“Madam, Lord Nelson has requested you be accompanied to his home—“
“No, tell him I do not have time to dine with him tonight. I’m sorry for wasting your time” she firmly stated and then shut the door in the confused fat carriage drivers face.
Rayzier had finally gotten up from her bed.
“We must leave now, you do not have much time. I must take you to Istian where our wise women can assist in your birth. The child will be here by daybreak.”
Again the thing inside her squirmed. She placed both of her hands onto the mound of hard flesh and looked down at it. A child. Something she’d never dreamed of being able to have once the news of Henrick had come.
But was it a child?
“Show me what you truly are Rayzier. I will decide for myself if I will go or not. If this truly is a child and not a monster, surely a midwife could do the same as your wise women.”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead walked past her to glance out the window in the kitchen.
“Your Lord’s carriage has left. When the men are completely out of sight I’ll do as you wish.”
Moments later Arabella was following him across her yard and out to the livestock’s pasture. He turned and grabbed her hands.
“Do not be frightened of what you see, please. I may look fearsome but on the inside I am still truly the same.”
Arabella wasn’t even sure who he was on the inside, but the look of desperation on his face allowed her to quickly give a nod.
Rayzier then stepped away from her and opened his arms wide and looked to the skies. At first nothing happened, and then she saw it. The last bits of sunlight hit his skin and she could see his roughened skin turn to scales. His arms and legs began to lengthen and contort. His hairy jawline grew long and rows of teeth filled his mouth. Along his back a pair of leathery looking wings sprouted and he grew taller and wider until she was looking up into the green glittering eyes of a great silver dragon with horns and scales and wings.
“Oh my…” was all that she could stutter out as Rayzier the dragonkin through back his reptilian head and roared towards the dark skies above.
Chapter Five
He didn’t stay in dragon form for long. Arabella had taken several steps back and held her breath for so long that her vision had temporarily blackened and she fell over. She woke with Rayzier gently shaking her.
“Arabella. Please, are you ok?”
She was speechless but nodded anyway.
“You have nothing to be feared. The child will not able to turn for some time. Inside of you is only a human child. There is a possibility he will never turn. Come, please.”
Arabella not only was scared out of her wits, but to leave home seemed entirely out of the question. She didn’t have time to say so though, because the familiar sound of wooden carriage wheels and the heavy sounds of pounding hooves on the dirt road that led to her house sounded into the night.
“Someone’s coming.” Rayzier announced as he hoisted her into his arms and streaked across the yard to the barn.
When they made it out of sight, Arabella stood on her wobbly legs beside him.
“Who is it?” She finally had sense enough to ask as Rayzier carefully glanced around the corner.
“Your Lord Nelson has returned and he’s beating on your door. This time he’s brought at least a dozen armed men with him though.”
They waited in the darkness side by side listening to the shouts as Lord Nelson grew frustrated when no one would answer the door.
“Oh no…” Rayzier said as he dared another look around the corner.
“What?” Arabella asked but didn’t need an answer from Rayzier, Lord Nelson was yelling at his men to burn it down.
Instead of waiting it out, Arabella launched into action. Her great belly wobbling out in front of her as she dashed from their hiding place and towards the crowd of men who were lighting torches around the house.
“Stop!” she screamed at them.
Rayzier was right behind her, trying to pull her back into the shadows. Lord Nelson walked briskly from where he was just about to hop back into his carriage and met Arabella face to face.
“You’ve insulted me for the last time woman. I’ve—“ but he stopped dead at the sight of her belly.
“Lord, no. Leave my home.”
He caught the eye of Rayzier and then glanced again at Arabella’s swollen, pregnant belly.
“Burn it down men.”
The guards did as they were told, and through their torches onto the roof of her home which ignited almost immediately. Flames sprang across the wood and rose brightly.
Arabella sank to her knees. Everything from the day washing over her and her emotions bursting forth as if someone had opened the locked door on them. Great tears spilled forth and dribbled down her cheeks as she mouthed the words no no over and over again.