The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 79: Riddle Me This

Chapter 79: Riddle Me This

>>Aelin

I turned to Draegon, hoping he’d refuse, but then—

He smirked softly.

"Five riddles?" he said, crossing his arms. "That’s all?"

Oh? I had no idea he would react like that. But as I watched him, it felt like he liked the challenge.

I wanted to ask him, but all that came out was,

"A thing that runs but has no feet, with silver skin and a voice so sweet. What is it?"

Draegon turned to look at me, then glanced at the vendor, "It’s on?"

The vendor shrugged, "It’s on,"

He then turned to me again and answered without hesitation. "A river."

!!!

I felt something light in my chest. Like a knot being undone. It was very subtle and small though.

The vendor’s grin widened. "Oh-ho! He’s good. Let’s begin."

Oh?

Is that what it was?

The vendor’s delighted laughter rang through the festival. Around us, demons paused in their merrymaking, drawn by the promise of a challenge. The warm glow of lanterns flickered overhead, casting dancing shadows across the cobblestone street.

I could feel the weight of dozens of curious eyes settling on us, expectant and eager.

Draegon met the vendor’s grin with a confident smirk, arms crossed.

The vendor clapped his hands. "Alright, young man! You’ve answered one riddle. Four more to go! Let’s see if you can keep up."

A gust of wind rustled the papers on his stall as he leaned forward, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Let’s see how you do on the next one," He pointed at me and suddenly all eyes were on me.

Even the passersby were looking at me.

"Go on," Draegon said and I looked at him.

"I am always hungry, I must always be fed. The thing I touch, soon turns to red. What am I?"

The demons around us murmured, some whispering guesses.

Draegon didn’t hesitate. "Fire."

!!

I felt something again.

A roar of approval erupted from the growing crowd. A few demons clapped, and someone whistled.

The vendor chuckled. "Not bad, not bad! But I hope you didn’t think this would be easy." He tapped a claw against his chin. "Let’s go again"

"I have cities but no houses, I have mountains but no trees, I have water but no fish. What am I?"

I frowned. My mind raced, but no answer came. Weird. I’m the one saying these riddles yet I don’t have the answers. I guess it’s a good thing that I’m not the one guessing.

The demons shifted, waiting.

Draegon tilted his head slightly, as if savoring the moment. "A map."

Another wave of cheers. Someone from the back yelled, "The lad is good!"

I exhaled sharply. Two more. Just two more.

The vendor’s grin sharpened. "Alright, let’s see how sharp you really are." He snapped his finger at me, indicating to me to go again, "The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?"

The answer almost came to me, but then it slipped through my fingers like water. I bit my lip, frustrated.

Draegon, however, answered without missing a beat. "Footsteps."

A demon with curling horns smacked the table. "Hah! He got it again!"

The vendor huffed, rubbing his temples. "You’re a menace, boy."

Draegon smirked. "One more."

A hush settled over the crowd. The vendor’s golden eyes gleamed as he studied Draegon, and a slow, knowing grin spread across his face.

"Alright then," he murmured. "One last riddle."

I gulped, then looked Draegon in the eyes.

"I have no eyes, yet once I did see. I once had thoughts, now white and empty. What am I?"

The crowd fell silent.

No murmurs. No whispers. No one called out an answer.

Even I was blank. Not like I knew the answers to the other riddles but all eyes were on Draegon now.

I could feel my pulse in my throat as I turned to Draegon, but he didn’t speak. He simply stood there, quiet, his purple eyes locked onto the vendor’s.

The vendor smirked, clearly pleased. "Stumped, are we?"

For a moment, I thought Draegon was stumped.

Then, so casually it almost felt like an afterthought, Draegon smiled. A slow, knowing, infuriatingly confident smile.

And he said, "A skull."

The vendor froze.

The crowd erupted in cheers. Cheers, applause, even a few stomping feet. A demon pounded another demon’s back while another whistled so loudly I winced. Someone tossed a handful of golden petals into the air, laughing.

The vendor groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. "You lucky bastard."

Draegon only smirked.

Then I felt it.

A shift in the air, like a heavy weight lifting from my shoulders. A pulse of warmth, followed by a gentle gust of wind.

I gasped as a golden shimmer flickered around me, like dust caught in sunlight. The faint hum of magic—then snap. The enchantment unraveled, vanishing into the night like mist.

I opened my mouth, almost afraid to test it. "I—" And then I paused, "I’m okay?"

No riddle. No cryptic phrase.

Just my voice.

Draegon turned to me, amusement still tugging at the corner of his lips. "Better?"

I let out a long breath. "So much better."

The vendor crossed his arms, muttering, "Spoilsport."

The relief crashed over me in a wave so strong I barely thought before I moved—

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around Draegon, pressing myself against his chest. "I really thought I’d be stuck speaking in weird riddles all night." My voice was muffled against his clothes, my heartbeat still a little unsteady from the whole ordeal.

For a moment, he stiffened.

Just a flicker of hesitation, so slight that I almost missed it.

Then his arms came around me, slow but firm, warm and solid as they settled at my waist.

He hugged me back.

It was quiet, just for a breath. Just long enough for me to feel his heartbeat against my cheek.

Then—

The demons went wild.

"Now that’s cute!"

"Be more romantic, will you?!"

"That’s your husband, why not kiss him?!"

My whole body locked up.

!?!?!

Draegon didn’t pull away but I snapped back to reality of what I was doing.

I jolted back so fast I nearly tripped. My face burned, heat spreading from my ears to my neck. "I—I—"

The demons were grinning at me. A few winked, some outright laughing.

I grabbed Draegon’s hand and yanked him forward. "We’re leaving."

Draegon let me drag him

"Such a shy wife," one of the demons called behind us.

I didn’t stop.

I didn’t look back.

I was never stopping at another prank stall ever again.I stormed ahead, Draegon’s warm hand clasped tightly in mine as I dragged him away from the festival square, away from the teasing demons, away from my mortification.

But then—

A chuckle. I heard a chuckle. A low, warm chuckle.

It stopped me in my tracks.

My breath caught, my fingers twitching around his. I had never heard that sound before.

Wide-eyed, I turned to look at him.

And there he was—his head tilted slightly downward, shoulders faintly shaking, lips curved into something soft. His eyes glowed with mirth, crinkling at the corners as the quiet sound of laughter slipped past them.

Draegon was laughing.

My heart lurched.

I had seen him smile subtly before. I had seen his serious expressions and when he was angry but never this.

This was new

Utterly new.

A quiet, genuine happiness. It hit me harder than I expected.

The warmth of it curled inside my chest, unfamiliar and far too consuming. I wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say.

Because seeing him like this, hearing him like this...

It was enough.

So I stayed still, simply watching him, committing every detail to memory—the way his hair caught the glow of the lanterns, the way the edges of his fangs peeked out when he smiled, the way his shoulders relaxed completely.

He only stopped when he noticed me staring.

His laughter faded, his gaze meeting mine, something unreadable flickering in his expression.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I quickly turned away, gripping his hand again and marching forward. "Let’s go,"

I didn’t look back.

Didn’t let him see the way my face burned.

***

>>Ariston

The sun had begun its slow descent beyond the horizon, casting the sky in hues of deep orange and violet. Lanterns flickered to life, their soft glow illuminating the vibrant marketplace as laughter and music filled the air.

I walked through the cobblestone streets, my steps light, my tail swaying behind me in rhythm with the festive energy. The disguise was perfect—long red wig cascading over my shoulders, navy blue dress flowing elegantly, and the cat ears perched on my head. The mask of a demon, yet far from my reality.

As I drifted past stalls selling spiced meats and sweet pastries, my gaze landed on a familiar figure. Kitty. Alishay’s maid.

I paused in the crowd.

She wasn’t alone—two other maids from the palace accompanied her, all three of them immersed in lively chatter, enjoying their time amongst the festival-goers.

If these maids were Abyss worshippers, their blood would betray them. My eyes flickered to the crowd. The festival was packed, people moving in waves, faces blurring into a sea of anonymity. If I was careful, no one would notice.

I slipped my hand inside the folds of my cape and wrapped my fingers around the small concealed blade. Its edge was sharp enough to slice with precision.

I adjusted my steps, moving towards them casually, feigning interest in the trinkets displayed at a nearby stall. With a deft flick of my wrist, I passed by the first maid, letting my blade kiss her skin just beneath her sleeve. A whisper of steel, a wound so small she wouldn’t feel it at first.

I continued, mirroring the motion with the second maid, then the third. Barely a scratch, just enough to make them bleed. Then, without a hint of hesitation, I drifted into the crowd, disappearing into its embrace.

I turned, observing from a safe distance.

I narrowed my eyes to look at the blood and catch them. Even kill them if I had too. All three of them were Alishay’s personal maids, and these three were the ones who took Ruoxy’s body too.

It took a moment, but then—Kitty flinched, rubbing her arm. Her brows furrowed as she pulled back her sleeve to reveal a thin line of thick liquid beading on her pale skin.

I paused

???

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