The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 32: The Accused

Chapter 32: The Accused

>>Aelin

The palace had grown eerily quiet, the stillness broken only by the occasional murmur of footsteps in the halls or the whispers of suspicion that hung in the air. Tension coiled around us like an invisible noose, pulling tighter with each passing day.

Ariston and I couldn’t step outside without every single person eyeing us.

Three more people had gone missing, their absences sending ripples of unease through the palace. The demons’ accusing glares became sharper, their disdain for us humans more palpable. It felt like the weight of their hatred pressed against my chest every time I stepped outside my room.

Ariston, however, remained unbothered by the scrutiny. If anything, he seemed to welcome it.

"Doesn’t it bother you?" I asked him as we entered my room again.

"No," He replied, "It’s good."

"How so?" I asked as I looked back at him while he closed the door.

"If they’re watching us this closely, they’ll know we’re not responsible."

"...I guess that’s true.."

But I wasn’t so sure. Fear and hatred often clouded judgment, and I wasn’t naïve enough to think the demons wouldn’t twist facts to fit their narrative. Still, his confidence grounded me, kept me from spiraling under the pressure.

We sat in the quiet of my room, the ancient cosmic book open on the table before me. I had been practicing my magic, the light pulsing faintly in my hands as I tried to control it. Ariston sat across from me, watching intently. His red eyes narrowed, flickering with both curiosity and amazement.

"Your power..." he said, his voice trailing off as if he couldn’t quite find the words. "It’s—"

"Holy?" I finished for him, glancing up.

He nodded, leaning forward slightly. "This is not normal magic."

"I noticed it too," I admitted, extinguishing the light in my hands. My fingers tingled from the residual energy, and I stared down at them, feeling a mix of awe and unease. "It doesn’t feel like it belongs to me. It’s... something else."

Ariston tilted his head, his expression thoughtful. "It’s powerful," he said, his voice low. "And strange. I’ve never seen anything like it."

"Neither have I," I said softly, closing the book. The truth was, the magic frightened me as much as it fascinated me. It had awakened so suddenly, without warning, and every time I used it, I felt as though I was reaching into something far beyond my understanding.

For a moment, we sat in silence, the tension in the room thick with unspoken thoughts. Ariston’s gaze flickered to the book, then back to me. He was thinking, I could tell—his brow furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Finally, he spoke. "I wonder if your power can do anything for Draegon."

The question startled me. I blinked at him, caught off guard. "What makes you say that?"

"Your power seems otherworldly," he said slowly, as though piecing together a puzzle in his mind. "And... whatever is influencing Draegon, it feels otherworldly too. Like it doesn’t belong to this world."

"What makes you say that?" I asked

He paused, "I’m only saying this because I don’t think Draegon will be affected like this with

"If that is him," When he came to me, he said, ’it wasn’t him’, I began to wonder if it meant he wasn’t Draegon at all.

"Still in doubt?" He asked

"Aren’t you?" I looked at him

"..." He paused, "If that isn’t Draegon, we’ll have more questions then."

!!

"Right," I looked down. Then we’ll have to see where the real one went, "All of this is pretty confusing."

Ariston nodded, "Let’s hope that our original guess is right. And that he is the Draegon we know." He looked at my hand, "And then let’s hope your power can help him."

I stared at him, his words stirring something deep within me—a mixture of hope and dread. Could my magic help Draegon? Could it undo whatever had taken hold of him? The idea was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"I don’t even know what my power is, Ariston," I said quietly. "I don’t know where it comes from or what it’s capable of. What if it makes things worse?"

He leaned forward, his expression softening. "You said Draegon came to you, didn’t you? That he said it wasn’t him. If there’s even a chance your magic can reach him, don’t you think it’s worth trying?"

I hesitated, my mind racing.

"I’ll think about it," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

The tension in the room shifted like a storm on the horizon—an ominous feeling I couldn’t quite place. Ariston sat across from me, deep in thought, his sharp features illuminated by the faint glow of a candle. He had been quiet for several minutes, staring at the table as though the answers to all our questions were carved into the grain of the wood.

I wondered if I could ask him about where he used to disappear to before this all happened and what was he exploring but before I could speak up the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the room, catching my attention

I froze.

Ariston’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as his body tensed. Before I could process what was happening, the door burst open with a deafening crash, splinters flying into the air.

!?!??!

A squad of demon guards stormed in, their crimson armor glinting in the room’s light. My heart leapt into my throat as they fanned out, their weapons drawn and their faces twisted in grim determination.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ariston demanded, rising to his feet in an instant. His voice was calm, but I could hear the edge of danger in it. He moved to stand in front of me, his thin frame shielding me from their view.

One of the guards, a tall, imposing figure with a jagged scar running down his cheek, stepped forward. "Ariston, by the order of the Demon Queen, you are under arrest."

"What?" I breathed, the word escaping me in a rush of disbelief.

"For what?" Ariston’s voice was cold, his red eyes narrowing.

The scarred guard sneered. "Another maid has gone missing, and you are the only one with the strength and skill to make someone disappear without a trace. Your presence has been suspicious from the beginning."

"That’s absurd," Ariston said sharply. "I have no reason to harm anyone."

"Don’t you?" another guard snapped, "You’re constantly around the human princess. Perhaps you’re helping her eliminate anyone who gets in her way."

"What? No!" I shouted, stepping out from behind Ariston despite his attempt to keep me back. My voice wavered, but I forced myself to meet their piercing gazes. "Ariston has done nothing wrong. He was with me the entire time."

"And yet," the scarred guard said, "people continue to disappear while the two of you remain at the center of every incident. If he’s innocent, then perhaps you’re working together."

"Don’t be ridiculous!" I snapped, my fists clenching at my sides. "You people are constantly watching us, how can you even begin to put the blame on us?"

"Enough," the scarred guard growled, his patience clearly wearing thin. He motioned to the others. "Seize him."

The guards surged forward. Ariston didn’t resist, though his jaw tightened and his eyes burned with suppressed fury.

"Don’t do this!" I pleaded, stepping closer, but one of the guards blocked my path, his spear angled threateningly.

!?!

Ariston turned his head slightly, his voice low and steady. "Stay back, Princess."

"But!"

"They won’t listen to reason," He said, "This is on purpose." I watched helplessly as they shackled his wrists with glowing iron cuffs, enchanted to suppress his strength. He didn’t fight them, but the tension in his body told me he was furious.

"This is a mistake!" I shouted, my voice cracking with desperation. "You’re arresting an innocent man!"

The scarred guard glanced back at me, "If he’s innocent, the investigation will prove it. But for now, he’s coming with us."

"You don’t even have a solid reason to arrest him!" I said, "The only thing you said is that there could be no one else but him. That’s speculation!"

"But we’re right," He looked at me, "There can be no one else but him."

I was baffled, "That is not a reason enough!" I stepped towards them but the other guard drew the spear towards me, making me halt.

"Queen’s order is reason enough," The scarred guard said

I felt a lump rise in my throat as they began to drag him toward the door. Ariston looked back at me, his eyes softening for the briefest moment.

"Don’t worry," he said quietly, his voice meant only for me. "I’ll be fine."

But as the door slammed shut behind them, the weight of the situation crashed down on me.

This was on purpose! All eyes are always on us! They know we didn’t do anything!

So why?

My hands trembled, and my chest felt tight as though the air had been stolen from the room.

But that’s when I realized something.

Oh no! My eyes went wide.

I was alone now, and the realization chilled me to the bone.

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