Page 9 of Ava’s Legacy of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #1)

Half an hour later, Ava and Lilly were walking through the basement corridors once again.

It was incredible how well the little one knew her way around.

Because soldiers could appear at any moment, she remained alert as she marched ahead purposefully, turning left, then right, and led them effortlessly to a narrow staircase made of old planks.

Ava struggled to hold up the heavy dress so that the hem wouldn't drag across the dirty floor.

She might have trained her mind with the monthly accounting in her aunt's gift shop, but she had obviously neglected her body.

Not to mention all those dishes of Giovanni's, drenched in olive oil.

Her arms ached as she watched the ground, careful not to ruin her entire outfit by stepping in a puddle.

The good thing was that she didn't have any time to doubt the plan or think about how odd she felt wearing such a gown.

Ernesto had tailored the garment to fit her perfectly.

How he had managed to do it on such short notice remained his secret.

But that, together with the updo hairstyle, certainly made Ava look like she belonged at a royal ball—especially since her boots disappeared under the long skirt.

She had tucked the simple necklace with the broken heart pendant she always wore into her neckline, as she didn't want anyone to see it.

She had looked at herself dumbfounded in the tall standing mirror, unable to believe the transformation. But time had been pressing, so the inspection had lasted only a few seconds.

With a glance down the dim corridor, Lilly made sure they were alone before she began to whisper. "Okay, from now on we have to be absolutely silent. Be cautious with every step you take, no words, no coughing or panting."

"I don't pant."

"A little bit, you do. You're not in especially good shape. But it'll be enough for our mission."

"Wait! Before we go up there, first describe to me what this Kilian looks like. We completely forgot about that with all the talk about the ball. After all, I've never seen him before."

Lilly waved it off. "Don't worry, you'll recognize him. Every woman does. They faint in droves when they see him. As soon as you start having to step over motionless bodies, you can start looking out for him."

"You're pulling my leg."

"It'll probably happen to you too."

Ava snorted. "Definitely not. I'm not looking for a man in my life."

"All the better, then he won't break your heart."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Since you're not looking for a man anyway, you don't need to be interested in that. It only distracts from our mission."

Playfully, Ava pinched her side, making Lilly grin—a bit wider this time.

The girl's reaction touched Ava's heart.

She liked the little one, and not just because she had saved her life.

How could she not? Lilly had been through a lot, and plus she had such big eyes that anyone would immediately buy her a pony.

There was also the blonde hair that danced over her narrow shoulders in the high ponytail, adding a bit of lightness to her far too adult-looking face, and her starved appearance, which awakened in Ava the desire to bake waffles or pancakes with her and watch Lilly devour most of them herself.

"So, how do I recognize this Kilian, your favorite dragon fighter?"

Her whole face began to beam. "He's tall and strong, has black hair and dark eyes. And he has this intense dragon fighter look."

"Can't you tell me any details, like a scar above the eyebrow or a mole on the forehead? I don't want to tell the wrong person about the egg."

"Don't worry, you'll notice him. The problem might be that you can't get close to him. If that happens, have a servant ask for Rob."

"Rob?" Gradually, she began to have doubts. Was it really wise to leave most of the planning to a little girl?

"Robert Kensington, he's one from his troop. He's less handsome and therefore easier to catch. They say he has his heart in the right place, he'll surely pass your message on to Kilian."

The message that she had found a dragon egg and had to prevent it from falling into the king's hands...

Could she already be accused of high treason for such a message? One thing was clear: The longer she stood here thinking or listening to Lilly's stories, the more nervous she became. So she gathered up the hem of her skirt to climb the stairs.

"I can do this. Kilian or Rob. I'll tell one of them."

"Of course you can do it. And remember, not a word from now on, or we might get caught." She put her finger to her lips warningly, silently jumped up the last few steps, and started fiddling with the lock that stood in their way. It wasn't long before the sound of a click was to be heard.

Ava wasn't even surprised anymore. In times of need, Lilly had learned skills to survive.

Who could blame her? She resolved to do one thing, however: As soon as they had brought the dragon egg to safety, she would ask the little one if she wanted to come with her to Aunt Helen.

She knew how lonely a childhood without parents could be.

She stepped through the door behind Lilly and looked around, disoriented.

They emerged in a narrow courtyard that was crammed with junk.

Boxes, buckets, brooms, a table with only three legs, and a chair with a broken backrest were piled up next to an inconspicuous door that Lilly was already heading for.

This was supposed to be the way to the royal castle?

Without a word, Lilly pushed open the gate, peered outside, and motioned for Ava to follow. They reached a narrow alley where a cat lay sleeping. Other than that, it was deserted. They quickly marched across the dusty ground and came to an intersection.

They went by so many passages and branches that Ava became disoriented.

It was strange, however, that they didn't encounter a single soul.

As they crept into the next narrow alley, Ava held Lilly back and raised her arms questioningly to ask her where they were.

The girl pointed to the stone walls on either side, which Ava had assumed were house walls.

But they weren't. They were the castle walls.

The air was damp and the corridor before them deserted, yet the walls had something venerable about them. A special atmosphere that awakened in Ava the urge to bow and keep her head down.

Lilly pointed upwards, where guards were making their rounds on the battlements, and once again put a finger to her lips.

They waited until the sentries had walked in the other direction, then hurried on until they reached a narrow door.

Lilly tinkered with it a bit and then managed to open it, revealing a courtyard.

They immediately went inside, closing the door behind them quickly.

They were greeted with bustling activity. Maids were beating carpets, a boy was pulling a cart, and two servants with upturned noses hurried past them. One stopped and eyed them critically, particularly Ava's ball gown.

"Who are you?"

Lilly bowed her head as if she were, at heart, a shy creature.

"I'm visiting my aunt, there she is. Miriam!

" She ran towards a maid who looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

She wore her brown hair in a knot at the nape of her neck with a faded piece of cloth over it, and she had an apron over her simple linen dress.

Although her gaze was initially skeptical, she suddenly spread her arms.

"Lilly!"

Ava followed her in disbelief while the servants, satisfied, hurried to a side door that led into the imposing castle complex. Judging by their quick steps, they had more important things to do than witness the reunion.

The maid released herself from the embrace and wiped her reddened cheeks with the back of her hand. "Have you come to get some treats?"

"Not today, because Ava here is desperate to try and win the heart of a noble gentleman. Can you smuggle us up to the first floor for the ball?" She put on a pleading expression and pushed out her lower lip.

Ava's mouth fell open, but one look at Miriam's nodding face was enough for her to hold back the objections that were on the tip of her tongue. Lilly's plan was more sophisticated than expected.

Miriam looked vigilantly at the other servants, who seemed absorbed in their work and didn't notice them, and lowered her voice. "Not all the way up, but into the castle. Alfons is still keeping an eye on me because I let you sneak into the castle kitchen last time."

"Believe me, the filled puff pastry was worth it."

The maid raised her finger admonishingly, and Lilly shrugged.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

"As if I could refuse you a request." She pinched Lilly's cheek and quickly set off, as if it had been a noble lady and not an orphaned street child who had asked for a favor.

The maid led them to the side door that the servants had disappeared through, too.

They reached a corridor where numerous servants were hurrying about.

More than a few eyed Ava with frowning faces, so it was a good thing the maid was by their side.

She guided them purposefully through the crowd and then shoved them up to a wall hanging located in a hidden alcove.

After making sure no one was looking at them, she moved the tapestry aside.

Behind it, a simple staircase was revealed.

"You can take the stairs, but don't get caught! Especially not by Alfons! Good luck, Ava. And if it works out, remember me." She winked at Ava and disappeared silently, whereupon Ava turned to Lilly and put her hands on her hips.

"So I'm to win the heart of a noble gentleman?"

The girl shrugged. "Well, did it work or not?"

"So far, the results definitely speak in your favor."

"Exactly. So now be quiet again." They climbed the steps and reached the first floor without being seen. There, they were greeted by violin music.

Ava swallowed involuntarily. With all the running, she hadn't given a thought to what she was about to do. Her at a royal ball? Heavens, she wasn't ready. The very idea was laughable. What if the soldiers recognized her?

"I know you're nervous, Ava, but I'm counting on you."

No pressure...

She took a deep breath to get her heart rate back to a reasonable level. She just nodded, even though she felt like shaking her head and running for the hills.

Lilly cracked open the door at the end of the stairs and peeked out.

When she turned back to Ava, she gave a thumbs up.

Unthinkingly, Ava made to hand her the bag with the dragon egg in it, but she couldn't. She couldn't part with it, couldn't entrust it to anyone else—not even Lilly, though now she was certain that the little one would never harm the egg.

After all, she was risking her life once again for the unborn dragon.

As if the egg knew exactly what she had been thinking of doing, the voice sounded high and pleading in her thoughts. "I must stay with you."

Hesitantly, Ava looked at her bag. Lilly seemed to understand, as she indicated with brief gestures that she should hold it in one hand and keep it hidden among the folds of her dress.

After a brief moment of consideration, Ava nodded.

She quickly tucked it between the abundant folds of fabric at her side and looked ahead.

She had no choice, so she would simply just not think about what could happen if it was discovered that she wasn't an invited guest. About what could happen if the captain happened to show up at the ball, and what could happen if the king or anyone else found out what she was carrying in her bag.

The girl raised her eyebrows quizzically, prompting Ava to take a deep breath. She would never be ready, but the longer she waited, the more scared she'd become. She might even have a panic attack, because...

No, stop! Deep breaths. She could do this.

As soon as she nodded, the little girl opened the door and gave her a thumbs up. "Have fun," she mouthed silently.

Easy for Lilly to say...

She quickly checked her dress and hair, then made sure her bag wasn't visible before she squared her shoulders and stepped out of the servants' passage into the festive halls.

She could do this. Of course she could do this. She just had to find a notorious dragon fighter and tell him about the dragon egg. She had it with her and could even show it to him if he didn't believe her. Oh, and she couldn't get caught. Sounded like child's play.