Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 146: Hatred

Chapter 146: Hatred

Rhea awoke to the sensation of someone’s fingers tracing down her back. She was lying on a soft mattress, face down, while the person gently applied something to her burning back. Though she had yet to open her eyes, she furrowed her brow in displeasure and pain.

What comforted Rhea was the fact that the air she breathed was not suffocating like the air in the execution hole, nor did it reek of blood and metal. Instead, she inhaled a cold winter breeze that brought some peace to her troubled mind. However, this peace was short-lived as memories of what had occurred in that execution center began to flood her thoughts. The recollections of Cal’s death and everything else rushed back to her with full force, causing her to immediately open her eyes.

Rhea winced in pain as she attempted to change her position, but then she heard a soft whisper from beside her. "Just bear with it for a little longer," Draven encouraged, "The medicine I’m applying is causing the pain, but it will soon subside."

Rhea didn’t have time to process her thoughts when she felt the burning pain in her back intensify. She clenched her lips tightly, suppressing the urge to cry. However, it seemed that Draven sensed her suffering, as he bent down and gently blew air on her wounds. A momentary warmth washed over her as she felt his breath on her skin, seemingly providing solace for her agony.

"Don’t worry, you’ll be okay," he reassured, his breath caressing her exposed back as he continued to blow air on her injuries.

After awhile, Rhea tried to flip over so she could face him, seeing that, Draven quickly helped her turn over. Despite the burning sensation in her back, she managed to lie on her back with her head propped up on the pillow. Rhea could sense the cold breeze on her bare upper chest and realized that she wasn’t wearing a dress, but rather a black fabric was just tied around her breasts, with the blanket covering the rest of her body.

She didn’t even make an effort to cover her exposed upper chest; it was Draven who pulled the blanket to properly cover her. Rhea didn’t care if she was naked because she despised the fact that she was still alive. She loathed the fact that Cal had died because of her. All she felt was emptiness; nothing mattered to her anymore.

After covering her properly on the bed, Rhea didn’t react, she simply stared blankly at the window, where snowflakes continued to fall.

Draven took her hand to get her attention, when she finally glanced at him, he ran his thumb around her wrist where a wound was left behind from the chain. "You will have a lot of scars left behind on your body. I have been asking around since yesterday about what to use to remove them, but they all said only Gail was the mastermind behind such medicine. But don’t worry, I plan to go out to the city tonight, I will ask around perhaps I’ll find someone who knows about the medicine."

Rhea sensed some changes in how Draven was treating her, but her emotions were too messed up to put any meaning behind his actions. He was now applying some medicine on the wound on her upper arms. He was so gentle that Rhea thought if she had been in her right mind, her heart would have been a mess.

"Don’t worry, I will make sure to get rid of all these scars." He assured.

"Don’t get rid of them," she finally spoke for the first time after waking her, her voice sounded raspy, "Let them scar, I don’t want them removed."

Rhea was aware that if she didn’t get rid of these scars, they would serve as a constant reminder of her humiliation in the future. However, she didn’t mind. She wanted these scars to act as a testament to the life debt those people owed her. Every time she looked in the mirror, she wanted to be reminded of the intense emotions she experienced during those days in the execution hole. These scars would serve as a constant reminder of her determination to seek revenge. They were responsible for Cal’s death, and she would take their lives in return.

Azure and Oriana would pay for their actions with their lives.

Draven seemed to understand what was going on in Rhea’s mind, thus he didn’t speak against her decision, he just silently stared at her blank face. He understood her more than anyone. Furthermore, he didn’t know what to say to her at this moment to make her feel any better.

He had been taking care of her for two days, and he had also been speaking to her unconscious form, but now that she was awake, he didn’t know how to make her feel better. Thus, he silently applied the medicine on her arm, then he adjusted her blanket and stood up,

"I will get you something to eat."

"Draven."

When he was turning to leave, Rhea called him.

Draven looked back, and saw that she wasn’t even looking at him, she was staring into nothingness. It took a few moments before she turned to look at him with that lifeless expression she’d had on her ever since she’d woken up.

"Thank you for coming to save me." She murmured softly, but her expression and voice didn’t show her gratitude.

Draven nodded, but before he could speak, Rhea asked, "I can’t feel my bones, are they all broken?"

"No, not all of them."

"Will they heal?" She asked.

"It’ll be difficult, but not impossible. You’ll be fine."

Rhea fixed her gaze on him. The gleam in her eyes were like polished sliver, they flicked with cold light. "Once I heal, I want to change my bones and be a dragon."

This was the first time Draven had seen such an expression on Rhea’s face. Since the day he’d met her, she faced every situation with a nonchalant attitude, even if she was angry about something, she never looked serious, she always handled everything with her uncouth and undisciplined behavior. But now, Draven saw determination and resolution, and he saw...

Hatred.

He was very familiar with that emotion, it was something he’d carried along for twenty years.

Back when he was Jurian, he was haunted by the nightmare of Alina’s betrayal, he wanted nothing but to end his useless life, because the nightmare never gave him peace, and whenever he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he only saw that emotion.

It was the hatred of wanting to kill someone to vent the anger in his heart, it was the hatred that set into ones bones. There was no need to wail and declare it to the world, it was engraved into the heart and bones.

Draven gazed at Rhea for a long time, he then nodded his head, "Alright."

There was no questioning nor evasion. She wanted to heal her body, he would help her without questions. She wanted to change her bones, he would gladly be there for her until the end. And she wanted revenge, they would serve it to them while it’s hot.

Rhea rested her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes while murmuring a, "Thank you."

Draven didn’t respond, he was just about to leave the room silently when the room’s door was pushed open and the troublesome young Prince, Ethan rushed in as if he was chased by the hounds of hell.

"Rhea! I heard she is awake. How is she now?" He asked no one in particular as he strode to her bed side. However, Rhea didn’t bother to open her eyes, she laid there as if she was still sleeping.

Ethan then glared towards Draven. He had come to see Rhea everyday ever since he’d heard about her condition, but this cold-hearted dragon had chased him out while slamming the door on his face and saying he shouldn’t disturb her. He had even brought doctors to treat her, but Draven had threw them all out saying she’d already been treated.

Ethan had angrily placed a spy around the room to inform him if Rhea was awake, and just a moment ago the spy had informed him that she was awake, but now he was here just to find out that she’d fallen asleep again. If only this Dragon king had allowed him to stay by her side, he’d have been the first person she’d see.

Ethan glared at Draven for awhile before he said, "My brother said to inform you that the soldiers in the human realm have withdrawn."

When Rhea heard Ethan’s words, her eyes shot open, "Did the dragons really attack the humans?"

Ethan was startled by Rhea’s sudden voice, he turned to look at her, "You’re awake? How are you feeling?"

"Are the dragons still attacking the fire controllers?" Rhea focused on her own question.

Ethan had no choice but to answer, "Yes, but they just withdrew this afternoon. The leaders of the fire controllers set a huge spell that killed a lot of our soldiers, so the rest had no choice but to withdraw this afternoon."

After hearing that, Rhea’s eyes closed back again. Azure and Alina had the powers to face off the dragon troops, but no worries, she’d get her hands on Azure very soon...