Ashley found herself lost in the long, elaborate hallways of the Draconian Palace. The marble flooring felt cold against her bare feet, as she walked down the brightly lit paths, staring at the intricate drawings on the walls on one side, and the shirtless portraits of the dracones' ancestors on the other. Each one of them looked different, but they all shared two common features: blood-red eyes, and a serpent tattoo on the left side of their chests. What surprised--no--impressed her, was how there were portraits of the women too, Queens and Princesses, also half-naked, posing with arrogant smiles and smug gazes, flaunting their bodies proudly. Ashley marveled at their beauty and confidence, wondering if behind those cheerful smiles, hid sorrow, or the dark suffering they were subject to.
