The Hidden King's Stolen Wife
Chapter 110: An Uncomfortable Dinner II

Chapter 110: An Uncomfortable Dinner II

Prince Deacon’s face purpled as he was forcefully reminded of Orion’s feats.

Meanwhile, Orion’s heart was beating so loudly that he was sure that everyone at the table could hear it. His wife was standing up for him. The candlelight illuminated her blonde hair, causing it to shine as though she had a halo over her head. Her grip on his hand was iron, and so was her voice as she continued to speak.

"More importantly, I don’t see how my husband’s cutlery habits are your concern. He can cut his meat with a cutlass at the dining table for all I care, so long as he loves me enough to feed me off his plate," Soleia finished, with a smile that dared them to contest further.

"We will eat however we like."

To hammer her point home, she put down her knife and fork to pick up her own dessert knife and fork, deliberately matching Orion. She then used that knife to cut a piece of steak to put on Orion’s plate.

The dining hall fell into stunned silence. Part of Soleia wished that Ralph was here, just so that he could make the blood splash to shock them further. He would be proud of her.

"Now, Prince Deacon didn’t mean anything by it," Prince Gilbert said hastily, trying to resolve the situation. "It’s just friendly advice since you’re joining the royal family. We’ll have a lot of royalty visiting in a week or so. It never hurts to put your best foot forward."

Celestina scoffed, unimpressed by her husband’s reasoning. "In that case, my dear husband, you should probably go to the training fields from tomorrow onwards. What if the visiting royalty wishes to spar with you, or hold a hunting contest with you?"

"You are very right, dear sister," Bellaflor said agreeably. "Darling, you should join Duke Elsher for his training. You need to keep your reflexes sharp to win glory for your kingdom."

"Glory for my kingdom―" Prince Deacon spluttered. How was it that other men got to marry supportive wives, but his own wife was ready to stab him in the back? "What glory? I’m here to attend a wedding, not fight a tournament. I don’t think that’s a good idea―"

"Nonsense, didn’t you say that you always wanted a chance to keep your skills sharp? You shouldn’t waste such a good opportunity!" Bellaflor said, and her husband turned the color of puce. Bellaflor turned to Orion. "My husband was also part of Crosest’s military. Maybe you can exchange pointers!"

"Do you have issues with joining me, my fellow princes?" Orion asked thoughtfully as he purposely cleaved through the steak with a dessert knife in one expert motion that belied his expertise. Blood coated the knife. "I would gladly welcome your presence."

Of course, Orion said this knowing full well they would never show up.

Prince Gilbert made a sad little squeak, like a mouse getting trodden on. Soleia would bet her steak that Celestina had stomped on his foot with her heels. She lowered her head and grinned to herself, accidentally catching her husband’s eye.

Orion stared at her so heatedly that she felt her entire body flush under the weight of his attention. His face was nearly a hair’s breadth away from hers, and she almost thought he was going to kiss her in full view of everyone else in the room.

"This is a good idea," King Godwin said suddenly. It did not miss his notice that Orion Elsher was staring at his daughter as though she hung up every star in the sky. "We shall hold a royal hunt in addition to the banquet to celebrate your nuptials."

And if more visiting royalty insulted Orion Elsher, his precious daughter would defend more fiercely, leading him to fall more deeply in love with her. King Godwin did not keep his crown by being a fool.

"That sounds exciting, Your Majesty!" Florian exclaimed, since the other men were keeping their mouths shut after being humiliated by Soleia. Who knew she had such sharp claws under her gentle demeanor? He wanted nothing more than to hurt and humiliate Soleia, but since she was an awfully inconvenient target, he turned his attention onto poor useless Reitan cowering in the corner of his seat.

His eyes gleamed with malice. Hurting him was the same as hurting her.

"I hope to see Reitan compete. Wouldn’t it be grand, if Vramid had two representatives from the royal family during the hunt? Reitan could really make his mark in the event!"

King Godwin’s eyes lit up and he laughed. The thought of glory excited him. "Excellent idea."

Reitan paled and he dropped his fork. "F-Father..." He stuttered weakly, "I d-don’t want to―"

Soleia protested as well. Her brother was a gentle soul who couldn’t even stand the sight of blood. "Father, Reitan is too young, he’s not suitable―"

King Godwin smacked his hand against the table, glaring at Reitan. As of now, he was his most useless child, since Soleia had actually managed to win her husband’s favor.

"Ridiculous. He is suitable if I say he is suitable. You are old enough now to hold a sword. It’s time you used it to bring honor to this family, instead of sniveling and crying all the time. Besides, I’m already letting you leave with your sister after the wedding. Being able to hunt is the least you could do to contribute to the Duke’s household," King Godwin pointed out nastily.

"He can kill a dragon, but you can’t even kill a mouse?" Florian added snidely. "Do you expect your sister to take part in the hunt on your behalf while you hide behind her wedding skirts?"

Reitan bit his lip, but he shook his head. His eyes darted to Soleia before he stared back down. "...I’ll take part..."

"See that you do not embarrass me," King Godwin ordered before he took a heavy swig of wine.

"This is ridiculous," Soleia muttered under her breath as she glared furiously at Florian. She wanted to hit his smug face and break his jaw. "How can Reitan hunt? He can’t even hold a bow―"

"I’ll teach him," Orion said simply, lacing their fingers together. An unspoken promise shone in his eyes. "He’s my brother too."

Soleia paused, her eyes wide with surprise. Even King Godwin gave a satisfied nod, his eyes twinkling with interest as he observed Soleia and Orion’s interaction.

"It’s not that," Soleia hastily said, shaking her head. "Reitan is a mere child. The battlefield is nowhere for him to be―"

"Your Majesty!" Sir Penrose entered the dining hall and knelt on the floor before Soleia could finish her sentence. Everyone turned and looked at Sir Penrose’s flushed face. "Pardon me for the interruption, but the Raxuvian princes have arrived!"

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