Dragons Desire

SMACK! The sharp crack of a hand meeting a cheek echoed through Princess Elysia’s room, making every maid pause mid-task.

They all turned to witness the unfolding scene.

“By the Gods, could you be any more useless?” Princess Elysia spat through gritted teeth, her voice seething with anger. Her eyes, fierce and unyielding, bore into the trembling handmaiden.

The maid’s disheveled brown curls fell around her face, obscuring her flushed cheeks. She bit her lower lip so hard that it bled, a result of its chapped state.

“I told you to bring me the coral gown, Coral!” Elysia’s voice was sharp and commanding.

In the princess's hand, she held a gown that sparkled under the light, adorned with intricate beadwork and delicate embroidery.

A satin ribbon belt cinched the waist, gracefully accentuating the lower corset. The bodice was encrusted with tiny diamonds, each one tinted a warm shade of orange, catching the light with every movement. The fabric of the gown was long and flowing, with a modest V-shaped neckline that hinted at elegance rather than immodesty.

The color of the dress was a rich, deep coral, though Elysia felt the need to protest.

If she had inquired, the maids would have unanimously agreed on its coral hue, but they knew better than to speak without being asked.

The maid, head bowed and eyes fixed on the white marbel floor, remained silent.

Elysia’s patience, already thin, snapped. She tossed the crumpled dress she had been clutching onto the maid’s head.

“Do you have nothing to say for yourself?” Silence hung heavily in the air, making the surrounding maids uneasy.

“Well, Alina?” Elysia's voice was a venomous snap. The maid, crumpled and defeated on the floor, hesitated before lifting her head. She released her bleeding lip and spoke quietly, “I’m sorry, Princess, but I was told it was coral—”

Before she could finish, Elysia’s hand grabbed a fistful of Alina’s brown curls, yanking her head back.

Forcing the dress to slip from Alinas head.

Elysia leaned closer, her burning glare unyielding. Her piercing blue eyes offered no mercy, framed by a perfectly braided low bun of red hair that spoke of her own impeccable standards.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses. Anyone with eyes can see that this hideous color is orange, not coral!” Elysia’s voice was a harsh command as she released her grip on Alina’s hair, letting her slump lower to the floor.

With a few more muttered curses, Elysia waved her hand dismissively at the other maids. They hurriedly left the elegant room, eager to escape the princess’s wrath.

Once the room fell silent, leaving only Elysia and Alina, she slowly lifted her head, keeping her gaze down. “I’ll do better next time, Princess.”

Elysia paced the length of her red rug, her manicured fingers nibbling absentmindedly—a habit she had indulged in since childhood.

Though Alina had grown accustomed to these outbursts, it was clear that Elysia’s anger wasn’t truly about the color of the dress. The princess was simply taking her frustration out on her, using Alina as a convenient outlet for her displeasure.

Elysia needed an excuse to vent her frustrations, and Alina provided the perfect outlet. As Alina picked up the princess’s dress and dusted it off, she winced from the lingering sting of the slap.

She never holds back, does she…

“I swear, you are so useless,” Elysia continued, her voice dripping with disdain. “I can’t understand why, out of every maid I have, you’re the one who’s supposed to be my number one. You can’t do anything right!”

Alina’s dark brown eyes, often compared to dirt by Elysia, narrowed slightly. The sting of the princess’s words matched the pain in her cheek. She wanted to snap back, to shout, “You think I want to be at your side and hear you complain all day!” But instead, she held her tongue, choosing to swallow her frustration and anger.

“Do you want me to go to the market today and make sure they give you the right shade?” Alina offered, her tone subdued.

Elysia’s frown deepened. “Yes, and if it isn’t the exact shade I envisioned, not only will I punish you severely, but I’ll also inform the king!”

Leaving Elysia’s room felt both freeing and exhausting for Alina. The princess’s constant whining and complaints over days on end always left her with a throbbing headache—one that had persisted since childhood.

The two had been together since Elysia was six and Alina was five. Despite their close ages, they had never once gotten along.

Alina was now twenty.

Elysia took every opportunity to remind Alina of her place, so tantrums like today were nothing new for her. Though they harbored deep resentment for each other, they had no choice but to endure it, for the king had bound them to this relationship, and his word was absolute.

In the palace, one might assume that being the maid closest to the princess would come with high status, possibly even better treatment than an aristocrat. However, that was far from the case for Alina.

Her arms tightened around the dress she held, the fabric crumpled and rough in her grip, as her face twisted with frustration. Alina was bound to this fate because she carried a secret within her veins—a secret known only to the king and the princess.

Alina possessed a trace of royal blood, a legacy of an affair between a maid and the king.

This made her an outcast, despised by the princess and shunned by the king due to her impure blood.

Alina assumed that the only reason she was still alive was because the king possessed some semblance of a heart. He wouldn’t acknowledge her as his child, but he kept her alive—alive to serve as nothing more than a slave to his firstborn’s spoiled daughter.

Alina scrunched her nose in bitter sarcasm, “Yeah, much better.”

She almost wished he had ended her life as a baby or that the woman who bore her had suffered a miscarriage. Living in the castle was a torment, a hellish existence. The other maids showed her no respect; bullying and whispers were her daily torture.

A deep, heavy sigh escaped her lips. It wasn’t that she cared about or desired to be part of the royalty; her personal wishes mattered little within the palace.

Even if she were to reveal her true identity, no one would believe her. The royal family had distinct features: curly red hair and blue eyes. The only trait Alina shared was her loose but prominent curls, a meager resemblance that wasn’t enough to convince anyone.

When Alina was a child, she would often watch her mother sit on the windowsill, staring blankly outside. Her mother would mumble, “Why were you born with those features… why couldn’t you look like him?” Those words etched themselves into Alina’s memory; they were nearly the only things she recalled her mother saying, as she repeated them so often.

Alina knew her mother had desperately wished for her to resemble the king. If she had, perhaps the king would have claimed her without question.

Perhaps instead of being looked down upon by everyone, she would be the one looking down on others. And maybe, just maybe, her mother wouldn’t have been so shunned, driven to the point of her death. But that hope was too far-fetched. Alina entered the kingdom of Aleoria with dark, loose, curly brown hair, dull brown oval eyes, a blend of cloudy brown and olive skin, and an average build.

As she walked through the palace halls toward the grand hall, bathed in its opulence, she was met by the familiar faces of two other maids.

“My, my, my, if it isn’t the useless Alina,” Eva said with a smirk. Her small, brown close-set eyes gleamed with malicious delight at Alina’s disheveled appearance. She stood alongside a blonde girl with long, straight bangs partially obscuring her face. Both wore the traditional black-and-white maid uniforms, but unlike Alina, they carried nothing in their hands and appeared to be idly slacking off.

It was no surprise to Alina; she had often caught them shirking their duties.

“Eva and... Tessa Tumble,” Alina greeted with a hint of mockery. Tessa’s shoulders tensed at Alina’s words, and as she shifted forward, her bangs lifted slightly, revealing her hazel eyes filled with embarrassment.

“It’s Timple! For the Gods’ sake, one slip in front of the king and people start calling me ‘Tumble’? It’s not even original!” Tessa’s voice wavered with frustration.

The corner of Alina’s mouth twitched with a hint of amusement, which didn’t go unnoticed by Eva. Placing a reassuring hand on Tessa’s shoulder, Eva’s expression turned dark and mocking.

“Let it go, Tessa,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain. Her face twisted into a vile sneer, tinged with a touch of shadow. “At least we aren’t known as the worst maid in the palace, the one whom neither the king nor the princess can even bear to look at.”

Here they go again, trying to get under my skin. Every time I get into a bigger fight with the princess, they emerge like gossiping pests, Alina thought.

“It must be tough being such a failure,” Eva laughed, and Tessa joined in, their laughter echoing with cruel amusement.

Words simmered in Alina’s throat like a boiling pot, the pressure building as if her mouth might burst open any moment.

She had learned long ago that retaliating only fueled their cruelty. But today, the bubbling frustration felt different, stronger, harder to contain. Her mind screamed at her to stay silent, to keep her head down like she always did, but her heart pounded with a fiery defiance that refused to be silenced.

Stay calm, Stay Calm. Just because they know how to poke at your worst side, It doesn't mean you should show it. Hold. Your. Tongue.

“It’s such a pity to be despised like the maid who birthed you,” Eva sneered.

Tessa raised her hand to her lips, “Like mother, like daughter.”

As Eva and Tessa’s laughter echoed in the grand hall, Alina took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. But instead of letting the heat of their words boil over, she let her voice drip with icy coolness as she spoke.

“You’re right.” Alina said, her tone deceptively sweet. “It is tough to be a failure. But I’d rather be a failure than someone whose only accomplishment in life is licking and kissing the boots of others.”

Eva placed her hand on her hip, her smirk widening. “Is that all you’ve got?”

Alina stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. “I see how you cozy up to the knights and even the king himself, trying to get on their good side.”

She closed the distance between them, their faces almost touching. “Enjoy it while you can. Because soon enough, that small, flat ass of yours will lose its allure. When every man you’ve flirted with turns their back on you, I’ll be there.”

Alina lowered her head, her face shrouded in shadow. “I’ll be there to watch it all unfold.”

Eva’s smirk faltered for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her eyes. Tessa glanced nervously between them, her earlier confidence waning in the tense silence that followed.

Alina didn’t move, her voice steady and cold. “You girls made it your mission to tear me down like aaall the others, but remember this: when you’re left with nothing, when they all discard you like the empty shell that I am, You’ll be just like me.”

“And when that day comes, every maid in this castle will turn their backs on you. So you might want to adjust that nasty attitude of yours before you both find yourselves completely alone.”

Tessa stepped in with a sneer.

“You think you’re better than us? What a ridiculous fantasy,” she scoffed, her voice dripping with contempt. “Sooner or later, the Princess will tire of you, and the King will realize he should never have made you her servant. You really think we’ll be lower in status than you one day?”

Tessa’s lips twisted into a cruel smirk as she leaned in close to Alina’s hardened face. She jabbed her index finger into Alina’s shoulder, her voice rising. “Don’t kid yourself for one second!”

Ugh, why am I wasting my time on these Idiots! They’re wasting my time!

Alina opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, Eva cut her off with a sharp laugh. “Save it, Alina. No one cares about your sad little speeches,” she sneered, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “You’re nothing but a tool, something to be used and tossed aside when you’re no longer needed. Just like your mother.”

Her eye twitched at their words. Like my mother…like my mother?!

The mere comparison made her stomach churn. She was nothing like her mother, and the thought of being linked to her made her feel utterly sick.

Tessa nodded in agreement, her eyes narrowing as she took a step back, crossing her arms. “So why don’t you stop pretending like you have any power here and get back to doing what you’re good at—being invisible.”

She gritted her teeth, her mind racing with frustration. Eva and Tessa… what do they gain from this? Do they really think getting under my skin is a win right now?

Alina wanted to rip off the orange—coral, she didn’t care about the color; she just wanted to throw it aside and lunge at them. Her thoughts were consumed with images of grabbing Eva's brown ponytail, digging her fingers into the scalp, and yanking her to the ground to prove she wasn’t weak like her mother.

Eva was bigger and taller, making her a prime target for the first strike. Tessa, on the other hand, was known for her clumsiness, making her an easy opponent to deal with afterward.

Alina’s fists tightened around the dress, her mind spinning with potential plans and the consequences of taking them down. As the maids continued their taunts, her hands trembled with barely contained rage. If I get caught and punished, I'll end up in the basement, she thought with a dark smile. But it will be worth it.

“What is the meaning of this?” came a voice, cutting through the air like a blade through silk. The authority in the tone made both the maids and Alina instantly cease their movements.

“Y-Your highness!” they both exclaimed in unison, bowing their heads. Alina’s body remained rigid, not out of submission, but from the simmering fury that had not yet dissipated. The voice… she knew it all too well. It was the only one that resonated like the rumble of thunder during a storm.

The only voice her mother had yearned for, and the voice that belonged to the man whose blood she shared, condemning her to this miserable existence.

His heavy footsteps grew louder, echoing off the marble floor, and the clattering suggested he wasn't alone. A puff of steam escaped her mouth in frustration as her gaze fell on the maids, their heads bowed in deference. They knew all too well that the king was not to be trifled with; his patience and authority were beyond question.

So he’s here…

Her black heels shifted to the right, and she slowly lifted her eyes.

The king's attire was a striking blend of regal splendor and commanding presence. He wore a deep, midnight blue tunic adorned with intricate gold embroidery that traced patterns of mythical creatures that if Alina could recall were called dragons. His long, flowing cloak, edged with a delicate gold trim, draped elegantly from his broad shoulders.

Golden threads wove through the tunic’s fabric, catching the light with every movement, and a richly embellished gold belt cinched his waist, accentuating his imposing figure. His black leather boots were polished to a high sheen, reaching just below the knee and decorated with gold buckles that gleamed with a harsh brilliance.

Though they shared blood, it was evident that they were as different as night and day. Alina’s gaze drifted to his face, noting the porcelain complexion he and Elysia had in common. A wry smile tugged at the corner of her lips; it was almost laughable—no, downright absurd—that he arrived at such a perfect moment.

Before the king or his guards could catch her staring, she swiftly lowered her head in a respectful bow. “Greetings, my King,” she said, her voice steady despite their little debacle.

“I asked what is happening here,” his deep voice rumbled, directed firmly at her. Alina could sense the girls shifting nervously behind her.

Revealing the truth to the king would be satisfying, but it might lead to even more trouble today rather than letting it settle until tomorrow.

“Nothing, my King,” she replied, her voice calm and controlled. The maids behind her lifted their heads slightly in surprise. “We were merely speaking a bit too loudly.” She adjusted the dress in her arms, holding it up for the king to see. “Princess Elysia has requested that I return to town today.”

The king’s pale lips tightened into a stern line. “Nothing, you say?” His voice was a low mumble, and the guards remained silently vigilant.

Alina kept her head bowed, her voice steady as she responded, “Yes, I’m sorry to cause concern. If you doubt my words, my King, you may ask the girls yourself.”

His dark blue eyes, lined with three faint wrinkles, shifted toward Eva and Tessa. The maids stiffened under his gaze.

“T-thats right!” Eva stammered, her voice trembling.

“W-we were just discussing how we’ll need to clean the rest of the knights' quarters. After all, they’ve been working so hard… Your Highness.” Tessa swallowed hard, her eyes wide with apprehension.

He glanced between the two of them for a moment before raising his hand. “Leave us,” he commanded. His gesture was firm and decisive, and as if his fingers had the power to command their movements, the maids hurriedly scurried away.

Silence settled around them, and Alina took it as a cue to straighten her posture and meet his gaze. He was absently scratching his dark, reddish curls, and she found herself twisting a strand of her own long hair as she watched his fingers move.

“Alina,” he sighed. She blinked, halting her movement and clasping her hands together, bracing herself for his reprimand. “I’ll overlook the lie you told moments ago, but I’ve heard you’ve been having bigger problems with Elysia.”

Her eyes dropped. “Hmph, word travels quickly… Yes, the princess wasn’t pleased with me today.” The king’s gaze shifted to her cheek, and she felt the weight of his stare, causing her head to tilt ever so slightly.

“It was my fault,” she said, her tone resigned. “As I mentioned earlier, the princess wanted a different shade.” Even though this was the shade she’d selected herself at the tailor’s. She closed her eyes briefly and offered a forced smile. “Please, don’t worry about it.”

The king shook his head slowly. “I think it’s something we need to address.” Alina almost stumbled as she looked up in surprise. What could he possibly mean by that? Her heart tightened, a sense of dread settling over her. The king rubbed his brow, revealing faint purple shadows beneath his eyes, a clear sign that sleep had eluded him.

“It has become evident that your relationship with Elysia has deteriorated further,” the king said, his tone stern. “It seems that every time I turn my back, you two are entangled in more problems… It’s unacceptable.” Well, why don’t you just fire me?

“I’m sorry,” Alina replied quietly.

“Do you understand what’s happening in Aeloria?” the king continued, his frustration rising. “I have enough on my plate without having to deal with the princess disciplining you.”

Her brows furrowed deeper. It wasn’t as if she had chosen to be entangled in the princess's constant dissatisfaction or to be the target of her ire.

It was infuriating.

She knew better than to expect compassion from the king— not that she ever had. But enough was enough. She was the one with the bruised cheek and disheveled hair, the one who had to replace the dress the demanding princess had requested with the exact same color.

She was the one struggling.

Her lips parted to speak—

“If I hear about a situation like this again, you’ll be sent to the basement and left to starve for two days,” the king warned. He turned to leave, but Alina’s foot stepped forward, making him hesitate and stop.

“What?” he scowled.

Alina lifted her head, her voice gaining strength, “My king… Is this truly wise?”

The guards beside her tensed at the change in her tone, their hands tightening on their silver swords.“Watch your tone, maid,” They warned.

Her head snapped toward him, but he remained silent.

“It’s just that Elysia and I have had similar issues, and I think it would be better if I were assigned elsewhere. If you ask Elysia, I’m sure she’d agree. I believe she’s requested this before.” Wrinkles formed on his brow, and a sinking feeling grew in her chest. “I—I just don’t think I’m suited for her side. I want her happiness, just like you do,” she lied, licking her bottom lip. “I’d even accept a lower position.”

The king’s expression remained stern as he listened to Alina’s plea. For a moment, his gaze seemed to pierce through her, weighing her words with a cold, calculating scrutiny.

“No,” he said, his voice unwavering and final. “I don’t understand your difficulties, all you must do is do what you are told. You will remain in your current position.”

Alina’s heart sank at his refusal, the tension in her chest tightening. Her gaze dropped to the floor as she struggled to mask her disappointment and frustration.

The king’s demeanor was unyielding, and there was no room for argument in his tone.

“You must adapt to the role you have been given,” he continued. “If there are issues with the princess, it is your responsibility to resolve them. I expect you to carry out your duties with the same dedication and resilience you’ve shown for sixteen years. Failure to do so will result in consequences you’re already well aware of.”

The king’s voice carried a note of disdain as he spoke, “I expected this kind of disappointing behavior only from your mother. She, too, struggled with fulfilling her duties.” His eyes locked onto Alina’s. “You were born to serve, to fulfill the whims of my daughter. Your position will not change. This is the last time we will discuss this matter.”

Alina’s jaw tightened, and she bit her tongue to suppress the surge of emotions. She couldn’t decide which hurt more—the relentless expectations of the princess that seemed insurmountable or the stark realization of how little she meant to him.

The weight of his words settled heavily on her shoulders, a bitter reminder of her place.