Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 182: Sleep in my room

Chapter 182: Sleep in my room

Rhea hesitated for a moment outside Draven’s door, her heart beating faster than usual again. After the earlier chaos in the healing pool, she had noticed Draven’s bleeding back, he was badly injured from the flame swords and his wounds weren’t healing fast like the other dragons.

Even though he had tried not to show pain as he walked her back to her room in silence, she could tell he was in pain. She had offered on helping him with his injured back, but he had refused saying she should go and rest after the chaos. However, how could she go to sleep knowing he was in pain, and he had gotten that wound trying to protect her from the sword?

Rhea had insisted and firmly told him to go to his room she would come and meet him after she’d changed into a new set of clothes. Without any word of protest, Draven had left. But now that she was outside his door, she couldn’t help feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness as she stood there. It had been a while since they’d been given separate rooms, and this was her first time entering his personal space again.

Balancing a tray with Dragon’s healing medicine in one hand, Rhea took a deep breath and pushed the door open quietly. The room was dimly lit, with a few lamps casting a soft, warm glow. Draven was lying on his front, shirtless, on the bed, his broad back exposed and his damp hair sprawled around his pillow. He had initially refused her offer, but she knew he was hurting and needed her help.

"Draven," she said softly, her voice gentle and calm. He turned his head to acknowledge her presence with a nod, a wordless agreement to her assistance.

Rhea placed the tray on a nearby table and took a seat at the edge of the bed. She looked down at his wounded back; the cut was deep, and it was clear that it was causing him a great deal of pain. Yet, Draven’s imposing figure remained steadfast on the bed, and she admired how he endured the suffering without complaint.

Just like when he was being Jurian, he had endured his pain alone without any complaint. But then, even though he wanted to complain, who would he complain to? Technically, he was alone in the world with no family members...

As Rhea’s slender fingers dipped into the healing ointment and began applying it to his wound, Draven’s thoughts wandered. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of anger at himself for his weakness when confronting Alina. It was a blow to his pride, and he hated feeling vulnerable. He had the chance of getting rid of her for good, but he had failed because he was no match for her. He had waited for the day he’d get back his dragon form and powers for twenty years, but now that he had them, it was useless without that one thing that would give him the abilities to be the mighty dragon he once was.

He hated the fact that he was weak to Alina, but he hated it even more that Rhea’s life was in danger now that Alina knew about the core in her body. Alina would do anything to get Rhea and kill her. That alone scared the soul out of his body, he couldn’t let that happen, but how could he avoid that when his powers weren’t close to Alina’s?

If there was one thing he was damn sure about, he would never hurt Rhea to fight Alina, but if he didn’t hurt her, Alina will. Eight months ago when he first met Rhea, he had never thought a day would come when he wouldn’t be able to hurt her to fight Alina, where he wouldn’t even be able to harbor the thoughts of removing the core in her body to get his revenge on Alina. But now...

Draven closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. He would never hurt her, never. He pushed every thoughts to the back of his mind. Instead, he focused on the sensation of Rhea’s gentle touch on his back.

The room was filled with a calm silence, broken only by the soft sounds of her fingers moving over his injured back and his steady, controlled breathing.

Draven was lost in thought, the pain in his back and heart momentarily forgotten as Rhea’s fingers continued their soothing strokes. He didn’t even realize she had finished applying the medicine until he felt her fingers gently ruffling his hair. It was a tender gesture that broke through the walls of overwhelming emotions that had consumed him.

Slowly, he turned his head to look at her, and in her eyes, he saw pain. Her gaze drifted to his wounded back, and the empathy in her expression was unmistakable. Warmth spread through his heart, knowing that she was pained for his sake.

Unable to contain his emotions, Draven turned onto his wounded back, wincing slightly at the movement, and pulled Rhea into his arms on the bed.

Rhea was surprised by his sudden action and quickly reminded him of his wounds, "Draven, your back!" but he ignored her protests. Instead, he turned onto his side and buried his head in the crook of her neck, his breath warm against her skin.

"Sleep in my room," he mumbled against her neck, his voice filled with a vulnerability he rarely showed. "I want to hold you to sleep, please."

A warm blush rushed to Rhea’s cheeks, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Knowing that even if she returned to her room, it would be impossible for her to fall asleep after the chaotic night. And more importantly, she didn’t want to think of Azure nor wonder why he was doing what he was doing. She wanted to forget about everything for awhile and only think about the strong arm pressing her body to his and his warm breath on her neck.

Rhea didn’t protest and settled herself more comfortably on the bed and in his arms, taking care not to touch his wounded back. Gently, she placed an arm around him, offering the comfort he sought. The room was filled with an unspoken connection, and in his embrace, she found solace and warmth in the midst of her messed up mind and the uncertainty of what the future holds for them.

It was as if the outside world didn’t exist, and all that mattered was the intimacy of this moment. Rhea’s presence and the soothing arm she placed around him brought a rare tranquility to Draven’s troubled mind, making him momentarily forget the pain and the battle that still laid ahead of him. He just wanted to have a peaceful night for once with her in his arms.

***

Rhea awoke with a gentle stretch, her eyes slowly adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. At first she was confused at the sight of the unfamiliar room decor that looked masculine compared to the room she had been staying in the palace, but it soon dawned on her that she had actually slept in Draven’s room last night. Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled their intimate cradling the entire night.

Rhea felt a blush crept to her cheeks as she reached out beside her, but the realization struck her like a gentle breeze — the space beside her was empty. Draven had woken up before her and had probably left before she woke up. Her heart sank momentarily as she recalled the peaceful night’s sleep she had enjoyed in his embrace, free from the torment of her recurring nightmares. It was like Draven was a soothing remedy for her sleepless nights.

She looked around the room, but there were no signs of him. And after a moment of contemplation, she quietly slipped out of bed and padded back to her own room.

The maids, familiar faces that had become a constant presence in her life after coming to the dragon realm, were already there to help her get dressed as usual. Over time, she had grown accustomed to their chattering, letting them express their thoughts and gossip while they tended to her. It had become part of her morning routine, a small distraction from the pressures of her life.

Today, however, their conversation centered around the events of last night. Rhea couldn’t help but eavesdrop, her ears attuned to their discussion. They spoke about how Alina had dared to enter the dragon realm to harm the king’s guests. They also talked about how Azure had come to her rescue by threatening them with the princess’s life.

Their conversation shifted back to Draven by the time they were in the dressing room helping her into a dress. Rhea listened intently as the maids spoke of how Draven was in the past before he met the fire controller that betrayed him.

"I’ve always looked up to him, he was the legendary Dragon king, with powers that surpassed that of any being." One of the maid said.

"I wonder why he wasn’t able to kill the two leaders of the fire controllers yesterday, it’s no longer a secret that he had regained his form now. Perhaps he’s getting too old." Said the other maid attending to Rhea’s hair.

"He’s an immortal, he can’t get old, perhaps he didn’t kill them because of the threat to the princess’s life."

The maids talked about Draven as if Rhea wasn’t in the room. She felt a knot of discomfort tighten in her chest as they continued talking about Draven’s past and his once legendary strength. They even ventured into discussing his affairs in brothels with prince Zack before he met Alina, which she found too intimate to bear.

Unable to endure the topic any longer, Rhea decided to interject and change the direction of their conversation. "Ladies, are there any fun places to visit in the dragon city?" She steered the discussion away from the sensitive subject of Draven.

The maids eagerly shifted their focus, "Yes, Miss Rhea. We have a lot of fun places in our city. We have an opera house that is nothing like the one in the human world." Said one of the maids, "You should go out someday, I noticed you have never gone outside the palace ever since you came here."

That was right. She hadn’t been far beyond the palace walls ever since she’d come to the dragon realm. She had planned on doing so with Gail, but it never happened. And she had also planned on doing so with Aria, but Aria had been kidnapped. At this point, having fun was the last thing in her mind. Tommorow there would be an exchange between Aria and Enzo at the border, and that alone was overwhelming.

What if Alina played a trick on them and went back on her words?