Married To The Dragon Prince Against My Will-Chapter 207: THEY ARE BACK

"Open that cell now," he barked at the nearest guard, voice ragged with fury as he shook the cell roll with rage. "I will see my father this instant."

The guard blinked, uncertain. "My prince, we..."

"I said open it!" Ashen snapped again. The words snapped something inside him, a dangerous thread of power humming under his skin.

The guard mouth worked, but he glanced toward the doors and then, with a look none of them would forget, signaled the wardens. The cell unlocked with a reluctant clank.

Ashen shoved through the hinges and ran, knocking aside anyone who dared stand in his path.

He did not wait for permission, fine he might not be on good terms with his father but not at the point of death.

He had sent word to Aria to reveal the coup that Adam was forming, only for him to hear this

Now the palace itself thrummed with alarm, nobles and guards flooded toward the throne room, rumors igniting like tinder.

At the throne room steps, Lord Drex stood like a pillar among the courtiers.

His presence among the chaos, Ashen glanced at him with a question why was Drex here and not with the king? The answer vanished into the roar of voices.

"What is happening?" Ashen demanded.

"We received an alarm," a breathless guard said. "The King has fallen ill, Your Highness. No one is allowed in." He swallowed. "Prince Adam ordered it sealed."

"You won’t let me in?" Ashen’s laugh was short and ugly. "I am his son."

The guards pushed back, citing orders. "We are sorry but..." For a breathless second, it seemed the palace itself had sided with silence.

As the sealed door pushed inward on its own. A hush swept the hall. Every eye flicked to Ashen as if he were the current in a lake. He had no time for silence. Movement at the far end of the hall caught him, a pale shape crumpling.

None of them could make sense of it. The hall murmured. "Did he just disrupt Prince Adam’s seal? Who else could have that power besides the king?"

"Shut the hell up he is the last prince just cur..." His word was left hanging as he flew backward with full force. He looked down at his chest to see his shirt already burnt out.

When he looked up his eyes met with those of Ashen and he dared not heave a word, even the remaining standing bibles could only stare at him.

"More crazy words about me and I will destroy you." At once everyone bowed before Ashen, this had never happened before.

Ashen strode into the throne room finding his way to the king’s Chambers.

The nearer he drew to the source of the commotion, the weaker he felt.

Just then a figure crawled near the dais, a thin, injured thing. It took him a heartbeat to recognize who the person was "Alexis." Ashen’s breath snagged as he called to be sure this was his brother.

He was about to move toward the weak Alexis when something blasted him from the side, he quickly held on his step and glanced at the source to see Adam.

He didn’t think twice before attacking him immediately, "Stop," Alexis croaked out.

But another blast of lightning struck Ashen, sending him reeling back into the marble. He hit the floor hard and tasted blood.

Just then Queen Sephora appeared, hair in disarray, robes clinging damply to her frame with the help of Aurelia

Her walk was quick and jagged as a wound. "What is this?" she cried. Rage and fear braided through her tone. "What have you done to my son? What madness pushes you to hurt your own brother?"

There was a strange hardness in Ashen’s chest as he crawled to his knees. He tried to stand but stumbled. "Mother.." he choked.

Ashen’s voice let out sadly as he almost broke into tears.

"What is it, Mother? Why do you love one son so much that you must keep hurting the other? I am your son too!"

Queen Sephora’s face twisted with rage. "My son! Are you saying the same son who is the curse of this whole realm!" Ashen bit his lip, why can’t his mother for once have a nice feeling for him?

"I regret the day I gave birth to you! I curse the moment I carried you, and every drop of milk I wasted on you!" Her words lashed through him like a whip. Ashen’s fists clenched at his sides, hatred simmering behind his eyes.

"Mo... mother?" a weak voice croaked. All heads turned.

Queen Sephora froze as her eyes widened. "You... how are you alive? How are you even moving?"

"Enough, Mother!" Aurelia shouted, running toward the frail figure crawling forward. "That’s not what you should be asking your son right now!" she added glaring at her mother now.

"We haven’t seen him for years, we should be happy he is alive!"

Alexis’s body trembled, each breath labored. His once-bright eyes were now dull but burning faintly with resolve. "Brother..." he rasped, looking at Ashen.

Ashen still stared at his brother with so much shock. The man before him was almost unrecognizable thin, pale, but alive.

"Where is Father?" Alexis demanded, his voice gaining strength, like he was forcing himself to regain his lost powers.

Ashen’s eyes flicked toward Adam. "Where is Father?" he echoed.

Adam straightened, irritation flashing. "Father gave you your punishment. You have no right to..."

Before he could finish, a spark ignited from Alexis’s palm. A blast of flame burst forward, striking Adam squarely and hurling him against the wall. Gasps echoed across the hall.

Everyone turned in shock to see that Alexis, barely standing, had unleashed that power. His aura flickered faintly, but the look in his eyes was pure defiance.

"Where is Father?" Alexis roared, his voice cracking. "Answer me before I destroy you myself!"

No one expected Alexis so battered, so small to command such a strike.

"You bastard of a child" Alexis rasped. "You stole what was mine, what should have been mine." He coughed and blood flecked his lips. "Answer me. Where is Father?"

Adam coughed, blinking. "He... he is under guard. The palace pal..." he stammered. "He is not well."

"What did you do to him?" Alexis asked and Ashen smirked seeing his brother was back.

"I... I..." before he could finish his sentence, Alexis sped toward his direction grabbing his neck.

"Enough," Queen Sephora yelled out and thrust a hand toward Alexis, but the lightning that leaped from her fingers misfired.

"Alexis, stop!" Ashen moved, but Queen Sephora’s spell flared. Lightning surged toward Alexis. Instinct took over and before Ashen could think twice he threw himself forward, shielding his brother. The bolt hit his chest with a sickening crack.

"Ashen!" Aurelia screamed as he crumpled. Blood trickled down his lip, his hand gripping the burn that spread across his heart. This was a different kind of burn, he was used to taking his mother’s hit but he couldn’t help but wonder why this was different.

Queen Sephora gasped, horrified, rushing toward him. "No... no...no..."

Ashen for the first time in his life felt relieved that his mother had hurt him, seeing the worry in her eyes as she ran toward him.

But when she reached him, her hands shoved him aside making him hit the ground, as she now focused instead on Adam.

Everyone froze. Ashen’s body shook with pain, but nothing hurt as much as watching his mother ignore him again.

Aurelia’s eyes filled with tears, for the first time she saw the evil in her mother as she darted toward her brother.

"Brother..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why are you this weak, it’s not the first time you received this strike from her."

Ashen could barely breathe. "Where... is Father?" he forced out, his voice desperate.

"Don’t you dare speak of him," Sephora hissed, turning sharply. "You and Alexis are no longer members of this family. Anyone who defends you joins your fate!"

"Mother!" Aurelia shouted, stepping forward only for lightning to lash again. She screamed and fell, unconscious, her body collapsing beside Ashen’s.

Lord Drex stumbled forward, trembling. "You Highness," he let out in shock, already understanding where this was going.

Then Queen Sephora stared at him, "Your daughter carries our heir so choose a side you are on."

Queen Sephora’s glare snapped to him. "Your.... Hugness... he called in shock... Please don’t hurt my daughter." he pleaded.

"Then keep your mouth shut if you value her life," she warned.

Ashen’s head swam. The world tilted, vision blurring. "Mother..." he whispered weakly.

Alexis’s voice broke through the ringing silence, trembling with fury.

"How could you touch my brother! I swear, I will make you and your bastard son regret this night!"

Queen Sephora let out a wild, cracked laugh. "Your father will be dead any moment now," she hissed. "And no one will ever know the truth about you!"

Alexis bit his lip, trembling, his fury building into something ancient. "Let’s see how long your lies last," he whispered.

Then he closed his eyes and began to chant, "By scale and blood... by oath unbroken... awaken."

The clouds outside the palace turned black. A tremor rolled through the realm, humming with powers not felt for a long time.

"Wh... what are you doing?" Sephora stuttered and Alexis smirked at her.

"Inviting you a long-lost guest, Sephora." And then one single roar rang through the whole realm and followed by several roars.

Every single soul in the realm needed no one to tell them what this roar signifies.