CHAPTER 195: PUNISHING HIM

"Serena..." Ashen called, surprised by what he saw. She turned sharply toward him, eyes blazing, and immediately released Rhynera from her invisible grip.

"Then next time anybody dares to threaten my life or even touch a single hair of the heir I am carrying," Serena spat, her voice trembling with fury, "I won’t hesitate to kill that person!"

The silence that followed burned through the room. Everyone could feel the tense air mixed with her rage.

She brushed past Ashen and Lumina, her hand pressed against her stomach as she stormed out, slamming the door so hard that it echoed through the corridor.

Ashen turned to Adam, a dark smirk tugging at his lips. "You have lost control of your women," he said, voice mocking.

"That’s a new low, even for you... I think it’s time I celebrate how I am winning even without moving an inch."

Adam’s eyes flared. "You bastard!" he barked, lunging forward, but before he could take another step, Ashen’s hand shot out, stopping him with a silent, chilling authority.

"Are you sure about that?" Adam paused, staring at his brother speechless.

"You have been doing a lot of reckless things lately," Ashen said calmly.

"And I have been watching, quietly, giving you the benefit of the doubt. But don’t test my patience any further."

Adam’s jaw clenched so badly, his pride stinging under Ashen’s composed dominance.

Just then, Rhynera stumbled toward Lumina, tears streaming down her face. "Sister, please," she pleaded, grabbing Lumina’s hand. "Save me. I swear I don’t know what she’s talking abou, Serena’s lying. I didn’t try to hurt her...I would never..."

Lumina looked down at her hand, then slowly pulled away. "I don’t think I should be involved in this. We came here to stop a fight, not join one." Her voice was calm but distant. You could tell she is irritated just by the touch of her sister.

"You both brought this on yourselves."

"Lumina!" Adam barked, fury twisting his face, but before he could reach her, Ashen moved faster.

In the blink of an eye, Adam’s body was flung across the chamber, crashing against the wall with a deep, cracking thud. Dust rained from the ceiling. The guards outside froze, terrified to move as they watched Ashen.

Everyone had always given Adam the applause of how powerful and smart he is but seeing how fast Ashen had attacked him and landed smoothly made them shocked.

Ashen’s eyes gleamed faintly cold, with warning. "You will watch your tone when you speak to my wife."

Lumina instinctively reached for him, placing a hand on his arm before he could advance again.

"Ashen," she whispered, "enough. He is not worth it."

Ashen’s breathing steadied, his chest rising and falling with the restraint of a man barely holding back his wrath.

He turned to her, his voice was so low. "He should be grateful you are the one telling me to stop.... This is getting out of hand and if he isn’t careful I am not promising I wouldn’t attack him."

Lumina gave a faint smile, but her voice trembled. "It’s not worth fighting him. Not today..."

Rhynera stood frozen, sobbing quietly at the way Lumina had fully ignored her.

"She was choking me, Lumina... she... don’t you care for your sister?"

"I said it’s over, don’t touch or talk to her." Ashen snapped, his gaze slicing through her words.

This made Rhynera freeze for some second, for a moment, none of them spoke. The silence was thick, suffocating, until Lumina finally broke it.

"We should go to the palace," she whispered to her husband.

"Something about this feels wrong... I don’t have a good feeling and I feel it’s best if we go to the palace."

Ashen frowned. "The palace?"

"Yes." Lumina’s voice was faint but steady. "I can feel something. Like someone is about to be hurt."

Ashen stared at her for a long second before nodding. "Fine.."

They turned to leave, ignoring Adam’s groan as he struggled to his feet, fury burning in his eyes.

"Run to Father, like you always do" Ashen hissed, his voice hoarse. "But I will make you regret it."

Ashen took Lumina’s hand and walked out, their steps echoing through the empty corridor.

*****

The great hall of Drakonis Palace was deathly still when Ashen and Lumina arrived.

Every noble eye followed their entrance as though they had walked into a court of judgment.

King Aden sat on his throne, his expression hard as carved granite. To his right, Aurelia stood, her usual warmth gone. Her eyes were glacial, her hands clenched at her sides.

Ashen’s steps echoed as he guided Lumina toward the center of the hall.

The whispers that filled the air died the moment they stopped before the throne.

"Your Highness," Ashen greeted bowing slightly. "You summoned us."

The king’s eyes flicked briefly toward Lumina before returning to his son. "Yes. Sit not as my son today, Ashen, but as one under scrutiny."

Ashen’s brows furrowed, but he said nothing.

Aurelia took a step forward. "Father, may I speak first?" The king gave a small nod.

Aurelia turned, her eyes glinting like cold light.

"She is not what she seems, Brother. Father I told you something about her that felt unnatural." She turned to Lumina, her voice rising. "You hide it very well, but the truth has been revealed now since you now use your dark power as you like."

Gasps rippled through the nobles who stood at the edge of the hall.

Lumina lifted her chin, still controlling herself.

"And what darkness have you seen, Aurelia?" she did not mind she had just called her by just her name.

"I have done nothing but heal and protect." Aurelia’s lips curled.

"Protect? You call what you did to Mother protection? The Queen is dying, and ever since you stepped into this palace, misfortune has followed like a curse! Now the physicians have said the poison cannot be traced and it is filled with dark powers... you control people’s actions as you feel like so who...."

"Enough," Ashen barked out but Aurelia refused to stop.

"You bewitched not just my brother but now the king!!" Aurelia cried, her voice trembling.

"You trapped my brother with whatever magic you carry, and now he defies his own blood for you. Look at him, Father! He dares to stand before you as though he were your equal all because of her!"

The king’s face hardened. "Aurelia." Still she ignored him.

"She should be banished before she destroys more than she already has. Before she destroys all of us!"

"I said enough!" the king thundered, his voice shaking the walls. Aurelia got startled and stepped back, tears glistening in her eyes, but the fury in her heart did not fade.

The silence that followed made everyone present tense.

King Aden leaned forward, his voice lower now, heavy with authority. "Princess Lumina of Celestia," he called, "my daughter accuses you of wielding forbidden magic within my realm. These are not light claims. You will answer them here and now. Defend yourself."

Before Lumina could speak, Ashen took a step forward. "Father, this is madness. Lumina has done nothing wrong. You will not put her on trial because of my sister’s paranoia."

"Stand down, Ashen," King Aden hollered. "You are not here to speak."

"I will not stand down when it concerns my wife!" Ashen fired back.

King Aden’s eyes flashed. "You forget yourself, boy. I am your king before I am your father."

Ashen’s fists tightened. "You are just the king to me, you failed as the second one.."

Gasps echoed again, louder this time. Aurelia looked horrified, but the king rose slowly, his fury barely contained.

"Get out! Everyone!" The nobles didn’t think twice before taking to their heels the moment the door slammed shut remains just the royal bloods.

"Watch your tongue." king Aden warned his son

"No," Ashen said, voice rising. "You ask her to defend herself against lies while you have closed your eyes to the truth. You have seen Adam poison, deceive, and destroy lives, yet you never lift a hand to stop him. You let him walk free when he spread deceit through the court, when he stole from the people, when he led soldiers into slaughter for greed and you dare to sit here and question my wife’s purity?"

"I said that is enough!"

"Enough?" Ashen echoed bitterly. "You think saying it makes it true? Tell me, Father, has your justice ever fallen on anyone but me?"

The king’s hand trembled at his side. "You forget to whom you speak."

Ashen took another step forward, his voice like thunder now. "I remember too well. I speak to the man who buried truth to protect his pride. The man who made me an exile for being born with power he feared!"

King Aden’s eyes glowed faintly with golden light, his power stirring. "Do not make me strike my own blood, Ashen."

Ashen’s jaw set. "Then strike. But you will hear the truth first."

"You dare raise your voice in my throne room?" the king roared. "You dare bring defiance to my rule?"

Ashen opened his mouth to speak again, but the air exploded.

A wave of energy erupted from the throne, slamming into him with the force of a tempest. He hit the ground hard, pain slicing through his chest as the power in his veins flickered and dimmed.

Lumina screamed, dropping to her knees beside him. "Ashen!"

But Jung Aden’s command echoed above her. "Guards! Take him to the pit. Strip him of his gift until he learns respect."