Chapter 7


    The Imperial Dragon


    Once he was in front of her, Cassandra looked everywhere but in his direction. She was so ashamed of


    the scene from just moments ago! How could he let his sister toy with her like some object! While


    avoiding her new master’s eves, she missed the moment he grabbed her again, lifting her like she


    didn’t weigh a thing. Wrapping a new fur cloak around her, Kairen carried her out of the room, closely


    followed by Shareen.


    “Did you really leave the banquet early?” she asked.


    “You didn’t even go,” her brother growled back.


    The Princess shrugged and walked ahead to open the doors to her bedroom. Cassandra had almost


    forgotten about the two servants having wild sex in there. They had now changed position and the man


    was savagely taking the young servant from behind, keeping her bent over the mattress. His


    movements were fast and relentless, yet the woman couldn’t even cry out, her screams muffled by his


    hand. Her eyes were closed and her hair was a mess on her shoulders. She opened her eyes again


    upon hearing her mistressing back and began to moan louder while staring at Shareen with a


    pleading look.


    But the Princess ignored her and turned to Kairen.


    “Why would I go? I’m having so much fun here. My favorite brother even brought me a little toy to


    entertain myself with. Well, if you’d actually leave her here…”


    She said all that while looking down at Cassandra, with her feline eyes. Inside Kairen’s arms,


    Cassandra tried to avoid the Princess’s stare, already deeply embarrassed.


    “You’ve had enough,” Kairen replied coldly.


    “Never! If you…”


    But before Shareen could finish her sentence, several people were heard outside. Judging by the


    weight and metallic sounds in their steps, there were soldiers among them and when they stopped right


    outside, Shareen crossed her arms, visibly annoyed.


    “His Highness Prince Kairen, Her Highness Princess Shareen, this lowly Imperial servant is here to


    inform you that your presence is requested by the Imperial Dragon.”


    Shareen rolled her eyes, not hiding her displeasure.


    “He had to send his Imperial pains in the…”


    “Your Highnesses, the Imperial Dragon insisted!” eximed the servant.


    Shareen growled and turned around. She snapped her fingers and both servants ran out of the


    bedroom while another youngdy came in to help her change. Very quickly she was dressed in a


    magnificent outfit, wearing the Imperial purple silk of her family, arge gold belt, and lots of fine


    jewelry. Even her ck hair was now swept up into an impressive bun by two gold hairpins adorned


    with several gemstones.


    Cassandra thought about how even her former mistress would never be able to wear such delicate and


    expensive items. Lyria was one of the Minister’s favorites, yet even for her, he could never get his


    hands on these kinds of priceless treasures. The Imperial Family was on a totally different level indeed,


    and Shareen was wearing those like they were mere trinkets.


    Cassandra suddenly remembered that the emerald dress she was wearing herself was far above her


    own status. What if someone else saw her like this? Her iron cor and clothes were so mismatched,


    what if she was called a thief again? Thinking about this, her stomach twisted in pain from worry.


    However, Kairen didn’t seem to care about any of this. He walked out of his sister’s chambers, first to


    meet with


    the group of servants and soldiers that were waiting outside. The one leading them, a humble man with


    the blue attire of a Pce servant, opened his eyes wide upon seeing Cassandra in the Prince’s arms.


    “You… Your Highness, who is this ve?”


    He was obviously at a loss for words, but Kairen dismissed it in an instant.


    “Didn’t my father want to see me?” (1)


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    “Certainly, Your Highness, but…”


    Cassandra knew exactly what the attendant was thinking. A ve like her shouldn’t even step into the


    Imperial Court! The Emperor should never face ves or lowly servants. Of those that were not nobility,


    only those who worked in the Imperial Pce were permitted to be in the same room as the Imperial


    dragon, and even for them, it was considered the greatest honor to be able to bow in his presence.


    Yet, here she was, a lowly ve being carried in by a member of the Imperial Family! Cassandra had


    no idea how to act, but she fruitlessly tried to release herself from Kairen’s arms.


    “Master, I shouldn’te with you…”


    “Why not?” growled Kairen.


    “It is not… permitted.”


    Shareen finally came out of her chambers followed by threedies in waiting, all wearing simr


    dresses to Cassandra’s, the only difference being that she had the ve cor.


    The Imperial servant was almost choking. How could a ve possibly argue with one of the Princes like


    that? She shouldn’t even have been able to be so near him, let alone open her mouth with such


    defiance!


    Shareen walked past them impatiently.


    “We decide what is permitted or not. If my brother wants toe with a ve or thirty, it would serve


    you well to shut up,” she said to the Imperial servant, with an imperious tone.


    Immediately, everyone else bowed lowly.


    “Y…yes, Your Highness. Please, this way.”


    Cassandra was baffled. How could it happen as easily as that? As they kept walking through the


    corridors, they saw many servants’ faces. All those who bowed a secondte and saw her, couldn’t


    hide their shock, but of course, it was likely she was the only ve to ever be spotted inside the Inner


    Pce!


    As they approached the Imperial Rooms, Cassandra was so worried that she couldn’t handle it


    anymore. She turned to Kairen again, whispering with a pleading voice.


    “Please, Master, can’t I at least walk by myself? Please…”


    “Last time I left you alone, you ran away.” (3)


    Cassandra was taken aback. He was still angry about that? It wasn’t even her choice to leave his


    chambers! She shook her head.


    .


    “No, Master, I swear I did not mean to. Please! I promise, I won’t go anywhere. Please…”


    Kairen clicked his tongue, but after a few more steps he finally stopped to let her down. Cassandra


    seized the asion to swiftly put the fur cloak back onto his shoulders, getting it away from her before


    anyone else saw her with it. )


    The Third Prince gave her a skeptical look, but she made sure to stand right behind him, as close as


    she could without touching him. Shareen, watching the little scene unfold between the two, chuckled.


    “Look, Kairen, your new pet isn’t going anywhere, and you can always have Krai chase her down if she


    tries anyway.” (4)


    He took a long moment before taking his eyes off Cassandra and walking with his sister again.


    Cassandra let out a deep sigh right after, feeling a bit relieved, and started walking behind him with her


    head low until someone next to her gently tapped her elbow.


    One of Shareen’sdies-in-waiting had subtly taken a few extra steps behind her mistress to be right


    next to Cassandra and gave her a gentle smile.


    “No need to bow so low. Just do it like me,” she whispered with a smile.


    Cassandra realized she was indeed bowing too low. She had naturally taken her ve posture, but it


    wasn’t appropriate with what she was wearing now. Was it alright to mimic thedies-in-waiting? She


    still had her cor on, so her current status was probably closer to a servant than anything else.


    But the youngdy gave her an encouraging smile, making her feel a little more at ease, so Cassandra


    did as she suggested. This way, she wouldn’t stand out as much, and she was already hoping people


    would ignore her.


    They finally reached arge door. Even without the gold adorning the redwood, Cassandra would have


    concluded it was their final destination by the loud growlsing from behind it – dragon growls.


    “Emperor, this lowly servant has sessfullye back with Their Highnesses Prince Kairen and


    Princess Shareen.”


    Therge doors had opened and Cassandra, without lifting her head, felt a breeze, hinting that they


    were heading into an open area – a very, veryrge one. She followed Kairen while hearing a lot of


    people present around them. As she stole peeks to her left and right, she realized several members of


    the Imperial Family were there, all apanied by their respective courts. From the myriad of voices


    and sounds, she could tell at least fifty people were present.


    “Finally! Kairen, what do I have to do for you to stay at my banquets? Are they too boring for you, my


    Son?”


    Cassandra couldn’t believe she was hearing the Emperor’s voice! She was surprised; he sounded


    more like a doting father than an all-mighty ruler too!


    “What about me, Father? Do I not get a proper wee just because my dear little brother is here?”


    asked Shareen with a sulk.


    “What are you talking about? You know you are the most precious gem in my eyes, Shareen! Come


    here, my daughter!” 6


    The group suddenly split, with Shareen and her attendants going straight to the golden throne, while


    Kairen took a left. He walked to arge seat and took his ce, spreading his fur coat on it. Cassandra,


    observing how the other servants were positioned, took a small spot a few feet behind him and knelt on


    the floor.


    She was now partially in the shadow of his seat and had the freedom to observe the room. It was an


    immense, circr hall with several golden chairs, each sitting atop several steps. Like this, the Royal


    Family could clearly see the center of the room, where dancers were currently performing a piece no


    one seemed to care about. Behind each seat, servants were busy attending to their masters, handing


    them cups of wine or tes of food. Only the concubines were sitting down on the stairs in front of


    them, with a good view of the show, but no seat of their own.


    “You, take this.”


    A male servant handed Cassandra a ss of wine and arge te with fruits and meat. She quickly


    realized she was the only one there to attend to Kairen. She took it, ignoring the pain in her wrist. Her


    fingers were trembling under the extra weight on her injury, but she took a couple of steps forward and


    handed the cup to Kairen while he ignored the food.


    When she descended back to her position, the male servant was looking at her with furious eyes.


    “You idiot ve! You were supposed to try the wine before your Master! What if there is poison in the


    cup?”


    Cassandra had no idea. She looked at the man, speechless, and went back to Kairen wondering if she


    could take the cup back. Thankfully, he hadn’t drunk from it yet, but as she was about to ask, he put the


    cup down and showed no interest in it. She swiftly grabbed it, took a quick sip, and put it back where it


    was before returning again. The male servant sighed.


    “Useless ve…”


    “I am very sorry,” she whispered.


    “Save your apology for your Master! What if he died because of an idiot ve like you? Tsk…”


    While cursing her, he stepped away. Cassandra sighed. How could she possibly have known? She had


    never had any training on attending to the Imperial Family.


    After reflecting on her mistake, she went back to listening to what was going on. As expected, only the


    Imperial Family spoke while the concubines whispered amongst themselves, but none seemed very


    happy to be there.


    “Kairen, my son. Can I never keep you entertained enough that you would share a bit of your time with


    your father?” asked the Emperor.


    “Our brother would rather spend his time with his ve,” snickered the Second Prince.


    A loud growl suddenly resonated throughout the hall, and Cassandra finally understood why the


    servants and concubines didn’t feel at ease. Next to the Second Prince’s throne, what she had


    mistaken for a statue was actually a very alive Red Dragon. She took a quick look around; aside from


    the red one, two other dragons were sitting next to their masters. While one of those was caged, the


    other two were merely muzzled and chained, but they were still at the Imperial Family’s level, and close


    enough to scare anyone around.