Bound To The Ice Dragon King-Chapter 193: Choices

Aria confidently led Rhea into the magnificent building, its entrance alone was adorned with intricate carvings and grand doors. As they crossed the threshold, the interior revealed itself in a burst of light and wealth. The air was filled with the sweet scent of perfumes. Workers in the building immediately bowed as they recognized Aria, acknowledging her status as the princess.

Rhea, however, stood there in awe, her eyes wide at the dazzling surroundings. The building was bathed in bright light, and every corner seemed to glisten with luxury. Despite Aria’s reassurances, Rhea couldn’t shake her worry about affording the gowns here. Though Aria had said there was nothing Draven couldn’t afford in here, she still found it hard to believe. She hadn’t seen how much wealth Draven possessed, and she didn’t want to misuse the money he had given her by buying expensive gowns and jewelry.

Aria, accustomed to such gestures, acknowledged the workers bow with a nod. She then turned to Rhea, "Come, let me show you the wonders within."

Rhea shook her head, "I don’t want to go further in since I won’t be buying anything from here. Let’s go to the smaller shops across the street, I saw some affordable beautiful gowns." She said and started to turn to exit, but Aria pulled her wrist and approached an assistant, who promptly bowed and greeted them. Aria instructed the young woman without heeding to Rhea’s protest, "Please guide us to the section with beautiful wedding gowns and jewelries."

The assistant, with a gracious demeanor, led them through the enchanting path. Rhea couldn’t help but notice everyone in the Dragon realm acted more human, she hadn’t seen anyone in their Dragon form. If it weren’t for the Dragon structures around the streets, and the weird way of the people’s dressing, Rhea would have thought she was in another part of the human realm.

If the Dragon realm was this beautiful, she wondered why their people were sneaking into Birhhan.

As they entered the gown sections the assistant led them to, Rhea couldn’t help but marvel at the array of gowns, each more splendid than the last. In her mind, she still wrestled with the concern of the cost.

As they moved deeper into the section, Rhea whispered to Aria that they should leave, but her friend ignored her. And to make matters worst, Lilac was already pointing at beautiful gowns and telling the assistant to bring them down for her savior to try them on.

"Lilac, are you going to pay for the gowns you are pointing at?!" She scolded, but Lilac also ignored her protests and said, "Mister says myself should help you choose the most beautiful gown."

Rhea gave up protesting as none of them were listening to her. She finally decided to choose a gown here, but she was determined to be a considerate future wife by choosing the most affordable gown and jewelry for the wedding.

Rhea followed the assistant through the mesmerizing displays, her eyes lingering on the breathtaking gowns that seemed to shimmer with a magical allure.

The assistant gracefully presented five stunning gowns which Lilac and Aria had chosen. Rhea’s eyes widened in delight at the array of choices, but one particular gown caught her attention. It was a purple color, and Rhea was sure Lilac had chosen it. It was adorned with delicate lace and embroidered details that seemed to dance in the soft light.

However, as Rhea glanced at the price tag, her initial joy turned into surprise, and her mouth fell open. The gown, though breathtaking, was accompanied by a hefty price that left her momentarily speechless. She hesitated, contemplating whether to voice her concerns about the cost again.

Aria, sensing Rhea’s hesitation, stepped forward with a mischievous smile. "No complaints, Rhea. You deserve the best for your special day." Before Rhea could protest, Aria playfully nudged her toward the changing room. "Try it on; you’ll see it’s worth every diamond."

Reluctantly, Rhea entered the changing room, still grappling with the idea of such extravagance. As she slipped into the gown, the fabric draped around her like a dream. The intricate details accentuated her figure, and she couldn’t deny the gown’s allure.

Emerging from the changing room, Rhea stood in awe of herself in the mirror. Aria’s eyes sparkled with approval. "Stunning, isn’t it?" Aria exclaimed. "Draven would be enchanted. Don’t worry about the price; it’s a small detail in the grand scheme of things."

Rhea, still caught between amazement and concern, couldn’t deny the gown’s beauty. As she twirled in front of the mirror, a sense of magic enveloped her. Aria was right, she deserved the best for her special day. A person only got to marry once in a lifetime, and she wanted to be the most beautiful and the happiest bride on her wedding day; even though she knew they still had a lot of problems with Alina still being alive, Rhea didn’t want any of that to stop her from being happy with the one she loved.

Though she had married Draven in the border town, she wouldn’t consider that a proper wedding as he was still using Jurian’s identity. And since she had been brave enough to propose to him herself, she meant to live with him forever, and she wanted to have something binding them together apart from the core in her body or the soulmate bond which she was yet to ask him about if Alina was telling the truth. She wanted to be bound to him through marriage and give her body to him without any regrets or shame.

Rhea smiled as she admired herself in the mirror. "I’ll take the gown." She announced proudly.

After buying a wedding gown for Rhea, Aria also bought a dress for Lilac and herself. They had fun moving around admiring a few more dresses. Rhea, who had never been shopping before enjoyed herself with the ladies, she laughed at Lilac’s stupid jokes and discussed with Aria about Valen as they headed to the jewelry section.

As Aria and Rhea made their way to the jewelry section, they unexpectedly encountered a few more women buying jewelry, and it seemed Aria was familiar with some of them. Her expression tightened, and she swiftly changed directions, attempting to avoid the young women. However, "Your Highness!" the women spotted her and called out, their voices echoing through the spacious hall.

Aria stopped in her tracks and muttered a curse under her breath. Rhea, curious, asked her, "Why are we avoiding them?" Before Aria could respond, the women hurried toward them, bowing to Aria.

"Good day, your highness." The three women bowed echoing in unison.

The women were adorned in extravagant dresses that revealed most of their womanly curves. The woman in the middle of the two seemed to be an important person among them, as she exuded an air of arrogance. With red hair pouring down her shoulders in waves. Ignoring Rhea, she addressed Aria,

"Princess Aria, it’s nice meeting you here. You have been gone for a long time we thought you were killed in the human realm. Are you here to grace us with your royal presence or perhaps to finally buy some suitable jewelry?"

Rhea felt a subtle disdain in her tone and observed their dismissive attitude toward her. The women only acknowledged Aria, as if Rhea was invisible. Aria, maintaining her composure, replied to the red haired lady, "We’re here for jewelry, indeed. And this is Rhea, the future wife of El-Dezeus."

The women glanced briefly at Rhea, their expressions bordering on condescension. "Oh, the plain human girl from Birhhan," one of them remarked with a sly smile. "How did you manage to conquer the heart of the most powerful Dragon on earth? Did you also use the act of seduction like that witch who betrayed him twenty years ago? We hope you won’t stab him in the chest on your wedding day, you..."

"One more word from your stupid mouth, I will cut out your tongue!" Rhea warned dangerously. She could over look their arrogant behavior of treating her like an ant, but accusing her of betrayal struck a nerve, especially in comparison to the painful history with Alina.

The women, momentarily taken aback by Rhea’s fierce response, looked at her in disbelief.

Aria, sensing the tension, stepped forward, her gaze sharp as she regarded the women. "Enough of this. We’re here for jewelry, not petty words. If you have nothing useful to say, step aside."

Rhea, still seething with anger, refused to let their words affect her. As the women reluctantly stepped back, she held her head high, determined to rise above their petty insults.

As they passed the women, Rhea leaned in and asked, "Who are they?"

"My childhood bullies. The children of one of the royal Dragon courts ministers. Don’t let their words get to you, they have nothing to do but bully the weak."

Rhea fell silent. Although their words had previously affected her, she couldn’t help but wonder about what others in the Dragon realm thought of her, especially Draven. She didn’t believe he thought she would betray him, but he might still carry the scars from his past and have fears leading up to their wedding day.

Rhea no longer had the desire to shop anymore, and when Aria took her to the jewelry section, she only found one piece that caught her attention. However, upon seeing the price tag and realizing she didn’t have enough money to purchase it, she decided not to buy any jewelry. She told Aria that they should leave because she had a terrible headache.

By the time they returned to the palace, it was evening. And they met the news that the fire controllers have backed away from the borders, and that Alina had gone into hiding and no one knew where she was or what she was up to.

Rhea returned to her room after hearing the news from her maids. She couldn’t help but think that Alina might be up to something, and for the first time she thought perhaps she shouldn’t have insisted they got married as soon as possible. She was aware that if Alina decided to attack Draven, he wouldn’t be able to fight her because of his lack of core. He had warned her never to mention about the core in her body as his again, but she couldn’t help the fear that if Alina were to confront him...

As Rhea was lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t realize when someone walked into her room until she felt an arm wrapped around her from behind. Reacting on instinct, she used her elbow to strike the person’s stomach and attempted to break free, only to pause when he whispered in her ear, "What a fierce little fiancée I have."

Rhea froze in his embrace. "You startled me!" she exclaimed.

Draven erupted in a deep, rich laughter unfamiliar to Rhea. His arms remained locked around her midsection, and his chin nestled in the curve of her shoulder as she heard his deep, husky, lazy voice inquire, "Did you enjoy your day?"

Rhea had enjoyed her day until it was ruined by those ladies. However, she forced a smile and nodded, "Yes, thanks to the money you gave me, I bought a beautiful wedding gown." Which she now regretted the purchase, considering she was about to suggest postponing their wedding.

"Hmm," Draven murmured, still holding her tightly against his firm chest. "You didn’t get any jewelry, did you?" he asked once more.

With tears welling in her eyes, Rhea shook her head but managed to hold them back as she uttered, "Draven... I think we should postpone the wedding for now until we are certain of..."