The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 56: Party

Chapter 56: Party

>>Aelin

By the time Uriel and Ariston returned, Reagan was long gone, and the heavy silence he left in his wake was suffocating. I barely registered the sound of the door opening. My body felt heavy, weighed down by the invisible chains of his words. My hands trembled slightly, clasped tightly in my lap as I tried to steady my breathing.

Uriel’s cheerful voice broke through the fog. "The prince already left? That was fast." They both entered the room, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Ariston frowned slightly but didn’t press further. Instead, his gaze landed on me, his expression softening almost instantly. "You look pale... Did something happen?"

I shook my head quickly, forcing a weak smile to mask the churning sickness inside me. "I’m fine," I whispered, though my voice wavered.

They exchanged a look but didn’t push. Instead, Uriel set a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of water on the small table beside the bed. "We brought you something to eat. You didn’t have dinner last night, so you must be starving by now."

Starving? If only they knew...

My stomach churned violently at the mere sight of the food. Reagan’s words still echoed in my mind, his disdain carving deeper into my heart with every passing second. "You can’t even keep a man." The thought alone made my appetite shrivel into nothing.

"Here, try this." Ariston picked up one of the sandwiches and held it out to me, his tone gentle, almost coaxing.

I hesitated, my hands gripping the edge of the blanket tightly. "I’m not hungry," I muttered.

Uriel raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "You didn’t eat last night either. You need your strength, Princess."

I knew they meant well. Their concern was genuine, and under any other circumstances, I might have appreciated it. But right now, the idea of eating felt impossible. It was as if Reagan’s presence had poisoned my very soul, leaving me too hollow to even function properly.

"I... I can’t," I said softly, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. I shook my head, avoiding their gazes. "I just... I’m not feeling well."

Ariston frowned deeply, his hand still holding the sandwich, though he slowly lowered it. "Not feeling well? Should we get the duke’s physician?"

"No!" I said quickly, the word escaping before I could stop it. I didn’t want to draw any more attention to myself, didn’t want anyone asking questions that I couldn’t answer. "I just... need rest."

The two of them exchanged another glance, this one filled with unspoken concern. Uriel sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Alright," She said reluctantly. "But you’ll have to eat something later, okay? We’ll leave the food here for now."

I nodded faintly, though I had no intention of touching the sandwiches. They placed the tray on the bedside table and stepped back, both clearly unsure of what to do.

"If you need anything," Ariston said after a moment, his tone soft, "just call for us, alright?"

I nodded again, my hands trembling as I gripped the blanket tighter. "Thank you," I whispered, though the words felt hollow.

They left the room quietly, closing the door behind them. As soon as I was alone, I stared at the untouched tray of food, bile rising in my throat at the mere thought of eating.

I curled into myself, hugging my knees to my chest as silent tears slid down my cheeks. I didn’t know how long I stayed like that, but one thing was certain: the sickness inside me wasn’t going away anytime soon.

***

>>Ariston

The soft sound of my boots echoed faintly through the grand halls as I made my way toward the foyer. My thoughts lingered on Aelin; the sight of her pale face and trembling hands left a sour feeling in my chest. I didn’t know what had happened, but something was definitely wrong.

When I entered the foyer, I spotted Draegon waiting near the staircase, his towering figure impossible to miss. He stood with his arms crossed, his usual unreadable expression etched across his sharp features. As I approached, his purple eyes flicked to me and without any greeting the first thing he asked me was this

"How is Aelin?" Draegon’s voice was calm, but there was a flicker of something in his tone. Concern, maybe?

I stopped a few steps away, exhaling deeply before responding. "Not good," I admitted. "She hasn’t been herself since last night."

Draegon’s brow furrowed slightly. "Why?"

I shook my head, frustration bubbling beneath my calm exterior. "I don’t know. She didn’t sleep well, that much is obvious. And she barely touched the food we brought her." I hesitated, unsure if I should say more. "She seemed... distant. As if something’s weighing on her."

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything for a moment. I could tell he was thinking, calculating. Draegon wasn’t the type to jump to conclusions or act on impulse.

"Don’t you think as her husband you should have stayed the night with her?" I know it’s not my place to say stuff like this but yesterday when he told her he wouldn’t be coming to the bedroom she looked disappointed.

"..." His eyes wandered down, "I seem to scare her," he answered and I couldn’t refute it. I can sense the fear in the Princess.

"The fear won’t magically disappear," I replied, "You’ll have to replace the fear with love," I paused, "If you do love her that is," My words made him snap his gaze at me that was filled with fury, but I chose to change the subject.

"Are we leaving soon?" I asked

He glared at me for a moment and I quietly stared back. Then he finally nodded, "Yes."

I wanted to ask when we were leaving but before I could respond, the sound of hooves on polished stone interrupted us. Both of us turned toward the source, and Duke Sebastian entered the foyer.

The demon was an imposing figure, wearing a finely tailored coat and gleaming medals that signified his rank.

"Leaving so soon?" the duke asked, his voice deep and courteous, though there was an undertone of authority that couldn’t be ignored.

Draegon inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Yes. There’s still much to be done at the capital."

The duke smiled, a polite but firm expression. "I understand the urgency of your work, but I must insist you stay for the evening. I’ve arranged a banquet for tonight—both parties are invited. It would be an excellent opportunity to strengthen the truce."

I glanced at Draegon, who remained stoic, though I knew he wasn’t thrilled by the idea. His focus was on the bigger picture, and distractions like this weren’t part of the plan. Still, rejecting such an offer would be considered a diplomatic misstep.

Draegon gave a small nod. "If it’s for the sake of the truce, we will attend."

"Excellent," the duke said, his tone warm and satisfied. "It’s not often we have the opportunity to host both humans and demons under the same roof. I’ll ensure everything is prepared for this evening."

With that, the duke excused himself, his hooves clicking against the marble floor as he disappeared down the hall.

I turned back to Draegon, who sighed quietly, his expression unreadable. "This banquet could be useful," he said, almost to himself.

"Let’s hope it’s more useful than it is tedious," I replied, though my thoughts remained on Aelin. If she was struggling now, I couldn’t imagine how she’d manage through a banquet filled with both humans and demons, not to mention her brother. I can’t be sure but I feel like she was mor shaken after Prince Reagan visited her.

"Check on Aelin again before the banquet," Draegon said, "If she’s unwell, tell her that she doesn’t need to attend the party."

I nodded. "Alright"

***

>>Aelin

The moment I entered the grand ballroom, I felt like a stranger in my own skin. The party dress given to me by the duke was beautiful—a deep, shimmering blue that matched the night sky outside, adorned with delicate silver embroidery. It fit perfectly, almost too perfectly, as though it was meant to put me on display. I felt exposed, out of place, like a porcelain doll in a room full of warriors and dignitaries.

People were glancing at me every now and then and it made me conscious of myself.

Why were they staring?

The party was already in full swing. The ballroom glittered with opulence, the chandeliers casting golden light over demons and humans alike. Tables were piled high with extravagant food, and the air buzzed with conversations I couldn’t hear.

Then I saw him. Draegon. Standing near one of the grand pillars. His dark hair was neatly gelled back, and he wore a sharp black formal shirt that had the top three buttons open, revealing his toned chest. Drakkar stood beside him, his usual smirk plastered across his face. The sight made my stomach twist—not because of Drakkar, but because I hadn’t seen Draegon all day.

Before I could think too much, Ariston murmured, his expression one of mild annoyance. "Of course, he’s standing there with him," His sharp gaze fixed on Drakkar.

I blinked, pulling myself out of my thoughts. "Why do you dislike Drakkar so much?"

Ariston flinched when he heard that. He turned his face to me, looking flustered. I guess he whispered the words to himself, not expecting me to hear.

"Ah," He let out a short, humorless laugh, shaking his head. "Hate, not dislike," he corrected. "It’s because I met him on the battlefield. That’s all it took."

I stared at him, surprised. "Drakkar went to war?" I thought out of all the brother’s only Draegon was sent because he was the son of a concubine.

He nodded, his expression hardening. "Not just Drakkar. Draken went with him. They both slipped away to fight without informing the Queen. When she found out where they were, she came to the battlefield herself and dragged them back. Forcefully."

The image of the stoic brothers sneaking off to war was difficult to imagine. Even harder was the idea of him being dragged back by their mother. "Why would they do that?"

Ariston’s lips curled into a faint smirk, but there was no humor in his eyes. "They wanted to prove something. Maybe they wanted to help. Or maybe they were just looking for blood. Who knows? Either way, Drakkar hasn’t changed since then."

I glanced back at Draegon. Even in a room filled with powerful beings, he stood out. The demons celebrated him, raising their glasses and bowing their heads in respect as he passed. He nodded in acknowledgment, his face calm and unreadable, but there was an air of command about him that no one could ignore.

I had people come up to me to greet me but Ariston didn’t let anyone stay, telling them I wasn’t feeling well.

Ariston had told me if I didn’t want to come to the party, I didn’t need to, but I wanted to see Draegon. He’s the sole reason I decided to come because I feared I wouldn’t be able to see him.

My eyes went back to him

And I dressed up for him, wanting to get his attention but other people are staring at me and he hasn’t even looked at me once.

My attention shifted as the duke’s daughter approached him. She was striking, her long silver hair flowing like silk down her back, and she wore a dress that clung to her figure in a way that made my chest tighten. She smiled up at him, her tan hand brushing his arm as she spoke.

I felt my stomach twist into a knot. The way she smiled up at Draegon—with that sweet, practiced tilt of her head—made me want to roll my eyes so far back I could see my own brain.

But what made it worse, what really stung, was how Draegon stood there, composed and regal, letting her talk to him without a hint of discomfort. He didn’t even glance my way. I was supposed to be his wife, wasn’t I? Yet here I was, standing at the edge of the room like a decorative wallflower while everyone flocked to him.

I bit my lip and glanced down at my dress, suddenly feeling completely underwhelming.

And then, as if fate itself heard my spiraling thoughts, Draegon’s gaze shifted. His deep, piercing eyes met mine across the room.

!!!!

My heart skipped a beat as my breath hitched. For a moment, I thought I imagined it, but no—he was looking right at me, his attention slipping entirely away from the duke’s daughter. I froze, unsure of what to do, and my mind started racing.

His eyes went from my feet to my head and I wondered what he was thinking but my thoughts were interrupted when the duke’s daughter slipped her arms around his.

!!!

It made my eyes go wide and I felt my chest constrict.

Something inside me snapped. Without thinking, I turned to Ariston and hugged him, clinging onto him like my life depended on it.

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