Female Novel
Seventy Six
Elora’s POV
I organised with Dragus and Matitus to distract Silas so, I could go see if people would be interested in
donating blood for a blood bank. I knew with Silas loitering around they would feel obligated to do as I
ask and I really wanted to build trust with our people, let them decide for themselves without the
pressures of the three dragon kings standing over them and intimidating them.
We went door to door knocking and stopped in at all the shops we walked by. The store owners said
they would let people know and send them to the castle. Aldrin also thought it was a good idea and
spoke to a few people he knew to help move fridges and freezes to one of the greenhouses. Not Ideal
but would do until we had a proper facility. Victor and two apprentices were on hand to take the blood
donations if anyone was willing to help provide blood.
We asked everyone who was above 16 years old and able, excluding the elderly seeing as most of
them were in poor health or just not suitable without risk to themselves. Walking through the streets
though I could sense things had changed, people weren’t running scared or had their heads hung
anymore, people were actually enjoying the sunlight and had come out of their homes to enjoy the nice
weather for once. When we finished walking around the main streets and the closest streets to the
centre, we decided to check on the kids in the orphanage.
Walking up to the brick building, I found people willingly helping and volunteering their time. A few kids
in their late teens were painting the outside of the building. A few elderly people were actually helping
in the gardens with some of the children, pulling weeds out and cleaning off the concrete stairs.
“Do all these people work here?” I ask turning to Marian. She shakes her head.
“No, a lot are volunteers that wanted to help, a lot of people didn’t know how to help them but now that
the dragon kings have organised food and shelter, they want to make it homely for them, a safe place
for them to be kids” Marian answers.
“They have been fixing up the two homeless centres too” Dakari added behind me. A lot of people who
noticed him recognised him as dragon, yet they didn’t fear him like they did the dragon kings, probably
to do with his charismatic nature and happy go lucky attitude. I also noticed he was willing to pitch in
not afraid of hard work back at the castle I caught him yesterday helping haul firewood in with the
stable hand.
“As I stepped inside the orphanage the first person, I noticed was Lilith, she was playing checkers on
the step with another girl. She beamed up at me, her blonde locks had been cut and she had bob cut
which actually suited her made her look like a porcelain doll.
“Hey Lilith” I say as she jumps off the step and runs toward me and wraps her arms around me. The
little girl with her had, red hair and freckles, she looked delicate and a little scared but happy to see
new faces.
“This is Millie, my friend and this is Elora” She tells Millie.
“Hi Millie” I tell her giving her wave, she shyly hides behind Lilith though, I could see the curious look in
her eyes as she stared between Dakari and myself.
“Do you know where Patricia is Lilith?” Marian asks her. Lilith points to the stairs and Marian leads the
way as I follow her, curious to meet the woman who has been watching over the children. What I wasn’t
prepared for was, how young she was. Walking into one of the bedrooms, there are 8 bunk beds lined
against the walls each separated by a chest of draws for the children to share.
A girl about the age of 17 with dark curly hair to her shoulders was sitting on the end of one of the beds
with three little boys no older then three and a little girl. She looks up when we enter a smile lighting up
her face as her brown eyes scanned over us.
“Abbie didn’t come?” She asks looking behind us. Marian shakes her head. “Not today she isn’t feeling
well” Marian answers making me look to Dakari who had found a spot on the ceiling that became
suddenly fascinating, nudging him.
“My lips are sealed” He states.
“You knocked her up didn’t you” I whisper to him so no one could hear. He places his fingers to his lips
pretending to lock them and throw away the key. I roll my eyes at him before turning to Patricia who
was talking to Marian.
“We could really use some more fabric; a lot of the kids clothes are too small, and we haven’t got
enough towels and blankets” I overhear her telling Marian.
“Anything you need just tell us, don’t ask. Tell us” I tell her trying to encourage her to say what they
really need and not pick what they can and can’t go without.
“Write out a list, I will send Dakari back to pick it up later, anything you need, that the kids need. No
request is to big okay, we will make it work. Do you look after all these children by yourself?’ I ask.
She shakes her head. “No, there are five of us and we take shifts but I am here all the time” She
answers.
“I will find more people and I will speak to the kings about organising an income for those working here.
You can’t be expected to do all this for free”
“Really we don’t mind, we are just happy to have somewhere warm to sleep and food to eat” She says,
but I wave her off.
“No, its not good enough. I will speak to them and we will organise some form of payment or
allowances. How is the food situation?” I ask her.
“Fine now that we have Fae and Abigail growing crops constantly, the castle cooks have been bringing
meals down every day mainly soups and stews because there are so many mouths to feed, the main
issue is formula we have had some babies come in over the last couple of days, their parents dropping
them off, knowing there is food here, a lot of them using this place as a last resort” She answers. The
thought of parents feeling there is no hope but to give their kids over to strangers for the sake of them
not being able to provide for them saddened me.
“Do you know their parents?” She nods.
“Yes they stop by every day, there simply isn’t enough beds or enough work for them to provide for their
kids” She says.
“Find them, make room for them. I will organise something we need workers in the greenhouses, when
you see them send them to the castle, assure them they are not in trouble. I will find work for them so
they can keep their children. We will also have to organise some sort of childcare arrangements for
those parents who are working” I tell Marian who nods her head in agreeance.
“There is an old school down the end of the street hasn’t been used in well forever, but could make a
good childcare centre and school it just needs a clean-up, the building is solid and has working
plumbing” Patricia answers. This girl was smart incredibly so, the sort of smarts you only get from living
the way we have, with experience on finding ways to survive and learning the City of the back of your
hand.
“Okay, I wonder if some of the older generation would be willing to help teach” I say allowed but to
myself.
“We have a heap of elderly people who stop by, they mainly help with cleaning, but most are trained in
different areas and have skills that could be helpful to learn and to teach us. I will ask around” Patricia
says blowing me away yet again with how willing to help she is.
“You should start a committee you seem to know what your doing more so then me and know a lot of
people” I tell her. She blushes.
“I wasn’t joking, we will eventually need to come up with some governing body, this place is going to
take a lot of people to get this city going and we need those with a voice and willing to speak up around
here for the people. A government is only as strong as the legs it stands on, without people there would
be no one to govern, to fix this city we will need others to stand up and help. A lot of trust has been lost
over the decades and it’s about time we find ways to build it back up. This kingdom once flourished
under the dragons it can again, so something to think about if you’re interested, you are part of this
kingdom and if you can run an orphanage with over a hundred kids, I would be interested to see
exactly what your capable of, if given the opportunity to do something great” I tell her.
She seems stunned and I let her think about it instead turning to Dakari.
“We need to head back can you come back and pick up the list tonight of Patricia?” He nods once.
“Dakari will be back to grab your supplies list and anything else you may want or need make sure you
put it on the list. Also anyone that wants to work here fulltime take their names and we will start doing
interviews just to be safe. I don’t want anyone working with the children, only those that can be trusted”
“Yes Ma’am” Patricia says.novelbin
“Elora, not highness, not ma’am, we are the same. I have been where you are, and the streets of this
city will always be home to me. I am not your superior you have seen as much as I have so please call
me by my name” I tell her. She nods and I give her hug, she seemed frozen for a second before
hugging me back.
We say our goodbyes and I promise to come back and see her in a couple of days to interview
potential people to help her, a girl her age shouldn’t be expected to run this on her own. Even though
she said there were five of them Marian assured me, she mainly works here because the others have
homes to go back to, while she takes on everything including rationing of food and clothes etc. One girl
looking after 105 children and still willing to take on more, she was truly remarkable. The people of this
city were really rallying together, and it showed as we headed home.
Walking toward the castle gates I notice a large line all the way to the road out the front.
Walking in the gates, I walk toward the start of the line and find Victor taking peoples names.
“You did it Elora” Victor states. I look along the line that was growing bigger.
“At this rate we are going to have to start turning people away” Victor says.
“Are all these people here to donate blood?” I ask. Victor nods excitedly.
“Yes, and we will also have enough to stock the medical practise” He says making me look at him.
“The underground one, which I have been meaning to ask the kings about moving it above ground”
Victor says.
“I thought that place shut down years ago” I ask him.
“It did but Seamus has decided to open another, but hopefully above ground. He is getting to old to
travel the tunnels” Victor states. Seamus was Victors older brother the man was wheelchair bound but
used to be a doctor. I hadn’t seen him in years and assumed he died. Appears with everything going on
in the city people were really willing to step out of the shadows to improve things.
“I will tell Silas; you will have your practise Victor, tell Seamus I happy to learn he is still alive” I chuckle.
Victor laughs.
“Fussy old fool, but with all the apprentices willing to learn medicine he has decided to come out of
hiding and retirement to teach them” Victor says. Seamus was also in his seventies like Victor a little
older and would be a valuable asset to the city especially with Victor and his help, we could have some
doctors in training which would be a great help to the city.
I had been chatting away to Victor helping take peoples names when I feel arms wrap around my waist.
“You are in some serious trouble” I hear him growl below my ear. Silas warm breath moving across my
neck.
“And why is that?” I ask him as Dragus moves me over and starts helping Victor write peoples names
down and get there blood type, off those that actually knew theirs.
“Because you snuck out”
“Seems like Dragus had you pretty distracted though” I tell him, turning in his arms. Silas staring down
at me before looking at all the crowd lined up.
“So many people” He mutters under his breath.
“Yes, and I have been thinking, I want to start a committee, or board some governing body where
everyone can have a say and pitch in”
“Are you asking or telling me” He says a smile playing on his lips.
“hmm Telling you, we have a lot of people here, who are willing to help if you let them, a lot of people
capable of doing good things for this city” I tell him.
‘Fine, but I will leave that for you to organise. I am doing something else. Whatever you need just see
Matitus and Dakari” Silas says.
“Why not Dragus?” I ask wondering what he was going to be doing that was going to have him so
willing to let me have control.
“I need Dragus, also we have come up with a plan for the dragons. I will be going out tonight with a few
vampires to catch one” He tells me. I feel fear bubble up in me, not liking the idea of him putting himself
in danger yet I know we have no other choice.
“Hey Aldrin” Silas calls making me look over my shoulder to see Aldrin carrying a bag of medicinal
herbs to the storage sheds behind the castle. Aldrin stops when he hears his name being called before
freezing. His eyes darting to me before going to Silas who had taken off to speak to him. I go to follow
him when Dragus stops me.
“Leave him Lora, he means your friend no harm, just wants his help with something” I nod wondering
what it is Silas would want with him, though by the looks of their body language they were having some
discussion Aldrin seemed to be quite interested in, as they walk off like they are buddies. I shake my
head at the strange situation not giving it much thought and turning back to help Dragus.
Author Note
Let me know your thoughts.