Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 165: Lake of Heavenly Glade II

Chapter 165: Lake of Heavenly Glade II

The heart of the beautiful forest was taken up by a serene, crystalline lake. Its waters were so clear that it seemed like a mirror that reflected the vibrant flora that surrounded them and the endless expanse of the sky. The lake’s surface was adorned with delicate water lilies that open their petals to reveal hidden starlight patterns, casting a mesmerizing glow upon the water’s surface whenever sunlight graced them.

As the boats paddled along gently, the willow branches dipped down to kiss the water’s edge, creating occasional enchanting archways that were whimsically wonderful. Daphne couldn’t resist but reach out and graze her fingers across the plants whenever they floated past.

Paired with the distant sound of birdsong and the gentle rustling of the wind in the leaves, Daphne fully understood why Prince Nathaniel had chosen this location as their first pitstop for sightseeing. She basked in the tranquility of the moment, entranced by the serenade of nature.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Prince Nathaniel asked. Their boats weren’t too far apart and he needn’t speak too loudly in order for Daphne to hear him. Atticus saw that longing look in Prince Nathaniel’s eyes; he definitely wasn’t referring to the lake! But of course, Daphne had no idea of his true intentions.

"Yes, it is," Daphne replied, smiling at him. "Thank you for suggesting this place to us. It’s even more stunning than I imagined."

Atticus thought that’ll be the end of the conversation, but then Prince Nathaniel opened his big mouth and continued to speak.

"My pleasure. It pleases me immensely to know that you are enjoying yourself. Did you know that this place was rumored to have been created from a falling meteor?"

"Really? That sounds fascinating,"

"It was roughly around 200 years ago, when the skies turned dark. The very air seemed to chill as the..."

As Prince Nathaniel continued to regale Daphne with what must be a highly dramatized tale of his country’s history, Jonah eyed Atticus warily from the corner of his eye. He could see that his oldest friend was looking increasingly vexed at Prince Nathaniel’s attempts to engage Daphne in conversation.

To add insult to injury, Daphne was responding positively!

Atticus glowered. Daphne did like to learn new things, but why did Prince Nathaniel have to be her teacher? Atticus was sure that if given enough time, he would know Raxuvia’s history better than this blond interloper.

Jonah shook his head minutely, catching the mischievous glint in Atticus’s eyes, but it was too late.

Atticus’s ring flashed an arrogant purple, and their boat began to spin.

Prince Nathaniel stumbled at the sudden change in direction, nearly falling into the water in the middle of his speech. Jonah caught him before he fell, and together they glared at Atticus, who was slowly looking smaller as their boat rapidly floated further away as though pushed by a strong, unforgiving current.

"Atticus! What are you doing?" Jonah yelled.

If Prince Nathaniel wasn’t in front of him, Jonah would have had many more curse words to spit out at his old friend. But then again, if Prince Nathaniel was not here, Jonah wouldn’t even be in this mess to begin with!

"I didn’t do anything," Atticus stood up on the boat and cheerfully yelled back, but the bright grin on his face clearly told otherwise. "Maybe there’s a monster hiding in this lake. It had over 200 years to grow, after all. Right, Prince Nathaniel?"

Unfortunately for him, Daphne was less than pleased at his immature display. She pursed her lips in disappointment.

"Atticus, why did you do that?" Daphne scolded, feeling slightly cross with him. "I was still listening to him."

Atticus sat back down in his seat and raised his eyebrow. "What do you think I did?"

"You clearly sent their boat away with magic. I’m not blind," Daphne retorted. "Couldn’t you have at least waited till he was done speaking?"

"That man would never be done speaking to you. Even if he lost his eyes, arms, and legs, he’ll still find a way to keep on talking!" Atticus complained. "As long as his mouth is still attached to that cocky face of his, he will just keep blabbering off the moment he comes near you!"

"Well, I did ask him to be a guide. If he didn’t do a thorough job of explaining this attraction, then he wouldn’t be a very good one, would he?" Daphne asked rhetorically, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"So you rather listen to him than spend time with me?" Atticus demanded hotly, his hands now gripping the oar handles tightly.

"What? I did not say that!" Daphne spluttered, shaking her head. "You are being utterly ridiculous. Did I not choose to sit in a boat with you? Was I not spending time with you and listening to him at the same time? Don’t be so childish!"

"Ridiculous? Childish? Me?!" Atticus huffed, his anger rising at Daphne’s words. His face was slowly turning redder. "You know he has less than platonic feelings for you. You were clearly encouraging his attention!"

"Encouraging his attention?" Daphne repeated disbelievingly, her eyes widening as she registered the implication of Atticus’s words.

She gritted her teeth, her anger causing her to stand up jerkily in the boat. The vessel rocked back and forth and for a moment, Atticus wanted to reach out to steady Daphne but his hands were quickly slapped away by his wife.

"Atticus Rowan Heinvres," she said, seething, "I dare you to say that one more time to my face!"

Warning bells rang in Atticus’s head, but he never failed to respond to a taunt, and he definitely wasn’t going to stop now, never mind that Daphne looked like she was almost ready to explode.

She was his wife! This was their date! And yet she was off shooting gooey lovey dovey eyes with another man right in front of him! Did she not care a single whit about his feelings?

"Didn’t you hear me the first time? I said you are encouraging his attention!" Atticus yelled back, standing up to his full height so that he now towered over her. She no longer looked down on him — quite literally — and it was now the opposite, his body casting a long shadow over hers. "You should have told him to keep quiet and get lost!"

Now that Atticus, too, was on his feet, the rock began rocking even further. Daphne snarled, but she refused to stumble in front of her immature husband.

"Have you lost your senses? Why would I tell Prince Nathaniel, the future king of Raxuvia, to get lost? He is our host!"

"He is a scheming snake, that’s what he is! He’s trying to woo you!" Atticus roared, jabbing an angry finger at Prince Nathaniel’s general direction.

By now, their boat was so far away that Prince Nathaniel and Jonah’s worried shouts were as soft as whispers. The two men were also on their feet, yelling themselves hoarse, but their words fell on deaf ears. Daphne and Atticus had not taken their eyes off each other, so engrossed in their own argument.

"So you think I’m leaving you because of him?" Daphne exclaimed hotly. "Not only are you a spiteful jealous man, you are foolish as well! Utterly incorrigible! Not everyone is raised to be as rude as you are, you selfish, mean, pri―"

One rock too many, the boat had enough. It swung and swayed until it could no longer keep its equilibrium. One moment Daphne was safe and dry and another, she was sent plunging into the cold lake with a splash.

And once again, just like before, Atticus was a little too late to catch her.

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