Married To The Dragon Prince Against My Will-Chapter 278: THIS WON’T END HERE

Lumina entered her chambers like a storm contained in silk, the door closing behind her with a soft, final click that belied the fury raging inside. She stood in the center of the room for a long moment, breathing shallowly, fists clenched at her sides.

The image of Briella’s lips on Ashen’s refusal to fade. It looped in her head with each replay, twisting the knife deeper.

She ripped the blindfold off and let it fall to the floor. Tears came down her face as tracks that burned her cheeks.

She swiped them away with the back of her hand, refusing to let them linger.

Stella slipped inside without knocking, sensing the tempest before she saw it. One glance at Lumina’s pale face, eyes blazing, mouth a tight line and she dropped to one knee.

"My lady..."

Lumina didn’t look at her. She crossed to the window, staring out at the moonlit gardens without seeing them. When she spoke, her voice was low, almost a whisper, so quiet that Stella had to lean forward to catch the words. Lumina said something into her ear, and then Stella’s eyes widened at once.

"No need to question me, do what I ask you, she is not dyin... so do it." Stella, having no choice, nodded her head.

She left without another word, Lumina stared at the door as Stella slammed it.

"Briella you brought this on yourself."

Dawn came soft and golden the next morning, the whole realm still wrapped in hush. Ashen like the rest of the days had refused to come back to the chambers.

Briella’s chambers were quiet when the attendants arrived to prepare her bath. She had slept poorly tossing, scratching at phantom itches left from the earlier torments she still blamed on bad linens or spoiled food.

Today she wanted to feel beautiful again, to reclaim some dignity after days of looking like a scalded cat.

"Hot water," she snapped at the maids. "And the rose-thorn oil. The good one. Hurry, I won’t have another day looking like this."

The maids obeyed, filling the copper tub until steam curled toward the ceiling. One of them wide-eyed, hands trembling poured the scented oil from the crystal decanter. No one noticed the faint shimmer as it hit the water.

Briella dismissed the maids with a wave. "Leave me. I want privacy."

She shed her robe and sank into the steaming water with a sigh. The heat soothed her sore skin at first, loosening muscles knotted from restless nights. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and let the fragrance envelop her.

Then the first itch bloomed at the base of her throat, and she scratched absently.

Slowly it spread. A prickle along her collarbone became fire. Her arms began to burn, then her chest, then everywhere the water touched.

She scratched a bit worried and suddenly hives erupted rising like brands across her breasts, her stomach, the tender skin of her inner thighs.

Her breathing hitched as she clawed at herself, slowly her nails drawing blood.

"What...what is this?" she gasped.

She tried to stand. The water sloshed violently as her throat tightened slowly at first, then with terrifying speed.

The air became thin, ragged. She coughed, choked, hands flying to her neck as though she could tear the invisible noose away.

Not able to hold it anymore she screamed and managed to stumble out of the tub, slipping on wet ground. She hit the floor hard, skin blazing, throat closing further.

The welts swelled her face puffed, eyes narrowing to slits. She crawled toward the door, gasping, sobbing.

"Help..someone... help!" Just then she saw her reflection in the mirror resting on the wall.

"Ahhh!!" A deep scream tore through the spring room. "Help!" she cried out

Stella was the first to arrive running, skirts hiked, expression perfectly schooled into alarm.

Maids followed, gasping, hands over mouths. Briella writhed on the floor, naked and blotched, clawing at her throat.

"Lady Briella!" Stella cried, dropping to her knees. "What happened?"

"Something in the oil... it’s... it’s killing me... " Briella wheezed, voice barely audible. "Get... get my husband!"

Stella let out a small smile and then Briella saw the smile.

"You! You did it right!" she struggled to force it out. Briella’s eyes widened in terror.

"I don’t know what you are talking about." Stella let out and turned to the remaining maids.

"Fetch the physician! now!" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Word raced through the palace like wildfire at once the moment those maids started speaking among themselves.

Ashen was still in his office, hunched over yet another endless scroll, when the door burst open. A breathless servant panted, "My lord... Lady Briella... She’s dying of hives everywhere... It seems like it’s poison..."

Ashen was on his feet in an instant, chair scraping back as he found his way back to his Chambers.

He reached Briella’s chambers to find chaos, he saw Stella beside her and then one of the physicians was already kneeling, forcing an elixir between her swollen lips.

Briella lay on the floor, wrapped in a hastily thrown sheet, body convulsing. When she saw Ashen, she lunged weakly, desperately clinging to his legs.

"Ashen..." she rasped, tears streaming down her ruined face. "Help... It’s her..." she let out pointing toward Stella who quickly shook her head.

"It’s Lumina... she sent this girl to do this... I know she is the one please... help me... punish her..."

Ashen lifted her gently, with no word, and instantly cradled her against his chest as though she weighed nothing.

Her swollen arms wrapped around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder sobbing hysterically.

The physician stepped forward. "My lord, she needs the infirmary..now. The antidote is working, but she’s in shock."

Ashen nodded once, he slowly carried Briella down the corridor, her weight light in his arms, her sobs muffled against his robe.

Lumina stood at the far end of the hall as she watched the way Briella clung to him.

She saw the way Ashen held her carefully, protectively, his arms cradling another woman the way he always cradled her.

Her fingers curled into fists so hard her nails drew blood.

He carried Briella past her without a glance. Lumina stood frozen, watching her husband disappear around the corner with another woman.

Jealousy clawed up her throat, she sent Stella to punish Stella for kissing her husband, fine she had gotten her wish.

But the prize was watching Ashen carry another woman to safety while she stood alone in the corridor.

Her lips curved into a trembling, bitter smile. She whispered to the empty hall.

"This won’t end here, little whore?"