Chapter V: Annette & Balthazar, Pt 1
#5 of The Dragon & The Lady
The story of how Annette and Balthazar first met, and the beginning of their time together
I've recently begun to feel that my early depictions of Annette and Balthazar's relationship seemed a little shallow (I even referred to Annette as a "plaything" in the title).
I've always had a thing for human women paired with male dragons... it's sort of a kink of mine. I decided to try my hand at writing such a story. The first chapter was a straightforward smut-fic (written in Oct 2006). I wrote the second chapter pretty quickly (also in Oct 2006). However, I thought the chapter was a little weak, so I included the flashback sequence at the beginning.
The third chapter wasn't posted until March of 2007... five months later. I was going through a stressful time and didn't have much else to do, so I sat down and wrote "Rose". I think I got Annette's character much closer to what I originally wanted.
_ THE DRAGON & THE LADY _
Chapter V:
_ "Annette & Balthazar, Part 1" _
When they met for the first time, Annette had no memory of what had happened to her. She'd been traumatized and hadn't said anything when the Drow had first stumbled across her. Still, there was something about her, something that had peeked the Dragon's interest. He'd purchased her on the spot. However, the most shocking part of the their first encounter came when the young woman saw him.
The moment she set eyes on him, she fell to her knees and bowed her head. "My Lord, how may I serve you?" She asked in a timid voice, not daring to make eye-contact with him.
Both the "Drow" and the Red Dragon ware taken back by this. Balthazar had heard of far-away places where there were Cults that Worshiped Dragons like Gods, but there was nothing like that in this land. Telos looked at him, perhaps expecting some sort of explanation. Balthazar had only given him a dismissive wave with a his clawed hand and said nothing.
Balthazar had wasted no time in setting out for his lair. It had only taken a bit of persuasion and Annette and happily climbed onto his back. As he flew through- soaring high above the countryside- the young woman never flinched or complained once. He glanced over his shoulder, noting that she was sitting upright and straddling his back, smiling into the breeze- her long wavy blond hair fluttering in the wind.
"I must say that you're handling this much better than I expected." Balthazar quipped as her turned back to face the direction he was headed. "I mean, I am a dragon... most people would be scared." He reasoned.
Annette looked down at him with her brilliant blue eyes. "But why should I be afraid Lord Balthazar?" She asked him calmly. "My people are taught as young children to revere dragons as wise and noble creatures." She continued. "To be in the presence of one your kind, let alone to speak with one, is a great honor My Lord." She added.
Balthazar grinned to himself at her worlds. "Well now," he thought to himself. "Isn't this a nice change?" He thought, rather pleased with himself. It was silent again for a while before he looked over at Annette. "Surely you realize that you're going to be staying with me and not your own kind, right?" He asked.
She nodded her head, but the smile never left her face. "Lord Balthazar, I have nothing left to go back too." She replied. "To be chosen by you is a great honor..." She continued, flushing slightly as she spoke. "Even though I'm not really worthy of such an honor... I'll try my best to serve you in any way I can." She added in a slightly nervous voice.
The dragon chuckled. "My dear, I'll be the one to decided if you're worthy or not." He replied in a soft tone. "And another thing- just call me Balthazar."
...o.o.o...
They eventually arrived at his lair. Balthazar touched down with little trouble and Annette effortlessly climbed down from his back. The dragon then watched as the girl began to look around, an expression of almost child-like wonder and curiosity visible on her pretty face.
"You'll probably want to get cleaned up." Balthazar spoke. "There's a bathing pool inside that you can use." He added as Annette walked up to the mouth of the lair and peeked int the darkness. "When you're done, I'll see about finding you something clean to wear." He finished.
The young blond turned around and gave a smile that even took Balthazar by surprise. "Oh thank you Balthazar." She replied with a bow. "You really are too kind." Annette finished in a gushing tone. This might not have seemed quite so strange if not for the fact that she was talking to a twelve-foot tall, talking red dragon.
Balthazar continued watching Annette as she happily entered the lair. The girl seemed perfectly content with her situation. This wasn't a problem for the dragon... it was just a little odd.
He'd purchased her under the pretense of having her be a servant. In truth, he'd picked her more out of curiosity than anything else. Her reverence for him was a nice little ego boost, but it was also rather strange. He wanted to know more about her- everything about this girl peeked his interest.
At the moment, as he watched her happily walking beside him- by the way she acted, it seemed more like he'd bought a new friend for himself... The dragon snickered at the idea.
They soon arrived at the bathing pool. Balthazar excused himself so that she could have some privacy. Annette quickly slipped out her tattered clothes and submerged herself in the warm waters. She hadn't had a chance to relax in while, so she let herself simply soak in the warm waters for a bit.
She promptly then set about thoroughly scrubbing herself clean. Her grimy skin eventually became soft and sleek. She next washed and combed her hair. Her hair, which had become limp and dull during her captivity, was now clean again. She finished drying her semi-wavy hair- now an almost golden color that framed her face attractively. She rose up from the pool and crossed the chamber to retrieve a large plush towel. She quickly set about drying herself off.
Annette paused for a moment, the towel hanging off her shoulders like a shall. The girl marveled at the array of fancy bottles that filled the chamber- all filled with various soaps and bath oils and some with exotic perfumes.
She paused, noting that there was a full-length mirror in the chamber as well. She wondered why he would have such a thing, but quickly thought better of it. She stood before it and inspected herself- she was finally clean again, and everything was in order. She made a funny face at her reflection then smiled.
Once she was sure that she was totally dried off, she quickly donned a simple gown that she guessed Balthazar must have left for her just outside the chamber. It hung off her shoulders and came down past her knees. There was also a sash that went around her waist which she tied in the front. The whole thing was a rosy pinkish color and the fabric felt soft against her skin, like silk. She blushed faintly as she looked down at the dress, wondering where it had come from... She quickly departed (still barefoot).
Annette happily ate dinner beside Balthazar. While the dragon had effortlessly cooked a large roast for the two of them, there were also other thing for Annette, like fruits and bread. The dragon didn't say much, and thankfully, Annette never pressed him to speak. After they finished, she was quick to begin clearing out the dining area- before Balthazar could even say anything...
The dragon watched her silently go about tidying up the area, a smile on her face the whole time. Eventually, she returned to his side and stood before him, an expectant look on her face. The red dragon shrugged his broad shoulders. "You must be tired after everything you've been through... why don't we call it a night early and let you get some sleep?"
Annette nodded and followed him to his sleeping area, where he curled up in one of the corners of the large room. Annette found a nice spot nearby him and laid down on the large pile of cushions. She soon fell asleep to the sound of the rumbling of the dragon beside her.
It was some time later in the night that Balthazar was woken. His keen senses had picked up a faint whimpering sound. He glanced over to his side and saw that Annette was trembling and whimpering softly in her sleep. "Bad dreams?" He though silently.
The dragon reached over and gently pulled her small form up against him and curled back up around her. To his relief, this seemed to do the trick- she soon calmed down and shifted into a peaceful sleep. Balthazar smiled and then lowered his head back down and went back to sleep as the girl shifted slightly and rested her head on his chest.
...o.o.o...
Annette had quickly fallen asleep- she tried not to let on how tired she felt, so it was a relief when she was able to retire for the night. At first, her sleep was plagued by bad dreams- disturbing yet vague images played out in her mind. Then, suddenly they went away and her sleep was peaceful.
When she woke up, she found herself nestled up against Balthazar- his tail curled up beside her as well. To Annette, this somehow seemed like the safest, and most perfect place to be right now- at his side. The girl realized that her attitude might seem naive to most people, but something told her that Balthazar was in fact as kind and gentle as she believed him to be. She glanced up at his still sleeping form and smiled.
Annette looked at his face, recalling how he had displayed a surprisingly wide range of expressions- similar to a human (or humanoid)- through the course of the day. His eyes were also very captivating as well- there was such depth in his dark eyes...
She paused for a moment to take in his features. His scales were hard and sleek, but not like armor plating as she'd expected. Instead, they were smooth and warm to the touch. The same scales ran down his long powerful tale and long neck, while his wings were composed of a thin curtain-like substance that was semi-transparent in good light. Finer and more delicate scales covered the underside of his body- running down his neck, across his chest and stomach, and ending at the tip of his tale.
Virtually his entire body was red, though there was a considerable range of variation and shade. The main color was a brilliant metallic red, but there were also lighter colors (like rose petals) and darker ones (like garnet stones).
She continued to observe him as he slept, watching as his body rumbled gently with each breath. She was also close enough that she could faintly hear his heart beat as well. She blushed faintly, becoming aware of her sense of admiration for him. She sighed and closed her eyes again, going back to sleep.
...o.o.o...
Balthazar woke up around noon. He glanced down and noted that Annette was still at his side, though she seemed to have shifted so that she was snuggled up against him. He wasn't sure how to react to this- rather to find it touching are embarrassing... or perhaps a bit of both.
He wasn't sure how to explain it, but he found the site of her sleeping form against him rather soothing. After a few moments, he gently nudged her a bit and she woke up. The girl looked up at him and smiled- prompting the dragon to smile back at her in his own way. "Did you sleep well Annette?" He asked, his deep voice calm and measured as he spoke.
He began to flex his muscles as she rose to her feet. Annette smoothed out her gown and turned to face him. She smiled attractively and nodded. "Yes Balthazar." She began, rubbing her cheek thoughtfully for a moment. "Thank you for... for helping me with my bad dreams." She added, blushing as she spoke. "I think that last night was the first time in a quite a while that I could sleep peacefully- without the nightmares." She finished, her tone slightly vulnerable.
Balthazar regarded her for a moment- then nodded. The words she spoke were honest and without pretense. There was a pureness to Annette that he found refreshing. "You know, I've been around for a long time and I've heard a lot of things... but you're the first person to say something so heartfelt to me." He replied as he briefly stretched his wings.
She blushed darkly at his words and bowed her head. She managed to compose herself- she didn't want to cry in front of him. "Thank you... You're very kind... I don't know how I can ever repay what you done for me." She began. "I know that if you hadn't come along, I might have ended up in some terrible place... but you saved me." She realized that she might start to cry at this rate. "If there's anything I can do to repay, I will."
The dragon looked at her in silence for a while. Again, he found himself moved by this girl's words. He nodded at her. "Just promise me that you'll never change... and stay pure like you are now." He spoke in a soft tone.
Annette smiled and reached up, brushing her fingers across her cheek as tears ran down her face. She nodded back at him.
(- End of Chapter V -)
When I came to writing the third chapter, I decided to change the dynamic by adding Rosetta. I drew her first (as part of a school art project) with no actual back story. I decided to the story needed a twist for chapter three... So I introduced her as the "Patron Flower Spirit" of the Sacred Grove.
I wrote the first two-thirds of chapter four about a year ago, but didn't finish it until recently. In Rezza's case, I wrote her as a 'one-off' character, something to make the chapter different. I don't have any plans for her to come back again any time soon. I'm ready to continue with Annette and Balthazar's story.
-Seres North