The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 23: My Guard

Chapter 23: My Guard

>>Aelin

Ariston’s calm defiance stood in stark contrast to Draegon’s fiery rage.

The room seemed to hold its breath as Draegon charged toward us, but before he could reach us, a figure darted into view—Ruoxy. She sprinted after Draegon and grabbed his arm with both hands, her voice urgent and commanding.

"Draegon, stop!" she cried, her grip unyielding.

Draegon’s muscles tensed, and he tried to shake her off, his growl low and menacing. "Let go!!" For a moment it looked like there was hatred filled in his expressions.

"No!" Ruoxy insisted, tightening her hold and digging her heels into the ground to anchor herself. "You’re not thinking clearly!"

For a moment, it looked as though Draegon would fling her off, his movements wild and unpredictable. But then, abruptly, something shifted. Draegon froze in place, his expression softening as if a switch had been flipped. The anger that had consumed him moments ago drained away, replaced by an eerie calmness.

!?!?

The sudden change was so jarring that whispers rippled through the room. Even the Queen, who had been watching with amusement, raised an eyebrow in mild intrigue.

Draegon straightened, his face now composed and unreadable. He turned his gaze to me and Ariston, his voice smooth and measured. "My apologies," he said, his tone devoid of the anger that had filled it moments ago. "I wasn’t angry at you. Something else upset me, and I allowed it to cloud my judgment."

Ruoxy stood beside him, her hands still on his arm, her eyes flickering with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. Draegon nodded to the Queen and then to me. "If you’ll excuse us," he said, his tone courteous but distant. "We’ll take our leave."

Without waiting for a response, he and Ruoxy exited the throne room together. The whispers grew louder in their wake, but no one dared voice their thoughts too openly.

"Well, that was entertaining." Darcelle let out a laugh and everyone looked at her. The Queen then turned to one of her attendants. "Ensure the Princess’s new guard is given proper quarters near the princess’s wing. I’ll be watching this arrangement with great interest."

I barely managed to stammer out, "Thank you, Your Majesty," before the Queen waved us away. I couldn’t believe how fast she dismissed Draegon’s behavior and then how he suddenly left.

Ariston bowed to the Queen again, and we exited the throne room together.

I couldn’t keep up with how fast everything went.

As soon as we were out of earshot, I turned to him, my voice a whisper of disbelief. "What just happened?"

"I’m sure this was strange to everyone." He replied, "But since everyone chose to ignore it, us saying anything about it will be ignored too."

We kept walking, "But you thought it was strange, right?"

When we stepped into another corridor, the tension that had gripped me began to ease. I looked at Ariston, grateful for his steady presence and the fact I wasn’t alone in this whole thing now.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" I asked softly

He shook his head, "I’m not sure," He glanced at me, "But we’ll find out,"

I stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

***

True to the Queen’s word, Ariston was assigned a room near mine. It wasn’t long before the news of his appointment began to spread through the palace, and with it came the whispers. Some were amused, others skeptical, and many outright disdainful. But for the first time in two years, I didn’t feel entirely alone.

Ariston and I began to spend more time together, his presence a small but significant comfort in a world that had always felt so cold. The demons’ stares didn’t matter as much anymore.

The palace was still a cold and unwelcoming place but what began to bother me was Draegon’s presence.

It hadn’t happened before but for some reason now whenever we crossed paths, he would glare at me.

It scared the hell out of me and I couldn’t even look at him. I made a habit of avoiding him, lowering my gaze and quickening my steps whenever we crossed paths. That was not the intention, I wanted to find more about him but he kept glaring so much at me that it started scaring me.

Today was the same. I had just turned a corner in the hallway when I saw him. Draegon stood at the other end, his purple eyes locked onto me with an intensity that made my stomach twist.

He was glaring at me once again, except that today, it felt like he had the intention of hurting me.

My breath hitched, and my instincts screamed at me to run, to escape his gaze before it froze me in place. My feet moved on their own, and I bolted down the hall, not caring if I looked foolish. I didn’t dare glance back to see if he was following.

I turned another corner and spotted Ariston standing near the entrance to the gardens. Relief washed over me as I sprinted toward him.

"Ariston!" I called out, grabbing his arm the moment I reached him.

He turned to me in surprise, his eyes widening slightly. "Princess? What’s wrong?"

I didn’t answer, couldn’t answer. Instead, I clung to his arm as if it were a lifeline, my fingers trembling against the fabric of his sleeve.

"Hey," he said gently, his voice steady and reassuring. "It’s okay. I’m here."

I nodded, trying to steady my breathing, but the memory of Draegon’s glare lingered, making my skin crawl. I let out a sigh of relief when out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement.

!!!

Draegon was there, standing at the other end of the corridor, his eyes locked onto us. His expression was unreadable, but his gaze burned with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

I gripped Ariston’s arm tighter, leaning closer to him in a desperate attempt to shield myself from Draegon’s glare. Ariston noticed and shifted slightly, positioning himself between me and Draegon as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Draegon’s eyes narrowed, the purple in them deepening like an ember flaring into flame. The intensity of his glare seemed to grow, and for a brief, terrifying moment, I thought he might march toward us.

But he didn’t. He stayed rooted in place, his eyes never leaving me, the tension in the air so thick it was suffocating.

"Ignore it," Ariston whispered, his voice low but firm. "Just keep walking."

I nodded again, forcing myself to look away from Draegon’s piercing gaze. Together, we moved toward the gardens, leaving him behind.

Even as we walked, the weight of Draegon’s glare lingered, pressing down on me like a phantom hand. What was happening to him? Why was he acting this way? I didn’t understand, and the uncertainty gnawed at me.

Ariston walked me to my room as he always did, his presence was a comforting shield against the hostility that seemed to surround me here. The hallways were quiet, save for the soft sound of our footsteps against the marble floor.

When we reached my door, he gave me a small smile. "Rest well, Princess. I’ll be nearby if you need me."

I nodded, clutching the edge of my dress as I hesitated. "You’re leaving?"

"I need to take care of something," he said casually, his tone light but offering no further explanation.

I studied him for a moment, trying to decipher his expression. Ariston was kind, attentive, and always seemed to be there when I needed him. But lately, I’d noticed that he often disappeared without a word. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable if you weren’t paying attention. Yet now that I was aware of it, it gnawed at the edges of my thoughts.

"Take care of what?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

He chuckled softly. "Just some business of my own. Nothing for you to worry about."

That answer didn’t satisfy me, but I nodded anyway, not wanting to press further.

I watched him go, my unease growing as his figure disappeared around the corner. What was he doing? And why did I feel like he wasn’t telling me everything?

I stepped into my room, shutting the door behind me as I tried to push the questions aside. Ariston had been nothing but kind to me, and I didn’t want to doubt him. Yet the nagging feeling persisted.

My thoughts drifted, unbidden, to the scene in the courtroom—the way Ruoxy had grabbed Draegon’s arm and stopped him in his tracks. The way his anger had melted into calm so unnaturally fast. I shook my head, trying to make sense of it.

Ruoxy had to be pulling something. She had to be. But if she was using some kind of spell on Draegon, what was it? And could there be a way to undo it?

I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands clasped tightly in my lap as I mulled over the possibilities. Magic was a strange and complex thing, and while I didn’t know much about it, I knew enough to recognize that something wasn’t right. But how could I prove it? And even if I could, what would I do?

A flicker of doubt crept into my mind, making my stomach churn.

What if I was wrong? What if there was no spell, no manipulation, no external force at play? What if Draegon truly didn’t care for me? Asha said Draegon had bad people around him, so it should be safe to assume that he is somehow being manipulated or controlled, right?

But

What if that’s not it? What if he’s actually changed? What if it’s not even Draegon- no wait, if he wasn’t Draegon he wouldn’t come to me, right?

The thought was like a sharp blade, cutting deeper than I expected. I had been so certain that his strange behavior had an explanation, something that wasn’t rooted in his own feelings. But what if I was simply fooling myself?

I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them as I stared at the faint moonlight streaming through the window.

What if I was the problem?

The doubt lingered, heavy and suffocating, as I sat there alone with my thoughts. I didn’t know what to believe anymore.

I pondered on it, wondering what I could do. I have to come to a concrete decision before I help. I want to help Draegon. I really do. The assumption that he is in danger gives me relief that he’s not doing all this to me on purpose and I can do something to make it all better.

But-what if-

No!

I shook my head. I shouldn’t doubt Asha’s words! I shouldn’t doubt the times Draegon came for me too!

I gulped. I have to do something!

Wait!

I stood up as an idea clicked in my mind.

I can try and do that!!