The Hidden King's Stolen Wife
Chapter 147: Imprisoned in Ice

Chapter 147: Imprisoned in Ice

"You know, Raziel," Ricard said casually as he walked forward without a care. He moved his hand in the direction of the waterskin, the stream of blood slowly returning to it before Ricard placed the stopper back on it once more. "I always thought that jade was the most useless of all these precious stones. Brute force cannot win every fight."

On the floor, Orion’s fists were clenched as he stared at the jade in disbelief. Jade was a rather hard stone, but when smashed against the ground, it was difficult to say whether or not it would survive. In this case, it didn’t.

His fingers reached for it, curling around the stone as he tried to summon magic from it, but to no avail.

Ricard stopped only when he was right in front of where Orion knelt, and his smirk merely grew as he watched the man despair over his ear studs. He leaned forward and over so that his face would be a little closer to Orion’s ear.

"For such an arrogant man, Orion Elsher, you sure are awfully pathetic―"

Ricard’s eyes widened as Orion shot up from the floor. Even though his eyes could process what was happening, his body couldn’t yet move. Orion was on his feet before Ricard could pull back, and the man’s fist was thrown out.

In comparison, Ricard’s reaction was half a second slower, and he pulled back with gritted teeth. He stepped away as Orion’s fist connected with nothing but thin air, but the latter’s stance didn’t falter. He stood tall, panting heavily as he death glared at Ricard.

Something wet touched Ricard’s lips, and his hand reached up to follow the trail. When he found the source on his left cheek, streaking across to the bridge of his nose, Ricard glanced at his fingers where he had touched the wetness.

There was a tang of metallic saltiness on his tongue where the blood had streaked down his face to his upper lip, and Ricard grinned, licking the blood up. His eyes went to Orion’s right hand, where the rings that were littered on his fingers had gotten the upper hand.

There were no crystals on them, but metal was still a frightful thing, especially when paired with the force of Orion’s punch. It seemed like the only reason why Orion’s strength was so formidable was because his strength as an ordinary human was already extraordinary.

How fascinating.

Ricard brought his fingers to his lips, licking it. By his side, Raziel made a face. He waved a hand over Ricard’s face, and in the blink of an eye, the deep wound quickly mended itself back together, leaving no sign that it was ever once there other than the trail of red that was still left behind. There was not even a scar, and Ricard’s skin was perfectly smooth once more.

"All that effort," Ricard said with a mocking click of his tongue, "for nothing."

Orion let out a low, guttural groan, and dashed out once more. Only this time, Ricard didn’t even flinch. He simply stood still and smiled.

"Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you."

There was a sharp cling of metal, and before Orion could get any closer, a blade was placed right against Orion’s throat. The pressure was enough to draw blood, but not enough for the gash to be deep enough to kill.

Orion, however, knew better than to move.

At the same time, a flurry of footsteps came resounding down the hall, and in no time, soldiers came streaming into the infirmary, quickly surrounding the three men. They filled the infirmary’s area and continued even down the hallway and out in the courtyard. There had to be hundreds of men, and with just one glance, it was impossible to see how many were present.

King Godwin came walking through the crowd, the men parting to let him through. Beneath his feet, a layer of ice formed. He stepped on it gracefully, his shoes not once touching the blood of his fallen soldiers as he crossed to where Orion was.

"Your Majesty," Ricard and Raziel greeted in sync.

Ricard stepped past Orion so as to greet King Godwin, gesturing to Orion.

"Your Majesty, General Elsher has been apprehended. His jade has been destroyed, and there is no worry of him using magic to escape at this point," Ricard said.

King Godwin coldly huffed. "And I suppose you require a reward, Prince Ricard?"

"No, of course not," Ricard said, dramatically holding his hand to his chest as he shook his head, his eyes wide with surprise. "We wouldn’t have been able to do this had it not been for the sacrifice of your men prior to our arrival. If they hadn’t stopped him from leaving, the criminal would’ve already escaped."

He lowered his head ever so slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on King Godwin’s expression.

"You have trained your men well, Your Majesty, for they are both loyal and capable."

King Godwin scoffed, flicking his cape.

"Not well enough, it seems," he said.

Then, he raised his hand, and with a flash of blue, ice shot from the ground, and Orion’s entire arm was encased in a thick layer of it, all the way to his shoulders. He let out a groan as Raziel withdrew his sword, flicking Orion’s blood off of it before sheathing it.

Godwin stepped closer to Orion, sneering. He then glanced over at the bed where Elowyn lay, and his face turned even darker.

"You and your mistress will be executed, along with the rest of your traitorous men. Maybe in death, you will understand where your loyalties should lie," Godwin said.

Orion glared at King Godwin, and fearlessly, spat out a gob of spit. It landed directly on King Godwin’s face, and the older man flinched back in surprise. When he wiped it off, his sneer turned even more enraged, and he clenched his fist as the red of fury colored his face.

Instantly, Orion’s screams of pain tore through the palace. Godwin had cast yet another spell, and the ice that encased Orion’s arms was no longer smooth. Spikes appeared on the internal side, piercing through his flesh. Any struggling would cause the ice to tug at his flesh even further, and soon enough, the clear ice turned pinkish red due to the presence of Orion’s blood.

"Throw him in the dungeons," King Godwin declared to his men as he left the infirmary. His voice still echoed behind him, ringing clearer than the holy bells of the church. "I want him hanging by dawn!"