# 15TheYoungServants Thatnight,Cassandrasleptin oneoftheservantsrooms.Therewereseveralavailable,soitwasnoinconveniencefor hertotakeone.EvenifNeborainsistedshesleepupstairs,beingallalonein thePrinceschamberswastoointimidatingforCassandra.Moreover,thebedroomshewasgivenwasquitedecent.Itwassimple,withwoodfurniture,like abedandadesk,justenoughforsomeonetosleepincomfortably.FromwhatshehadseeninNeboraandBinasrooms,theywerefreetodecorateastheywished,too.
Shesleptwell,butbecauseshehadalreadysleptsolongthe daybefore,Cassandrawasupearly.Quicklygettingdressed,shewenttothekitchen,notthinkingshedseeanyoneatthisearlyhour.ButBinawastherealongwithanothergirlandaboy,allstandingaroundchatting.Theyalllookedyoungerthan herself,aroundfourteenorfifteenyearsold.Uponseeinghercomein,Binastoodup.
Cassie! Shewalkeduptoherandturnedtothe others.
ThisisCassandra,whoI justtold youabout!Shestheonewiththefruitpeels! Cassandrarecognizedthe other girlaswell.Shewastheonewhowasscaredofthedragonthepreviousdayintheinnercourtwithhercart.
Hi…ImPrunie.Shenoddedshyly.
ImHelmond,saidtheboy.
Prunieisaservantlikeme,Helmworksatthestables!saidBina,joyously.
Nicetomeetyouboth.
Hey,Cassandra,doyouknow howtomakebreakfast?Weresohungry,butnoneofuscancook… Wouldyoushowmewherewekeepthefood? Sure! Forthenexthalfhour,Cassandramadebreakfastforeveryonewhile shelistenedtothemgossip.Thosethree,beingtheyoungest,werequite chattyandlively.She quicklylearnedthatPrunie and Binahadbeenrecruitedaroundthesametimethis year,whileHelmondwasPatrinasnephew.BythetimeCassandrawasdone makingbreakfast,Neborahadappearedtoo,herblackcurlsalltangled.
Thekids madeyoumakebreakfast?sheaskedwhileyawning.
Itsfine,Ilikecooking.

Theresenoughforeveryone.
Great.Illmakesometea… Soonenough,allfiveofthemsataroundthetabletocat,everyonecomplimentingCassandrascooking.Curious,HelmandBinaaskedCassandralotsofquestionsabouttheCapital,astheyhadneverbeenbefore.Shepolitelyansweredtheirendlessquestionsforawhile,astheothersatesilently.
Suddenly,theroofovertheirheadsmadeaterrifyingnoise,likeitwasabouttocavein.Everyonefrozeasthewallstrembled,too.Neborawaspetrified.
Whatwasthat? Therearentanyearthquakes here,right?askedBina,scared.
Cassandragotupastheroofshookagain,likesomestormwasovertheirheads.Whensheheardaloudgrowl,shefinallyunderstood andwalkedoutside.
Indeed,Kraisgiganticfrontpawswereontheroofof thebuilding,andtheBlackDragonwasgrowling,itsclawsscratchingthe walls.Kraididntevenseemtorealizethewholebuildingwasabouttocollapsefromtheextraweight.Cassandrawalkedall thewaytotheinnercourtuntilshecouldseethedragonshead.Behindher,all theotherservantswhohadleftthekitchentofollowherwerepetrified.
Itsthe Mastersdragon!Bina whispered.
PruniekeptlookingatCassandraasNeboragrabbedherarm,tryingtoholdherback.
Dont approach,Cassandra.HisHighnessdragonwillkillyou! However,shekeptwalkinguntilthedragonfinallyturneditsheadandspottedher.Immediately,itjumpeddownfrom thebuildingandtrottedtowardsherwithaloudgrowl.Sheheardthescreamsoffearbehindher,butdidntturnaround.Instead,CassandrastayedverystilluntilKrai stoppedinfrontofher,sniffingandtiltingitshead to theside.Shetookapeekatitsemptyback.2 Didyoucomebackalone?Whataboutyour Master? Cassandra askedthedragon,whilescratchingitshead.
IfKrai hadunderstood her,it didntbothertogiveherananswer.Instead,itwasjustgrowlingquietlyandturningitsheadfromoneside tothe other,beggingformorescratches.Behindher,sheheardNeboraspeak.
Icantbelieveyou… Hesquitenice,saidCassandra.
Nice?Isawthatdragoneattenmenatonce!Itdidntevenchew!Andyourepettingitlikesomecat…Whatkindof womanareyou? Cassandracouldnthelpbutchuckle.Indeed,she hadseenKraikillpeople,quitegruesomely,infact.But,fornow,theBlackDragonjustlaiddown in theinnercourt,closingitseyesand lettingherscratchitshead.

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I wonderwhyHisHighnessdidntcomebackaswell?Cassandraasked.
Theyarenotalwaystogether.Thatdragonprettymuchdoeswhateveritpleasesmostofthetime,saidNebora.OurLordisprobablystillattheMilitaryCamp.
Isitfar fromhere?askedCassandra.
Byfoot,itwouldtakeafewdays.Onthedragonsback,maybeanhourorso.TheMilitaryCampisquitelarge,almostlikeacityitself,andrightattheEmpiresbordertoo.Aroundtwohundredthousandmen.
That wasaratherlargenumberconsideringthisCastleappearedquite…empty.Forsuchalargebeast,thatnumberofsoldiersprobablydidntevencompare,though,asKraicouldprobablyprotectthecastleonitsown.Cassandralookeddownat the dragonthatwasabouttodozeoffunderherpets.
Nowonderthis Empirewassopowerfulcompared totheothers.Withseven dragons,theycouldprobablytakeoveranycountryonawhim.
Idontknowhowyoucanstay so closetoit.Itcouldeat youin onebiteanduseyourbonesastoothpicks! Neborawasstillbeingverybrave,standing afewpacesawaywhileall threeoftheothershadliterallyrunaway.Cassandra,however,wasntscaredatall.Despite itsgiganticsize,thehotbreath,andsharpfangs,shedidntfeelanyanimositycomingfromthedragon.Shewaited untilitseemedlikeKraiwasasleepandsnoringinthemiddle oftheinnercourt,towalkbacktoNebora,whohadherarms crossed .
Idontknowifyoureinsaneor lucky.
Icouldbeboth?Comeon,we shouldgettowork, chuckledCassandra.
No,no,youretoobig!shescolded.What areyoudoing… ? Shetriedtopushitsmuzzleaway,untilitwascompletelyout.Itkeptlookingatherthough,withadisappointedlook.Nexttoher,Neborawasstilltryingtostopherlegsfromtremblingandgetbackup.Cassandrahelpedher,tryingtoignoretheloudgrowls.
Icantbelievethatdragon!Itscaredtheshitoutofme! Doyouthinkthewholetowercouldcollapse… Itshouldbefine,itsnotthefirstdragontolivehere.Noneofthemtriedtoactuallygetinsidethough!LetsjusthopeitsMasterwillcall itbacksoon.IdontthinkIcanworkifitkeepspoppingupateverywindow! Canhecallfromsofar? What?Oh,yes.Dragontamershavesome special bondwiththeirdragon.EvenifourLordwasallthewaybackatthePalace,this onewouldflytohimanytimehe needshim.
Cassandrawascompletelyastonishedatthatfact.Shehadneverheardaboutanyofthisbefore.Thedragonswereconsidereddeitieshere.Itwasalready veryrareforanyonetobeabletospotone,astheyalwaysstayedwiththeirMasters.

Ignoringtheannoyedgrowls,sheclosedthewindowwhereKraiwaslurking.
Ihadnoidea… Thatsnormal,they dont leakmuchinformationaboutthePalacetothe outside.Here,OurLorddoesntreallycare,Iguess.Comeon,letsfinishquicklyhere,thatbigredeyeiscreepingmeout… Kraieventuallygotboredandwentawaylongbeforetheyweredonecleaningtheroom.Thedragonhadprobablygonetohuntsomewhere.
Whentheygotbackdownstairs,itwasnowheretobeseen.
Thetwo womenwenttothekitchen,wherePrunieandMarianweresorting outvegetables.Cassandrawalkeduptothem,taking whatlookedlikeacarrotfromthebasket.
Isitfreshenough? Notreally,saidMarian withasigh.Butitshardtogetfreshonesaroundhere.Theclosestfarmerisstillquitefaraway.
Whyisnoonecultivatingthe soilsaroundtheCastle?askedCassandra.
Shehadwonderedthiswhileflyingovertheland,too.Asidefromscatteredhouses,thewholeareaaroundtheCastlewasprettymuchdeserted.Shekeptlookingatthevegetables,butnomatterhowshelookedatthem,theyjustwerentverygood.EspeciallynotwhencomparedtowhatshehadseenintheCapital.
Theysaythesoilisnotgoodforcultivatinghere.
Cassandra frowned.Hernativelandwasmuchworsethan this,yetthey stillhadalwaysbeenabletoprovideforthemselves.
Thevegetablesgatheredinthebasketsweredefinitelyonesthatfitwarmerclimatesthough,liketheCapital,notwhatthey shouldhavebeengrowinghere.
Whataboutthepastures?Thelivestock? Nexttoher,Nebora sighed.
Cassandra,thelivestock werenottoohappytobehere,theyleftagesago.Didyou forget?Wehaveaonetonpredatorflying around thearea! Author Note : Thanks for reading , please be sure to like and leave a comment if you enjoyed the story so far !