Leena stood in front of a large mirror, staring at herself, examining the room behind her through its reflection. The maid from earlier, who Leena learned was named Belana, was walking around and opening closets, drawers, and chests, picking things out and placing them on a hanger. Belana Tric was focused, her eyes narrowed as she worked in complete silence, with Leena watching her every step. There was still confusion in her heart, but Leena had calmed down greatly, hoping all of this would blow over as soon as possible. That seemed unlikely, Leena reasoned. But a woman could dream. Right?

The way Belana moved around the room, twisting and turning, moving at an amazing speed yet with such precision, looked as though she was dancing. The skirt of her maid dress billowed around and twisted with her movement, giving her an elegant look. Belana was a professional, and she told Leena how much she trained to be the best for this job. Leena could see the fruits of her training in those aforementioned movements. At last, Belana Tric stopped her dance and stared at all of the items she had hung up, all of the puzzle pieces that she had chosen.

“Hmm.” Belana hummed quietly. The pieces had been chosen and laid out. Now all she needed to do was figure out how they fit together. She imagined multiple scenarios, multiple sets, and puzzles she could work out from these pieces. She just stood there, humming idly, her eyes darting from one item to the next and then back again. Leena turned her attention away from Belana for a moment and instead looked in her eyes. Her ordinary, mediocre eyes.

At last, with a loud clap, Belana waltzed over to Leena and stood beside her, staring at her reflection. Belana now examined Leena some more, pulling out a measuring tape and wrapping it around Leena’s body. Leena was only wearing a plain brazier and underwear, giving Belana as much space to work with. Belana smiled as she worked now and then, kneeling down and wrapping the tape around Leena’s thigh. She looked up at her future queen.

“You have a nice body, Leena. It is quite toned and mature. Yet you were brought in yesterday in such awful clothing. Were you trying to hide it all?” Belana asked, still looking up with her large glistening eyes. Leena felt flustered, but she spoke calmly, forcing herself to not react at all. Her reddened face betrayed her objective.

“It is the uniform I wear to work,” Leena answered. “I don’t work in a fancy place. It is quite disgusting there.”

“Oh. I see.” Belana stood up now and raised her hands up, grabbing hold of Leena’s head and measuring it. Belana tilted her head and removed a number of pins embedded into Leena’s hair, and all of it flopped down, making Belana step back in surprise.

“Everything alright?” Leena asked. Leena looked at Belana, whose cheeks were now as red as hers. Leena’s hair was very long and voluminous, perfectly smooth and wavy. Belana hadn’t realized just how beautiful Leena could be. Since she came in, Leena had a bunch of pins holding her hair together in a messy fashion, and before that, she had a cloth wrapped all around it. It made Belana wonder. She raised her hands once more and grabbed hold of Leena’s large and clunky glasses, removing them and finally seeing Leena for what she truly was.

Leena’s skin wasn’t perfect. It could use some work, Belana thought to herself, thinking like a handmaid. But her eyes were something to behold, something that was clouded by what she wore. Leena’s eyes were both large and narrow, showing a strong focus and maturity that wasn’t truly present in her mannerisms. Her fair skin had small and barely noticeable freckles over the nose and cheekbones, making her look more unique up close than from afar. And her hair was long and almost perfect, despite her not being able to use expensive and appropriate products. Belana hadn’t realized just how much effort Leena put into hiding her true appearance, just how badly she wanted to look mediocre.

“Leena?” Belana asked. “You are quite gorgeous. Is there a reason you try so hard to hide it? You should be proud, like all women, about your natural beauty.”

“O-Oh, uh, I don’t know how to answer that. Thank you.” Leena was flustered even more now, shocked by Belana’s genuine reaction to her. Leena held onto her thighs with her hands, not having any pockets to rest her fingers in. “I-I just don’t like to attract attention. Not really, anyway.”

“Well. I hope you realize that the spotlight will be on you for quite some time.” Belana told her with a light and genuine laugh. “You must grow accustomed to attention. Don’t worry. Should you accept the throne, I will be there by your side to aid you.”

“Right.” Leena sighed and looked away from Belana now, the redness of her face fading to her original color. Belana pouted as she turned away from Leena and back to her hanger. She was done making sure that her previous measurements were correct. And so, the puzzle, in her mind, had been finished.

“Ready to get dressed, Leena?” Belana asked. Leena turned to her and then to all the hanging clothes and accessories.

“Am I going to be crowned now?” Leena asked.

“No. Not yet.” Belana told her. “Now, you will meet all the people who will be important to your reign, and you will learn some additional rules and customs necessary for the crown. Afterward, everyone expects you to accept the crown and become the Lady of the Dragon Throne.”

“No one wants me to accept it. Right?” Leena sighed.

“I’ll be honest with you because you have shown great kindness, more than most rulers I have come across.” Belana nodded. “The people of Onyxbow spoke out against The Observer for the first time in countless years when you were announced as the next queen. A human ruling over a nation of dragons is the epitome, to most, of hubris. Yet, at the same time, everyone must accept you as queen. That much is non-negotiable.”

“But, I can refuse it, right? You told me I could.”

“Yes. Of course, you can. But I genuinely believe that the people of Onyxbow would rather you be the queen than wait for your death for the next.” Belana answered. Leena looked sad now, making Belana feel more pity for her.

“They wouldn’t just kill me?” Leena asked sarcastically.

“That was an option some dragons brought up,” Belana said nonchalantly. Leena shouted and stared at Belana with a shocked and terrified expression. “However, those who have brought it up are few and far between, the more barbaric dragons of our society. The vast majority knows that doing so is immoral and that it may anger The Observer if people united under that idea. Sure, he’d announce the next queen, but people fear the power that his fate-reading holds.”

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“I get it. I think.” Leena shrugged. “They hate me. But they need me. It feels kind of familiar, actually. Though, it is on a much grander scale than I ever would’ve imagined.”

“Good. Once you understand that, you will begin to truly understand the customs and beliefs of Onyxbow, the things that drive our people forward.” Belana smiled. “Shall I dress you now?”

“I can dress myself.” Leena shrugged. Belana’s eyes dropped, giving Leena a very disappointed and unimpressed look.

“No. It is my duty. Plus, it is better this way as I can see and fix every nook and cranny of the outfit.” Belana walked over to the hanging clothes and accessories. “Now. Let us begin.”

~~~~

Onyxbow, Queendom of Dragons, was a very large city full of dragons, most of which had the power to enter into a humanoid form. Because of this, the structure is not too dissimilar from a human city. There were roads, buildings, towers, and there was even a large palace at the heart of it all. The palace itself was enormous and carved from marble, reinforced and segmented with gold and silver, with towers on every corner that pierced the heavens. The windows were all very large and depicted former monarchs, their religious beliefs, and many more. Within the palace were many rooms, one of which was the throne room.

The throne room, presently, was full of many people. All of the people present for this were politicians, nobles, knights, and anyone with any kind of authority. The civilians won’t be allowed anywhere near there until the coronation, Leena had learned before she stepped into the throne room. And when she did, the chattering and bellowing roars from the crowd had ceased.

Staring at everyone and everything around her, Leena was truly shocked that this was her new reality. Many humanoid people were there, all with scales running down their arms and horns on their foreheads, dressed in fancy clothing or armor. But a few, maybe a quarter and a half of them all, were in their dragon forms. They were all very large with long tails and enormous wings, horns on their foreheads, and minimal clothing and armor wrapped around their draconic persons.

It surprised Leena just how perfect the throne room was. It was large enough to comfortably house a few dozen dragons, meaning everyone had enough breathing room without worrying about a thing. The high ceilings and large beautiful windows weren’t the only things that caught her eye. The throne behind her, located at the top of a few stairs, was large and beautiful. Made of gold and silver, the throne was covered in runes and Onyxbow insignias and curved outward the top. The cushions themselves were purple in color, which matched the purple carpet that led to the palace entrance.

Leena stepped out and stood in front of the throne, not allowed to sit on it yet. She wore a long purple dress that dragged along the ground, her shoulders and back fully exposed, and a gold wrap around her waist. She wore gold silk gloves with purple tips that reached her biceps and fancy bracelets around her wrists. Her shoes were made of diamonds, and the tip was forged into a small flower head that stuck out from her slitted dress. Leena’s hair was wavy and bouncy as she walked, and she had jewelry wrapped around her forehead, two pieces larger than the others just above her eyes, making it look like she had horns. Leena had light purple makeup over her eyes and blood-red lipstick on. The dragons present were confused.

Leena was gorgeous. She wore dragon clothing and looked just as good now as some of them there. She hardly looked like a poor and ordinary human girl. Yet, they felt disgusted that she was a human at the same time. They were conflicted, but their thoughts on her and her duty had not changed.

“I present to you all, Leena Riella.” Belana stuck her hand in front of Leena and bowed. Leena grabbed hold of the side of her dress and gently bowed down. Belana then took a few steps back and stood beside the stairs. Leena looked around, not knowing what to say, staring at all of their faces, still terrified by the dragons in their monstrous forms staring at her with their sharp teeth and reptilian eyes.

“Um… I-.” Leena stuttered. The people present have denounced her appearance and now looked disappointed and angry. Leena felt her heart beating faster and faster, her shoulders slumped over, almost ruining her amazing outfit. Belana stared at her and sighed, turning away as she did not want to see Leena’s embarrassed face. Leena’s eyes darted from one person to the next, trying desperately to find an accepting face. But there was none present. Every single person there disliked her. The suddenness of it all hit her hard now. It overwhelmed her greatly.

“You are our next queen? Ha!” Someone finally shouted, stepping out from the crowd in his humanoid form. The man wore a nice white and beige suit with a brown trench coat over his shoulders. Like all the other dragons in their humanoid form, he had long horns that stuck straight out on his forehead. Everyone watched him, and none spoke out against his shouting. Leena took a step back, almost falling onto the throne.

“W-Well, I-um-I th-think so.” Leena could hardly speak. Her throat had become so dry that she wanted to cough repeatedly and guzzle a gallon of water right then and there.

“My name is Lord Qui, as I’m sure you didn’t know. Human.” He spoke as he approached her. The man now stood at the base of the small stairs and looked directly up at Leena, staring intently into her terrified eyes. “Tell me. What makes you so special? Are you a princess of a human country? Are you the daughter of some rich tycoon or a powerful warrior? Are you a wielder of some kind of dragon magic? What? What is it?! Spit it out!”

“I-I don’t know.” Leena cracked under pressure. She almost began to tear up as she hyperventilated.

“You don’t know? You don’t know?!” Lord Qui began to laugh loudly, and there were a few chuckles in the crowd. “How can you not know? Or are you embarrassed to tell the truth? That’s it, isn’t it? You aren’t special, you aren’t important, you aren’t rich or strong. You’re just an ordinary, lousy, poor, human girl from a shitty little town no one has ever heard of!”

“Lord Qui!” They all heard a shout coming from behind them. It was a man's voice, one who had swung the doors open a moment ago. He walked up to them now. He wore a red and gold gown with a cloak over his shoulders and fortified gloves. The horns on his forehead stuck straight up and were long and thin. He gave Lord Qui a spiteful look.

“Thornbite. Is there something I can help you with?” Lord Qui spat. The man in red stood right in front of him and motioned him to sit down. Before Lord Qui could retaliate, the knights gripped their blades at him, and he went to take his seat in silence.

“Th-Thank you,” Leena told the man in red.

“Do not thank me, Ms. Riella.” The man told her. “Despite our feelings, you are our next queen. Openly disrespecting you, and you allowing such disrespect, would tarnish your image even before you don the crown.”

“Oh. Right.” Leena sighed.

“My name is Shosen Thornbite. I am one of your Royal Four. Your Royal Advisor.” The man, Shosen, bowed to her. Two more people approached behind him, one of them being Belana, and stood next to him, all of them bowing to her. Leena was shocked, and her tongue was tied once more. “Have you anything to say, Ms. Riella?”

“Oh. I think so. I think I do now.” Leena nodded. The three of them backed up, and the room had gone silent. “My name is Leena Riella. I just wanted to announce something. I hereby accept the throne. I accept my destiny as the Lady of the Dragon Throne!”