The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 17: Resolve

Chapter 17: Resolve

>>Aelin

Something inside me stirred, faint but persistent, like a small flame struggling to stay alive against a raging wind. It was painful and fragile, but it was there.

Even as I lay crumpled on the floor, my soul cracked open and bleeding, that flame refused to die. A mother’s spirit. Fierce, unyielding, and eternal. And though I had nothing left to give, nothing left to lose, her words stayed with me, piercing through the darkness that had consumed me for so long.

I slowly sat up

She said Draegon needs me...

The weight around my neck suddenly shifted. The chain that held my pendant snapped without warning, falling onto my lap with a quiet clink. Startled, I stared at it, the small golden locket glinting faintly in the light of the room. My fingers trembled as I picked it up, the metal warm against my skin.

The latch hit the ground and it had opened. Inside was the birth-scale Draegon had given me.

The delicate scale shimmered faintly, a kaleidoscope of muted colors that seemed alive under the dim light. The sight of it stirred something deep within me, pulling memories to the surface I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on. The words of the doctor came back to me, clear as though they had been spoken just moments ago.

’Birth-scales are sacred, because they are taken from the heart. It’s the most vulnerable part of a dragon, given only to one person—someone chosen as an eternal partner.’

An eternal partner...

My fingers brushed over the scale, its surface smooth yet strong. I remembered the moment Draegon had placed it in my hands, his expression unusually soft, his voice low as he told me, "There’s no better promise than this." I had been too overwhelmed back then to fully grasp what it meant, but now... now it felt like a cruel joke.

I stared down at the pendant in my lap, a bitter knot tightening in my chest. "So why?" I whispered, my voice cracking. "Why did you give this to me, Draegon, if you never intended to stay?"

My eyes stung but I didn’t cry this time. I held it in. But the confusion, the frustration, and a thousand questions clawing at my mind with no answers made my head throb. He had given me this, the most sacred part of himself, yet he was marrying her. Ruoxy. He was leaving me behind.

I clutched the scale tightly, my knuckles whitening. So why? Why did you choose to give me this if I was never enough?

But then my gaze fell on the bracelet lying on the floor. The one I had given him so long ago. My heart clenched as I picked it up, running my thumb over the beads. It was scuffed and weathered, but still intact that meant he kept wearing it...

And obviously he had been wearing it when he came here. He came here... for me?

I closed my eyes, trying to piece it all together. He wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t mean anything to him.

Right?

And now that I thought about it—really thought about it—Draegon had always been wearing this bracelet. Even when he was with Ruoxy. Even when he was in front of others, pretending like I didn’t exist. He had this on.

The pieces weren’t fitting together. Something wasn’t right. The words of my daughter echoed in my mind, soft but urgent. ’Daddy is in danger. You have to help him.’

I stared at the birthscale again, turning it over in my hands as the light caught its iridescent surface. As a human, I had no way of fully understanding what it meant to a dragon, but the doctor’s words had been clear. It was a symbol of eternal partnership.

So why? Why was he doing this? Why had he given this to me only to cast me aside? Why had my daughter’s spirit appeared to me, warning me about Draegon’s danger?

My heart was pounding now, an uneasy mixture of emotions swirling inside me—anger, confusion, and the faintest glimmer of hope. There’s something I’m not seeing. My fingers tightened around the scale, holding it as though it were a lifeline. If Draegon didn’t care about me... if he truly wanted me gone... then why had he come here? Why had he clawed at that door with such desperation, breaking it nearly to pieces?

And then he suddenly disappeared.

The thoughts overwhelmed me, but one thing was clear. My daughter’s words weren’t just a fleeting dream. They were a warning, a plea. And as much as I wanted to let the despair take me, something deep inside me refused.

I had to find out the truth.

Whatever Draegon was hiding—whatever was lurking beneath the surface—I had to uncover it.

Not for me. Not for him. But for her. For my daughter, Asha. For the fleeting touch of her hand that I could still feel against my cheek, urging me to move forward, to keep going.

I wiped at my unshed tears and stood, the pendant clutched tightly in one hand and the bracelet in the other. My heart still ached, and my mind was still clouded with doubt, but the faint flicker of resolve burned somewhere deep inside me.

I wouldn’t let her down. I can’t let her down. Even though no one else trusts me or thinks of me as anything. She believes I’m strong.

I clutched the pendant and the bracelet in my hands next to my chest.

I have to prove that I am.

***

My legs carried me to the one person who might have the authority to give me some semblance of control in this hellish palace—the Queen. The very thought made my stomach twist with dread, but I knew there was no turning back now.

When I entered the throne room, the air was as cold as the woman who occupied it. The Queen sat regally at a polished black throne, her piercing crimson eyes locking onto mine with the precision of a blade. Her lips curled into a smirk, though there was no warmth in it—only disdain.

She was always wearing a custom armor designed to look like a shirt and pants.

"What do you want, human?" Her voice was sharp, clipped, as though she could barely tolerate my presence.

I swallowed my nerves and straightened my spine. "As Draegon’s wife," I began, my voice surprisingly steady, "shouldn’t I have some sort of duties? Responsibilities within the palace?"

She raised a perfectly arched brow, as if amused by my request. "Duties? Responsibilities?" she repeated, her tone mocking. "And here I thought humans excelled only at whining and self-pity."

The insult stung, but I refused to flinch. "I’m not here to argue," I said firmly. "I want to serve in whatever way I can. To find my place here—if I even have one."

Her smirk faltered for a moment, and I thought I saw something flicker in her crimson eyes—pity, perhaps, or recognition of a shared pain. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a familiar air of superiority.

"The unwanted wife, asking for a place," she murmured, almost to herself. Then her expression darkened. "You are not the first woman to occupy a position like this in this palace. Do you know that?"

I shook my head, unsure where she was going with this.

"My husband," she said bitterly, "took a concubine. Something no demon king had ever done. And yet, the mighty King fell for a half-blood. It was scandalous. Weak. And now, his son follows in his footsteps." Her voice dripped with venom, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of something else—pain, perhaps.

The comparison hung heavy in the air, and I felt my stomach twist. Was that all I was to her? A repeat of some mistake?

"The father, like son," she continued, almost sneering. "But unlike my husband, Draegon will not be scorned for his decision. The court hates you, but they will not dare question him."

Her words stung, but I forced myself to stand tall. "I know," I said softly but firmly. "I am well aware of my position."

For a long moment, she stared at me, her expression unreadable. Then, with a sigh, she waved her hand dismissively and I saw her expressions soften, "Very well. I won’t stop you. I’ll see what I can assign you. But you are forbidden from returning to the isolated palace. You will take a new room in the main palace and have access to all its halls."

My expressions lit up. I blinked, stunned by her response. It wasn’t kindness—I knew that. But it was something. A chance.

"Thank you," I said quietly, bowing my head slightly.

"Don’t thank me," she snapped. "I’m only curious to see how long you’ll last before you crawl back into the shadows where you belong."

Her words were a dagger to my pride, but I nodded, turning on my heel before she could see how much it hurt. As I walked back through the winding halls of the palace, I held the pendant and bracelet close to my chest. A small flicker of hope lit inside me, fragile and fleeting, but it was there.

Draegon... if there’s something I don’t know... I’ll find it. For you, for Asha

I’ll find it.

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