Bound to the Cursed Dragon King

"Do you accept this bond before the Dragon Goddess and the kingdom?" The Dragon Priest asked loudly, as he turned to the people who had come for the Dragon King's wedding.

"We do!" The crowd chanted happily, their voices filled with excitement.

But before the ceremony could continue, a loud voice shouted from the crowd.

"No... I do not."

A loud gasp spread throughout the gathering as every head turned toward the entrance. As everyone watched, a young woman walked angrily toward the altar. Her long black cloak flowed behind her while her silver eyes burned with rage. The moment the elders saw her face, fear flashed across their expressions. Mothers quickly pulled their children closer while several warriors instinctively reached for their weapons.

King Ragnar's face darkened immediately the moment he saw her. "Nyra, what are you doing here?" he demanded coldly. "You were banished from this kingdom."

Nyra stopped a few feet away from the altar, her painful eyes locking onto Ragnar. Tears shimmered down her cheeks.

"So you ended things with me and sent me away?" she shouted angrily, her voice trembling with heartbreak. "Huh? Just to marry this thing. A vampire?" She pointed furiously toward Queen Aline, causing the crowd to murmur.

Aline lowered her eyes nervously while King Ragnar stepped protectively in front of her. "Nyra, you know I had no choice," Ragnar replied angrily. "You used forbidden dark magic. That alone made it impossible for us to marry. And after what you did, you could no longer remain within this kingdom."

"Impossible?" Nyra laughed bitterly. The sound alone caused several people to flinch, while younger children burst into tears of fear.

"You speak of impossible?" Nyra screamed, tears now flowing freely down her face. "Ragnar, you made me fall in love with you. You promised me forever. You held my hands and swore I would become your queen."

Her voice broke painfully as she stared at him.

"Do you know the pain I feel watching the man I love stand here marrying someone else?" she yelled again.

"Nyra, please..." Ragnar said calmly. "Stop this and leave peacefully."

Nyra stood silently for several seconds before a twisted smile slowly appeared upon her lips. "Of course," she said. "I shall leave."

The crowd sighed in relief.

But then Nyra slowly turned her gaze toward the bride. Her silver eyes darkened completely until they became black. Dark energy began swirling around her body. "But first..." she whispered coldly. "I have a gift for you, my ex-lover."

Fear instantly spread across the faces of the elders.

"Nyra, don't!" one elder shouted.

But it was already too late.

Nyra slowly raised her hand toward Queen Aline's stomach as dark magic crackled around her fingers.

"No son born from this bloodline shall ever truly love a woman," she declared loudly. "Every heir born from Ragnar's blood shall become a monster... a destroyer of women... cursed to bring pain and death upon every woman who enters his life!"

The moment the curse left her lips, a thunderstrike tore across the sky. Guests screamed in fear as the candles around the altar were extinguished instantly.

Thick black smoke suddenly flowed from Nyra's glowing eyes before shooting directly toward Queen Aline. The dark magic struck her stomach, causing her to scream painfully before collapsing instantly into Ragnar's arms.

"ALINE!" Ragnar shouted in horror as he caught his unconscious bride. Ragnar looked up furiously as he held Aline tightly against his chest.

"Nyra, stop this!" he roared.

But Nyra only smiled coldly through her tears.

"Now you shall feel the same pain you gave me," she whispered bitterly. And within the blink of an eye, her body dissolved into black smoke and vanished completely.

** TWO YEARS LATER...**

"Is the news true?" someone from the crowd outside questioned loudly.

"Yes, we want to know!" another shouted as the people began whispering excitedly among themselves.

"Hold your horses," the Dragon Commander said firmly.

The people immediately fell silent as they all turned toward him, waiting impatiently for him to speak.

"Yes... It is true," the Dragon Commander finally announced. "Queen Aline gave birth to a son last night."

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire kingdom erupted into excitement and joy. People hugged one another happily while loud cheers filled the air. Some dragons partially shifted, glowing wings appearing upon their backs as they flew high above the crowd in celebration.

But the moment King Ragnar stepped out onto the grand palace balcony with a child resting carefully within his arms, the crowd fell silent once more as every eye turned toward their king.

King Ragnar slowly lifted the child high for the entire kingdom to see, pride shining within his eyes.

"He shall be called Vaelor," he declared loudly. "And one day, he shall rule this kingdom with love, strength, and honor."

The crowd exploded into even louder cheers. Some screamed joyfully at the top of their lungs.

But suddenly..

"For the child you carry bears the curse of Nyra." An old woman, nearly five hundred years of age, spoke suddenly, her aged voice echoing across the crowd.

At once, silence consumed the entire kingdom.

Every head slowly turned toward the old woman standing quietly among the people. Her eyes remained fixed directly upon the child in King Ragnar's arms.

King Ragnar's smile slowly faded.

"What do you mean?" King Ragnar asked.

The old seer released a bitter laugh before slowly walking forward. "Have you forgotten so soon, King Ragnar?" she asked. "The curse Nyra placed upon your bloodline was never broken. Your son now carries that curse within him."

The palace doors suddenly burst open as Queen Aline rushed onto the balcony. A painful cry escaped her lips as fear filled her face.

"No... not my son," she cried desperately, gripping King Ragnar's arm tightly. "We must break the curse."

The old seer stared at the newborn prince with pity before slowly shaking her head.

"No one can break the curse," she said bitterly. "No power within this kingdom, nor beyond it, can destroy what Nyra created."

A painful silence filled the air after her words.

The joyful smiles that once covered the faces of the people slowly disappeared, replaced with fear, sadness, and sorrow.

"But..." the old seer continued, causing everyone to look toward her once again.

"There is one soul... a soul yet to be born... who holds the power to break the curse." Her eyes remained fixed upon the child. "Until that day comes, the prince shall live bound to this curse."

*Many years later*

Aurora POV

Today is my marriage day. Am I happy? The answer is no... I'm not. Instead, I feel terrified because today might become the last day of my life. As a girl who was given away by her own father to the cursed Dragon King as a bride, death already feels unavoidable. A king who had killed twenty of his brides on the very night of their marriage... and that same man is now the husband my father chose for me, all just to stop the war between the Human Kingdom and the Dragons, a war that had lasted for more than one hundred years.

Just last week, my father, King Thorne, announced before the entire royal court that he wished to end the endless bloodshed between humans and dragons. Everyone in the kingdom celebrated his decision, believing peace had finally come upon Thornveil after centuries of fear and destruction. But peace always comes with a price. The only way to stop the war was to offer the Dragon King a bride. I still remember the moment my father pointed toward me while standing upon his throne, his face cold and emotionless as he declared that I would be sent to the Dragon Kingdom. At first, I truly believed he was joking. What kind of father willingly sends his own daughter to her death? I kept hoping he would change his mind, hoping he would realize how cruel his decision was. But this morning, when he ordered the servants to prepare me for my journey to the Dragon Kingdom, I finally understood the truth. He truly meant it.

Well... perhaps I should not be surprised that he chose me. My father never loved me. No one ever truly did. As the sixth daughter of the Nightbane family, I was the only child born without powers. Unlike every other human within Thornveil Kingdom, I possessed no magical ability. While others. Because of that, my father despised me, and my older sisters treated me like a stain upon the royal bloodline. Even the people within the kingdom looked at me with disgust and disappointment. They whispered that I was weak... useless... cursed by the gods themselves.

Even as a princess, I was never treated like one. I never sat beside my family during meals. I was always forced to eat separately. I was not allowed to speak during royal gatherings, nor was I permitted to share opinions on important matters. Whenever I opened my mouth, someone always silenced me immediately. Even the palace servants spoke to me without respect because they knew no punishment would ever come for mistreating the powerless princess. I lived like a ghost within my own home. An outcast within the very kingdom where I was born.

And now... I was being sent away to marry a cursed Dragon King.

A man I had never met before.

Yet I had heard enough terrifying stories about him to fill my heart with endless fear. People say his power is terrifying enough to destroy thousands with nothing but the snap of his fingers. They say his dragon form is massive enough to darken the skies and freeze entire kingdoms beneath his wrath. His mother was said to be a vampire queen, making him neither fully dragon nor fully vampire. I also heard he was over two hundred years old, though that was not surprising since dragons possess far longer lifespans than humans.

But none of those stories frightened me the most.

What terrified me most was the curse surrounding him.

No one truly knows the reason behind it because speaking about the curse is forbidden within both kingdoms. But one thing everyone knows is this, every woman who married the Dragon King died on the night of their wedding. Twenty brides. Twenty innocent women sent to the Dragon Kingdom, were killed before the next morning.

Just thinking about it made my stomach twist painfully. A heavy knot sat deep within my chest, no matter how hard I tried to calm myself. My hands trembled slightly upon my lap while fear slowly consumed every thought within my mind.

"My lady... do you like your dress?" Lydia asked.

I slowly lifted my eyes toward her reflection in the mirror.

Lydia and Ivy were my personal maids, but more than that, they were my only true friends within this palace. The only people who had ever shown me kindness without mocking my weakness. They stayed beside me even when others treated me like I was worthless. And now, as I looked at them standing behind me with tears hidden within their eyes, I realized how much I would miss them.

"Yes..." I whispered, forcing a weak smile onto my lips. "I love it. It's beautiful."

Ivy noticed the fear on my face immediately.

"You will be fine," she said quickly, trying to comfort me. "Don't believe all the rumors about the Dragon King. They could be lies... right?"

She turned toward Lydia, who nodded nervously in agreement.

But I could see the fear hidden within both of their eyes.

They were trying to comfort me... yet even they did not believe their own words.

I badly wished my father would suddenly change his mind. I did not care if he married me to a poor nobleman, a cruel prince, or even a stranger from another kingdom. Anyone would be better than marrying a man cursed to kill his wives. I wanted to run away so badly, but where would I go? I had nowhere. Even if I escaped, my father's soldiers would hunt me down immediately.

So in the end... all I could do was obey.

And perhaps die.

A sudden knock upon the door interrupted my thoughts, causing my body to flinch slightly.

Shortly after, one of the palace maids stepped quietly into the room.

"It is time, Princess Aurora," she informed me.

My heart tightened painfully at her words.

I slowly nodded my head before standing to my feet. Ivy gently held my trembling hand while Lydia adjusted my veil carefully. Together, they walked me out of the room and through the long palace hallways.

The moment we stepped outside, I saw that everyone was already waiting.

A large royal carriage stood near the palace entrance, prepared to take me away to the Dragon Kingdom.

Ivy slowly released my hand as I nervously walked forward and stopped before my father and mother. My legs trembled slightly beneath my gown as I lowered my head respectfully before them.

My mother smiled weakly at me, though sadness filled her eyes. I knew she never wanted this marriage to happen. But she feared my father far too much to ever challenge his decisions.

Meanwhile, my father simply stared at me coldly, completely unbothered by the fact that he was sending his daughter away to marry a cursed king who had murdered twenty brides before her.

I slowly turned my gaze toward my five older sisters standing nearby. Though we were never close and they often mocked me for my weakness, I could still see pity within their expressions. Perhaps even they believed I was walking toward my death.

"Aurora, you may enter the carriage now," my father finally said coldly.

I turned slowly toward him, trying desperately not to cry.

For heavens' sake... was this man truly my father?

I wanted to ask him why he was doing this to me.

I wanted to ask him if he ever loved me at all.

But the words never left my mouth.

Instead, I swallowed the pain and released a quiet breath before turning toward the carriage.

Then I slowly began walking toward it.

I had barely taken a few steps when suddenly someone grabbed my hand tightly.

I turned quickly.

It was my mother.

The moment she pulled me into her arms, tears instantly burned my eyes. She held me tightly for several moments before finally pulling away and gently placing her hands upon my face.

"Be a good girl," she whispered shakily. "And remember what I told you."

Yes... I remembered clearly. To be a good wife. To obey my husband. And never make him angry. But did any of those things truly matter when I would most likely die tonight?

I slowly nodded my head at her before stepping away.

Then I turned one final time toward my father, whose expression remained as cold as stone.

After that, I looked around the palace, the only home I had ever known. And deep within my heart, I knew this would probably be the last time I ever saw it.

Because even if I somehow survived, tradition forbids a woman married into another kingdom from ever returning home again.

Slowly, I turned toward the carriage and continued walking. Normally, the groom is meant to personally come and take his bride back to his kingdom. But in my case, things were different. I was the one being sent away alone to meet my husband.

A palace guard opened the carriage door for me quietly.

I turned one final time toward Ivy and Lydia and saw tears rolling down their cheeks. I gave them a weak little wave before stepping inside the carriage. The door closed behind me. And only a few moments later... the carriage slowly began moving forward.

The journey to Lunaris, which is the Dragon Kingdom, felt endless. Hours had already passed since the carriage left my father's kingdom, yet we still had not arrived. The roads grew darker as evening slowly approached, and the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the distant mountains. Inside the carriage, silence surrounded me heavily, broken only by the sound of the horses pulling the wheels across the rough road. My entire body ached painfully from sitting in the same position for so long, but the discomfort did not matter compared to the fear slowly consuming my heart.

Since the moment the carriage departed, my chest had not stopped tightening with fear. Every second that passed only reminded me that I was being taken closer to my death. Tonight, I would meet the man who was now called my husband... King Vaelor. And before dawn arrived, I too would become another dead bride added to his long list of victims.

I knew almost nothing about him.

Only his name.

Vaelor.

People who had seen him often described him as dangerously handsome, the most charming man alive, blessed with a face capable of making any woman fall to her knees. They said his blue eyes alone were enough to make people forget how terrifying he truly was. Some women within the kingdoms even called him beautiful like a god, though those same mouths spoke of him with fear afterward. But none of that mattered to me. Beauty meant nothing when it belonged to a monster. What good was a handsome face stained with the blood of twenty women? Every story I had ever heard about King Vaelor ended the same way... with death.

Lost deeply in my thoughts, I suddenly felt the carriage come to a stop. The movement startled me slightly, causing my breath to catch painfully inside my throat. Outside, I could hear guards speaking quietly among themselves before the carriage door slowly opened. Cold night air rushed inside immediately, making small chills crawl across my skin.

"Princess Aurora Nightbane," a guard announced respectfully. "Welcome to Kingdom Lunaris."

Slowly, I lifted my eyes.

The sight before me made my stomach twist.

Standing proudly beneath the moonlight was a massive castle, far larger than anything I had ever seen before. Dark silver towers stretched high into the sky while glowing blue flames burned upon giant dragon statues near the entrance. The cold wind blowing through the palace grounds carried an eerie feeling that made shivers crawl slowly down my spine. Fear settled heavily inside me almost instantly. Sweat formed against my skin despite the freezing air around us.

For several long moments, I could not move.

My body refused to stand.

I remained frozen inside the carriage, staring fearfully at the castle that might soon become my grave.

"Princess Aurora?" the guard called again, pulling me back to reality.

I blinked slowly before noticing his outstretched hand waiting to help me down. My trembling eyes remained fixed upon his hand for several seconds before I finally gathered enough courage to place my shaking fingers into his palm.

Carefully, I stepped down from the carriage.

The moment my feet touched the ground, I noticed several people standing outside the castle in a straight line. Servants and guards all stood silently waiting for my arrival. But the moment their eyes landed upon me, their expressions immediately changed.

Pity.

That was all I saw on their faces.

Some lowered their heads sadly while others whispered among themselves. A few even shook their heads slowly as though mourning someone already dead.

And I understood why.

To them, I was not truly a new queen arriving at Lunaris Kingdom.

I was simply the next victim.

The twenty-first bride destined to die before sunrise.

My chest tightened painfully as I followed behind the guard toward the large open doors of the castle. The servants bowed respectfully as I passed them, and despite the fear nearly swallowing me whole, I still forced a small weak smile onto my lips.

The inside of the castle was even more breathtaking than the outside. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling while silver candles flickered softly against the dark walls. Giant dragon symbols were carved beautifully into the marble floor beneath my feet while expensive paintings and ancient silver decorations filled every corner of the hallway.

Everything looked beautiful.

Soon, a maid stepped forward and bowed politely before me.

"My Lady," she said, "please follow me to your room."

Without speaking, I quietly followed behind her.

As we walked down the long hallway, my eyes slowly wandered across the walls.

That was when I noticed large framed portraits hanging one after another endlessly along the hallway walls. Every portrait was a name carefully written in silver letters.

First Wife.

Second Wife.

Third Wife.

My breathing slowly became uneven as my eyes continued moving across the endless portraits. I did not need anyone to explain what these portraits meant.

These were the women King Vaelor had married and killed.

Twenty innocent women whose lives ended inside this castle.

And by tomorrow morning... my own portrait would likely hang beside theirs.

The thought alone nearly made my legs give out.

When we finally reached a large door at the end of the hallway, the maid gently pushed it open for me.

I slowly stepped inside the room.

The moment I entered, a cold chill immediately ran down my spine. The room was beautiful beyond imagination, decorated with silver curtains, glowing candles, and a massive bed resting at the center of the room

.

Yet despite its beauty, fear wrapped tightly around my heart. All I could think about was how many women had probably stood inside this same room before me... terrified and waiting for death just like I was now.

"My Lady," the maid spoke softly behind me, "the king... your husband... shall be joining you soon."

My breath instantly caught in my throat.

And before I could say anything, the maid turned and quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Leaving me alone, waiting for the arrival of the monster I was forced to marry.