Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 461: When the Dust Settles I

Chapter 461: When the Dust Settles I

They found King Calarian buried in the rubble.

He was by no means dead. Quite the contrary, he had been trying to look for survivors. There was only so much magic could do and when it came to the injured and the frail― there was no metal he could use against their skin to help their condition. Thus, he had no other choice than to manually help them out whenever he could no longer use his magic.

After buildings were lifted, he and his men would ferry the injured out one by one to the nearest shelter so that their wounds could be tended to. Unfortunately, the dead had to be left behind. They were racing against time and there was no way for them to tend to the deceased as well. Once the survivors were safe, they would help reunite these families with their fallen loved ones.

He didn’t fail to notice, however, that the sandstorms eventually ceased and the skies slowly lit up with sunlight.

The culprit behind it appeared shortly after.

"King Calarian," Atticus greeted, nodding once when he met eyes with the older man.

King Calarian’s eyes trailed down to Daphne in Atticus’s arms, a frown slowly finding its way onto his face. He clambered out of the ruins, dusting his hands before making his way over to where Atticus, Sirona, and Jonah were.

Then, when he neared, he realized that there was — including the unconscious Queen — a fifth person present. Jonah dragged Jean Nott’s body in one hand by his leg and his head in another, all the while unflinching at the dismembered corpse.

"King Atticus," Calarian returned, his eyes still trained on the wild, carefree smile that was on Jean Nott’s face. "I see you’ve managed to subdue him."

"He will no longer be a nuisance to society," Atticus declared. "As for your city..."

Something flashed through King Calarian’s eyes. It was a look that was cold, calculating, and filled with an infinite number of thoughts that Atticus couldn’t catch all of. Eventually, he nodded, gesturing to the head.

"You had to do what you did to catch Jean Nott," King Calarian said. "I saw the battle. He is indeed a formidable opponent. Any clue as to why?"

"Actually, yes," Atticus said.

He looked around at the devastation, frowning as he took everything in. While King Calarian’s expression was calm for the most part, Atticus knew that there was no doubt an endless pit of anger that was currently brewing inside him. He owed King Calarian both an apology and an explanation. For now, he still didn’t see a need to burn this bridge.

Atticus could still play the part of a sorry guest.

"But if it’s alright with you, perhaps we could wait until the return to the palace," Atticus said. "My wife isn’t feeling well and I would like to at least put her down before offering an explanation."

"Very well." King Calarian nodded.

"Thank you for your kindness," Atticus said.

In return, he looked at the area King Calarian had been tending to prior to his arrival. He didn’t need his hands― just one look and the remaining pieces of broken walls and toppled roofs began to float through the air, standing upright once more. Bodies began to fly out from the rubble and gently, Atticus placed them down in a safe area where Calarian’s men could easily access.

The injured were quickly brought away. As for the dead — who were left behind by the knights previously due to them prioritizing those who were still alive — they were quickly handled as well.

"After you, then, King Calarian," Atticus said, stepping to one side so that Calarian could walk past first.

The older man nodded, turning to his soldiers to pass out his final orders before he headed straight for the palace. The trio followed behind, with Daphne still in Atticus’s arms and Jean Nott’s body dragging across the floor, leaving a trail of red wherever they went.

***

"Father!" Nesrin’s cry ripped through the palace before she pounced on King Calarian, her arms wrapping around the man’s torso and her head buried in his chest. He, in return, placed a hand on her head, gently rubbing.

One by one, familiar faces slowly appeared, relief spreading across their faces when they realized that their king had returned safe and sound. He barely had a scratch on his body, just some dust and grime that clung onto his hair, nothing Queen Lavinia couldn’t tenderly pat away when she reached his side.

The moment Nesrin pulled away, King Calarian pulled Queen Lavinia in. She reacted in fervor, her hands on the lapels of his shirt as she pulled him in for a tender kiss. Tears welled in her eyes when they broke apart, her hand gently trailing down his cheek as she gazed into his eyes.

"Why the tears, my love?" King Calarian softly asked, using his thumb to wipe away the fallen tears.

Queen Lavinia shook her head. "I am just happy for your return."

There was a small, sharp gasp that came from Queen Lavinia’s side, and when she turned, she realized that her eldest daughter’s gaze was fixated on the woman in King Atticus’s arms. Upon a closer look, Queen Lavinia quickly realized why. Her eyes widened in shock to see the familiar tuft of long, silvery blonde hair, tucked away in King Atticus’s hold.

Cordelia had appeared too, and while she — like the rest of her family — was delighted to see her uncle safe and sound, she quickly realized that Daphne was not on her two feet. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt as though she had just been dunked into the freezing oceans of her home.

She breathed out shakily. "Is that..."

"She is perfectly alright, Your Highness," Atticus said with a smile. "Just a little worn out from what happened."

Slowly, he passed Daphne to Sirona, allowing the healer to carry her instead. There was a faint mist of purple that still surrounded Daphne― Atticus used his magic to lighten her weight so that Sirona wouldn’t have such a hard time bringing her around, even though Daphne didn’t weigh much to begin with. He didn’t wish to take any chances of Sirona accidentally dropping Daphne.

"Sirona, if you would," he said.

"Of course," she said. With that, she quickly departed for the infirmary with Daphne, leaving Atticus and Jonah with the Xahan royal family.

It didn’t escape his notice, of course, that Princess Nesrin seemed to be having a little too much interest in his wife. The way she looked at him reminded him of himself― it was filled with guilt and regret. He made a mental note to ask around later, but for now, he had other more pressing matters at hand.

"I brought a gift," King Atticus said, waving his hand. In an instant, the head and the body whizzed out of Jonah’s grip, covered by a layer of iridescent purple as it flew forward.

Cordelia instinctively grabbed the twins, pressing their faces into her skirt so that they wouldn’t see anything. Likewise, Queen Lavinia held Bianca tightly against her chest. The baby was asleep but she didn’t wish to risk her opening her eyes suddenly just to see this gory mess.

"I have wonderful news, as you can see," King Atticus said. "Jean Nott is dead."