Briseis
Bri-say-us !
Briseis loved the palace balcony. The only thing higher was the curved spine of mountains that protected Thanasis' back, but from here, everything in view was below her, and she could look down on all of the great houses including the Sahar estate that she'd grown up in. She remembered how this balcony had looked from so far below, as a child from the outer city slums. She'd looked up at it often, she had watched the great families take to the skies on dragon back, and all-too-young she had accepted that she would never know such a life.
Born to a menial family that she couldn't remember, she shouldn't have known such a life. She was lucky enough to have been chosen from the masses of orphaned workers to work for any of the houses within the inner city, let alone one of the wealthiest. She was always clean and fed, and her bed was soft enough, but it shouldn't have been any more significant than that. She had never expected the Mikel Sahar's Dragon to change its allegiance and for her life to alter so drastically.
The scandal was still a palpable thing, all these months later. A 'slave girl' who 'stole' the dragon of one of the wealthiest Thanasian Lords. Dragons didn't just break bonds with one and choose another. At least, she hadn't thought so either, but Briseis hadn't a choice in the matter, and yet she'd been branded a thief of something more valuable to the great houses than any amount of gold, and they would not stop their fight to retrieve what was theirs. She had been dragged into a dungeon and through courts, most had wanted her torn apart for such an insult and few had wanted to hear anything she had to say. Some said she had somehow bewitched the ancient beast, when all she'd done was care for him.
Everyone knew that Dragons were the true power of Thanasis. It was they who empowered the people and brought wealth to the kingdom, and no Gods could save any Thanasian should they decide to destroy it all. The Dragons were Gods here. They were worshipped and beloved, and to be bonded to one was the greatest honour any human could know. The courts had still been debating days later how to proceed with the precedent, and they likely were still, so had it not been for The youngest Prince stepping in, she'd likely still be in some dingy cell.
Briseis had heard many terrible stories about the Prince of Thanasis. All of which, it seemed, were true. His rage was terrifying, but he'd protected her and the two had grown to become friends these past months. That a dragon had chosen her over Mikel Sahar had either intrigued or impressed him, and so he had lent her his voice in her trials, and his voice was rarely if ever contested. She was safe here, free of her confines, and Ciraxis the great white dragon was hers..
Outside, Briseis was only safe by Kaveh's side or upon Ciraxis' back. She had been rescued from death or imprisonment, but she wasn't free to roam the inner city on her own, nor was she sure she ever would be. To some, she was chosen, but to many she was branded the dragon thief.
