of the Elite, rich denizens of (Name*) who ruled and decided the fate of all of the classes below.
I envied the boys who spent their mornings sleeping in. I envied sleeping. It had eluded me for more than a week now and if it were not for the magic potions to cover up my dark circles, I had no doubt that Mother would use magic to put me to sleep every night.
“Arms up, milady,” a maid ordered.
I lifted my arms with my eyes still closed and wondered if I could sneak out of one of my classes to take a nap. I never caused trouble, so I did not think that I would get into too much trouble if I was discovered.
“Stand, please,” another maid ordered.
I grumbled, but obeyed and was starting to fall asleep on my feet when they yanked on my corset strings and I gasped for the air they had squeezed out of my lungs.
“Apologies,” one of the maids whispered behind me.
“None needed,” I whispered as I took small breaths.
“Once more,” the other maid said.
I inhaled deeply and they tugged on the strings and then tied them quickly. One of the maids went to my closet and came out with my favorite pair of black breeches and a cute black and white blouse. At least she had good taste in clothes. My mother was constantly firing maids so I had stopped trying to learn their names. Every week we had a new batch.
“You have good taste in clothes,” I praised the maid and then put them on.
“Thank you, milady.”
“How would you like your hair?” the maid behind me asked as she finished adjusting my shirt for me.
“Braided.”
“The Lady of the House informed us not to…” the newest maid started, but I interrupted her.
“Tell her I threatened you if you didn’t braid it. That way you won’t get in trouble and I get what I want at the same time,” I said with a smile.
With small nods they followed me to my chair where they began brushing my hair and applying my makeup. When I was finally ready for the day, the sun was up and my carriage waited for me outside. I climbed in and then knocked on the roof twice. The carriage pulled away from our mansion and down the street past the other mansions of the Elite. The horses trotted down the silent street, their hooves echoed hauntingly as we moved. We made a few turns and the carriage stopped.
I hopped out and then Gustaf, the driver, held out his hand to help me up into the seat. For the past two years Gustaf had allowed me to drive the carriage on back streets where no Elite would venture and where those of the slums still slept. I gathered the reins in my hands like he had taught me and then clucked to the two horses, Prim and Proper, to make them move. They obeyed instantly and trotted down the street.
“Your posture is perfect,” Gustaf praised.
“Glad to know I have a fall back job if things don’t work out as an Elite,” I said with a wicked smile.
Gustaf shook his head with a sad laugh. “You are a strange girl.”
“I hear that I get that from my mother,” I said and Gustaf stifled a laugh.
“A lady should not spread rumors,” he chastised me after he had collected himself.
“It’s not a rumor if it’s true,” I reminded him, “And we all know that my mother is a few crumpets short of a full tea service.”
He chortled and I kissed to the horses, making them increase their speed to a canter. “Milady,” he warned me.
“Oh, hush,” I told him and steered the horses around the twisting roads, “Let me have some fun.”
The carriage barreled down the road and then the towers of Bravard, my school, came into view. I pulled back on the reins and the horses slowed and then stopped.
“Those towers always send a chill down my spine,” Gustaff said quietly as he took the reins back from me.
“Glad that I’m not the only one,” I mumbled and climbed back into the carriage. He drove us up to the entrance of the school and I waited until he opened the door to climb out, accepting his hand as I stepped down. “I will see you after school.”
He bowed low and said, “Yes, milady.”
I pulled my bag over my head and gripped the strap tightly. Only a few more months left at the school and then I would be finished. Then I would be married. I shuddered at that thought and suddenly the school did not look so scary.
“Excuse me,” a deep voice said behind me.
I spun around and fought to keep my voice even at the sight of Hadyn, one of the most handsome Elites in the land. He was mysterious, rarely spoke to anyone, and top of the class in every subject. “My apologies,” I whispered as I backed two steps away from him.
“Watch out!” someone yelled behind me.
I turned to find a carriage racing straight towards me and I froze in fear. Strong hands grabbed my arms and pulled me out of the way. My face was pressed against something warm and soft and after a moment, I realized that it was Hadyn’s chest.
“Are you alright?” he asked me and released my arms to step back.
I nodded. “Thank you.” His eyes were the brightest shade of green I had ever seen. How had I not noticed how beautiful his eyes were before?
A short girl in a fluffy pink dress rushed from the carriage that had almost killed me and threw her arms around me. “I’m so sorry, Serra! Are you okay?”
I patted Celeste on the back and said, “I’m fine, but you should talk to your driver about slowing down when he nears the school.”
“Oh that bumblehead decided to put a green horse on the team today and that poor baby got scared and wouldn’t stop running,” she told me.
Celeste may have been a bit lacking in the intelligence department, but she was incredibly sweet and loved animals.
“It’s okay, Hadyn…” I stopped talking when I turned around because he had disappeared. Wel
l, I guess he did not need to stay since I was fine now.
Celeste linked arms with me, pulled me towards the school, and told me about her terrifying ride to school in vivid detail. I tried to pay attention, but I could still smell him and feel the warmth of him as we walked. There was little interaction between him and anyone at this school. Why? Why was an Elite so quiet and secretive?
“Serra?” Celeste asked.
“Hm?”
“Are you listening?”
“Yes, of course,” I lied as she walked into the main hall where our first class was held.
She resumed talking and I resumed ignoring her. A nap sounded incredible right now. A few more girls walked in and Celeste bounded off to tell them about her terrifying morning. I rested my head on my arms on top of the table and closed my eyes.
“Still having nightmares?” Tanya, my best friend, asked.
“Yes,” I responded without lifting my head.
“What about this time?” she asked.
“Him,” I responded dryly.
“Your betrothed?” she asked with a snarky tone.
“Don’t call him that,” I ordered her and sat up to give her a glare.
“That’s what he is,” she reminded me.
“I know, but I don’t want to think about it. I only have a few more months of freedom from him.”
“I heard that he’ll be visiting next week,” she whispered.
I gasped and whispered, “Please don’t be telling the truth.”
“I wish I wasn’t, Serra.”
I groaned and let my head fall on my arms on the table again. “I wish Hadyn had let that carriage run me over.”
“Hadyn? Carriage? What?” she asked loudly.
“Oh it was awful!” Celeste said and came to fill Tanya in on the morning’s events.
“Settle down,” Mr. Grom ordered us.
I lifted my head enough to see him, but my eyes drifted to the boy sitting to his right and I almost gasped aloud when I realized that he was looking at me.
I held his gaze a moment longer, but the intensity of his eyes startled me into putting my head back down and closing my eyes. What had that look been about?
Mr. Grom droned on about our duties as Elites and our importance to the society. I felt that it was a bunch of rubbish, but there was no point in arguing about it. My life had been pre-planned from the moment of my conception by my parents. No amount of crying or begging would get me out of my duties. I hardly believed that my duty was to spread my legs, but I was powerless to stop it.
Class ended and Tanya nudged me awake. “Come on sleeping beauty, time for archery.”
I checked my mouth to ensure that I had not drooled in my sleep and followed Tanya outside into the bright sun. I hissed and she chuckled.
“Should I call you, Vlad instead?”
“I don’t care what you call me,” I told her, “just cover for me in classes so I can sleep.”
“Are the nightmares that bad?” she asked me softly, her voice sympathetic to my plight.
“I dream of his face and his hands,” I paused and then lowered my voice to a whisper, “touching me. I cannot escape and no matter what I say, he will not stop. I don’t know how people have survived this. I don’t think I will.”
She hugged me with one arm and whispered, “You’ll develop a chronic headache that requires isolation for a few days a week. Then you’ll be so busy doing your tasks the remainder of the week that you just won’t have time for anything else.”
“Does that work?” I asked hopefully.
“It’s worked for my mother for sixteen years,” she replied with a wide smile.
I sighed heavily and then set my bag against a tree near the archery field. I had to hope that something would work. If there were any way to escape the touch of that man, I would use it.
“Today,” Mr. Drisk said loudly to get our attention as he strode back and forth in front of the archery targets, “We will have a competition.”
Everyone murmured excitedly and a smile spread across my face. Archery was my favorite subject and despite being a woman, I was rather good at it.
“Get in your lines please,” Mr. Drisk ordered.
There were four targets and our class had been broken up into four groups. I stood in the third line and glanced to my left to find Hadyn in the fourth line looking bored. No one knew his story, which was unheard of. None of us knew his title or even who his parents were. He had to be Elite since he was here, but who exactly was he?
“One archer from each group will advance to the final round where only one will win,” Mr. Drisk informed us. “If you miss the target you are automatically disqualified.”
“Yay,” Tanya said from next to me. She was a terrible aim and almost never hit the target. Part of me thought she did it on purpose so she could sit and watch everyone else without having to participate.
“If you hit inside the center ring you will hand the bow to the next in line and walk to the back of the line. Once everyone has shot, we will see how many remain from each group.”
Each of the first archers picked up a bow and an arrow and faced the targets.
“Ready?”
“Yes!” we called.
“Loose.”
Four bows twanged as their arrows released, but only three made it to their targets.
“Next.”
The line moved forward and the next people took an arrow.
“Loose.”
“Next.”
I glanced at the fourth line and my attention immediately focused on Hadyn as he drew the bowstring back.
“Loose.”
His arrow flew straight and hit the outer left of the bull’s-eye. He was good.
“Next.”
It was my turn and I held the bow like it was an old friend. Mother refused to let me keep one at home, so I cherished the time at school when I could use it. I picked up an arrow and took slow, steady breaths as I waited for the command.
“Loose.”
I released the arrow and watched as it hit the outer right side of the bull’s-eye. Yes!
“Next.”
I walked to the back of the line and Tanya walked over to me. “Nicely done,” she praised.
“Thank you.”
“It seems that Mr. Tall-and-mysterious has taken note of your skill.” She could only mean Hadyn. “Beat him for the girls. None of us has been able to beat him at anything yet. He should be knocked down a peg or two.”
She was right about none of us being able to beat him. It was not just the girls though; he had the top score in everything.
“I’ll try my hardest.”
“Next.”
It took five more minutes for the rest of the line to finish and then the second round started. Some lanes only had a couple of students while my lane had six still. After two more rounds I was the last one standing in my lane, Hadyn was the last in his, and the other two had three people each vying for the final spot.
“Miss Serra!” Mr. Drisk yelled.
My head snapped up and I realized that I had fallen asleep while standing. “Yes, sir.”
“Grab your bow,” he ordered me.
I looked around and realized that it was down to one person in each lane. People snickered behind me about having fallen asleep, but I paid them no mind. I had to focus to win.
“Draw.”
I took slow breaths to calm my heart, which had started racing from Mr. Drisk yelling at me, and my heart obeyed.
“Loose.”
I closed one eye, focused on the target, exhaled, and released. The arrow flew straight and hit the bull’s-eye. Yes!
“Woohoo!” Tanya and a few girls yelled behind me.
I turned to gloat at Hadyn only to have my smile fall when I found his arrow in the bull’s-eye as well. Dammit.
“Lanes three and four are out, which leaves our final two competitors Miss Serra and Mister Hadyn,” Mr. Drisk announced.
Hadyn did not so much as look
in my direction. Smug jerk.
“Draw.”
I took the arrow and aimed. I would win this. I would not let him win yet another competition.
“Loose.”
I could do this.
My family and society might think that I was only good for breeding and as an arm decoration, but I knew I was more. I could win this.
I released and held my breath as the arrow flew towards the target. Everyone stared silently as we waited for the arrows to hit their marks and a winner announced.
The arrows dug their tips into the targets and the class erupted in applause and cheers…for Hadyn. My arrow had hit the bull’s-eye, but on the outer edge while his had hit dead center again. Dammit. Dammit.
I set the bow down and watched begrudgingly as everyone praised Hadyn who beamed proudly.
“You’ll get him next time,” Tanya assured me and patted my back.
The class headed back towards the buildings with Hadyn in the front, surrounded by people who might as well have been kissing his shoes. I trailed behind, but as they headed inside the next classroom, I veered to the right and headed into the thick band of trees just behind the library.
The trees grew thick here and the canopy of leaves let no sunlight reach the ground. I ran my hand along the cool trunks until I was in the middle of them and then sat down against a tree trunk. The wind whistled softly as it rustled the leaves, but all other sounds were muted. I pulled out a small blanket that I had stowed in my bag and draped it around my shoulders as I closed my eyes.
The next class was with Ms. Emers who could not see even with her thick glasses. Tanya would cover for me and she would never be the wiser.
My body relaxed and I focused on happy thoughts as I drifted to sleep, in hopes that my nightmares wouldn’t surface during the nap.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” a deep male voice said and startled me awake.
I gasped and was up and behind the tree before my brain had registered what was happening. “Who? What?” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around until I found the speaker, Hadyn, leaned against a tree a few feet from where I had been sleeping. “What are you doing out here?” I asked him in exasperation.
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