Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 481: Air All Grievances I

Chapter 481: Air All Grievances I

"So?" Daphne crossed her arms imperiously, waiting for Atticus to explain in his own words.

"So, I wanted to make sure he was alright because it would make you happy," Atticus explained patiently, but she caught the undercurrent of frustration in his tone. "Now that his wing is as good as new, hell, it might even be better than the one he originally had, we can consider this matter resolved. It should be considered water under the bridge now, right?"

Daphne’s mouth fell open at her husband’s audacious words. "What rubbish are you saying? The right thing to do would be not to harvest his wings to begin with! Using your logic, I could spit on your face and then wipe you clean, and then helpfully inform you that since your face has been wiped clean, the matter is now resolved."

"If spitting on my face makes you feel better, I’d gladly let you do it," Atticus said simply, and Daphne’s face darkened further. "Come on, sunshine. Aim it right here." Atticus had the gall to point at his cheek.

Infuriated, Daphne balled her hands into fists to stop herself from doing something rash, like slapping her husband or kneeing him in the crotch.

"I will not do that because that is disgusting," Daphne said, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to keep her voice even. "So, in the end, you’re not even making amends for Zephyr’s condition because it’s the right thing to do after heartlessly robbing him of his life’s purpose, but because you thought it would make me happy?"

"Making you happy is the right thing to do. I don’t see why you’re complaining about this turn of events," Atticus countered evenly. "I will never budge when it comes to my goals, but I have already made several compromises because of you. I have no idea what more you want from me."

For a start, most of her family were still alive and breathing in the palace. He had not exiled them to some far-flung land to fend for themselves without magic, even though by right he should have paid them back in their own coin.

Their ancestors certainly weren’t as kind as he was. Daphne should have noticed that already― the fact that they could still sleep in their soft silks and eat full meals three times a day was a blessing they didn’t deserve.

Now, he even used some of the precious iron meteorite to create a cure for that infernal bird, and Daphne still had the nerve to remain upset at him for his actions. Truly it was unfathomable. In the grand scheme of things, he was her husband, while Zephyr was nothing more than a pet.

"Maybe you shouldn’t have torn off his wing in the first place," Daphne countered icily. "You needed a griffin’s wing, why couldn’t you seek other griffins to slay? Or was Zephyr simply so convenient you couldn’t pass up such an opportunity despite knowing I would be immensely upset with you?"

"Convenience is one part of it, yes," Atticus admitted readily. "It’s not as though I had plenty of time to wander around the world looking for mythical beasts. Besides, we were the ones that saved Zephyr to begin with. A wing is nothing as payment, and now I’ve even given it back to him, so what’s the matter?"

"That reasoning is ridiculous; just because we save someone, it doesn’t mean they owe us our lives!" Daphne threw her arms in the air. "They are not honor-bound to sacrifice for us; what would be the point of saving them otherwise? They have their own will too!"

"Fine, then let’s ask Zephyr about his opinions on this matter," Atticus growled. "Since you care so much about the wills of those we helped. Zephyr, do you have any grievances you would like to air?"

Zephyr, whose eyes had been darting between the both of them as they argued, was startled when he was addressed directly. He tried to blend into the background, but it was difficult now that he had a pair of beautiful matching wings.

"I..." Zephyr took one look at Atticus’s challenging gaze, and then at Daphne’s stony one, and whatever words he had died in his throat. He simply shook his head, but even his silence wasn’t enough to stop the argument between the couple. "It’s fine. Really," he squeaked out.

"See? He’s perfectly content," Atticus said smugly.

"You need to use the serum to give yourself a new pair of eyes if you think Zephyr is content," Daphne argued. "He’s too scared of you to speak up, which is understandable, seeing that you ripped off his wing and all of you told him to hide it from me."

Daphne then let out a weak chuckle.

"To put it in perspective, Jean Nott was more honest to me than all of you were. Does that not make you feel the slightest bit of shame? That a criminal known for lying at least bothered to tell me the truth, instead of keeping me in the dark like a fool! How could you not tell me I lost our child?! I had to hear it from him, instead of you!"

Daphne burst out, her voice an enraged roar at the end. Jonah and Sirona flinched, and Zephyr all but wanted to melt into the ground. The only one who stood firm was Atticus, but a flicker of hurt showed in his eyes when he heard Daphne’s words.

"You are my husband," Daphne croaked out. "If there was anyone who I thought I could trust with the matter of our child, it would be you."

Atticus flinched imperceptibly.

"Lying to me, hiding all your plans for the world was bad enough, but I could understand it up to a point. After all, I have only known you for less than a year. I cannot judge you fully without walking in your shoes," Daphne closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, refusing to let the scent of Atticus’s body lull her into peace. "But... our child. Atticus, you should have told me, and then held me when I broke down over it. We could have grieved together.

"How could you let me live my days in ignorance knowing full well our child is dead and gone? Let alone use that reason to rob Zephyr of a wing? Was my miscarriage just a tool to you?"