Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 219: The forest

Chapter 219: The forest

Rhea emerged from the swirling magic portal, her breath visible in the cold air. As she stepped onto the unfamiliar terrain, a wave of surprise washed over her. The snow-covered landscape she’d left was now replaced by a lush forest, vibrant and alive with the colors of spring.

King Henry had opened a magical Portal that lead to the Western Dragon realm for Rhea, he had told her it would lead her to the forest where she would find Draven, but she hadn’t expected the land to be free of snow. The trees stood tall and proud, their leaves painted in various shades of green, swaying gently with the caress of the warm breeze.

The silence of the forest enveloped her, broken only by the distant melody of a flowing river and the cheerful tunes of unseen birds. Rhea couldn’t help but marvel at the stark contrast to the icy world she had left behind. She took a moment to absorb the tranquility before realizing she had no idea where she was or where to find Draven.

She had been told he would be in this forest if he had found the serpent king, but now that Rhea was here, she couldn’t see any signs that Draven had been here. Thus she decided to follow her instinct instead.

Rhea ventured into the heart of the woodland. Though she had recently discovered she was pregnant, the newfound energy and determination pulsating through her veins overshadowed any weariness that might have held her back. The thought of her husband fighting a powerful serpent alone fueled her every step.

Rhea was aware that in her condition, it wasn’t advisable for her to venture into danger, she was still in the early stage of pregnancy and is required to rest in bed. But how could she rest knowing what Draven was up to? She had been eager to tell him about her pregnancy, but now that eagerness was gone.

As she delved deeper into the forest, Rhea’s senses heightened. The air carried a faint scent of blooming flowers, and the sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting a warm glow on the forest ground. By the time she walked into the middle of the forest, she was already breathing heavily in exhaustion. And when she thought she would never find Draven, she heard a loud clashing sound in the distance.

The clashing sound resonated louder, echoing through the trees. Rhea stopped in her tracks as she recognized the familiar aura that swirled in the air – it was Draven’s.

Her heart quickened, and she quickened her pace, weaving through the forest with determination. The peace of the forest was shattered by the occasional rustle of leaves and the rhythmic sound of her own footsteps.

Rhea heard another booming sound as she got closer to the place, she could feel the tension of the battle in the atmosphere, and then when she got closer, everything went silent.

Despite the sudden silence, Rhea kept walking towards the direction, she soon came across countless fallen trees and sunken grounds. Her heart pounded as she approached the largest sunken ground. The hostility in the air became palpable, and her urgency grew. Suddenly, she halted at the gruesome sight she beheld in the sunken ground.

A large black three-headed serpent, laid lifeless, one of its heads lay bloodied on the sunken ground. The urge to throw up suddenly overwhelmed her.

The relief of realizing Draven had defeated the serpent washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by fear when she saw no signs of him nearby. Panic threatened to grip her as she frantically scanned the surroundings. Just as desperation threatened to take hold, a flash of red light from the opposite direction caught her eye.

Racing toward it, Rhea heard a low grunt of pain followed by a cough, intensifying her worry.

In a small clearing, she found Draven on his knees, clutching his chest as a bright red light emitted from his body. Blood stained his clothes, and he coughed out blood, his shoulder shaking violently.

With trembling voice, she called, "Draven...!"

When he turned to her, his blue eyes had a hint of red in them, and for a moment, he seemed to gaze at her as if he didn’t recognize her.

As recognition flickered in his eyes, he frowned, " What are you doing here?" He managed to ask through his coughs.

"I came for you." Rhea ran to him, concern etched across her face, but Draven skillfully moved back as if avoiding her before he said, "Stay away, Rhea. The serpent’s core is interfering with my sense and body. I could hurt you."

Undeterred, Rhea approached him and knelt down before him. Tenderly, she cupped his cheeks despite his resistance. "You would never hurt me, Draven. I won’t leave you, no matter what." She whispered softly.

Tears welled in her eyes as she used her sleeve to clean the blood from his face. "You shouldn’t have risked your life, Draven, you look so bad."

Tears streamed down Rhea’s face as she cried for Draven, her trembling hand gently placed on his bleeding chest. It felt as if she were the one wounded, and her sobs echoed through the quiet forest.

Despite Draven’s injuries, he felt a tightening in his chest at the sight of her anguish for him. He raised a blood-stained hand, attempting to wipe away her tears. "I’m okay, Rhea. Don’t cry. Please, i_" Before he could finish his words, another bout of coughing seized him, and he pressed a hand to his chest.

Rhea’s worry deepened, "Why are you coughing blood? What’s happening?"

"The core... it’s not mending with my body." He choked out between his coughs.

"Then take it out of your body." Rhea suggested in concern.

Draven shook his head, "No, the core will mend with my system given time. I will be fine in a few days." He assured.

Rhea gazed at him fixedly as if to search his expression if he was telling the truth. She had heard that a serpent’s core was venomous to any creature, and the fact that king Henry had suggested Draven to use it surprised her. But then perhaps it was different for Dragons. However, it didn’t seemed like it was working well for Draven.

She wiped away her tears, "Come, let me take care of your wounds."

With Rhea’s support, he struggled to stand, and she guided him toward a nearby flowing river. The water sparkled in the dappled sunlight, and the trees swayed gently around them. Helping him sit on the ground, she leaned him against a sturdy tree trunk.

The clean, flowing water provided a stark contrast to the turmoil in Rhea’s heart. She knelt down before him and carefully began to help him out of his bloodied shirt. She pulled his hand out of the sleeves with so much care, it was as if she was handling a child as she pulled the shirt over his head.

Draven watched his wife with a mixture of gratitude and tenderness, his pained expression softened. He hadn’t told Rhea about his mission as he feared she would insist on coming with him, and he hadn’t expected her to come after him after he had left her to grieve for Azure’s death. But here she was taking care of him...

As the shirt slipped off, revealing the extent of his injuries, Rhea gasped at the sight of the wound in his chest. She raised her gaze to his eyes, which she noticed still had a hint of red in them. "In this moment, Draven, I really should teach you a lesson by spanking you. How could you be so reckless and foolish to fight a serpent alone? What if you had been killed? Do you have any idea how worried I was, you_"

Draven interrupted her outburst with an apology. He could see that she was furious and concerned. "I am sorry, i..." he began to speak but Rhea raised her hand to cut him off.

"Save your explanation for later, Draven. Right now, let me stop this bleeding."

Rhea couldn’t understand why she was suddenly angry that Draven had risked his life just to avoid taking back his core. However, she didn’t dwell on her anger. She stood up, tore a piece of fabric from her dress, and swiftly made her way to the river.

Draven silently watched as she dipped the fabric into the water and returned to him. He remained quiet as she wiped away the blood from his chest and tied the makeshift bandage around him. Despite her anger, she treated him with great care.

Just as Rhea was about to stand up, he reached out and grabbed her wrist. "You’re angry because I risked my life. I’m sorry, Rhea. It was the only way to ensure I won’t lose you in the future. My body needed a core, and I will never take yours from you."

Draven had already stopped addressing the core as his ever since the day he declared it was now hers. Rhea understood why he had risked his life, if she were in his shoes, she would have done the same. But...

"That’s enough," she said, settling herself beside him and leaning her back against the tree, she pulled his head to rest on her lap. "You should rest for awhile before we return home."

As Draven rested his head on Rhea’s lap and closed his tired eyes, the forest enveloped them in a serene silence, broken only by the gentle flow of the river and the distant songs of birds. Rhea, lost in her thoughts, absent-mindedly ran her hand through his hair with a mixture of worry and tenderness.

In the midst of the silence, Draven finally noticed a subtle change in Rhea’s aura. Without opening his eyes, he questioned, "Why does your aura smell different today, my love?"

Rhea was taken aback by his words, momentarily caught off guard until she understood his meaning. She had been eager to talk to Draven this morning, wanting to reveal her pregnancy. But now, sitting there with him, she knew she couldn’t disclose the good news just yet.

Although Rhea desperately wanted to share with him that she was carrying his child, she had another reason as to why she shouldn’t do so just yet. She needed to ensure something first before revealing the news to her husband. Until she had clarified the matters with King Henry, she would have to keep Draven in the dark.

Attempting to divert his attention, Rhea made up a quick excuse, "Oh, it’s probably the change of the weather. You know how aura changes with the air."

Draven’s closed eyes slowly opened, he glanced up at her with a frown, "No, Rhea, your aura really seems to scent different today. Is something bothering your mind?"

Caught in her own web of excuse, Rhea took a deep breath before responding, "It’s nothing. I am just worried about your injuries. My aura smells different to you because of the new core in your body." She tried to reassure him, but his gaze held a sense of suspicion.

Since Draven had no idea what pregnant dragon aura smelled like, he didn’t know that was what Rhea was hiding from him. And sensing her unease, he attributed it to his own condition, "Perhaps my senses are a bit messed up right now."

Rhea, relieved, nodded in agreement, "Yes, that must be it. Just rest for awhile. I’ll be right here with you." She smiled at him until he closed his eyes.

As the forest held them in its quiet embrace, Rhea continued to stroke his hair while swallowing the bitterness in her throat. How she wished she could just share the news with him, how she wished her heart didn’t hold some doubt. She needed to speak to king Henry as soon as possible and get the doubt off her chest.

The warmth of the sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a gentle glow on the couple. The river continued its steady flow, a soothing backdrop to the conflicted thoughts that swirled in each of their minds.