Between the lines is written in fire. Natalie Yacobson
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the dragon so much. She’s wearing tons of gems! No wonder why the dragon would be attracted to her. The hem of her dress is embroidered with tiny rubies and emeralds, there’s a heavy crown on her head, and there are more bracelets, necklaces, and rings than one can count. We should take it all off and put it in a chest. But then she wouldn’t be considered an elegant queen. Only an old royal widow can dress modestly. One gold hoop in her hair is enough for her. A young queen without jewelry would be considered naked. That’s court etiquette. The more expensive your clothes are, the more powerful are you..
Rosamunda sighed again. She was a slave to convention. If the dragon hadn’t turned his watchful eye on her, she would never have thought about how hard it was to be queen.
«Hi! Dandy!» Rosamunda called out, hoping her supernatural advisor was hiding under the bed, but Dandy was nowhere to be found. Had he gotten so cold feet in front of a delegation of wizards from the Magic Empire that he had decided to sneak back to the Underworld? Though Dandy had a bad temper and a sharp tongue, Rosamunda had grown accustomed to him and was even beginning to long for him.
The colorful tapestry on the wall suddenly twitched. The figures of the fairies on it changed their poses and leaned toward each other. A whisper sounded from the threads of the tapestry:
«She is a poor thing! She doesn’t know what she’s in danger of!»
«And what threatens her?»
«He will punish her for her infidelity, and choose one of us for her throne.»
«Is it one of the fairies?»
«It is either a fairy or a peri or a nymph or a naiad. He has so many choices! And he has no use for a mortal girl!»
As Rosamunda moved closer to the tapestry, the voices fell silent. The figures of the fairies froze again. They were depicting the scene of a unicorn hunt. Rosamunda felt uneasy. After all, the unicorn is the symbol of Dauran. It is part of the coat of arms. To harm a unicorn is to defy the queen. The fairies not only hunted unicorns, but also tamed them by tying their horns with ribbons. Where could such a tapestry have come from in the castle? It was as if it hinted that Dauran was finished. The dragon would burn the place down and fairies would frolic in the ashes.
Dandy appeared suddenly, as if from under the floor. Rosamunda almost fell over in surprise. He suddenly jumped out from under her feet like a devil out of a snuffbox.
«Send the ambassadors away!» He demanded. «They’re no good here!»
«Are you crazy? If we send them away, who can protect us from the dragon?»
«They’re on his side.»
«I don’t believe it. You just didn’t like Edwin because I liked him.»
«I wouldn’t recommend falling for the first person you meet. You never know what’s behind their pretty face.»
Rosamunda let Dandy’s sneer pass over her ears. He would probably like to court her, but he’s not tall enough, so he’s angry with normal men.
«Say, could the dragon be attracted to my jewelry? Maybe if I took them off or replaced them with fake stones, the dragon would leave me alone. I’ve heard that dragons are attracted to gold and stones.»
«Try putting your jewelry on a lady who looks like you. Maybe the dragon will mistake her for you and drag her away,» Dandy smirked. «It’s mean, but there’s no choice. The country can’t exist without a queen, and it can do without one or two ladies. Besides, the dragon himself is already kidnapping and killing girls from the outskirts of Dauran. They’re all brunettes with curly hair, just like you. He’s got this obsession with girls who look like you.»
«Maybe he’s crazy.»
«It is a mad dragon!» Dandy whistled. «Well, then you’ll have to get smart and put him on a chain. That’s what you do with crazy people.»
«And how do I do that?»
«Lure him in and seduce him. He seems to respond to your singing. Sing him something beautiful and put a chain on him.»
«That’s a great idea! All I have to do is get a skilled blacksmith to forge a chain that the dragon won’t break, and then I can start seducing him with song,» Rosamunda fell asleep hopeful. She dreamed that she had put the dragon on the chain, and when she returned to it, she found a young man with the appearance of a golden-haired elf asleep on the chain. And where had the dragon gone? Why was the elf on the chain instead? The elf was asleep. Rosamunda laid his head in her lap and burned herself. His breath was fire.
Flames at the tournament
The tournament is to bring out the most skillful knights. It would be nice if Edwin turned out to be the kind of strong knight who could defeat a dragon. Why should he become a dragon slayer for Rosamunda? He doesn’t seem to like her.
As luck would have it, all the once rejected suitors for her hand or their valiant vassals showed up to try their luck in the competition. The kings of neighboring countries, and princes, and even an overseas sultan sent their representatives to the tournament. His knight came with rich gifts and sharp sabers. The only thing missing was the lord of the Magic Empire, but instead of him, his representative Edwin was here. He was the one who was supposed to participate in the tournament.
Rosamunda was nervous. For some reason, she really wanted Edwin to win. That was not patriotic. After all, Edwin is not her vassal. He is a foreigner. Any foreign subject could be an enemy, but Rosamunda somehow didn’t feel like a traitor to her homeland. When a dragon strikes, everyone is a victim, foreign and domestic. If there is a single knight who can defeat the dragon, he will be unanimously declared a hero.
Rosamunda’s maids of honor tried to keep their distance from her. No wonder! The rumor of Winona’s sad fate has already reached everyone’s ears. No maid of honor wants to be the next victim.
Only Dandy is her faithful companion. Even though he’s the size of a lynx, it’s still nice that his fear of the dragon keeps him a step away from the queen.
Rosamunda rejoiced early. Some rude man in a luxurious robe shouted at Dandy, and Dandy was as frightened as if he’d seen a whole pack of dragons.
«Get away from the queen, you little scoundrel!»
Frant hastily hid under the throne, and the boorish fellow spread his sable trim over his shoulders and settled down beside the throne. No one dared to send him away or at least reprimand him. The rude man was probably from a very noble family. But powerful parents didn’t educate their young son. Probably they spent all their time and energy on court intrigue. There’s no energy left for the children.
«Who are you?» Rosamunda did not like the fact that the strange young man attached himself to her like a shadow. His face was as pale as a dead man, but his eyes burned brighter than the ruby hoop on his forehead. It seemed to be the emblem of the Dukes of Dauran.
«I’m Vincent, your new counselor.»
«I don’t recall a council seat being vacant.»
«I’ve come to take my father’s place on the council.»
«And who is your father?»
«He is Duke Alonso of the northern provinces.»
«Can he himself confirm what you say?»
The handsome, pale as death young man did not inspire Rosamunda with confidence.
«He himself had recently been clawed by a dragon.»
At the mention of the dragon, Rosamunda felt confused. She thought she saw a dragon among the knights at the tournament. Or was it someone wearing a dragon helmet? There are not many daredevils who challenge mythical creatures by making shields, armor, and helmets that mimic the body of a dragon.
«You were in such a hurry to take your father’s place that you rushed here immediately?»