Champion Of Lust: Gods Conquer's Harem Paradise!

Chapter 286 The Fallen Star Dragon

Inside the throne room, Drakos Valyrian sat on a grand throne adorned with dark and golden scale-like designs. Rising high until it touched the ceiling, the throne was a towering, awe-inspiring masterpiece. Cushioned with dark and golden fabric, it resembled a makeshift white dragon, its body curling upwards with a ferocious maw wide open, roaring at the hall where the Dragon Court was meant to convene.

This was the newly installed throne, created on the emperor's orders upon his return.

By the looks of it, the Dragon Emperor was fully back to the court.

Drakos' eyes narrowed dangerously, his powerful and gloomy aura filling the palace. It was as if his presence alone buried the entire hall in a suffocating wave of chaos. Whispers of worry and wonder rippled through the courtiers, each trying to predict what the emperor's next actions would be.

"Seraphina..." His voice, low and whisper-like, reverberated through the palace halls. Despite its quietness, the unshrouded anger in that single word shook every corner of the grand palace, striking fear into the hearts of all.

"Father!" Seraphina entered the throne room. She moved with grace, her poise unbroken even in the face of her father's brewing rage.

Her arrival earned gasps of awe from the court. The rumors were indeed true. Seraphina's beauty had reached a level unknown to mortal women of her age. Yet, beneath their admiration, the nobles masked disdain, for all they saw was a "cheap" woman who had thrown herself into the arms of Pyris Obsidian rather than obeying her father's will.

Whispers accused her of caring for nothing but her own desires.

Seraphina's now starry eyes briefly settled on the nobles, and they quickly averted their gazes. She was still a princess, after all. More importantly, if the rumors about her relationship with Pyris Obsidian were true, she might yet be a vital connection to the powerful House Obsidian. The nobles knew better than to cross her.

Aligning with House Obsidian meant influence and power that even the Dragon Emperor himself couldn't easily match.

Every noble house wanted to stay on her good side, even as they looked down on her.

Yet Drakos saw beyond their shallow ambitions. His recent meeting with the dragon god Zorynthar had revealed the dangers of associating with House Obsidian. A prophecy threatened the divine rule, and the gods' wrath was poised to descend upon them all.

"You have disappointed me, Seraphina!" Drakos spat, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.

But Seraphina simply smiled. To the Emperor's anger, her calm defiance was like throwing fuel onto a roaring fire.

"It's my decision as a woman, Father. I chose my own man!" she said softly.

The court gasped. Had the princess truly dared to say such words directly to the Emperor?

"You dare talk back to me!" Drakos stood from his throne, fury blazing in his golden eyes.

The nobles wisely kept their silence, choosing to watch the scene unfold rather than risk angering their emperor.

"You dared to defy my orders—the orders of the Emperor! Do you know the punishment for such insolence? Zed!" Drakos thundered, calling forth the High General.

Zed rose from his seat and bowed deeply.

"Indeed, Emperor. The punishment is 200 floggings with the Staff of Zorynthar for nobles and royalty, and public execution for commoners."

Drakos nodded gravely. "Princess Seraphina," he said, turning to his daughter, "give me a reason for your defiance, and I may consider reducing your punishment."

This was a rare moment of mercy—a father's love for his child.

But Seraphina remained unflinching....

"I have no excuse, Father. I chose the man of my future, and nothing can change that. I will accept any punishment you deem fit." She bowed in respect. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

Drakos felt conflicted. This moment should have been one of celebration, of congratulating his daughter for securing an alliance with a man of unparalleled brilliance. Yet the weight of Zorynthar's warning echoed in his mind: "Sever their ties, or suffer annihilation." Worse the dragon god wanted her as his Champion.

Drakos wanted House Obsidian under his control. But Seraphina, whether she realized it or not, had granted them equal footing with the imperial family. Worse still, Emberly Obsidian—head of that house—had long been a thorn in his side.

That smug smile of Emberly Obsidian haunted Drakos Valyrian like a smoldering ember that refused to extinguish. Her arrogance, the way she carried herself as though untouchable, her audacious refusal to be his woman—his, the Emperor of the Dragon Empire—stoked a rage that burned hotter than any dragon's flame. She had dared to defy him. Her family's vast reach and influence, their relentless rise, and her refusal to acknowledge his superiority gnawed at his pride.

But it was more than her defiance. It was her ambition. The creation of the Obsidian Mines, a direct rival to his Dragon Mines, had been a calculated challenge to his authority, a slap in the face to the empire's long-standing hierarchy. It wasn't enough that she refused to bow, she had the gall to compete.

Emberly Obsidian refused to grovel at his feet, to acknowledge him as her superior, and that was an offense Drakos could not abide.

Not any longer, not when he had a chance and a full backing of a god now.

Drakos' fury burned brighter than even Zorynthar's divine warning. The dragon god's prophecy, the threat of the gods' wrath, all paled in comparison to his personal vendetta. Emberly Obsidian had to be brought low—not just her family, but her. He envisioned the day she would kneel before him, her fiery defiance snuffed out, her family broken and humbled under the weight of his empire.

And yet, the challenge was intoxicating.

His voice was sharp as a blade. "Listen, you unfilial child of mine! Your ties with the Obsidian boy are no more. This is an order!" His words boomed through the throne room.

"Princess Seraphina Valyrian, by my decree as Emperor, I hereby forbid your relationship with Pyris Obsidian. Should you ever be seen in his company again, you will lose your status as princess, and House Obsidian will be stripped of its rank, reduced from Duke to Baron!"

The court froze. Shock hung heavy in the air.

But before anyone could react, Seraphina did the unthinkable. Suddenly a dagger appeared in hand, she sliced her palm, her blood dripping onto the marble floor.

"YOU DARE, SERAPHINA!" Drakos roared, his voice shaking the very foundations of the palace.

The empire itself seemed to pause. His voice reached every corner of the land, freezing the people in place. No one dared move, fearing the Emperor's wrath.

"Yes, Father," Seraphina said softly, yet her words carried power. "I, Seraphina Valyrian, hereby sever my status as princess and surrender my Valyrian Dragon Essence and Bloodline!"

Silence engulfed the court. Her declaration was final, and the empire would never be the same.

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