The Hidden King's Stolen Wife
Chapter 101: Learn to Love

Chapter 101: Learn to Love

"No!" Orion exclaimed before drawing back, realizing how loud his voice had been. He cleared his throat, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"No," he repeated, this time in a much calmer voice. "That’s not it. I... owe you a wedding. A proper one, with how hastily I departed from our first." Then, in a softer tone, he grumbled under his breath, "Albeit not by my desires."

"You sure seemed very happy with the arrangement, to leave at once," Soleia returned with a stiff glare. "You might not remember our wedding day but I do, Your Grace. I remember how happy you were to leave me there alone― thrilled, even. Pardon me if I don’t wish to reenact that day once more, especially since there will be plenty of royalty coming to Vramid from neighboring kingdoms."

With them here, Soleia would not only be the joke of the kingdom, she would have to deal with the rumors sailing across the seas as well. Her name would be spread far and wide, and it wouldn’t be for her inventions and her smarts, but for her misfortunes of having such a husband.

"What made you think I don’t remember it?" Orion asked, wrinkling his nose as he frowned.

This time, Soleia sat up in disbelief. She scoffed. This man was testing every inch of patience she had in her frail, weathered body, and soon enough, he would find out not every princess was raised with poise and elegance.

"You came storming back to Drakenmire not even acknowledging the fact that you already had a wife!" Soleia yelled, her hands tossed into the air as fury quickly took over her. Her cheeks went red with anger as Orion’s lips parted to speak, but she gave him no chance to argue. "Sir Ralph had to remind you that you already have a wife! Before that, you were insistent that Elowyn is the only woman you have married and will marry!"

"Did I... say such a thing?" Orion asked, his eyebrows crumpled together.

Soleia exhaled slowly, watching the man’s facial expressions flicker back and forth. Orion Elsher either had the acting skills of the theater’s best performer, or Elowyn’s magic had finally lost enough influence that he was starting to make more sense. She was sure she had already reminded Orion before.

Either way, Soleia needed to find a way to study her powers. She had never heard of a magic practitioner with the ability to control minds. This research could be revolutionary.

"But I do remember..." Orion confessed, looking down. "My memory is a little fuzzy, considering the amount of time that has passed―"

"Either that or it’s because of what Elowyn has done to you," Soleia muttered begrudgingly under her breath.

Orion Elsher was more trouble than he was worth. But if she was to keep her neck, she needed him to be in clear mind.

Sitting up properly, she grabbed his hand, a little rougher this time. Then, she shut her eyes and tried hard to search for all traces of Elowyn’s magic, just like she had done before they were disturbed.

"She’s poisoning you," Soleia said, her eyes remaining closed. Orion did seem a little more sound in mind now, and Soleia couldn’t detect strong traces of magic any longer. She decided to take the risk. "She’s a magic practitioner. She was using her necklace to control you. It was an amethyst."

After a brief period of silence, Soleia peeped through her eyelashes, just in time to see Orion watching her.

"What?" she said. "Do you have nothing to say to that?"

"No," Orion said. "It’s not that. I was just wondering..."

"About?"

"About why you’ve never told anyone that you’re capable of magic, especially your father," Orion said. "Wouldn’t it be easier for you? If they knew what you were capable of?"

Soleia coughed, waving it off. "I’m not capable of magic," she retorted.

"But you are," Orion insisted. "That’s what you’re doing right now. You’re resonating with the selenite in your earrings. Unless... you didn’t know?"

Soleia pursed her lips. A distant memory surged forth, and she recalled herself sitting in a dim room with an old woman. What was the term the woman used again?

"You’re a nullifier," Orion said, muttering the words under his breath, causing Soleia to look up in surprise.

That was it. That was the term the old woman used.

"Your father would’ve been thrilled to know."

"If you know what that is, then you would also know what is in store for those who are found out," Soleia slowly said. "A nullifier — even if I am one, which I might not be — isn’t something beloved throughout the world. It’s a curse."

"All magic is a gift," Orion firmly said. "Or at least, it would’ve gifted you a better life than to be saddled here... with me."

"So you do know," Soleia said. "That to be saddled here with you is the true curse. Why would I want to marry you again, in that case?"

She let go of Orion’s hand and crawled out of bed. She stared back at the mattress, her expression crinkling as she thought of how it was the same bed Elowyn and Orion shared prior to this. The sort of things they must’ve done here...

Soleia shivered. Just the thought of it made her skin crawl. She needed to get into a hot bath to scrub her skin clean. Immediately.

But just as she reached for the door, prepared to push it open, she saw a shadow loom over her. Soleia barely had the chance to turn around when a hand was placed against the door right next to her head, trapping her body between a rock and a hard place.

A gasp escaped her lips when she turned and came face to face with Orion Elsher, who had leaned so close to her that she could even see each and every individual strand of eyelash that he had, fluttering like a pair of butterfly wings.

"Because," he said, "I am not in love with Elowyn. I think I told you before― if I do marry, I marry for love."

"We are not in love," Soleia said, her voice breathy.

"No," Orion said. "But you are my wife and my duchess. If it’s not you, who else should I learn to love?"

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