Concept: village where the people are a part of the local dragon's hoard, but not in the "their lives have value because they are MINE" way we've been seeing lately (which is also extremely good). Rather, the people are basically the "frame" or the "setting" or the "display" for the dragon's collection of jewellery and fine textiles; they're adorned with necklaces and rings and tiaras, wearing clothes with exquisite embroidery, and taught to move and situate themselves such that the light catches on their decorations to make them sparkle.
The dragon values the villagers, in the same way that a collector values their shelves or display cases; not for their own merits, but for what they do for what IS valued. Plus, any attack against the villagers is likely to damage (or even steal!) part of the dragon's hoard, so they are well-defended against any external threat.
