Chapter 120 Anniversary
Drakon’s POV
“Guards, escort this woman to the guest chambers,” I ordered, my gaze fixed on the woman claiming to be Princess Celestia. “We’ll investigate her claims tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” she laughed coldly. “On your anniversary? How fitting. Spending it questioning whether your marriage is even legal.”
“Get her out of here,” I growled.
As the guards dragged her away, still smiling Elara sagged against me.
“What if she’s real?” she whispered. “What if everything we built...”
“She’s not,” I said firmly, holding her close. “Something about her is wrong. I can feel it.”
“But the documents. The witnesses...”
“Can be forged.” I lifted her chin. “Tomorrow is our anniversary. One year since we chose each other freely. That’s what we celebrate. Not her lies.”
Elara exhaled shakily. “Whatever happens… we had this year. This perfect, impossible year.”
“And we’ll have many more,” I promised. “I’m not letting you go. Ever.”
Sleep barely came that night. Worry clung to us like fog.
At dawn, I pulled her close. “Happy anniversary, my love.”
She smiled softly. “Happy anniversary. I have something for you.”
She handed me a leather-bound book. When I opened it, my breath caught.
It was our story.
Every moment from our first meeting to now, written in her careful hand. The fear. The lies. The truth. The love.
“You wrote this?” I whispered.
“For months,” she said. “I wanted our children to know the real story. And I wanted you to have proof… of how deeply I love you.”
Emotion tightened my chest as I turned the pages. “This is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.”
She smiled. “Your turn.”
I opened a small box. Inside lay a pendant formed from a single dragon scale, my scale.
“This is part of me,” I said, fastening it around her neck. “It carries my protection. And through the mating bond, you’ll always feel me.”
Her fingers brushed it reverently. “It’s perfect.”
We kissed softly.
Then pounding shattered the moment.
“Your Majesties!” Thorne’s voice rang out. “The woman claiming to be Celestia has demanded a public trial. Ambassadors from six kingdoms have arrived to witness it!”
“Ambassadors?” I snapped.
“They were invited. Told the Northern Kingdom’s marriage legitimacy was in question.”
Elara went pale. “The Eternal King.”
We rushed to the throne room. It was overflowing. The false Celestia stood confidently at the center, flanked by lawyers. Representatives from six foreign kingdoms watched closely.
“This hearing will prove the marriage void,” the lead lawyer announced. “Princess Celestia never consented. Elara Moonstone committed fraud. The marriage must be annulled.”
“Present your evidence,” I said coldly.
They did, birth records, witnesses, royal seals. It was disturbingly convincing.
“The defense?” the mediator asked.
Elara stepped forward. “I don’t deny impersonating Princess Celestia. I was blackmailed by Queen Morgana. But I have proof the real Celestia abdicated before any marriage contract was signed.”
She held up a journal. “Her own words.”
“A journal can be faked!” the lawyer scoffed. “We need the real Celestia’s testimony!”
“Then ask her,” Elara said calmly, turning to the woman. “Ask her something only the real Celestia would know.”
The woman hesitated.
“What was your favorite doll’s name?” Elara asked. “The one you slept with until you were twelve.”
“I...trivial nonsense...”
“The real Celestia would remember,” Elara said steadily. “Her mother destroyed it on her twelfth birthday. She cried for weeks. Pain like that doesn’t fade.”
The woman’s face flickered.
“Illusion magic!” one ambassador gasped.
The illusion shattered, revealing Ravenna, the Eternal King’s daughter.
“Clever,” Ravenna snarled. “But the fraud still stands.”
“No,” the Merfolk ambassador said, rising. “I’ve seen enough. This woman chose truth over comfort. Love over power. The Eastern Merfolk Kingdom recognizes this marriage as legitimate.”
One by one, the others agreed.
“We seek diplomatic relations,” the Mountain Clan ambassador added. “Both kingdoms.”
What was meant to humiliate us became our triumph.
Ravenna screamed and vanished through a portal.
That night, Elara and I celebrated properly. Alone. Grateful.
“We won,” she whispered.
“We always do,” I said. “Together.”
But the next morning brought new challenges. The ambassadors stayed, eager to negotiate treaties and alliances.
“It’s overwhelming,” Elara admitted. “I don’t know their customs.”
“Then we learn,” I said. “Together.”
The weeks that followed were intense. Elara excelled. She treated everyone equally, servants and royals alike and earned their respect.
“You’re a natural diplomat,” I told her.
“I just treat people like people,” she shrugged.
Only the Desert Kingdom ambassador remained hostile.
“Your kingdom was built on deception,” he accused.
“And rebuilt on truth,” Elara replied. “Judge me by my actions.”
He left unconvinced.
That night, chaos erupted. The Desert ambassador had been poisoned. His people blamed us.
“This is the Eternal King,” I said.
“We have to save him,” Elara insisted.
We rushed to his chambers, only to find him recovering.
“A woman cured me,” he said. “Silver-haired. A spirit. She said to trust Queen Elara.”
Elara’s eyes filled with tears. “Faye.”
The ambassador became our strongest ally. Trade routes opened. Alliances formed. Our influence spread.
Then a shadow bird arrived.
“Congratulations,” the Eternal King’s message read. “While you made friends, I prepared something better. Two days. Bring everyone you love. They’ll want to witness the end.”
The bird exploded into ash, revealing a vision.
The Eternal King.
And an army.
Morgana. The Void Emperor. Marcus. Every enemy we had defeated, returned.
They were marching toward us.
Together.