Dragon King's Harem Chapter 502. The Proposal II

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 502. The Proposal II

The servants moved immediately—like magic being released from a spell.

Platters were lifted. Warm trays revealed. The scent of roasted snowfruit and herbed venison and enchanted frostbread filled the air like winter wrapped in comfort. Sizzling butter steamed over spiced tubers. Fresh forest root tea poured into cups that sparkled with cold runes.

Maria smiled—graceful and dangerous.

“Let’s begin.”

And just like that, the meal started.

Silver domes lifted from polished dishes, releasing curls of enchanted steam into the air. Roasted venison seasoned with frostroot spice. Glazed snowfruit, split and caramelized. Wild mushroom soup, thick and herb-rich. Frost-crust bread that cracked when broken and melted on the tongue like warm snow.

I didn’t say much.

Didn’t need to.

Around the table, nobles murmured. Some chatted softly between bites. Others just watched—eyes flicking between me, Maria, Kaelen… and occasionally Thiphania.

She was quiet now. But her eyes weren’t.

Thiphania stole glances at me. A lot of them.

Like she couldn’t decide if I was a conquest or a mistake she hadn’t made yet.

Kaelen did the same—but for different reasons.

He didn’t speak. He barely ate. Just sat there, posture stiff, cutting his meat like it had personally insulted him. Every now and then his gaze drifted toward me, then to his mother, then back to his plate.

Guilt? Worry? Resentment? I couldn’t read it. Not yet.

The meal continued like that. Slow. Tense. Quiet between the bites.

Some delegates from the Hollow Tribe began whispering about departure plans. The elder with the silver shawl stood to announce that her group would likely return south within the week. Others echoed it. Travel arrangements. Winter path conditions. Ceremonial farewells. The usual diplomatic chatter.

Callum, of course, had to make his move.

“We will be departing soon as well,” he said, loud enough for the whole table to hear. “The Witchspire grows cold when left untended.”

His tone was calm. Civil. Almost too polite. Like everything about him had been dipped in frost.

Maria dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Then she stood.

So did Kaelen.

The room stilled instantly.

I sat back slightly, watching them both rise like a pair of storm fronts about to collide. Maria looked radiant—snowlight on skin, spine straight, gaze focused. Kaelen looked… tight. Controlled. Like a prince trying to act like a king but knowing the weight wasn’t fully his yet.

“I have a small announcement,” Maria said, voice clear and resonant through the quiet chamber. “Before any delegations depart, I wanted to share it here, with all of you present as witnesses.”

People paused mid-bite. Chairs shifted. Eyes locked on her.

She looked at Kaelen for a heartbeat. Then turned back to the crowd.

“I will pass the throne of the Snow Elven Kingdom to my son, Prince Kaelen.”

Silence.

Total. Frozen. Breath-held silence.

Then—chaos.

Not loud. But sharp.

Murmurs burst like frost cracking underfoot.

“Too young—”

“Why now?”

“Your Majesty, are you unwell?”

“Will you leave the city?”

“Was this sudden?”

“Heartbreak?”

“Why abandon your crown?”

Callum’s voice cut through the noise like the snap of a branch.

“…Is this decision related to the Dragon King?”

All heads turned to me.

Of course they did.

Maria didn’t flinch. “Yes,” she said. Simply. Honestly.

I stood slowly from my chair. The legs scraped the floor with a low growl of sound.

The whole room seemed to lean in.

I walked toward Maria and Kaelen. Calm. Measured.

My heart beat steady. My tail brushed the floor behind me, not in threat—but in weight. Presence. Claim.

When I stood beside her, I looked out over the table—at nobles, advisors, old men, younger heirs, frost-blessed witches and battle-carved warriors—and then I spoke.

“Yes,” I said. “It is related to me.”

I looked down at Maria. Our eyes met. No words passed. We didn’t need them.

Then I turned back to the room.

“I intend to take Queen Maria as my wife.”

There was a beat. Just one.

And then—

An explosion.

Not literal, though it had that kind of energy.

“The Queen?!”

“Impossible—”

“She can’t leave!”

“She’s going to the Firelands?”

“Is she abandoning the kingdom—?”

“She’s not leaving,” I said firmly, cutting through the storm.

That silenced them.

I looked around, jaw set. “Maria will remain here in the kingdom. As a guide. As a guardian. As an advisor to her son—until he is ready to rule without her.”

Kaelen still hadn’t spoken. His fists were clenched. But his eyes… they were steady now. Locked on mine. Trying to understand. Trying not to crumble.

Then Callum stood. Slowly.

“So this is a political marriage,” he said.

I met his gaze. “It’s more than that.”

He tilted his head. “But still that.”

Maria answered this time. “Yes,” she said. “It is political. It is personal. It is earned. And it is mine.”

That shut him up.

My voice dropped lower. “This isn’t a conquest. It’s not a takeover. And it’s not a bargain. It’s a choice. Her choice. And mine.”

The hall was quiet again. No more spoons. No more wine pouring.

Just breath and magic and judgment simmering under every eyelid.

I stepped a little closer to Maria. Let my presence wrap around her like heat.

“She’s not being taken,” I added. “She’s being chosen.”

A noble in the back muttered, “Still sounds like you’re taking our queen—”

“She was never just your queen,” I said sharply. “She’s more than that. And her legacy doesn’t end because she chose a mate. It grows.”

I felt Maria’s hand brush my own. Not a hold. Not yet. Just a quiet contact. Quiet grounding.

Callum looked like he wanted to say more.

So I stared at him.

And I smiled.

“I know it’s hard, Witch King. Watching a woman rule on her own terms. With power. With fire. Without asking.”

He didn’t reply.

He sat back down.

I turned to Kaelen.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

His jaw tightened. Then slowly, carefully… he nodded.

“…Yes,” he said. “I’ll do my best.”

I nodded once.

“Then let’s eat.”

And Maria, still holding her posture like a crown of her own, sat down again.

And breakfast resumed.

Just like that.

But everyone knew—

The kingdom had changed.

And so had I.