Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 433: A Life or Two I

Chapter 433: A Life or Two I

[TW: Miscarriage]

"Daphne!" Nereus and Zephyr both screamed as they lunged for her, trying to pull her up, but it was too late.

The damage had been done.

Daphne tried to get up, but she felt a sharp pain in her belly, causing her to let out a helpless wheeze of pain. She tried to catch her breath, her hands wrapped protectively around her stomach.

"It hurts..." She groaned out weakly, her vision blurring with pain.

She felt something wet flow out between her legs, and panic grew inside her. Surely it could not be blood. It must not be. Suddenly she wanted her husband with her for support. Atticus would know how to fix things― Atticus was powerful, and he could do anything.

"Atticus... where is Atticus?" Daphne asked weakly, gripping Zephyr’s arms as tightly as she could with her fingers.

Zephyr could only give her a helpless glance in response. Daphne knew full well he was out in the mines, and it would take hours for him to return.

The only person who seemed pleased about this turn of events was Jean Nott.

"Oops," he said, cheerfully apologetic. He shrugged his shoulders. "Guess that little griffin should have lost some weight, eh? Look at what you’ve done to poor Daphne! Leave off the drumsticks next time!"

With that final, insensitive comment, Jean Nott vanished in a puff of smoke. He wasn’t foolish enough to involve himself in such a sticky situation― even if it worked to his advantage. This would sever the tie between the couple for good. Daphne could not be allowed to give birth to King Atticus’s child; she should not have to harm her own body to nurture the life created by such an undeserving being.

If she gave birth, her body would grow frailer and frailer, her skin sallow and her face haggard with exhaustion. She would never have any peace, forever saddled with worry. No child of King Atticus would be easy to handle.

What Jean did tonight was nothing more than an act of kindness, even if Daphne did not realize it yet. He even timed it so that Daphne’s body would recover more quickly from the strain. Of course, he knew Daphne would not see it that way, but it was alright.

Jean would gladly become the villain in Daphne’s story if it meant Daphne would remain her beautiful self forever.

"Shut up!" Zephyr screamed hoarsely in reply, not realizing that Jean Nott was already gone, his focus entirely on Daphne’s rapidly paling face. "Daphne! Daphne, are you alright?"

"Of course she’s not!" Nereus hissed through gritted teeth.

He had always known Zephyr was dumb, but never before had he wanted to smack him so hard. Both of them hated the thought of Daphne carrying Atticus’s child, but since Daphne herself was willing, they had no choice but to support her.

And now she was so close to losing it.

Nereus could already smell the scent of death in the air, intermingled with her blood. He cursed under his breath as he propped Daphne up against his body, trying to use his powers to heal her from within with limited success.

He was no healer, and there was no way he was dumping Daphne into a filled bathtub while her skin was clammy and cold. It would do nothing for her anyway since she was a human. His hydromancy powers were not strong enough for him to control the flow of Daphne’s blood to protect her unborn child.

"Daphne, hang on, we’ll get help," Nereus said, making sure to infuse as much calm as he could into his voice even as his world was collapsing by his feet. And by ’we’, he of course meant Zephyr, whose wings could take him faster than Nereus’s two legs. "Zephyr, go get Sirona!"

"Right! Right!" Zephyr cried out, collecting himself quickly now that he was given a task to do. He quickly darted out the door, screaming for help. His cries echoed through the corridors.

"Sirona! Healer Sirona! Anyone! Daphne is in trouble!"

Meanwhile, Daphne felt a pleasant fog surrounding her mind. She felt calm, if a tad bit woozy. She looked down at herself. To her relief, the belly was still round. That must mean the baby was safe, wasn’t it? She surely had enough fat to stop her baby from taking any damage, didn’t she?

The child would be fine.

The child had to be fine.

The pain was already fading, along with the sticky feeling between her legs. She could see again. It didn’t feel so bad, but Nereus looked terrified. It was as though he was still that young kelpie she saved from the dungeon. Daphne felt bad for scaring him.

She patted his hand, trying to calm him down. "It’s fine. I’m fine," Daphne’s voice was as soft and frail as the petals of a newly bloomed flower, and Nereus despaired further. He didn’t know how to tell her what he knew deep down, from the first moment he smelled the sickly scent of fresh blood.

The child was beyond saving.

"There’s no need to worry about me," Daphne added.

"Sirona’s here!" Zephyr’s voice was a godsend as he quickly moved out of the way, letting a frantic Sirona enter the room, her hands glowing a bright purple. She immediately placed her palms on Daphne’s belly, trying to feel for the child’s life force.

"Sirona..." Daphne gave her a relieved smile, clutching at her arm like a lifeline. She was starting to feel dizzy again. "You’re here... the baby is fine, aren’t they? I’ve been eating a lot more... my belly is round enough to cushion the blow... You must help my baby... please..."

Sirona tore her eyes away from Daphne’s hopeful face and focused on her belly, desperately praying for a sign of life. There had to be the tiniest spark somewhere! Perhaps, the child had shifted, or perhaps it was hidden behind her organs... but... there was nothing.

She pulled up Daphne’s skirts as both men quickly averted their eyes, and was horrified at the amount of blood staining her undergarments.

Sirona’s face fell. That confirmed it. The child was no more, and if she did not move fast, Daphne would not make it out alive either.

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