The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 184: Breaking the bond will kill the rider.

Chapter 184: Breaking the bond will kill the rider.

"I wish it had smaller stirrups to fit our shoes," Ren grumbled, trying to steady herself.

She couldn’t believe this was the same Gloria who was afraid of horse riding but now enjoyed dragon riding! She is unpredictable.

But as Ren glanced down, her eyes twitched. Gods, this is too high! They hadn’t even begun to soar yet. Below them stretched a vast expanse of mountain range, jagged rocks rising from the earth like the teeth of some great beast. Ren’s stomach churned, and her heart pounded with a rising panic. What if we fall? What if Sunkiath isn’t fast enough to catch us? The thought of plummeting to those rocks filled her with cold dread.

Meanwhile, Gloria, of all people, was laughing. A rich, carefree sound that filled the air. Her eyes sparkled with unbridled joy, shining like a child’s. How could she be so... happy up here?

The King let them get used to the sensation of flying for half an hour, the wind roaring in their ears, before guiding Sunkiath toward the horizon. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the smooth waves of the ocean below, reflecting the last light of the day.

The girls didn’t dismount when they landed, unwilling to face the task of mounting again. Arkilla wasn’t here to aid them and it would be awkward to ask the King.

"It’s so beautiful," Gloria breathed, her voice full of wonder. "This is my first time seeing the ocean."

The golden expanse of water mirrored the warmth of the setting sun, and the sight reflected in Gloria’s brown eyes, making them gleam with awe. Her cheeks flushed with the sting of the wind, the memory of it still fresh, but it only added to her exhilaration.

Ren looked at Gloria, her heart aching with a mixture of longing and regret. If only they hadn’t been torn apart, if only Lord Alekin hadn’t been forced to remarry, maybe none of this would be happening. There would be no Araben, no threat from the Kalia house, and all the lives lost to Araben’s violence would still be alive.

"You’ll have so many adventures with Sunkiath," the King noted suddenly, his voice light, unaware of Ren’s turmoil. "You can fly wherever you want."

Ren’s scowl deepened, her voice thick with emotion. "I don’t want you to die."

The words hung heavy in the air, and Gloria’s face went pale. Her jaws clenched as she tried to understand, her voice trembling. "What... what do you mean?"

If he died who would handle all these savage nobles?

Ren took a breath, trying to steady herself. Her gaze turned steely, but the sorrow in her eyes betrayed her. "The Fae King will help us in the war... but only if the King of Alvonia surrenders himself to their judgment. The moment a rider breaks their bond with the beasts, the energy forged through time between them, the core explodes. It kills the rider." Her voice cracked, her eyes welling with tears.

"I’m afraid it’s already too late for you to try to change anything, daughter."

"Tsk." The King cursed under his breath, the weight of the truth sinking in. "That bastard Fae told you, didn’t he?"

"Master Agara did a good thing," Ren remarked, her tone wasn’t casual, unlike the king who stood on the sand, watching the waves roll in.

Gloria shook her head, a look of deep apprehension clouding her features. Her gaze turned toward the King, the calm, rhythmic lapping of the waves almost mocking the storm inside her. The serene ocean, so peaceful in its motion, seemed like the only thing in this world that wasn’t consumed by chaos.

"No," she said, her voice trembling with quiet resolve. "I don’t want this, Your Majesty. I refuse to be the heir, and I will not bond with Sunkiath."

The words cut through Ren, and her tears fell freely as she watched Gloria’s defiance. It was a hopeless kind of bravery that broke something deep inside her.

The King’s chuckle was dark, almost weary. "It is not your choice to refuse. I order you to accept it. And if you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to kill your foster family and take you by force."

Gloria’s shoulders sagged, the last remnants of her joy, of the flight, of the beauty of the world around her, crumbling into shattered pieces of darkness.

"But... Why do you want to die?" Gloria whispered, her voice weak and innocent, like a child who couldn’t comprehend the cruelty of a world forced upon her.

"Because if I die like this," the King said, his voice heavy with an unspoken truth, "I’ll have the chance to join my wife. I’ll be punished, but I’ll be forgiven. Do you understand that?"

Ren’s hands tightened around the pommel, her nails digging into the leather. His selfishness was suffocating. He still had no intention of being the father he needed to be, no intent to spare them the burden of his own madness.

"I have two years to train you," the King continued, "and then we’ll go to the Fae Realm."

The words hung in the air, crushing the last remnants of resistance. The girls were silent, neither of them daring to object again. But inside, Ren felt as though she was being torn apart. Gloria would be sent to the North for training, while she herself would be forced back to Thegara, seething with worry and frustration over them all.

When the King finally took them back to the castle, he didn’t leave the field. The moment felt final, like the calm before an inevitable storm.

Ren and Gloria left that place with spirits heavy and grim. As they anticipated, their legs screamed in pain but they didn’t nag. Even Arkilla, who had always been quick to question everything, remained silent, her courage to speak drowned in the pressure of the silence that followed.

~ A few hours ago in the King’s Study.

Gloria could hear her heartbeat pounding in her temples, each throbbing a brutal reminder of the extent of the duty that she’d soon carry. Guilt consumed her, a crushing force pressing her down as if the very floor wanted to swallow her whole. She hadn’t listened to her parents. She came to this realm anyway. And now, all of it felt like her fault.

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