«Have I not paid my debts?» He asked the guest directly.
Flora was surprised. How could her father owe something to a real charmer? The circle of communication of the marquis was exclusively charlatans. When did her father meet a real magician somewhere?
«Debts, tribute… let’s leave these conversations for later,» Edwin suggested.
It was hard for the Marquis not to lash out at his guest with his rapier. Flora’s father’s fingers reached for the weapon. Such behavior was unusual for him. Did the Marquis know that Edwin was a sorcerer and could harm everyone present if he wished?
«When will you return the noble woman you stole from this castle?» The Marquis attacked the guest, ignoring the murmurs of the crowd.
«It was not I who stole her.»
«But you are responsible for all these creatures that are climbing around, you!» The Marquis accused.
«Wouldn’t it be better to hold the King of Argania responsible?» The prophetess smiled coquettishly. «It is his duty to protect his subjects from any misfortune. I will speak to him about it the next time I am at court.»
«Lady Serpina, this is an argument between two men,» the marquis said.
The soothsayer cringed when she heard herself called by her common name rather than the proud nickname of the Seer. She nervously fiddled with her pentagram-shaped pendant.
«I see that the dispute between you two will soon be resolved,» she predicted.
«Then Monsignor Edwin will give me back my wife,» the Marquis roared, forgetting all decorum.
«He’s not a necromancer, Papa, to bring back the dead,» Flora said in defense of her guest.
Edwin glanced at her as if he had just noticed her, and suddenly a scarlet rose bloomed on Flora’s plate, so lush that everyone gasped. The flower opened with hundreds of petals and resembled a pyramid.
«It is enough of these tricks!» The Marquis intended to cause a scandal.
«Papa, you are so angry about his dragon?» Flora intervened again. «The dragon isn’t here. There’s nothing to worry about.»
«Are you so sure of that?» The marquis looked at his daughter sternly.
«It is danger!» The ash fairy squeaked in the fireplace. Why is she so hysterical all of a sudden? A dragon is probably flying over the castle right now. Strangely enough, Flora was not afraid of the dragon, but of her angry father challenging Edwin to a duel. If she had known in advance that such a scandal would occur, she would not have invited a guest she hardly knew to dinner. The Marquis de Rione not only knew Edwin by name, but apparently had some long-standing dispute with him.
«Perhaps we should have cooked some bulls for dinner, since we were expecting a dragon,» the marquis muttered. «Dragons prefer cattle carcasses, after all.»
The castle lord stared at Edwin as if accusing him of something.
«Papa, Edwin is not a dragon!» Flora tried to reassure her father. «I can vouch for the fact that he is a very worthy young man.»
Flora didn’t even know the title of a worthy young man, but she gave the recommendation in advance. Edwin sat at the table with the look of an innocent angel. His beauty took one’s breath away. Flora was embarrassed when she intercepted his gaze and wanted to turn away, but she happened to notice that Edwin’s hands, which were lying on the table, were covered with golden scales. Maybe she was only imagining it? Flora spit on propriety and snatched the lorgnette from the astrologer sitting next to her. Edwin’s hands were indeed scaly and his nails were sharpened. The luxurious blue camisole with silver embroidery was also turning to scales. This was some kind of nightmare! Edwin was changing before his eyes. Wings grew out of his back, his handsome exterior burst like a shell. Out of it crawled a very real dragon.
Drusilla and Charles disappeared as if they had never been at the table, and the guests were left alone with the huge dragon. Flora shrieked as the dragon’s paw grabbed Lady Serpina. If the seer could have predicted to herself that she would substitute game for the dragon at this dinner, she would not have come here. With the dragon blocking the way to the door, there was no escape. The Marquis’ guests became appetizers one by one. And then, obviously full, the dragon decided it was time to end the feast.
Flora’s father pulled some kind of amulet from the folds of his clothes and muttered incantations designed to drive the dragon away, but you could just as easily recite poetry or prayers. The dragon didn’t care. He strode across the hall, claws clawing at the floor, and toppled the table with his tail, then suddenly opened his huge maw. The entire castle erupted into flames in an instant.
A dragon worshipper
That’s the way to make a dragon angry! The castle burst into flames like a matchbox. The burning towers collapsed. The fairies of the garden scattered with screams. They were robbed of their home, that is, the garden that was, in fact, their home. The castle also burned and collapsed. It’s chaos!
Only the ash fairies from the fireplace rejoiced and danced on the conflagration. There turned out to be not one, but dozens of them. Apparently, there was a fairy in every fireplace in the castle. The poor fairies will be disappointed when they realize that together with the castle the fireplaces burned down. The ash fairies will also be left without homes and will curse at the dragon.
Flora also lost her home, and with it her freedom. The dragon managed to grab her with his claws and carry her out of the burning castle.
«Stop it! There’s my brother and my living mask!» Flora shrieked and started to resist, but she could see that Raphael was being dragged out of the burning castle by Drusilla. She was also carrying away Flora’s things, among which was a glittering fairy mask.
Then all was not lost! At least some relief! Flora still tried to kick the dragon. He had tricked her! How to get back at him? Trying to bite his paw, she burned herself on the scales.
«You are wild beast!»
The dragon didn’t even realize it was a swear word. He carried Flora beneath the starry skies. Below lay Argania. The entire kingdom seemed toy-like from the height of flight. Flora gazed in wonder at the villages and hamlets. The houses seemed no bigger than peas. The roads between the settlements and the forests twisted in thin ribbons. Then something tall and sparkling appeared ahead. It was a volcano! Why is the dragon carrying her straight into the volcano? Couldn’t he burn her himself? Or did he run out of breath while he was burning the castle? The dragon rose smoothly above the volcano and circled it from above. The fiery lava of the crater only flashed below. Beyond the volcano stretched valleys and some dark growths like the giant’s crooked teeth. It seemed to be a mountain range.
The dragon carried her into the mountains, lowered her onto the plateau, and suddenly he was Edwin.
It can’t be! It’s a dream!
Flora still couldn’t believe that it was Edwin who had turned into a dragon, but his scales still glistened on his palms under his cuffs.
«Why did you bring me here?»
Flora recalled with horror the tales of dragons kidnapping and eating girls alive. He had not harmed her at the masquerade, but had saved her. What if he was just waiting for the moment? Could it be that dragons can only feed on beauties during the full moon? Right now, the full moon was shining over the mountains. Suddenly there was a tinkling laughter.
It was a few masked fairies who had come to the plateau. They have gathered in a corner in a sparkling flock. Was there another magic masquerade in the mountains?
When they saw Edwin, the fairies flew away quickly.