Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 236: Old Magic

Chapter 236: Old Magic

Everyone at the table stilled. They were too well-bred to simply lunge for Daphne’s finger like a pack of savages, but there was no denying their disbelief as they eyed Daphne’s ring. The siblings began to mutter among themselves at Drusilla’s pronouncement, casting doubtful looks at the couple.

Alistair was the first to actually address Drusilla directly. His father had narrowed his eyes consideringly at the ring but had made no comment.

"Drusilla, I fear you might have been fooled by Daphne’s words. The Symphony of the New Dawn is a priceless treasure that has been lost to the ravages of time. There is simply no way that something so valuable would find its way to Daphne’s finger," Alistair said, shaking his head.

"Brother Alistair has a point," Leonora said with a huff. "Even if it’s real, only a fool would be willing to pay such an exorbitant sum for a wedding ring when there are so many options available! Stop trying to pass one of our heirlooms as your own!"

Leonora’s suitors had mockingly given her rings made out of iron, claiming that they were perfect for an iron lady like she was. They were hideous, unlike the delicate masterpiece on her oldest sister’s finger. Leonora felt her insides almost curdle in jealousy.

Her sister was useless! Her ring should be too! If Leonora had only gotten tasteless hunks of metal for her rings, she refused to see Daphne have any better.

Daphne barely restrained herself from interrupting their words. She hadn’t mentioned her ring at all; but of course, her older brother had to throw blame at her when there was none, and her younger sister had a temper when roused.

Drusilla’s lip began to wobble as she turned her teary eyes at Daphne.

"Sister... does it mean you’re wearing a fake ring? Or did you lie to me all this while?"

"Do you have memory loss at such a young age?" Atticus interrupted through a mouthful of beef.

"King Atticus! How can you imply such a thing?" Drusilla cried out, the very image of hurt. Alistair was on his feet in an instant, determined to defend his sister.

"If anyone has memory loss it’s Daphne. She had always been a dim-witted fool," Alistair added.

Her siblings gazed at her in hostility, but Daphne remained unfazed. After multiple kidnappings, dealing with Jean Nott, and Francessa Seibert’s machinations, Alistair’s words were merely a drop in the pond. She dabbed at her mouth, the very picture of elegance while he continued to rant.

Atticus had enough. A flash of his ring and Alistair found himself falling flat on his face straight into his meal. Leonora was forced upright, her limbs plastered to her body as though she was a corpse. Blanche hastily stifled a giggle, while her other remaining siblings watched on in horror.

King Cyrus slammed his fist on the table as he watched Atticus manhandle his children with barely a crook of his finger, his heart shivering at the display of power. His children weren’t powerless, but Atticus had subdued them without a sweat.

It was almost like the magic users of old.

"King Atticus, what is the meaning of this!"

"What?" Atticus blinked slowly and made a show of digging his ears. "Oh, them?"

Alistair gurgled into his mashed potatoes. Meanwhile, Leonora had her mouth clamped shut, but her eyes were panicked.

Their hands and legs were bound so they couldn’t move, a clear sign of the difference in power. A shudder ran down the spines of the Reawethen royal family, except for Daphne, who only smiled placidly.

"Alistair was insulting my beloved wife," Atticus said with a smile, but his eyes were colder than Vramid’s winters. "Perhaps you are content with someone slinging insults at your spouse, but I’m not."

"What about Leonora then?" Silas demanded. He didn’t like conflict, but Leonora was his twin sister. Only he was allowed to bully her and vice versa!

"Your sister was insulting me. Did you not hear her call me a fool?" Atticus retorted with a raised eyebrow. "Just because her suitors might not want to splurge on her doesn’t mean she can insult any man that actually wants to spend money on their lover."

Daphne bit her lip to stop herself from outright cackling at the dinner table even as her heart warmed with the force of Atticus’s regard. With her husband by her side, Daphne could hold her head up high as she continued to eat. If she had returned alone, she would rather starve to death than eat dinner with her family.

Meanwhile, Drusilla was now so green with envy, that it almost seemed like she had rubbed the vegetable salad all over her face.

She had wanted to put Daphne in a spot, she wanted her father to accuse King Atticus of being a thief, and she wanted Daphne humiliated in front of her own mother, but all her plans were derailed by King Atticus’s effortless display of power.

However, Atticus wasn’t done with Daphne’s siblings. There were so many of them and only so little time for him to put them in their place before dinner ended. Drusilla, of course, was at the top of his list.

He really should have let the griffin maul her alive.

Before he could speak, King Cyrus stood up and slammed both hands on the table.

"I will not tolerate such disrespect in my palace!"

Somehow, Atticus’s eyes darkened at his words. "Your palace... are you sure about that?"

"What’s that supposed to mean!" The king blustered.

"Since we are talking about disrespect, we might as well clear the air now," Atticus said, also standing up. He cast a long shadow over the table; Daphne realized with some surprise that her husband was actually taller than her father.

From the way his eyes twitched, King Cyrus knew it too.

"Why is a mere concubine dining with us, members of the royal family?" Atticus asked with a snarl, giving Lady Josephine a look that implied that she was no better than the scum of his shoes. Lady Josephine scooted back, and Drusilla panicked.

"King Atticus―"

Atticus’s eyes flashed, and Drusilla winced in pain as her mouth was forced shut without warning, causing her to bite her tongue by accident.

No one else dared to interrupt.

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