She Rose From His Ashes

The day I went into labor, my husband threw me into Dragon's Pyre.

Draven was the Dragon King. I was carrying his child. Should've been the happiest day of our lives. Instead, it became hell.

Why? His dead brother Kael's widow, Seraphina, was about to pop too. And Ashwing law was crystal clear: first male heir takes the throne.

Our due dates? One day apart.

So he picked her over me. Because apparently, I OWED them.

Dragon's Pyre—where they roast criminals alive with dragonflame. Hot enough to turn flesh to ash in seconds. But that wasn't enough for them. They shoved some potion down my throat that would keep my body from going into labor, even though my baby was clawing to get OUT.

I was curled up on that scorching stone slab, feeling my child die inside me.

All because I'd been stupid enough to fall in love with him.

Elara's POV

"LET GO OF ME!"

Contractions tore through my body. Theron—Draven's head knight—gripped my wrist, dragging me down the corridor like cargo.

"The baby's coming!" I screamed, my free hand desperately clutching at a stone pillar. "You can't do this!"

"The Dragon King's orders." Theron wrenched my fingers free without emotion. "Seraphina is in labor. You'll wait until she's done."

"Wait? HOW?" Amniotic fluid ran down my legs. "The baby doesn't care about your laws!"

"Prince Kael's heir comes first." He dragged me toward a massive iron door. "That's how it works."

Kael—Draven's brother. Dead on the battlefield a year ago.

"Please!" I clawed at the walls, nails tearing, leaving bloody streaks. "This will kill my child!"

"It won't." Theron shoved the door open. Heat blasted my face. "Just slow things down."

Beyond the door lay descending stone steps. The deeper we went, the hotter it became.

This wasn't an ordinary dungeon.

This was the Dragonfire Inferno—a massive circular stone chamber with eternal dragon flames burning at its center. The fire wasn't the normal red but an eerie deep purple, radiating scorching heat. Ancient dragon runes covered the surrounding walls like burning chains.

This place was meant for forging traitors to the dragon clan—the flames would slowly roast their flesh and blood without immediate death, letting them repent in agony.

Theron shoved me toward the central stone platform. I collapsed onto it, the scorching surface instantly searing my palms.

"No! Theron!" I scrambled to run.

BANG! The iron door slammed shut.

"Listen." He spoke through the door. "The dragonfire will dehydrate you, make you weak. Your body will naturally stop labor. Two hours. After the lady delivers, I'll let you out."

"Two hours? We won't SURVIVE!"

But he'd already pulled out his message stone.

Magical light flared.

"She's inside," Theron reported. "Water broke, but the dragonfire should hold her."

"Causing trouble again?" Draven's voice came through, exhausted and irritated.

Causing trouble.

"DRAVEN!" I shouted at the stone, tears blurring my vision. "I'm in LABOR!"

A brief pause.

"Now?" His tone suggested he'd heard a joke. "Seraphina's about to deliver. Can't you just HOLD IT?"

"I CAN'T! My water broke!"

"Yet when you did other things, your timing was perfect." He laughed coldly. "Like that night you crawled into my bed."

That night flashed back—news of Kael's death arrived, throwing the entire palace into chaos. When Draven woke up, he was hysterically venting...

"I just wanted to comfort you! You were so exhausted!" I defended desperately. "I didn't know that tea had..."

"Comfort?" He suddenly exploded. "You think I don't know what you PUT in my tea?"

"I didn't!"

"If not for your 'comfort' that night," his voice dripped with hatred, "Kael wouldn't have—"

"Draven... it hurts..." Another woman's weak voice interrupted.

Seraphina.

His voice instantly softened.

"I'm here, don't be scared." Gentle as coaxing an infant. "Deep breaths, sweetheart."

"The baby seems eager to meet us..." She laughed softly.

"Probably as brave as his father." Draven said. "You're doing amazing."

That tenderness stabbed into my heart like knives.

I was giving birth too. I was in pain too. I needed him too.

But all I got was inferno.

"Draven..." I choked. "I need a healer too... the baby needs..."

"Be grateful that baby's keeping you alive." He cut me off coldly. "Otherwise you'd be dead already. Theron, give her the drug."

The message stone went dark.

Theron pulled out a crystal vial from his pouch—milky white liquid glowing blue.

"What is that?" I stared at the bottle, instinct screaming danger.

"Delay potion." He uncorked it and approached. "It'll stop your labor."

"NO!" I backed away. "That'll kill my child!"

"Won't kill it." Theron grabbed my jaw, forcing my mouth open. "Just postpones things. You don't understand how important Prince Kael was to this kingdom. If the old Dragon King hadn't forced our king to marry you, this woman of unknown origins—"

Icy liquid poured down my throat, like swallowing crushed ice.

"—Kael wouldn't be DEAD!" Theron released me, his eyes full of disgust. "You're a walking curse."

He turned to leave.

"Wait! Please..." I reached for him. "My baby..."

"You're getting what you deserve."

BANG. Door closed. Chains rattled.

I collapsed onto the stone platform.

The potion was taking effect.

The previously regular contractions suddenly turned chaotic, like countless hands clawing inside. Pain amplified tenfold, breathing nearly impossible. The dragonfire's heat made sweat pour endlessly, but the potion's chill froze me from within.

Most terrifying—

The baby stopped moving.

Just moments ago it had been kicking. Now only faint tremors remained.

Weaker and weaker...

"Baby..." I clutched my belly, tears streaming. "Please... don't give up..."

But I knew.

That tiny life was leaving me.

I don't know how long passed. Maybe ten minutes. Maybe an hour.

In this hell, time lost meaning.

Just when I thought I'd die here—

Creak.

The door opened again.

A woman walked in.

Silver hair. Amber eyes. A magical whip in her hand—the whip wrapped in dark red runes, emanating ominous light.

Lyra Ashwing.

Draven's sister.

She stopped a few steps away, looking down at me.

"You know what I hate most?" She spoke slowly, the magical whip carving an arc through the air. "Women who don't know their place. Especially those who steal things that don't belong to them and think they'll get away with it."

She took a step forward.

"My brother's too soft." Lyra tilted her head, smirking coldly. "But I'm not."