Unclaimable Dragon

I was the lowest-born black serpent in the Serpent Clan, yet the Dragon Court's most honored crown prince chose me as his bride. He gave up his betrothal to my sister, surrendered his place as heir, and walked away from the Dragon Court for me. I was moved beyond words and became his wife. But after I gave birth to only a black serpent, he flew into a rage. He crushed our baby beneath his foot, then killed me with a single strike of his sword. As I was dying, I saw hatred burning in his eyes. "If I'd known you were this useless, I should've married your sister!" Only then did I learn the truth. I was the woman of fate named in the Dragon Court's forbidden book, the one born with primordial blood. If I gave birth to a primordial child, he would be able to secure the dragon throne. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the bride selection. This time, Adrian chose my sister, the woman who had given birth to a golden dragon in our previous life, without the slightest hesitation. I laughed and chose a lowly worm servant instead. Adrian didn't know that I truly did carry primordial power. He was simply born with a broken essence. Without me, he was meant to die childless. In this life, I would give birth to the true primordial child. And I would make sure he never inherited the Dragon Court. Chapter 1 I stood in the great hall of the Dragon Court, the pain in my chest from my last death still not entirely gone. "Vera Watson really is lucky. She's only a lowly black serpent, but somehow the crown prince chose her." "After this, her status in the Serpent Clan may even rise above her sister's. Maybe if she bears a little dragon, His Highness will grant her a dragon core and let her ascend." I looked at Adrian Draven standing before me, and hatred rose in my heart. So Heaven had taken pity on the wrong done to me and given me the chance to live again. Just like in my last life, Adrian had chosen me during the bride selection. King Aurelius sat high above us, his expression displeased. "You are my most promising son. Are you truly willing to defy me for a lowborn black serpent?" Adrian suddenly stiffened. In the next breath, he flung my hand away with disgust written across his face. "Father, I was confused just now. How could I possibly marry a filthy, lowly black serpent?" I understood at once. He had been reborn too. In our last life, when King Aurelius questioned him, he had chosen me without wavering. The king, furious, had driven him from the Dragon Court. More than ten years after our wedding, I finally became pregnant and gave birth to a tiny black serpent. Adrian was enraged. "The forbidden book clearly said you carried primordial power. Why did you still give birth to a lowly serpent?" He smashed our baby on the ground, then pierced my heart with his sword. Now that he had returned to the past, of course he would not repeat the same mistake. Adrian said coldly, "I mistook this wretch for Princess Celeste of the Serpent Clan. "The one I wish to marry is the auspicious white serpent, not this black serpent who only brings misfortune." Among the Dragon Court, status was judged by the color of one's scales. The most honored were the golden dragons, followed by crimson, azure, white, and finally the black dragons at the very bottom. Golden dragons appeared perhaps once in a century. Even in this life, Adrian was the only golden dragon. In my previous life, my sister Celeste had married the second prince and given birth to a rare golden dragon, helping him seize the throne. I watched Adrian pull Celeste to the center of the hall. Her face could not hide her surprise and delight. She leaned shyly into his arms. "Thank you for your favor, Your Highness. But you already chose my sister just now. If you change your mind now, won't she be heartbroken?" A deep venom surfaced in Adrian's eyes. "A shameless servant who doesn't know her place deserves only to kneel and wait on you. If she displeases you, throw her into the pit and feed her to the venom bugs." Celeste lowered her eyes, all meekness and grace. "Since Your Highness cares for me so much, may I ask for one wish? "I want to arrange a marriage for my sister as well." Adrian did not object. "A thing like her has been abandoned by me. No one else will want her. You're too kind." A flash of cruelty passed through Celeste's eyes. Because Father loved my mother, I had received more affection than she had, even though I was only a black serpent. And just now, Adrian had chosen me first. To Celeste, that was humiliation. She smiled innocently and pointed to a dark corner below the platform. "If no one wants her, then let her marry that lowborn worm servant." Chapter 2 I looked down. Among the servants stood a man in a black cloak. His face was hidden beneath the hood. Adrian sneered. "A bastard born of criminal slaves. Perfect for a serpent as lowborn as her." Malice filled his face. "Vera, this is my gift to you." Celeste giggled beside him, watching me with glee, clearly hoping to see me collapse. But I did not. I calmly walked down, took the man's hand, and smiled. "Thank you for the marriage, Your Highness." Adrian did not know that the forbidden book he had read was not wrong. I truly did carry primordial blood. In my last life, for the sake of his pride, I never told him that his essence was broken. Without my primordial power, he would never have had a child in his life. In this life, I would give birth to the true primordial child, take back everything that belonged to me, avenge myself and my baby from my previous life, and demand justice from this self-righteous Dragon Court. On the wedding day, the Dragon Court held a grand banquet. The miles of red carpet and grand procession all belonged to Adrian and Celeste. I had no bridal carriage and no wedding dress. I had only a ruined woodshed. After that, Celeste was spoiled beyond measure. She and Adrian were together day and night. She complained her jewelry looked plain, so Adrian searched the whole sea for century-old coral pearls. She feared heat and liked shade, so Adrian built her a summer palace on the mountain. "The crown princess is so blessed. She married a handsome prince who dotes on her. She'll be queen of the Dragon Court someday." "I heard from the maids that their room is noisy until the middle of the night. Sometimes water has to be brought in seven or eight times in one night." The other women envied Celeste and looked at me with contempt. We were both daughters of the serpent king. One of us had married the Dragon Court's crown prince and enjoyed endless luxury. The other had married a servant and lived worse than a maid. After our wedding, Silas Ashbourne and I treated each other with courtesy. He was considerate and gentle, yet he never touched me. I even suspected he might have some hidden problem. If that was true, I needed to find another man capable of giving me a child as soon as possible. Before I could find anyone, Celeste came. She wore splendid robes and glittering jewels. Her whole body seemed to glow with the satisfaction of being adored. "Sister, did you ever imagine it? My life is so much better now. With the crown prince's favor, Father will surely favor my mother even more." I nodded. "Oh." When she saw no reaction from me, she frowned. "You don't know yet, do you? The crown prince said I will definitely give birth to a golden dragon. Once I bear his little heir, he'll grant me a dragon core and let me ascend completely." I remained calm. "Then congratulations in advance." Celeste did not get the response she wanted. Annoyed, she looked me up and down with disdain. "Sister, don't tell me you and that worm still haven't consummated your marriage. Is he incapable, or does he simply not want you? "We serpents are naturally fertile. Your belly hasn't moved at all. Are you still acting like a proud princess of the Serpent Clan?" I smiled faintly, not angry in the slightest. "I hear you and the crown prince share pleasure every night, Sister. Why has your own belly remained still?" I had struck her sore spot. Celeste's face changed, and she slapped me hard across the face. "You little slut. How dare you mock me?" She raised her hand to strike me again, but I caught her wrist and flicked it aside. Celeste screamed. Adrian rushed in from outside, caught her in his arms, and struck at me with one ruthless palm. I slammed into the stone steps. A deep wound tore open across my back. His blow was heavy. My chest burned, and blood seeped from my mouth. "Adrian, I only came to visit my sister," Celeste sobbed in his arms. "But she was jealous that you love me. She cursed us for not having children and even attacked me." Adrian glared at me with fire in his eyes. Children were his greatest taboo. He had always believed he was noble beyond compare, and that any seed of his would be equally unmatched. I still remembered how the baby serpent from my last life had shamed him, and how he crushed the child beneath his foot. "You dared hurt Celeste? You must want to die!" He raised his hand again. A surge of power pointed straight at me, thick with killing intent. If that strike landed, I would be crippled, if not dead. Chapter 3 I hurried to dodge, but the gap in our strength was too great. I could not avoid it. The pain I expected never came. A muffled groan sounded above my head, and I fell into a broad embrace. Silas shielded me with his body and took the blow for me. His hood fell back, revealing a handsome face. It was the first time I had seen his true appearance. His refined, deep-set features were set into a pale face, and he was even more beautiful than Adrian. Celeste froze for a moment. Her eyes flickered. "I'm sorry," Silas said. "I came too late." He coughed up blood. I hurriedly held him, my heart filling with an emotion I could not name. Adrian looked down at us as though he had seen a joke. "Insignificant insects. I can crush you with a finger." "Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish." He drew his blade. Silas forced himself upright and blocked him from me. "Adrian, let it go," Celeste suddenly said, tugging at him while her gaze lingered on Silas's face. "The high priest said we must pray for our future child. We shouldn't commit bloodshed." Only then did Adrian lower his sword. He looked at me coldly. "For the sake of my future child, I'll spare you for now. Once my child is born, I'll deal with you then." After they left, I helped Silas into the room. He seemed to resist my touch. Several times he tried to pull away and treat his wounds himself. But he was badly injured. I pushed him onto the bed and pulled off his black cloak. For one moment, I forgot how to breathe. Across Silas's back was a hideous wound. Beneath it, dense symbols covered his skin. I had seen those symbols before. It was a soul-locking curse. The soul-locking curse was immensely powerful. It was used only to bind things like demon kings or divine beasts. Why would it be on Silas? "This is..." I touched one of the symbols lightly. Silas trembled all over and let out a suppressed groan. "What's wrong?" His shoulders shook uncontrollably. A broken sound forced its way through his clenched teeth. A thought flashed through my mind. I helped him sit up, and his eyes suddenly turned scarlet as they locked onto me. "Go. Don't come close to me." He pushed me away with the last of his reason. I understood. No wonder he had never touched me. I was the key to the seal on his body. He was certainly not just a worm. Silas gritted his teeth. A bloody haze spread through his eyes. I knew the seal was turning back on him. If it could not be broken, the tremendous power trapped inside him would have nowhere to go, and his body would explode. There was only one way to relieve the backlash. I slowly loosened my robes. Pale skin met the air, flushed with desire. If his identity was special, then why not try him? Silas froze and hurriedly turned his head away, fighting the burning need in his body. I raised my arms around his neck. My warm skin pressed against his hot chest. "Silas, you helped me," I whispered. "Let me help you too, all right?" He tried to turn and leave, but I hooked my arm around his neck and brushed my lips against the corner of his mouth. The last thread of Silas's restraint snapped. He surged up and pressed me onto the bed. His heated breath fell over me. His eyes, bright as stars, filled with broken light. He should have fallen into madness, yet in that moment he was unexpectedly gentle. He kissed my eyes and laced his fingers with mine as though I were something precious. "I won't fail you," he said. Desire burned away my thoughts. In my daze, all I knew was that he was astonishingly powerful and tireless.