Chapter 6: Growing Rebellion

Things changed after visiting the Patel family. Aeris had become more restless than ever. She found she no longer cared about her origins. As Aubrey said, her past didn’t matter. That thinking got Aeris through the moments when she was questioned about her lineage.

Maggie hadn’t given up the search. There were no more secret visits to Master Aaron’s study, but she made a point of constantly reminding Aeris she was in contact with someone who could help. Aeris didn’t know who this person was, but she also didn’t want to talk about it too much and risk being overheard.

It wasn’t the only thing Aeris couldn’t risk being discovered. Lilith was always close by, watching as if hoping to catch her doing something. Nothing Aeris did was ever good enough for Lilith. Never had she encountered such a judgmental human. Everything from her posture to her nervous habits was examined and scrutinized. But Lilith never outright expressed her displeasure. Whenever Aeris did something wrong, she was told with a low sigh and a scolding stare. If the others noticed they didn’t speak on it.

Remaining sane through the constant silent ridicule was easier said than done especially since Aeris couldn’t rely on her usual stress relievers without risking being caught by Lilith. Aeris had to get Maggie to read to her and practicing any sort of math was out of the question. Even lounging in the sun was met with admonishing looks. Flying was the only time she got any form of reprieve, but she couldn’t stay airborne all day.

It was worse when Master Aaron was around. Lilith would cling to him and shot Aeris dirty looks when she was near. During those times, Aeris made sure to become scarce. Never had she been so happy to be stuck indoors on rainy days. It wasn’t that she minded the rain, she always got yelled at for getting muddy. Then the water she tracked in her room made the floor muddy and created a bigger mess.

Fortunately, today was one of those bad-weather days. It had begun raining, meaning Aeris was stuck in her room. It also meant no visits to her room from Lilith who pointed out how she couldn’t stand the rain.

Aeris closed her book with a small sigh. It was one of her favorite stories about a young farmer who learned he was a prince of a forgotten kingdom. As the prince traveled the land, building an army to take back his kingdom, he was betrayed by his closest friend. Betrayal, drama, adventure, she couldn’t ask for more. She returned the book to the shelf and reached for its sequel when she noticed Master Aaron’s pocket watch on the floor.

Her tail flattened against her rear as she remembered her Master visiting her earlier that day so they could “spend time together”. He must had forgotten the watch in his hurry to get dressed before Lilith came in. Master Aaron ordered her not to tell anyone. Aeris didn’t understand it, but she didn’t want to bring it up anyway.

Since receiving that letter, Master Aaron had been in a better mood. The watch meant a great deal to him, so he would be very upset to notice he lost it.

Aeris picked up the pocket watch and placed it on the shelf. But what if Master Aaron returned for it and was so grateful her keeping it safe for him he wanted “reward” her? Aeris shuddered and took the watch in her jaws and left the room.

The rain was coming down harder than she thought, soaking her within seconds. She kept her head tucked under her wing to prevent the watch from getting wet.

Knowing she wouldn’t be let into the house dripping wet from the rain, she decided to use the secret passages to get to Master Aaron’s bedroom and leave the watch there.

The rain pounded against the walls, echoing through the dark, narrow passages. It gave Aeris the creeps. The air felt damp and reeked of something that had been left sitting in water.

Aeris had a hard time searching for Master Aaron’s bedroom. She had little reason to go there, so she didn’t remember the way.  The passages also weren’t very straightforward. They twisted and didn’t lead to obvious places, and then it all looked the same, it was hard to get her bearings.

“Will that be all, Lilith?”

Aeris froze. That was Maggie’s voice.

“Actually, Margret, I was hoping to have a chance to speak with you,” Lilith replied.

Aeris followed the sound of Lilith’s voice. She didn’t know what was driving her at the moment. Spying on others was wrong. This wasn’t the first time Master Aaron had brought a woman home, but it was the first time one of them moved in.

This was a rare opportunity. There was something about Lilith. The way she looked at Aeris, the tone of her voice, that was unsettling. The woman was hiding something, and Aeris had to find out what it was.

It was like something out of one of her stories. The hero on the secret mission trying to learn the antagonist's plans. She needed to be quiet and careful. There were severe consequences if she was discovered.

Aeris eventually tracked Lilith to a nearby painting on the wall. Lilith stood in the master bathroom with Maggie. The tub under Aeris’ viewport was filled with steaming water.

Lilith began to undress. Aeris knew she shouldn’t be looking, but it was hard to turn away. Humans made a point of hiding their bodies behind clothing, and she wanted to know why. They always got upset at the idea of being seen naked and shunned those who flaunted parts of their body. She had to know why. The difference between men and women was known to her, but it didn’t explain the reason for secrecy. She had also never seen a human female naked outside of a few diagrams in the books “borrowed” from her master’s study. Once she asked Maggie to undress and the poor woman became horribly flustered. The subject was dropped and never brought up again.

Lilith’s body was drastically different from Master Aaron’s. Her pale skin was as blemish-free as her face and hands. The woman truly resembled a walking doll. She was far thinner than her clothes suggested, her breasts were much rounder, she had much less body hair, and nothing hung between her legs. It was disappointing. There wasn’t much different from what Aeris had seen before in books, and certainly nothing that warranted feeling ashamed.

Lilith climbed into the bath, letting out a sigh of contentment as she sank into the water.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Lilith, but I do have other things to do,” Maggie said. “I can come find you once my work is finished if you prefer.”

“That won’t be necessary. The reason I wanted to talk now is because there’s no one to overhear us.”

Maggie shifted her weight—something she did when uncomfortable, but her face remained neutral. “I’m sorry, but you’re expecting me to reveal Lord Strauss’s secrets—”

“You can stop, Margret. I know you have a unique relationship with Aaron. You often disobey him especially when it comes to that dragon of his. What I don’t understand is why.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I know you and Aeris left the estate,” Lilith said. A smile appeared when Maggie stiffened. “Aaron doesn’t like Aeris to leave the grounds without him, and you didn’t ask his permission or for him to accompany you. Where did you go?”

“I had to take Aeris to see the doctor. She sees him at least once every few months for a checkup. It was a little premature, but Lord Strauss wanted to make sure her wounds from that incident in the commercial district were healing nicely.”

The doctor had examined Aeris’ neck the day she was attacked. He said the wounds were superficial and looked worse than they were. After a few weeks, there would be no trace as if the whole incident never happened.

Lilith was silent as she studied Maggie’s face. Eventually, she spoke again. “You are an excellent liar. And you did not take Aeris to the doctor. Aaron told me the doctor makes house calls, so Aeris doesn’t need to leave the estate.”

“Lord Strauss hadn’t ordered it; I wanted to know for myself,” Maggie replied coolly. “I’ve known Aeris for many years. She has become like a daughter to me.”

“Yes, Aaron told me you don’t have children of your own. You’ve also never been married, correct?”

Aeris glared through the window. There was something Lilith’s voice as if she were taunting Maggie. So what if Maggie didn’t have children? Maggie had her. The woman said because of that, she didn’t need children.

Maggie remained straight-faced. “That is correct. I was engaged to be married once, but he was killed by a mugger on his way home from work.

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” She didn’t sound sorry at all. “So you decided to use Aeris to fill that hole?”

“You don’t like Aeris,” Maggie stated.

Lilith turned to Maggie, her back to the mirror. “No, I don’t. And I know Aaron is only using me to disparage the rumors regarding his relationship with his dragon. A young, handsome, successful businessman with very few dates. Always seen doting on his adorable dragon. Did you know we haven’t been intimate yet?”

“There’s far more to a relationship than sex,” Maggie said. “And I assure you that Lord Strauss does not see Aeris the same way he sees you.”

“True. But I see the way he looks at her. Hear the joy in his voice when he speaks of her. She can give him something I can’t.”

Aeris tilted her head. This was the first she had heard of these rumors. Was she being a burden on her master? But then why did Master Aaron make a point of taking her to parties? And what an odd thing to say. There were plenty of things she couldn’t do. Lilith could do far more for Master Aaron.

“I assure you, Lilith, Lord Strauss has feelings for you,” Maggie said. “He would never use a woman so callously. He is not the type of man to let rumors and hearsay dictate how he lives his life.”

Lilith leaned back in the tub again. “Maybe he should. A little caution wouldn’t kill him, especially with his “prized” dragon.”

Silence fell over the room. Aeris wasn’t sure what to make of what the conversation. The air was thick with the tension between the two females.

A loud thud filled the passage. Aeris jolted, holding back a cry of fear. She looked around, expecting to see someone inside that passage with her. But she was alone. It was then she noticed she had forgotten she was holding the watch and dropped it.

“What was that?” Lilith asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Maggie replied. “Perhaps something outside was knocked down. The wind has been blowing quite hard.”

“I hope so. Lydia told there may be a rat living in the walls. You think that dragon would at least be good for getting rid of a few pests.”

“Don’t worry,” Maggie said, her voice strained. “I’ll ask Lord Strauss to hire someone.”

Aeris took it as her cue to leave. She had wasted too much time already. Things would become very complicated if Master Aaron went to her room looking for his watch and didn’t find her there.

She tracked down Master Aaron’s room. The window was hidden behind a large painting of a landscape just like the others. This one was of a snow-capped mountain range. Aeris stared at the painting for a moment, reveling in the calm it provided her. It struck her as odd given she had never been anywhere near the mountains.

Eventually, she ceased staring at the painting, found the secret switch which opened the door, and made her way inside. Both Master Aaron’s and Lilith’s scents intermingled in the air. Unlike the study, the bedroom was flawless as if no one spent any time in it. Aeris crept across the floor, her tail and wings held close to her body so as not to accidentally knock anything over. Being in there without permission felt wrong.

Aeris hadn’t been in her master’s bedroom in years. The last time had been when they first, showed their love to each other, as Master Aaron called it. It was very awkward and painful. Charles saw them sneaking out of the room. After the two talked in private, Aeris was never invited to her master’s room again—not that she was complaining.

The bedside table was a good place to leave the pocket watch. Master Aaron would see it quickly and wouldn’t find it odd to see it there. The moment she sat the watch down, she heard footsteps approaching. There wasn’t time to run back to the secret passage, so she ducked into the large wardrobe across from the bed. She backed away as far as she was able, pulling all her limbs close.

Through the crack in the door, she saw Maggie enter the room. The woman looked around as if she shouldn’t be there. After confirming no one was in the room, Maggie hurried over to the bedside table and began rummaging through its drawers.

“Looking for something, Margret?” Charles asked.

Aeris inhaled sharply, fearing Maggie was looking for her. Maggie spun around then quickly straightened up and said, “I was just”—she looked around and quickly then snatched the pocket watch off the bedside table—“Lord Strauss informed me he was looking for this.”

“That’s funny, I just spoke to him and he never mentioned it.”

Aeris risked shifting a little so she could get a better view. Charles stood by the door. A small smirk adorned his face.

“Perhaps because I already informed him I was going to look for it. No reason in making everyone go searching for the thing.”

Charles chuckled as he stepped into the room. Fear gripped Aeris even though they appeared to have no idea she was there. “You truly do have a silver tongue, don’t you? If you had more status, you would truly be a dangerous person.”

“You can skip the flattery, Charles. I already had to deal with Lilith attempting to pry information from me, and I am not in the mood. What do you want?”

Charles stepped closer. Maggie remained where she was, one of her hands easing into her pocket.

“You really think he would hide something so important in such an obvious place?” Charles said, his voice barely above a whisper. “And even if he did, he would never let you take Aeris’ papers. But what could you possibly want with them? She’s already old enough to roam on her own. Taking her papers changes nothing.”

Why does Maggie need my papers? Aeris wondered. Every dragon living in the city needed registration papers mainly to keep track of who owned which dragon and how many were in a city at any given time. Once they were older than 10 years, the dragon no longer required a human caretaker and was free to live on its own. At least that’s what one of the books in Master’ Aaron’s study said. But it didn’t explain why Maggie needed her papers. They clearly didn’t explain where she came from or else Master Aaron would have an answer when he was asked.

“Your memory must be slipping,” Maggie said. “I’m not sure how you made the leap from a watch to registry papers.”

“You need to stay out of it, Margret. That dragon is the only reason Lord Strauss puts up with you.”

“I need to return this watch. If you’ll excuse me.” Maggie stepped around Charles and left the room.

Charles waited a moment after Maggie left then went to the far side of the room and pulled back a corner of the rug. He moved a loose floorboard and pulled out a metal box.

The conversation between Maggie and Charles replayed in Aeris’s mind. Is that where my papers are stored?

After examining the box and testing to confirm it was still locked, Charles returned the box to it’s resting place, replaced the floorboard, and covered it up with the carpet.

Aeris waited until she could no longer hear Charles’ footsteps before leaving the wardrobe. She had lingered there far too long. Master Aaron could be on his way to her room right now if he hadn’t been there already.

It occurred to her she had never entered the passages from this side before. She had no idea where the switch was to open the door. There was no time to look for it. The switch could be anywhere in the room, including unintentionally hidden behind the furniture.

Aeris rushed over to the window. Flying out the window was her best option. The rain had stopped and the sun peeked through the breaking clouds. So long as no one saw her leaving through the window, she could lie and say she wanted to go flying. She managed to unlock the window, but it was far narrower than the one in the study. She couldn’t fit through it.

This was bad. Master Aaron got angry whenever Aeris entered the estate without permission. And what if someone asked how she got in?

Aeris crept to the bedroom door peered into the hall. There were no signs of anyone approaching.  Sneaking out the backdoor was her last chance. There was a second set of stairs leading downstairs into the kitchens. She had lunch not too long ago, so no one should be down there preparing dinner yet. Just sneak down the hall, creep through the, hopefully, empty kitchen, and she would be in the clear.

She stayed close to the wall although if someone came into the hall they would see her just as easily. She had never felt this tense in her life. Every step she feared would make noise and give away her position. Every door seemed open just enough for someone to watch her from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to step out and question why she was indoors. She just had to return the stupid watch! It would’ve been better to leave it and go flying until Master Aaron returned to take it.

The trip down the stairs went smoothly, but Aeris refused to relax until she was back outside. Next was getting to the kitchens. Easier said than done. The floor upstairs had carpet which muffled her footsteps. Downstairs had no such luxury. The back stairwell led to a short hall that led straight to the kitchens. So long as no one came that way, she wouldn’t be spotted.

She stepped slowly to prevent her claws clicking on the floor. It didn’t completely make her soundless, but it was enough not to draw immediate attention. She stopped for every noise and checked every corner.

There was no one in the kitchens. Aeris hurried through the backdoor, not caring how much noise she was making.

She took her time going back to her room. With the rain over, there was no rush. It would’ve been nice to go flying for a bit, but now that the fear of being caught was gone, she couldn’t take her mind off that box and why Maggie was looking for it. Even if it contained her papers, what good were they? If they proved her lineage, why would Master Aaron lie about it? In books, situations like this usually meant a secret was being kept to protect the character. Was that what was happening here? They were protecting her? But what did they need to protect her from? She lived happily with Master Aaron her entire life. From the moment she was hatched, she was registered as a part of the family. Knowing where she came from couldn’t possibly change that.

Instead of going through the door, Aeris went around the side and peered through the window. If someone was waiting for her inside, she’d rather know beforehand. After confirming the room was indeed empty, she went inside and flopped onto the mattress.

She lay there, letting her imagination run until she fell asleep.

****

Aeris snapped her eyes open. It was late afternoon, the reddish glow of the setting sun coming through her window. She yawned and stretched, reaching her claws to the ceiling and froze.

There was another presence in the room; she sensed it. She craned her neck to find Lilith sitting in the far corner of the room. Aeris righted herself on the mattress and spoke in as calm a voice as possible. “What are you doing here?” Not the most polite question, but she just awoke to being watched in her sleep. The idea of how long Lilith had been sitting there sent a chill through her body.

“I wanted to see you of course,” Lilith replied, chuckling. “I’m sorry if I woke you. But you just seemed so peaceful. Did you know you talk in your sleep?”

Aeris’ tail quivered. What kind of things had she been saying in her sleep? “I-I do? I had no idea.”

Lilith crossed the room and examined the harnesses hanging on the wall, wearing a look of displeasure. It was unclear if she didn’t like the idea of them or if there was another reason. The harnesses were more for decoration than actual use. Most of them were old and all of them were faded from the sun shining upon them every day. Even when Master Aaron was small enough, he rarely rode her. No one else was ever allowed to ride her, although they continued buying her new harnesses.

“Well, you are asleep at the time, so I would be more surprised if you did know,” Lilith said. “Now that you’re awake, what do you say to a walk through the garden to stretch your legs?” She flashed a friendly smile.

Aeris slowly nodded. It was clear in Lilith’s smile the invitation was not a suggestion.

“Excellent! You and I are going to be spending a great deal of time together, so we may as well become friends.”

Something about hearing Lilith say “friend” made Aeris uncomfortable. Even before overhearing the conversation with Maggie in the bathroom, it was no secret Lilith didn’t like her. She wanted to believe the offer to become friends was genuine, but there was just something this woman she didn’t like.

The two left the room and headed for the gardens. Lilith was quiet the entire way. Aeris couldn’t help but imagine it was something like the stories she read. The hero was having what was supposed to be a friendly meeting only to be stabbed in the back at the last minute. She watched the woman’s every movement, waiting for the moment when Lilith would suddenly strike.

Nothing happened until they reached the gardens. Instead of suddenly lashing out, she spoke: “Aeris, you have known Aaron a long time haven’t you?”

“Yes. Ever since I was hatched.”

“And you love him?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I love my master?”

“That is not what I mean,” Lilith said. She chuckled humorlessly then looked around, checking for something. “I mean, are the two of you lovers?”

“No,” Aeris said quickly and more loudly than she intended.

“It’s perfectly all right, you know. I know some people and dragons find such a thing repulsive, but I’m not like them.”

“I love my master, but we’re not lovers,” Aeris repeated. Master Aaron had always been clear about their relationship. He always told her that it was perfectly acceptable to show their feelings toward one another without being a couple.

Lilith smiled. The first genuine one Aeris had seen on her face. “Thank you so much for being honest with me, Aeris. I’m going, to be honest with you: I don’t like you. And I know you don’t care much for me. But it’s okay because we have something in common. Something the two of us can use to find common ground. Our love for Aaron. I know I would do anything for his happiness. You want him to be happy, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Aeris said.

“Then you must become more independent. Aaron admitted to me that he worries for you constantly. You’re almost like a child, always needed to be watched over, protected and coddled. Sometimes he can’t sleep, your well-being troubles him so. But if you were stronger, you could look after yourself, and Aaron wouldn’t stress over your well-being.”

“Is he really that worried about me? But Maggie never said—”

“Of course Maggie wouldn’t tell you. She may be your caretaker, but she works for Aaron. If he told her not to tell you, she would have to obey.”

Aeris stared at the grass. Master Aaron didn’t court many women. Everyone knew it. If he did, he certainly didn’t tell anyone. At the parties, many of the other humans often whispered about him and his love-life though they were always vague on the details. It explained why they sometimes sent weird looks her way.

            She wondered why her master was always alone. Was it because of her? Did her master avoid relationships for fear of leaving her alone?

Lilith stroked the back of Aeris’ head. “Don’t blame yourself, Aeris. You didn’t know because they don’t want you to know. They still think you need protecting. But I see you for what you are: a beautiful and unique creature who has spent her life sheltered and alone. It must get lonely here, having no friends. You want friends, don’t you.”

“Yes, I do,” Aeris said. She immediately regretted her response the moment she said it. “I-I mean, Master Aaron does a wonderful job taking care of me and—”

“It’s okay to want friends, Aeris,” Lilith said. “You get to go to a lot of parties, but I’m sure you noticed the people there smiled and gave you sweet compliments, but they had no intention of being your friend.”

It was true. A few humans even said they would never see a dragon as an equal.

Lilith knelt and took Aeris’s face in her hands. “It’s time to leave the nest, Aeris. Aaron needs to consider his happiness for once. I know you do not consider me a friend, but if Aaron wants you to be happy, then that’s what I want for you as well, and I’ll do anything I can to help you.”

There was something about Lilith’s eyes; they lacked a certain warmth that Maggie’s had or the recognition of Master Aaron’s. It was hard to place, Lilith’s eyes lacked any real emotion as if she were looking at a chair. But Aeris wanted to believe Lilith’s words were genuine. What reason did she have to lie? Aeris felt guilty for her suspicions. If Master Aaron wished it, she could find some way to get along with Lilith.

Aeris said, “I do wish I could go out more. I met a dragon back in the commercial district. Her name is Aubrey. She promised to show me how a real dragon lives.”

“That’s great! I’m sure there is much this Aubrey could teach you.”

“But Master Aaron told me I couldn’t see her again.” She had already disobeyed him in that regard. The guilt still weighed heavily on her mind and clashed with her excitement and curiosity.

Lilith stood and wiped her hands on the sides of her dress. “Then perhaps we shouldn’t tell him. He’s only worried about you. I’m sure it’ll be fine if you went to learn from Aubrey.”

“But—” Lilith placed a hand over her snout, silencing her.

“Aeris, if you truly wish to be independent, then you’re going to have to think for yourself. And I’m afraid you’ll have to prove to Aaron you can take care of yourself. Words aren’t going to sway him at this point. Not after you were attacked.”

Aeris wanted to see Aubrey again. To find out how a dragon truly lived. To explore the world and experience the things she only had the pleasure of reading about. It was clear now Master Aaron would never let her do those things. And if she knew how to better take care of herself, what happened at the commercial district would never happen again.

But lying to her master like this felt wrong. Sure she already deceived him by going behind his back and seeing Aubrey, but there had to be a better way than lying and sneaking around.

As if reading her thoughts, Lilith added, “It’s okay to have doubts. But remember, you’re doing this for Aaron. That means your actions won’t be considered selfish. And don’t worry about him finding out. I can keep him distracted, so he’ll never find out the truth. If he does find out, I’ll be sure to smooth things over with him. You go out into the world and become the dragon you want to be. And I promise I’ll be there to help you every step of the way.”

It was a promise Aeris didn’t feel comfortable making. Lilith was little better than a stranger. Could she be trusted?

For Master Aaron, Aeris would do it. She would trust Lilith and become more independent.