The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 106

Chapter 106: Between the Witch’s Lies and the Dragon’s Truth

Chapter 106: Between the Witch’s Lies and the Dragon’s Truth

KIERYGAN’S POV

When I returned, the chamber was hushed, the only sound the slow, even cadence of Eirlys’ breathing. Danaiah stood by the bed, tucking away the last of her tools.

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“She’ll rest now,” the healer said softly. “I gave her something to keep the pain away and let her

sleep deeply.”

I glanced at Eirlys. Her face no longer pinched with strain, her lips parted slightly in the stillness. The rise and fall of her chest was steady, almost fragile in its calm.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

Danaiah nodded once and left without another word.

I crossed the room to the bathing chamber, drew a bath, and lowered myself into the steaming water. Closing my eyes brought no peace-only the image of Eirlys hanging in chains, her body limp, Malric’s whip poised to fall on flesh already marred with bruises and blood.

A restless heat stirred in my chest. I quickened my washing; there was no need to linger. Every moment away from her carried the gnawing fear that she might be taken from me again.

I stepped from the bath, pulled on a nightshirt, and returned to find her still sleeping. For a long moment I stood watching her, the steady rise and fall of her breath. Then I moved to the bed and sat on its edge, close enough to feel the warmth of her presence.

I lay down beside her, leaving a careful distance between us. Every instinct urged me to reach for her, to pull her close and feel her warmth. But I forced myself still.

Her needs mattered more than mine, and right now she needed peace.

Hours passed in silence. I did not close my eyes, not once. Even the smallest sound would have

roused me.

Then, through the stillness, I heard her faint whimpers and muffled sobs, breaking the fragile quiet. She must be reliving the horrors she just endured in her dreams.

Just like that, my restraint shattered.

I slid closer, gathering her into my arms and pulling her against my chest. She murmured

something too soft to catch, so I let my hand glide slowly along her back, coaxing the tension from

her.

“I’m here,” I whispered. “No one’s going to hurt you.

She pressed herself closer, her face buried against me. I felt her inhale, as if committing my scent

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Chapter 106: Between the Witch’s Lies and the Dragon’s Truth

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to memory. Her sobs quieted, her breathing steadied, and soon she drifted back into deep

slumber.

Only then did I let my own eyes close.

Eirlys was still asleep when I woke, nestled against my side like something heaven had left in my keeping. I lingered for a moment, breathing her in, before carefully untangling myself from her

warmth. She didn’t stir.

I went to the kitchens myself. The servants froze mid-motion when I stepped in, but I waved off

their bows.

“Prepare a tray,” I ordered.

They exchanged quick, uneasy glances but obeyed without question. I stood over them as they worked, my eyes tracking every movement. Every plate, every cup-everything had to be

something she liked. I’d watched Eirlys eat far too many times not to know her tastes by heart. If it

was something she never touched, it did not go on the tray.

Soon, it was laden with dishes warm, fresh, and savory. At the last moment, I pointed to a small

confection-because I knew how much she loved something sweet at the end.

When I returned to my chambers, she was awake. Sitting against the headboard, her gaze fixed on

something far beyond the walls. That faraway look in her eyes tightened something in my chest.

I set the tray on the bed’s edge, then slid it gently onto her lap. “You should eat,” I said quietly. “I

doubt they’ve given you anything since they took you.”

She didn’t answer, but her eyes flicked toward me a small, silent acknowledgement.

I reached out, wanting to cup her face, but she flinched, turning just enough to avoid my touch.

My frown deepened. “What’s wrong?”

She stayed silent for a long while, her gaze sliding away from mine. I tightened my grip on her shoulder, giving it a small shake.

“Talk to me,” I said quietly.

She didn’t. She only turned farther away.

I exhaled, loosening my hand. “If you don’t want to talk, I won’t force you,” I murmured. “But… at least eat.”

Slowly, she turned to me at last. Her eyes were glassy, rimmed red with unshed tears.

She swallowed hard. “I asked you… more than once” she rasped, “what you wanted from me.”

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Chapter 106: Between the Witch’s Lies and the Dragon’s Truth

Her voice cracked with pain, and I froze.

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“You should have told me. Up front. If it was just my light you wanted.” Her breath trembled as she

pressed on. “If you’d simply asked… I would’ve given it to you.”

The weight of her words hit me-this was about Mirael. About the poison she’d planted in Eirlys’s mind. I wanted to deny it, to tell her how wrong she was. But the ache in her voice lodged a stone

in my throat, silencing me.

“You didn’t have to do all those nice things just to win my trust,” she whispered. “You did not have

to make me believe you really cared. You just need to be honest. Somehow… that feels more cruel

than Malric and Morwenna.”

Her words cut deeper than any blade.

Without thinking, I lifted the tray from her lap and set it aside. Then I sank to the floor before her.

Tears spilled freely now, and she curled in on herself, as if bracing for the worst.

I finally spoke, my voice low but steady. “I know where you got those lies-from Mirael, at the

meeting.”

She met my gaze unflinchingly. “You didn’t deny them,” she whispered, tears welling. “I waited for you to. I heard everything, Kierygan.” Her voice cracked, choking on the word. “Everything.”

I shook my head and rose, then settled beside her again, close enough to grip her shoulder and

hold her eyes.

“No,” I said, voice firm, edged with steel. “You didn’t hear everything.”

Her glare softened, confusion flickering across her face.

“If you had stayed longer,” I said, “you would’ve heard how I silenced Mirael. How I told her, in no uncertain terms, that she was never to speak of you like that again.”

I pulled her closer, close enough to see the flicker of life in her purple eyes. “If you had stayed, you

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