The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 30: Secrets

Chapter 30: Secrets

>>Aelin

"Ruoxy," I said her name. I don’t know why I even asked who spread it, I already knew the answer. Maybe I was hoping it was genuinely a misunderstanding and not another attack from her side.

"Yes," He agreed, "There could be no other person." He folded his arms, "I’m sure she’s behind all the chaos that has been happening in the palace." He paused, then looked at me, "I’m glad I decided to come here."

I was shocked at his words

"You’re glad you decided to come here?" I raised my brow at him, "Here?" I pointed down with my index finger, "In the demon palace?"

He nodded, "Yes," I looked at him with a sceptical look until he said his next sentence, "If I hadn’t, you’d be left here all alone,"

!!!

My eyes went wide at his words and my heart skipped a beat, "You’re glad... because of me?" His words overwhelmed me for a moment.

"Of course, with me here, at least I can do my best to keep you safe." He looked at me with confidence and one look into his eyes showed me he was serious. He meant every word.

I looked down on the floor as my heart warmed, "I see," This was a very new feeling, "Thank you..." I felt fuzzy inside.

"Always," he replied, "I am your guard, after all."

I smiled, which I myself found odd considering the dire situation we both were in. Yet, the smile didn’t fade, not immediately

***

To avoid being scorned by people Ariston and I chose to stay in the room. The investigation was ongoing and we had been questioned a few times already but the Queen couldn’t find the culprit.

Upon hearing the news of Alishay’s death, Draegon’s older brothers, Drakkar and Draken came back to the palace too. I’ve never met them properly though, so I have no idea what kind of people they both are. All I know is that they’re never home. In the two years I spent here, I barely heard anything about them.

I had the ancient cosmic book spread open in front of me as I sat on the cushion on the carpeted area. Its pages shimmered faintly when the light hit it at a certain angle.

I stretched my hand out, murmuring an incantation I’d learned only a few days ago. A faint glow appeared around my fingers, threads of light curling and twisting as I carefully manipulated them. The spell was simple—harmless even—but the effort it took to control the strands of magic made my chest ache. But as I had learned it was simply because I had never gotten to use magic before and my body was adjusting.

I was so focused that I didn’t hear Ariston approach until his shadow fell over the pages of the book.

"I never knew you could do magic," he said, his voice even, though I could hear the undercurrent of curiosity.

I tensed, my fingers faltering as the light dissipated into nothingness. "It’s... new." My voice was steady, but I could feel the weight of his gaze on me.

"How new?" He crouched beside me, his eyes flicking to the book. I shifted slightly, closing it with a quiet thud before he could catch a glimpse of the content. It wasn’t like he could read it, but I didn’t want him to see that I was reading an empty book.

"Recently awakened," I said, keeping my tone casual.

"Awakened how?"

I hesitated, meeting his gaze briefly before looking away. "I’m not entirely sure," I lied. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Ariston—it was more that I didn’t know how much I could say without revealing too much.

His eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. "Magic doesn’t just awaken out of nowhere, Princess. Especially not for humans. You’re born with it."

"I know." I forced a small smile, leaning back on my hands. "It’s as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But it’s been... useful."

He studied me for a moment longer before sitting down across from me, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. "You closed that book pretty quickly when I walked over."

"It’s just a book," I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray my nerves.

"Is it though?" He was already suspicious, "Where did you even get it?"

I hesitated again, my fingers brushing over the cover. "I found it in the palace library. Thought it might be interesting."

His gaze lingered on me, and I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not. "Interesting enough to teach you magic," he said softly.

I looked down at the book, running my fingers over its edges. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell him the truth—it was just that I didn’t know how much was safe to share. There were things in the book, things I barely understood myself, that I wasn’t ready to reveal.

"I’m just... figuring things out," I said finally, meeting his gaze.

He nodded slowly, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—suspicion, maybe? Concern? I couldn’t tell.

The silence stretched between us, and my thoughts drifted back to our first meeting. He had been just as enigmatic then, his red eyes sharp and watchful. Even now, after spending so much time together, I couldn’t fully read him.

I wondered if he felt the same about me.

"Ariston," I said quietly, my voice breaking the silence. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. "What do you think of Draegon?" I asked, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.

His expression didn’t change, but there was a brief pause before he answered. "He’s... complicated."

"Complicated how?"

He tilted his head, studying me. "Why are you asking?"

"I’m just trying to understand," I said carefully. "Everything feels... off lately. And I don’t know who to trust."

His gaze softened slightly, but there was still a guardedness in his eyes. "You trust me, don’t you?"

I hesitated, and his expression flickered, almost imperceptibly. "I do," I said finally. "But sometimes, I wonder if you trust me."

He leaned back, his gaze still fixed on me. "I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t."

His words were reassuring, but they didn’t completely ease the knot in my chest. There was something about the way he said it, so deliberate and measured, that made me wonder if he was holding something back.

I turned my attention back to the book, opening it to a random page as I tried to piece together the right words to ask what was really on my mind. What did he think of Draegon? Did he suspect him too? We’ve spent a lot of time together but neither one of us said it properly.

The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. "You know something is wrong with Draegon, don’t you?"

Ariston’s head snapped toward me, his brows furrowing briefly. He didn’t speak right away, but his silence was telling. I expected him to be surprised, maybe even annoyed, but instead, he straightened and composed himself as if he had anticipated this conversation.

"So," he said, "it seems you’re suspicious as well."

I nodded, gripping the book a little tighter. "There’s something wrong. But I can’t tell what." My throat felt dry as I spoke, and I forced myself to meet his gaze. "I have this strange feeling he’s not... him. But at the same time, he is him." I hesitated, the absurdity of my theory weighing on my chest. "Maybe... he’s being controlled." I paused, "No, I’m pretty positive that is the case."

To my surprise, Ariston didn’t scoff or dismiss me. Instead, he studied me intently, his gaze unwavering. "You might be onto something," he said slowly, and the tension in my chest eased slightly. "I’ve felt it too. Draegon isn’t acting like himself."

Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived as his words sank in. "Then... who do you could be behind it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I knew the answer, I just wanted to hear it from him.

"Ruoxy." The name left his lips with a sharp edge, and I blinked at him in shock. "It’s most likely her."

Right

But why would she do this? I’ve been thinking about this so much but I can’t wrap my head around it.

"But she’s been by his side, hasn’t she? She even helped him on the battlefield—"

"No," Ariston interrupted firmly, shaking his head. "She didn’t."

I stared at him, confused. "What do you mean? She’s always been part of his circle, hasn’t she? They helped each other on the battlefield?"

"No," Ariston’s expression darkened, "Ruoxy didn’t even meet Draegon until after the war was over."

!!!

His words hit me like a physical blow. "That’s... that doesn’t make sense," I said, "Everyone talks about how she’s been by his side since the war started."

"That’s because that’s the story she told everyone," Ariston said grimly. "But she’s lying."

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