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Aeris sat in her room, staring longingly at the sky through her window as the clouds skated across the deep blue canvas. A cool breeze flew through the open window, carrying with it a slight, yet pleasant, scent of grass. She shifted in her seat, her tail swinging back and forth in agitation. She had never felt so restless in her life. She stood up and stretched, bending almost into a capital L-shape, sliding her forelimbs along the dirt floor, pointing her flank high into the air, and extending her tail behind her. She held that position as she stretched her wings and flapped them slowly and gently to avoid creating a large gust and knocking things over. Once the stretching was done, she dropped her rump and sighed again.

Stretching like that only loosened her up and made the need to go outside more unbearable. It wasn’t fair. It was a beautiful day outside and she had to spend it indoors to “stay out of trouble.” She wanted so badly to feel the breeze on her scales and to bask in the sun’s warmth.

Hoping to find something to alleviate her boredom, she lifted her head to better look around her room. It used to be a shed but it had been rebuilt completely for her the moment she hatched, but it wasn’t until she became too big to move about the main house that she moved into it. Granted, she could still fit inside the main house, but her tail seemed to have a mind of its own, and things tended to break whenever she walked past.

Her “room” nearly rivaled the mansion in its magnificence. It had been divided into four areas for each of her tasks. On the farthest side of the room was where she slept. The massive mattress atop a lavish copper frame took up most of the space, leaving only room for a small wardrobe that contained her many vests, and a rack on the wall that held bags and harnesses, most of which she had never used. Next to the “rest area”, separated by a dividing wall was the “wash area” where she was bathed and relieved herself. Although she didn’t bathe herself, the shower had been fitted with special handles to better fit her paws and a special shower head to thoroughly clean her scales. On the other side of the room were the dining and play areas. The dining area contained a single table with no chairs because she ate alone and had no need for them.

She approached the play area and the large bookshelf next to one of the windows and read the spines of the nearly two dozen paperbacks lining the top shelf. She had read all of these books so many times, she could almost recite them by heart. She could “borrow” a book from her master’s library, but that would require going outside which wasn’t an option.

Turning away from the bookshelf, she took a few gulps of water from the trough against the far wall in the dining area. Looking at the rippling clear water made her want to swim in the lake close by. Today was a great day to splash around in the cool water.

Aeris grumbled under her breath and turned away from the trough, splashing the water with her tail. Her eyes settled on the old mattress on the far side of the room. Years of her claws and scales left it a gouged shadow of its former self, but it was still comfortable to sleep on. She could take a quick nap, although napping on the grass under the shade of a tree would be far more preferable.

Huffing loudly and forcing the thoughts of lazing about under the afternoon sun out of her mind, she craned her neck to look at the old chest in the opposite corner. Perhaps there was something inside she could play with. But it would be better if she could take it outside rather than stay in this stuffy room.

A low, terse growl left her throat. The point was not to think about how badly she wanted to go outside.

Her stomach growled, dissolving her anger. She had no idea what time it was, but that sound meant she had missed lunch. If she had known she was going to be stuck inside, she would’ve saved some breakfast for later. She made a mental note to ask Maggie for something to eat once she saw her again.

The squeaking hinges of the door alerted her to someone entering the room. Aeris quickly stood and bounded over to the door. It was her savior. She couldn’t even begin to explain how relieved she was to see the red-haired woman enter. Hidden behind the flaming red locks were a pair of deep-set brown eyes that looked very pleased to see Aeris. Her face held very few wrinkles, but a few streaks of grey along her temple betrayed the truth behind her youthful appearance.

“Hello, Maggie,” Aeris said, smiling sweetly as the red-haired woman entered the room, her tail thrashing against the floor.

“Oh, there you are, Aeris. I’ve been looking all over for you. Have you been in here this whole time?”

Aeris tilted her head, her tail becoming still behind her. “You told me to stay put, remember?”

Maggie slapped herself on the forehead. “Oh my goodness, I forgot. I’m so sorry. You mean to tell me you’ve been sitting in here this whole time?”

“You said you were coming right back.”

Maggie chuckled and replied, “Which I said over two hours ago. I’m sorry, Aeris. I had some other things to take care of, and I guess I lost track of time. Well, come on. Let’s not waste any more of it.”

She nearly bowled over the poor woman in her rush toward the door. Her mind overflowed with thoughts of how she could spend the rest of her afternoon: basking in the warm glow of the afternoon sun, feeling the gentle caress of the wind across her scales, and inhaling the earthy scent of nature.

“Um, Aeris? We’re not going outside.”

Aeris stopped just short of the door and whined. “Ugh. I don’t want another bath. I just had one yesterday.”

“Lord Strauss’s orders,” Maggie replied in a crisp scolding tone. She crossed the room and steered Aeris in the opposite direction towards the bathing area. “This is happening, one way or another, so you might as well make peace with it.”

Aeris grumbled under her breath. If her master said she was to get a bath, then there was no arguing. It wasn’t that she hated baths, it was that she usually couldn’t do much afterwards without getting scolded for getting dirty again. On top of that, Maggie always used scented soaps that made her nose itch and smelled awful. Today was no different as Aeris fought the urge to sneeze. Maggie moved quickly but it did not help the smell.

During the cleaning, Maggie explained, again, the reason why it was important to practice proper hygiene. Aeris only half-listened as she heard this lecture enough times to recite it, and focused on all the fun she would have at the party. It was the only explanation for why her master would order a bath twice in close succession. Even as she thought about it, her chest felt tight.

Maggie sighed and stopped scrubbing Aeris’s wing. “Okay, I can tell something’s bothering you. What is it?”

“Wh-What? Nothing.”

“Aeris--”

“I don’t want to go to the party,” Aeris quickly mumbled. “I love going, but sometimes I feel like a prop. I’m always the only dragon there. And I don’t like having the humans stare at me and praise me all night. It feels nice.” She dropped her gaze and she spoke quickly upon realizing how ungrateful she sounded. “Not that I mind—I really enjoy the compliments. It’s just...they say mean things behind my back. They whisper so I can’t hear them, but I always hear them.”

Dragons were not exotic creatures. According to Master Aaron, one couldn’t walk more than a few feet without seeing one of the large reptiles, and a great number of people had dragons as pets. But Aeris wasn’t like other dragons. Most dragons were usually one of a variety of colors: red, grey, brown, black, green, or silver. Aeris, on the other hand, had celeste scales which no other dragon possessed not even the cross-breeds.

“Oh, Aeris. I had no idea you felt that way,” Maggie said, her face and her tone sincere. “But I’m sorry. I don’t decide if you get to go to these parties or not. That decision is up to Lord Strauss. Speaking of which, why haven’t you said anything to him?”

Aeris dropped her head. “Well…I…Master Aaron is so kind and looks after me. I know he’s relying on me to make a good impression and I don’t want to let him down.”

Maggie gently lifted her head to look her in the eye. “I get it. I’ll talk to Lord Strauss for you. But you are going to have to learn to be more assertive. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind.”

The very idea of talking back to Master Aaron was inconceivable, but she chose to keep that to herself.

Another gentle pat on the head helped her calm down a little.

“Well, if he says no, then after the party, I’ll give you another bath and wash the perfume off, okay?” Maggie said.

Another bath hardly sounded like a reward, but it was the best she was going to get. She grumbled under her breath but nodded in agreement.

Maggie dropped to her knees and began scrubbing Aeris’ underbelly. She couldn’t help but giggle as the woman scrubbed her belly scales.

“Aeris, can you keep still? I’m worried you’re going to fall on me and you know my old bones can’t handle your weight.”

“Oh, sorry, Maggie. But it tickles when you do that.” She looked between her legs at the red-haired woman. “Besides, you’re not that old. And you really don’t look it.”

“Well, thank you for saying that.” Maggie turned on the water and rinsed away the suds. “But I still have no intention of being flattened. Imagine what my headstone would say: ‘Here lies Margret Hayes. Killed giving a dragon a bath.’ People would be laughing at my funeral,” she finished with a slight smile.

“Hey!”

Aeris looked at her own body. According to Master Aaron, she was roughly the size of a miniature pony. Although she had never seen a pony to know exactly how she compared in size, she did know she was barely large enough for a grown human to ride her. And while she had almost no experience with other dragons, the few she had seen were larger and wider than her.

“Now, now, I don’t mean anything by it. I just implied that you are heavy—which is not a lie.” She scrubbed Aeris’s tail. “Most dragons are naturally heavier than people. But I didn’t mean it as an insult. I think you’re very petite.”

“So now I’m too small?” Aeris asked in mock outrage.

Maggie dropped the sponge and placed her hands on her hips, an exasperated huff escaping her lips. “Oh, for the love of—what will it take to satisfy you?”

“You know dragons are very vain creatures,” said a voice behind Aeris and Maggie, “They are very easily insulted.”

Maggie started at the sudden voice. Aeris quickly turned to the voice. She cried out happily to the tall thin man standing before her. His youth was apparent in his face and demeanor despite years of etiquette training. Her master smiled, the look in his brown eyes filling her with warmth.

“Forgive me, Lord Strauss,” Maggie said, rising quickly and offering a quick bow. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“It’s quite all right, Margret. You were busy at the moment.” He smiled at Aeris. “Hello, Aeris.”

“Hi, Master. What are you doing here?”

He looked around wearing a look of confusion, “You mean I don’t live here? I didn’t know that.”

Aeris chuckled softly. “I meant that you’re home early.”

“Yes, I finished things a little earlier than usual, so I figured I would come home and make sure everything was okay here.”

“Everything is perfectly fine, Lord Strauss,” Maggie said curtly. She rinsed the last of the soap from Aeris’s underbelly and shutting off the water. “There you go, all clean. Wait, don’t—!"

Aeris shook her body sending water flying in all directions. She turned and looked at Maggie who was now covered in water.

Aeris hid behind her wing, stifling a laugh. “Oops.”

“You did that on purpose,” Maggie said, wiping water from her face.

“You called me fat, remember?” It was petty and she knew it was petty, but while she loved Maggie, she had to do something after being called fat.

Master Aaron laughed as he stepped between the two females. “Okay, Aeris, that wasn’t nice. You should apologize to Margret. After all, she is doing this as a favor to me, if you’re going to be cross with anyone, it should be me.”

Aeris dropped her head in shame. Although his playful tone suggested he wasn’t angry, it did nothing to ease the shameful feeling that she had done something wrong and offended her master. “Sorry, Maggie.”

“It’s only water, Aeris,” Maggie said. “Besides, I can’t waste any time scolding you when I should be getting you ready for tonight. Speaking of which, Lord Strauss, does Aeris really need to attend tonight’s gathering?”

Master Aaron’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, Margret, but tonight is very important and it’s vital that she attends. You know this. I need her if I’m ever going to close this deal.”

Aeris stepped forward. She couldn’t let Maggie be scolded for her sake. “Master, I—”

“I was just curious because it seemed cruel to give Aeris so many baths at once,” Maggie interjected quickly. “You know scented soaps bother her. I just wanted a chance to ease her suffering.”

“I’m sure if Aeris had a problem with going, she would say so.” He turned to her. “Well, Aeris. I can’t do this without you, but I understand if you don’t want to attend. Would you like to remain here tonight?”

Aeris stared at the ground and shook her head. Master Aaron was counting on her.

“See, Margret, she wants to attend. I trust that’s the end of the discussion?” It was clear in his tone the conversation was over whether she wanted it to be or not. Aeris continued staring at the ground, hating herself for even thinking of the idea.

“I have a few more things I need to work on before tonight, so, Margret, I trust you to handle things here. I plan to depart the moment I return, so she must be ready by then.”

Maggie gently lifted Aeris’s head, her expression apologetic. “I’m sorry, Aeris. It was worth a shot. Now come. I will get you inside, polish your scales, pick you out a lovely outfit, and spray on a little perfume—I said a little perfume,” she added emphatically, noticing the look of disgust on Aeris’s face. “I know not to put too much because of how much it bothers you; don’t worry.”

“And afterward, we can get something to eat, right?” Aeris asked, hopeful. She had missed lunch because she spent so much time waiting for Maggie to come back. Even now she felt like she was starving.

Maggie looked sympathetically at her. “I’m so sorry, Aeris, we may not have time, and even then, if you spill anything on you we’re going to have to start over. Then we’ll be late, and Master Aaron will be very cross with me.”

Aeris dropped her head but said nothing. No lunch and she was going to spend the afternoon reeking of perfume.

This is going to be a fun party, she thought.

****

Aeris squirmed in place. The last three hours had been nothing but greeting nobles and sitting politely while being pawed over. It was nothing new, but this night seemed especially taxing.

Never had she been so miserable at a party before. Her back hurt from sitting so stiffly in one place for so long, her scales felt grimy from being touched and rubbed by so many hands, her tail was sore from so many people stepping on it, and the mingling of so many perfumes was torture on her sinuses. Twice she sneezed, rudely interrupting her master, but thankfully, the nobles found it amusing though it didn’t make her feel any better.

But her stomach was the biggest problem. Never had she gone this long without a meal and never did she want to do so again. The hunger also heightened her sense of smell, making her more sensitive to the various scents than normal. But she needed to grin and bear it. Her master was busy speaking to nobles, and as she was the current topic of conversation, asking him to get her something or sneaking off to grab a bite herself wasn’t an option.

Every time she was steered towards a new group, she was filled with dread. All it would take was one ill-timed rumble from her stomach, and the night would be ruined. Ensuring that didn’t happen was her top priority. However, stopping her stomach from making noise with willpower alone was easier said than done. Thankfully, once the introductions were out of the way, she became more or less a piece of furniture while the humans discussed business.

She eventually became a little too focused on controlling her stomach as when she heard her master’s voice in her ear, she nearly jumped out of her vest, startling several nobles nearby. They looked annoyed at her outburst, but Master Aaron wore a pleased smile. She quickly composed herself and bowed to her master. “M-Master Aaron! I didn’t notice you.” Looking around and noticing the couple from before had walked away, her stomach sank. “Oh no! Did they leave because of me? I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention! It’s just—”

Master Aaron quieted her with a gentle pat on the head. “It’s all right, my little celestial. They didn’t leave because of you. Now to thank you for being so patient”—He brought his other hand from behind his back, revealing a large cupcake topped with pink icing sitting on a plate—“I brought you a little snack.”

She squealed with delight and nearly swallowed the cupcake whole but quickly corrected herself. It was rude to eat like a glutton in polite company. All those years were spent learning proper etiquette for this reason. “Thank you, Master. That was very kind of you.” She slowly scooped the cupcake into her mouth, doing her best to hide her pleasure as the flavors of the pastry danced on her palette. She chewed as slowly as possible to enjoy every piece of the baked pastry and every dollop of its sweet icing. She also needed to be careful not to mess up her vest. There were no designers who made clothing for dragons. Even the vest Aeris wore, ivory and lined with gemstones, was meant for humans and Master Aaron had to hire a professional tailor to modify it to fit her body. All her vests had to be tailor-made, a fact she couldn’t be quick to forget.

Once she finished eating, Master Aaron said, “Now that’s settled, perhaps your stomach can stop trying to talk for you.”

Aeris stared at the floor now fully aware of what her silence had gotten her and the risk she had taken. If they had heard her stomach growl like that, they would think he starved her and develop a negative opinion of him.

She felt a hand gently rubbing the top of her head, snapping her out of her thoughts. “You truly are terrible at keeping secrets. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more transparent dragon.”

“I--”

“Now I understand you don’t want to feel like a burden, and you feel the need to hide things from me to show your independence. But trust me, I will never see you as a burden. Ever. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. Besides, someone as meek and kind as you could never survive on her own.”

She smiled to hide her shame. If anyone saw her, they would know she had been scolded and wonder what she did. There was nothing worse than the creation of a rumor whether true or false. It was the first lesson she had learned attending these parties. Any kind of scandal would hurt her master’s reputation, and that could not happen.

“I promise I’ll speak up from now on, Master.”

Master Aaron laughed again and patted her on the head. “Thank you. That would be very helpful.” He gently steered her toward a pair of humans who seemed to be waiting for them. “Now, you have not finished earning your keep, my little celestial. These people have waited very patiently to meet you and we shouldn’t keep them any longer.”

Aeris didn’t have the heart to say the cupcake did little to satiate her hunger. Now that she had eaten something, she yearned for more. While she did just promise to speak up, it wouldn’t do to make these people wait any longer than they already did.

They stood in front of a large woman, accompanied by an equally large man, approaching them. The woman wore a beautiful green dress that hugged her body far too tightly yet it shimmered with every breath. On top of her head sat a matching hat topped with large, colorful feathers that bobbed with her every move. The man’s outfit was much more subtle, wearing a suit the same color as the woman’s dress and no hat. A long ebony cane was clenched tightly in his hand.

She couldn’t tell which, but one of them wore too much perfume. She hid her nausea and bowed deeply.

“Mr. and Mrs. Everfield,” Master Aaron said politely as he held out his hand to Mr. Everfield. “How are you?”

“We’re just fine, Lord Strauss,” said Mr. Everfield in a gruff voice.

“Oh, this must be the dragon I heard so much about. It is just gorgeous!” Mrs. Everfield said as she grabbed Aeris’s face and roughly turned her head back and forth to admire her scales. Aeris dug her claws into the floor, creating a light scraping noise, which, thankfully, was drowned out by the music. “These scales are magnificent. Simply beautiful. I’ve never seen a dragon like this before. I would love to have one.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Everfield, that is very kind of you,” Master Aaron said, gently taking the woman’s hands much to Aeris’s relief.

“Which reminds me, Lord Strauss, I would like to talk to you about that proposition we discussed yesterday,” Mr. Everfield said.

Master Aaron quickly waved away the request. “No, no. Forgive me, but I didn’t come here to talk about business. Why don’t you come to my office tomorrow and we can discuss the deal then?”

Aeris let out a small sigh of relief. It seemed this conversation would end quickly so she could ask her master for more food. There was no telling how much longer she could hide it. Each inhale made her stomach churn and she had begun to feel lightheaded.

“Come now, dear, we should be enjoying ourselves. You spend far too much time doing business,” said Mrs. Everfield.

Mr. Everfield smiled at his wife, making Aeris grimace slightly. When he smiled, the man’s face reminded her of a clay mask her master used to play with when they were younger. She hated that mask; it frightened her. “I’m sorry, dear. It won’t happen again. Lord Strauss, I know we can’t discuss business, but I must know: what species is this dragon?”

“Well, I’m not really sure—“ Aeris began.

“I don’t believe I was talking to you, dragon,” Mr. Everfield said snidely.

“It’s in their nature to be rude, dear,” Mrs. Everfield said. “You can’t expect too much from them.” She leaned in close to Master Aaron and said: “Even the most well-trained dragon slips up from time to time. I guess there’s no fighting their savage natures.”

Aeris lowered her head in shame and silently cursed herself for forgetting all that etiquette training. A good dragon did not speak unless spoken to.

Master Aaron quickly responded: “Well, my parents rescued Aeris as an egg after she had been left abandoned in the woods. Likely stolen from dragon poachers who misplaced their prize. I’m afraid I have been unsuccessful in discovering her origins, and her unique coloration makes things somewhat difficult.”

Mr. Everfield nodded and stroked his sizable mustache. “Well, I guess that explains it then.” Turning to his wife, he added: “I told you, my dear, she looks like a half-breed. Wouldn’t you rather a pure-bred Ramscale or even a Ravager?”

“But look at those scales, dear. She’s like a piece of the summer sky in dragon form! I don’t care if she’s a mutt, she’s clearly the most beautiful half-breed I’ve ever seen.”

Aeris frowned at the couple despite it being rude to do so.

“Mr. Everfield,” Master Aaron said, gently nudging Aeris in the side. She quickly changed her expression. “I can assure you, Aeris is a full-blooded—“

“I’m sorry Lord Strauss, but if you don’t have any papers proving her lineage, then all I have is your word,” Mr. Everfield interrupted in a haughty tone. “I do not think you would purposely lie to me, but what you believe and what is can often be two different things. How do you know Aero isn’t some half-bred western Highwind?”

“Um, Mr. Everfield, my name is Aeris,” she said politely.

Mr. Everfield rounded on Aeris so quickly, she nearly cried out in surprise. “Did you dare correct me, you—“

“Mrs. Everfield, that is a lovely purse you have,” Master Aaron interjected.

“Why thank you,” Mrs. Everfield said, proudly holding up the green handbag. “You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to find. I’m told it’s made of the finest dragon scales.”

Before Aeris could stop herself, she snorted in disgust. Everyone stared at her, Master Aaron especially, looking horrified. Tucking her head, she quickly began coughing to cover up her outburst. “E-Excuse me. I-I think I need a drink of water.” She began to turn away from the humans, hoping to get as far away as possible.

“No, no. Don’t go anywhere,” Mr. Everfield said sternly making Aeris stop in her tracks. Every part of her wanted to keep walking, but it would reflect poorly on her master if she did. “It’s obvious there is something on your mind, so please, share it.”

“Dear, she’s a dragon,” chimed in Mrs. Everfield, “They don’t have much of a mind to begin with.” She chuckled at her little joke.

Aeris couldn’t explain it, but Mrs. Everfield’s words triggered something deep within her. She had enough of their insults. She tried to be nice and bite her tongue, but her emotions had suddenly risen within her like a pot about to boil over. Her nose burned from the exuberant amount of perfume. The cupcake, tasty as it was, did nothing to satisfy her hunger. Her back and tail were sore. And now she had to put up with this.

“Aeris, maybe you should—” Master Aaron began.

It felt as if someone had seized control of her brain and forced the words out of her mouth. She stood to her full height but still needing to stretch a bit to look Mr. Everfield in the eye as her words echoed throughout the hall. “Actually I do have something I wish to say: You are the most obnoxious, inconsiderate, disgusting excuse of a human I ever met. I can’t decide which is more deplorable—your total disregard for manners, that tacky suit, or your lack of proper hygiene. Why don’t you do everyone here a favor and go back to stuffing your abnormally fat face? At least then we’ll all be spared the irritating drivel that pours forth from your gaping maw as we’re all forced to put up with your pungent odor!”

Mr. Everfield’s face turned a deep shade of purple. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. It would have been comical if Aeris hadn’t wanted to smack him.

Master Aaron gently pushed Aeris away from the couple. Shaking him off, she then turned to Mrs. Everfield. It was as if she were out of her own body and watching some other dragon that looked and sounded exactly like her yell at a pair of humans. No matter how much she willed herself to stop, the words continued to fly out of her, and she continued to use that vengeful glare.

“And you have the audacity to waltz through the streets, swinging that unseemly handbag, bragging about how dragons were sacrificed to create that hideous object. Quite frankly, it’s shocking no one has decided to use you to make something to parade around in and show you how it feels!”

Part of her was horrified, but part of her was also proud. She stood there, staring defiantly at the Everfields. Putting those people in their place felt good. A weight had been taken off her and she felt lighter than air.

The couple stood there, mouths and eyes wide open, holding on to each other whether for support or out of fear, Aeris didn’t know or care. It was then she realized the entire room had gotten quiet. Even the band had stopped playing. Everyone within sight stared in her direction wearing the same horrified expression as the Everfields. Even Master Aaron stared at her as if she were something he had never seen before.

The feelings of joy and accomplishment dissipated quickly. Her tail curled defensively around her legs as she looked at the stupefied crowd. Instead of weightless, the air felt thick and heavy as if a heavy blanket had fallen over the room. She wanted to hide in the deepest, darkest hole she could find and never come out again.

Master Aaron was the first to speak, his sudden voice startling several people. “Please excuse my dragon, Mr. and Mrs. Everfield. She has had a very trying day, and she is very tired--excuse us.” He gripped the back of Aeris’s neck and steered her towards the exit. Everyone parted as they moved through the crowd as though they were contaminated with an infectious disease.

People whispered amongst themselves, and their surprised expressions changed to anger or disappointment. Aeris cast her gaze to the floor, opting to stare at her blurred but ashamed reflection in its polished surface. She didn’t look up again until they were outside and away from any watchful eyes.

As soon as they were outside, Master Aaron immediately turned on her, his face red with fury. “What in the name of all things divine was that, Aeris? What has gotten into you—you have never acted that way before. Are you trying to embarrass me? Do you want to ruin my business?”

She dropped her head and didn’t respond; she knew he wasn’t expecting an answer. No explanation could make up for letting him down when he needed her most.

“Stay here and think about what you’ve done until I come for you. Speak to no one. I’m going back inside and see if I can at least try to repair some of the damage.”

He turned and stormed back inside, leaving Aeris standing outside alone.