Samantha Edwhan

Modesty's Lesson

It was a warm spring morning. Modesty eagerly paced around the ground floor of the castle as her father readied himself to leave. Today was the day he was going to get his new Prinze, or so he said. But Modesty knew the truth. Griffin was testing her ability to lead before naming her the Prinze.

Luana stood quietly beside her as she continued her pacing. Modesty glanced at her. She was here to help provide feedback to Griffin on her test. Modesty was certain of it. Why else would she be so calm about a day of filling in for the High Caln?

“Remember to think about each request in the courts before responding to it,” Griffin told them. “I’ve asked Alvar to take extensive notes on how it goes so that I know what you discussed.”

“Of course,” Luana said politely.

“A-and if anything is too difficult, just ask Alvar to leave it on my desk and I’ll see to it when I return,” Griffin added.

“Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and go already so I can start proving myself,” Modesty said. She managed to stop pacing to look at him. Why wouldn’t he just go already?

“This isn’t a test, Modesty,” Griffin reminded her. “I just need you and Laird Luana to oversee my duties while I’m gone.”

Modesty rolled her eyes at the excuse. “I know.”

She didn’t believe him for a second. It had to be a test. He knew she wanted to be the Prinze. He just had to make sure she would be a good fit, and Modesty would prove that to him.

“Thank you for trusting us with this, High Caln,” Luana said. “We’ll be sure to keep everything in order for when you return.”

Griffin smiled, then turned to leave. He stopped mid-turn and spun back around. “Oh, and keep in mind our head of guard is retiring today. Treat Mason with respect. He has done a lot for the castle. He’ll be showing his replacement around too. I think her name is Heather. Be nice to her too.”

“We get it, just go already!” Modesty urged.

With a final quick goodbye, Griffin left the castle. Modesty sighed and smiled. Time for the test to begin.

“Let’s go to the Throne Room,” Luana said. “We wouldn’t want to be late.”

“Yeah!” Modesty practically ran up the stairs, not caring to wait for Luana as she hurried to the Throne Room.

Luana hurried to catch up and they arrived at the same time. Modesty spotted the thrones to the left of the door. Griffin’s throne sat in the centre. It was the largest and most ornate. On either side were thrones for a Caln and a Prinze. If Modesty was to be Prinze, should she sit in the Prinze’s throne? Or would she sit in her father’s throne, since she was filling in for him?

“Perhaps we should sit side by side in front of the thrones,” Luana suggested. “None of them belong to us and we’re sharing the responsibility so it would make sense.”

“Nonsense!” Modesty flared her wings, tossing the sides of her blue-grey cloak onto her back. “Father’s testing me for the role of Prinze. Since I am the focus, I will sit in his throne. You’re only here to help and survey, so you can sit in Mother’s throne.”

Luana frowned, her long ears drawing back behind her head. “He’s not testing you, Modesty.”

Modesty didn’t pay her any mind. She trotted up to the thrones and sat proudly on her father’s, wrapping her tail around her neatly. The view was great. She could see clearly right down to the other end of the room as the castle staff trickled in for the courts. Sunlight flowed in through the colourful stained glass window on the opposing wall. The rainbow of light hurt her eyes a little, but she could always have the window changed once she was High Caln.

Luana sighed and sat in front of Misti’s throne. Modesty glanced at her but decided not to point out that she should sit on the throne. If Luana wanted to be uncomfortable all morning, then Modesty didn’t care.

It didn’t take long for Alvar to enter the room. He had a rolled up scroll tucked under one wing and what looked to be a paintbrush in his teeth. Modesty watched him sit down in front of the throne platform and carefully unpack his supplies. She noticed him pull out a small jar of ink alongside the scroll and set them carefully on the floor.

“Good morning, Duchy Modesty, Laird Luana,” he said once he was set up. “High Caln Griffin informed me that you would be filling in for him today.”

Modesty smiled and tipped her head up. “Yes, I am.”

Alvar blinked but said nothing. Instead he unfurled his scroll and dipped his paintbrush in the ink. He splayed out his wings to act as support in place of his front legs.

“Today’s courts will contain requests from throughout the Calndom. All requests made are anonymous.” After a moment of silence, Alvar glanced up at Modesty. “Shall I begin reading the scroll?”

“Yes, of course,” Modesty said.

Alvar nodded and held up the scroll. “From the Northern Districts, a request to increase the minimum wage so that dragons working low wage jobs can better afford the cost of day to day life.”

Modesty refrained from rolling her eyes. The Northern Districts were the poorest area of the Calndom. She didn’t care about what they wanted.

“If they don’t want to get paid so little, perhaps they should get better educations and work better jobs,” she said flippantly.

“Hang on, Modesty,” Luana said. “The dragons in those districts often work in warehouses or help out on farms. We can’t just ignore their needs. Those jobs are important to keeping bellies fed and businesses stocked. Not to mention, not everyone can afford the education required for a better job.”

Modesty rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure, I guess we’ll have a look at it. But I don’t think they need it.”

Alvar made a few notes on the scroll, then read the next line. “The southern farmlands have reported boars coming onto their land. One farmer reported nearly being attacked by a pair of boars tearing up his crops. They have requested something be done before this causes a famine.”

“Boars,” Modesty muttered bitterly.

Why were those things even on the island still? Shouldn’t dragons have killed them off entirely by now? She’d certainly never seen one. Perhaps these complaints were little more than a scare tactic by the farmers. They must want money from the castle.

“Disregard that request. Those farmers must be lying. If boars really were that dangerous, we’d have gotten rid of them already.” Modesty smiled smugly. “They won’t be getting any of our money for their scare tactics.”

“Modesty.” Luana sounded shocked. “Those farms are responsible for nearly half of the Calndom’s plant based food. If we don’t intervene, the boars will ruin all the young crops and the Calndom will have a famine.”

Modesty glared at Luana. “Like I said, boars can’t possibly exist when they’re so dangerous. We’re dragons. We would have eradicated boars by now.”

Luana frowned back at her. But instead of arguing, she turned to Alvar and said, “Alvar, make a note for High Caln Griffin to review these reports upon his return. This could cause a dire situation and must be taken seriously.”

“Yes, Laird Luana,” Alvar said, scribbling on the scroll.

“Why would you go over my head like that?” Modesty demanded.

“Because what you’re suggesting is foolish and could cause everyone to starve,” Luana told her.

Modesty growled. “No, you’re foolish! Can’t you see that these dragons just want to exploit the castle?” Modesty paused, then smirked. “Well, I suppose not, because you can’t see at all.”

“Modesty!” Luana snapped. Smoke escaped on her breath. But Modesty didn’t flinch. She could see the water forming in Luana’s eyes.

That’s right, she thought. Cry like the hatchling you are.

“Er, perhaps we should pause the courts for the day,” Alvar suggested. He was already rolling up his scroll before Modesty could say ‘no.’ “I’ll just leave these for High Caln Griffin to look at tomorrow.”

Modesty glared at Alvar, but her moment of anger was cut short when the door to the throne room swung open. Mason entered the room, dipping his head to Modesty and Luana, with a younger Rock Dragon behind him.

“Apologies for the intrusion. I am showing Heather around the castle.” Mason waved his wing to Heather. “She will be replacing me as head of the castle guard. Heather, this is Duchy Modesty and Laird Luana. They are filling in while High Caln Griffin is away. You will meet him tomorrow.”

Heather dipped her head low. “It’s an honour to meet you both. I look forward to workin’ with you and your families.”

Modesty blinked, noting Heather's thick accent. Where was this dragon from? Was she a farm dragon? How had her father concluded that Heather would be a good replacement for Mason? She looked young; likely only in her twenties.

“Laird Luana, are you okay?” Mason asked.

Modesty glanced over at Luana. She had ducked her head so that her fringe covered her face. Smoke still wafted from her nostrils.

“I'm fine,” Luana said after a moment.

Mason didn’t look convinced as he turned back to Modesty, but he didn’t press further. “Well, I hope you will accept Heather in my place once I have retired. She has the makings of a great guard.”

“I’m curious, Mason. Why are you retiring?” Modesty asked. “You’re not that old after all.”

Mason’s neck straightened and he narrowed his eyes at her. “That is hardly your concern, Duchy Modesty. The only dragons whose business that is already know.”

Modesty shrugged and hopped out of her throne. “Very well. I’m sure Father will tell me once he returns.”

She trotted past Mason and Heather with her head held high. Once Griffin declared her Prinze, she could demand answers from anyone she wished.

Modesty left the throne room and spotted the door to Griffin’s office. She decided to poke her nose in. Inside, she saw piles of paperwork awaiting her. She screwed up her face at the thought of how boring it must be to go through all that and promptly left.

“Why did you go in there?” Luana asked.

Modesty glanced at Luana. She hadn’t even noticed her following.

“After the morning courts, Father often goes in there,” Modesty explained. “But it’s all just boring paperwork. I certainly won’t be doing any of that, even once I’m Prinze.”

Luana sighed. “We aren’t supposed to go in there at all anyway. And I keep telling you, this isn’t a test. Griffin really is getting his real Prinze from Tribe-Ali today.”

“What do you know?” Modesty hissed. “You don’t even live in the castle anymore.”

Luana looked hurt, but she didn’t say anything. After a moment of silence, Modesty continued on her way. There was still much more for her to do. If Mason was busy showing Heather around, then he wasn’t focusing on his own guards. What if they were slacking off? Or worse, what if they were planning an assassination? They must hate her and her father for taking over the Calndom after Gerold’s death. They'd be sneakily plotting against the royal family to replace them with someone else. Modesty wouldn’t let that slide. She made her way to the ground floor and forced the guardroom door open with her wing.

“Listen up all! Whoever in here is thinking of murdering me or my father better leave now or face my wrath!”

“Modesty!” Luana gasped. “The guards in there are trying to sleep.”

Modesty ignored her. A few heads from the dozen or so resting bodies popped up curiously. Most looked confused. But Modesty noticed one of the closer dragons roll his eyes dismissively.

“What are you planning?!” she demanded, storming over to him. “You better not be thinking of murder!”

“The only thing I’m planning is getting more sleep before my night shift,” the guard said grumpily. “Go play your silly games elsewhere.”

“Silly games? You think this is a game?!” Icy mist laced Modesty’s breath as she growled at the guard. “When I’m done, you won’t even know how to sleep.”

A laugh bellowed throughout the room. Modesty’s head snapped up and she looked for the source of the sound. A younger guard was cackling at the top of his lungs.

“What’s so funny?” Modesty demanded.

“You!” the guard managed to say between laughs. “You’re not even our boss or the High Caln and you think you can yell at us like that? What even makes you think you could beat us in a fight? You’re eleven!”

Modesty growled. Her anger chilled her chest and froze her claws and teeth. “I’ll show you!”

“Modesty! Stop!”

Before Modesty could take a single step, Luana lunged into her side, knocking them both to the floor. Modesty hissed at her, ready to fight back.

“Stop this nonsense!” Luana snapped. “Yelling at dragons isn't how you earn anyone's respect. You can't just assume the worst and accuse others without evidence.”

“You can't stop me,” Modesty growled. “Once I'm Prinze, I'll have you thrown in the dungeon!”

“Your father isn't going to make you Prinze!” Luana yelled. “He can't, even if he wanted to. You know that!”

“He can do whatever he wants! He's the High Caln! The laws don't apply to him!” Modesty wriggled under Luana’s weight.

“No one is above the law,” Luana said sternly. “Not even you.”

Modesty snarled. “How dare you!”

She pulled her legs in under Luana’s belly and, with a swift kick, sent her flying. Luana hit the nearest wall and fell to the floor. Modesty leapt to her feet and raced over. Her feet were fully covered in ice and her teeth were sharpened icicles. She didn't wait for Luana to get up and began scratching her back, through her thin cloak, and biting at her ears. Luana shrieked.

The satisfaction Modesty felt was short-lived. Her feet began to feel warm; hot even. It only took a second for Luana’s fur to heat to the point that it burned Modesty. She jumped away, but not before the soles of all four feet had reddened and her fur had turned a nasty shade of brown.

“You burned me!” she shrieked.

“You were trying to rip my ears off!” Luana yelled back. Smoke billowed from her nose and mouth as she spoke. Her cloak had completely burned off her back.

“Alright, that's enough.” A guard stepped between them, glaring down at Modesty. “We don't need any fights in here, especially not petty little fledgling squabbles.”

Modesty glared up at the guard for a moment. But her feet burned with pain and she couldn't keep the tears from her eyes.

“I'll take them to see one of the castle doctors,” another guard said. She nudged Luana gently to her feet. “Come on, Laird Luana.”

No one else spoke to Modesty. When it became clear that she wasn't going to get any help to walk on her sore feet, she got up and began slowly limping her way to the door.

Her feet continued to hurt the rest of the day. Despite the cooling balm the doctor put on her burns, it still hurt too much to walk. She ended up spending most of the day lying on the floor in a corner where she was out of the way of the castle staff.

Luana had gone home after being treated for the scratches and bites on her back and ears. Despite the doctor's insistence, Modesty refused to apologise. So what if she had started the fight? Luana also hurt her. If she didn't need to apologize for retaliating, then Modesty didn't see why she had to apologize at all. Besides, once Griffin returned, he would see her injuries and obviously side with Modesty.

So Modesty waited. Not wanting to walk on her sore feet, she stayed in her chosen corner of the ground floor. She could see the castle’s main entrance. Every time it opened, her head would pop up. But most of the time it was just guards and servants going in and out as they worked.

It wasn't until late in the evening when Griffin finally returned. He pushed his way inside with an exhausted sigh. Modesty was about to force herself to her feet when she spotted a smaller, younger dragon enter behind him. She was a light purplish shade of blue with straight horns and a light patch on her throat. Modesty eyed her as she looked around the room with awe.

“Welcome to the castle, Evelyn,” Griffin said. He sounded exhausted.

“It’s so big,” Evelyn said.

“It seems that way at first. But it will not feel like that forever,” Griffin told her. “You will have plenty of time as Prinze to adjust.”

Prinze! Griffin really had gone and gotten a Prinze. How dare he! Modesty glared at them from her spot in the corner. Her chest chilled until it felt icy cold, but she didn’t care. She was supposed to be Prinze! Not this dragon! No matter what, Modesty would have to find a way to get rid of her if she ever wanted to become High Caln.