The Devil's Betrothed-Chapter 692: Dragon’s Memories Of Esmeray

A loud growl echoed through the air, creating heavy vibrations—the mark of his flight with his mate. Esmeray braced herself, gripping the large protruding scales at the base of his neck. Soon, majestic, beautifully shining gold wings stirred the air heavily, as if creating a storm, before the Dragon finally took flight.

Esmeray, thrilled, enjoyed flying high while riding the divine dragon, her red eyes gazing at the landscape of the demon realm beneath them as the gold Dragon soared across the sky.

Meanwhile, everyone in the demon realm was stunned to see the majestic divine dragon flying in their skies. From adults to children, everyone excitedly watched the sight. By now, everyone knew the Dragon was their Princess’ mate.

They cheered for their Princess and her mate, eagerly awaiting the chance to see them up close soon.

The two other homeless dragons, who were spending their time by the lakeside, looked up.

"There he is, enjoying himself with his mate, while we have to wait—who knows for how long?" Drayce sighed, realizing just how much he missed Seren.

"Time in the demon realm moves slower," Draven commented, letting go of his usual calm and composed demeanor as he thought about how much he missed Ember. "For us, it’s only been two days, but our mates must have been missing us for much longer."

"How much time do you think has passed in the human realm?" Drayce asked, worry creeping into his voice. Seren wasn’t used to being away from him for this long, and now he felt anxious for her.

"A month, maybe?" Draven answered, though he sounded unsure.

"We need to talk to Arlan now that they’ve completed their bond. We have to return."

"Looking at those two, I doubt they’ll be in a hurry to leave."

"He can stay here in the demon realm forever for all I care, but I can’t stay away from Seren any longer," Drayce said, frustration evident in his voice.

"We’ll talk to them," Draven agreed.

"I see two frustrated dragons here," a familiar voice interrupted them.

"And we see an amused demon," Drayce countered, "but your pity is not welcome here."

Xyron chuckled softly. "I’m not here to offer pity but something else. As you are guests in our realm, and as a general here, I don’t wish for our guests to live like homeless creatures. It wouldn’t suit the dignity of divine dragons. I’m here to offer you a stay in the guest residence I’ve arranged for you both. Our Princess is currently busy to fulfill her duties as your host host."

"We do not need...."

"Where is the residence?" Draven asked, interrupting Drayce who was going to refuse any help from Xyron as he was still upset with this demon for putting Arlan’s life in danger.

"It’s in the city," Xyron replied, "You might like to see how demon realm works, our people and their lifestyle. Not like you visit here everyday."

Draven hummed in agreement and turned to Drayce, who had gone quiet. "Drayce, I understand how you feel, but the friend you were worried about is fine and having the best time with his mate, completely forgetting about our existence. While he enjoys himself, why not take the opportunity to explore the demon realm?"

Just then, a dragon roared above them, delightfully flying with his mate. "See that happy growl," Draven commented.

Drayce looked up at the sky and agreed with Draven that Xyron’s offer was better than sitting around and getting bored. They left the lakeside and headed to the Demon city and the guest residence.

"Xyron, do you have a family?" Draven asked.

"I do. A wife and two little ones—a demon and a demoness," Xyron replied.

"How old are they?"

"In this realm, they are more than a century old, but you can compare them to ten- to twelve-year-old human children."

Drayce had another question. "What will happen now that your princess is back?"

"She will rule this realm," Xyron answered. freeweɓnøvel.com

"But she will return to the human realm with us."

"We will follow whatever she decides. If she wishes to leave, we will support her decision."

"Now that Tharzimon is gone, there’s no longer a threat here. With the shield around the realm, the gods cannot attack you. That means her presence here isn’t necessary, and someone like you can handle everything," Drayce added. "Do you want the shield to be gone, or would you prefer it to stay?"

"As a general of this realm, I should say I want it gone, but after all those tiresome battles, I desire peace. I would prefer the shield to remain, so there won’t be any wars between the gods and demons, allowing the demon realm to live in peace. Our people deserve to live in peace."

"You talk like a human, not like a demon," Drayce commented.

"Do you think we are different just because we are more powerful and often associated with war?" Xyron asked. "Like humans, we have families—elders and children. It’s the greed for power among the more powerful beings of the demon and heavenly realms that causes others to suffer. Although the princess was gone and Tharzimon ruled, there was no war, and we lived in peace. But Tharzimon’s greed never ceased, which led to his downfall. Otherwise, he could have been a great force for our realm."

While the two Dragons enjoyed the hospitality from the general of the demon realm, a certain gold Dragon and his mate had returned to their residence after flying for long.

Oriana stepped down from the dragon which landed back at the rear of her residence. She walked toward the huge rocky wall, which bore signs that it once had a waterfall. She closed her eyes and moved her hands, which seemed to emit divine power instead of darkness. Soon, water began to appear at the top of the wall and gently cascaded down, creating a beautiful waterfall.

Arlan, who had returned to his human form, walked toward her. As he looked at the waterfall and the water accumulating in the rocky pools, a memory flashed before his eyes—two women talking to each other while he watched them through a transparent gold curtain.

"Esmeray, don’t be so hard on yourself," said a divine-looking, beautiful woman in a pristine white dress who resembled Oriana. She stood in front of a young demoness in the dark clothes—young Esmeray. "You’ve been practicing hard enough. I know that as a princess you have responsibilities toward this realm, but that doesn’t mean you should forget about yourself. You’re still so young."

"Mother, I am doing fine," Esmeray replied politely.

"Fine? When was the last time I saw you smiling?" the woman asked gently. "I’ve been through all of this as well—when all we want is to be powerful and protect our people. But one must also be responsible for their own happiness. I don’t want to see my only daughter caught up in responsibilities so soon. Your father and I are here to take care of things."

Esmeray didn’t look pleased. "If I neglect my cultivation, I’ll be weak and won’t be able to claim that sword. I want to win Soulreaver."

"There are demons more powerful than ever, but none have been able to claim it, which means that being powerful isn’t enough. One must have a purpose for its use beyond just gaining its power. If you are destined for that sword, you will get it anyway," her mother interrupted. "From now on, all you have to do is take care of this golden lotus. There is a powerful soul inside it that needs warmth and care. You have to talk to it, show it your care and love. If this lotus loses its shine, it means you are failing in your duty."

"But mother—"

"I am leaving it in your care. From now on, it belongs to you," the woman declared.

Esmeray looked at the flower, her eyes sad, but then she heard her mother’s voice again. "You can also visit your friends in the heavenly realm. Having friends is good for someone your age."

"Yes, Mother."

"Once in a while, this lotus needs holy water from the heavenly realm. You can get it from the deity of water, Evanthe." With that, the woman left, leaving young Esmeray behind.

Esmeray walked toward the flower, which was placed in a stony pot filled with water from the waterfall. She sat at the edge of the stone platform and silently dipped her fingers in the water, lost in her own thoughts.

The one watching her from behind the gold curtain could feel her sadness. It wished to reach out to her and comfort her, but it could not.

A hand touched Arlan’s, pulling him out of the memories. He realized he had been seeing the Dragon’s memories. Puzzled, he looked at Esmeray, who was now standing in front of him, her red eyes gazing at him.

As Arlan looked at her, he wondered if, now that she was in her demoness form, Esmeray remembered her past. He observed her carefully. In that memory, Esmeray’s eyes and hair were similar to Oriana’s, but why did she have red eyes and dark hair now?

Another thing that shocked him was Esmeray’s mother in the Dragon’s memory. She looked exactly like Oriana’s mother, Amaya. What was going on? Was it just a coincidence that human Amaya looked exactly like Esmeray’s mother in the past, or was there more to it?

He felt like there were questions yet to be answered, and he believed only one person could provide those answers—Oriana’s father, who had appeared before Philip and taken Amaya’s body. Once back in the human realm, Arlan decided he would find him.