Chapter 163: I don’t know how to dance!

Although Rhea had not intended to raise her voice, her surprise caused her to exclaim Aria’s name loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear and look at her as if she had gone crazy. The hall fell silent for a moment before the king intervened by raising his hand, signaling that the celebration should continue. He then turned to Rhea and asked,

"Did Miss Rhea know the princess before?" His voice was deep and calm, and all the court members at the table turned to look at her with curiosity. However, it was Aria who answered her father’s question, saving Rhea from the embarrassment.

Aria approached her father with a warm smile and said, "Yes, father. Rhea and I were friends in the human realm."

Rhea was unable to speak and stared at her friend in disbelief. Her friend was unexpectedly a princess, and a dragon at that. She was also Ethan’s sister. This revelation was incredibly shocking; never in a million years did Rhea suspect that Aria would be a dragon and a princess, considering she had been a mistress in a brothel.

Rhea watched as Aria gracefully took her place next to her father and proceeded to share, "I first encountered Rhea when she was being pursued by a group of men whom she had tricked in a gambling scheme by disguising as a young noble. She was a stunning noble at that," she said with a radiant smile, as if reminiscing the day.

"She was searching for a hiding spot and happened to run into me. She pleaded for my assistance to help her from being captured, and due to my own unpleasant experiences with those same men, whom I detest, I couldn’t refuse. I aided Rhea, and in return, she shared a portion of the money she had scammed from them with me, even though I refused to take any, she forced the money into my dress pocket. Since then, we have become like sisters."

Upon hearing Aria’s account, the members of the court surrounding the table erupted into laughter, finding it hard to imagine their princess in such a predicament. As Aria recounted the past and relayed it to the people, the festivities in the hall carried on without pause, with the background music playing on.

Aria finally glanced at Rhea from across the grand table and said, "It’s a pleasure to see you again, Rhea." She smiled, almost vulnerable, as Rhea stared at her in astonishment. "I hope you won’t hold it against me for not revealing my true identity?"

Snapping out of her surprise, Rhea quickly shook her head and replied, "Not at all, I understand why you had to keep your identity concealed. I’m just a little taken aback, that’s all." She reassured Aria with a faint smile. How could she possibly be upset with Aria for not disclosing who she truly was? In reality, she had no reason to feel any resentment. Aria had only shown her love and support, and had helped her immensely in the past.

"I appreciate your understanding, Rhea, and I hope our friendship can thrive here. There’s so much I want to discuss with you later." A bright smile adorned her face as she elegantly sipped her wine.

"I’d look forward to that," Rhea responded with a smile of her own. She had a lot to discuss with Aria as well, but here wouldn’t be a place to talk.

Aria turned her attention back to her conversation with her father.

Rhea silently gazed at Aria, recalling about the past. In hindsight, she finally understood why she had always found Aria enigmatic. Aria’s astonishing beauty was far too captivating for someone involved in the brothel, and her intelligence far surpassed that of an ordinary person without a notable background. It was no wonder she possessed the aura masker – she was, in fact, a royal Dragon.

As the celebration progressed and evening began to approach, the guests were all enjoying their meals and mingling with each other. However, a man suddenly announced loudly that the king wished to speak. Instantly, the music was turned down and all the guests turned their attention towards the platform.

King Henry stood up, wearing a serious expression, and addressed the crowd, saying, "The Dragon realm has suffered greatly due to the ongoing war. Despite the conflict, I decided to hold this banquet, even as our soldiers fight at the borders. I feel powerless and ashamed." As the king spoke, some members of the court and a few guests shook their heads in disagreement.

"No, Your Majesty, you have nothing to be ashamed of. It has been a while since we have had any reason to celebrate in our realm, thanks to the grief caused by the humans. Just because there is a war doesn’t mean we should have no joy. Your Majesty, we are grateful that you thought of this banquet and invited us," one of the important guests spoke up, and everyone nodded in agreement.

The king’s grim expression softened, and he continued, "I am glad you all understand. Centuries ago, we defeated Erebus and emerged victorious. We will also triumph over the fire controllers. We will not give up until we avenge the deaths of our loved ones. We will fight and put an end to the evil deeds of the fire controllers!" His words carried a tone of determination that resonated with everyone.

"To the downfall of the fire controllers!" He raised his glass, and the guests followed suit.

"To the downfall of the fire controllers!"

Rhea, who sat beside Draven turned towards him and saw that he was nonchalant about everything, he just sipped his wine with a blank expression. However, as if sensing her gaze, he turned towards her and flashed her a faint smile before looking away and turned his attention to what the court members were discussing.

Rhea could hardly understand what they were saying despite sitting on the same table, all she understood was that they were talking about the soldiers at war and that the leaders of the fire controllers had cast a spell to block the borders of the human realm so no Dragon would pass.

The topic shifted to suspicions of Alina using dark magic. However, they were cautious not to alarm the dragons in the realm and wanted to keep it confidential until they were certain.

Judging from the way the court members spoke of Erebus’, Rhea could tell they all sounded terrified of the entity. Of course they would, Erebus was responsible for Draven’s parents death. Despite the powers his parents held, they had been killed by the entity.

Rhea recalled how much Alina had hurt Draven in the past and realized no normal human would live with a man for hundred years and not have a bit of sympathy for him when betraying him, unless she was a devil with no heart of course. Alina’s actions on their wedding day had shown her true evil nature, and Rhea eagerly awaited the day when she would meet her downfall, and Draven would bring her to justice.

There was no doubt that Alina was a relentless devil, who wouldn’t give up until she got what she wanted. Although it frightened Rhea to think that Alina desired something within her own body, she resolved not to hide away. When Draven reclaimed his scales, she would stand by his side and support him just as she had promised last night.

Draven might not return her feelings, but she was determined to be with him until he no longer wanted her around him again, she would support him until the day he got back his grace. At this point, she had no idea if he planned to rebuild his kingdom and his clan members who were now residing in the east clan, but whatever he decided in the future, she would be there to support him.

After the discussion at the table ended, the king stood up and addressed the guest that he would be retreating for the night and everyone should enjoy the evening. The moment he left, the court members also followed suit, but the guests continued to celebrate, and the music changed with couples dancing in the middle of the hall.

Rhea watched the guests dance with fascination in her dark eyes. She had never witnessed couple waltzing on the dance ground before as she’d never even gotten the chance to attend any event or had a dance teacher like her other siblings did. Thus, technically she wasn’t fit for a grand event.

So beautiful, Rhea thought to herself as she watched Aria waltz with her elder brother, Prince Zade. Meanwhile, Ethan danced with his young niece, who laughed delightfully as he lifted her into a twirl, her grasp firm around his neck. Rhea couldn’t help but smile faintly at the scene.

Just as she was considering leaving the hall as she felt completely out of place, Draven rose from his seat and extended his hand towards her. "I can sense your longing to be down there dancing too. Join me on the dance floor," he said, his expression devoid of any desire to dance, but then he was offering.

Rhea was on the verge of declining, but before she could utter a word, he took hold of her hand and dragged her towards the dance floor. Rhea’s eyes widened in panic. "Draven, I don’t know how to dance and I don’t want to dance," she whispered, as the guests turned their attention towards him and started moving away from his side as he stood with Rhea in the middle of the hall.

Rhea considered fleeing from the hall, but somehow sensing her intentions, Draven wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Rhea gasped as her chest made contact with his, and she could feel their bodies pressed together. Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed up at him, noticing his smirk as he looked down at her. "Don’t worry, it’s only a dance. Just pretend no one is watching and follow my lead," he said.

How could she pretend like nobody was watching when she could feel the weight of everyone’s gaze on them? She had never danced before, and the thought of embarrassing herself in public wasn’t something she wanted. What if she fell or even stepped on his shoes? The guests would surely make fun of her!

"I prefer not to dance. I would rather return to my room to rest," she whispered softly. However, Draven paid no attention as he began guiding her body to the rhythm of the music. He firmly grasped her waist and led her in the dance.

"Waltzing is not a traditionally part of the Dragons culture; it belongs to humans. However, after King Henry married a human, the culture underwent changes, and we were introduced to various new things, including dancing. If you make a mistake, nobody will notice or ridicule you, as they are not skilled at it either," he reassured her as they moved together. His voice was soothing, and his eyes remained locked with hers as he added, "Relax your muscles and let the music guide your movements."

Rhea followed his instructions. "Put your arm on my shoulder," he instructed in a deep husky voice, his eyes still locked with hers, "Step back with your left foot..." He continued to instruct her as they moved around with the music.

They movet together, their bodies intertwining with a graceful ease, as if they were always meant to be in sync. Rhea could feel the warmth of Draven’s touch on every part of her body he held. It sent a rush of sensations through her, igniting a fire within her that she had only experience whenever he kissed her.

Though she had never danced with anyone before, Rhea surrendered herself to the rhythm, trusting Draven to guide her every step of the way. And he did so effortlessly, his movements swift and skilled, as if he had mastered this dance a thousand times over.

"Where did you learn to waltz?" She asked as he pulled away from her and pulled her back against him again.

Draven smiled, "I’ve always had people teaching me how to do things I don’t know about in the past, and when I heard about waltzing, I got someone to teach me." He said, "You’re a fast learner yourself, you’re doing great for a beginner."

Rhea couldn’t help the blush that crept up her face at his compliment, and as they continued to dance, she felt herself getting lost in the moment, completely immersed in the dance and the way Draven made her feel. It was as if they were creating their own world, where only they existed, where the outside distractions and obligations ceased to exist.

It had been long when Rhea felt herself enjoy something this much, she was enjoying it more than she’d thought. And her laughter was heard by the bystanders who were watching them dance. Even Aria had stopped dancing and was now looking at her friend, who seemed to be lost in her own world with Draven, who was also looking down at her like she was the only woman in the world that matters.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read