Bound To The Ice Dragon King
Chapter 56: Reduce him to ashes!

Chapter 56: Reduce him to ashes!

Draven scoffed, "Don’t be too full of yourself, little girl. Just because he blushed doesn’t mean he’s smitten by you. Young Ice dragons are too cold to please, they don’t fall that easily. I’m sure he blushed because of your shamelessness of touching his chest."

Rhea glared at Draven, then pursed her lips, "Yeah, whatever." She huffed.

Draven nonchalantly took another sip of his tea, "So did you get away with the boy?"

Rhea’s expression dropped, "No, we were pursued by the fire controllers and the guards, but Aedan was too weak to run quickly. We found a hiding spot to stay for some time, and the little boy was injured, so I told him to hide in a cave while I fetched him some water. However, when I came back, I witnessed the fire controllers taking him away. I tried my best to rescue him, but in the end...I had to abandon him and save myself."

Draven frowned, "So now the ghost wants you to save him once again?"

Rhea nodded, "Yes, but I don’t think I could ever endanger my life to rescue him again. The ghost has been crying out, and I noticed she is transforming into a vengeful spirit with the dark aura surrounding her. But after what happened last time, I don’t think I would be capable of doing it..."

"What happened?" Draven asked inquisitively.

Rhea sighed, "A year ago, after I freed the little children, the fire controllers didn’t let the matter go and initiated an investigation..."

After Rhea released the children, the fire controllers had immediately started to investigate the matter. However, the reason she was deemed rebellious in the capital city stemmed from her act of releasing the dragons. During the interrogation of the guards on duty, it was discovered that one of them had caught a glimpse of the culprit’s distinctive silver hair as she fled. And in all of Birhhan, only Rhea possessed such a hair color.

Nonetheless, upon returning home from releasing the dragons, Rhea encountered Oriana in the Villden courtyard. Oriana stood alongside the entire Villden household, as well as some city folks and a few fire controllers. Her beautiful face wore a cold expression as she stared at Rhea with murderous intent.

Oriana had already informed the entire Villden household about Rhea’s crimes. However, when Duke Gerold questioned her, Rhea confidently denied ever being in the dungeon. Oriana signaled for her men to bring Aedan. The young boy was soon dragged into the courtyard, his body covered in blood and bruises, his eyes swollen. Yet, the guards continued to whip him mercilessly with a leopard whip.

Rhea observed his condition and frowned. She knew Oriana was using this opportunity to seek revenge on her. However, as Rhea glanced around at her family members and the few fire controllers present, she realized none of them opposed Oriana’s actions of beating the little boy; instead, they watched in silence.

Oriana ordered her men to force Rhea onto her knees and then stood proudly before her. With a calm but firm tone, she asked, "Rheanna Villden, you conspired with dragons, our enemies, and dared to release the prisoners from the dungeon in order to incite a rebellion against the human race. Do you confess to these crimes?"

Rhea didn’t respond and blankly stared, however her silence only made Oriana signal her men to whip the boy again.

Aedan’s cries echoed throughout the entire courtyard while they carried on lashing him, but no one intervened to prevent the harm inflicted upon an innocent child. Aedan surveyed the courtyard with his swollen eyes, and when he caught sight of Rhea, his face lit up slightly. However, upon noticing the presence of the fire controllers, he was wise enough to immediately avert his gaze from her and remained silent.

Nonetheless, Oriana observed the slight shift in the boy’s expression when he briefly glanced in Rhea’s direction. She approached him and asked in a cold tone, "Little monster, are you acquainted with this young woman? Did she release you from the dungeon?"

Despite the lash hitting his back, Aedan stubbornly clenched his jaw, and firmly shook his head, "No...I don’t know her..."

Oriana’s expression chilled up,"Hit him until he admits it!" She ordered.

The man with the lash was about to hit the boy again, but Rhea exclaimed, "That’s enough!"

Oriana turned her head towards Rhea, she then sneered, "Oh, so now you’re finally admitting it."

Rhea glanced at the pitiful little boy, who looked no more than nine years old, but knowing he was a dragon, she knew he was older than that as they aged slowly. When their gaze met, he offered her a faint smile then looked away from her.

Rhea couldn’t take it anymore, she couldn’t watch an innocent boy get hurt like this. Hence, she nodded, "Yes, I was the culprit who released the children!"

The people around gasped in surprise. Rhea’s father’s expression dropped in disappointment, while the bystanders began to whisper among themselves.

"She went against Birhhan’s laws!"

"She should be punished by banishment!"

Oriana smirked in satisfaction, "Very well, Rheanna." She said to Rhea, then turned to the people around, "This girl has committed a grave sin by letting lose the enemies, she is colluding with the dragon, releasing those little monsters to conspire with them to bring down the human race. She has..."

Rhea interrupted Oriana’s accusation without waiting for her to finish, exclaiming, "That’s enough!" She lifted her head and locked eyes with Oriana’s dark, midnight gaze. "Yes, I confess to setting the children free, but I refuse to remain silent while you falsely accuse me of conspiring with our enemies against the human race."

Oriana let out a dark chuckle. "Who do you think you’re fooling? If you weren’t planning to betray our own kind, why did you release them from the dungeon?"

Rhea scoffed in disbelief and spoke through gritted teeth. "Because they are innocent children! They have no involvement in the events of the past decades. They haven’t even fully developed their powers yet; they don’t deserve to be imprisoned. So, yes, I released them, but I did not collaborate with them!"

Zoorah sneered from the other side, "Do you expect us to believe your bullshit, Rhea? Just admit to your crimes and face the punishment."

Rhea glared at her so called sister, then said, "I have not done anything wrong, I only released a bunch of innocent children. I helped a poor mother, who’s ghost couldn’t rest in peace because her son isn’t safe." Just as Rhea was speaking, the ghost appeared behind Oriana. "Look, she’s here, standing behind you!"

"You must be completely out of your mind!" Oriana’s expression darkened, "I can see you’ve lost a few of your brain cells, but don’t worry, I will teach you a lesson."

Rhea searched desperately for support among her family members, but none of them believed her or came forward. As a result, she chose to remain silent.

"Where have you hidden the dragons you set free? If you tell us the truth, we will go easy on you. I will plead with Azure to be lenient in your punishment," Oriana said smugly.

"I don’t know," Rhea replied with indifference.

Oriana stared at Rhea for a moment before turning her attention back to the young boy, whose skin was badly wounded from the whip. His screams filled the courtyard. "Since Rhea is defending you, you must be involved in her plan," she told the boy. "Tell us where the others are and what she intends to do. Speak!" She forcefully grabbed his chin and spoke through gritted teeth, "If you refuse to speak, I have numerous methods to make you talk. I can make you experience even more pain than you’re feeling right now."

Aedan weakly withdrew his chin from her grasp, although he was brave, tears streamed down his face. He managed to utter, "I don’t know. Sister Rhea isn’t involved with the dragons..." Aedan spoke in an effort to exonerate Rhea. However, his defense of her and the manner in which he addressed her only worsened the situation. All eyes now focused on Rhea.

Oriana smugly glanced at her with an expression that says; ’ you’re lower than an ant, you tried to cross my path, watch as I stomp over you.’

Rhea didn’t like being wrongly accused, and to make it worst, Oriana’s smug look only provoked her, and her dislike for the woman increased. She wasn’t the type to let people walk away after stomping on her. Not today, and not tomorrow.

Rhea rose to her feet and clenched her fists. "How could you harm this innocent boy? He’s an orphan, his mother was killed by you. Don’t you fear her haunting you at night?"

Oriana chuckled, "I, Oriana Credan, fear no one. As a fire controller with spells that can immobilize any creature on earth, why should I fear those wicked beasts? Dragons, alive, don’t intimidate me. Dead, even less so. I will imprison her soul, ensuring she never crosses over again! I dare her to show herself to me at night!"

Rhea locked eyes with the ghost, who glanced around in helplessness, unable to do anything except witness her son’s pain.

Oriana’s contemptuous stare met with Rhea’s, then shifted toward the young boy who appeared to be repeating the same plea. "Release me..."

Oriana delivered a harsh slap to his battered cheek. "Silence! Since you refuse to speak the truth, then you are of no value to me. Reduce him to ashes and seal away his evil soul!"

Upon receiving her command, two fire controllers stepped forward and respectfully acknowledged, "Certainly, my lady!"