Rivka's venture out from her room late in the evening had confirmed a few things. First of all, as a first class passenger in one of the fifty 'super deluxe' suites aboard the vessel, she was indeed served alcohol without question despite being sixteen. Was this legal? She was unsure given that they were in jumpspace and that anyone occupying one of said suites could be normally assumed to be a member of a noble house and thus above anything but the highest levels of Imperial law. She was fairly sure that legal drinking ages were down to individual planets or noble houses to determine.
Secondly she decided that she really like cocktails and that flirting with the muscular bartender who was preparing them for her was an excellent use of her evening.
Thirdly she was not getting drunk. Even after having thirty two extremely alcoholic cocktails she was just feeling a buzz. That made a certain amount of sense given that she apparently had to eat for a ten ton body even if she stuck with her distinctly smaller human form, would she also require a hundred and fifty or two hundred times as much alcohol or other intoxicant before it influenced her? She was going to find out given the all inclusive nature of her ticket.
She was also increasingly feeling underdressed amidst the other first class passengers though her epic cocktail consumption spree had attracted some attention and she was now accompanied by a few of the other younger passembers. A few others had apparently decided to not deign to accept her presence or been pulled away by guardians or parents.
Right now though she was talking to a young noblewoman who was apparently also heading to the sector capital in order to begin her education at the Imperial Academy. Larhonda was not the heir to a title like Isasias but rather a cousin to a noble line who had apparently turned out as a particularly potent earth mage when she Awakened a year ago, her family was sponsoring her education in the hope she would excel in Imperial service and advance their interests. She was however excited to be off to the sector capital with the chance to do something beyond 'merely' working in some senior administrative position or serving in her house military.
Also to meet a dragon. Apparently. “We have to get you dressed properly! Right now people will think that you have somehow wandered in from the lower decks, not that you are a dragon. Unless they see your eyes but those could be some kind of cosmetic mod. Well, or if you flare your aura like you did this morning! Do you realize how rude that was? But it was so powerful! Nobody dared do anything.”
Pouring another delicous cocktail down her throat did help Rivka cope with this, eyes closing, savouring the slight burn, an mmmh. “Well this is day... Three, four, of me being a dragon? Also my first time offworld. I virtually did wander up from the lower decks Larhonda.”
“Irrelevant! You are a dragon now and should dress the part. Something evoking your magnificent scales perhaps.” Rivka did find some part of her agreeing now, her scales were magnificent after all. Larhonda continued though. “Firstly you need to not shame your sponsoring house. Secondly? You need do not get angry because of people turning up their noses at you, then eat them. I have read a lot about it! Dragons always think about eating people if they are not 'respected' but you would get in SO much trouble if you ate anyone important.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Past Larhonda was a dark haired young man clad in an... interestingly tight and well tailored suit that appeared to be a perfect mirror, leanly athletic and wearing a sword at his hip, Kristopher Cade Valenti was apparently also the heir to his house, Na-Marquis of the Valenti March and thus in line to inherit control over a sixth of the entire local sector. Rivka's annoyance at Larhonda and her enthusiastic conversation may have been due to the fact the tall, curvy and blue eyed blonde was in the way of her focusing upon him instead. Also the way that he was paying said blonde rather more attention than he was to herself.
Though he seemed to find the whole thing amusing, joining the conversation at this point. “I do recommend not eating anyone but it might be more important to learn the self control to avoid outbursts of violence or magical upsets. Rather than at the first sign of prosperity engaging in a crass shopping spree. On which note just how many of those are you planning to drink?”
That did cause Rivka to pause, she was smiling brightly to the bartender as he prepared her the next drink down the list. Still she could turn that bright smile to Kristopher easily enough. “It would be terrible of me to drink these lovely concoctions without feeling the proper effect your excellency. However, I am a fierce ten ton monster and so I might need to drink a few hundred for that.” Did the handsome bartender wince? Maybe. “That is not practical but I do not need to worry about intoxication, or my waistline.”
She really did want him to at least look at her! But no, Larhonda had to sigh, wearing a low cut and clinging garment seemingly made of not entirely opaque feathers in a spray of colours reminiscent of a bird of paradise. She was definitely where he looked. “I am quite jealous there Rivka. Still, you must strive to make a good impression.” To Kristopher then. “You should not encourage her to wander around like this! She might as well be wearing a sackcloth yet she is supposed to be the pride of her house!”
Kristoph answered with an expansive shrug, a small, controlled smile. “One does not expect a fresh Awoken dragoness to follow human fashion. This.” A motion to Rivka with his none wine glass holding hand. “Is irrelevant to how the real players will consider merit. They will look to the dragon and the resulting raw power.”
Rivka decided to be more circumspect with her next drink, sipping from it instead of gulping, making a show of considering the taste, which was to be fair delicious. “How many dragons does your own house boast then your excellency?”
Larhonda decided to interject. “House Valenti has three dragons!” Then to Kristopher, with a slight bow of her head. “I believe that your own grandfather is a dragon?”
“He is. Augustus is a hundred and fifty years old now and one of the pillars of the family strength.” The gleamingly clad heir to a march declared in a satisfied manner. “House Sepra has just one though and has the fealty of only seven worlds. I am curious as to their plans for you Rivka, depending upon your performance they might try to marry you into their ruling line in the hope of strengthening their magical affinity or they might seek to elevate themselves from a mere Viscounty.” Then a wider smile. “As such your training is going to be quite intensive. I recommend not lingering too much longer given that your pet Tribune is going to be even more intensive in her training efforts tomorrow. You only have two weeks before we arrive after all and most of your 'peers' will have been Awakened for at least a year.”
Rivka checked... It was past midnight. She had another ten or more hours of training tomorrow, a low, frustrated growl, her empty glass crushed in one hand. She looked down, blinked, then hastily dropped the powdered glass and shards adopt the bar top before giving a stiff bow of her head to the pair. “Ahh.” Composure! Both were staring at what she just did. “I should indeed excuse myself, your excellency, my lady.”
She fled back to her room.