Chapter 116: 116-Madam Zhen (2)
The moment stretched for a long time. Nytherael kept his back straightened and was yet to let go of Madam Zhen’s hand.
It was custom among dragons. It was their form of greeting, and until the elder accepted the greeting, getting up or letting go of their hands was considered disrespectful behaviour.
So even when time ticked away, he didn’t get up or move an inch. Deep down, he might not care about her reasons for prolonging the greeting more than necessary but since she was Aeltharion’s aunt and one of the few dragons Aeltharion held in high regard, he endured the clawing moment.
"Madam Zhen," the beastwoman from earlier got her voice. "I was just asking your son-in-law whether he had any regret over invoking divorce from your nephew and..." she paused, shool her head in disappointment before finishing. "Not only doesn’t he regret his actions. He also boldly said that if I feel bad about it, I should hit him," she let out, adding fuel to what she deemed as fire.
The guests gasped around them. "How can he act so bold in Drakheiron?"
"Does he think this is Lioris?"
"What sin did the Zhen royal family do in their past life to be punished with such a son-in-law?"
"How can he show up here acting so boldly after what he did? Has he no conscious?"
Many questions popped in every direction. The guests, all dragons from noble families, were astounded by Nytherael’s attitude.
The beastwoman smirked. She lobed every accusation made on Nytherael and seeing him rebuked by the guests.
Nytherael listened to the noise and felt more bored. He regretted honouring the invitation to the party, staying in his chambers, and sleeping through the night was better than being criticised and crucified for mistakes he didn’t do intentionally.
Seeing Nytherael quite and Madam Zhen silently watching Nytherael without a word, the beastwoman got bolder and went on to stir trouble.
"He clearly looks down on the Zhen family and dares to act like this. If you don’t punish him today, he’ll grow even bolder in the future," she uttered. ’So what if I can’t punish you myself. There are beasts capable of doing it and let’s see if you’re still so proud after Madam Zhen punishes you,’ she thought, loving the fact that the heavens presented her with an opportunity to see Nytherael punished.
Nytherael closed one ear, and he wished he could raise his hand and block his ear. The beastwoman’s voice sounded so horrible to his ear that he feared going deaf listening to her. However, in front of Aeltharion’s aunt, he didn’t dare.
A beastman stepped forward from the crowd. He bowed to Madam Zhen, folded his hands to his chest to salute her. "Madam Zhen, if I may be allowed a word."
The young girl didn’t look away from Nytherael but waved two fingers of her free hand to indicate that he could go ahead.
The beastman bowed once again, thankful for the opportunity. "I think that if what Mrs. Torro says is true then, it’s only right that you punish your son-in-law to avoid a repetition of such behaviour in the future," he offered his opinion.
"Yes."
"Yes."
The other guests seemed to agree with him. They all cheered for Nytherael to be punished. Seeing that Madam Zhen hadn’t allowed Nytherael to get up, they thought she too was displeased with him, and their words would definitely get Nytherael punished.
Having suffered great loses from the curses in the air and land, not to mention the curses that still lingered, none of them looked favourably at Nytherael, whom they blamed to be the cause of their misery.
Whether Nadam Zhen could hear them was entirely unknown because she showed no reaction to their words.
She silently watched Nytherael, unmoving. Her thoughts remained unknown because of the stoic expression on her face.
She looked like a beautiful lifelike statue that was frozen in that moment. Silence stretched in the room, and the soft music continued, but even the musicians felt nervous.
They didn’t know if they were supposed to stop playing until the moment starred moving again or if they were to keep going and act oblivious to the ongoings of the party.
Mrs. Torro found the silence uncomfortable. Madam Zhen, despite being the youngest elder in the Zhen family, she was known for her cold temper and having reached the level of a seven horses dragon in such a young age, she ranked right below Aeltharion in the dragon community.
Whispers and rumours that travelled around the community said that she was close to breaking through and gaining her eighth horn and speculations that she’d soon surpass Aeltharion and be the next genius of their time were widly spread. Which was why no one dared to act out in front of her despite her young age.
"Madam Zhen..." she tasted the waters. The ripples she caused barely caused waves on Aninma’s calm ocean. "Won’t you set an example and show Nytherael his place?"
Madam Zhen finally moved. An icy smile plastered on her lips, and her eyes remained cold, freezing up the room.
"Mrs. Torro," she called, her voice barely audible.
"Yes, Madam Zhen," Mrs. Torro bowed her head again.
"Did you see the way Sir Rademus requested to speak to me?" She asked.
Cold sweat broke in Mrs.Torro’s back and trickled down her spine. Caught in the moment of digging a grave for Nytherael, she had forgotten her place and didn’t ask permission to speak and simply went straight to air out her thoughts.
"I didn’t hear Nytherael say the things you’ve accused him of, but I have witnessed your lack of respect," she looked up, giving Mrs. Torro face.
Mrs. Torro felt her body freeze up under her cold gaze. She realized why the girl managed to keep her place as a ruling elder in Drakheiron, and her voice in the council remained unchallenged. She was scary.
She quickly bent down to her knees and kowtowed again and again, "I beg your forgiveness for being rude. It wasn’t my intention to disrespect you."
Nytherael couldn’t resist a scoff. She had held her head high, throwing accusations at him and running her mouth while she had no spine to back it up. It was refreshing to see her be humbled with just one question from Madam Zhen.
"You have it in you to scoff?" Madam Zhen, finally moving her hand that he was still pressing to his forehead.
She traced his cheek with her cold fingers before cupping his cheek and forcing Nytherael to look into her eyes.
"Nytherael," she called his name. Her tone was cold, and she stretched his name that Nytherael wad tempted to count the letters of his name to see how long it was. Her voice made it sound longer.
"Yes, aunt."
"Are you guilty of the accusations made against you?"
After she asked, the hall went silent again. This time, even the musicians stopped playing and waited to hear his answer.
Mrs. Torro was the only one who kept kowtowing and apologizing to Madam Zhen. Her voice was the only disturbance in the silent hall.
Nytherael looked into her cold, icy blue-eyed, feeling her slender fingers on his cheek and gulped. "No. I never said that," he answered simply.
Madam Zhen maintained eye contact for three seconds before she called out, "Guards!"
The crowd went quieter. The moment felt like a trial, and Madam Zhen was the judge, jury, and executioner. And they waited in anticipation for her ruling.
"Escort Mrs. Torro out and have her report to the council first thing tomorrow morning on charges of disrespecting the chief daughter and slander on the Zhen family’s son-in-law!" Her voice barely raised a notch, but her words echoed and hit every corner of the hall.
Mrs. Torro turned pale with horror. The crime of slander would get her a slap on the wrist as punishment but disrespecting the chief daughter, Aninma Zhen, that called fir worse punishments. She felt afraid.
"Mada..."
Madam Zhen silenced her with one glance. She helped Nytherael off the ground and pulled him towards a nearby chair.
"That punishment was for breaking Aeltharion’s heart. I won’t be merciful next time," she let out.
Nytherael nodded. His eyes trailed over to the beastwoman being dragged out of the party. The guests saw the scene, and all who spoke against Nytherael immediately regretted it. They lowered their heads and hoped that they weren’t next to be dragged out.
’Interesting,’ Nytherael thought, picking up a new chalice of wine.
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