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2.94% Stolen by the Rebel King / Chapter 17: First Things First

Kapitel 17: First Things First

"Princess! You've returned safely!" Maisie wailed in relief when she saw Atticus and Daphne arrive back at the castle. She had been anxiously pacing a hole in the courtyard, waiting for the princess to return. When she had realized the princess had left for the Winter Fair, she had been beside herself with horror.

The princess was dressed as a maid and had no money! The weather was cold and she had no cloak! What if she got conned by dishonest vendors? What if unrighteous men lusted after her beauty and took her captive? What if the princess never returned?

The poor maid only calmed down slightly after knowing that King Atticus was with her.

"You're shivering!" She quickly wrapped a cloak around the princess, not liking the paleness of her skin and lips. When Maisie spotted the wet patches on her dress, she panicked. "Princess, what happened to you?"

"Snowball fight," Daphne replied tiredly, her mind in a daze from the day's events. She accidentally activated a magic crystal, started a snowball fight with Atticus, and tackled him into the snow. Now Atticus was treating her like she had the plague, refusing to talk to her or even look at her on the way back.

This was even stranger than them finding out a toy seller had unknowingly sewn magic crystals in her toys.

"Run a hot bath for the princess," Atticus ordered as he strode indoors.

"What about you?" Daphne asked, not out of concern, but out of… something. She had shoved him into the snowbank. He must have been freezing. She felt vaguely guilty.

"I'm busy," Atticus curtly said, pointedly not looking at her as he strode up the stairs.

Maisie blinked, before looking at Daphne as though she had the answers to her liege's unlikely behavior. Daphne could only shrug. Perhaps Atticus was allergic to being tackled by women?

Was he such a petty man that he didn't like her after she caught him by surprise, even for something as trivial as a snowball fight?

She sniffed. How small-minded.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Maisie bowed hurriedly. "Princess, this way! There's an active fireplace here. Please wait while I prepare your bath."

Daphne followed her, one eye on Atticus's back.

"So you've finally returned!" Sir Jonah had stormed down the corridor, hotly pointing at King Atticus who paused at the steps. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Hi Jonah, how are you doing?" Atticus said blandly, but Daphne could detect the sheepish tone in his voice. "Lovely to see you, do you want some roasted meat―"

"I'll turn you into roasted meat!" Sir Jonah declared as he leaped up the stairs. Atticus, the fearsome king he was, simply flung the bag of children's toys at Jonah, before turning tail and running up the stairs like his life depended on it.

Sir Jonah caught the bag and was hot on his heels, yelling at him to stop.

Daphne raised a curious eyebrow.

"Sir Jonah was so mad with worry when he found out King Atticus didn't tell him before sneaking out with you," Maisie whispered. "His face could curdle milk!"

Daphne snickered and then sneezed. And then sneezed again.

Darn it.

***

"Jonah, if you behave like this, there's going to be a lot of rumors about us," Atticus pointed out as Jonah finally cornered him in one of the castle's empty rooms, slamming the door behind him. "Why do I feel like a husband that got caught having an affair?"

"Like I would ever marry someone that decides to leave the castle without even a simple note." Jonah scoffed, and Atticus winced.

He knew he had forgotten something when he left the castle in a hurry. He was too focused on spending time at the fair, spying on his people, and teasing his new wife. The thought of her rosy puffed cheeks and her pouty lips unknowingly sent a grin onto Atticus's face.

"And look at you, smiling right now, as if it was something to be proud of!"

The observation quickly wiped the smile off. Atticus's expression straightened, his lips pursed guiltily as if he were a child whose hands were caught in the cookie jar.

Jonah continued to rant, upset. "No note, no guards, nothing but only a horse and a princess dressed as a maid with you. Your Majesty, do you have memory loss? Or did the very recent assassination slip through your mind? Should I bring out the decapitated heads for you to jolt your memory? Maybe splash some blood on the washed rugs?"

"I handled that just fine, so honestly―" Atticus began, but Jonah was on a roll.

"I'm not stopping you from having your fun. In fact, I think it's a great idea if you wish to go out with the princess to endear yourself to her." Jonah sighed, pinching the skin between his eyebrows. "But for the love of God and heavens above couldn't you let me know first? Especially after we had that talk about getting you guards! Were you not listening to me?!"

"Yes I was, and I truly forgot about sending you a note," Atticus said meekly, trying to seem sorrier than he was.

His mother had long passed away, but sometimes Jonah channeled her so well he wondered if it was her spirit possessing him. When he got like this, Atticus would just nod his head and admit his faults.

"But don't worry, my friend, you'll be getting plenty of notes soon enough," Atticus continued, a glint returning to his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Atticus then regaled him with everything that happened at the fair, from Daphne's magical awakening to the toy seller's story and how he gave her Jonah's address. Jonah looked less than pleased, his face growing darker with every word that crossed Atticus' lips.

"What a headache," Jonah complained as he looked into the bag he caught. "Not only do we have a smuggling ring on our hands, you gave her my address?"

"Well, I wasn't going to give her mine," Atticus said, shrugging. "I was in disguise! I can't exactly say 'Please address your intel to the king at the royal palace'. She thinks I'm you. If she falls in love with you, do know it's because of me. I was a perfect gentleman."

"Nonsense! You probably ruined my reputation!" Jonah squawked. "Besides, 'I' am now married with quite possibly a child on the way. Why would she be sending me love letters? And if she did, if I had reciprocated, wouldn't that be the end of my reputation?"

"Bah, that's a problem for later. Right now, there's something we're missing," Atticus said."If you were a smuggler, why would you choose children's toys?"

"No one would expect it. We certainly didn't." Jonah shrugged and pulled out a toy, wondering what Atticus meant. It didn't react in his hands so he pulled out another.

This time, the toy glowed a bright green― a tell-tale sign of earth element activation. Jonah hurriedly tamped down his aura, causing the toy to dim.

"Fuck," Jonah cursed, his eyes widening.

"Fuck indeed."


Prequel Available!

Check out the prequel: The Hidden King's Stolen Wife

Kapitel 18: The Missing King

"What are we going to do about these?" Jonah asked, staring cautiously at the bag of toys.

From afar, they were harmless little toys. But with those crystals in them, there was no saying what could be done if it landed in the hands of someone more sinister than a child. While it was true only nobility had the ability to wield magic, there were also many abandoned children conceived from romps, some led astray.

"Let's see if that man returns for his stones," Atticus said, scratching his chin.

"Alright." Jonah nodded. "I will also send a couple of men to look into this."

"Be discreet. We can't have it attract too much attention."

Jonah scoffed. "Who do you take me for?" Crossing his arms, he continued, "With all due respect, my liege, I am not you. I know the necessary steps of precaution and will make sure to take them."

"Oh, drop it, won't you." Atticus playfully swatted the back of Jonah's head, to which caused Jonah to scowl, rolling his eyes.

"Not until you've learned to keep your word," he quipped. Then, he pointed to the children's toys on the table. "What do we do with these, then? Should I have someone process it and leave it in the treasury?"

The king's eyes followed the direction Jonah pointed at, his line of sight falling on the toys. Immediately, the image of Daphne cradling the toy in her hands with a delighted smile lit up in his mind. Even the toy that had initially caught her attention had been added to the batch. In the end, it was all confiscated as part of an investigation.

Yet, something itched in Atticus's heart.

"Actually, leave it," he said. "I… I have some use for it."

Jonah raised an eyebrow. "What use?"

"Bugger off." Atticus scowled. "Why do I have to report back to you on everything? Am I the king or are you?"

Jonah rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself then, Your Majesty."

If it weren't for the fact that Jonah had slipped out of the room and escaped quickly, he might've been met with a toy thrown right in his face. Instead, the ammo merely hit the door that closed just a tad second prior, shielding Jonah from the impact. Even through the wooden door, Atticus could hear Jonah's laughter from the other side, slowly softening as he walked away.

***

It had been a total of five days since Daphne and Atticus had run off to the winter fair on their own. That also meant that it had been five days since Daphne had seen Atticus, much less spoken to him.

Ever since he had gallivanted off into the sunset with Jonah hot on his heels when they returned, Daphne hadn't even caught sight of the king's shadow. Daphne had tried asking Maisie a couple of times where the king was but the maid could never give more than a clueless shrug.

Oddly enough, the days were too silent for her liking. This was exactly how life was like for her back in Reaweth's royal palace. And yet, the last couple of days were so eventful that it had already shattered the routine she had spent her entire life doing.

Nonetheless, just because her life was quiet now didn't mean that it was a bad thing. The lack of a significantly annoying husband also meant that she now had much more freedom to do what she wanted. Her time was now in her hands, not in the control of her captor.

Time meant she could attempt her great escape once more.

"If you need anything else, Your Highness, please let me know," Maisie said, scuttling to the door. She had just entered Daphne's room to serve breakfast and was already running off. The poor girl hadn't even the time to stay and chat anymore.

"Are you busy with something?" Daphne asked, piercing her fork through a plump cherry tomato. It was wondrous how Vramid had such fresh fruits and vegetables even though the land was filled with everlasting cold.

"I apologize for having to rush off so soon. It's not just me that's busy these days," Maisie answered, sheepish. "The entire castle is currently preparing for the Winter Ball. It's to be held in a couple of days' time. It's usually an event that is held alongside the fair; one for the common folk and one for the noble circle."

Daphne's eyes went wide.

"A ball?" she echoed. "So soon?"

"Did… Did His Majesty not mention it?" Maisie asked. Her face then paled several shades. "Oh no…. Was I not supposed to say it?"

The cogs in Daphne's head started to turn. There was no better time to make an escape than when everyone was distracted by dancing and music. Atticus would be too busy entertaining his guests and the rest of the staff would all be bustling around the castle making sure everything went well.

"I'm sure it's fine, Maisie." Daphne waved the maid's worry off with a smile. "I am his wife, after all. I would eventually know these things."

"That's true…" Maisie muttered under her breath. "Oh well, I best be off, Your Highness. Do let me know if you need me for anything."

With that said, she hurried off, the door closing gently behind her.

Daphne's lips slowly curved into a smile once she was sure Maisie was gone. Poor thing. She was definitely way too naive for her own good. However, Daphne did not have the luxury to look out for others when she could barely care for herself.

If she was to escape, she would need proper tools and a proper outfit.

Jumping off her bed, Daphne trotted over to the wardrobe, pulling the doors open. There were a bunch of different gowns, all beautiful, vibrant, and way too extravagant to be discreet. Now, Daphne had two options. She could either dress up and attend the ball before eventually sneaking out, disguised as a member of the crowd. Or, she could return to her maid's attire and leave through the back.

She had been shown the way once. It wouldn't be too hard to find the exit this time, as compared to the last. Furthermore, Atticus surely wouldn't expect her to make use of the same method twice in a row, would he?

With her decision made, Daphne pulled out the maid's attire she had hidden behind the piles of dresses, admiring the plain fabric.

Freedom was just within reach now.


Prequel Available!

Check out the prequel: The Hidden King's Stolen Wife

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