Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 515: A Gift or A Curse? III

Chapter 515: A Gift or A Curse? III

Atticus’s hands clenched into fists at his side, magic radiating from his flesh and bones. Even though he had already known that King Marinus was not a righteous man, he hadn’t thought that he would resort to such dirty tactics just to achieve his means.

He was willing to destroy someone else’s marriage just to ensure his daughter would be on the throne, and it wasn’t even for her happiness; it was just so that she could be used in his favor.

"What a pathetic excuse for a father and a man," King Atticus muttered under his breath with a scowl.

"Well, unfortunately for King Marinus, you didn’t have the pearl with you for long," Sirona said, snorting ungracefully under her breath. "He must’ve thought that you wanted the pearl for yourself."

"Did it affect you, then?" Daphne asked, unsure.

While she still felt a little awkward around Sirona, she didn’t wish for the healer to hate her, nor did she hate the healer. Sure, Daphne’s relationship with Sirona wasn’t quite the same after everything that had happened. It was a little worse between Daphne and Sirona than with Jonah, since Sirona was the direct cause of Nereus’s stolen eye.

However, Daphne also understood that Sirona was merely a pawn in the grand scheme of things. Her job as Atticus’s healer, subject, and friend was to obey his command. It was never anything personal, and as Zephyr had put it, if it weren’t them, it would’ve been another innocent griffin or kelpie.

Hence, even though Daphne couldn’t act like how she did before all of this happened — or to be exact, before she discovered their plans — she still didn’t resent them entirely.

"I believe it needs to be ingested for it to take effect," Sirona said. "The Nedour Pearl is usually used as a supplement that can be taken orally. The pearls are ground into powder and then mixed with other medicinal herbs that can boost their properties. Just being around the pearl wouldn’t have done anything to help."

"How was King Marinus so sure that Atticus would eat it, though?" Jonah asked, confused. "He’s basically invulnerable at this point. And even if he was injured, he could just heal himself."

"Because the pearl also enhances the capabilities of the person consuming it," Sirona explained. "It would’ve boosted Atticus’s magic significantly."

Behind him, Zephyr’s feathers fluffed up in excitement. "Does that mean that Nereus’s magic was also boosted?"

Sirona simply gave a pointed look at the missing roof and the afternoon sun that poured in.

"I would presume so, yes."

"Well, at least that would explain how Nedour kept producing prodigy after prodigy," Atticus said, folding his arms across his chest as he rolled his eyes. "Every ruler of Nedour since the birth of magic had been a powerful hydromancer. It must have something to do with the pearl."

"So, it all boiled down to the fact that Atticus was, thankfully, not after the pearl for its enhancement capabilities, unlike what King Marinus had thought," Jonah said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"But the water that you threw over Nereus," Daphne said, "was it just freshwater?"

"Yes," Sirona said. "We had Atticus conjure up some with magic prior to the procedure. Prince Nathaniel’s theory was that the salt from the pearl, since it was farmed and stored in the ocean, could react to the kelpie’s body, given kelpies were made of mainly freshwater. Dousing Nereus in freshwater would help balance the salt content."

Nereus looked down at his body, frowning. Immediately, Daphne could guess what went on in his mind.

She asked, "Are the effects permanent? Or would he need to continuously return to freshwater?"

"We’re unclear, frankly," Sirona said with a sigh. "But to play on the safe side, it is best for Nereus to return to Reaweth, or at least stay somewhere where he has access to constant streams of freshwater. Magic would only do so much to help, and Vramid doesn’t exactly have a lot of water sources, especially during the winter."

At the mention of this, Daphne and Zephyr immediately turned to Nereus, their expressions matching and solemn. It felt as though this was a goodbye to a friend― Vramid and Reaweth might not be on the opposite ends of the world, but it wouldn’t be the same as compared to living in the same building.

It felt like they had been traveling together for so long that it felt odd to be apart, and possibly for good.

"Oh, don’t look like that," Jonah said. "It’s not forever."

"We are simply making the same expression Atticus makes whenever he thinks about how you will be leaving Vramid," Daphne rebutted, grinning a little through her sadness as she turned to look at her husband. She caught him just in time to see him roll his eyes, but there was an undeniable red flush that told Daphne of his embarrassment for having been read like a book.

"Baby birds will eventually leave the nest," Atticus grumbled under his breath. "They will be back soon, either way."

"Really?" Zephyr asked, practically pouncing on Nereus as he stared at the kelpie with large puppy eyes. "Is this just temporary?"

"I will reach out to Prince Nathaniel. He might have some additional insight on whether or not this would be a persistent issue," Sirona promised. "Princess Cordelia might know more about the pearl’s properties too."

"I’ll ask," Daphne offered.

"But you might wish to do so quietly," Atticus warned. "After all, with the recent uproar regarding the failed wedding, there might be some tension between Nedour and Vramid. They still think that Princess Cordelia betrayed the arrangement, and since they are unaware of the truth, I doubt they will take well to their queen fraternizing with the enemy."

"How about Jonah ask?" Sirona suggested, smirking wickedly. "He’s headed for Nedour, after all. He could write back to me easily."

"Oh, that’s a wonderful idea!" Daphne said, clapping her hands together. "It would be the safest for Jonah to ask. If he’s in Nedour, he would also be able to directly research more about the pearl."

"Already eager to leave, I see," Atticus said sourly. "When?"

Jonah beamed, entirely aware of Atticus’s irritation and entirely planning to rub salt into his wound.

Joyfully, he chirruped, "Tonight!"