Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 161: No more avoiding

Chapter 161: No more avoiding

The following morning, as the sky began to lighten, Draven awoke to the chilly morning breeze that sent a gust of snow onto his face. The wind blew with a distant howling sound, creating a cold morning that seemed to cleanse away the darkness of the night.

Draven realized he was lying on the snowy ground, his body exposed to the cold. His head was resting on someone’s lap, and he felt something tickling his face. He raised his hand to brush it away, only to find strands of silver hair wrapped around his fingers. He slowly turned his gaze upward to Rhea’s peaceful and beautiful sleeping face. She was leaning against the tree, her head tilted slightly back.

Rhea’s breathing was slow and steady, she looked to be having a peaceful sleep.

Draven frowned as he tried to recall the previous day’s events. He remembered trying to avoid Rhea at all costs so he wouldn’t be tempted to take her blood to quench his savage thirst. However, she had stubbornly sought him out despite being warned not to leave the palace. She displayed bravery by confronting him in his dragon form and did not flee even when he growled at her. She stayed with him and took care of him throughout the night.

Draven sat up and tenderly looked at the girl who had unexpectedly become an integral part of his life. Against his will, she had gradually taught him what it meant to be loved and cared for. Unknowingly, she had managed to warm his cold heart with her protective nature towards him. Despite his desire for her not to love him, he couldn’t bear the thought of her ceasing to care for him. He resisted allowing himself to love again due to fear of reliving the pain of his past, although he knew Rhea would never betray him...

He simply just couldn’t bring himself to freely embrace love, especially when he hadn’t yet confronted his greatest enemy who had shattered his heart in the past. His heart still harbored immense darkness, causing him to question whether the emotions he felt for this girl were truly love.

Draven raised his hand and gently pushed aside the strands of hair that were falling over her face. However, this action seemed to startle her out of sleep, as her eyes instantly opened wide. Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed his hand, sitting up straight. "Are you okay?" she asked, her concern evident.

Draven was surprised by the way she anxiously studied his face for any signs of pain, holding his hand as if she was afraid he would disappear. Another wave of warmth washed over his heart. She was worried about him, he thought, amused.

He couldn’t find the words to respond, so he simply nodded. He continued to gaze at her as she let out a sigh of relief at his nod. She then let go of his hand and rubbed her eyes. "I fell asleep last night while waiting for you to wake up."

Rhea stretched her hands and intended to stand up, but the moment she moved her legs, she let out a groan. Her legs were sour from sitting on the snowed ground for the entire night and for letting Draven use her lap as a pillow.

When Draven noticed that she was experiencing pain, he stood up and re-tied the robe that she had tied around his waist the previous night. He let it drape around his lower body like a skirt, even though he knew he looked silly. There was no other option but to wear the robe as a makeshift skirt until they returned. After ensuring that the robe was secure, he bent down and gathered Rhea into his arms.

Rhea let out a surprised gasp, but she didn’t protest and willingly wrapped her arms around his neck. Draven looked down at her, their eyes locking together. Instead of starting to walk, he gazed at her face intensely, as if he wanted to memorize every detail. He noticed a blush creeping onto her cheeks under his gaze, and he smiled faintly.

However, the smile quickly faded as he remembered how she had hurt herself by cutting her wrist with a pin the previous night. His chest tightened at the thought. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t be the cause of any pain for her, but here he was...

Draven adjusted his grip on her body and finally began to walk steadily. His pace wasn’t fast nor slow. He didn’t want to rush because he enjoyed having her so close to him, he enjoyed holding her. He had actually missed her during the days he had been avoiding her. He had even tried to distract himself from thinking about the intense desire she had ignited in him with their kiss by going out with Zack.

Draven had been restless for several days after their kiss, so Zack suggested he visit a brothel to fulfill his desires. However, he found the experience distasteful and regretted going. Initially, Draven had declined the suggestion, but the prince insisted they go together, as they had done in the past, to find some relief. However, upon arriving and seeing the scantily clad women seductively swaying their hips, Draven felt nothing but disgust and anger. None of the women could evoke the same feelings Rhea effortlessly did, without even trying to seduce him.

In that moment, he realized that she was the only woman he desired, and no one else could compare. However, his desire would never be fulfilled because he didn’t love her... or did he?

Rhea glanced up at Draven’s face and noticed a deep scowl forming on his handsome features. It seemed that he was preoccupied with something unpleasant. Quietly, she leaned on his shoulder and after a moment of silence, she spoke.

"Yesterday, what was the cause of your..." She started but stopped to think about how to phrase her question without reminding him of his wounds.

Draven prompted her to continue by asking, "Were you scared that I was going to hurt you last night?"

Rhea quickly shook her head, "I wasn’t scared, not even once." She said, "I was only wondering what was the cause of your pain, was it the corruption or because of your missing scales?"

"Both." He replied curtly.

Rhea was unexpectedly unable to reply to his curt word, she glanced up at his face once more. His well-defined jawline and straight nose were held high in pride. She removed one arm from around his neck and gently stroked his hair, just as she had done the night before, to reassure him.

"Don’t worry," she whispered, "once we retrieve your scales from that witch, you will be whole again. But until then, know that you can rely on me to ease your pain if it resurfaces." She continued to tenderly caress his hair, even tucking a few strands behind his ear.

In all the centuries Draven had lived, this gentle gesture was the most beautiful anyone had ever bestowed upon him. It brought warmth to his heart and reassured him that he was not alone, that everything would be alright. Under her unbelievably gentle touch, Draven felt the urge to close his eyes.

If only he didn’t have the heavy burden of responsibility that would weigh on his shoulders after the war. If only he were an ordinary man with a pure heart and a normal life. If only he could allow himself to love again and make this girl his forever...

At these thoughts, Draven felt a lump forming in his throat. What was wrong with him?

As Draven carried Rhea into the palace, she observed that the palace appeared lively with numerous servants bustling about, carrying colorful decorations. Each of them seemed excited, as if preparing for an event. Before Rhea could ask about the situation, she caught sight of Prince Zachary approaching them, wearing a displeased expression upon noticing Draven carrying her.

Rhea attempted to wriggle out of Draven’s grasp as the prince stood before them, but he firmly held onto her and addressed his friend, "Zack, where are you headed so early in the morning?" he asked, noticing that the prince was dressed formally in the royal dragon attire usually worn for royal meeting or events.

Prince Zachary scrutinized Draven, who was only clad with a lady robe tied around his waist, while Rhea hid her face in the nook of his neck, seemingly embarrassed. Zack then remarked, "I see you’ve recovered, Draven. Well, it’s good to know you’re alright now," he said, before answering Draven’s question, "I’m not going anywhere. There will be a banquet in the palace as my sister is returning to the Dragon realm today, and the king wishes to celebrate her homecoming." Zack explained.

"You two are expected to attend. Ethan has sent some servants to assist Miss Rhea in preparing, and Draven, I would like to speak with you privately. I hope the lady wouldn’t mind making her way back to her room on her own?" he said to Rhea, who tried to climb down from Draven’s arms, but he refused to release her. She looked up at him with a frown, but Draven’s gaze remained fixed on the prince.

"She may not mind, but I do. I will accompany her to her room and return to meet you," Draven stated, and with that, he walked past the prince, heading towards Rhea’s chamber.

"Draven, why did you do that? Prince Zachary won’t have a better opinion of me because of what you did," Rhea said as he carried her towards her room. However, Draven seemed indifferent and casually replied, "I don’t need his approval to like you. Besides, he doesn’t dislike you, he just doesn’t trust you, just like he doesn’t trust any human." Draven opened the door to her room and used his leg to close it behind him. He placed Rhea on the bed and straightened up.

Three servants were already waiting in the room for her. Draven turned to leave, but Rhea quickly grabbed his hand before he could turn. She said, "Don’t ever avoid me again, not for anything. You promised to be my guardian, and we haven’t started practicing yet. I need to get stronger soon, and you need to guide me to it, no more avoiding, understand?" She asked firmly.

Draven’s mouth formed a smile, "I understand. We’ll begin the process once the banquet is over. Get ready, I’ll come back to get you." With that, he patted her head and left the room.