Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 403: The Sands of Xahan II

Chapter 403: The Sands of Xahan II

Daphne all but leapt out of the carriage to run towards Cordelia. "You’re actually here! I can’t believe it!"

Cordelia caught Daphne in her arms. Daphne marveled at the fact that she was seeing her best friend in the flesh― she was not a hallucination brought about by the desert heat. Although, Daphne wouldn’t be any surprise if Cordelia indeed was. She looked perfectly normal despite the raging heat of the desert, not at all disturbed by the lack of water.

She wore a faint, indulgent smile, gently — but also rather awkwardly — patting Daphne’s back before pulling away. Then, she turned to Atticus, bowing her head slightly.

It seemed like with every meeting she had with the king of Vramid, Cordelia was only getting colder and colder. Her behavior felt like a breeze of ice cold air in winter, battling against the scorching heat of the desert.

"Greetings, King Atticus," she said. Then, she turned her gaze back to Daphne. "And calm down. You make it sound like I’ve just risen from the dead."

"I’ve not seen you for so long that it most certainly felt like it," Daphne replied, smiling gleefully.

Despite Cordelia’s reluctance to spare her a smile, Daphne knew that the princess of Nedour was equally glad to see her as well. After all, the letters they had sent clearly hinted so. Daphne had grown used to Cordelia’s odd, contrasting behavior.

"My uncle is waiting inside the banquet hall," Cordelia said. "He had the cooks prepare a meal to celebrate your arrival, although I am unsure why. Being in Xahan is hardly anything worth celebrating, with the heat and humidity."

Nereus nodded, his head bobbing subconsciously in agreement. He had stepped out of the carriage for a grand total of three minutes and he felt as though he would melt into a puddle at any given second. If the carriage was bad, outside was worse. Unless King Calarian secretly had a massive lake hidden within the palace gardens, Nereus wasn’t sure if he could even leave Xahan alive, at this point.

"It is our honor," Atticus said, wearing a charismatic smile.

He came forward, gently pulling Daphne back in his arms so that his hand could rest on her waist. While he was glad that Daphne made new friends along the way, he didn’t like the manner she was clinging onto Cordelia as though she was her last lifeline.

It was indeed wonderful to be invited into Xahan despite the sudden letter and abrupt request. King Calarian had been the most charitable to share the iron ore deposits, something Atticus was greatly grateful for.

"Xahan is beautiful," Atticus continued. "It is wonderful to know that King Calarian’s invitation to Xahan still stands, despite all the time passed between now and our meeting in Raxuvia."

’And it was a good thing King Calarian did too,’ thought Daphne.

If he didn’t, Atticus might have Sirona ’accidentally’ create another infestation of blood-sucking monstrosities in Xahan. Just the very thought caused Daphne nights of restless sleep― how could her husband even think of inflicting such cruelty on innocent people? On another kingdom’s citizens, no less?

If Daphne was King Calarian, she would toss them out of their kingdom, friendship or not. King Calarian was a smart man. He would surely guess that Atticus wasn’t here for a mere cure, right?

Nevertheless, Daphne didn’t dare to ask. While she trusted Cordelia by a fair bit, she couldn’t extend that same trust to King Calarian. It wasn’t that she thought the King would be up to nefarious acts, but rather, he had much closer relations to Atticus than to herself. If there was anything that happened, Atticus might quickly catch wind of it.

That wouldn’t be good, needless to say.

"I suppose the old man gets lonely," Cordelia grumbled under her breath. "Come. I’ll show you the way in."

The group of people followed Cordelia down the long winding halls of Xahan’s royal palace. While Reaweth and Vramid’s palaces were all decorated beautifully, none compared to that of Xahan’s lavish furbishing.

Velvet carpets and drapes filled the halls, with the walls of the palace carved from white and gold marble. Beautifully intricate golden arches served as doorways, the walls and pillars carved with complex designs with elaborate detailing. There were flowers everywhere, along with tapestries and other forms of greenery.

Daphne was surprised to see a mini oasis situated in the middle of the palace. Palm trees decorated the small space, and there was a fountain situated right in the center of the courtyard. When the golden sunlight hit the water, it caused the water to sparkle when reflecting its light. Small lily pads floated in the water, and the air was filled with a faint floral fragrance.

Nereus’s eyes remained glued to the water even as they walked around it. When they were almost past, Daphne finally tapped Cordelia’s shoulder, prompting her to stop.

"Do you have anywhere Nereus can stay?" she asked, gesturing to the poor kelpie, whose eyes were glued to the water like bees to honey.

"My uncle prepared a room for him, actually," Cordelia said. "He heard about Nereus’s... special circumstances. One of the back courtyards has been refurbished to accommodate his stay. There will be constantly running water all throughout his stay, so that the aquatic environment wouldn’t go stale, along with all sorts of flora to decorate the area."

Cordelia raised her hand, and instantly, a maid hurried over.

"Take him there," she instructed, and the maid bowed before directing Nereus in a different direction from the rest of them.

"Shouldn’t we greet your uncle first?" Daphne asked, her eyes trailing after Nereus’s quickly disappearing figure.

"He isn’t too petty about such formalities, especially with non-humans," Cordelia said, waving the matter off. "On the other hand, he might be more keen on speaking with King Atticus and Healer Sirona."

"With me?" Sirona uttered, surprised. She lowered her head a little as a sign of respect when Cordelia turned back to look at her. "I am honored, Your Highness. But may I know what it might be for?"

Cordelia turned her nose up; Daphne could see her desperately trying to control her own facial expressions and not scowl.

"You have a cure to make, don’t you?" Cordelia quipped. "If you’re planning on using Xahan’s resources for a Reawethen prince, it is only logical for my uncle to check on your plans before allowing it completely. After all, Xahan will not take responsibility for any mishap that might happen should your cure fail."