The Dragon Queen

[Poprockz]

Glinda looked a bit offended at his suggestion, a hint of worry in her eyes.
"I-no. But I can tell he likes me. He must. He treats me with fondness and warmth. It can't be just for show." The woman paused for a moment as though she doubted her own words, her eyes looking down at her feet. "If you ask questions like that too early, it ruins things."

She sighed before noticing that his feet had appeared near her own. Glinda frowned a bit as she felt his claw trace over her breasts and she tried to bat his hand away.

"Hm. No, unfortunately things don't usually work like that, m'lord. A woman who pursues a man too ardently is seen as desperate. If he sees me as desperate, then I'll never have another chance. No, I have to be a bit more delicate than that while still showing my interest." She looked up as his claw went to her chin, her blue eyes meeting his own. It was odd to her that he seemed to be trying to offer reasonable advice, but she appreciated that he seemed to be respecting her wishes.

 

[JadeKnight]

He chuckled softly as she told how Cedric was warm and fond to her. He may not have known the current way that courtship rules work, but he could remember the way he watched the lesser races treat each other when he lived with his brothers. It brought a moment of pain for him, missing his brothers. However, he had mourned plenty for them over the years.

"Warmth and fondness? Does he treat everyone like that, or just you alone? Has he given you any signs that he is truly interested in you? Are you sure he's not just treating you kindly out of the goodness of his heart?"

He leaned closer for a moment, inhaling her scent deeply for a moment before pulling back.

"I have seen men flirt and be friendly with women in the past, but they only did it to be kind. Their hearts were often already given away to someone else, or something else, such as their work."

 

[Poprockz]

She looked a bit of a loss for words for a moment or two. It was true that he was generally kind to everyone, which was one of the reasons she was fond of him. He was so hardworking, so studious and kind. Glinda felt her heart ache a bit and she shook her head, not wanting to think about the possibility that Cedric might merely be brushing her off.

Her chin still held by him, the blonde handmaid blushed slightly as he leaned forward to take a deep breath. She wasn't sure, but it seemed like he was smelling her. Did she smell good? She was suddenly a bit self-conscious about her scent and it occurred to her that maybe that was how he had found her in the first place.

When he said the words "something else" she winced, knowing what he was referring to. Some had joked before that Cedric was essentially married to his work, and it was true that Glinda had only been able to get his attention when it pertained to a task he needed to complete.

"I... I will hear nothing more of this. I have to believe that he has eyes for me. Even if he doesn't, he will need to find a wife someday anyway. At that point, I am the obvious choice if I continue to express my fondness. I would be willing to wait for him." Glinda set her face in a stubborn expression, her eyebrows knit.

 

[JadeKnight]

He almost laughed about how stubborn she was being about the whole thing, acting as if she could will everything to go her way. He could find many flaws with her line of thinking, but he wasn't going to say anything. Though she probably didn't think it, there was always the chance she would come crawling to him willingly because things didn't go right.

Whatever direction things went, she was under his protection now. Even if she didn't like it now, she could always come around to the idea. He planned on talking to Cedric about the way of things, but he wouldn't push them one way or the other.

Instead, he just leaned forward and kissed her forward for a moment. Playing mental games with the lesser races was just as fun as the physical stuff. He reached down and rubbed the white bridesmaid dress between his fingers for a moment.

"Isn't it about time you changed out of this dress? Something in black should be far more suited for the ball this evening, to honor the passing of King Kaleb and my marriage. Your queen and Betty are already dressed in their own outfits. And I think My queen is probably wondering where I am at now."

He grinned and nipped on her lips teasingly for a moment before stepping away from her.

"I hope to see you at the ball. Perhaps Cedric will be there."

He grinned teasingly for a moment before leaving in search of his wife.

 

[Poprockz]

She frowned a bit. He looked so smug right now, as though he thought he already knew the way things would turn out. Glinda refused to believe that Cedric was just humoring her, and refused to think that an ancient dragon would know more about modern dating than she did.

Glinda froze as he leaned over and kissed her, his soft lips feeling warm upon hers. It wasn't unpleasant, but she was a bit nervous that he might try to get frisky with her again. When he pulled back, she was a bit surprised, glancing at his fingers on her dress and listening as he advised for her to change into something black.

Her expression became a bit pouty, "that man doesn't deserve to be mourned after abandoning the Queen like that..." she muttered. She nodded at his next comment and replied, "I will see you there m'lord. And I will be dancing with Cedric, mark my words." Glinda didn't know why she felt the need to convince him, but she felt like it was imperative that he understood that it would be successful.

When he left, she sighed and followed shortly after, going to her room and changing into a black dress suitable for a ball. She ended up choosing an off the shoulder dress that accentuated her breasts. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1231/3996/products/AMY1325_1024x1024.jpg?v=1529574461

 

[JadeKnight]

He agreed with her statement about Kaleb, especially after the way he treated her in the cave. Sometimes it take just a little bit of push to make the true feelings come out of someone. However, he didn't say a word to her about that.

It took some time for him to find his way back to the main hall, mainly due to having to greet and talk with his guests from time to time. A few of them had changed into black clothing of some sort, to begin their own show of mourning, even if they weren't sincere. He did find it amusing to see them playing to impress him, but he wasn't the one they should be impressing. That was for Cassandra. However, he went right along with it all.

It was nearly time for the ball to get started when he made his way to the ballroom. It sounded as if the band was preparing their instruments for the evening's performances. He paused at the open doors, looking for his queen as guests moved past him into the hall, chatting among themselves.

 

[Poprockz]

The Queen was on the other side of the room with betty, a glass of wine in her hand as she socialized with some of the guests. Betty was with her with her own glass of wine, looking polite but bored. Cassandra was wearing an elegant black and silver dress with long gloves, and she looked quite regal, befitting someone of her stature.

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB12wU3KVXXXXXUaXXXq6xXFXXXy/Luxury-Black-Quinceanera-Dresses-2016-Shimmering-Skirt-Softly-Tulle-Ball-Gowns-For-15-Years-Sweet-16.jpg

Cedric was already there, in a huddle with the wait staff and discussing how he wanted the evening to go. He looked determined and strict, but he managed to soften his face at one of the servants who looked stressed out, patting the man's shoulder and giving a bit of encouragement. With that, he clapped and they disbursed, grabbing their trays and starting to circle the room. He looked out, trying to see if there was anything out of place.

The guests continued to filter in, Glinda among them in her dress. She spied Cedric, but kept her distance for now, feeling a bit less confident after her discussion with Tritoch.

 

[JadeKnight]

Tritoch smiled seeing his queen and Betty together. It also amused him that Glinda was eyeing Cedric, but keeping her distance. Tritoch made his way through the crowd to come up between his queen and Betty, slipping an arm around both of their waists.

"Mmm, did my lovelies miss me?"

He gave each of them a kiss on the cheek for a moment before smiling.

"I checked on Lilith. She wants to stay in her room, continuing to mourn her loss. I am sure she will be out for the funeral tomorrow. She did have some worries, but I am sure I took care of them."

It was a few moments later that the band began to play the first song of the evening.

"Who is ready for a dance with their handsome king?"

 

[Poprockz]

Cassandra saw him coming over and smiled warmly, bowing slightly and then walking away from the nobles she had been speaking with. "I always miss you, my King." She listened to the update about Lilith and nodded. "Poor woman. I know what it's like to feel like the world has been pulled out from under you. It is fortunate that she is in good hands now." She accepted his kiss on the cheek and kissed his hand affectionately, rubbing it with her thumb for a moment.

When he came over, Betty had been excited to see him, giggling when he gave her a kiss on the cheek. 'I would like to dance with you! I think that if I do not do something soon, I will die of boredom and then there will be two people to mourn tomorrow.' She grinned, only allowing Cassandra and Tritoch to hear her speak for the moment.

She extended her hand as an invitation for him to lead her to the dance floor, her long red hair made up into an intricate bun.

The Queen chuckled and nodded, "indeed, perhaps that would be best."

 

[JadeKnight]

He chuckled for a moment at Betty's words. He had no problem at all with her request. Keeping his hand in Cass's, he extended the other to Betty. Once she took his hand, he lead them both to the dance floor.

"As I said before, I have never danced like this before. Perhaps my two beautiful escorts can show me the way."

 

[Poprockz]

Cassandra shook her head, "I'm afraid that if you're to be taught to dance, you need to pick one woman to dance with as it isn't the type of dance one does with more than one person. Let me give you some pointers, though."

She took his hand and put it in Betty's placing his other hand on the handmaid's waist. In turn, Betty placed her free hand on his shoulder. "Now, the dance will be in the typical waltz style, so the music will be one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three. The goal of the dance is to not step on each other's feet while constantly moving almost in a circle or traveling across the floor. Perhaps we should watch a round of dancing before beginning so you can observe?" Cassandra wasn't sure whether he wanted to just go into it, or whether he was feeling like he had a handle on it. She wondered to herself also how people danced in his day.

 

[JadeKnight]

Making sure his grip was gentle, Tritoch nodded as he listened to Cass explain how to dance. The concept was simple enough, but he was confident he could pick it up easily enough. He smiled for a moment.

"I believe have the hang of how we are supposed to do it, but give me a few moments."

After all, they were in no rush tonight. Holding Betty close, he watched a few of the other couples on the floor. Most of them were graceful and beautiful, but there were a few who were a bit clumsy, such as the teenagers who tried to join in.

"I think I understand now."

He smiled as he took Betty out a little further as he led her in the dancing. He had a little rough start, but soon fell into the proper rhythm.

 

[Poprockz]

Betty was graceful enough that even when he misstepped, she was able to avoid her feet being stepped on. She smiled as he grasped the rhythm and step quickly though, dancing soon as though he had danced for ages. They moved across the floor, many of the nobles' eyes on them as they danced.

'You pick things up very quickly! I think you may even be a better dancer than Cassandra.' Betty said in his mind, a physical giggle leaving her lips. 'On a separate note, Glinda is unaware that I have a voice now. Do you think it would be too cruel to play a joke on her?' She grinned widely, obviously planning on messing with Glinda by making her think she was hearing voices.

 

[JadeKnight]

As the song came towards it's end, he decided to add a bit of a flourish. He grasped her gently around her waist before picking her up into the air. He did one final twirl before setting her on her feet.

"I think that would be a splendid idea little one."

He held her hand as he led the way back to the queen. He let go of Betty's hand before holding it out to Cass.

"Ready for our first dance my queen?"

 

[Poprockz]

His lift and twirl were met with looks of approval by the nobility, his dancing skills impressing a few of the less snooty ones. Betty smiled happily, heading in Glinda's direction once he let her go. 'I am glad you approve. It will certainly make the evening more fun...' was her last comment before leaving.

When he approached Cassandra with his hand extended. He elegantly took it and gave him a little sly smile. "Twirls and flourishes already? You seem to be a natural. I would say that I was impressed if I didn't suspect that you would be able to adapt quickly, clever as you are." She walked with him onto the dance floor, placing her hands in the same position that Betty had.

The Queen danced not as a follower, but as someone that was meeting the steps at the same time. While she let herself be led in general, each of her moves was timed to sync to him almost perfectly, reading his body language and rhythm to pull off a seamless dance.

 

[JadeKnight]

He just smiled about her comment about him being a natural at the dancing. After leading her out to the dance floor, he enjoyed the dancing with her. He didn't twirl her after the first song, but continued with her into the next one.

They were given a wide berth to dance on the dance floor, almost all eyes on them. His attention was all on her, keeping time with her easily. Near the end of this song, he did lift her into the air and twirl her around. However, when he brought her down to her feet, he added a little extra. He did a little dip with her, his mouth claiming hers for a few moments in a passionate kiss.

He brought her back up to standing after the kiss, clapping all around them. He grinned and took a bow for a moment.

 

[Poprockz]

The Queen enjoyed herself quite a bit, dancing around the ballroom with her King. They seemed to perfectly match the steps with each other, and she had to say that his presence was breathtaking. She found her heart beating a little more quickly in excitement as he lifted and twirled her in the second song. Cassandra had been a bit surprised when it seemed he wanted to do a dip, but she went with his direction, soon finding his lips hungrily upon her own.

She let herself be held by him, relaxed in his arms as he kissed and held her soundly. His lips were so soft and comforting, and she couldn't help but feel a bit aflutter. Cassandra almost lost herself in the feeling and was only jarred back to reality by the clapping. She smiled as though she had been paying attention the whole time, curtsying slightly for the nobles.

 

[JadeKnight]

Since the King and Queen had their dance together, it seemed other nobles wanted their turn as well. It wasn't long before the two were partnered up with beautiful men and women, flowing through the music while using the time to congratulate the royal couple. Tritoch let himself be partnered up with a few young women for the next four songs before deciding to take a break.

He made his way over to the refreshment table that had been setup, grabbing a goblet of wine and a piece of pork. He munched and sipped his food and drink as he listened to the gossip of a few of the nobles. He didn't bother engaging and offering much himself, merely content with listening.

Looking around for a moment, he had noticed Cedric was still busy at trying to keep the guests fed and entertained. The king shook his head, wondering if his thoughts of the man being solely devoted to serving the royal family ahead of anything else. He would have to talk to the man, but that would probably be after the 'funeral' held the next day.

 

[Poprockz]

As far as the latest gossip went, it was said that a sorceress from a far off land was attending the ball in disguise, there to collect on a debt that the royal family owed her. The story went that a long time ago, the royal family employed a woman known only as the “blue lady.” No one knew what they hired her for, but some speculated that she had lifted a powerful curse that had been put on the royal family. This left her weak, so she went into a long slumber until such time as she regained her energy and came to collect.

A time later, Glinda came over to the refreshments table looking white as a ghost, taking two goblets of wine as though she was going to share with someone else before taking them both over to a bench in the corner of the room. She set one down next to her and started drinking the first one, her eyes a bit unfocused as though she was a bit disturbed. Unbeknownst to her, Betty was idling nearby, a little smirk on her face.

Between the strange voice in her head and his own busyness, she hadn’t had the chance to dance with Cedric yet, and wasn’t sure she should. She thought that perhaps she was going mad.

Indeed, Cedric was far too busy making sure everything ran smoothly to pay any attention to anyone else. A few women asked him to dance, but he politely declined.

 

[JadeKnight]

The rumor about the blue lady did sound interesting and something that Tritoch felt he needed to follow up on. Since it did seem to affect him now, it would be good to get it over with.

He raised an eyebrow for a moment when he saw the state Glinda was in, feeling a little concerned for her. However, he did notice Betty nearby and the little smirk on her face. He chuckled and shook his head for a moment before finishing his food and drink. He grabbed another glass of wine before walking over to Betty.

Try not to give her a heart attack now. One funeral is enough for now.

He did give her a playful wink though, despite his words. He sipped his wine as he stood beside her, watching Glinda.

"Tell me little one. I heard something going around about a sorceress called Blue Lady, and some sort of curse. Do you know anything about it?"

 

[Poprockz]

Betty looked a bit sheepish, putting her hand to her mouth for a moment with a little giggle when he mentioned Glinda. At the question regarding the Blue Lady though, she perked up with interest.

‘Yes I do, actually. Usually I wouldn’t believe the silly rumors people come up with, but I think it is true this time. I don’t know where they came up with the title “Blue Lady” though. Perhaps it is to make it seem more romantic? In any case, if you go to the library and go to the restricted section, there is a contract between Cassandra’s great grandfather and someone named “Sephir.” It promises “anything of her choosing within reason” for the task of “lifting the curse.” Of you look in another few history scrolls, you can see that the royal family at the time had been cursed by a demon when the queen at the time spurned his advances.’

Betty took a sip of her wine and shrugged, ‘the curse was one where all their family’s children would be born as twisted demons or beasts, sometimes even killing the women during the pregnancy. It was a powerful curse, so they were very desperate.’

 

[JadeKnight]

He hmmed for a moment as he listened to Betty talk about what happened.

That would be quite the curse, coming from a demon. They aren't the most pleasant creatures to deal with, though a little better than the drow.Well, perhaps I should search for her, or just wait to see if she comes to me. Either way, I will make sure the price is paid.

He looked back at the crowd for a few moments, finishing his wine. He glanced towards Glinda for a moment, chuckling softly. He wasn't expecting Betty to use his gift in this way, but he had no problems with it. He reached down behind her, giving her soft ass a gentle squeeze before smacking it lightly.

No heart attacks.

He gave a little grin to her before moving back among the guests.

 

[Poprockz]

'Aw... I will certainly try.' Betty grinned and giggled at the fondling and smack of her ass, watching him walk away from her and into the crowd.

About fifteen minutes later, a brunette servant came by with a tray of alcohol. The woman was extremely plain, but not quite ugly. While her eyes were a dull brown, when she looked at him, it was almost like she wasn't quite looking at him at the same time. She had a nasally voice, the kind that most people wanted to forget in a hurry, likely paying little to no attention to her.

She walked over to Tritoch and offered him some wine, "more wine for you m'lord? It's not everyday that a King and Queen get married." She smiled slightly and waited for an answer.

 

[JadeKnight]

He was caught off-guard for a moment by the plain looking servant, not remember seeing her around. He wondered if she had been brought in by another noble to help, but that was fine by him. He looked her over with a smile for a moment before looking at the wine.

"Yes, that is true. A good occasion to go all out with the fun and enjoyment."

He picked up a full glass of wine and placed his empty glass in it's place. He swirled his wine for a moment before taking a sip.

"I don't recognize your face. Nor your smell. Did you come to help with everything that is going on my dear?"

 

[Poprockz]

"Oh, absolutely. I heard from a friend that they was understaffed, so I inquired with the head butler. I figured it was a good chance to see all the nobility up-close and see what a real ball looks like nowadays, you know? I think the last time I got to see one was many years ago." She smiled and shrugged, looking over at Cassandra as she chatted with the nobility.

The woman sighed, "ain't she lovely? We was so relieved to see her come home unharmed, you know? I think a lot of nobility thought she'd have her head caved in when she was taken, or sold to someone as some kind of silver treasure. But I'm glad to know that the kingdom will continue to have strong leaders. Wouldn't want a war, ya know? It's bad for everybody. Anyway, I gotta go attend to the other guests. Drink don't pour itself, ya know?"

Smiling politely and curtsying, the woman started to walk away, heading back to the place where servants could exchange empty goblets for full ones. It was peculiar, not a hint of magic could be detected on her person, and yet she didn't have a smell at all. The woman literally smelled like nothing.