Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 126: The Maze I

Chapter 126: The Maze I

"Sunshine, you never fail to surprise me. I had no idea you had a passion for hunting," Atticus said as they all gathered back outside the grounds, at the boundary of a fifty-foot-tall maze for the next part of the contest. He had fully expected to go inside with Jonah, bringing along his sword and bow and arrows, but now his wife was part of the equation.

Since every party could only have two people, Jonah agreed to give up his spot to Daphne without any fuss. The participants also changed into outfits more suitable for the competition.

Daphne was now wearing a deep green tunic and pants, along with a matching leather bodice with subtle gold embroidery. It was provided by Raxuvia since she didn’t pack any hunting outfits of her own. In her hand was a sheathed dagger, gifted by Atticus.

"I’m sorry for hurting your chances for winning," Daphne said, contrite. "I just didn’t want to spend more time with Drusilla than necessary."

Atticus laughed. "Nonsense, I would rather lose with you than win without you. Besides, I’m skilled enough to win anyway."

Daphne’s face reddened, and she smacked his arm in embarrassment.

"Will the participants for the hunting event please surrender their enchanted artifacts?" Prince Nathaniel called from the front. "You can leave them in these enchanted boxes for safekeeping, or you can entrust them to your staff.

Royals began to slowly empty their pockets.

"What about my wedding ring?" Queen Yvaine asked, clad in her form-fitting outfit. She looked more like a mercenary than a queen. Next to her was her attendant, dressed similarly in black. "Surely, an exception can be made in such cases?"

Next to her, King Calarian also looked remarkably upset, twisting at his own ring.

"If it can be used to harness your abilities, then it cannot be allowed inside. No exceptions," Prince Nathaniel said mildly, but he refused to budge even when faced with twin glares from Queen Yvaine and King Calarian.

"If my ring goes missing, I’ll declare war," King Calarian declared in a tone that brooked no argument.

"I swear on my honor as the Crown Prince of Raxuvia, no harm will befall your belongings," Prince Nathaniel said severely. "If you do not wish to part with your rings, then you’ll be disqualified from participating in this event."

"Uncle, you’d better not quit," Cordelia said, jabbing King Calarian in the back. "I didn’t travel all the way here to sit around at the sidelines."

King Calarian let out a weary sigh and then deposited his ring with extreme reluctance. Queen Yvaine followed suit, looking just as unhappy.

Atticus deposited his own ring with a lot less reluctance, along with a random assortment of other stones, cheerfully grinning all the while. However, he gave the box to Jonah for safekeeping. After Prince Nathaniel’s attempt to steal his wife, he didn’t trust him not to make a similar attempt on his jewels.

Meanwhile, Cordelia cheerfully tossed her multitude of bangles into her own box, arming herself with a strange-looking spear and knife.

Drusilla also handed in her own jewelry, but not before commenting on Daphne’s own.

"Dear sister, you’ll have to give up your ring too, along with your earrings," Drusilla reminded Daphne with a sickly sweet voice. Next to her, Prince Alistair let out a derogatory scoff.

"Drusilla, have you forgotten? Daphne can’t muster the faintest hint of magical ability. She could be clad head to toe in our jewels and it wouldn’t matter."

"Oh right!" Drusilla gasped, her eyes filled with false sympathy as she gazed back at Daphne. "I’m so sorry, Sister. I forgot."

"It’s alright," Daphne said serenely. "I know you have a poor memory. I won’t hold it against you."

Further away, Cordelia cackled evilly at Daphne’s words. Drusilla puffed up her cheeks, wanting to argue further, but Prince Nathaniel raised his hands, calling for their attention.

"Now that we are ready, let me explain the rules."

Servants suddenly appeared, handing every participant a clear quartz crystal and a small pouch. Daphne pocketed her own, mentally noting that there were over twenty participants.

"You have until sundown to hunt a variety of creatures in the maze prepared for you. However, you can only select one of your kills for judging. Extra points will be awarded if the corpse of the beast is in good condition. The pouches you’ve just received are charmed to store your hunts for your convenience. Just place it over the body."

So the key was not only to get the biggest, most ferocious prey but also to hunt it with enough skill to minimize damage to the body. Daphne felt the stirrings of worry creep in her gut. She didn’t have any hunting skills, so her best bet was to get out of Atticus’s way.

"If you find yourself in need of rescue, or if you already have your prey and wish to end early, simply break the clear quartz crystals given to you. We have guards patrolling the perimeters of the grounds ready to help you leave," Prince Nathaniel replied. "Any other questions?"

Everyone shook their heads, but Atticus raised his hand.

"Yes, King Atticus?"

"May I know what my benefit is?" he asked with a cheeky smile. "I’ve been waiting, but you haven’t said anything yet."

Daphne saw a flicker of irritation in Prince Nathaniel’s eyes, but he calmly replied, "I was getting to that. For your earlier victory, you and Queen Daphne have earned the right to enter the hunting grounds half an hour earlier than everyone else."

The crowd broke into angry murmurs. This was a ridiculously huge advantage since they could cover more ground in the maze! Atticus let out a whoop of joy, his face breaking out into a wide smile.

"Come on, sunshine." He held out his hand for Daphne to hold, and Daphne took it eagerly, already feeling more confident of their chances. "Let’s win this round too."

Together, they walked towards the entrance of the maze, leaving everyone behind. Prince Nathaniel and a Raxuvian member of staff walked in front, leading the way. Once they were right next to the hedges, they stopped.

Daphne took the moment of reprieve to admire the large walls made of stone and vines. The people of Raxuvia were all highly talented in manipulating plant life. It must’ve been the work of magic as well to erect a maze here so quickly.

"There is one more thing," Nathaniel said, spinning around to meet their eyes. He gestured to the tall walls. "Every half an hour, the walls will move. That means that the inner layout of the maze will change. There will be a bell that will remind you a minute before the maze starts to rebuild itself."

Daphne sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth, her blood suddenly running cold with the revelation. She looked worriedly at Atticus, who merely smiled reassuringly back at her while giving her hand a light squeeze.

"What sort of beasts are in there?" she asked, turning her attention back to Prince Nathaniel.

"A mixture," he replied. "Some normal animals that may be as harmless as a chicken. Or it could be a predator like a thornhound. If not for food, the more dangerous beasts are pests for our people, so don’t be too worried about that."

There was a slight rumble from the maze that drew their attention. Daphne could feel her hair stand to its ends.

"Well then, it’s time." Nathaniel gestured for them to enter. "Good luck, King Atticus," he said. Then, his gaze landed back on Daphne, softening. "And stay safe, Princess Daphne."