Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 302: Old Debts & New Bargains II

Chapter 302: Old Debts & New Bargains II

The man was slouched over, his hair a mess, hands bound behind him, and his feet strapped together, rendering him immobile. Even with the sound of the creaky door being pushed open resonating across the small hut, Prince Nathaniel didn’t even move an inch.

If it weren’t for the steady rise and fall of his shoulders that told Daphne he was still breathing, she might’ve even assumed he was dead, killed by her husband and his best friend.

"Why is he here?!" Daphne asked, horrified. They had parted on poor terms, but that didn’t mean she wanted him captured and tortured!

She immediately ran forward, checking Prince Nathaniel for wounds and scrapes. There wasn’t much, but Daphne could definitely smell blood on him even through the dirt and grime.

Daphne spun around, frowning as she targeted her question at Jonah. "What did you do to him?"

It couldn’t be Atticus― he had been with her for the entire week. They had been cooped in their room, spending time performing certain matrimonial duties.

Daphne and Atticus had decided that with the rumors of Drusilla buzzing around the town, it wouldn’t be wise to head out. They didn’t need to be surrounded by curious villagers who wanted to know more about Drusilla’s indecent acts. Besides, Sirona had visited them daily, bringing new tidings and a fresh wave of gossip each time.

Thus, with Atticus otherwise preoccupied, it could only be Jonah to blame.

"I didn’t do anything! This wasn’t me?" Jonah cried out, extending his hands before he looked at Atticus for support. Why did Daphne always assume he was a person with free will?

"Oh, so you’re telling me that he magically got bound by vines and tied himself up, and then found this little hut in the middle of nowhere — a hut that you two somehow know the existence of — before knocking himself unconscious, waiting for someone to come rescue him?"

Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Jonah, do you think I’m a fool? He’s the crown prince of Raxuvia! How could you kidnap him and hold him hostage?"

"He was found wandering the red light district of Reaweth," Atticus answered, taking a step forward. "Don’t you think it’s suspicious? Raxuvia has their own whores. Why would he come all the way here?"

"Visiting prostitutes isn’t a crime. Maybe he just wanted some variety. Who knows, maybe he thought he could find Drusilla there," Daphne retorted. With Drusilla’s new infamy, now every brothel was touting their own Drusilla-lookalikes.

It made Daphne feel vaguely uncomfortable since she and Drusilla did share many physical characteristics. Perhaps Prince Nathaniel did come over to find someone like her to take the edge off his feelings. Guilt began to curdle in her gut, and she tugged at the vines, trying to free him.

"Besides, if we’re arresting people for soliciting prostitution, Silas and Alistair would be the first to visit the dungeons. Alistair is even married!"

"He wasn’t looking for a woman," Atticus said.

"He was looking for a man," continued Jonah.

"Oh!" Daphne’s cheeks turned red at the realization and her hand paused. She glanced back and forth between Jonah and the unconscious Nathaniel, her lips opening and closing like a fish out of water. She then pointed unsurely at Jonah, and then at Nathaniel.

To think she had caused such a huge change in Prince Nathaniel’s preferences when she rejected him!

"He’s... He likes... But that doesn’t mean you should kidnap him! There’s nothing wrong with that!"

"No!" Jonah cried out, exasperated. On the other hand, Atticus had burst out into a roaring fit of laughter. "He wasn’t looking for a gigolo, for crying out loud!" He glared harshly at his king, then said, "Atticus! You’re not helping!"

"So he was looking for you?" Daphne asked, with a playful glint in her eyes. "I should be glad he has moved on from me to someone as good as you. Long distance relationships are hard, but I’m sure you’ll manage."

Atticus applauded Daphne’s words, nearly keeling over the floor in laughter at the exasperated look on Jonah’s face. Daphne felt warmth bubble in her heart as she watched Atticus laugh freely like a child.

If only he would let go of Nathaniel. No matter what, surely Raxuvia’s crown prince didn’t deserve such treatment!

"Ha bloody ha," Jonah grumbled as this couple continued to laugh at his expense. "Sadly I’m not the lucky man Prince Nathaniel was looking for. It was Jean Nott."

Daphne froze, her giggles dying in her throat.

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Sirona interrogated him with blue kyanite. I was also present," Jonah solemnly said. "He said he was looking for Jean Nott because he owed him something."

"Apparently, Jean Nott owed him... you," Atticus finished, drawing himself to his full height as he gazed down at Daphne. "Sunshine, do you remember the first time you got kidnapped? We’ve never found the person behind it until today."

Atticus gestured to Prince Nathaniel with a tilt of his head. "Turns out that Prince Nathaniel was very willing to work with a dangerous criminal to get his ex-fiance back. But he failed to deliver the relevant payment in time."

"That cannot be..." Daphne shook her head in disbelief.

She trusted Atticus, but this was a heavy accusation to make. She could not reconcile the version of Nathaniel being heartless enough to kidnap her as the same man who looked after her during the Crowned Conquest and supported her during the Spring Parade.

On second thought, perhaps he might have done those things. He cared a lot about her.

"Interrogate him yourself then," Atticus said with a shrug, pulling one small blue kyanite stone from his pocket.

He knew better than to push― his wife had grown more callous with time, but there were still kernels of goodness in her that wanted to believe in the best of people, especially since Prince Nathaniel had never let her down.

It was a pity that that goodness was going to be crushed. Atticus pried open Nathaniel’s mouth and shoved the small stone down his throat.

"Why isn’t he waking?" Daphne asked worriedly, shaking him by the collar. She didn’t know how Nathaniel could possibly still be unconscious after swallowing kyanite.

"Prince Nathaniel! Prince Nathaniel, wake up!"