“Princess?” Artibain asked. Azareth had just finished telling them about the last three days here. Jurah and Artibain looked confused, she was still unsure herself. The three of them looked between each other, not sure what to say.

“So the parents that sent you away were-”

“King Andrion and Queen Ima, yes,” Azareth said, cutting Jurah off.

“What is this choosing?” Artibain asked. Azareth sighed, rubbing her face, shaking her head.

“I have to be chosen by a dragon tomorrow and it may kill me,” Azareth said. “It’s a ceremony that lords go through.”

“Well, didn’t you say that Miss Midrina was trying to teach you?” Jurah asked her.

“I did, but to be fair I was worried about you two, how the hell did you survive?” Azareth asked. She wanted to know how the two of them won against thirty enemies.

“After you sailed off the men noticed my father on the docks. Being the heir to his people, I guess, they joined forces with Jurah and me,” Artibain started. Azareth felt guilt begin to turn in her stomach.

“Arti, I am so sorry,” Azareth said, Artibain smiled at her.

“It’s alright, after everything I would have done the same,” he said. “My father wasn’t the man he used to be, he was corrupt and it cost him in the end.”

“After that, the orcs turned tail and retreated, it was something,” Jurah said, feeling awkward with the conversation. Azareth smiled and turned to look at Jurah.

“But that was three days ago, why did it take you so long to come to Berlar?”

“We were exhausted and needed to sleep, we slept for about a day. Once we were rested we had to find another boat. That took about a day, we walked the beach until we found another little dock.”

“We sailed off in the morning and now we're here,” Artibain finished for Jurah. Azareth smiled and stood up.

“I’m glad you are, I need some familiar faces here,” she said. Her door opened and Andrion walked into the room with Midrina.

“Ah, there you are. I see your friends have finally made it safely,” Andrion said. Jurah and Artibain both bolted up, bowing their heads to Andrion. “Welcome, my home is your home.”

“Enough,” Azareth said, seeing they still had their heads bowed. Andrion chuckled and looked over at Azareth.

“Azareth, Midrina here says you’ve been distracted. This ceremony is very important for you, our family, and the whole kingdom. We have waited eighty-five years to see you be chosen.”

“I know, I’m sorry. It’s just so much pressure and so much to learn in such a short amount of time.”

“Azareth, why don’t you go study, while we get settled,” Jurah said. Azareth turned around looking at him confused, she didn’t want to leave him, them.

“What?”

“That’s a splendid idea, let those two dashing men get cleaned up for dinner. You and I shall go study until then,” Midrina said. She came over and took Azareth’s hand in hers.

“Fine, see you at dinner,” Azareth said. She was pulled out of the room. The three men stood silently as they left. Andrion turned to face Jurah and Artibain.

“Thank you for making sure my daughter arrived here safely, I owe you both a debt I can never repay.”

“No need, your majesty,” Jurah said. “It was our honour to do so.” Artibain looked at Jurah confused but nodded his head in agreement. He felt uneasy being in the castle, his eyes glancing around every second. He didn’t know if he would be welcomed here for very long.

“Well, I shall leave you be. Again welcome and thank you,” Andrion said. He left the room, leaving Artibain and Jurah alone. Artibain fell back into his seat, running his hands through his hair.

“I don’t belong here,” he said. Jurah looked at him and sighed.

“The king didn’t say anything about you, I’m sure Azareth told him. Let it be, got it?” Jurah said. He didn’t want Artibain to make things worse for Azareth.

The four sat in silence at the large table. King Andrion insisted on them all eating together, to get to know one another. Azareth wore a different dress than before, dark green with gold trim along with the caller and waist. Jurah wore a clean white shirt and tan pants, while Artibain wore a clean black shirt and dark brown pants. All they could hear was the sounds of utensils scraping on the plates. The two men were stealing glances at Azareth, her hair down and shaping her face like a work of art. Andrion noticed it but remained silent.

“So Azareth, how was your study session with Midrina?” Andrion asked. Azareth looked up from her dinner, a mouth full of potato and blinked.

“Well, I think I finally understand what I need to do,” Azareth said after she swallowed her food.

The rest of the meal went on, a little back and forth conversation. It wasn’t until Andrion excused himself that Azareth relaxed. She slouched back in her chair and tied her hair up in a messy ponytail. Jurah and Artibain let out a laugh, she looked like the Azareth they knew. When the three of them finished eating, the kitchen staff came and cleared everything. Azareth looked embarrassed, but let them do their job. Jurah and Artibain stood up, waiting for Azareth to move. When she stood up, they followed her out of the dining room.

“This feels weird,” Azareth said as the two men walked behind her. “Are you two alright?”

“Of course, it’s nice to have more than rabbit for dinner,” Artibain said. Azareth laughed at him, they all joked about their other meals together. It felt good to have them back, it made her feel comfortable in this strange place. They left her at her bedroom door, she went inside and closed the door behind her. She kicked off her small shoes and sat on her bed. She was ready to take off her dress when there was a knock on the door.

“What now,” she said. She got up and walked across the room to the door. She opened it to see Artibain was standing there, fidgeting with his shirt hem. “Arti?”

“Azareth, can we talk?” Artibain asked her. She nodded and opened the door wider for him to come in. He smiled weakly as he stepped around her into the room. His smile grew when he saw her tiny shoes thrown about the floor.

“What would you like to talk about?” She asked him. Artibain walked further into the room, his palms sweaty and shaking as he thought about what to say. Azareth noticed he looked awfully pale and sweaty. “Are you feeling alright?” Artibain was walking in a small circle, pacing around the room.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Azareth, there’s something that’s been on my mind for a while now,” Artibain said. He stopped pacing and turned to face Azareth. She took a step forward and Artibain took a large breath in. “I love you.” Azareth froze. Artibain stared at her, trying to read her expression.

“What?” she asked him.

“I am in love with you,” Artibain said. Azareth looked at the ground and then up, looking out the window. She shut her eyes and let out a shaky breath.

“Artibain, I’m sorry, but I don’t feel the same way,” she said. Artibain bit his lip and nodded his head.

“I know, but I needed to tell you how I felt.”

“Wait, you know what?” she asked him. Artibain laughed lightly as he turned away from her and leaned against the post of her bed. Azareth stepped forward and tried to get him to look at her.

“It’s because of Jurah, isn’t it?”

“Jurah?”

“Azareth, I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. Secret glances when you think no one is looking. Longing looks over the fire, please the only people who don’t know you love each other are you two.” Azareth looked down at the floor and pulled on her fingers.

“I honestly never meant for it to happen, when it all started I couldn’t stand him,” Azreth laughed slightly. “He was so arrogant, set in his ways.”

“Well, you are stubborn and also very set in your ways,” Artibain said. Azareth smacked his arm. The two of them laughed together.

“You can’t talk to a princess like that.”

“Oh, well I’m sorry your highness,” Artibain said. He bowed his head to her, Azareth shook her head and waved her hands at him.

“No stop it, I hate that.”

“There you two are,” Jurah said. They turned around and saw Jurah was standing at the door, Azareth smiled at him.

“Here we are, what can we do for you?” she asked him. Jurah walked over and held his hands behind him.

“How are your studies?” Jurah asked. Azareth raised an eyebrow at him but shrugged it off.

“Well, Midrina says I caught up quickly. It isn’t as hard as I thought, well on paper. I have to go into the young dragon pit, make my way to the center and then the dragons will be released. I have to wait for one of them to pick me, if that happens I’ll be okay. If none of them pick me, I am in serious trouble.”

“What? Why does that dragon do the picking?” Artibain asked.

“Because dragons are very proud and loyal creatures. They will feel the connection before I feel it. Once the dragon chooses me, I’ll need to make eye contact with it to feel the connection myself.”

“The whole kingdom is going to watch this?” Jurah asked. Azareth nodded and walked over to the far right of the balcony. She walked over to her window and looked down at the young dragon pit in the distance.

“I’m the princess, but I’ve also been missing for deity-five years. They all thought I was dead.” Jurah walked over and rested his hand on her shoulder. Azareth turned and wrapped her arms around him sighing into his shoulder.

“Hey, you’ll be okay. You just need to sleep, alright?” Jurah said. Azareth pulled back and looked up at him.

“You’re right, tomorrow will be a big day. All before breakfast,” Azareth said. The three of them walked back towards the door. The two men continued out of the room, saying goodnight on their way out. Azareth wished them goodnight and then watched as they shut the door. She flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow was very big and she had to try and sleep.

“Good morning,” Midrina sang as she came waltzing into Azareth’s room. Azareth groaned as she pulled the blanket over her head. “Oh none of that, you have a very important day today.”

“I know, that’s why I’m hiding,” Azareth said. She gripped tightly onto the blanket not wanting to get out of the safety of the bed. Midrina grabbed onto the bottom of the blanket and began to pull them off of Azareth. “No!”

“Enough of that, come on dear let's get you up and ready.”

“How am I supposed to be ready? I could bloody die today.”

“Don’t be silly, there hasn’t been a death in the ceremony for decades.”

“Decades? How many?”

“Oh, well, four or so,” Midrin said. She pulled Azareth up out of the bed and felt Azareth glare at her.

“That’s nothing to a lord!” Azareth shouted. Midrina sighed and continued to just move around the room, getting everything out for Azareth.

“Today, your father suggested we make you feel comfortable. So I took out some of your mother’s old clothes. Plus I washed those old boots for you.”

“Pants? I can wear pants today?” Azareth asked, feeling a tad more relaxed. Midrina handed her the clothes and Azareth smiled as she took them from her.

“Yes, not please hurry. I’d like to tie back your hair today. Keep it out of your eyes,” Midrina said. She walked over to the chair and table. Azareth changed quickly into a pair of dark brown pants, a white shirt and overtop a leather corset. She slipped on her black boots and tucked her pants into them. She sat down in the chair in front of Midrina, taking slow deep breaths. Midrina braided her hair down her back, letting it hang.

“There, you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” Azareth said. She stood up and headed to her bedroom door. When she opened it she saw Jurah, Artibain and Andrion standing there waiting for her.

“Are you ready, dear?” Andrion asked her. Azareth pressed her lips together.

“As ready as I can be,” she said. Jurah held out his hand for her and Azareth took it. The four of them began to head down to the dragon pit. Azareth was muttering what she had to do under her breath.

“Walk to the center, wait to be chosen, let them come to me, look into its eyes,” she repeated to herself. Jurah squeezed her hand and then she looked up to see they were there.

“We will be up there, watching. If anything happens I’m right there,” Jurah told her.

“We’re all right there,” Artibain spoke up. Azareth laughed and looked over at Artibain.

“Thank you both, for everything. I’ll be okay,” Azareth said. The three men walked up to their seats. Azareth waited until she was told to enter the pit. The gate opened and a guard bowed his head and gestured for her to enter. Azareth could feel her body shaking, her nerves were getting the better of her at the moment.

“Release the dragons,” Andrion’s voice rang through the air as Azareth reached the center of the pit. Dozens of dragons came rushing out of a larger gate, swarming all around her. Circling the pit, everyone one of them was checking her out. Each of them was trying to decide whether or not to choose her. Azareth held her breath afraid to move or breathe. As the dragons stopped moving, none of them made a move towards her. Something was wrong, this was never mentioned in any of the books.

As she was about to say something, a large shadow flew over the pit. Everyone looked up at the sky to see what it was. Azareth’s jaw dropped as a large white and silver dragon crashed through the cage ceiling and landed right in front of her. She didn’t move, scared to offend the giant creature in front of her. The white dragon lowered its head, resting it in front of Azareth. She looked into its eyes and felt a warm sensation growing in her chest. Was this the connection she was supposed to feel?

“Do you feel it?” she heard a voice ask. Her eyes widened as she saw the dragon titled its head.

“You’re the one who saved us, from the giants,” Azareth said. The dragon nodded her head and Azareth smiled, she rested her hand on the dragon’s nose.

“Hello again, it’s a pleasure to meet you here. My name is Cephie,” Cephie said to Azareth.

“My name is Azareth, it’s nice to officially meet you,” Azareth said. Then everyone around them began to cheer. The young dragons filed through the gate they came through, leaving Azareth and Cephie alone in the pit. Azareth felt like she knew Cephie her entire life, it was right. The cheering stopped as everyone headed home. They all knew that the two of them needed to work on their connection.

“Azareth,” Andrion said, coming down into the pit. “This is amazing.”

“Amazing? How come?”

“Cephie was your mother’s dragon,” Andrion said. Azareth turned and stared into Cephies’ blue eyes.

“You were?”

“Your mother and I grew together, as you and I will.”

“Has this ever happened before?” Azareth asked. She turned back to look at Andrion and he shook his head.

“Not that I know of, After your mother died Cephie flew off, as most dragons do if their lords dies. I thought I’d never see her again, she must have followed you.”

“Cephie, is that true?” Did you follow me to Truffween?” Azareth asked. Cephie nodded her head and nudged Azareth with her nose.

“She must have felt the connection when you were born, knew that you two were meant to come together someday.”

“That’s amazing,” Azareth said. Andrion laughed lightly.

“I’ll leave you two be, let your connection grow. Come up to the castle when you're ready.”

“Thank you,” Azareth said. Andrion nodded his head once and left her alone. Azareth sat on the ground and stared at Cephie. She was thinking of things to say or to ask her.

“Azareth, you good down there?” Artibain asked from above her.

“I’ll be okay,” Azareth said. Cephie looked up and narrowed her eyes at Artibain.

“I don’t think she likes you,” Jurah said laughing. Artibain nodded and left making sure not to offend the forty-foot-long dragon. “Az, when your ready I’d like to meet her.”

“You will,” Azareth said. Jurah chuckled and then Azareth heard him leave.

“I don’t like the human,” Cephie said. Azareth sighed and nodded her head.

“Most people and creatures in this world don’t, but I swear he is good people,” Azareth said. Cephie looked down and rested her head on Azareth’s legs. Gently not to hurt Azareth, but enough that Azareth could feel her warmth.