As the Lord's words reverberated through the training ground, Cielle felt a knot forming in her stomach. She knew her uncle's expectations all too well, but she couldn't bring herself to accept his harsh methods without question.
"What is going on here? You still haven't started riding him?" Her uncle's voice boomed, causing Cielle to turn towards him, her heart pounding in her chest.
The Lord strode towards them, his expression a mix of disappointment and frustration etched onto his sharp features. His personal guards trailed behind him, their presence adding to the weight of his authority.
All the knights lining the training ground gave the Lord a deep bow, and Cielle reminded herself to do the same, though her mind was racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions.
"When will you learn your lesson, Cielle?" The Lord's voice was laced with thinly veiled displeasure. "This creature deserves no such mercy. And certainly, sweet talking to it would never work."
Cielle's jaw clenched as she struggled to find her voice. "I would not beat him like you would," she blurted out, her words coming out more defiantly than she had intended. "Yes, you might say I'm naive, but I would rather be known for my kindness than my cruelty."
A mirthless laugh escaped through the High Lord's lips. "Kindness, Cielle? Kindness has no place in ruling a kingdom. You must show strength, dominance, control. That is how you maintain order."
"But what if I don't believe in that?" Cielle's voice wavered, but her resolve remained firm. "What if I believe that ruling with compassion and understanding is the true mark of a leader?"
Her uncle's gaze hardened, his disappointment turning into something sharper. "You are too soft, Cielle. You need to learn that sometimes, kindness is not enough. Sometimes, you need to wield power with an iron fist."
Cielle squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on. "I refuse to believe that ruling with fear and cruelty is the only path to power. I will tame this dragon, but I will do it with kindness, not whips and chains."
"This is a dragon, Cielle, not some kitten you would find in the courtyard." The High Lord scoffed, his hand coming up to scratch under his jaw, "And no one has ever tamed a dragon, which is this big and bad without any weapons." He pointed at the dragon sprawled near Cielle.
"But I would! I don't want to make his time with me a burden or suffer. He is doing enough by carrying my weight on him." Cielle said. She was determined to not let anyone suffer because of her needs. She wanted to be different from any other dragon riders.
Her uncle's expression softened slightly, but there was still a hint of frustration in his eyes. "You have a lot to learn, Cielle. But perhaps there is hope for you yet."
"Yes. Let me try this my way, uncle." Cielle's words are tinged with politeness and respect that she had for her uncle.
"Yes, I would give it to you. It's my gift for you anyway. You can do with it as you wish," The Lord said, "but I hope that you won't disappoint me."
"I would not, Uncle." Cielle said with confidence. She would tame her dragon with love and kindness and not with leash and whips.
"Then you should go back to your training, Little Cielle. I will take my leave." The Lord's lips curled with a farewell smile.
"Thank you, Uncle." Cielle gave the Lord a deep bow.
With a nod, he turned on his heel and walked away, his guards following closely behind. Cielle let out a shaky breath, feeling a mix of defiance and uncertainty swirling inside her.
As the sun crawled higher in the sky, casting bright rays across the training ground, Cielle turned back to the dragon before her. She could feel its eyes on her, watching her every move with a mixture of wariness and curiosity.
Taking a deep breath, Cielle approached the dragon slowly, holding out her hand in a gesture of peace. "Won't you help me achieve this?" she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just want you to cooperate."
The dragon regarded her cautiously for a moment, then lowered its head slightly, allowing Cielle to stroke its scaled muzzle. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she felt the tension begin to melt away.
Her fingers traced patterns on the dragon's shiny scales, feeling him ease under her touch.
"We're going to do this together," she said, her voice filled with quiet determination. "You will let me ride you, won't you?"