The Dragon Bride | ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kora's POV

"You're in a rebellion?!" Azura shrieks.

Aurelia snaps to attention, her eyes wide at the sound of the word 'rebellion'. The hazel greens and browns in Azura's widened eyes are sparkling, reflecting the sun. I stand there, sweating under the heat, biting my lip.

"No, no, Azura, I'm not!" I say quickly, stealing a glance at a suspicious Aurelia, then pulling Azura closer and out of her earshot, talking under my breath, "These two, Elin and Iceni, want to join the Phoenix. I was just about to explain that I'm not a part of it."

"You're not?" Iceni repeats incredulously.

I roll my eyes. "No,"

"But..." Elin shakes his head as he trails off, then looks up at me again, his fiery eyes so eerily like a snake's, "We- We've heard so much of you, of your acts against the system..."

"Your bravery against the Green mercenaries," Iceni says pointedly.

"Crimsons, you mean?"

"Yes, those."

"Or your outburst at Concubine Aria when she was slapping Consort Marisol." Elin states.

"Your defence of Lady Azura against the Concubine Aria's will, resulting in saving her life,"

"Whatever you've heard," I sigh, "I never signed up for something as big as an uprising. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

A gentle breeze passes, the coolness causing goosebumps to prickle up on my skin. My head begins to ache slightly, my eyes beginning to strain. Where did they hear all of this? Is standing up to unjustness that rare that people from other countries know of me? This all just feels like a fever dream at this point.

"I- I think I'm going to leave now. But I will tell you, if you want any information on the rebellion, speak to Crowned Concubine Velia," I say, before briskly walking away.

I try to clear my head for a moment, but the dizziness just won't surpass. It's hard not to feel even a little defensive. Why does everyone want me to be in a rebellion so badly? I think of all that could happen if I really do join. Azura might get hurt. No. She will get hurt if I join. King Isin would make sure of it.

Perhaps he'd even go to greater lengths. I shake my head. The idea of Azura being in pain purely because of me sounds worse than hearing of her disease. I feel my stomach tighten when the image appears in my mind of her bound to a chair with magiks, gagged, her eyes wide with agony as her straggly hair is messy and wild around her hollow face...

"Azura?"

She catches up to me, eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"I- Would you join the rebellion if you were given the choice?" I question.

She shrugs, "Why not? They're pretty weak right now, though. They've got numbers but nothing much else,"

I think about this for a moment, considering Elin and Iceni's words. The fact that even they, who had come from countries thousands of miles away, had heard of the uprising really says something about Marisol's PR skills.

The day goes by slowly, with me taking excessively long naps and then only getting up to eat food. In fact, once I've finished my dinner I find no energy to do anything else but lay helplessly in bed and stare up at the sky in wonder. I'm about to do just that when Synn stops me in my tracks.

"Where are you going?" he asks casually.

"To bed,"

"We need to talk,"