The hours stretched into an eternity. Arion paced outside Evangeline's chamber, each step a heavy beat against the stone floor. He was a king brought to his knees, a dragon whose fire had been extinguished by a profound, agonizing helplessness. His parents stood in silent vigil, their faces etched with a shared, unspoken worry.
Finally, the chamber door creaked open. The physician, an old dragon with wise, knowing eyes, emerged, his expression calm but serious. Arion rushed to him, his voice a raw, desperate whisper. "Is she... is she going to be alright?"
The physician nodded slowly. "Her body has endured a great deal of trauma, both physical and magical. She used an immense amount of mana in a very short time. She needs rest. Nothing more, nothing less. Her healing is a slow, methodical process."
Arion's body sagged with a mix of relief and a heavy, profound shame. He had been so blind. So filled with his own pride and anger that he hadn't seen the immense toll his actions had taken on her. He had almost lost her, and it was all his fault.
The physician placed a gentle, comforting hand on his shoulder. "Her body is healing, Prince. Now, it is your heart that must heal. She has chosen you. Do not betray that choice again."
Arion nodded, his eyes filled with a fresh, raw determination. He would not just be her protector; he would be her strength. He would not just be her fated mate; he would be the man she could trust with her life. He was a man who had made a terrible mistake, but now he was a man who would spend every waking moment earning his second chance.
Arion stood at the foot of her bed, a silent, unwavering sentinel. The physician had left, and a profound quiet settled over the chamber. Evangeline lay utterly still, her chest rising and falling in shallow, even breaths. Her skin was pale, a stark contrast to the angry bruises blooming on her face and wrists.
He gently reached out, his powerful hand trembling as he traced the outline of a bruise on her cheek. The sight of her injured, fragile body was a constant, agonizing reminder of his failure. He was a Dragon Prince, a being of immense power, yet he hadn't been there to protect the woman who had trusted him with her heart. He had been so consumed by the petty drama of his court and his own wounded pride that he had allowed a viper to strike.
He spent the next twenty-four hours in that vigil, refusing to leave her side. Sleep was impossible; every time he closed his eyes, he saw Seraphina's cruel smirk and Evangeline's face as the brute reached for her. The Dragon King and Queen brought him meals, which he barely touched. They didn't chastise him; they simply offered silent support, knowing that their son was finally learning the true cost of kingship and love.
He spoke to her, his voice a low, rough confession in the stillness of the room. He told her how blind he had been to Seraphina's malice, how ashamed he was for doubting her over a lie, and how his jealousy had almost cost him everything. He wasn't just apologizing; he was unburdening his soul, laying his flaws bare for the woman who couldn't hear him, but whose presence was his only solace.
"I won't just keep your rules, Evangeline," he promised, his voice thick with emotion. "I will shatter them, and build something better. Something worthy of the strength you've shown. I will be the man you chose, not the prince you were forced to tolerate."
It was a vow spoken to the quiet room and the sleeping form, a personal oath that went deeper than any royal decree. He had been given a second chance, a fragile, hard-won gift, and he would spend the rest of his life earning it.
The quiet vigil was finally broken near dawn. Evangeline's eyes fluttered open, slowly adjusting to the soft light of the chamber. Her first sight wasn't the ceiling or the drapes, but Arion, slumped in a chair beside her, his head resting near her hand, his exhaustion a physical presence in the room.
Her instinct, born of a lifetime of betrayal, was to flinch, but she found she couldn't. Her hand, still bearing the faint marks of the ropes, moved instead. She gently rested her fingers on his silver hair.
Arion awoke instantly, his eyes snapping open. The sight of her awake and looking at him brought a wave of overwhelming emotion. He shot up, careful not to jostle her, his face a mixture of hope and profound relief
"Evangeline," he breathed, his voice raw with unshed tears. "You're awake."
She smiled, a weak but genuine curve of her lips. "You didn't leave," she whispered, her voice husky. It wasn't a question, but a statement of trust.
"Never again," he vowed, reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips, his touch reverent. "I swear it."
It was in that moment, as the bond of trust solidified between them, that Evangeline felt a strange, deep warmth bloom in her stomach. It was familiar, yet more intense than before.
"Arion," she said, her voice barely a whisper, a sudden, wide-eyed wonder overtaking her face. She raised her free hand and pressed it to her abdomen. "I think... I think the truth changed."
Arion, confused but sensing the seriousness in her tone, followed her gaze. "What truth, my love?"
Evangeline's eyes, clear and luminous, met his. "The lie Seraphina told. It wasn't a lie anymore. Arion, I'm pregnant."
The revelation hung in the air, a profound, undeniable truth. Arion's breath hitched. His golden eyes widened, and then, a fierce, blazing joy replaced the fear and shame that had consumed him for days. He was not just receiving a second chance with his mate; he was receiving the gift of a future.
He lowered his head to her belly, not with a king's pride, but a father's humility. "Our child," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. He looked up, his eyes meeting hers, and in that gaze, all the trials, all the pain, and all the doubt of the last months vanished. They were not just two people in love; they were a family, and their bond was stronger than any conspiracy. The little life growing within her was the ultimate proof of their hard-won love.