The lord’s kid is a dick - The Dragon’s Path Excerpt
Remember I said I was going to post a ~500 words excerpt? Yeah, it turned into a ~1300 words excerpt. It is not edited and there might be some errors bc English isn’t my first language. So.... Enjoy (???)
Making sure her father didn’t saw it, Elys took the dagger from the table. It was inside some type of leather bag, and before daring to take it out, she studied the handle. Decorated to look like it was covered in dragon’s scales, it was curved, and it felt scarily comfortable in her hand. She started to pull the weapon from the bag, holding her breath. The blade was so shiny she could see her reflection on it. The same curly hairs and big brown eyes she looked in the mirror almost everyday. The big cheeks that made her look so much younger then she was. The blade was sharp and lethal, and Elyscia was scared of it went she finally took the bag completely off.
Two guards knocked their spears on the ground in front of the tent, and she dropped the knife in the grass. She turned to face them, aware that they had probably seen that she was carrying a knife. Maybe that was why they approached. In her feud, only authorized people - nobles - were able to carry weapons. Ready to play innocent, Elyscia tried to discretely kick the dagger underneath the table.
-My good sirs. - Hanns bowed his head slightly at the guards. He gave an uncomfortable side-eye to his daughter, who returned the look with even more discomfort and a little bit of fear - What can we do to help you?
It took only seconds for the guards to answer, but it felt like ages. Looking around at the fair, Elyscia realized how many of the bypassers were taking their time around their tent, pretending like there was something wrong with their boots or jackets. Trying to listen to what the guards had to say. Bunch of nosey people, she thought. They could keep walking, or maybe the dragons could eat them when they arrive. Truly, she liked both options.
-The only heir of Our Grace Lord Nichol of Priver, Emeric of Priver, would like to meet with Miss Elyscia to ask a formal and intimate wish from his heart.
Elyscia felt the bile rising up to her throat when Emeric’s name was pronounced, but she forced herself to swallow it. She looked at the tiny stage, and then at the potty smelling noble on top of it, and tried to calm down by counting to ten. When she reached the number, she still wanted to rip Emeric’s head, but she was almost sure she could control herself.
Almost.
Aware of the guards’ stares at her, as well as the rest of the nosey people of the feud, she forced a smile that she was sure looked painful. It was rather painful to crack.
-What could he want from me? - Elyscia wiped her hands on her dress, getting rid of the dirt and sweat - I’m just a simple peasant.
One of the guards simply blinked in confusion. He had blue eyes, and Elyscia couldn’t not think that, whoa, he was cute. But them the second guard opened his mouth, and it took her attention away from the first one.
-He wants to ask something from you, my young lady.
Elyscia blinked. Maybe she could stall them enough that Emeric would leave her ass alone. Maybe, just maybe, if she was annoying enough, the bastard of that noble would stop bothering her.
-What could I give him that a noble doesn’t already has? - She tilted her head when she watched the guard make a frustrated face. The blue-eyed one seemed to be quite entertained. - I’m sorry if I’m angering you, sir, I’m just asking questions to try and understand what my lord could want from me!
-Your place as his subject isn’t to make questions, but to obey to him. - The guard had lost his patience, but Elyscia wasn’t bothered. - So, if you don’t come with us now, we’ll be forced to drag you to that stage.
-It won’t be necessary. - Her father gave her a painful pinch on her side, and she felt her eyes fill with tears. - She’s just trying to be funny. Now, Elyscia - her name was said through his grinding teeth, in his eyes a promise of a very harsh talk later. -, go.
She took the apron off, handing it to Hanns. Her father could mask his anger, something Elyscia would love to know how to do. She knew he only got pissed with her because she was risking upsetting the guards for nothing. For a little fun. To be a brat, basically.
Elyscia followed the guards, feeling her ears burn with embarrassment while one of them walked in front of her, and the other one following closely behind. If they thought she could run away from meeting the dipshit, they were totally right. Just the thought of meeting with him in front of all those people and... she squinted her eyes in the direction of the stage. Was the Baron himself there or was she imagining things? The last time he left his palace was almost three years ago, for the funeral of his youngest daughter. Elyscia felt her stomach twist and turn and fall to her feet while the guards helped her up the stage.
She bowed. Even if it made the bile from her stomach make it’s way up her throat again, she bowed because at the end of the day, she liked piking peaches for her father and she wouldn’t be able to do that if her head was cut off for not respecting the nobles. When she raised her head, Emeric was too close for her to be comfortable. But if she stepped behind, she would fall from the stage. So, against her better judgement, she stepped forward.
Emeric grabbed her hand so tightly it hurt. Elyscia forced another painful smile on her face while on the inside, her body boiled from embarrassment. The crown was huge, and even though she knew what was coming for her, she couldn’t for an answer for it in her head. I’m sorry, I can’t marry you because my father needs me. I’m sorry, I can’t marry you because I’d rather spend my days picking fruits then in an office, looking over a feud. I’m sorry, I can’t marry you because you are kind of an ass.
-Elyscia, my beloved, Elyscia. - His voice was strong and clear, and it send a shiver of disgust down her spine. That up close, she realized how much he smelled like used potty water - You have been the object of my desire for so many summers and winter that I can’t count them. - Did he even knew how? - You’ve seduced me with your curls, with your happy attitude and with your smile. With your sweet voice when you sing and with your hard working life - Elyscia held her breath. She couldn’t stand his smell. - You are the biggest reason why I’ve worked so hard on our lands this past year, my muse and my inspiration. - He knelt, placing the basket on her feet. - It would be an honor for you to accept my love, and this gift, and my proposal for us to marry.
The crown collectively moaned, and Elyscia let go of the air slowly. She looked at the noble, who had the biggest grin in his face, and tried to breath normally. He still smelt like dirty water. He gestured to the basket, and Elyscia felt her hands slowly numbing with fear and expectation.
She crouched, her hands shaking while she reached for the basket. Her first instict would be to shake it, but she thought that maybe the Emeric wouldn’t like it. Then she realized the didn’t care that much, so she gave it a little shake, without lifting it from the ground.
The basket snarled.
-What the actual fuck is inside this, Emeric? - Elyscia said behind her forced smile, toying with the lid of the basket.
-Open it and find out, my love. - Emeric reached to touch her hair, but she moved out of touch while pretending to look at the basket.
-I’m going to break you fingers after this.
-You’re going to be too busy falling in instant love with me.
She felt her lip curling in a disgusted expression, but she controled herlsef. Do it for your father. And you mother. And your friend. She smiled at Emeric, and then looked at his father standing next to the baron. He had a shit-eating grin just like his son, and Elyscia felt like punching it out of his face too.
She opened the basket with a steady hand, ready to face whatever was inside of it. A colar? A ring? A crown? A circlet? A dress? She could handle a few giggles and then a half-assed apology on why she couldn’t marry him and then she would run away. Maybe isolate herself in the Endless Mountain. But what she saw made her speechless for the first time in her life.
Curled in a ball, too scared to move, was the tiniest dragon Elys had even seen.
Tag list (I tagged some people who told me in the intro post for this novella that they wanted to be updated, so if you didn’t want to be tagged please just tell me!! Or if you want to be added to the tag list, idk):
@thejollywriter @nightskywriter @maxheadley @cometworks @bluewrites0 @1kwordsand10littlecandies @random-nerd-lesbian @tamaravonb @thewrittenpost @ladycalliopemoon @focusdumbass @writingisbae
