Bucketfuls of cold water were splashed on her the moment her clothes hit the floor of the stone-covered bathhouse. She had to hold her breath to avoid getting water into her nostrils. She was properly soaked from head to toe, shivering in the puddle left behind from the barrage of water that was tossed on her.
Roxane covered her parts with her hands while her wet hair covered her face, making it impossible for her to see anything through the strands of hair. Her eyes were rendered useless and so she closed them in an effort to keep the water out.
Soon though, the female elves took her arms away from where Roxane was placing them as a last attempt to cling to her dignity. They roughly took a sponge and scrubbed at her body. First her arms, legs, her back, and lastly her toes. The task of giving the dragon a purifying bath fell upon the shoulders of a total of four elves. A task they seriously took, as none of them openly displayed any emotion behind their eyes as they touched Roxane's body. Even as they caused Roxane to flinch when they scrubbed the most sensitive parts which were her wounds, they held on to her tightly and continued with their assignment.
When she thought the bath was done after the last barrage of water to rinse away the soap from her body, Roxane saw another female elf enter the room carrying a green stingy plant that looked like a whip.
"What is that?"
"As per our lady's orders, we will be purifying you as gently as we can. Stay as still as you can miss dragon."
They lashed out with the plant and Roxane was surprised by the female elf's accuracy and expertise with it. When the plant's multiple tendrils touched her body she jerked away and expected a wave of pain to hit her. Instead, she found the parts that were hit by the whip felt only a light brush.
She relaxed for the rest of the strange cleansing technique. When the bath was officially done, she was given a change of clothing. A faint blue garb with a thin belt that went around her waist and hung down. Underneath the garb, she wore a black piece that has lengthy sleeves that poked out from the garb above.
"Riley, the mistress has asked if the dragon has been prepared." A much younger female elf appeared at the doorway to ask as the finishing touches to her elven braid were being made.
"Yes. Her preparation for the feast is done." Riley stepped away from Roxane, sending her away with a slight bow of her head. "You may take her away now."
"Miss dragon, this way please." After she returned the bow to the elves, she followed the young elven girl out of the bathhouse. They approached the back entryway towards the keep and when they entered one of the hallways of the keep, she was confronted by the golden dragon.
"Leave us." The golden dragon sneered at the young girl who immediately cowered away and tried to hide behind Roxane.
"I was told to bring the miss to the mistress." She cowered but did not do as she was told by the dragon.
"And now I am telling you to leave us. I have to speak with the crossbreed." He was frustrated by the elven girl ignoring his command. A wisp of smoke floated out of his nose as his eyes brightened with unbridled anger.
"F-forgive me, great dragon. I can't leave. I was told by the mistress herself to-"
"Enough," Roxane interrupted the terrified girl, reassuring the girl with a pat on her arm as she was behind her. "You heard her oh great dragon." She said mockingly. "Your mistress won't like to be kept waiting. It'd be better if you stand down for now and let us pass."
"How dare a lowly crossbreed order me around." More tendrils of smoke made their way out of the golden dragon's nose. "Your existence alone disgusts me."
A short laugh escaped her lips. There were only so many insults she could take before her short temper got the best of her.
She was so fast that not even the golden dragon could have prepared for the hand that closed around his neck. He was pushed back towards the wall with the force only a dragon could possess.
"Make no mistake, gold, should a fight occur between us the only one who will suffer will be you. A black dragon never loses."
His upper lip curled up into a snarl, "you are no black dragon."
She relaxed her grip around his neck only to take hold of him once more and slam his body into the wall, with more force the second time. As she did she heard the dragon wince pitifully as the back of his head smacked the stone wall of the keep.
"I dare you to say that again." Her eyes changed into thin slits as her anger flared. "You may hide behind your master, but make no mistake, I have no such shackles preventing me from slitting the throat of a prized golden bird such as yourself."
"You can't hurt me, a dragon who has sworn the Oath is too valuable to a human. The baron will hold the count accountable should I die by your hand. If you aren't already bound by Oath he will force you into one in order to replace me. Better than a male golden dragon, a rare female crossbreed will make a much better pet. You might even get to live exclusively inside the lord's chambers. You will never get to be a dragon ever again nor see the light of day outside."
She knew he was right, but his choice of wording fanned the flames of anger within her. She let out a low growl from her mouth as she moved her hand to grab at the front of the dragon's shirt, flinging him to the other side of the hallway where his back slammed into the wall but he maintained his footing.
His neck was slightly red from being harshly grabbed by the throat. She saw he quickly adjusted the collar of his shirt to hide the ugliness of the red marks Roxane had left on him. Given a few minutes, the marks would fade away completely but he nevertheless hid them.
As much as she wanted to despise him, the act of the dragon quickly hiding the marks so that his master would not see made her anger dissipate a little. Unlike her, she knew Diana would never take advantage of her.
The dragon was from the golden clan, a group of dragons known for their beautiful scales. Full of pride, these dragons would rather die than be shackled to a master. Prideful, yet stuck within a gilded cage. He could only wait until his master needed him to spread out his wings.
She could feel pity as she watched him adjust his shirt to where nothing was out of place.
"It's shameful," he finished altering his clothes, "to claim you are a part of the higher race of black dragons when your birth alone puts shame on the dragon name. A dragon without a flame is no dragon at all."
"Is this what you wanted to say to me? Did you want to shame me for my birth?" She was dumbstruck, laughing as she tilted her head to the side. "I have held no regret for being born, nor will I ever expect to." She grinned, a smile full of spite that she exhibited on her lips.
"But you, on the other hand, seem to hold a lot of regrets. How did a purebred dragon of your caliber get captured by mere humans? Meeting me must have made your guts tangle in an awful way. To be living well as you get pushed around by humans all day. All I can say is that I pity you. I truly do."
Roxane motioned for the elven girl who was still behind her, her childlike eyes wide and anxiety-ridden as she watched from a safe distance away.
"I have nothing more to say to you, so we will be taking our leave now. Isn't that right?" She smiled as cutely as she could to the child. It must have terrified her even more as she rapidly nodded her head, color draining from her already pale face. Roxane couldn't blame the child, as she had watched the whole scene.
"R, right this way miss." She bowed her head and pulled forward, making a wide berth around the golden dragon in the hallway. Roxane followed her, not bothering to avoid the other dragon and striding confidently past him.
She could tell what the child might be thinking, as she led Roxane the rest of the way through the castle hallways. If the golden dragon was overpowered so quickly by Roxane, then she must be an even bigger threat than the golden dragon.
The poor girl was shaking the whole time she led Roxane. Her extreme nervousness made Roxane feel saddled with guilt. She never meant to frighten the child so much so.