Author's note: This is just a pet project of mine; I recently finished reading Dragon Harper and had the inspiration for this. I'll update whenever I think of something new, though I have a couple of ideas for the first chapters. Rating may go up, but only to T. I will never write an M story.

Note: I mention Igen Weyr joining Telgar Weyr. There's a paragraph in Dragon Harper that mentions that, so that kind of shows where this sits according to canon, though there won't be any canon characters mentioned. This is just a casual story; there's really no plot except that yes, it will be a romance. That's about all, feel free to ask any questions, and please review. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful world of Pern.

Chapter 1

Candidate

There were four other queen candidates besides her. Three were holder daughters, like herself, but the last was a weyr bred girl, born and raised here at Telgar. Miranda could not help noticing that they were all prettier than her, though that was a thought she was accustomed to. Years of laboring in beastholds, caring for runner beasts had made her skin rough were theirs was smooth, her hands hard were theirs were soft. Her raven hair was pulled back in a simple plait, while theirs was carefully styled. She was six inches taller than the weyr bred lass, the tallest of the other four. But what could be expected from a girl who could foal runners better than sew? The four had grouped together in a close circle, speaking quietly among themselves, movements nervous, faces pale, though the weyr lass smiled at her when they made eye contact. Miranda simply nodded; she was used to standing by herself.

Miranda turned away from the other girls, leaning on the rock wall, her white robe smooth over her new gown. Her mother had surprised her with it just yesterday, an early birthday present handmade by Arlene herself. It was a rich green color that matched her eyes and had looked grand against the brown hide of the dragon who had bore her and her parents here, to Telgar Weyr, for the Hatching today. The other girls could have the queen, as far as Miranda was concerned. She wanted nothing more than to return to her brothers Mavis and Weyrick, see Mavis' brown fire lizard Snatch, check on the runners--one of the mares was due to foal anytime now--…and see Dirac. The thought of the Lord Holder's son who had been sneaking away to see her made her smile. He had visited her last night, holding her as she confessed that she loved him and didn't want to Impress. But what could they say to her parents? They were so excited that she had this chance. Her father would ask for a reason, and she could not tell him. Dirac had reassured her, told her that she would come back and he would be waiting for her, always waiting, and that he planned to marry her.

She shifted her weight and glanced at the boys. There were nearly twenty of them, their faces pale, eyes wide but glittering with excitement, freshly washed, hair neatly combed. The younger ones were fidgety, but the older ones stood silently or in small groups, murmuring. One, a blond young man who looked to be only two or three years older than Miranda's eighteen, was by himself and grinned when he saw her looking at him. She nodded affably and turned her gaze away. Just then a low humming sound rose, making the air quiver with its' intensity. There were anxious and fearfully gasps from all around as the Candidates recognized the dragon's herald to the start of the Hatching, and they pressed forward, eager to enter the weyr's hatching grounds, forming into two neat lines.

As she joined the other girls in following the weyr lass across the scorching sands, Miranda swallowed. She had not realized there would be such a crowd gathered. She tried in vain to pick out her parents, but the faces were too far away, and too numerous, and the brightness of the sands cast them into darkness. The five gathered in a loose semicircle a few yards from the separate egg as the humming from the great dragons arranged around the rim intensified. The golden mother of these hatchlings had rolled this one away from the others, marking it as holding a new queen.

The eggs were shaking now, cracks marring their smooth surfaces. Miranda glanced over to the boys' side in time see to see the first egg open to dump a bronze onto the waiting sands, and heard a murmur run through the crowd: a bronze hatching first was always a good sign. A few eggs away, a brown hatched, then a green from the egg beside it. A gasp from one of the other queen candidates drew her attention back to her side of the sands: the queen egg had begun rocking, and the girls tensed, expectantly waiting. Cracks ran along it in jagged lines, then the egg simply fell apart, leaving the gold in the center. She lurched to her feet and wobbled forward, causing all but Miranda and the weyr bred girl to flinch back. The queen creeled, eyes whirling orange with panic as she frantically looked for her partner, then she turned and stumbled towards the weyr girl, who gasped and dashed forward, meeting the dragonet halfway, wrapping her arms around the newborn queen's neck. "Ahanath!" the girl shrieked in glee, love for the little creature shining on her face. "Oh, you're the most beautiful creature!"

Miranda felt relief flood through her as made to leave the sands, turning her back on the happy scene. All around her, new partners were heading off the sands as well, faces glowing.

"Look out!" a voice suddenly cried. Miranda whirled to find several boys scattering from in front of a charging, angry blue. He took gangly, leaping steps, crying loudly as he searched for his partner, eyes whirling red in distress.

There you are!

Miranda hurriedly scrambled out of his way, but the blue nearly fell as he attempted to turn, following her. Memories of warnings from the riders that the dragonets could easily trample those who were careless flooded her mind, and she forced her feet to move faster. Even soft claws could easily tear skin.

I've been looking everywhere for you!

The revelation that the voice was inside her head froze her in her tracks. With a spray of sand, something hard bumped into her back. Miranda slowly pivoted to face the blue dragonet, and he reared back on his hind legs, putting his head a foot above hers, soft claws flashing in the light.

I'm Jakinath, the friendly voice said, proud. And I'm hungry!

Miranda, overcome, collapsed to her knees, not even noticing the sting from the burning sands. The dragonet followed her down, muzzle nudging her gently. Is something wrong with me? Don't you like me? His voice was panicky, high pitched, and slightly reedy. She looked up, meeting his whirling eyes, orange with distress, and awe that this little being had chosen her coursed through her veins as love and joy filled her with warmth.

"No!" she cried. "Oh, no, Jakinath, you're perfect!"

He attempted to trumpet a roar to the skies, head thrown back, but it came out as a baby's creel, making her giggle.

"Congratulations, M'anda," a voice said, and she looked up to find the Weyrling Master beside her, and quickly looked around. The last few of the young riders and their partners were leaving the sands; the stands were quickly emptying. "Let's find Jakinath something to eat."

As he led the new pair across the sands, only the outside of D'trol was calm. Inside, he was in turmoil, wondering how the weyr would deal with this odd new pair.