Married To The Dragon Prince Against My Will-Chapter 281: HAND OVER THE MEDIC

In the heavy silence of the palace dining hall where long oak tables gleamed under flickering candles and spiced wine hung untouched.

Lumina sat rigid at the head, her plate untouched as her hands trembled on the linen cloth, with her knuckles white.

The poison still burned low in her veins, but it was nothing compared to the fire in her chest.

She couldn’t stay or touch Ashen , the worst part is that she couldn’t even breathe the same air without risking the voice in his head winning.

The separation clawed at her worse than any days without his arms around her, nights without his low voice murmuring against her skin. She was boiling, raging, frustrated to the point of tears she refused to shed.

She stared at the food as though it had betrayed her.

"Has Ashen eaten?" she asked, voice flat but edged.

Ero, standing discreetly near the sideboard, shook his head. "No, my lady. My lord has been buried in the archives and the alchemist’s tower searching every scroll, for an antidote strong enough to purge the poison from both of you."

Lumina went still as if her life had unraveled into chaos. They always get her with poison in her blood, now her husband is forced to lock her away like a dangerous thing.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, pulled a folded letter from the sleeve of her gown, and extended it toward Ero.

"Send his food," she said quietly. "And this. Tell him... tell him I wrote it."

Ero took the parchment, his usual wry smile softening as he bowed once and stepped back.

Lumina rose, chair scraping against the ground, then turned to leave and froze.

Breilla swept into the hall, skirts rustling like dry leaves, a scroll clutched triumphantly in her hand. Her eyes glittered with victory.

"You," Breilla began, voice rising, "you caused my..."

The slap cracked across Breilla’s cheek before the sentence finished. The sound echoed off the high rafters.

Lumina’s palm stung, but her voice stayed ice-cold. "The next time you speak to me, show respect. I am not in the mood for your madness."

She turned to walk away at once and Breilla snapped her fingers. Invisible force yanked Lumina backward, spinning her around. The scroll was shoved into her hands.

"What is this?" Lumina demanded, already recognizing the royal seal.

Stella appeared at her side like smoke, snatching the parchment before Breilla could answer.

"The King has appointed me as the main lady of the house," Breilla declared, chin high. "Word has spread that Prince Ashen is keeping his distance from you. The court whispers and the position is mine now, and..."

Another slap harder landed on Breilla making her stagger back.

Lumina ripped the scroll from Stella’s grip, eyes blazing with fire. "If you think you can take what’s mine, then rethink that decision."

She stormed past them both, ignoring Stella’s urgent calls.

"My lady, wait!" forgetting, in her fury, that she was supposed to still be playing the blind. Her steps carried her through corridors, straight to the King’s private solar.

She burst through the doors without knocking.

King Aden sat at his desk, quill in hand, Prince Alexis lounged nearby, wine goblet halfway to his lips. Both looked up in shock.

"Little one, it is disrespectful to..."

Lumina’s hand shot out and her fingers curled instantly. Aden’s breath caught then stopped. His face reddened, veins bulging at his temples. He clawed at his throat, gasping silently.

Alexis leapt to his feet. "What are you doing?" Lumina ignored him.

"What have you done about the deal we made?" Aden struggled, mouth working, words choking off.

"You... little deceit... You are.."

Alexis stepped forward. "Hey! If you kill the King today, the same fate that took your mother will take you!"

Lumina’s other hand snapped toward him. Alexis’s breath seized. He staggered, clutching his chest.

"I have been too soft with all of you," she hissed. She reached up and yanked off the silk blindfold she’d worn for pretense. Her eyes blazed with literal light pouring from them, silver-white and furious, like twin moons.

"You will do what I want. Henceforth... "

A blast of force slammed into her from behind. She stumbled, before she could fall, strong arms wrapped around her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides as he stopped her from falling.

"Let me go!" she roared, voice warping, deepening with unnatural resonance as her eyes flared brighter.

Ashen held her tighter, his chest pressed to her back. "Enough."

"Don’t touch me, I need to..."

She thrashed around, but his grip was strong, and he immediately channeled his sealing power. Invisible bands locked around her limbs.

Ashen turned her carefully so she faced him. For a heartbeat, his eyes softened pain, longing, regret flashing through the gold then hardened again as he looked toward his father and brother.

They gasped, air rushing back. Aden wheezed, rubbing his throat. Alexis coughed, staggering.

"Father," Ashen said quietly, "I discovered the truth in my office today. Shadowver has broken every treaty. They sent assassins not just against Lumina, but against me. And the woman you named my concubine? She is no sister to the Shadowver prince or even has a trace of royal blood."

"What!" Aden and Alexis barked in unison.

Ashen continued, voice steady but lethal. "The Queen lies dying because of several poisons given by Rhynera, wife of the former Crown Prince. Prince Adam is raising rebel recruits to seize the throne."

Ashen paused and stared at his family, "This means you have more issues than facing my wife."

Alexis lunged, grabbing Ashen’s collar. "Do you know what this means? We would be declaring war on an entire realm on accusations alone! And the Queen’s death we don’t give a damn about.."

Ashen slapped his brother’s hands away with casual force. "It seems you and Father already knew. There’s no shock in your eyes. So if you don’t want this exposed, do two favors."

Alexis opened his mouth then choked as Lumina’s residual power silenced him again. He glared at Ashen, helpless.

"She is my wife," Ashen said. "I accept her however she comes. If you want to attack her because you believe she is extraordinary then attack me first."

"Ashen.." Aden warned.

The kraken beast me is fully awake and was triggered by the last attack. It will strike soon if we don’t act."

He stepped closer to Lumina, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her eyes still glowed faintly, but the fury was dimming.

"Only I command the seven dragons," Ashen continued. "One word, they rise for me; another, they sleep forever. Do what I ask, and everything stays buried."

"Ashen..." Aden began.

Alexis tried to speak again. Nothing came out. Aden raised a hand, silencing his elder son. "Let him speak... son."

"What do you want?"

"Take back your concubine and give me the royal medic he stays with me. Forever."

Aden’s face purpled. "And if I refuse?"

Ashen smirked, cold and dangerous. "Then I prove I have always been the bastard son you regret."

Aden surged to his feet. "She is an abomination! I will never let her near this throne!"

Ashen turned to Lumina. The light in her eyes had faded to embers, but she stared at him wide-eyed, stunned.

"I don’t need the throne, Father," Ashen said softly. "I never wanted it. But for her? I will think about taking it."

"Then consider it forever out of reach," Aden snarled. "You will be disowned and exiled. Try me..."

"Hand me the medic," Ashen cut in. "Disown me. Strip the title. I don’t care."

"Ashen! You took an oath with the shadowver princess so you can’t dodge that" Alexis finally managed, voice hoarse.

Ashen ignored him. He gently lifted her wrist, the bracelet he had given to her on their wedding day simply silver began to change.

Metal melted into black dragon scales that wrapped her forearm like living armor. Tiny fangs emerged along the edge, sharp but protective. In the center, cradled between scale and fang, a small, perfect dragon egg formed pearlescent, pulsing with faint inner light. Aden stared, face draining of color.

"The oath I took with the princess.. he smirked. It was never a real oath because I changed the oath book already before the marriage and..." he smiled.

"Ashen! What audacity do you have to do that but Ashen! How about her... she might be your wife but.." only then ashen smirked, 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"I have taken an oath directly from the seven dragons," Ashen said. "Made her drink their blood pure, so we are one. I want you to know that the dragons guard their future queen."

Lumina’s eyes widened further. Shock replaced fury. The light dimmed completely, leaving only exhaustion and wonder.

Ashen lifted her into his arms. She didn’t struggle, couldn’t, even if she wanted to.

"You have one day, Father," he said over his shoulder. "Hand over the medic. Or I march on Shadowver myself."

Aden laughed harshly, disbelieving. "Even if she isn’t a princess, you are married. You took the..."

Ashen pulled a folded parchment from his tunic. "Oath? Who said I took the real one? I altered the words before the ceremony and the dragon water we were supposed to drink? You have been improvising substitutes all these years."

Aden’s hand shook. "You bastard!"

He carried Lumina toward the door. She rested her head against his shoulder, eyes closing.

"Hand over the medic," Ashen said one last time.