The Dragon’s Throne 1

Chapter 12

Anna sat at the table, looking across the glossy surface at her reflection, then back at the man who was in front of a modern, electric stove, preparing food that he had pulled out of a pantry and a refrigerator.

“I was really surprised that you knew what a refrigerator was,” he said while he worked, the room quickly filling with the aroma of spices and fresh herbs.

“I read about it in a book.  Though it’s different than I pictured.  There are a lot of things I read about in this one book in particular that are similar to this house.  Well, except that I think this house is really a mansion.”

“It is,” he confirmed, bringing the sizzling frying pan over to her plate and sliding an omelette in front of her.  “Enjoy.  It’s very hot.”

He handed her a fork, which she looked at for a second, her delighted smile escaping her careful control briefly before she set her passive expression back into place. 

“Have you never seen a fork?”

“I have, just not one this shiny before.”

“I love how you look at the world,” he said.  “I take everything for granted because it has always been there.  I never lived the way that you have, and I’m sure this must all be so foreign to you.”

“It is,” she agreed, taking a small bite of the food and closing her eyes as it melted in her mouth.  “This is amazing,” she said.

“Wait until you see what they cook for my mother and father every night for dinner.”

“It’s all so different,” she said.  “And I don’t know if I can ever get used to wearing jeans and a t-shirt.  I feel a little silly.”

“When you see how much better hiking and exploring are, you’ll find that you like them.  But I do prefer you in a dress.  You are so soft and feminine I can’t take my eyes off of you.  You could be wearing a paper sack and you’d still be beautiful.”

She blushed at his words, taking another bite of her food to hide her shy smile. 

He’s such a smooth talker, she thought, but she knew that wasn’t true.  He was being genuine; she could see it in his eyes.  He thought she was pretty, and it didn’t matter what she was wearing or how wild her hair was.

She took a deep breath, trying to still her heart even as she cursed her traitorous body.  He could be as sweet as he wanted to, he was still the enemy and she couldn’t let herself get caught off guard by his charm.  She still had to escape, and nothing he could say was going to change that.

She finished her food, and before she could stand to take it to the sink herself, Eli swooped in and grabbed it, washing it by hand and setting it in a dish drainer.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked.

The picture of him devouring her the way the villagers had imagined popped up in her head, but she quickly dismissed it.  She wasn’t sure she believed everything he said, but she was certain that he was not going to eat her.

“I already ate while you were sleeping.”  He held out a hand to her.  “Come with me.  I want to show you the house.”

“There’s more?”

“There is.”  He was smiling.  “But there’s one room I want to show you more than anything.”

“Alright,” she said, intrigued despite her reservations.

He was obviously excited about something, and she couldn’t help feeling a little twinge of excitement herself.  This world of excess that he lived in so seamlessly was so new and intriguing to her.

I might as well enjoy it while I’m here, she thought. 

She looked at his hand again, then took it boldly.  He smiled, guiding her out of the room and giving her a tour of the house. 

Anna was shocked by how large it was, and even more surprised that attached to the back of the house was a swimming pool with a built in hot tub beneath a glass cover, making it usable year-round.

“So, you can swim all year long,” Eli said.  “Even during the winter and in the middle of a blizzard.  There are solar panels on the top, which feed the heater and the filters.”

“This is amazing,” she said, then laughed.  “I feel like I’ve said that about a hundred times today.”

“It’s okay.  I like hearing you say it.”  He smiled.  “You look radiant when you’re happy.”

He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear.  His fingertips lingered for a moment before he slowly pulled his hand away and smiled at her.

“Your home is beautiful,” she said, and she meant it.

“There’s one more room you haven’t seen,” he said, suddenly eager.  “I saved it for last.”

His hand held hers again as he led her down a long hall. 

“Close your eyes,” he said when he stopped in front of a pair of double doors. 

“Why?”

“Humor me, please.”

“Alright,” she said, closing her eyes and holding out both of her hands.

He took her hands, his touch sending thrills up and down her arms.

“Are you cold?” he asked when she shivered in response to the overwhelming heat that ripped through her.

“No.”

“Alright, no peeking.  Keep your eyes closed tight and don’t look until I tell you to.”

“I promise I won’t,” she said. 

She let him guide her into the room, the carpet so thick beneath her feet that it reminded her of the heavy grass of the field that she used to play in near the village.  The room smelled strangely familiar, though she couldn’t put her finger on what it was that she was smelling. 

“Just a few more steps,” he said, his voice almost giddy with excitement.  “There we are.  You can open your eyes now.”

Anna opened her eyes, taking in the overstuffed sofa and matching chair, the various pillows and throws scattered about the room at each seating area.  But it wasn’t the comfortable seating areas or the massive floor to ceiling window that took up a good portion of the east wall that had her gasping in wonder.

It was the books.  Shelves upon shelves of books lined every wall.  The shelves were actually built into the room, each one reaching the ten-foot ceiling.  A rolling ladder followed a track around the entire room, making every inch of every bookshelf accessible to her and anyone else that found themselves in this little slice of heaven in the middle of a dragon’s lair.

“You have a library,” she said in a breathless whisper.

“Well, if you decide to stay here, it’s your library, too.”