The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 31: Liar

Chapter 31: Liar

>>Aelin

I shook my head, trying to process what he was saying. "Then where did she come from?"

"I am not sure," Ariston’s jaw tightened, and he sat down across from me, leaning forward slightly, "Draegon and I weren’t close. We became companions in war and helped each other a lot too but we never shared personal things." He looked at me, "But considering we fought together, I assure you, Ruoxy didn’t even exist in his life till the war was over."

I stared at him in awe. It wasn’t like I didn’t trust him or anything. I knew he wasn’t lying but it was baffling to know that everyone else had believed Ruoxy’s lie.

"Then, how did they meet?"

He shook his head, "For two years, everyone believed no one from Raki village had survived—there were no reports of anyone escaping either."

"Raki Village..." Right, that’s the name of the village whose residents all disappeared and then the gate opened.

"After the war was over, Draegon wanted to go and see Raki village himself. And he went alone."

"Alone, why?" I asked

"All the warriors wanted to go back home now. The survivors had enough and Draegon didn’t stop anyone. Everyone began to go home at their own pace. I stayed behind for a few days before heading home too. At that time we were stationed near Raki Village."

And then, suddenly, Ruoxy showed up, saying she ran away during a raid."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "She just... appeared? No one questioned her?"

"Like I said, everyone wanted to go home. The order had come that every person who fought in the war was to get a year’s worth of vacation with pay. Why would anyone choose to come back to their posts with that offer?" He glanced out the window, "I didn’t see anyone I met at the war here."

I nodded, "But still. Everyone did report back once to the palace." I replied, "That’s the norm, you get the vacation and pay once you report back."

"True," he nodded, "It’s odd." He let out a sigh, "There weren’t many soldiers left at the end of the war to begin with, it’s safe to assume something was done to them too."

"Just like something is done to Draegon."

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. "If what you’re saying is true... then what does she want? Why would she go through all this trouble to get close to Draegon?"

Ariston’s expression softened slightly as he looked at me. "That’s what we need to figure out."

I stared at Ariston with wide eyes as his words sank in. Ruoxy’s story was unraveling, and the threads connecting her to Draegon now seemed as fragile as a spider’s web. "But what about all her claims that they spent time together in the village?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "She’s told that story so many times..."

Ariston’s jaw tightened, and he leaned back slightly, his arms crossed over his chest. "I don’t know what to tell you about that. Draegon went to that village—the one Ruoxy claims to be from. And that is where Draegon met Ruoxy."

I frowned, trying to piece everything together. "So, he met her there, but...?"

"She claimed she ran away when her village was being raided but then before she could return the gate opened" Ariston said grimly, his voice dropping lower. "Draegon spent a few days there and returned together with her, claiming he had fallen in love."

The chill I had felt earlier deepened. "I don’t know what to make out with that..."

"I’m sure that’s a lie too." He said, "But I have not found a way to prove it yet." He exhaled sharply, as though the weight of his suspicions was pressing down on him.

I hesitated, the silence between us stretching. My stomach churned as I debated whether to tell him what had been gnawing at me since Draegon’s visits.

But then again, he seemed very serious about this. If not him, there was no one else.

Finally, I spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. "Ariston... there’s something else."

He tilted his head slightly, his red eyes locking onto mine with unwavering focus. "What is it?"

I took a shaky breath. "There were two times... Draegon came to me."

"Yes?" He frowned slightly

"Both times, he said something strange. The first time was when I was in the isolated wing. He kept trying to make his way in saying he had to talk to me. The second time, he came to my room here, and he said it wasn’t him—like he wasn’t in control of himself. The way he looked at me, the way he spoke... it was like he was warning me. But it didn’t make sense."

Ariston’s expression darkened further, his eyes narrowing as his concern deepened. "He said it wasn’t him?" he repeated slowly, as though turning the words over in his mind. "Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?"

"I didn’t know what it meant," I admitted, my fingers clutching the edge of the bed. "It’s hard to explain, but... I believed him, even though I didn’t understand."

He stood suddenly, pacing the length of the room, his hand running through his dark hair. Then suddenly stopped "Did you say he first came to you when you were in the isolated wing?" He turned to me abruptly, his tone sharp.

"Yes..."

"Why were you alone in that part of the palace, Princess? What were you doing there?"

My heart raced as I looked away, the memory of that cold, empty room flooding back. "It doesn’t matter," I said quietly, my voice trembling. "It’s in the past now."

"It does matter," Ariston said, stepping closer, "Were you kept in an abandoned wing?" His voice got angry

I looked away in shame, "I said, it’s in the past."

His voice was low, but there was an edge of urgency in it. "As a peace ambassador and a princess, you shouldn’t have been isolated like that. What were you doing there?"

I clenched my fists, my gaze fixed on the floor. "That’s where they kept me," I finally admitted, my voice barely audible. "It’s where they put me when Draegon left"

Ariston’s eyes widened, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "They kept you there?" he repeated, his tone filled with disbelief and anger. "You were a guest—an ambassador—and they treated you like some prisoner?"

"It’s fine," I said quickly, trying to calm him. "It’s in the past, Ariston. I’m here now. It doesn’t matter anymore."

"It matters to me," he snapped, his voice rising. "You’re a princess—a symbol of peace between humans and demons—and they had no right to treat you that way." He began pacing again, his fury barely contained. "I should have been there. I would have never allowed this."

I reached out to him, my hand brushing his arm. "Ariston," I said softly. "Please, don’t. It’s over."

But he shook his head, his red eyes burning with determination. "No," he said firmly. "It’s not over. I can’t change what’s already happened, but I swear to you, Princess, I won’t let anyone treat you that way again."

!!!

I stared at him in awe

His protectiveness both warmed and unsettled me.

It was a little overwhelming how nice he was to me. It was such a foreign feeling to me that it felt strange.

"Thank you," I whispered, though I wasn’t sure whether I was thanking him for his words or his presence.

But as life has it, miseries always follow. And my life was exceptionally full of miseries. Another incident followed.

Two people went missing from the palace