Chapter 281: Who Poked A Dragon?
Back on Ivan’s side of Dracoria Palace, Arthur went into a frenzy to prepare a full royal breakfast spread after receiving word that the King and the Duke would be joining them.
Ordinarily, if the King wished to dine with anyone, they were expected to go to the main building where he resided, and everything would be arranged swiftly by the highly trained royal chefs, as many visitors came to meet him for various purposes.
But for the King to come all the way to the Crown Prince’s wing of the palace was unheard of, at least not in a long time, ever since Ivan had grown up and taken to meeting his father on his own terms whenever he was in the palace.
It was not that the Prince’s wing lacked skilled chefs. Rather, such an occasion was simply unusual. Prince Ivan never hosted soirees or social gatherings that required such an elaborate display.
Still, the staff gave it their all, eager to put their best foot forward for the pride of their prince, even though Ivan himself was completely unaware of it. They assumed all the instructions coming from Arthur must have originated with him, especially since Arthur had only just returned after tidying the prince’s chambers.
Maids ran about frantically, attempting to put everything in order, even though everything was already in order.
After all, this was Ivan’s turf, where nothing less than perfection was ever tolerated. Still, they could not help but wonder what had prompted such a decision from the King.
The more they speculated, the more their thoughts spiralled, feeding the rumours further. Perhaps the King had finally decided to visit the crippled princess. And, to their growing dread, perhaps he had come to cast her out of the palace and reject her as their perfect prince’s chosen partner.
Rumours spread in full swing, and the more people whispered, the worse they became, prompting some to offer silent prayers that such things would not come to pass. The spy planted by Minister Silas heard it all and could only feel pleased on behalf of her benefactor.
She did not wait a moment longer to send a message through the usual discreet channels, informing him that Princess Evelyn was crippled and that His Majesty was heading to the prince’s wing of the palace to cast her out.
What the poor bird did not realise was that, despite believing herself discreet, there were already many pairs of eyes watching her every move in silence.
Damien, Cece, and Edward were seated in the lounge on the ground floor, having tea in relative silence, safely removed from the chaos Arthur was currently unleashing upon the palace staff as he orchestrated breakfast like a military campaign.
"I am afraid he might actually pass out with the amount of stress he is taking on right now," Cece remarked, sipping her tea as she watched ships take off beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of the elegant lounge.
"I am afraid you are right," Edward murmured. "I am genuinely impressed the staff have not tripped and fallen flat on their faces, considering they are running about as though the palace itself has caught fire." His pale blue eyes drifted past Cece just in time to witness two maids narrowly miss colliding while carrying oversized vases filled with towering flowers.
"You are both forgetting that the staff are professionally trained to survive this level of chaos whenever Ivan sets foot in the palace," Damien drawled, a knowing smirk curling his lips. "After all, our dear ice prince remains gloriously frostbitten to everyone except Evelyn. The rest of us are merely tolerated."
"Honestly," Cece sighed, lowering her teacup, "perhaps it is time to go back to the academy."
Edward smiled at her. "So, you miss our deranged professors already?"
"Well....as much as I have enjoyed my holiday here, I do find myself craving a more familiar brand of madness," Cece replied, returning his smile.
They continued to look at each other as though the rest of the room had politely ceased to exist. Damien glanced between them, grimaced theatrically, and muttered, "I swear, if you two start holding hands, I am charging you rent for occupying shared airspace."
The knock at the door came at precisely the right moment. Damien nearly brightened. "Ah. Salvation," he said cheerfully, far too pleased to escape his role as the unfortunate, eternal third wheel.
It was Alex who entered the room, his gaze immediately locking onto Damien, prompting him to raise an eyebrow in return. "Ah. If it is not the man who provides me with daily entertainment," Damien said brightly. "How may I be of assistance, Alex?" He flashed him an innocent smile, making Alex instantly regret coming here instead of sending Caleb.
Alex cleared his throat subtly and reported in his usual stoic manner, "I have news on the rat’s movements."
The grin on Damien’s lips widened, as though his day had just been made. "You do now. Well then, do enlighten me."
Alex stepped closer and lowered his voice so that only Damien could hear, relaying information about the maid who had sent a message to Silas, as well as the rumours currently circulating throughout the palace.
Damien burst out laughing at what the spy had relayed to Silas, though his laughter faded just as quickly at the mention of rumours spreading about Evelyn being crippled. He clicked his tongue and muttered, "It seems the person spreading such charming stories about Evelyn being crippled might need a first-hand lesson in what that actually feels like. I am certain my dear brother would wholeheartedly agree."
Alex gave a small nod in response. "I believe so, too, Lord Damien."
Cece’s and Edward’s brows knitted together at the mention of Evelyn. "There are rumours about Evelyn being crippled?" Cece asked.
"Yes," Damien replied mildly. "Apparently, people no longer fear death when they decide it is wise to poke a sleeping dragon, having mistaken it for a harmless mountain."
Edward scoffed. "That sounds about right."
"Who poked a dragon?"
A sweet voice rang out from behind them as a soft click echoed through the lounge, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. Heads turned in unison, eyes widening as an ethereal woman stepped out from the hidden door, Ivan guiding her gently forward.
She was adorned in a beautiful, high-neck blush pink gown. The soft fabric clung gracefully to her form, its delicate shimmer catching the light with every subtle movement. The high neckline framed her elegance rather than restraining it, lending her an air of quiet authority and poise.
Sheer sleeves and flowing cape panels trailed behind her, softening her presence while somehow making it more commanding. Her hair was twisted and pinned from both sides into a delicate crown that framed her head, with the rest of her long hair falling freely down her back.
Her serene, ethereal face carried a beautiful smile as deep blue eyes swept across them, filled with nothing but love and tenderness, clearly conveying just how glad she was to see them again.
As the door closed behind them, she took a slow step forward, clutching Ivan’s hand tightly as he continued to hold hers. She struggled to control the overwhelming emotions that flooded her all at once.
Sensing it, he wrapped an arm around her back, leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her cheek near her ear, and whispered, "Go."
With that, he released her hand.
Before she quite realised it, her feet began to move, slow at first, then gradually quicker, until the first person she found herself enveloped in a warm embrace was Damien.
He was on his feet the moment he saw Evelyn heading towards them. Ignoring Ivan’s narrowed gaze entirely, he wrapped one arm around her back, the other settling gently in her hair, and spoke in a soft voice, "Welcome back, sister."
A soft smile bloomed on Evelyn’s face as she held him, and before she realised it, her eyes began to well with tears at his words.
She remembered the last time they had met, just before she had stepped into the Vault of Ages, when he had protected her so fiercely. She knew she would not be standing here without their help, and so she let the tears slip freely.
The faint scent of salt filled the air, and Ivan’s eyes softened, understanding her emotions without a word. Sensing it as well, Damien gently pulled back before clicking his tongue. "Ah, no more waterworks, dear Evelyn. I can already hear Cece sobbing behind me."
As soon as he said that, her gaze shifted past him, and at that very moment Damien stepped aside. Cece was already moving forward, engulfing Evelyn in a crushing embrace, which Eve returned just as fiercely.
She remembered the last time she had seen Cece, when they had been taken to the dungeon by Viva’s order.
Neither of them held back now.
Tears rolled freely from both their eyes as they clung to one another, holding on as tightly as they could, as though to reassure themselves that they were truly here at last, alive and safe.
