Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 172: Malevolent Hysteria II

Chapter 172: Malevolent Hysteria II

"It’s like a panic attack," Prince Nathaniel explained. "It occurs due to the shift in magical properties within the person, though it’s more commonly seen in children that have just gained their magical abilities."

His explanation brought a frown onto his own face. Princess Cordelia, too, had an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"That doesn’t seem particularly applicable for Queen Daphne here," she said pointedly. Daphne could only awkwardly laugh; she did have magic now, but surely she couldn’t be as weak as a child... right?

"No, it doesn’t," Prince Nathaniel said. "But it could also happen whenever a normal human — one who doesn’t have any affinity with magic — is suddenly exposed to a strong magical source. It could be a human or a creature, or even a place with a strong magical aura."

He sighed deeply, pulling out a few books from a nearby shelf before flipping haphazardly through them. Daphne tried to read them, but the penmanship was atrocious and near illegible. She wondered if all healers had such bad writing, or was it only Prince Nathaniel?

"Are you saying King Atticus could be a reason?" Cordelia demanded angrily, nearly slamming her hand on the table.

"King Atticus would’ve been a source but he is trained when it comes to controlling and maintaining his aura, so it shouldn’t be an issue," Prince Nathaniel said, reaching for some of the herbs that he kept in neatly-lined jars next to his desk.

He added spoonfuls into his mortar with graceful ease and quickly ground them in his mortar with practiced motions. Daphne couldn’t help but be impressed. Prince Nathaniel was royalty, but he was knowledgeable, and he didn’t let others do his work for him.

As Prince Nathaniel mixed, he continued to speak.

"However, if whatever you two saw earlier in the courtyard was indeed the kelpie that Princess Daphne encountered a few days ago at the lake, it could be a direct cause. While kelpies usually hunt by luring humans into the water, we cannot rule out the thought that this particular kelpie could be using his magical aura to deliberately disorientate you."

Satisfied with the mixture, he began to scoop it up before he placed it into a sachet. He tied it off neatly, burning the ends of the ribbon to prevent it from untangling.

"Keep this with you at all times," Prince Nathaniel instructed, holding the sachet out for Daphne to take.

She took it over, examining the small fabric pouch. There was a faint fragrance that came off it; even just one whiff seemed enough to calm down her mind.

"What’s this for?" she asked, her thumbs rubbing circles over the fabric, feeling the dried herbs crunch even further under the pressure of her fingers.

"Nothing too special," Prince Nathaniel answered. "The symptoms of malevolent hysteria typically include out-of-body sensations, as well as shortness of breath as though you’re drowning. Especially since it’s linked to your experience in the lake... that feeling would’ve been amplified. The herb mixture will be able to help soothe your symptoms and prevent them from occurring. If you feel it coming up, hold the sachet under your nose and breathe in deeply."

"I feel better already," Daphne confessed. "Thank you. This is amazing."

A faint blush crept up Prince Nathaniel’s face, coloring his cheeks a fair shade of pink. He rubbed his nose, suddenly a little more bashful. "It’s nothing impressive," he said. "I am sure even Healer Sirona is capable of as much. I just happen to have the necessary herbs here with me, that’s all."

"He fed her something," Princess Cordelia piped up. "That man-creature. Nereus, he called himself. He gave Queen Daphne something to eat and it cured her temporarily when it first happened."

Daphne nodded. "It tasted like a bunch of herbs, honestly," she recalled, "a little fishy too."

"Kelp?" Princess Cordelia asked.

Prince Nathaniel held a finger to his chin, deep in thought. "It could be," he said. "But just kelp alone wouldn’t have healed her so quickly. He must’ve added some other herbs into the mixture, with kelp as the base ingredient."

He held out a hand.

"Princess Daphne, may I?"

"What are you playing at? You know she’s married right?" Cordelia said with a raised eyebrow.

"You misunderstand," Prince Nathaniel said with a slight chuckle. "I would like to test what it was that creature fed Princess Daphne." He turned to face Daphne again, gazing into her eyes as he repeated his question. "May I?"

Daphne nodded, placing her hand right on top of Prince Nathaniel’s. For a second, his smile dropped from his face when he noticed her empty wrists. However, he didn’t comment on it.

A bright red light suddenly radiated from Prince Nathaniel’s chest. There, the carnelian that was embedded into his brooch started to glow brightly. That glow seemingly also came from under his pale skin, following the trail of his blood vessels― the closer it was to his fingers, the darker and bolder the color was.

Slowly, the trail of red also seeped into Daphne’s hands where her skin touched Prince Nathaniel’s. She could feel a slight tingling warmth come from where they were connected but the sensation faded as soon as it came. The light dimmed and Daphne withdrew her hand, as did Prince Nathaniel.

"So?" Princess Cordelia asked, not at all impressed. Now that she knew about the seed bracelet, everything about Raxuvia’s crown prince just seemed sketchy to her.

"Nothing seems out of the ordinary, health-wise," Prince Nathaniel deduced. "It most likely was just a combination of certain herbs that could help alleviate your situation."

"But why?" Daphne asked. "Why did it help me?"

"If it was indeed the kelpie that you saw at the lake, then it might simply be curious about you. Hence it did not harm you while you were in its domain," Prince Nathaniel said. "But as always, I’d advise you to practice caution. Curiosity can quickly turn deadly, and we do not have enough understanding of how these creatures think."

"Wait..." Princess Cordelia cut in. "You saw a kelpie?!" She then spun around to face Prince Nathaniel, her voice much higher and sharper now. "And it’s at the lake of Heavenly Glade?!"

"It is not native to that lake," Prince Nathaniel calmly stated, as though already prepped for that sort of reaction from Princess Cordelia. "We are already investigating its origins. If Princess Daphne indeed saw a man today in the palace, along with the information you’ve provided, it seems like Princess Daphne was right yesterday― it was indeed a kelpie she saw in the lake."

"You don’t just doubt someone when they say that they’ve seen a kelpie," Princess Cordelia hissed. "Do you realize how dangerous kelpies are?"

"Yes," Prince Nathaniel responded. "But also, they do not belong in Raxuvia. The chances of seeing one here is extremely low."

"Safe than sorry, Prince Nathaniel," Princess Cordelia warned. She reached into her pockets, pulling out a long chain before placing it on Prince Nathaniel’s desk. "Another word of advice, this might not be a suitable gift for a married woman. You should know your place."

Prince Nathaniel took one glance at the seed bracelet. The cogs in his head began to turn. He looked up at Princess Cordelia, his smile fair and courteous but it held only frigid frosts that could even rival Vramid’s winter.

"I could say the same for you, Princess Cordelia. It might be in your best interests to respect yourself more than going for married men."

With a huff, Princess Cordelia left without another word. She barely even spared Daphne a second glance before she stormed out of Prince Nathaniel’s office, slamming the door shut behind her with a loud bang. Daphne jumped a little in her seat, wincing at the noise. When the room was plunged into silence again, she sheepishly looked at Prince Nathaniel and at the bracelet on the table.

"She was just curious," Daphne said in her own defense. "I didn’t mean any disrespect."

"None taken," Prince Nathaniel said. "Though, I totally understand if you wouldn’t wish to keep it any longer. It was just that this bracelet was made for you. I never had the intention of giving it to anyone else, even if you weren’t my bride."

Daphne’s lips parted, though no words came out. She wanted to return it, not because she didn’t appreciate the thought but because it wasn’t right to accept this gift, given their current situation and the meaning behind the present. However, Cordelia was also right. The seeds of the Temporal Elderwood Tree could come in handy in the future― surely Atticus would understand.

"It’s alright," she said instead, swallowing down her initial words. Daphne gingerly picked up the bracelet, holding it in her hands but with no intention to put it back on. "I would like to keep the gift, if that’s still alright."

Prince Nathaniel’s smile turned brighter, much more genuine.

"Of course," he said with a nod. "As I said, it was always yours."

Daphne returned her smile, much more sincere than before, considering how Prince Nathaniel did just save her life. She said her thanks and farewells before rushing out of the room, the bracelet and sachet of herbs clasped tightly in her hands.

God forbid anyone saw her come out of Prince Nathaniel’s office alone again. The rumors would be disastrous.

Now, she just needed to find Atticus. He needed to know what just happened.