Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 147: Innocence & Purity I

Chapter 147: Innocence & Purity I

Since Daphne was now left alone, she had more time to kill than things to actually do in this vast palace. She didn’t dare to venture out too far from the palace grounds — or even on palace grounds — in fear that Eugene Attonson might still be lurking around somewhere, waiting for the opportune moment.

Thus, that left Daphne with little to no options on where she could actually go while waiting for Atticus to be released from the damned conference.

What did they even have to discuss anyway? Half of the folk there weren’t even allies, much less friends. There didn’t seem to be a lot that could be concluded during their meeting.

Nevertheless, Daphne doubted that her husband would allow her to dabble too deep into the governing affairs of Vramid anytime soon. She never had the experience growing up in Reaweth as the forgotten princess.

Atticus definitely knew that she needed time to learn. He couldn’t be that dumb.

As the seconds ticked by, Daphne found herself wandering into the palace gardens. It was the area where she had dined with Prince Nathaniel earlier before, the same spot that she had been spotted with a man that wasn’t her husband and sparked all sorts of unsavory rumors to fly.

Her gaze landed on the same pavilion area. This time, however, the table was occupied by a few familiar faces. Princess Aurelia sat at the head of the table, accompanied by a few of the noblewomen. Among them, Daphne could spot her sister and even Princess Cordelia.

That was odd. Daphne had assumed that Cordelia would’ve been the representative for Nedour in the conference.

Instinctively, Daphne took a step forward. She wasn’t sure what exactly came over her but she felt the urge to explain to at least Cordelia what really happened in the maze. The way the princess looked at her left her with a strong feeling of discomfort, brewing in her belly like an untamed serpent.

Clenching her fists, Daphne hardened her resolve and stomped forward with purpose.

"Oh my, Sister Daphne!" Drusilla chirped sweetly, being the first to notice Daphne’s arrival. "How nice of you to join us."

"Hello Drusilla," Daphne greeted as politely as she could. The women that were present at the table all had unfriendly stares targeting her back. How ironic. Drusilla was the only one that seemed friendly now, albeit knowing that it was insincere. Yet, she greeted them all the same. "Ladies."

"Queen Daphne," Princess Aurelia called out. "What might’ve brought you to this part of the garden?" she asked.

All of the other women stared at her, waiting for her reply. Princess Aurelia’s words held a hidden meaning that hadn’t gone unnoticed by Daphne.

’You’re not welcome here,’ she meant.

Instead of cowering away like she had done so the first night, Daphne straightened her back and plastered on a well-perfected smile.

"The winds of curiosity, of course," she replied. "I didn’t know that there was an event the ladies were to attend."

To which, the hidden meaning of her sentence also hadn’t been missed by everyone present. ’Don’t you think it’s a little too obvious that you’re trying to exclude the queen of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the world?’

"Sister Daphne, you mustn’t blame everyone," Drusilla said. She pouted, batting her long eyelashes. "It’s just that... well.... Everyone is just a little uncomfortable with having Sister Daphne around. The rumors from before hadn’t been very nice to Sister’s reputation and we are all partly to blame for it. How dare we face you again, Sister?"

Daphne’s fingers curled into fists by her side. They were hidden by her skirt, the fabric blocking her hands from clear view. However, having spent years closely interacting with Daphne, Drusilla hadn’t missed the subtle changes in Daphne’s behavior.

She continued, "Furthermore, we have all seen what happened in the maze earlier. Or at least, a good lot of us did. King Atticus is a very powerful man. We dare not agitate him, if the man was evidence of the consequences one would face if they went too near Sister."

"Speaking of the arena from earlier, there is something I have to say," Daphne said, looking pointedly at Princess Aurelia, Drusilla, and the other women. "Regardless of the rumors that you all might’ve heard, my husband did not cheat any of his magic during any part of the hunt. The only time he did was when he was protecting me from an intruder that had managed to slip within the ranks of the Raxuvian guards."

A couple of the women began to murmur and whisper to one another. Daphne couldn’t catch what they said but she had her guesses.

"With that said, Eugene Attonson was once a treasured friend until I learned his true colors," Daphne admitted. "He slaughtered innocent lives and made use of people that had good intentions. He’s not a man to be trifled with. I’m sure many of you might’ve heard rumors of his fabled name, if even I, a mere recluse princess of Reaweth did so, back then before I even got married."

The chatters grew in volume. However, this time, Daphne was sure that the comments weren’t as negative as before.

"Of course you would speak in favor of your husband," one woman said. She sneered. "You two would be in cahoots with one another."

"It is up to you to believe what you wish. I personally don’t care if you do or not," Daphne said, her chin raised high as she spoke.

She turned her gaze to Cordelia, softening her expression as she did so. When their eyes met, Cordelia quickly looked away, her eyebrows tightly knitted.

Daphne said, "The only reason why I even bother with explaining is because I don’t wish for my new friend to assume the worst of me. Especially when it’s not true. I don’t cheat― there’s no need for me to."

Cordelia did not move an inch.

"With all due respect, Queen Daphne, get off your high horse and stop pretending." Another woman scowled, barking out the words. "No one here is your friend. We all know your status back in Reaweth and even more so in Vramid. First a tramp, then a woman scorned even by her own husband. King Atticus only got you the wedding ring after everyone talked about it the other night. He must’ve been ashamed!"

A slam of the table caused some of the women to gasp out loud in surprise. The silver cutleries flew a little into the air due to the force, clinking as it moved.

"Watch your tongue."

Daphne’s eyes widened in surprise when Cordelia spoke. The latter had both her palms on the table, her gaze dangerous as she glared down at the woman that dared to run off her words.

"Don’t forget your place, Duchess Rowena. It will be more than simple for the king and queen of Vramid to have you squashed beneath their soles, begging for mercy," she warned. "And let this be clear, everyone here at this table is just an ant."

Cordelia then gestured to Daphne.

"This woman here is the boot. So you better damn well filter your words through that thick skull of yours before it lands you into trouble with her husband."