The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 19: Trial

Chapter 19: Trial

>>Aelin

The room was quiet except for the soft rustling of pages as I worked through the ancient book that had given me my newfound magic. The language inscribed within it was foreign and complex, the symbols almost dancing on the page if I stared too long. I wasn’t fluent in demonic writing—not yet—but I was determined. Slowly, painstakingly, I pieced together the meaning of each line.

I was still on the introductory part.

But I had learned about this power being able to pull people out of trances.

The flame I had conjured earlier that day still lingered in my thoughts, I couldn’t fully understand the extent of the power I had now, but I was glad I had something to work with. I had a lot to learn though. Although demons speak the language in the same way we humans do, it is written in an entirely different way.

I learned a lot of it when I read the book in the library in the abandoned wing but this book has words that I still can’t decipher.

A sharp knock interrupted my focus, and before I could even grant permission to enter, the door swung open. The door I had gotten changed because Draegon broke the last one.

!!

It startled me when Ruoxy entered the room so rudely and blatantly. "So, this is where you’re hiding," she sneered, sauntering in as if she owned the place. She was dressed in a gown far too extravagant for someone merely visiting—golden embroidery and jeweled accents glimmered under the light. Everything about her screamed superiority, a deliberate attempt to remind me of my place.

I didn’t respond, my fingers tightening slightly around the edge of the book.

I should just ignore her.

But why is she here? She never came to visit me on her own before?

She smirked at my silence and stepped closer, her sharp heels clicking against the floor. "I thought you’d like to know," she began, her voice sickly sweet, "the wedding preparations are coming along beautifully. Next month, Draegon and I will finally be married. Isn’t that wonderful news?"

Ah... So, that’s why she’s here.

Her words struck like a dagger, but I refused to let her see the wound. I kept my gaze down, pretending to be absorbed in the book.

Ruoxy didn’t like being ignored. She reached forward and snatched the book from my hands before I could stop her.

"AH!" I was baffled at her action as I watched her snatch it away

"What’s this?" she asked, flipping it open and skimming the pages. Her eyes narrowed as she stared, her expression twisting into confusion. "There’s nothing here," she said, holding the book up and turning it as if expecting something to appear.

I frowned, my heart pounding. Nothing? What’s that supposed to mean?

Ruoxy’s confusion quickly turned to mockery. She threw her head back and laughed, the sound grating against my ears. "You’re sitting here, wasting your time reading an empty book? How pathetic can you be?" She tossed the book carelessly onto the floor, the pages fluttering as it landed with a thud.

I flinched but said nothing. Bending to retrieve the book would only give her more ammunition, so I stayed seated, staring at her with quiet defiance.

Ruoxy leaned closer, her voice dropping to a low, venomous tone. "You’re a joke, pretending to be smart while reading a blank book?" She scoffed at me, "You always were and always will be a joke. Enjoy your little delusions while they last." She paused to look at my reaction.

But I didn’t give it to her. I simply stared back at her with an unamused expression. She stared back at me, then her eyebrow, "You-" She analyzed me, "There’s something odd..." Her eyebrows arched together.

"Princess Ruoxy!" It was Kitty’s voice. The black fox spirit Alishay assigned to watch over me when I first tried to kill myself, "We have to leave for your dress fitting!"

Ruoxy took a step back, her eyes on me like a predator eyeing its prey.

"Princess!!" Kitty’s voice was now closer

"You-" She pointed her long and pointy index finger at me, "There’s something." As she took another step back

A hand slammed on the door, "Princess!" Kitty came in, "We have to leave now."

"Alright," Ruoxy turned on her heel and strode out, the door slamming shut behind her.

As soon as she was gone, I exhaled a shaky breath and reached down to pick up the book. The pages seemed untouched, the ancient symbols still glowing faintly under the light.

I frowned. She couldn’t see it... These words...Why?

I pressed the book to my chest, holding it close as if it were a lifeline. Ruoxy’s words echoed in my mind, but they didn’t cut as deep as they might have before. No, what mattered now was the truth—the magic in this book, the power it had awakened in me, and the thing I needed to discover about Draegon.

Ruoxy could mock me all she wanted. She could plan her wedding, parade her triumphs, and try to break me. But she couldn’t see what was written here. She couldn’t take this from me. And she couldn’t erase the feeling in my chest, the spark of determination growing stronger every day.

What was this book though?

It had woken something in me, a power I still couldn’t fully understand. It had even made it possible for me to see her... my daughter. My heart clenched at the memory, the echo of her small, sweet voice telling me to hold on, to keep going.

’Mommy. I love you.’ I couldn’t help but smile sorrowfully at her words.

Then I recalled her words about her daddy, ’Bad people are around him.’

’That isn’t me,’ Draegon has said. The warmth in his voice, the rawness in his gaze—it was so different from the cold indifference I had come to expect.

And then there was Ruoxy, dragging him away like he was nothing more than a puppet. Her smug explanations, her sharp words... everything about her felt wrong. And yet, something deeper gnawed at me.

I had to know the truth.

I placed the book on the desk and decided to follow Draegon

***

I spotted Draegon who was alone today since Ruoxy went to the boutique for her wedding dress. And I began to follow him as he walked around the palace to do his thing.

Which wasn’t actually much. He wasn’t doing anything significant. He would go to a place, sit there with someone, talk and then move again.

It was like his movements were pre planned or something. And there was this one thing that kept bothering me as I watched him.

His eyes.

Those purple eyes, they like they were empty. Cold. Dead.

Initially I had thought that look was reserved for me, a reflection of the hatred he must have felt for me. But as I observed him interacting with others—his advisors, the servants, even The Queen—I realized something

It wasn’t just me. That emptiness was always there, no matter who he was speaking to.

My chest tightened as the realization hit me.

It wasn’t me.

I wasn’t the reason for the coldness in his gaze. But if it wasn’t me, then... what was it? Why wasn’t anyone else noticing? How could they look at him and not see how lifeless he’d become?

Or-

I reached for my eyes, slowly touching the corners. Could it be? I can see it more clearly now because of my power?

His words came back to me, clear as day: ’That isn’t me.’

I shivered.

Right. Each time he showed me some response and warmth, the look in his eyes changed. His purple eyes are supposed to be shimmering but they aren’t now. They look dull

Was something done to him?

The thought made my stomach churn, fear curling around my heart like a vice.

But beneath the fear, something else stirred. Determination. My daughter’s voice echoed in my mind once more, her plea laced with urgency and innocence.

’Daddy is in danger. You have to help him.’

The strange feeling grew stronger as I kept my watch.

I didn’t know how, and I didn’t know where this path would lead me. But I couldn’t ignore what I had seen, what I had felt. If Draegon truly wasn’t himself, then I needed to find out why.

For my daughter. For him. And for myself.

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