The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 28: Defense

Chapter 28: Defense

>>Aelin

The throne room was in chaos. Accusations ricocheted off the walls like arrows. My pulse thudded painfully in my ears as I stood there, surrounded by glares and sharp tongues. It felt like I was being backed into a corner with no escape.

"That’s exactly the problem!" a sharp voice from the crowd cut through. It was one of the high-ranking demons, a man with glowing red eyes that seemed to burn into me. "What if he’s doing it for you? You’re human—you couldn’t have killed Alishay yourself, so you must’ve made him do it for you!"

I froze, the words hitting me like a slap.

"That’s absurd!" I shot back, my voice trembling with both anger and desperation. "Why would I ever—"

"It’s not absurd at all," another demon chimed in, their tone cold and accusing. "You’ve had plenty of motive. Everyone knows Alishay caused you to lose your child. You hated her for that, didn’t you?"

I couldn’t breathe.

"You should be ashamed of yourself! It was an accident! How could you kill her for an accident!"

My chest tightened painfully, and the room seemed to blur around me. "Accident?" My hand instinctively moved to my stomach, the grief and anger bubbling up all at once.

"You all knew," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The weight of their words sank in. I turned to look at Draegon. His gaze was dull and he quietly stood there. But the room wasn’t done with me yet.

"You’re always with Ariston. If you didn’t do it yourself, then it stands to reason you worked together."

The accusation made my stomach churn, but I forced myself to stand tall.

"No!" I said firmly. "We didn’t do anything! I would never—"

"Oh, please," Ruoxy’s voice interrupted, cold and cutting.

I turned sharply to look at her, my heart sinking as I saw the tears streaming down her face. She was standing near Draegon now, her delicate frame trembling as she clutched the fabric of her dress.

"This is all because of you," she whispered, her voice breaking just enough to sound convincing. "You did this... because you can’t stand the fact that Draegon and I are getting married next week."

"What?" My voice cracked, disbelief flooding through me. Her words made the demons gasp

She sniffled dramatically, dabbing at her eyes with a silk handkerchief. "You’ve been jealous ever since you arrived here. You couldn’t bear to see us together, could you? You did this to create problems... to ruin our marriage before it even begins!"

The murmurs in the room grew louder, the crowd eating up her words like they were holy scripture.

"That’s not true!" I shouted, my hands shaking. "I had nothing to do with this!" My voice was shaking

Ruoxy’s tear-streaked face turned toward me, her expression filled with righteous indignation. "Then why is it that everywhere you go, trouble follows? First the tragedy with your child... and now this. It’s almost as if chaos clings to you like a shadow, doesn’t it?"

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My fists clenched at my sides as I fought to keep my composure, but it was getting harder with every passing second.

"I didn’t do anything," I said through gritted teeth, my voice quieter now

"And neither did I," Ariston spoke up, his calm, deep voice cutting through the noise.

The room fell silent for a moment as all eyes turned to him.

Ariston stepped forward, his posture relaxed but his expression deadly serious. "Let’s not forget, Lady Ruoxy, that there’s no evidence pointing to either of us. You’re making a lot of assumptions for someone who claims to care about justice."

Ruoxy’s lips thinned, her composure faltering for just a moment before she recovered.

"And what about you?" she snapped, her tone sharp. "Why are you always disappearing? What exactly are you doing during those times, Ariston?"

Ariston smirked faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Exploring the palace, as I am allowed to" he said simply, his tone casual yet pointed. "But I’m sure you know all about lurking in the shadows, don’t you?"

Ruoxy cried some more, "You both are so cruel," She sobbed, "Shouldn’t you stop? You’ll regret doing things like this!"

"Will I?" Ariston tilted his head, his expression unreadable, "I didn’t do anything though," He then whispered so lightly, "Not yet," That I’m sure no one but me heard him.

The tension between them crackled like lightning, and for a brief moment, I thought Ruoxy was going to say something but before she could speak, the Demon Queen raised a hand. The entire throne room fell into an eerie silence as all attention turned to her.

She stood tall and imposing at the top of the steps, her crimson eyes scanning the room with a cold, unrelenting fury.

"I’ve heard enough," She declared, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "The decision will not be made hastily. This matter requires thorough investigation."

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd, but no one dared speak loud enough to interrupt her.

"I will personally see to it that we uncover the truth," she continued, her tone leaving no room for argument. "No one in this palace is above suspicion. Every single one of you will be investigated."

The weight of her words settled heavily over the room, silencing even the boldest whispers. My breath hitched in my chest. While her declaration gave me a sliver of hope, the glares of the demons around me only grew sharper.

The Queen’s piercing gaze swept over the crowd before landing on me.

I held her stare, trying to appear stronger than I felt, though my hands trembled slightly at my sides. Her eyes flicked to Ariston for a moment before moving on, but the chill of her scrutiny lingered.

"There is one more thing," she added, her voice dropping slightly but no less commanding. "It has come to my attention that Princess Alishay had been missing for two days before she was discovered dead. You all know what this means," Everyone could feel the malice in her voice, "This was planned murder."

The murmurs erupted again, louder this time, as her revelation sent a shockwave through the gathered demons. I clenched my fists tightly, the overwhelming pressure of their stares bearing down on me. My stomach churned as I heard the muttered accusations all around.

"So the human had time to plan it," one voice hissed from the crowd.

"Calculated indeed," another added, their tone dripping with disdain. "She’s clever enough to hide her tracks, isn’t she?"

My jaw tightened, and I could feel the heat rising to my face as the venom in their words cut deep. Even though the Queen hadn’t named me or Ariston directly, it was clear who their suspicions were directed toward.

Beside me, Ariston remained calm, his expression unreadable as ever. I envied his composure. My own emotions were threatening to bubble over, a mix of frustration, fear, and helplessness.

The Queen’s voice rose again, silencing the murmurs. "No one is to leave this palace until the investigation is concluded. The main gates have already been sealed, and any attempt to flee will be seen as an admission of guilt."

My heart sank further at her words. We were trapped, surrounded by people who wanted nothing more than to see us fall.

The Queen’s gaze hardened, and her final words rang out like a commandment. "Justice will be served, and I will tolerate no interference or false accusations. Anyone found hindering this investigation will answer to me."

With that, she turned and descended the steps, her wings brushing the air, the room tensed as everyone made way for her to leave. Ariston and I moved to the side too and as Queen Darcelle moved past us, her red eye came onto me

!!

Startling me

But she didn’t say anything and left the room.

I glanced sideways at Ariston, who remained stoic, his sharp eyes scanning the room. When I turned back to the crowd, I was met with more glaring eyes, more contemptuous whispers. My skin prickled under the weight of their hatred.

"I can feel it," I murmured under my breath, my voice barely audible even to myself. "They want us gone."

Ariston didn’t look at me, but his voice came low and steady. "Let them look. We have nothing to hide."

"What if we get framed?"

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