Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 217: A hard decision to make

Chapter 217: A hard decision to make

After Draven finished applying the medicine, his hands paused, he hated the loud silence between them, and he also hated that he had no words to console her with. He stood up, casting a hesitant glance at Rhea, unsure of how to offer solace for the pain she carried. The room seemed to shrink around him, suffocating with her unspoken grief.

He raised his hand, a feeble attempt to comfort her, but he hesitated, convinced she might not want his touch after he had failed to protect her. A lump formed in his throat as he whispered, breaking the heavy silence, "I am sorry."

After saying that, he turned to leave, but an unexpected grip on his sleeve halted him. Startled, he looked back to see Rhea reaching out, tears streaming down her cheeks. Without a word, she pulled him forward, wrapping her arms around his waist as she burst into tears.

"He... he died to save me," her voice quivered with pain, "I thought he hated me, but he did all he did to protect me, Draven." Her sobs echoed through the room, carrying the weight of her grief. "Azure, he was the reason I survived twenty one years ago when my father abandoned me. He saved me, but I couldn’t save him today..."

Draven’s heart tightened as she bared her soul, the raw emotions in her words cutting through his heart. She was in pain because Azure had died to save her, but what about him? What had he done for her ever since he’d met her? He had caused her pain, yes pain. If he wasn’t such a weak dragon, he wouldn’t have needed another man to save his wife nor be the cause she was in grief now.

Closing his eyes, a single tear traced its path down Draven’s cheek. He was ashamed of himself to the extent he didn’t want to be here, but his wife needed him. He leaned down, enfolding her in a comforting embrace, whispering words of solace. He guided her to the bed. She lay on top of him, her pain reverberating against his chest as he ran his hand up and down her spine.

"Shh, Rhea. You’re not alone," he murmured.

Laying her on top of him properly, Draven continued to soothe her, a silent sentinel in the night of her sorrow. He felt as the storm within her gradually subsided, leaving behind a quiet ache. As her breathing steadied, he carefully shifted her onto the bed, tucking her in with a gentle touch. He then slipped out of bed.

He stood before the bed to gaze at her sleeping face, he lingered for a moment, absorbing the fragile peace that settled over her face. With a heavy heart, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him. In the dimly lit corridor, he carried the weight of her painful tears, a burden too heavy for words, as he navigated the shadows of the night and headed towards the palace.

Draven’s heavy footsteps echoed in the silent night as he approached the king’s palace, each crunch in the snow beneath amplifying the burden in his heart. The frigid air bore witness to the cascading snowflakes, gently drifting from the heavens and laying flat on the earth.

Entering the king’s palace, Draven was stopped by the guards outside King Henry’s chamber. His angry glare pierced the frosty air as he demanded entrance, only to be met with stoic resistance.

"King Henry is asleep," one guard asserted firmly.

"I don’t care. Wake him up," Draven ordered tersely.

"He gave strict orders not to be disturbed," the other guard explained, unwavering in his loyalty to their king, even though he knew Draven was also a king in the past and should be treated with respect.

Frustration simmered within Draven. "I don’t have time for this. Let me in."

Before the guards could retort, King Henry’s authoritative voice resonated from within, "Let him in."

Stepping into the dimly lit chamber, Draven found King Henry standing at the balcony, his imposing figure silhouetted against the night. The distant city lay silent below, blanketed in snow. Draven approached the king, and stood beside him.

From the balcony, Draven caught a glimpse of his house in the distance, a reminder to him that his wife was still curled up in bed, sleeping in her sorrow. Before Draven could speak, King Henry’s voice cut through the cold air.

"I know why you are here, Draven, and I hate to tell you there is nothing either of us could do unless you take back your core from her," King Henry began, his tone grave.

Draven’s jaw tensed, his resolve unwavering. "I will never do such a thing to my wife."

A heavy sigh escaped King Henry’s lips. "Then I cannot help you. You are nothing without your core, and only an El-Dezeus can fight Erebus." The weight of the words hung in the air, sealing the fate of Draven’s desperation.

"Why an El-Dezeus alone? If we all Join forces, we can defeat him and kill him for good." Draven voiced out his frustration, "He is a treat to my wife and everyone on earth, and if we gather all the powerful Dragons, we can_"

"We can’t," King Henry cut him off, "Erebus is not a force to be reckoned with. We tried that centries ago, but it was not successful until your father stepped in and used his powers. If your mother had not accompanied us that night, Erebus would have been killed instead of just being sealed away, and your parents would have survived the war."

Draven’s expression turned into a frown upon hearing the king’s words. Although he was aware that his parents had died while sealing Erebus, he had never been informed about the details of their deaths. "What do you mean?" Draven inquired.

The king remained silent for a while, staring off into the distance. Eventually, he spoke, "Centuries ago, when Erebus first emerged, he wreaked havoc on the world, causing death and spreading deadly diseases among humans. People died every day, and Erebus proposed that he would cease the deaths if they worshipped him and treated him like a deity. He brought chaos to the world, and gradually, that chaos infiltrated our realm, starting with my clan.

"Dragons began falling ill; we, as creatures, have the ability to heal quickly and do not require doctors. However, centuries ago, when Erebus’s havoc began to claim the lives of our kind, we had no choice but to seek medical help. It was a dreadful situation; our kind could no longer heal rapidly. So, I took matters into my own hands and attempted to eliminate Erebus, but I failed miserably, losing all of my soldiers, Draven. Many lives were lost until I sought out your father..." He paused, seemingly lost in his memories.

He continued speaking, "Your father, although a powerful Dragon, was never arrogant or power-hungry. He treated every creature with respect and had no desire to rule the whole of the dragon realm, despite being the last of the mighty dragons. He loved your mother deeply, and she loved him just as much. It pains me to admit that I had to send him away on the day you were born.

"After your mother gave birth to you, I urgently sought out your father. I explained to him how the world needed him, but he initially refused to help because he didn’t want to let his wife down." King Henry smile bitterly as he said,

"I remember his remarks, he had said, ’I will never let my wife down for the world, go and deal with Erebus yourself, Elowen needs me here today.’ It took me over an hour to convince him, and when he finally agreed to assist, your mother insisted on coming along."

Draven listened attentively to the king, trying to picture what his parents were like.

"Elowen, your mother was a courageous and strong woman who always fought by your father’s side. On that fateful day, if your father had not allowed her to come along, she would have secretly followed him anyway. So, he agreed to let her join us, entrusting you to the care of the servants until their return..." The king paused, his expression somber as he turned to face Draven.

"Your mother was your father’s greatest weakness. She held a special place in his heart. And on that day, she was killed by Erebus. I witnessed your father’s despair as he cradled her lifeless body, shedding tears for the first time in his thousands of years. Though he could have defeated Erebus, he let his vulnerability show when Elowen died, and Erebus took advantage of that moment to attack him. Before your father succumbed to his death, he managed to seal Erebus away with the last of his remaining strength."

Draven absorbed all the information before finally asking, "Why are you telling me all of this now?"

King Henry sighed, "I am telling you because i don’t want you to make another mistake like your father did. I, myself know what it is like to love someone deeply, but one has to learn to let go at some point in life. Your wife is your weakness, and this time if you don’t make one sacrifice for the world, you will lose everything, more than your father had lost, Draven."

Draven understood what king Henry was trying to tell him, but in this world, no one mattered enough to him like his wife, he would never sacrifice her life for the world. Rhea was a part of him, without her, then he had nothing. Let the world crumble, but Rhea shall not perish for it.

"I’m sorry, I will not give up Rhea for the world." Draven said firmly.

King Henry chuckled softly, "You are no different from your father," he said, "I understand that you love that girl. But if you can’t give her up for the world, then I am also sorry, I can not help you. You will lose her and the world all together if Erebus returns."

Draven clenched his fists at his sides, he then stared blankly at their house in the distance. He had brought Rhea to the dragon realm for one reason: to remove his core when the time comes, but his love for her changed everything. He could never imagine himself killing her with his own hands, nor could he imagine a life without her in it. She was the other part of him that made him complete, she was his lovely little Rhea. How could he sacrifice her for the world that had let him down countless times in the past?

Rheanna...

He would never, not in this lifetime kill her for the damn world!

After a moment of deep thought, Draven finally inquired, "Is there any alternative method to awaken my abilities, aside from using the core?" He was willing to do whatever it took, except for sacrificing his wife.

King Henry pondered the question for a while before responding, "There is indeed another way, but I cannot guarantee that it would be the most optimal course of action."

Hope filling his voice, Draven asked, "What way is that?"

King Henry proceeded to explain, "It involves obtaining the core of another powerful creature. In our realm, there are serpents and various other creatures residing in the dragon realm. The serpents, unlike the civilized dragons, still dwell in the forested part of our realm. For centuries, their king has been nothing short of evil, deriving pleasure from killing. He is the second most formidable being, next to your bloodline. If you manage to defeat him and acquire his core, it might unleash your full powers. However, this is_"

"I will do it." Draven cut the king off before he could tell him the aftermath of using another creatures core,"I am willing to try anything and everything, as long as Rhea remains safe."

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