Chapter 1- Tiana's Beginning

"Tiana! Go fetch the eggs, we have extra customers this morning!" Cried Mother, as she extended her lily arm with the large, straw filled basket. I grabbed the light basket dreading the time it would be full later on.

"Yes Ma!"

As I trotted out of the cosy tavern I imagined a life filled with silk shirts and shined shoes, instead of the scratchy, grey shirt I had on that kept rubbing against the basket. The walk from the quaint tavern wasn't a far one to fetch the bronze-flecked eggs, but it still allowed me to observe the beauty of the rising sun in its pale yellow colour.

As I reached the large barn doors, the click of talons could be heard from outside. As I promptly walked inside, humming so I didn't frighten the poor beasts, I also hurried to untuck the dried pieces of meat I used to treat the egg-layers with. Out of the 5 creatures we had at the tavern, only 3 had layed for today and it was a bit disappointing.

After laying the ostrich-sized eggs into the soft moss covered basket, I gently chlucked at the 2 who didn't manage to lay while gently feeding the 3 who did and giving them small wing tickles.

I quickly hurried to grab the basket and shut the door, pacing myself to get back to Mother before the inn got busy in the dawn of the day, when everyone was eager to break their fast. I slid to a stop infront of the back door, and hastened to slide churned butter into a pan to ready it for the best-selling scrambled dragon eggs my mother did for breakfast, which wasn't complete without our farmer's cheese from our distant neighbour, and a splash of milk we had left over from the day previous.

I then left my mother so I could climb into my shared quarters, getting ready for serving while my sister switched and helped our mother with preparing the food. I ran a comb through my long, lilac hair and hurried it into a tight fishtail braid with an elastic to tie it at the bottom. My blue eyes shone back at me with careless tears as I had teared a tangle in the back of my head, oblivious to the onslaught of customers my mother was set to have any minute.

"Ahh, this life of mine," I muttered. "I somehow never tire of you, yet tire of you endlessly."

I proceeded to the kitchens, grabbing clean cloths, refilled condiments, and a herb solution my mother bought from a market stall to help the tables stay clean and smell fresh. The rush of adrenaline to get everything started and sorted had me jittering from table to table, until finally a customer stepped through the door and was offered a seat by myself.