Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 167: Changing bones

Chapter 167: Changing bones

Early the next morning, Draven sent Lilac to call on Rhea for their first day of the process of changing her bones. She had followed Lilac who led her to a deserted part of the palace, where Rhea had never been to before. When they arrived at the room, she saw that it was suffused with a soft, ethereal glow. A magical light, shimmering with a white hue, hanged above a large stone table.

Rhea hesitated at the entrance. "Are you sure Draven asked you to bring me here?" She asked.

Lilac nodded eagerly, "Aye, Mister is waiting inside."

Rhea gulped and wiped her slightly damp palms against her dress, she was a bit nervous as she’d heard a few whispers about the process of changing bones in the palace, she’d heard the pain was almost unbearable for humans in the ancient times that no one had enough strength to withstand the pain to the end. She took a deep breath and ready herself for anything she’d face inside the room.

Lilac tried to encourage, "My savior, you can do it. Mister will look after you. Go inside, myself has a lot of things to do for this day."

Rhea watched Lilac run away from there, happily humming. She sighed thinking back to the previous night. The walk to her room with Draven, the uncomfortable silence the whole way had made her regret asking him that question, because she realized it had put him in so much thought to the extent he almost walked past her room without realizing it until she called him back.

Rhea took another deep breath and walked into the room, where she found Draven adjusting the stone table under the magical light. When he sensed her presence, he straightened up and told her to sit on the stone table. Rhea did as she was told. Almost instantly, a chilling sensation enveloped her, but the feeling was short-lived.

Draven looked down at her with his piercing blue eyes, "Remember, the pain of changing bones is different from any and it’s only temporary. Once you stand up from that table, the pain will stop, but you must not stand up until you hear me say so, understand?"

Rhea nodded, and then asked, "How does one prepare for a pain they’ve never felt?"

"By focusing on why they’re enduring it." He replied and crouched down before her, and without hesitation he placed his palm flat on her chest and sent a cold sensation to her body while keeping his gaze on her face.

"What... what are you doing?" Rhea asked as his hand on her chest was making her heart beat faster against her rib cage and making the core in her body react in a way she’d never felt it do before.

"I’m trying to make the core protect you from dying from the pain. You are the first human to go under the process after centuries, and I don’t want to risk losing your life." He explained and finally withdrew his hand from her chest, "Good luck, Rhea." He flashed her a faint smile and then pushed a button on the wall.

The light above her head intensified, and before Rhea could speak, her bones began to ache. It was not just a simple ache – it was a gut-wrenching, soul-crushing pain. She felt as if each bone was being shattered and reshaped, molted and recast in an agonizing way.

Rhea held back from crying out, this was a way to make her stronger, she wouldn’t give up or let herself cry. She gritted her teeth in pain, "It feels... it feels like my bones are rebelling, trying to rip out of my skin." She said to Draven who stood beside her with a deep frown on his face.

Draven hated the fact that she was in pain and there was nothing he could do to make it less painful. "Hold on, Rhea. Focus on my voice, you can do it."

She clenched her fists, sweat forming on her brow. The pain intensified, every second stretching out into an eternity. It felt as if a mountain was pressing down on her, her bones creaking, ready to snap. Each breath was a challenge, each heartbeat a reminder of the torment.

But through it all, Draven’s voice remained constant, a beacon guiding her through the storm. "You’re stronger than the pain. We’re changing you, making you stronger. Hold on."

Time became a blur. Moments felt like hours. And just when Rhea felt she was at her breaking point, the light dimmed, and the pain subsided.

She was left panting, drained, but alive.

"One session down. We’ll do this, day by day, until your transformation is complete." Draven said, "And once it’s complete, you’d be able to use the core to the fullest and become a dragon."

Rhea was already determined, and she was ready to go through more pain if she would become stronger. She knew this was only the beginning. The journey of changing her bones, reshaping her system, would stretch over a month. But with Draven by her side, Rhea felt she could face the challenge ahead without backing out.

Weeks passed by and every morning Rhea would go to Draven to go through the same pain all over again. And afterwards she’d go and spend her time with Aria and they’d have dinner together in her room while they talked about different matters in the Dragon realm and also gossip about things. However, Rhea made sure not to remind Aria about her life in Birhhan so she wouldn’t think about Valen again.

Rhea rarely saw Draven after their morning session, it was almost as if he was intentionally distancing himself. Thus, she spent her time with her friend instead.

"At the banquet, the way Draven looked at you suggested you two were together, and everyone believed so." Aria remarked, sharing dinner with Rhea in her room. Rhea had just clarified that there wasn’t any romantic involvement between she and Draven, and Aria struggled to digest this, recalling how Draven had danced and locked eyes with Rhea that night as if she was the only woman in the world.

Rhea took a moment before responding, "We’re merely friends and allies. Given the current turmoil in the world, I believe it’s best for us to remain so, at least until we defeat the fire controllers. I’ve resolved not to discuss about the future." She said and sipped from her wine.

Aria couldn’t help but feel somehow bad for Rhea. She’d known Rhea for more than a year and knew she wasn’t the type to do love, but now that she fell In love, the man she loved doesn’t feel the same for her. She played with the food in her plate and said, "Draven has a heavy past. He’s still grappling with those scars. I believe with time, he’ll come to terms with his past and look ahead. Maybe seeking vengeance will grant him the peace he needs,"

Pausing her meal, Rhea replied, "I genuinely wish to assist him in reconciling with his past and moving forward. And I hope we can bring that witch who destroyed him to justice." Rhea gritted her teeth and then asked, "Any updates on Alina in Birhhan?"

"The latest is she’s put a spell on the border, stopping our soldiers from passing through. Though the war has settled down for now, but the intentions of the humans remain unclear. Oh, by the way, Alina was also the one who asked to put your posters around the entire human realm, she even put a reward on your head, whoever brought you to her would receive a chest of gold and anything they desired in life. You are the most talked about topic in Birhhan."

Rhea was taken aback. Though she knew she was considered a treat to the humans after what they said she did, but that wasn’t enough reason for Alina to go as far as to put a price on her head after she’d already left Birhhan. She couldn’t have possibly found out that the core was in her body, could she?

Rhea suddenly felt restless at those thoughts, but she pushed the restlessness away. If Alina had found out, she wouldn’t allow her have the core no matter what. Rhea decided to stop letting herself fear Alina if she wanted to be of help to Draven.

"Once my transformation is complete, Draven and I intend to confront her at her residence, we..." Suddenly, a noise from the window interrupted her. Turning, she saw Lilac trying to sneak into Aria’s room through the window. And when she finally entered, she dusted her dress and walked towards them, but when her eyes fell on the table full of food, she leapt forward.

"Foods!" She reached out to take from Rhea’s plate, but Rhea was quick to smack her hands away, with a displeased frown she said, "You’ve got the guts little girl to put your dirty hands in my plate."

Lilac pouted and clutched her hand to her chest, "But myself is hungry and want to eat."

Rhea scoffed in disbelief. She had seen Lilac earlier in the dinning hall sitting with the little princesses wolfing down food like there was no tommorow, and now she was here saying she was hungry?

"Get out, go and play or sleep. Aria and I are talking." Rhea pointed towards the door, "Out."

Lilac’s purple eyes turned teary as she said, "You is heartless, myself just want to eat but you is sending me away just like that."

"If you make me say it again, I’ll spank you with my shoes. If you are hungry, go to the servants. You..."

"Rhea, let the girl stay and eat. I’m sure she’s starving. Lilac come sit beside me." Aria beckoned the fairy to come over, and without wasting time she ran to sit beside her.

"Thank you, lady princess!"

Rhea turned to her friend, "Aria, that fairy is mischievous and a glutton. She plays a lot and eats a lot."

"Myself did not play on this day!" Lilac’s mouth was already filled with food, she chewed and talked at the same time, "Myself was listening to gossip from the messenger birds when they brought message from the human world to the palace."

Aria smiled as she looked down at the adorable creature beside her, "What sort of gossip were you listening to?" She asked curiously.

Lilac immediately stopped eating and glanced up at Aria with her purple eyes, "Lady princess, myself listen to gossip about you from the birds. They say that the man who loves you in Birhhan is going mad. They say he is still sitting in some ruins crying each day begging the sky to return you. They say he is not eating or bathing."

Aria’s face immediately froze and her smile faded away. She dropped her spoon and clenched her hand.

Rhea saw her reaction and turned towards Lilac, "You little devil, why are you listening to such nonsense and saying it out?"

"Myself is not listening to nonsense, the birds are saying it." She resumed to eat her food not caring that she had just ruined the princess mood and the atmosphere.

Rhea was about to send her out of the room, but Aria spoke, "What else did the birds say about the man?"

Lilac scratched the back of her neck and shrugged, "Myself don’t remember anymore, lady princess. If myself remembered later, myself will tell you everything they say." She resumed to eat again.

Rhea gazed at her friend. Aria, who always had a warming smile on her face now had on a sad expression and her eyes were staring into nothingness. In the end, it was only Lilac who enjoyed the meal and after she was done, she left them alone in the room after she’d ruined the atmosphere.

When they were alone, Rhea gently took Aria’s hand, asking, "How did you feel learning about Valen’s situation in Birhhan?"

Aria looked up, her eyes moist. "It’s hard to put my emotions into words, but I’m in pain. I regret leaving him, yet after my actions, returning is not an option. I deceived him, and if there’s one thing Valen can’t tolerate, it’s deceit. He’ll never forgive me for lying to him. I’d rather he thinks I’m dead than to bear his resentment... Time will heal us both..."

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A/N

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