Tama got up early in the morning, making final preparations. The Drahian delegation arrived last evening and lodged in the guest rooms. At nine o'clock, they would visit Princess Amida's chambers to clothe her in the Drahian bridal robes and collect her. Therefore, at six o'clock, the real Princess Amida was relocated to different quarters to stay hidden. Tama bade her goodbye before she left.
"Take care!" She smiled at the Princess. "I suppose my cousin, Demon Prince Arubah, will come for you from Lunaria when their arrangements are complete!"
"Thank you so much, Tama!" Amida sniffled. "I can never thank you enough!" She dashed at Tama and squeezed her in her embrace. "Please, be safe!"
"You needn't worry about me, I'm tough!" Tama grinned, to show the Princess a brave face and lull her fears.
Princess Amida's stout attendants took her through a concealed servant passage, leaving Tama alone. At seven o'clock, Queen Eclaire and a few attendants (who'd never seen Princess Amida) came to help her pack. Here, Tama realised her identity was already stripped away. She couldn't take any of her belongings as Tama Raveene, but only the most important items owned by Amida. However, Tama decided to keep her golden hairband and the skull hairpin since the latter was her family heirloom and a weapon. So, before the Queen and the servants arrived, she concealed the two items in Princess Amida's jewellery box she'd be taking.
When the packing was complete, it was nearly nine o'clock. Queen Eclaire sent the servants away and some guards to summon the Drahian delegation. Alone with Tama in the chamber, she sat on the bed and sighed.
"I'm sorry I'm such a pathetic queen!" she said. "A worthy ruler wouldn't send her people to man-eating dragons!"
"Please, don't apologise, Your Majesty!" Tama said. "Before being a queen, you're a mother and a great one! You're taking a huge risk to save your daughter, which speaks volumes."
"Even after I put you through all this, you remain so kind!" Queen Eclaire rubbed Tama's head, smiling bitterly. "Thank you!"
The Drahian delegation arrived. It consisted of five women, four of whom were about twenty, their fiery hair tied up in ponytails, the likes of which Tama usually carried. They wore yellow kimonos and crimson hakama trousers, their feet left bare. The fifth woman was about sixty, her grey hair tied up in a bun with a golden dragon hairpin. Her cheeks were droopy and her brown eyes looked stern. She wore a red kimono dress and wooden sandals.
"Good morning, Your Majesty, and thank you again for your warm welcome!" The old woman bowed to Queen Eclaire. Although she spoke Hasu, the official language of Hasurei, her coarse accent hinted at her foreign roots. She eyed Tama from top to bottom as though appraising her and gave her a curt bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Amida! Your mother was correct, you're gorgeous indeed, a worthy consort for His Majesty King Gerart von Drachenwelt! I'm Theresa Dienschein, the senior court lady in the royal palace of Belphezar. As per the tradition, I must collect the chosen consort, prepare her and present her to His Majesty. These four" – she pointed to the young women, who bowed rather to her than Queen Eclaire and Tama – "are the slave girls from our palace, trained in service and combat. They'll dress Princess Amida in our traditional robes and accompany us in the dragon carriage as guards."
"Thank you, Madam Dienschein!" Queen Eclaire answered with a polite smile. "My people and I will be waiting for you outside."
Queen Eclaire and her people left the room. The four slave girls from Drahvelt began undressing the flushed-up Tama (who'd never used attendants for her dress-up) and placing the Drahian bridal robes on her. These comprised a red silken dress with golden dragon depictions and a scarlet veil to hide her nose and mouth. On her feet, they put crimson shoes. They combed her brown hair and braided small tresses to frame her face from both sides, tying them with yellow silken bands. They placed a golden crown with blue dragon ornaments on her head and golden dragon earrings in her earlobes. They put heavy makeup on her face and dyed her lips red, which Tama disliked since she preferred her original beauty and simple fashion. Finally, Theresa urged Tama to cover her head with a semi-transparent crimson shawl, concealing her face from the outer eyes. She ushered Tama out of the room, while the slave girls took her luggage and followed. In the corridor, Queen Eclaire and her people joined the procession. They all headed to the courtyard.
Tama drifted into thoughts. She felt like a mannequin doll, prepared meticulously so that an abhorrent man of power would ogle and grope her! Her heart ached with frustration, feeling revolted at royal men, who bought and sold women as they pleased! No matter that Amida was a princess of Hasurei – the kingdom boasting equality among its people – she was sent to the heartless king of the neighbouring country as a prize for his threats! This couldn't be an arrangement made solely by Queen Eclaire, Tama was sure of it. Prince Ishgal must've had a say in it! Her blood boiled. She tried to focus on her shoes, battling her tears.
I can't cry now! She told herself. I have to get to Drahvelt and exchange vows without a tear on my face! That'll show my and Princess Amida's strength… Only after I'm alone, perhaps in a dream, can I be myself again. I can't let the cruel Dragon King and his arrogant people gloat over my sorrow! And I can't let Ishgal win… I must make him pay!
Tama barely noticed how they emerged in the courtyard. A huge carriage stood there, golden rails protruding from its four upper corners. Thick metal ropes were attached to those rails and the other ends were wrapped around the legs of four red wyverns. They sat on the ground with their wings folded and grunted like annoyed horses. Two of them belched little sparks of fire into the sky, impatient to take off.
After befriending Ronna in Dreamscape when she was twelve, Tama developed an interest in dragons, so she read every book about them she could find. She learned Drahian – the official language of Drahvelt – so that she could read more authentic materials on dragon classification, biology, and history. From those books, she learned that not all dragons could communicate in human language like Ronna, or even access Dreamscape. Only the developed species did that. These red wyverns, for example, were smaller in size than average dragons (although they were as tall as two-storey buildings) and had the intelligence of horses or pegasi rather than humans. They couldn't speak human tongues but only grunt and breathe fire. Nevertheless, they were good at learning commands and served to carry people and cargo. Because of that, they were called Fherd Wyverns, "Fherd" meaning "Horse" in Drahian.
"This is it, Princess Amida!" Theresa said to Tama. "You may bid your queen goodbye and ascend the carriage!"
"Thank you!" Tama replied, battling a lump in her throat. She turned to Queen Eclaire and bowed. "Farewell, Mother! Thank you for everything!"
"Farewell… Amida!" Queen Eclaire smiled bitterly, tears shimmering in her eyes. She returned a bow to Tama. "Take care of yourself!"
Tama cast a final glance at the Vienrose royal palace – the home she'd known for six years – and turned her back to it, stepping into the carriage. The inside was golden, a small table standing between the scarlet seats. Opposite Tama, were placed two flags – a yellow and a red one. Tama wondered what they were for.
The four slave girls entered the carriage, put Tama's luggage down and sat on their knees on the floor. Theresa came in last, shut the door and sat down opposite Tama, near the windows. She took the yellow flag and thrust it out. Tama heard the Fherd Wyverns give a squeaky roar and flap their wings, rushing into the skies. The carriage lifted from the ground and took off. Theresa pulled the flag back inside and put it on the seat.
Tama looked out the window. Despite her emotional turmoil, she enjoyed flying in a dragon-drawn carriage. From the air, the Vienrose royal palace resembled the toy castle she'd often seen in her dreams. The carriage flew over the sea, the calls of seagulls ringing in Tama's ears. On the horizon, loomed their destination – Mt Belphezar. Tama forgot about her sorrows, enjoying the view, but Theresa's voice sounded again. Her tone had changed – it wasn't respectful as in the Vienrose palace but stringent.
"Princess Amida!" she called.
Tama pulled her head inside and looked at Theresa. The court lady was frowning.
"Before we reach the Belphezar royal palace, I must warn you that the engagement ceremony with the king entails strict rules! Since you're a foreigner, you're not expected to perform splendidly, but you'll be judged nevertheless. I've never had my trainees fail and I don't plan for you to be the first!"
"Oh… Okay!" Tama nodded, trying her hardest not to yell at this self-absorbed woman to remember her place. She switched to the Drahian language: "What must I do?"
This caught Theresa off-guard. She stared at Tama wide-eyed, but she wasn't the only one. All four slave girls gaped at her. Tama figured they didn't expect her to speak Drahian, more so with such a beautiful accent close to the native pronunciation. Hasu, the language of Hasurei, was mild and melodious, while Drahian employed a lot of grunting consonants and grumbling vowels like a dragon's breath. For a native Hasu speaker, it was impossible to replicate Drahian pronunciation, but Tama and her brother were different. They were bilingual, speaking Hasu and Demontongue – the language of monsters in Lunaria – since birth. Demontongue was rougher and coarser than Drahian, so Tama had no problem pronouncing the Drahian letters.
"Oh, you speak our language?" Theresa asked in Drahian, regaining her respectful tone now that she discovered the foreign bride wasn't as boorish. "That changes things! You might not be hard to train after all!"
"Let's begin, then, shall we?" Tama grinned, happy that her display of skills had the desired effect.
Theresa told her the many rules she should follow when entering the palace and meeting the king. After that, the king and the bride would access the Dragon Temple where they'd exchange vows. Tama did her best to remember all the details.
They spent the afternoon travelling. Tama felt a strange bump through the air, which meant they crossed the protective shield of Drahvelt. Now, Mt Belphezar looked as huge as Tama remembered it from her dream. The carriage flew over the familiar city of Belphezar and crossed the outer walls of the palace. In real life, it looked more fascinating, making Tama's heart pound in awe.
Theresa pushed the red flag out the window, making the Fherd Wyverns descend. She exited the carriage and the four slave girls followed, taking Tama's luggage. A man dressed in a crimson robe, carrying a black headdress, approached the carriage and held his hand out to Tama, bowing low.
"Welcome to the Royal Palace of Belphezar, Princess Amida of Hasurei!" he said.
Tama took the man's hand and descended. Outside, she met thirteen similarly dressed men and six red dragons, much bigger than the Fherd Wyverns but smaller than Ronna. This was the bridal escort.
"Now, my girls and I will prepare the king's chamber," Theresa said to Tama. "Your Highness will follow these men to meet His Majesty!"
"Yes, Lady Dienschein!" Tama nodded.
Theresa and the four girls left, taking Tama's luggage. Tama looked up at the palace, her heart banging.
This is it! She thought.
The fourteen men and the six dragons encircled her, pushed the gates open and led her inside. The main hall could fit thirty dragons of Ronna's size and a thousand or more humans. On the right and the left, stood rows of men and women dressed in red or blue robes. Tama assumed they were statespeople. Behind them sat several dragons, all Ronna's size.
At the end of the hall was a golden throne elevated by stairs. Near it, stood thirteen people, seven and six on each side. They were the highest statesmen of Drahvelt – the Dragon Council. They wore orange silken robes, save for one young man, who wore purple. He stood closest to the throne, leaning on it carefreely. He seemed to be in his upper twenties and was of medium height. His long purple hair dropped to his shoulders in messy curls. His yellow eyes flared with cruelty, observing Tama as though measuring her worth. It made Tama's blood boil.
How can all these Drahs be so arrogant?! She thought. She yearned to smack the purple-haired man but took deep breaths to calm herself. Now's not the time to dwell on emotions! I have to follow the rules Theresa Dienschein mentioned, so I don't become a laughing-stock for these goons!
She stepped forward. Her eyes set on the king, and she sensed her heart flutter. It was a familiar feeling as though in a dream… a strange sense of longing she couldn't explain.
Why do I feel this way? She thought, angry. He's an enemy who threatened my kingdom and Princess Amida! He's the reason I parted with my family and my home!
The man looked familiar. Built like a giant, he sat on the throne with his elbow on the armrest and the back of the same hand supporting his cheek. His hair was pale yellow, long and bushy like a lion's mane. He wore silken robes but had bare feet. He carried a crimson cloak tied on the front with a golden chain and covered his head with a crimson hood. His eyes were a mix of red and yellow, like flames. The closer Tama came to him, the stronger the attraction became. He narrowed his eyes too, watching her intently. He felt like he knew her from somewhere.
Tama stopped before the throne. Confused by her feelings, she forgot all about Theresa's instructions – that she shouldn't look at the king but bow and say she was honoured. The fourteen men in the bridal escort eyed her puzzled, while the statesmen and the dragons grew annoyed. The Dragon Councillors glared at Tama, but she didn't grasp the hint.
Where have I seen him? She kept asking herself, staring at the king.
"I heard the princess of Hasurei was sick, but I didn't think her brains were damaged too!" A low-pitched scoff sounded. It belonged to the purple-haired man near the throne.
The people burst into laughter. The dragons grunted like Ronna did when chuckling. Even the men in the bridal escort couldn't help smiling behind their sleeves. Their laughter awoke Tama from her daze. The meaning of the purple-haired man's remark dawned on her. Her face went scarlet.
"I-I'm sorry!" she exclaimed in Drahian, stumbling on every word as though she'd never spoken the language. It increased the people's laughter. Tama gulped and dropped to her knees, placing her forehead on the floor. "I… I'm glad to_ I mean honoured, to meet Your Highn_ I mean Your Majesty!"
Even the dragons began roaring now, but the purple-haired man's howl rang the loudest. Tama couldn't believe she fumbled on her very first meeting with the king! Her worst fear came true – she became a laughing-stock! The tears she'd been holding in for the whole journey overflowed from her eyes.
I can't show my weakness! She told herself. Stop crying, Tama! Stop…
She couldn't stop. Tears kept pouring down her cheeks, wetting her veil. She sniffled, finding it hard to breathe through her nose.
A shuffle came from the throne, making the laughter cease. Tama thought her sniffles had become more audible and tried to suppress them, but her shoulders continued twitching, betraying her tears.
Giant feet came up to her. Tama flinched and raised her head from the floor. A big clawed hand was stretched out to her, a familiar jade ring shimmering on it.
"Please, Princess Amida, stand up!" sounded a deep, mild voice, ringing in Tama's ears like a melody.
Tama took the hand and stood up, undergoing the familiar sensation of ethereal bliss. She remembered now where she'd heard this voice and seen this ring. She looked up at the man's face, which was no longer distorted as it had been in Dreamscape but clear: the red eyes like burning flames and the lips forming an awkward smile, betraying the shame he felt for his people's rudeness.
"Draki?" Tama mumbled, her tears drying in her eyes from surprise.
The king widened his eyes in shock, clutching Tama's petite hand. He recognised her voice and her touch from Dreamscape. He understood why he'd felt attracted to her the minute she entered.
"Tama?!" he whispered.
The Dragon King, whom Tama dreaded so much, was none other than her acquaintance from Dreamscape – Draki, her "soulmate".