e Winte

air. A flicker of hurt crossed his fa

guised mockery. "Is your way of handling this to ask

f guilt and impatience. "Delphine, it's

d it. The grea

urns of enemy flame could not be healed by any herb in the borderlands, and my shattered guards lay dead around me. I should have died in that snow. But Beryl-a D

the bleeding, the broken bones of a fallen dragon. The rest, the Dragon Core he said was "nearly" shattered, his own dragon's constitution must have clawed back from

cribed her bravery, her gentleness. I lis

heart. And then I realized my heart was alread

destroy our five-year marriage? You destro

can take her as my second partner! Delphine, among dragon-k

t him off. "It is a rare thing, and a shame

nally snapped. He pulled a scroll fro

h the golden sigil of the Dragon God. I re

y petitioned the King and received his permission," he announced, his voice dripping with condescension, trying to crush me with the

Command. It was a death sent

uly laughed, so hard tha

ered. "What are

gaze turning cold. "Erwin Ward, have you forgotten who pulled

ly gold? Whose dowry allowed you to maintain the facade o

fired made his

waited for five years like a widow, only for you to bring home a pregnant mistress an

e years of humiliation an

astard, and you expect me to be grateful for the arran

ords, his face a mottled mess of red and

hine,

r. My voice was quiet, but it held the

ock and disbelief. In his mind, I had

the air crackl

marriage that we had truly fought. And it was

e, but I just turned my back on

from him woul

ming the door so hard the win

e. I slowly sank to the floor, a

ushed in, helpin

are you

ing's Command lay there like a venomous snake, its golden si