Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 314: Missing in Action III

Chapter 314: Missing in Action III

Throughout the entire coronation ceremony, neither Drusilla nor Alistair had appeared.

When all of the official proceedings had ended and the event proceeded to the celebratory meal, drinks, and dance, it was already late evening. Daphne slipped away and found Zephyr in the crowd.

"Have you seen Nereus?" she asked, still looking around worriedly. "I couldn’t find him anywhere during the ceremony."

"Not that I’ve seen," Zephyr said, chewing on a roasted chicken drumstick. There was already a small pile of bones on the table right behind him, no doubt his hard work. "Maybe he’s still at the lake, hiding from the crowd?"

Daphne pursed her lips. That was indeed possible but Nereus had also promised her he would show up for the ceremony. He had seemed so excited about the event when she had first passed him the invitation that it was hard to imagine he would skip it just like that.

Nevertheless, Daphne understood. The huge sea of people was no doubt frightful for a man who was used to solitude.

"Help me keep an eye out for him, and for Drusilla and Alistair," Daphne instructed Zephyr. Knowing her brother, he might make a last-ditch attempt to ruin the festivities, and Drusilla would never miss a chance to make Daphne’s life more difficult, no matter her own ruined reputation.

"Got it," Zephyr said. "Now, off you go and mingle with your people. I’ll let you know if I see anything weird."

Daphne nodded, and Zephyr flew out the window and perched on the roof, looking like a particularly handsome gargoyle as he watched the palace grounds for signs of trouble. Daphne then continued to mingle with Reawthen royalty, playing her part to perfection even as she wanted nothing more than to leave.

Thankfully, Atticus was by her side, a possessive arm slung around her waist as he grinned smugly at all who approached Daphne. He wanted everyone to know this beautiful, kind-hearted, lovely crown princess was also his wife, and no one should forget that.

Daphne rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness.

"What’s the matter, sunshine?" Atticus asked cheerfully after Duke Lanperouge had given a long and effusive speech about Daphne’s many strengths that had her longing to bury her face in the curtains. "You seem uneasy with your newfound popularity. Are you regretting your new role already?"

Daphne smacked her husband playfully. "I haven’t even done anything to deserve this much idolatry yet."

"You got him out of marrying Drusilla. That’s worthy of at least a song or two. Speaking of which, I’m surprised your simpering half-sister hasn’t shown up."

Daphne’s lips pursed. "You’ve noticed it too? I don’t like it. My brother is not here either. Neither is Hazelle. I know I should be thankful that they haven’t shown up, but I can’t help but think something is going to go terribly wrong. Like they are plotting something behind my back. And Nereus still isn’t here. I want to look for him but..."

But there was a long line of people waiting to speak to Daphne. It was only Atticus’s imposing presence that kept them at bay, but Daphne could see the hopeful looks on their faces.

"That’s not much we can do about those fools," Atticus chuckled, and Daphne knew he was thinking of his in-laws and Daphne’s nobles, "But if you’re worried about the kelpie, I’ll cover for you so you can slip out to the lake."

"You’ll do that for me?" Daphne asked hopefully, batting her eyelashes on purpose. "Oh, will wonders ever cease?"

Atticus shot her an exasperated, yet loving look. "Sunshine, did you forget we are married? Or is the new title giving you memory loss―"

Daphne elbowed him and shot him a smile. "Thank you, Atticus. I’ll be back soon."

With that, Daphne hurriedly made her excuses and slipped out into the night. She hurriedly ran towards the lake, looking for Nereus. While there were some nobles idly milling around the grounds, there was no sign of Nereus’s familiar figure.

"Nereus? It’s me, Daphne. Are you here?" Daphne whispered, but the lake was still and silent.

Something was wrong. Nereus would never vanish without warning. She quickly kept an eye out for any signs of his presence as she walked around the lake. However, her eyes stumbled upon a strange sight.

There was a huge ring of burnt grass, the black scorch marks a sharp contrast to the lush greenery of its surroundings. There was no way the grass burnt naturally, in such a uniform, controlled manner. Only a contained ring, without spreading to the rest of the flora and fauna.

As though the fire was used to trap something. Or someone.

Daphne bent down and touched a part of the burnt ring gingerly― the grass was charred, burnt to a brittle crisp. Her fingertips were stained black, but there was a tint of dark brown too.

Dried blood.

Her heart pounded in fear.

Nereus was in trouble. She had to track him down― a quick glance showed that there weren’t any other fire rings created, so he must have been overpowered then.

And she had a pretty good idea who did it. Her family was full of skilled pyromancers, but there were only two who would even consider trapping a kelpie, especially one that was known to be part of her retinue.

"Zephyr!" Daphne called out, waving to summon him. In no time at all, Zephyr flew to her side.

"What’s the matter, Daphne?" he asked, his face falling when he caught sight of the blood on her fingers. "Are you hurt?"

"No, but Nereus is. I’m very sure Alistair took him. Do you remember where he was staying? Can you track them for me?"

Zephyr nodded, sensing the seriousness of the situation. He took a careful sniff of the blood, and his eyes widened.

"This... This smells a lot like the woman I smelt before! The one that I said looked a lot like you!"

Daphne’s blood chilled. She had thought it was merely monthly courses, but what if it wasn’t? Why did a random blonde woman smell like Nereus’s blood? There was a crucial piece of the puzzle that she was missing.

"Do you think they are back in the palace?" Daphne asked.

"No," Zephyr said with a frown. "I hadn’t smelled anything like this after that day. The scent... the scent is away from the palace."

"Lead the way," Daphne said grimly, sending a mental note of apology to Atticus. He would have to stall for a longer time.