Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 192: Buying wedding gown

Chapter 192: Buying wedding gown

After Draven’s decision was made with king Henry, the king officially made a public announcement in the Dragon realm about Draven’s wedding in two days. Most people had been surprised by the news, as they all believed Draven would never attempt to marry a human again after his past experience, but it turned out he was ready to move on with the girl, who everyone had already been suspecting was his lover.

The wedding preparations started immediately after the king’s announcement, the royal grand hall was being decorated as Draven had said he didn’t want a traditional wedding, like the one he had in the past, he said he wanted it like the human traditions.

As all the preparations were going on, Rhea spent her time with Aria, who had just recently been rescued from Alina. It turned out Aria had gone to meet Valen that day she was taken.

Rhea glanced at her friend, noticing the newfound radiance that seemed to envelop her. She looked happier than she was before the kidnapping. But then remembering how she was reckless enough to leave the Dragon realm, Rhea’s expression turned stern. She couldn’t help but scold Aria for her reckless actions.

"Aria, do you realize how dangerous it was to go to Birhhan to meet Valen in secret? You made everyone worry about you!"

Aria, with a remorseful expression, nodded. "I know, Rhea, and I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you." She just couldn’t help it after Lilac had told her about Valen’s condition.

Rhea softened, realizing the weight of Aria’s emotions. If something had happened to Valen because of her lies, Rhea knew Aria would never forgive herself. "You didn’t cause me any trouble." Rhea assured.

Aria’s eyes met Rhea’s. "Still, if I hadn’t been so reckless, you wouldn’t have ended up in Alina’s clutches."

Rhea sighed, placing a reassuring hand on Aria’s shoulder. "What’s done is done. We’re both safe now, and that’s what matters."

Rhea couldn’t blame Aria for anything that happened, because it wasn’t her fault that Alina took her away. Even if Aria hadn’t been kidnapped, Alina would still hunt them down because of Enzo, and whatever happened then would still have happened.

Curiosity flickered in Rhea’s eyes as she asked, "Did you get to meet Valen before you were taken?"

Aria nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I did. He was in a poor condition, but I dedicated a day to caring for him. When I revealed the truth behind my lie, he was more relieved than angry to find out I wasn’t dead. However, as I was putting him to bed and planning to return, I unexpectedly ran into Azure. Since I wasn’t wearing a mask, he sensed my presence and took me away."

Rhea’s eyebrows furrowed, disbelief evident on her face. "Azure? He was the one who took you?"

Aria nodded, "Yes, but he didn’t harm me. He simply instructed me to come with him without resistance if I wanted to avoid getting hurt. Knowing how powerful he is, I didn’t fight him. To my surprise, he led me to his residence and provided me with a comfortable room, promising to release me in the morning. However, instead of releasing me, Alina got involved. She roughly brought me to a dungeon and chained me down with her magical chains."

Did this mean that Azure never intended to kidnap Aria until Alina found out she could use the princess to regain her lover? Rhea remembered how he had also attempted to forcefully take her away, claiming he wanted to bring her to a safe place. Why did he expect her to trust him and follow him after what he had done? Moreover, why did he rescue her from Alina? She recalled the intense fight between him and Alina, where he sustained severe injuries, as she saw the blood staining his shirt.

Could it be that Azure really had a good reason for everything he had done to her?

As Rhea was momentarily lost in thought, Aria’s words snapped her back to reality, "Rhea, there’s a lot to do before your wedding. Do you still have plans to go for the shopping you said you wanted to go for?"

Rhea quickly smiled as she recalled why she was here. "Of course," She replied. Rhea had come here to ask Aria to come with her to the Dragon city to shop for a wedding gown. She would have asked Draven to go with her, but he seemed busy with the wedding preparations to have time for shopping. Furthermore, Rhea had been looking forward to seeing the Dragon city.

"Give me some minutes, I will go and get something from my room and be back." She excused herself and hurried back to prince Zachary’s palace. Rhea wanted to go and get the little Dragon currency she had exchanged with the gold coins given to her by Valen before. Though she had doubts about whether it would be sufficient to purchase everything she needed, but she would make do with it and buy a simple wedding gown. Rhea didn’t want to burden Draven with any expenses, especially considering his limited funds.

As she quickly grabbed the small pouch containing the money in her dressing room and turned to leave, she bumped into something solid, or rather, someone’s firm chest. She stumbled backwards and looked up into his intense blue eyes.

"How did you get in here?" she asked Draven, whom she hadn’t noticed when she entered until she bumped into him.

A smile appeared on his lips as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "I followed you in here, but you were too lost in your thoughts to notice me," he replied.

Rhea responded with an "Oh" and rested her head on his chest. "Why did you follow me in here?" she asked, closing her eyes and inhaling his soothing scent. She could hear his steady heartbeat beneath her ear.

"I followed you because I wanted to give you this," he said, pulling out a pouch filled with diamonds, the most valuable currency in the Dragon realm. He then stepped back from the hug and placed the pouch in her hand. "I heard you wanted to go shopping, so you can use this to buy whatever you want."

Rhea was stunned as she held the pouch filled with diamonds. She looked up at him and asked in disbelief, "All of this is mine?" Draven nodded and replied, "Yes, it’s yours. And if it’s not enough, I can give you more. I have reclaimed my wealth, so don’t worry about how you spend it."

"Thank you," she began gratefully, "you_"

"I’d rather be thanked with a kiss," Draven instructed patiently with a smile.

Rhea leaned up on her toes and obediently but happily pressed a kiss on his cheeks.

Draven frowned,"I won’t take that as a kiss. I want a proper kiss like this," he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. He pressed his lips against hers in a heated kiss that took her breath away. When she parted her lips for him, his tongue plunged into her mouth and explored every inch of her.

A moan of pleasure escaped her lips as his hand slowly slid upward to caress the fullness of her breast against her clothes. His mouth left hers and trailed a hot path down her neck and up to her ear, his tongue exploring each fold as his hand slipped inside her gown, skillfully cupping her bare breast, his thumb rubbing over her hardening nipple.

Awashed in a sea of pure sensation, Rhea made no protest when he covered her lips again, while his hand remained on her breast. The heat in her body only burned hotter, she didn’t know what she wanted, but she wanted it so badly she arched her body against Draven’s.

Then as if snapped back to his senses, Draven pulled away with a growl. "Enough," he breathlessly rearranged her dress and used his fingers to brush her hair, "Aria is waiting for you, go ahead." He urged her out of the room before he would lose control.

Rhea left from the palace, her body still ablaze from the passionate kiss she had shared with Draven. Every time they kissed, it seemed to intensify the tingling sensation of heat in her lower abdomen. She struggled to redirect her thoughts towards the shopping they were about to embark on.

There was much to accomplish; she still needed to find a wedding gown and jewelry, both of which she intended to buy with the money Draven had given her. Although she would have preferred to go out with Draven today, but he also had many tasks at hand, so she had to go with Aria and Lilac, along with a small group of servants.

However, Rhea hadn’t expected the beauty of the dragon city to be more than she had expected. Her eyes widened in amazement as they entered the Dragon city. The skyline stretched endlessly with towering buildings that seemed to touch the sky, their surfaces reflecting a myriad of colors in the snowland. Some buildings were crafted with translucent glass, revealing glimpses of bustling activity within.

As they walked through the city streets like any normal people around, they didn’t take any royal escorts that would draw attention to them. Rhea and Lilac, who hadn’t seen anything like this before, observed the people going about their daily business. The streets were alive with a diverse array of dragons in their human forms, each engrossed in their tasks. Merchants called out to passersbys, and vibrant market stalls showcased exotic goods.

Amidst the lively scene, Rhea noticed the attire of the women that would be considered revealing by the human standards. They confidently moved through the city in attires that celebrated comfort. Beautiful designed fabrics adorned their body, reflecting the Dragon society’s progressive approach to style.

Rhea’s gaze shifted from one extraordinary building to another, taking in the fashion-forward women who seemed at ease in their surroundings. She peered into a glass-walled building and was greeted by a stunning display of high-end clothing boutiques. Mannequins showcased garments that pushed the boundaries of fashion in ways she had never seen.

"Myself has never seen anything like this in my life! Look at those statues wearing clothes and standing in the building like people struck by lightning, pretty!" She exclaimed in wonderment, her large purple eyes reflecting the city lights.

Aria, seemingly undisturbed by the spectacle, strolled beside them with an air of casual familiarity. "Impressive, isn’t it?" Aria remarked, her eyes fixed ahead. "You get used to it after a while."

Rhea couldn’t help but notice the Dragons’ progressiveness in everything, a stark contrast to what she was accustomed to. The city pulsed with a blend of tradition and innovation, and Rhea found herself navigating through a world where individual expression flourished.

Aria continued her casual commentary, pointing out various features as they walked. "Over there, that’s the Grand Archive. Dragons have a way of preserving their history that’s quite remarkable. And that building across the square is the iceforge Tower—it’s where our engineers create incredible fabric wonders. And over there, is the building we will be going to shop."

Rhea glanced at the building she pointed at, and her mouth fell open in wonderment. The building was the biggest and prettiest among the others, it also had translucent glasses. "Wouldn’t that be too expensive?" She couldn’t help but voice her concern.

However Aria smiled, "Nothing is too expensive that your future husband can’t afford!" She said and tugged Rhea towards the building.