Chapter 204: Confession
>>Aelin
It took us one whole day to go around the whole demon kingdom and kill the monsters there.
After that we took a tour to the human kingdom and did the same thing there. Just that, in the human kingdom, Draegon flew low, letting all the people clearly look at who was saving them.
We didn’t stop to go to the palace and came back to Dravos
The palace gates were lined with demons and as Draegon landed there and I slipped off of him, I noticed how all the people had eyes on us.
Draegon shifted into his humanoid form and I stepped closer to him
"Are they here to welcome you?" I whispered as I asked him and he turned to me with a soft smile
"No," He wrapped his arm around me, "They’re here for you."
"Me?!" I was shocked. I did realize that for what I did, it must have caught an uproar and I shouldn’t be surprised at the reaction but I still was.
Perhaps, I still had to learn more self confidence.
"All hail Queen Aelin!"
"The Saint!"
"The Protector!"
Voices blended into a chorus that rolled like thunder across the courtyard. Some shouted that I was a miracle from God, others that no mortal, no creature, had ever brought salvation so swiftly. Petals rained down from every direction, drifting like a warm snowfall. Roses. Lilies. Bright yellow blossoms I didn’t recognize, catching in my hair and clinging to my sleeves.
My heart felt a little weird at how drastically different things were now but at the same time, I felt... good.
Demons knelt as we passed, some clasping their hands to their chests, others reaching out just far enough to touch the hem of my dress before pulling back with trembling fingers.
I hadn’t realized until that moment just how much I’d straightened my posture. The ache in my shoulders faded. My steps grew lighter.
It felt... really good.
I caught myself smiling.
Draegon noticed, of course he did. He walked beside me, tall and proud, though I caught the side glance and the faint smirk. "You deserve it," he said softly. "All of it. You defeated Reagen while I was fighting for my life with him."
I laughed under my breath, but the compliment settled in my chest like a warm ember.
We passed under the archway into the palace’s inner halls, and the roar of the people softened into a distant hum. The world felt smaller here, quieter.
I slowed my steps.
Draegon turned, noticing the pause. "What is it?"
I hesitated, my fingers brushing the folds of my cloak. "...I did defeat Reagen," I said carefully, "but... I didn’t kill him."
His brow furrowed, the weight of his surprise breaking through his composed expression. "Why not?"
I searched for the words, then shook my head. "I just... didn’t want to. Not in one strike. It didn’t feel right."
Draegon studied me for a moment, silent. Then, unexpectedly he smiled. "Then I’ll have one of my brothers pick him up from the forest."
I smiled back at him
"Yes, he’s broken so he can’t have gone anywhere from there."
***
The rain had passed, but its chill still lingered in the air, clinging to my skin like a whisper. The rooftop was quiet except for the occasional drip of water falling from the eaves, each drop echoing faintly in the stillness. Above me, the clouds had finally scattered, revealing a sky dusted with stars so bright they almost hurt to look at.
I stood near the edge, rubbing my arms in slow, absent motions, trying to keep the cold from settling in too deeply. My clothes still held traces of dampness from earlier, and the night breeze teased strands of my hair across my face. I breathed in deeply, letting the crisp air fill my lungs, feeling both strangely calm and restless all at once.
Then warmth touched me, unexpected and sudden.
Something soft yet strong swept around me from behind, enveloping me in its embrace. A wing, broad, protective, warm, folded over my shoulders like a living shield.
My breath caught, and I turned my head, my eyes already knowing what I would find.
Draegon stood there, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him, his purple eyes steady and luminous in the moonlight. His wing wrapped around me tighter, cutting out the chill as though he could sense it in my bones.
"Enjoying the night view?" He asked
I smiled at him, "I was just thinking," I let my arms go as the heat from his wings settled in
"About what?" He asked
"About the abyss and the monster and I was wondering if I could have done anything better,"
"You’ve done so much, Aelin," he said softly, his voice rich and low, a rumble that seemed to settle in my chest. "More than you realize. More than most could even dream of doing."
A small smile tugged at my lips, but it was faint, weighed down by the truth I carried. "There’s still something left," I murmured.
His head tilted slightly, his gaze searching mine. "And what’s that?"
"I have to seal the abyss," I said, the words quiet but heavy, as if speaking them made the weight of the task more real.
He was silent for a moment. "Can you do it?"
"Yes," I said without hesitation. "Every moment, I feel it, the magic inside me. Thrumming, pressing against my veins like it’s begging to be unleashed. I know I can do it." My eyes drifted to the vast sky above us, "This extra power inside of me is there for this sole purpose only. For centuries it’s been accumulating." The stars were glittering like a thousand tiny witnesses. "I just... haven’t figured out how yet."
For a heartbeat, there was only the sound of the breeze moving around us. Then I felt his gaze deepen, almost as if he was memorizing me.
"When I thought I’d lost you..." His voice broke through the quiet, low and almost vulnerable.
I turned my head toward him, surprised by the weight in his tone.
He let his wing slowly slip away, stepping in close until I could feel the faint heat of his breath against my skin. Without a word, he drew me into his arms, holding me so tightly that I could feel the steady beat of his heart against mine. His scent, warm, earthy, and faintly smoky, filled my senses, grounding me.
"It was then," he murmured against my hair, "that I realized something important."
My heart was pounding, my voice small when I asked, "What?"
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes catching the starlight. "That I’ve never told you, I love you."
My eyes went wide
!!!
The words stole my breath. "You... love me?"
"Yes," he said with the kind of certainty that didn’t leave room for doubt. "You look confused. Why?"
"I- I just," My gaze wandered around, "I didn’t think you would..."
"Why wouldn’t I?" He asked
"I just..." I raised my head and looked at him, "I just thought maybe you were fulfilling your duties as a husband."
His gaze softened even more, "That is a given, as a husband, but, "I’ve loved you since the day we got married."
!!???
"What...?" I couldn’t believe my ears.
I could only stare at him, my mind caught between disbelief and a strange, aching warmth that was spreading through me.
"It was love at first sight," he continued, his voice gentler now.
My pupils trembled, "It... what?"
"I remember standing at the altar, looking at you, this small, trembling human I was to marry. You looked so fragile, but you stood there anyway, facing a fate you didn’t choose. Something so similar to mine yet I found you to be braver than me. From anyone else’s perspective, perhaps even yours, you were marrying an enemy... Yet you didn’t choose to run away and stayed."
My heart began to pound like crazy, "And in that moment, I knew I wanted to protect you. Always."
His hand came up to cup my cheek, his touch tender, almost reverent. "I never said it. Demons don’t lean on words much, we show our care through actions. But I’ve come to realize humans... you need to hear it, too. And I should have told you long ago." He chuckled lightly, "I gave you my birthscale as proof too but it didn’t cross my mind you might have no idea what it meant."
I stared at him, "I didn’t... then..." My voice seemed meek, "But it’s a piece from your heart, isn’t it?" If I thought about it, it would make sense that he loved me from that time. He gave me something so precious too.
It’s just that I was too afraid to let myself get ahead of myself, so I always rebuked those thoughts.
"Yes," He answered, "And the birth scale is also the only thing that can be used to kill a dragon." He smiled.
!!!
OH!
He leaned his forehead against mine, his voice a whisper that seemed to thread directly into my soul. "So hear me now, Aelin. I love you. Fiercely. Entirely. And I will for the rest of my life."
The rooftop, the stars, even the cool air, all of it seemed to fade away, leaving only him, his warmth, and the truth in his words.
For a moment, I could only stand there, my breath caught in my throat, his words echoing inside me like they’d been etched into my very bones.
My lips trembled, and I blinked hard, but the tears still broke free, hot against my chilled skin. "Draegon..." My voice cracked, my heart aching with everything I’d held back for so long. "I love you too." My heart was ready to burst out of my chest.
I had wished for this day to come... for quite some while now.
His eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected me to say it, at least not so easily, not so openly. But once the words started, I couldn’t stop.
"I’ve loved you for a long time. Longer than I even understood." My fingers found his chest, curling in the fabric there, feeling the solid strength beneath. "I realized you’d become everything to me. And I was too afraid to say it. Too afraid that maybe it wouldn’t matter to you."
A tear slipped down my cheek, and he brushed it away with the back of his hand, his touch achingly gentle.
"It matters," he said quietly, like a vow, "Every single thing about you matters to me." His words made my entire being tremble.
"I love you," I whispered again, my voice thick. "More than I thought I could love anyone."
For a heartbeat, we just stood there, breathing each other in. The night wrapped around us like a secret, the stars glittering above as if they were witnesses to something sacred.
Then he closed the distance between us, his hand cradling the back of my head, and his lips found mine.
It wasn’t a rushed, desperate kiss, it was deep, steady, and full of everything we hadn’t said until now.
His warmth poured into me, and I melted into it, into him, my hands sliding up to hold him close as if I could keep this moment forever.
