The dawn filtered softly through the rune-warded windows of the residence, painting pale frost across the floor. Ethan stirred, chest tight, as if the weight of the night's revelations had finally landed. Lyssara was still asleep beside him, her pale hair spilling like snow across the bed. For the first time, he dared to study her without fear — just curiosity.
She was breathtaking. Regal. Terrifying. And somehow… hers.
The system pulsed quietly in the corner of his vision.
Bond Status: Level 3 — Emerging Dragon Mate SynchronizationPhysical Proximity: OptimalAlert: Potential threat detection outside residence
Ethan rubbed his face, trying to process the events of yesterday. Dungeon collapse, betrayal by his team, surviving a sovereign-level calamity, forming a marriage bond… and somehow ending up alive. Not just alive — empowered.
"Okay…" he muttered under his breath. "If yesterday was the prologue, I'm not sure I want to see chapter two."
A soft sound broke the silence: the faint tinkle of glass against the window ledge.
Ethan froze.
He was still technically untrained. Still technically a porter. Danger wasn't a suggestion.
Lyssara stirred, eyes opening like slivers of ice cutting through his fear.
"You hear that?" she asked softly.
"…Yes."
She rose, her movements fluid and predatory, like a shadow flowing across the floor. Frost seeped lightly from her fingers, curling along the runes carved into the walls.
"You are unprepared," she said.
"I am," he admitted. "I think that's part of the problem."
"Then do not hesitate."
Before he could question further, the window shattered inward with a sharp crash. Shards of reinforced glass flew across the room, deflected in arcs by her icy barrier, though one nicked the corner of his sleeve.
A man, masked and armored, dropped from the rooftop into the courtyard outside. Weapons glinted — clearly crafted for an S-rank hunter.
Ethan's pulse spiked.
Lyssara didn't move like a normal person. She moved like a force of nature. Wings unfurled from her back as frost ignited across the room.
"Stay behind me," she said, calm, authoritative.
Ethan obeyed without hesitation, gripping the bedpost as her power radiated around him. The intruder froze.
"I do not negotiate with mortals," Lyssara's voice echoed, carrying both ice and death.
"I… I'm not mortal," the man stammered. "I'm… sent by the—"
Lyssara's wing flicked slightly. A shockwave of icy wind tore the man off his feet, slamming him against the courtyard wall. Frost encased him from ankles to chest, immobilizing him instantly.
The system flared, highlighting the intruder in red.
Threat Detected: High-Level Hunter UnitAction Required: Eliminate or SecureBond Impact: Minimal
Ethan watched, wide-eyed, as she descended from the bed, her wings folding back like blades.
"You have entered the residence of a sovereign," she said softly. "Your actions are… unwise."
The masked intruder struggled, frost cracking along the chains of his armor.
"Do you… really plan to kill me?" he wheezed.
Lyssara's eyes locked on Ethan briefly, and he felt the tiniest nudge of intuition: this was his decision to make.
"…Do I?" Ethan muttered under his breath.
Lyssara's lips curved faintly. "You may command if you wish."
He swallowed.
"…Secure him. Alive."
The chains of frost tightened around the intruder, lifting him gently into the air without harm.
The system pinged.
Command Executed: Ally Status — InitiatedThreat Status: ContainedBond Level: +0.5
Ethan exhaled slowly, feeling the thrill and weight of authority for the first time in his life.
Lyssara studied him, approval shimmering in her icy eyes.
"You are learning quickly," she said softly. "Most humans would have screamed, fled… or collapsed."
"…I'm not most humans," he muttered.
She let out a breath that ruffled his hair slightly.
"Correct. You are bonded to me. That makes you… extraordinary."
A notification flashed:
New Mission: Adapt to Sovereign LifeObjective: Survive political, martial, and mystical threats.Optional: Strengthen Dragon Mate Bond.
Ethan rubbed his eyes, looking at Lyssara. The realization struck him like a thunderclap.
He was married to a dragon queen.
And his life had officially stopped being his own.
He exhaled, hands trembling slightly.
"…This is going to be complicated."
Lyssara smiled faintly. "The world already thinks so."
From outside, more figures appeared on the perimeter — observers, hunters, messengers — and the system pinged once more.
Global Attention: Rising RapidlyReputation Status: 'Bridegroom of the Frost Queen'Potential Threats Incoming: High
Ethan swallowed.
He glanced at Lyssara. Her presence, her calm, her sheer dominance — it was terrifying. And yet, impossibly… reassuring.
"…Guess we're going to have a busy day," he muttered.
Her smile deepened, cold and warm at once.
"Yes," she said. "And it begins now."
The next step of their life — dangerous, scandalous, and impossibly intimate — had begun.