NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Their Child
>>Aelin
Draegon's cold gaze pierced through me as he turned, his expression devoid of the warmth he offered me before.
Something felt off—so deeply, devastatingly off. He looked at me as though I were a stranger, someone he didn't want to see at all.
"This is Ruoxy," he said, his voice calm. He gestured to the fox spirit beside him, her golden eyes glinting with pride as she stood tall at his side. "I'm going to marry her."
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It was like a blow from a thunderbolt.
The room spun around me. His words crashed over me drowning out the cheers of the demons that erupted in approval. My eyes flicked to his horns, now larger, grander, and more imposing than I remembered—bigger even than the Demon Queen's.
I couldn't breathe.
How could he do this to me?
For him, I had done everything. I had endured the endless isolation, the whispers, the scorn of the demons. I had buried my own fears and walked into the unknown because of the promises he made to me. Because of him, I lost the one thing that had brought me joy, and I suffered in silence to uphold the fragile truce that tethered our worlds together.
All I had were his words…
"Why?" I whispered, the word escaping my lips before I could stop it. My voice trembled but I couldn't help but ask. I had to know.
Draegon's expression didn't change. If he saw the pain in my eyes, he didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he turned his gaze to Ruoxy, and his tone softened in a way it never had for me.
"I fell in love with her on the battlefield," he said, his words reverberating through the hall, slicing deeper into my heart. "The battlefield was a nightmare, a place where death lingered at every corner. If it hadn't been for Ruoxy fighting by my side, I wouldn't have made it."
His voice carried a kind of reverence as he spoke of her, "She's strong, clever, fearless," he continued, his admiration making Ruoxy blush faintly, though she didn't avert her gaze from him.
"Yes!"
"You both are a perfect match!"
"That's exactly how it should have been!"
The demons around us cheered again, their voices rising in celebration of the union.
And me? I stood there, small and invisible, crushed beneath the weight of their approval. The cheers were deafening yet the voices faded into oblivion as I stared at the war couple
In that moment, I realized just how much I had been a fool to believe him.
The cheers were deafening, but Draegon's words were the only thing that echoed in my mind
'I'm going to marry her.'
I couldn't breathe. My chest tightened, and the room blurred around me. The demons' applause swelled while I felt myself shrinking, fading into nothing.
I stumbled back, my legs moving before I even realized it. I turned and fled, the sound of their joy chasing after me like a cruel specter. My footsteps echoed through the halls as I ran, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break free from my chest.
I didn't know where I was going. All I felt in the moment was humiliation and how much of a fool I am.
When I finally stopped, I found myself in an isolated hallway. My back hit the wall, and I slid to the floor, gasping for air as the misery and dread clawed their way through me.
I remained there for a while, my eyes wide in fear as my mind raced.
What just happened… Was I really thrown away? This… is this what I am worth- No,
But
My whole life, I had been treated like a burden, an inconvenience to be passed off. My family made sure I knew it every day. And when they sent me here, it wasn't to save me—it was to get rid of me.
For two years, I had deluded myself into thinking Draegon was different. That his words meant something. That his promises would protect me.
But they were just that—words.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold the despair at bay, but it kept coming. The anxiety pulled me under, tears burned my eyes as it felt difficult to breathe.
You're such a fool
How could you ever believe he'd treat you any differently? And a demon at that… Tears fell down my cheeks.
I am an idiot… A fool…
I clasped my hands over my chest in agony, my vision blurring as the tears plopped down to the ground. I felt my hope fading,
But even now, even as the pain consumed me, some small, stubborn part of me refused to let go.
I didn't want to let go
He listened to me before. I sniffled. When he was leaving, he had given me all his attention. Maybe he would listen again. Maybe…
I wasn't sure
But I can try, right?
I blinked hard, brushing the tears away with the back of my hand. My body felt heavy as I pushed myself to my feet, but I forced myself to move.
I have to talk to him. I SHOULD talk to him. I sniffled, trying my best to keep my tears at bay.
The corridors were quiet as I made my way back, my footsteps soft against the floor. My heart pounded in my chest but my head had started to hurt from the crying.
Soon though, I spotted Draegon as he was leaving the throne room, Ruoxy at his side. The sight of them together twisted something deep inside me, but I didn't stop.
"Draegon," I called, my voice trembling but loud enough to reach him.
He stopped, turning to look at me. His eyes—those sharp, purple eyes—locked onto mine. For a fleeting moment, they softened, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by the same cold indifference I'd seen before.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Can I—can I speak with you? In private?"
He stared back at me with a word
"Please?" I begged
"No," He replied and I felt a crushing blow
"Please," I said again, "Please," I begged, "Just once," I was doing the best I could to stop myself from shaking, "Please,"
Ruoxy's golden eyes flicked toward me, amusement dancing in them.
"Please, Draegon," I kept my eyes on him and I might be hallucinating but there was a flicker of something in his eyes, "Please," The fingers of his hands twitched a little, "Please…"
Ruoxy looked around, at the other demons who were now coming out of the room. Her lips curled into a small, smug smile. "Go on," she said lightly, brushing her hand against Draegon's arm. "She deserves at least that much."
Draegon sighed, a sound that sent another wave of pain through me, but he nodded. He gestured for me to follow him, and I did, my legs trembling with every step
***
When we stopped in the bedroom we once shared, he turned to face me, his towering frame blocking out the light. "What is it?" he asked, his tone flat, emotionless.
I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat. This was it—the moment I'd begged for. But his cold gaze made me feel like the fool I was, clinging to the faint hope that maybe, just maybe, his promises still meant something.
I clutched the pendant in my trembling hands, my fingers curling around the cool metal.
"You promised me," I said softly, my voice shaking as I fought to hold myself together.
"What promise?" He said, shocking me
"You gave me this pendant—your mother's pendant. You said it was your greatest promise."
He glanced at the pendant briefly, as though it were just another trinket, and shrugged. "It's just a pendant, a pendant means nothing to a demon."
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His words hit like a slap, but I refused to back down. I tightened my grip on the pendant, the edges biting into my palm. "But you promised," I said again, desperation creeping into my voice. "You said you would protect me, that I would be safe with you. Wasn't that what this meant?"
Draegon's cold gaze fixed on me, his violet eyes void of the warmth, "I said that, didn't I?" he replied, his tone sharp, dismissive. "You should have been smarter, woman. Why would a demon take care of a human?"
The air seemed to leave my lungs. My chest tightened, and I struggled to find my voice again. "I waited for you," I whispered, tears threatening to spill over. "I waited for you, Draegon. I endured—" I hesitated, my voice catching on the words. "I endured so much while you were gone. The isolation, the contempt... I bore it all because I believed in you."
He didn't respond. Not a word, not a flicker of emotion. His silence felt like a blade cutting deeper than anything he could have said.
I stepped closer, my hands trembling as I held the pendant out toward him. "What about your promises?" I asked, my voice breaking.
"I never promised to remain married only to you," he said flatly, his tone devoid of any warmth.
The words shattered me. My knees buckled, but I forced myself to stay standing. "You said you'd protect me," I said, my voice trembling, barely above a whisper now.
He tilted his head slightly, his expression almost bored. "I don't need to protect you," he said coldly. "I just need you alive. The truce between our kingdoms depends on it."
"What?" My pupils shook, "You said you'd keep me safe."
"No one can physically harm you, you are the person who is keeping the truce in place. I don't need to do anything."
Something inside me broke at that moment. The tears I had been holding back spilled over, streaming down my cheeks as I clutched the pendant against my chest. "I—" My voice cracked
"Don't bother me again," He said, "I would rather not meet with you again."
It was like something inside of my being was getting shattered. He was so cold, I could feel the icy pricks in my heart.
Does nothing matter to him? All his words were just lies?
"I'm leaving," He turned to walk away, trampling on my feeling, and all of my hopes
I choked on a sob. "I lost our baby." I said as tears rolled down my cheeks
Draegon stiffened. His cold mask faltered, and his eyes widened slightly as he looked back at me, "What?" he asked, his voice softer now, uncertain. "Our child?" He walked back towards me.
I nodded, tears falling freely. "Yes," I said, my voice barely audible. "I lost our child… because of everything I endured. Because I wanted to do what was right for you."
He came over and grabbed my shoulders, "What?" He seemed surprised. And for a moment, I thought I saw something shift in his eyes—the look softened.