Headscratchers / Dragon Slayer

• How did Princess Elspeth replace the tiles for the lottery with tiles that all had her name on it, and without her father the king finding out?
  • She likely had help. And no one was going to tell the King.
  • So who helped her then? Does she have a staff who would do it for her?

• Why feed maidens to the dragon, why not livestock?
  • Basically because it's the traditional way of appeasing dragons. And it works - Vermithrax does spare the kingdom from rampages, apparently because of the sacrifices.
  • It's quite obviously a No Woman's Land.