The Dragon Throne

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. I would like to tell you someone else was responsible for them overruling the land, but sadly I cannot. For over a hundred years the only unusual thing anyone has ever seen was some missing chickens. One day, Farmer John had a barn full of glorious chickens and the next morning they all vanished. This had nothing to do with me or my mishap. In fact, a few weeks ago I could have easily said that I would never in my life unleash any kind of monsters or beasts upon the Valley. That was a few weeks ago though, I cannot say that is the case now. This is why I’m presently standing before the court of the King and Queen pleading for my life.

“Jacklyn Fields, did you or did you not plant an unruly beanstalk in my kingdom?” King Agustina shouts. His thunderous voice echoes in the court. Villagers and Townsfolk gasp or whisper amongst each other as I bow my head further and cringe.

“It was an accident,” I squeak out.

“Did you or did you not?” He bellows again.

I wince as a lonely tear runs down my cheek. “I did.”

“I think we’ve heard enough.”

I’m about to lose it because I didn’t even plead my case. I just answered a question. As I finally muster enough strength to look up at him, I see the Queen reach over and touch the King’s left arm. She beams a beautiful smile then she turns her attention to me. “My dear, I feel as if you should explain to us why you claim it was an accident. To us, myself included it seems like you knew exactly what you were doing.”

I blink. My heart hammers in my chest and my words snag in my throat. “I-I-I was t-t-tricked.”

“How so?” she asks. Her voice is calm and almost soothing.

How and why did this occur? Well, to get directly to the point, it started with a stupid magical wishing bean. At least that is what the peddler called it who was trespassing and sleeping in my aunt’s barn.

I shift my balance from the left to my right foot and begin. “Well, it all started a forte night ago …”

***

A forte night ago …

The rain poured like tubs of water were being drained from the sky. I couldn’t see an inch past my face it was just a blurred mess. The little bit of livestock my aunt and I had left was being as stubborn as ever. They didn’t seem to want to move into the barn.

I push on the backside of Bessy the milk cow and she just moos. She plants her feet as if she were stone. “Come on! I’m soaked and it’s your fault.” If I catch a cold aunt Karen will kill me if the cold doesn’t. I am already an unwanted burden to her. My parents died when I was eight from the plague. It also claimed my uncle Sam’s life too, leaving me and Aunt Karen with each other. They never had any children. I recall my mother claiming Aunt Karen was baron. I honestly think she never wanted kids.

I turn eighteen in a month and that means I can finally leave this place. At least this is what I dream of doing. As long as Bessy starts moving her big butt and I don’t end up ill. “Bessy please! Move.” I nudge her again and she finally lifts her leg and starts to trudge forward.

I lead her into the dim-lit barn to her pile of hay. “Here girl.”

She startled a bit and I peeked around her to see what could have spooked her. A large dark shadow in the corner grew. A scream erupted from my throat. As soon as the sound broke free though, a dirty hand slapped against my mouth.

“Hush it! I just need a place to keep dry ‘til this here storm passes,” the man says. I watch his eyes roam my body and I feel instantly disgusted. My clothes are sticking to me, revealing my figure.

“I don’t got much, but I do gots a very special bean. It’s a wishing bean. Will you accept it for shelter?”

I hold back my laughter. Wishing beans? What a load! I had way too many chores to finish up though and I honestly didn’t want to get a lashing from my aunt tonight. I nod since he still hadn’t removed his dirty hand from my mouth.

The man looked overly thin, and his skin looked like worn leather stitched over bones. His eyes were dark as the night and his hair was as bright as the sun. He removed his hand and went over to a bag with two straps, and several sewn patches on it. Bessy kept her distance from the man, and I didn’t blame her. He smelled worse than the pig's poop I had to shovel out.

He approaches me again with a small velvet bag. He loosens the top and says, “Hold out your hand.”

I do as he asks, and he tips the bag where a single bean falls into the palm of my hand. It’s smooth, almost polished, and has a blue swirl almost as if it were painted on. Again, I wasn’t falling for his non-sense. I knew this was just a ploy to get gullible people to purchase something from him. He probably has a thousand of these little pouches inside his overstuffed back of other trinkets and crap.

“JACKLYN!” my aunt’s voice thunders causing me to jump. The bean almost slips from my hand and the peddler closes my hand over it.

“Watch it girly! You almost lost your wish!”

He grabs the bean from my hand and places it back into the pouch. He hands it over and says, “Do not lose it or get it wet until you are ready to make your wish.”

I hold back the urge to roll my eyes and head out of the barn. My aunt is bellowing from the porch of the cottage. “JACKLYN!”

“I’m coming!” I detest raising my voice. I utterly hate when others do it but my aunt is a boisterous woman. Even when she’s not shouting it sounds like she is because her voice always carries.

Once I reach the porch, she smacks the back of my head. “What took you so long?”

“I just …”

“Useless child! Soon you won’t be my problem anymore. If I didn’t love my sister, I’d have dropped you off on the doorstep of the orphanage. Get changed you’re getting water and mud all over my clean floors!”

Another reason I can’t wait to get out of this place. There was not one thing keeping me here. I slip off my shoes by the doorway and coward back to my room. I shut the door behind me and peel off my wet clothes from my skinny frame.

As I grab the remaining clean clothes I have, I slip them on and take a step toward the door. My toe catches on the thread of the pouch that held the stupid wishing bean. I unhook it from my toe with a laugh and mock the peddler's warning. “Do not get this wet. Not until you’re ready to use it. Pfffttt. What a bunch of crap. I hope I didn’t make a mistake for not telling Aunt Karen there’s a stranger in her barn.” I shake my head.

“Jacklyn! For God's sake! How long does it take you to change your clothes useless child?”

I roll my eyes. “I wish to be rid of this slave-type life and never to return.” I toss the pouch behind me and make my way out of my room. Little did I know what sort of horrors I unleashed in making such a stupid wish.