"What were you doing in there?" he asked.

"Exploring."

"Find anything interesting?" He narrowed his eyes as I struggled to find an answer.

"Interesting? What do you mean by interesting?"

"That building is off limits."

"It's a barn. What are you hiding in the barn?" I questioned.

"Nothing. Just stay out of there."

"You don't want me to see the dragons do you?"

He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Draco."

James brushed past me and into the barn.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Draco!" he hollered.

A gust of wind stirred up dust and a soft thud sounded from the center of it.

"Majesty."

"You told Evelyn about, well, you?"

"Yes. The girl was curious. You've spoken highly of her I did not see why she could not know."

"It's not a secret I wish to let the world know."

He snorted, a small spark of fire erupted from his nostrils.

"You breathe fire!" I exclaimed excitedly, running my hand over the scorch mark on the floor. "That's why the wall looks like that!"

James sighed heavily. "A few breathe fire. There are two that breathe ice. There are those who manipulate the earth. And one that can manipulate the air."

"So there are various kinds?"

"Of course! Is there only one kind of human?" Draco asked.

"Well no," I replied.

"So why would there only be one kind of dragon?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know."

"You humans." The dragon snuffed out.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend."

"You humans never mean to, but you do." He snorted hard enough a puff of smoke trailed from his nostrils.

"I really am sorry, Draco."

"Enough. Evelyn, I didn't mean for you to find the dragons. I didn't think you'd go exploring. At least not soon."

"What's wrong with me knowing about them?" I asked.

"Nothing. Really. I just prefer not to have them known to the world."

"Why?" I asked.

"The last time the world knew of the dragons, people hunted them. They were nearly killed off," James said, stroking Draco's neck.

"Our eggs were smashed. Our hides adorned castle and manor walls. Men were given high-ranking titles based upon the size of the dragon he slew. It was dark times for us," Draco added.

"I don't understand why. If you're so helpful to James and civilized, why did they hunt you?" I asked.

"They were ignorant to our kind. They cared not that we could help you."

"Why do you help James?"

"His father was kind to us. He rescued our eggs and put them into hiding so that they may hatch and grow. He provided a sanctuary for our kind when nobody else would. That is why we take riders and fight alongside the Scottish army."

"Have you thought about reaching out to other countries?" I asked.

"No. It's not worth the risk to my kind. James takes good care of us now that his father is unable to lead the army."

"How many of you are there?" I asked.

"A few hundred. Our eggs are in a secure location, unfortunately there are only a dozen or so at any given time and not all hatch."

"I'm sorry."

"It is the way of life. The strong survive."

"I suppose," I mumbled. "Can I see the eggs?"

"You want to see them?" James asked. "They don't scare you?"

"Not at all! I find this all very fascinating."

James pursed his lips together so hard the edges turned white. "I'm not sure."

"If I'm going to be your wife you need to trust me."

"Yes, but this is something that nobody else knows about."

"I know."

"Alright. You can see the eggs. We leave at dawn."

He turned on his heels and left quickly.

"Are you sure you're prepared for this? Once you see the eggs and you know more of us, you can never speak of it to anyone. Not even your parents."

"I understand. I do have a question."

"What?" Draco asked.

"How does one become a rider?"

"You need not worry about that."

"What if I want to be a rider?"

"A princess? A rider?" Draco shook his head and snorted at me again. A small fireball about the size of a fox landed near my feet.

"Really? That is uncalled for."

"A princess cannot be a rider."

"Why?"

"You're a woman! We ride into battle. People and dragons die."

"So? Now, who is being unkind? Do you know what I am capable of?"

"What can a woman do?"

I sighed heavily and scanned the darkened room. Hanging on the wall were various swords and blades. I walked to it, examining each one before choosing a few small blades and a beautiful windlass. I stood in the center of the room and closed my eyes before moving in fluid motions.

"That's all well and good, but can you be lethal?"

I clenched my teeth and threw the windlass as hard as I could at a wooden post at the far end of the room. It stuck tight in the wood. I pulled the throwing knives out of the belt around my waist and proceeded to hurl them at the same post one after the other. They landed in a row down the post one above and two below the sword.

"I can handle my own."

"You can handle a sword. It is much different when a person is involved."

"I know that."

"Do you think you could use one of those against a human? It's much different than a wooden post."

"I think I could."

"You can't think. You have to do, Evelyn."

I crinkled my nose up and furrowed my brow as I contemplated taking a human life. My mother had plenty of times. She was an actual assassin. I tried asking her about her time doing it, but she always changed the subject or refused to speak of it. Father always told me it was a dark time for her.

"I could do it. I've been trained by my mother. If she can, so can I."

"Ah. Queen Joselyn. She is formidable. She will make a great ally once you are married to the prince."

"Do you ever think about getting another rider?"

Draco shook his head. "We have one rider. Once our rider dies, that is it. We live our lives without a human companion."

"That's very lonely."

"We have each other as company," he said.

"Do you normally live together? Or is that because you're part of the army?"

"We used to live with our own specific kinds. Fire with fire. Ice with ice. Now we've realized how much we need each other. If anything good came out of the killing of my ancestors it brought the rest of us together. Now we can repopulate."

"Where do the babies live?"

"The hatchlings? They remain near the nest. Their mothers stay close until their wings are strong enough to carry them. There are human tenders who help protect them and ensure the eggs are warm."

"Fascinating. What is it like to fly?" I asked.

"Flying?" A look came upon his face. One of peace and freedom. Something I still longed for completely. "It is the only time I feel whole."

"I envy you, Draco. Having even that as your freedom. I'm kept prisoner practically. Followed everywhere. Never alone with my thoughts. There's always a guard nearby to 'protect' me from this or that."

"Hmm. Would you like to fly?" he asked.

"Would I like to fly? That would be the most amazing thing ever."

"I haven't had another person on my back since my rider died, but I'll help you. I'll give you some freedom."

"You will?"

He nodded his head, lowering it to the ground. "Get a harness from the room in the back. I'll talk you through how to put it on."

I ran to the door, picking a beautiful black and silver one from the wall. Draco instructed me on how the harness fits on a dragon and how a rider sits. I climbed onto his back, strapping my shoes into the stirrups and holding onto the reins.

Coldness ran through my body as he walked toward the door. "Why did it get cold?"

"We're cloaked from the world now."

"We're invisible?"

He nodded his head as he nudged the door open. He flapped his wings a few hard times, his body lifting off the ground. My feet dangled at his side as the wind swept around us.

"Are you okay, Evelyn?"

"Oh my! I'm-I'm flying!"

"We're not really flying yet." He flapped harder and we shot higher in the air before soaring over the valley.

"This is amazing!"

As we flew I noticed Draco's body shimmer a beautiful golden color, his turquoise disappearing for a few moments. The shimmer seemed to stick to my body, running up my legs; a fluttering sensation overtook my stomach as the color moved to my arms, finally stopping at my head.

"What was that?" I asked, shocked.

"What?"

"That weird color? It moved from you to me!"

"Was it a golden shimmer?" Draco asked.

"Yes. It felt weird."

He suddenly dropped from the sky at a quick pace, landing softly in a field a good bit away from the castle.

"You felt the shimmer?"

I nodded my head. "Yes."

"I shimmered?" he asked again.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"I haven't shimmered for anyone. Not even my rider."

"What is a shimmer?"

"It's a bonding between a dragon and a human."

"A bonding?"

"I never shimmered with my rider. Some say that meant we weren't really bonded, but I'd been with him since I was a hatchling. We find our riders before we're grown."

"I'm confused."

"We bonded," he said.

"We did? What does that mean?"

"You're my new rider."

"What? How is that possible? I didn't spend years with you like your rider did. I didn't even know about dragons until a few hours ago!"

"I'm as confused as you are, Evelyn. I don't think this has ever happened."

"What do we do?"

"I'm unsure. I need to visit the elders," he said. "We have to go back to the castle immediately."

"What do I do?"

"You wait until I return. Speak of this to no one until I confer with them."

I nodded as he soared into the air again returning to the castle. My heart sped and my stomach turned as I slid from Draco's back with shaky legs I walked back inside. A gust of wind and swirling dirt were all I could see of the dragon leaving.

I'm a dragon rider? But how?