Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 204: Night outting

Chapter 204: Night outting

The twilight sky cast a soft glow over the snowed cover lands of the dragon realm. On the balcony of the newly wed couple, Rhea paced restlessly, her eyes fixed on the distant silhouette of the palace building. She hadn’t been able to rest after Aria and Lyra left her with the bad news of what was happening in the human world, and how it might soon affect the entire world if not stopped.

Aria had told her that Draven had been called to join the meeting because the dragons were thinking of a solution to stop the evil in the human realm before it reached their own world. Rhea hadn’t been able to rest when she heard that the king might request Draven to be a part of this mess. Her heart was uneasy, the day had worn on, and her husband hadn’t yet returned from the palace. A knot of worry tightened in her chest as she wondered about what they were discussing that kept him in the palace for this long.

Lost in her thoughts, Rhea failed to notice Draven’s approach until his arms slipped around her waist from behind. Startled, she jumped slightly, her heart racing. "You scared me!" she exclaimed, turning to face him.

Draven let out a laugh, his laughter was like a rich and smooth melody, filling the air, and wrapping around her like a comforting embrace. It sounded like music to Rhea’s ears, easing the tension that had built up in her heart the whole day. "My apologies, my love," he said, pressing a gentle kiss on her hair. "How was your day?"

Turning her back and relaxing into his hold, Rhea replied, "Fine." Her day had been far from fine, filled with worry and anxiety, but she chose not to burden him with her concerns as it seemed he wasn’t in a gloomy mood about the news of the chaos in the human world, he even seemed to be in a light-hearted mood. She had been pacing this balcony, her mind occupied with thoughts of him and the thought of the evil spreading in the realm beyond.

Sensing something amiss from his wife, Draven leaned his head down and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. I’m just not accustomed to this type of lifestyle where I have nothing to do but stay at home all day," she worried about what was happening outside the house walls. Everything was still unfamiliar to her, the role of being a wife and being confined to the house without fighting or getting into dangerous situations. Not that it was a negative thing, she just wasn’t used to it, but she preferred it over her past life. However, she didn’t like the fact that she wasn’t involved in important matters.

Draven leaned down and rested his chin on her shoulder, he sighed, "I understand that you’re struggling to adapt to this new life, but Rhea, I don’t want that dangerous life for you anymore. You’ve already taken enough risks with your life, now I want to pamper you. I want you to only worry about household tasks and what dresses and jewelry would suit you. I want you to be like any other woman who only concerns herself with her appearance. I no longer want you to be a part of my dangerous world, I won’t risk your life again for anything."

"But_" Rhea wanted to argue that she’d rather be involved in every dangerous situation that involved him rather than be like other women who worried about jewelry, but Draven interrupted her by placing his palm on her flat stomach, "Rhea, I know you want to be involved in everything that concerns me, but what if you’re with child as we speak?"

Rhea blushed, "I am not with any child, we_"

"We have done the deed, you don’t know if my seed has taken root in you. You wouldn’t know that now, but I am just trying to reason it with you, you are no longer that Rhea from the past, you did all those dangerous things because you had no choice. And most of the time, I admit to manipulating your mind and making you believe it’s your duty to help me, just like when I manipulated you into fighting with Lord Edmund." He admitted remorsefully.

Rhea’s eyes widened in disbelief, she wanted to turn around to face him but his hold was firm around her body pressing her back to his solid body. "You manipulated my mind? How?" She questioned.

Draven smiled remorsefully, "I am sorry, you refused to assist me so I had no choice but to manipulate you through our connection, we share a deeper bond then you think." He had done all that in the past, but he regretted doing that and risking her life. And now he wanted to make amends for all that by not making her step into any dangerous situation ever again. He had sworn to protect her, and the only way to do so was by keeping her out of the big dangerous tasks that had been assigned to him by king Henry.

"Are you angry?" He asked when he didn’t hear her move or speak.

"No," she said, "I’m just wondering how you could have manipulated me without my knowledge."

"I was desperate then, I am sorry." He apologized sincerely, then he changed the topic as he didn’t feel comfortable talking about his heartless deed. "Have you eaten?" He asked.

Rhea hesitated before nodding, a small lie on her lips. "Yes." She lied because she had no appetite to eat anything, she hadn’t been able to eat even her breakfast.

Draven, however, could see through her facade. Turning her around to face him, he looked into her eyes, recognizing the worry that still lingered in her dark orbs.

He enveloped her in a comforting hug, "Don’t let yourself worry about things that are not to our concern." He pushed away from the hug and looked down at her, "Go and get ready, I’m taking you out to the city," he declared, his tone firm yet gentle.

Rhea began to protest, but Draven silenced her, "Don’t argue with me, I will be busy from tomorrow onwards, I won’t have time for this anytime soon. Go get ready unless you want me to take you out in your night dress." He said firmly.

Rhea wanted to ask him what he would be busy with, but Draven urged her back into the room by giving her shoulders a gentle push. She had no choice but to go in to change her clothes while assuring herself that she could ask him about that later.

Rhea, who had intended to persuade Draven to allow her to participate in what he deemed dangerous, instantly forgot her purpose when he brought her to the enchanting dragon realm’s night city. The breathtaking view made her momentarily forget the concerns weighing on her. Unlike the part of the city she had visited with Aria to purchase a wedding gown, this area was even more stunning.

Towering buildings lined both sides of the streets, appearing to stretch skyward. In the middle of the towing buildings, a never-ending frozen pathway was lit up by tall lamps positioned along the sides. The city bustled with activity and was adorned with vibrant attractions. People strolled in pairs, giving the impression that this particular area was meant exclusively for couples to have fun.

"It’s called the couples fair," Draven explained as if reading her thoughts, "Couples mostly come here to have fun. Come, you will like it."

Gentle snowflakes continued to fall from the sky as Draven led Rhea through the bustling streets. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he guided his wife towards a small colorful shop that had a board hanging atop, with a bold written sign that reads, "Frozen cream parlor." The walls were adorned with cute drawings that showcased an array of shapes of whatever they sold in the shop.

Rhea looked around the drawings and wondered what a frozen cream meant and why Draven brought her here. "What is this place?" She looked up at her husband with a frown.

Draven didn’t reply and pulled her to the counter, where a young man was attending to his costumers. He grinned and ordered a unique blend of frozen cream for Rhea. The young man nodded and handed her a small, glowing orb of frozen delight.

Rhea hesitated for a moment, unfamiliar with this frozen treat, "What am I to do with this?" She asked Draven as she took the frozen colorful thing from the young man.

"You eat it," with a gentle nudge from him, she took a cautious bite. The burst of flavors danced on her tongue, sending a wave of delight through her. Her eyes widened in surprise, and a radiant smile spread across her face.

"This is incredible!" Rhea exclaimed, savoring the cold sweetness. Draven chuckled, delighted by her reaction. "I knew you would like it."

Rhea had never experienced such a delightful taste before, and being a lover of food, she convinced Draven to purchase six more of the frozen cream. They sat together beside the shop, savoring the treat, and occasionally sharing bites with each other.

Once they finished, Draven took Rhea to an eatery where she noticed that the menu mainly consisted of humans high-end dishes. Rhea was quite hungry as she hadn’t eaten since morning, so she wasted no time in ordering various dishes and devouring them. Throughout her feast, her husband watched her with an affectionate gaze, amused by her lack of concern for her surroundings as she indulged in her gluttonous feast.

After they were done, Rhea had eaten to the extent she could barely stand. She rubbed her bloated stomach and complained about how she was too full to walk, she even pouted and asked Draven to carry her on his back.

Draven simply stood up from his seat with a sigh, "I have almost forgotten about your gluttonous habit," he said and crouched down before her, "hop on."

Rhea didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck and leaned on his back. "Thank you!"

Draven stood up and slipped his arms around both of her knees, he carried her on his back as if she weighed nothing. "Where do you want me to take you next?" He asked smilingly.

Rhea recalled when her maids mentioned how the theater in the dragon realm was fun and beautiful. "Let’s go to the theater."

Draven smiled and walked out of the eatery. He took her to a cool theater, that was only a little walk away from the place they had eaten. The outside of the theater was decorated with fancy ice sculptures, giving a hint of the magical experience waiting inside.

Once Draven walked inside the theater, Rhea saw that the passageway was crowded with people who were looking at the holographic displays showing upcoming shows. The upcoming show was a romance tragedy drama between a human and a dragon.

Draven took her to the comfy floating seats in the theater, he carefully put her down on the seat and the lights dimmed immediately as the stage lit up.

Rhea had never been to a theater before, even when she was still in Birhhan. This was her first time sitting in one. She stared without blinking as the curtains opened on the stage, revealing an exciting drama setting.

"Are you certain you want to witness this tragic performance as your first theater experience?" Draven whispered to his captivated wife, who stared at the stage unblinkingly. He had overheard people discussing how emotionally charged the show was.

Rhea dismissed his concern with a scoff, "What’s the harm in watching a tragic romance? It’s not like it’s real; it can’t affect me in any way. Please, refrain from speaking again. The drama is about to start."

The show was about a human girl and a dragon man who fell in love against all odds. Rhea hadn’t thought the show would display every single emotion in such a realistic way that made her immersed in the story. The characters’ struggled and feelings played out before them.

Rhea got really into the intense emotions on stage. She unknowingly found herself clutching onto Draven’s hand, as she found that the main characters facing challenges and victories, connected with her deeply. The female character was labeled a traitor by her own people for loving a dragon.

The awesome beautiful music in the background made the story even more emotional, making Rhea feel like she was part of the story.

When the story reached its peak, and the female character died to save her lover, Rhea couldn’t help but cry, tears uncontrollably streamed down her cheeks. The characters’ journey had touched her heart in ways she hadn’t expected. But then she thought the female character was stupid to sacrifice her life without letting her lover know she was dying.

Rhea subconsciously clutched Draven’s hand to her chest as she watched the male character breakdown in tears as he held the body of his lover, who had died for him.

Draven turned to his wife who was clutching his hand to her chest, he noticed her tears and gently pulled her close to comfort her. "It’s just a show, it’s not real." He assured.

"I can’t help it." She turned away from the stage and hugged Draven’s arm, "She could have lived if she had told him. It’s so heartbreaking how a beautiful love story ended in such way." She cried.