Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 189: Spring Parade I

Chapter 189: Spring Parade I

Jonah was right― the seamstresses employed at the royal palace were much better at dressmaking than even some of the finest boutiques in the kingdom.

Daphne stood in front of the mirror, admiring her own reflection for the first time in a long while.

Most of the flowers that Nereus had given her were used in decorating the float. As there hadn’t been as many stalks as the flowers Prince Nathaniel had brought for her all the way from Raxuvia, Daphne decided to use Nereus’s flowers as the centerpieces on her float where it could be best seen.

Obviously, Atticus was less than pleased when he learned about that. Even more so when he found out that Daphne had also decided to use the remaining flowers for her dress.

The bodice was crafted in shimmering shades of gold and crimson, covered by intricate lace and beadwork. For the skirt, from the waist to the bottom of the dress, the colors brightened from orange and gold to crimson, and eventually, a dark maroon. Layers and layers of fabric were stacked on top of one another, making it seem like each individual piece was a petal plucked straight from a giant blossom. Nereus’s flowers were embroidered directly onto the skirts and bodice, preserved by magic to retain their freshest appearance.

"You look beautiful," Atticus said, his voice breathy as he marveled over his wife’s get-up.

He spun her around, admiring the way the skirt flew slightly as she twirled. She looked every bit like a fairy, her dress sparkling as though it was coated in a layer of shimmering fairy dust.

They were waiting inside a tent that was pitched right next to where Daphne had her float waiting. The parade was about to start soon and in a matter of moments, she would set off and await ’public trial’.

Atticus had decided to visit to offer a quick show of support before he had to leave― he and Jonah had just caught wind of further developments regarding the jewel smugglers. This would be an opportune time to strike.

"Your staff members worked miracles," Daphne complimented, unable to suppress the smile that had bloomed on her face.

"Only to enhance the beauty that you already possess," Atticus swiftly replied. He pressed a kiss to Daphne’s temple, careful not to mess up her intricately styled hair. "I’ll see you after the parade is over. Don’t be late for our date."

His words caused Daphne’s heart to flutter uncontrollably in her chest. She was undoubtedly nervous about the competition but it was nice to see the vote of confidence her husband had for her. It felt good to have someone be so sure of what she could achieve.

Thus, Daphne nodded surely.

She said, "I wouldn’t miss it for the world."

Only, that bit of confidence started to waver when she got on the float and realized that hundreds, if not thousands of people were looking in her direction. The crowds turned up in full force to watch the parade, lining through the streets in droves and cheering for their favorites.

Daphne had never seen so many people in one place before. It seemed like every citizen in Vramid had turned up, and the guards had their hands full with keeping them away from the floats so the parade could progress unhindered.

"Step away! Step away!" They repeatedly ordered, nearly shoving away the more enthusiastic people who wanted a closer look. "Hey! Don’t steal the flowers!"

Teenagers elbowed each other and snickered as they ran off, a handful of orange blooms clutched in their hands. Daphne could only sigh, but she smiled when she caught sight of young children on their fathers’ shoulders, flinging flowers into the air as they pointed at her.

"It’s the queen! The queen!"

She smiled a little brighter and waved at them, causing them to scream in excitement.

With the use of magic, everything proceeded fairly smoothly. Even the weather was cooperative, with it being a cloudy day with just enough sunlight to drive away the gloom. Yet, it wasn’t unbearably hot.

However, Daphne was beginning to feel more exhausted than she thought possible. No one had warned her how sore her cheeks would be from maintaining the demure smile on her face, and her arm had gotten tired of waving at the crowd as the line of floats passed by the people. The cheers were starting to become overwhelming in their intensity, with the crowds only getting more excited as time went on.

She had caught sight of Francessa’s float a small distance away from hers. It was beautiful and multi-colored, displaying some of the most beautiful flowers Daphne had ever seen before. They were all Vramid’s local specialties, some of which were flowers that couldn’t be found elsewhere. Daphne knew right there and then, that Francessa would be her greatest competition.

Right in the center, Francessa Seibert looked smug as ever. Her smile was perfect, her wave effortless as she continued to beam down at the crowd like a saintess offering refuge to the suffering people of the world. She even flung flowers down for them to catch!

Daphne couldn’t help but notice that the crowds cheered more enthusiastically for her, and a minute frown formed on her face.

As though Francessa could sense Daphne’s unease, she met Daphne’s eyes and waved to her. Francessa’s smile was a little more crooked than usual, but that quickly disappeared from the lady’s face as soon as Daphne blinked.

’She’s up to no good,’ Daphne thought to herself.

Even then, it wasn’t anything new. Daphne had already prepared herself for some foul play coming from Francessa. Only, it seemed like she was fairly quiet and much less crafty than Daphne had expected. The parade was already more than halfway done but there was still nothing from the marchioness.

Right as Daphne was about to berate herself for thinking the worst of Francessa Seibert, a soft crack caught her attention. At first, she thought nothing of it, but when more similar-sounding cracks started to echo, Daphne’s hair began to stand.

"What is going on?!" Penelope Huntington, just ahead of Daphne asked, horrified when a piece of her float suddenly broke off without warning. It fell onto the ground with a loud crash just to the right of the float, causing the crowd to back off in screams of horror.

"Run!"

"It’s collapsing!"

"The guard! He’s stuck!"

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