1 How did I get here?

Our story begins in a small room lit by just one small window. The room had only one table with two chairs and ... a girl. The girl was about seventeen years old, she had brown hair and reddish-brown eyes. The girl clearly didn't look pleased as she frowned, her eyes drooping down and staring at the table while her head was resting on her hands.

On the opposite side of the room a door opened and somebody came out of it. The young girl looked up and saw a man in a black and white artsy outfit that covered his entire body except for his head. The man looked young but his hair was grey, he had a bandage on his eyes and a cane in his hands, so the girl assumed that he was blind.

- Hello. - He said with a voice hoarse like an old man's, not matching his appearance. He bowed and sat down at the table. - My name is Yusen, I already know your name but still wanted to hear it from you, miss. - From the moment he entered the room he never stopped smiling. His smile was friendly like he was talking to a frightened child, but he also had a respectful tone in his voice so as not to accidentally offend the girl in front of him.

- My name is Yunisia Takenhard. - Said the girl while straightening up in her chair.

- Greetings Miss Takenhard, welcome to Vasil Academy! - Yusen's voice was very positive in contrast to Yunisia's face, who was rather sullen. - So, can I ask you to tell me your story? How did you get here? - He asked with genuine curiosity.

- Don't you already know? - Yuna crossed her arms. - Mister Yusen.

- I got information about you, of course, but it's pretty ... superficial. - He answered in his hoarse old man's voice. - I would be delighted to hear this story directly from you, Miss Takenhard.

Yuna sighed as she lifted her eyes to the ceiling, her arms still folded, she remembered that she was told yesterday where she was going. Yuna's hands began to tremble, maybe from anger or resentment, or maybe even from fear as she could not understand what she was feeling at that moment.

- As I said my name is Yunisia Takenhard. - Yuna began her story. - I was born in 1156 in the kingdom of Cuttir from Southern Alliance in the family of my grandfather, the Duke of Takenhart. I was the second child of my father and we all had to be like normal nobles. My older brother would take a place at the head of the family after my father and I would simply be married off to some rich nobleman living a peaceful life for myself. - Yuna took a deep breath. - But of course, everything had to go wrong. - She looked out the window, pausing briefly before continuing. - When I turned 11, a war broke out that dragged on for six long years. I will not tell all the details of this war but let's say it cost our kingdom dearly. We won the war but afterward, our kingdom almost got freed. I do not know what the king and his advisers were thinking but judging by what measures they took to preserve the power of the affairs in the kingdom, things in our kingdom were deplorable. They borrowed money from the dragons.

- Oh, I see. - Yusen made it clear that he had faced similar situations in the past. - With all due respect to your kingdom and your king, it was a clear miscalculation on his part. Obviously, a better solution could have been found, but apparently HisHighness decided to take the easy path.

- The actions of His Majesty can still be understood. - Yuna tried to justify her king. - He did this to quickly minimize the damage from the war so as not to become a target for attack by other kingdoms. Although the debt was large he distributed it among all the highly placed nobles, which helped to pay off the debt.

- But after all, not everyone was able to pay off the debt. - Yusen smiled bitterly. - And I assure you, no one will be able to borrow from dragons without consequences for themselves and the people around. Communicating with dragons is much more dangerous than you think Miss Takenhard, but you will learn about all this in our academy, right now please continue your story.

Yunisia looked threateningly at Yusen's face, she was a well-mannered noblewoman so she would never have behaved like this in a normal situation but the person in front of her was blind and she was on edge. Yunidia decided to allow herself such insolence and she continued her story.

- You are right Mr. Yousen, not everyone was able to pay off their debt. My family could not, we were in the very epicenter of the war, so our people and lands suffered the most. Our debt was greater than everyone else's and the dragons only gave a year to pay off. - Yuna took a deep breath as she spoke quickly and lost her breath. It was clearly difficult for her to cope with the surging anger and resentment from the injustice towards her family and her in particular. - Since we could not pay off, the family, or rather the Lord of Takenhards, my grandfather and the duke made a decision which I learned about only last evening. I was in my room getting ready for bed when the butler knocked on the door saying that my parents, brother and duke were waiting for me in the hall. I immediately suspected that something was wrong, butler rarely personally reported such things as a family meeting, usually it was done by servants of lower status. I quickly dressed in decent clothes and headed into the hall. The hall was quiet, the first thing I saw were my parents and brother. The parents sat on the couch while the brother just stood near them. When I looked into their faces ... they scared me. My mother's eyes were red from tears, my father was shaking with anger and his cheek was red as if it had been hit, my brother with his face distorted in shock was just standing there staring at the floor.

- Yunisia, come here. - Her grandfather, who was standing by the window, was the only one in the room who looked calmly, beckoned to her.

- "What's going on here." - Thought Yuna as she approached the duke. - How may I serve you, grandfather? - She curtseyed and tried to calm her voice, but still her concern reflected through.

- Yunisia tell me, how is your education going? - The duke asked Yuna.

- Very well Your Grace, teachers often praise me.

- And what about archery? I heard about your skills with it, is it true?

- Yes, many people say that I have a talent for this weapon, Lord Tekenhard. - Yuna turned to look at her parents and brother, all of them looking at her with a look of sorrow on their face.

- Yunisia Tekenhard is one of the most talented and intelligent children of the Tekenhard family, and I think that she hasn't revealed even half of her potential within the walls of this house. - At first, Yuna felt proud of the words spoken by the duke, but then it dawned on her that those words were not addressed to her. Yuna looked where the Duke was looking and only then did she notice a mirror in the corner of the room. This was not an ordinary mirror, but a magical artifact that allowed people to communicate over long distances. Gradually, she began to understand what was happening here, it was a bargain.

- She is also smart and learns quickly as she has a good memory, not to mention the fact that she is a rather attractive young girl. Will you accept her in payment of our debt, Lord Tetroirian. - His last words confirmed Yuna's fears, she was indeed sold in payment of a debt, but the question remained to whom. Some very rich person who can help pay off a debt or …

- Does she suit your requirements? - Asked the Duke of the one who was in the mirror

- «Interesting.» - The responder's voice was calm, cold and harsh as steel. That voice alone changed the atmosphere in the room, so powerful it was. Now Yuna understood why her parents seemed to be in grief when she saw them. The Duke wants to sell her to dragons.