The Dragon Prince's Bride
Chapter 223. He’s alive.

Chapter 223: 223. He’s alive.

At that moment, everything around her had slowed down. Every sound had disappeared once again, the only thing that still moved rapidly and sounded overly loud was her heart.

It couldn’t be... she repeated those words in her head.

How could it be? She asked herself.

But dear goddess let it be... She prayed that prayer in her heart. She would give everything she owned to make this illusion real.

He took a step further closer to her, the lights around her illuminating him, her eyes shook, her pupils dilated. Her fingers trembled and her knees could not hold her.

She staggered.

Her lips parted not because she had any words to say but because she had forgotten how to close them. Again she staggered as her trembling hands rose and clasped over her mouth. Her breathing ceased and continued, then ceased again.

They say if you wish for something, again and again and again, if you were persistent in your prayers, then the goddess in her merciful light would rise from her throne in the skies, she would descend to earth for your sake and cause a once in a lifetime miracle to happen.

Neriah had prayed. Indeed at some point she had stopped praying, but then she had prayed again, and again, and again... "Dear goddess, just this once. I know I am a sinner, I know I am the worst, I know I am not worth that man and I know I was a fool for not realizing in time that you had sent me the one person I needed in life. But just this once, just this once, bring him back to me. Give him back to me and I will devote the rest of my life to seeking his forgiveness."

Indeed, she had prayed. She had prayed this prayer a million times.

The same prayer every morning, every night... Every time she missed him, every time she felt a kick in her stomach, every time carrying her child became too much for her. Every time she thought about having a fatherless child. Every time she looked at his portraits on the wall.

Every single time she prayed the same prayer. And finally, the goddess had descended when her hopes had been completely shattered and her miracle was standing right in front of her.

But it really wasn’t possible. Was it? Did the goddess really answer her prayers?

Her hand slowly came down from her mouth, "Ba_" She paused as the name choked in her throat, dear goddess please let it be real, "Barak?" She called his name with her eyes filled with tears.

"You look like you have seen a ghost... dear wife."

"Uhhh!" Her breath wavered as she gasped and dragged in air, her hands clasped over her mouth again and the tears in her eyes fell to her face as she staggered yet again.

Another shocked gasp escaped her mouth as the hot tears flowed down. She could not believe it. He could not be real, there was no way he was real. It must be one of her many illusions.

A ghost? Of course! It had to be a ghost!! Unless the goddess had indeed shown her mercy and brought her husband back to life... Back to her.

"I_is it really you? Or_ Or is it the trick of the woods? Or have J truly gone mad." She wasn’t asking him, she was asking herself, trying to confirm for herself.

But he answered, "Why? Would you rather stab me in the heart again to confirm it?"

Oh dear goddess!

Dear goddess, dear goddess, he was real...

Her feet found their strength and they moved her, and her body plunged into his arms.

"Oh goddess, thank you! Thank you so much. Thank you." She cried and held him with all her strength. She held him so tight even she could barely breathe. But she didn’t care, she wanted to die inside him if it was possible.

"I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you are standing here right now. I knew you wouldn’t die. I just knew it in my heart. I knew you wouldn’t die. You had to be alive. My Barak would not die and leave me all alone. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much for coming back. Thank you so much." She cried and cried into his arms.

"Your acting," his voice was deep, "has gotten far better," and it was cold, "than the last time I saw you." and it was sombre.

Her hands were the first to stiffen, then her sobs ceased as the coldness of his voice reached her ear and smoked every part of her body. She could feel it in her bones.

She found the strength to lift her head upon his chest but the moment her eyes met the golden fire that stared back at her, her hands were withdrawn as she staggered away from him in shock.

The anger in those eyes startled her greatly.

"B_Barak," She called his name yet again, to make sure that this wasn’t a trick of the woods again. To make sure he was the one standing in front of her.

"I must say Neriah, you are one steadfast woman." She staggered back as he moved a foot, "You played me so well, making the days leading up to my death day sweeter than anything I could have ever imagined." He moved another foot and Neriah’s heart skipped, "I was so lost between your legs that I didn’t see the knife you were pointing straight at my throat."

He would not believe her,"N_no Barak, listen to me, I—"

"You know, If ever a nation needed just one person to deceive an entire enemy kingdom," He takes one more step closer to her," all they have to do is send you in and that entire kingdom is finished." and the strength had left her legs, she could no longer stagger backwards.

She stood there as his hand reached up to her, and for a moment she thought he meant to caress her, but then his hand wound around her neck, "You wouldn’t even do much, just a little drop of your fake tears, and your fake smiles would make them a finished kingdom."

The air going into her lungs had decreased, her eyes were starting to bulge, the bones at her neck were being squeezed together by the huge hand of the man she had so yearned for, The light was slowly fading from her eyes, "Just like you did to me."

Were the last words Neriah heard before everything went black.