Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 169: Odd Puddle

Chapter 169: Odd Puddle

The rest of the days in Raxuvia passed by in a hazy blur.

For the most part, Atticus had been stuck in meeting after meeting, sometimes with the rest of the leaders while other times with just Prince Nathaniel so that they could discuss the follow-up on how they could possibly arrest Eugene Attonson — or ’Jean Nott’, the wanted convict — as well as make Prince Alistair accountable for his actions of letting that insane man into the grounds of Raxuvia’s royal palace.

That man refused to admit to any fault, and they could not imprison a royal of his standing for interrogation. As such, their talks kept going in circles, causing tempers to run high.

For the most part, Daphne was left alone without her husband’s company, allowing her a lot of free time to mingle with the others.

Out of the other ladies that participated — not counting Sirona — only Princess Cordelia and Queen Yvaine were friendly towards her. Unfortunately, those two were also occasionally called in whenever Prince Nathaniel held meetings and conferences. They, unlike her, weren’t always free.

Daphne also thought that things would improve between her and the other women after she had proved her innocence, but she still remained a social outcast. She wasn’t idiotic enough to seek a friendship with two-faced women that could turn into backstabbers at any time, but that also meant she was very short of company.

At least Princess Cordelia had some spare time today, thankfully. Daphne couldn’t tell how willing she was to spend one of her last few free days with her but while Princess Cordelia’s words were less than friendly, Daphne had learned that she was a barker, not a biter.

"What’s that on your wrist?" Princess Cordelia asked, her hand pausing mid-air, failing to send the teacup to her lips due to her curiosity.

She squinted at the little charm that wrapped around Daphne’s wrist. It didn’t seem like any fancy jewels and she wondered for a second if Atticus had got his wife yet another gift.

"Oh, this?" Daphne asked, touching the bracelet that wrapped around her wrist. She had completely forgotten about it, seeing how it was so lightweight that it barely even felt like it was there. "It was a gift," she clarified, "from Prince Nathaniel."

Daphne had just barely sat down when she was pulled over by Cordelia, the princess’s grubby hands yanking her nearly off balance just to see the bracelet up close.

"A seed bracelet?" Princess Cordelia asked. "Prince Nathaniel gave you a seed bracelet and you accepted it?!"

"Why? What’s wrong?" Daphne asked, suddenly feeling a little panicked. "Am I not supposed to accept it?"

"You really know nothing, do you?" Princess Cordelia scoffed disdainfully, practically tossing Daphne away from her. She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms across her chest. "You had a betrothal with Prince Nathaniel previously, yes?"

Daphne’s heart dropped to the pits of her stomach. "Please don’t tell me this has something to do with marriages and weddings."

Princess Cordelia rolled her eyes. "It has everything to do with marriages and weddings. I am surprised that overprotective husband of yours was perfectly fine with you parading around with that thing on your wrist."

"What is this thing?" Daphne asked. "Prince Nathaniel mentioned that it was made with the seeds of the Temporal Elderwood Tree."

"The people of Raxuvia have a practice," said Princess Cordelia. "The men typically will give a seed bracelet to their brides as a proposal gift. It was their equivalent of a wedding ring, essentially. It was only after Raxuvia opened its borders for trade did the people start to adopt the tradition of wedding rings as well. But the seed bracelets never phased out."

Gesturing to the bracelet, Cordelia continued, "To top it all off, Prince Nathaniel decided to use the seeds of Raxuvia’s sacred tree to make you a bracelet like that." She leaned in a little closer. "If I were you, I would be wary of the prince, in that case. It seems like he might have some out-of-the-ordinary feelings for you, especially given your previous relationship."

With this newfound information, everything started to make sense. Daphne finally understood why Atticus had been so angered when he first saw the bracelet on her wrist, and why he had been so jealous over one gift that seemingly had no other meaning than being a souvenir.

Now that she knew the meaning of that bracelet, where the bracelet touched Daphne’s skin felt like it was scorching her alive. She hurriedly removed the bracelet, placing it on the table as she stared at the accessory like it was cursed.

She had to apologize to Atticus when she had the chance!

"You should keep it," Princess Cordelia advised. She sighed. "It is considered rude to return the gift. Besides, the seeds of the Temporal Elderwood are very useful. Your healer friend might have some use for it in the future if there is ever a need."

Princess Cordelia took a sip of her tea as Daphne stared at the bracelet in silence. When she returned the teacup back to the saucer, she clicked her tongue and frowned.

"Stop staring at it blankly. It’s not going to eat you alive."

"I practically committed infidelity," Daphne lamented softly.

"You did." Princess Cordelia nodded. "Trapped between two of the most eligible bachelors of the world, too."

"I should return this."

"Did you not hear anything I just said?" A scoff escaped Cordelia’s lips, almost offended. "Besides, if Princess Aurelia is to see you with her brother and that thing anywhere near you two, you might also get instantly incinerated."

Daphne simply looked up blankly at Cordelia, blinking wordlessly. Princess Cordelia could practically imagine a monkey holding cymbals, clanking away in Daphne’s mind.

"Don’t tell me you’re oblivious to how the Raxuvian princess is obsessed with her brother?"

Daphne’s voice softened as she winced. "That way?"

If Cordelia could pull out her eyes to roll them on the ground, she might’ve. "Yes," she said, exasperated. "That way. Good God, you don’t know anything!"

"Why not let’s have you trapped inside your room for tens of years?" Daphne scowled. "See how educated you can get when there’s no one willing to speak to you or bring you any study materials."

Cordelia’s lips parted, ready to retort when the shuffle of leaves caught both of their attention. The words were choked right back into Cordelia’s throat when the smell of damp earth engulfed her senses. There was something familiar about that smell, causing Cordelia to stiffen in caution.

"Wait," she said, holding out a hand protectively in front of Daphne. "Something’s not right."

"What’s going on?" Daphne asked.

She was about to ask more when the sound of dripping water captured her focus. Her head whirled over in the direction of the sound but there was nothing but some shrubbery, as their table was out in the courtyard.

However, there was something on the ground that was out of place. Daphne looked up at the sky, squinting when her eyes were met with the clear blue sky and the bright sun, completely unobstructed by any clouds.

Princess Cordelia, too, had noticed the same thing. A single huge puddle in the middle of the ground, the stone pavement darkened a shade due to the water.

"Is it... raining?"

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