Lyra's POV
The good thing about today was that I was brought out of the single room I was kept in the past day. Maybe they might have found the 'reason' that caused their leader to go berserk the last two days, but no one said anything. I was simply led down the corridor into a room with a multiple-layered bed.
It seemed small for the number of women brought by ship the last two days, but then Maryan walked into the room, and she led me to a particular section with a cupboard and some neatly arranged clothes on the bed.
"This would be your room from now on, you would be paid weekly, and for now, no job has been assigned to you, but I am working on that."
A job? I thought being paid for breeding only came after giving birth to a dragon offspring, not before, or maybe they were just making it up and could not keep up with their lies.
"Yeah, thanks. Where are the rest? There is a girl, Alisha. Is she in the same room as me?" I bet she has so much news for me now. She spent the night with the rest of the girls. I wanted to know how it was explained to them. If she too heard the tale of the human village.
It must be what they tell people just to persuade them into acceptance. That village I saw looked heavily decorated, too fancy, but it was like everywhere here. The dragons were glossy and sparkly, but their beast was havoc. They were using the same tactics for the humans by building a fancy town.
"Oh no, dear, she's in the other room with the breeding women. You are here because you will be working for the royal house, not breeding like the other women."
"What?"
"Yes, orders came in yesterday that you will be working as a servant here, not a breeder, that's why you have your locker among the other servants."
It made no sense. Why all of a sudden? Was this Lord Draziel's work? I could smell it, maybe he separated me from the rest of the breeding women because he finally knows I am a wolf. It made me wonder who he must have told, no one was talking to me about what happened. For all I knew, the hall was empty.
"So I will just stay here? Sit all day?"
"No, I don't think so. You could walk around the capital, but you have to be back in three hours. Don't wander off too much you need to be treated, and secondly, everyone is at the town square, we are all preparing for the blooming." She said, smiling for the first time today.
"What's that?"
"Oh, it's a breeding festival, parties, wine, competitions, the finest lord gets to go home with the finest human and spend their time together, dragons fight for their women, and then whoever wins gets to breed with a particular woman till the next blooming festival."
Like it wasn't disgusting enough that they were breeding with humans, they turned it into a feast, they found a way to make someone else's life about them. I could not hate them more than I do now.
Complaining won't solve anything, not without any power to solve them. I was still covered in bandages from the bruises caused by a psychopath. So I took a cloth to cover up the closed sore. Then I proceeded to make good use of my freedom.
"I need to leave now," I said to Maryam before turning to the door.
"Hey, lady, what's your name? All the girls have introduced themselves, just you."
"Lisha." I lied, before walking out the door, it was the first human name to cross my mind.
Down the corridor and into another, I walked slowly, scanning for any exit or opening. Maybe I could get a glimpse of this 'Blooming' festival. Several dragon males passed me, their eyes lingering with suspicion.
I lowered my head, avoiding their gaze. Eventually, I reached an opening that led outside, and I saw them. Familiar faces. Many of the women who arrived with me were gathered, including Alisha. I spotted her talking with several other girls.
"Hey! Hey!" Waving, I ran toward her. She saw me, then pulled me into a hug.
"Hello, Lyra." Holding me at arm's length, her curious eyes peered at me.
"It's Lisha now. I told Maryam it's Lisha." Squinting her eyes, her lips pursed into a fine line. I expected something totally insane, but rather she shrugged her shoulders.
"Now tell me all about it. What happened in the room with Lord Draziel? There's so much going on around here; people are saying you were all sorts of things. I wanted to hear from you."
Like everyone else here, she seemed genuinely happy. The women were laughing and chatting, these were the same people who were terrified for their lives just yesterday. Now they seemed infected by the same charm as Maryam.
Alisha was dressed in a flowing gown, her skin glowing, ears adorned with diamond earrings.
"Who gave you that?" I pointed. She blushed, lowering her head. "A lord. He said he'll choose me at the Blooming."
"What?"
"Yes, he said he would fight for my hand in the blooming." Everyone was brainwashed already, even her! I mean no offense, but the lady before me barely cared for her life, but even with such carelessness, the woman before me was different. She was hopeful. It was new.
"So they gave you a diamond to shut up? They are shapeshifters… Demons, you know this, and yet you let them sway you with rocks."
She waved me off. "Turns out I was wrong. We don't die, and we only breed once, then get to own a house in the human village and live our best lives." She said with utmost pride, totally clueless.
Looking at the other girls who were obviously endowed with a gift, they showed each other their gold rings and the fancy emeralds. All of them clueless and innocent, it felt as though I had suddenly been a shepherd to sheep. A mother to children and a god to disciples.
They needed to be saved, and only I could save them.
"Don't you think this is all a lie? Has anyone been to the human village?"
Her smile faltered. "No."
"Because the dragons are liars. Bitter, dangerous, and cunning."
"How do you know that?"
I wanted to scream because I'm a wolf, because history recorded what dragons had done to us. But instead, I said, "I just know."
She leaned in.
"How about we sneak into the village tonight?"