Dragon King's Harem Chapter 436. Special Wedding Gift III

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 436. Special Wedding Gift III

The creature’s crystalline scales shimmered under the pale sun. Its wings, partially folded, stretched out in slow, unconscious movements, the faint rise and fall of its chest the only sign of life. Its breath, deep and steady, came in cold gusts, misting the air around it.

For a long, long moment, there was only silence.

The Snow Elf soldiers reacted. Weapons drawn.

A coordinated shift of bodies as bows were raised, arrows nocked, magic crackling at the fingertips of the spellcasters in the ranks. Their instincts kicked in before their logic did.

Curtis pulled Maria back sharply, his arm tensing as he positioned himself in front of her. His movements were quick, but his eyes were stuck on the drake, his expression torn between shock and recognition.

And Maria— Her breath hitched, her eyes going wide as she took a step forward, only to be stopped by Curtis’s grip.

I exhaled slowly, shaking my head. "He’s harmless. Almeric has him under a high-level sleeping spell. You can calm down before someone does something stupid."

No one moved immediately. The soldiers were still on edge, their weapons unwavering. The only sound was the steady, rhythmic breath of the sleeping drake, its massive form unmoving, its tail curled slightly around itself.

Maria’s voice, when it came, was a whisper. "It's Frosty."

Her fingers twitched. "It went after my husband died…"

She knew.

Of course, she knew.

This wasn’t just any drake. This was his.

The former king’s. Her late husband’s.

The moment realization settled in, she moved forward, her body shifting instinctively toward it, something unreadable flashing in her expression.

Curtis immediately blocked her. "Maria, no—it could still be dangerous."

I frowned. "Dangerous?"

Curtis shot me a sharp look. "You expect me to believe this thing is completely under control? That it won’t wake up and destroy everything in its path?"

I smirked. "That drake is the royal’s familiar, no? It belongs to your late brother. Even if it did wake up, it wouldn’t be in the mood to fight—more like take a nap and yawn."

Al chuckled under his breath. "Trust me, the real problem was catching him."

Maria’s hands clenched at her sides, her knuckles turning pale. She turned toward Curtis, her voice firm now. "Let me go."

Curtis hesitated. He didn’t want to let her near it.

But she was the Queen.

And when she commanded, even he had to listen.

His jaw tensed, but after a long breath, he reluctantly released her.

Maria took slow, deliberate steps toward the drake, her gown brushing against the icy ground as she approached. Her movements weren’t cautious. They weren’t hesitant.

They were… familiar.

Like she was stepping toward an old friend.

The Ice Drake remained still, its breathing deep and undisturbed, but the closer Maria got, the more something in the air shifted.

Not magic.

Not threat.

Something… deeper.

She reached out, her fingers hovering just over its massive snout.

And then— A soft exhale escaped her lips. "You’re alive."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but I caught it.

Curtis did too.

Maria’s fingers finally made contact, gently pressing against the cool scales of the creature’s nose. The Ice Drake stirred. Not awake. Not fully conscious.

But a reaction. A flicker of life, a subtle shift, a quiet recognition.

Maria’s shoulders trembled, her breath uneven. "This drake…" She swallowed, her voice barely steady. "This was his."

Curtis’s expression was unreadable, but his grip tightened at his sides. "We don’t know what it’s capable of anymore," he murmured, his voice tense. "If it left after your husband’s death, it might have changed—"

"It didn’t," Maria interrupted. "It came home."

I crossed my arms. "That’s exactly why I brought it back."

Curtis exhaled slowly, frustration simmering just beneath his composed exterior. "And what exactly are you expecting us to do with it?"

I smirked. "That depends on you. But I figured… if we were celebrating this wedding, it was only fair for the bride to receive what was rightfully hers."

Maria turned, her gaze locking onto mine.

And at that moment, I saw it again.

That flicker of hope.

That silent, unspoken understanding.

The game had just begun.

Jyne caught onto it immediately.

I saw her move from the corner of my eye—casual, fluid, yet deliberate. She approached the queen, her fox-like eyes glinting with curiosity, her attention seemingly focused on the drake. The cold wind lifted strands of her hair.

“This drake is powerful," Jyne said, her voice thoughtful, as if she were just making an observation rather than inserting herself. "We almost mistook him for an enemy and killed him. Luckily, I remembered my brother’s stories about a legendary Ice Drake that was bound to the King of the Snow Elves."

Maria’s head turned slightly, her gaze flickering toward Jyne with mild curiosity.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a drake this big up close,” Jyne continued, her tone light, almost conversational. "Quite the beast, isn’t he?"

Maria regarded her carefully. "And may I ask who you are?"

Jyne beamed, flashing that signature mischievous fox-like grin. "Oh, I’m Princess Jyne of the Fox Tribe," she said smoothly. "I’m King Argod’s wife now. Nice to meet you."

Maria blinked.

And then Jyne started walking closer.

Not aggressively, not suspiciously—just gracefully, the way a noblewoman would in a diplomatic setting. But when she was almost within reach of Maria, she suddenly slipped, her feet sliding on the ice beneath her.

It was a masterful act.

A perfectly timed moment of clumsiness.

And as expected—Maria reacted instinctively.

She reached out, catching Jyne’s wrist to steady her before she could fall completely.

And in that exact moment—Jyne passed her the toe ring.

A delicate piece, small enough to go unnoticed, but crafted by Sela to be a powerful magical accessory. A hidden tool. A lifeline.

Jyne’s fingers barely brushed against Maria’s as she pressed it into her palm, whispering under her breath so quietly that only the Queen could hear.

"Wear it."

Maria stiffened, but her expression didn’t change.