Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 119: Kissing under the moonlight (part 1)

Chapter 119: Kissing under the moonlight (part 1)

During sunset, Rhea found herself in her recently given room, which lacked the same level of grandeur as her previous one. She had been sitting in the room since Ethan and she had selected it together. However, their uncomfortable silence prompted Ethan to excuse himself, claiming that the king required his assistance before leaving Rhea alone. Hours had passed since then, and she remained in solitude as Draven continued his conversation with Prince Zachary.

Rhea’s hunger began to gnaw at her, yet she had no knowledge of the kitchen’s whereabouts or why no one had offered her dinner. Frustrated, she let out a deep sigh. She couldn’t help but think about what was taking Draven and the prince so long to converse about. In that moment, she longed for Birhhan, a place where she was familiar with both locations and people. Perhaps Draven was engrossed in reminiscing with his friend, to the point he’d forgotten about her presence in this unfamiliar place.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the moon emerged, casting a gentle glow upon the icy surroundings of the palace. Rhea’s stomach growled, prompting her to clench her teeth and make the decision to search for something to eat on her own. With frustration, she exited her room.

Not long, Rhea stood alone in the frozen courtyard, her heart heavy with loneliness and hunger. The chilling wind whispered through the air.

Rhea ventured out into the vast courtyard, the moonlight illuminating her path. As she wandered, her gaze fell upon a strange sight - a massive tree, unlike any she had ever seen before, adorned with mouth-watering fruits. It stood tall, its branches reaching towards the heavens, as if beckoning her to come closer.

Intrigued and driven by her growling stomach, Rhea approached the tree. She couldn’t resist the temptation of the mouth watering fruits, and so she began to remove her dress detached train, casting them aside. With nimble grace, she swiftly ascended the tree, her bare feet finding balance on its gnarled branches.

But as she climbed higher, a gasp escaped her lips. There, on a higher branch, was a figure she had not expected to find there. Gail, the rude doctor!

Gail’s delicate features illuminated by the moonlight, sat perched on a branch, her long, flowing hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of gold. In her hands, she held two of the luscious fruits, her teeth sinking into its lush flesh with an aggressive crunch.

Rhea’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected presence. The woman’s beauty was mesmerizing, even her aggressive movements as she devoured the fruit was captivating. Her eyes sparkled with that same pained glint.

Rhea hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Should she speak to the lady and risk being insulted? Or should she retreat silently and leave the trouble untouched?

Rhea choose the latter. She cleared her throat and decided to put aside the doctor’s spiteful remarks in the morning. "I’d never expect a reversed doctor to be sitting up here munching on fruit at night. Is the fruit so tasty you couldn’t resist coming here?" She asked with a hint of playfulness in her tone.

Gail swallowed the piece of fruit in her mouth and wiped her mouth before turning to face Rhea. "Are you not a respected guest in our realm? Why are you up here on the tree during the night?" she inquired, not waiting for Rhea to respond before continuing, "This is where I come when I’m stressed. I eat fruits until I can forget about what’s troubling me."

Rhea was rendered speechless. She never would have imagined that someone as impolite as this doctor would seek solace by eating fruit up here. Rhea remained silent for a while before asking, "So, is the fruit delicious?"

Gail didn’t even glance at Rhea and continued to munch on another piece of fruit. However, she hummed in response, "Hmm, it’s tasty."

Rhea smiled and reached out to grab two fruits as well. She took a large bite and savored the sweet, juicy flavor spreading in her mouth. Her eyes widened with delight as she took another bite. With a contented moan, she exclaimed, "You’re right, it’s delicious. And I like it!"

"I imagine you would," Gail casually remarked, causing Rhea to smile as she enjoyed the second piece of fruit.

Gail stopped eating and seemed to mull over her thoughts before speaking up again, "Your name is Rheanna, right?" She asked.

Rhea nodded, but said, "You can just call me Rhea."

Gail smiled faintly then said, "Rhea, about my words in the morning...I am sorry, I was in a foul mood and poured my anger on you guys." She mumbled softly, her voice carrying a hint of remorse.

Rhea turned to look at Gail, "I understand, I saw it in your eyes in the morning."

"You did?" She asked astonished.

Rhea nodded, "Yes, when people utter words they don’t truly mean, the pain in their eyes becomes evident. Just like in your case." She pursed her lips and continued, "Uttering words in anger has a different impact. Even if you didn’t mean those hurtful things you said, it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t inflict pain on the other person. Next time, try to control your temper and refrain from venting it onto others." She offered a smile and reassured, "However, don’t worry, I hold no grudge against you for your spiteful remarks."

"Thank you..." Gail murmured softly, before falling into silence for a brief moment. Eventually, she spoke again, "I admire your defense of him and your courage in doing so. I wish I had the same bravery to stand up for him. Perhaps things would have turned out differently between us..."

Gail’s statement caught Rhea off guard, and she responded with a disapproving frown, blurting out, "You like Draven? He won’t return your feelings, no matter what. You should forget about him..."

"No, no, I don’t have feelings for Draven," Gail quickly interrupted, realizing that Rhea had misunderstood her words. "I love someone else, but he’s not someone I can be with due to our different worlds."

Rhea blinked in relief upon hearing that it wasn’t Draven who Gail had feelings for. It wasn’t that she would have minded if Gail loved Draven, but it would have been a futile pursuit for Gail to love someone who could never love her back and so she wanted to stop the woman from thinking Draven would ever love her. Rhea thought to herself before processing Gail’s words and inquired, "Why can’t you be with him?"

Gail looked down at her hands. For some reason she felt she could trust Rhea after witnessing how she stood up for Draven in the morning despite their difference in race. A blush crept onto Gail’s cheeks as she admitted, "I have feelings for one of the leaders of fire controllers in the human realm."

Rhea froze, surprised by this revelation.

Gail continued, revealing more of her situation, "He loves me too, and we have been meeting secretly for some time. However, today, as I tried to sneak away to meet him, Prince Zachary discovered our clandestine relationship through the letters we have been exchanging. He prevented me from going and lectured me about staying away from him. He told me that humans and dragons can never coexist, using Draven’s failed relationship as an example. I was frustrated when he stopped me and sent me to assist you instead..." Gail paused briefly and then added, "When I saw Draven, my anger couldn’t be contained. Because of his failed relationship, now it has been a reminder of the history that humans and dragons can never coexist.

"But witnessing your defense of Draven and your words, I have decided to never give up on the person I love. I am determined to fight for our relationship and prove to everyone that loving a human is not an impossible feat."