The Hidden King's Stolen Wife
Chapter 151: Lifeboat

Chapter 151: Lifeboat

Princess Nessa immediately positioned herself in between Soleia and the guards. Her bangles pulsed with light as water appeared in her hands, transforming between a multitude of weapon shapes without settling on one.

"Princess Soleia," Sir Penrose, who stood at the very front of the pack, said, "By order of the King, you are sentenced to confinement until your wedding ceremony. Please do not resist, or force will be used if necessary."

"She is not going anywhere with you," Nessa said, frowning.

"Apologies, Princess Nessa, but His Majesty has decreed that all foreign guests should leave the kingdom by dawn." He wore a light frown, almost as though he was regretful of his words. "It is best if you return to your chambers and prepare for departure."

Soleia’s eyes scanned the crowd. There were simply too many guards present. Even if she had absorbed Florian’s magic before they chucked him out her window, Soleia wasn’t sure how much was left in her reserve, as she had found that it wasn’t infinite. With how she was exhausted, nullifying Elowyn’s magic and dispelling the ice her father had cast, her body felt weaker than she wished it did.

"Princess Nessa," she said with a weak smile. "It’s fine. Perhaps this is as far as it goes."

"But Princess Soleia!" Nessa argued, her jaw dropped down as she blinked in confusion. "If you return now, you will be married off to that... that... nitwit for the rest of your life!"

"Those are my father’s orders," Soleia said with a sad smile. She stood up, stumbling a little as she did, walking past Nessa and towards the guards.

"I’ll come with you," she said. "Just don’t hurt them."

"No harm will come to Princess Nessa, Your Highness," Sir Penrose promised. "As for Duke― no. As for General Elsher, the same cannot be said."

"I understand," Soleia said. "Would you allow me just one last goodbye?"

Sir Penrose’s lips were pursed into a tight line, but ultimately, he still nodded. Soleia muttered a quick word of thanks and pulled Nessa down with her to Orion’s side.

"But... Princess Soleia!" Nessa protested, only to be harshly shushed by Soleia. With a sharp tug, Nessa and she were both on the floor.

But where the knights could not see, the necklace that Soleia wore quickly began to glow. Nessa’s eyes widened when she realized that the stone Soleia wore was in fact not a mere accessory, but was pulsing with magic.

Before the guards could see the blue reflection against Nessa’s face, Soleia turned around and shot her hand out, sweeping near the ground. Ice crackled and formed on the floor with just one wave of her hand, and quickly, the soldiers’ metal armors were left encased in a thick layer of ice, similar to that of Orion’s arms, securing them to the cold stone floors.

"What the―"

"It’s cryomancy!"

"The Princess is capable of magic!"

"Quickly! Help me!" Soleia yelled.

Without much thought, Nessa’s bangles glowed brighter, and a small makeshift raft was created out of water right under Orion. It pushed him off the ground, and Nessa got in beside him, waving Soleia on. The latter climbed in immediately before reaching out of the raft to touch the ground, creating a smooth layer of ice for them to slide the raft towards the exit.

With a groan, the blue mist around Nessa’s hands increased as the raft shifted forward. The weight allowed them to propel forward and down the ice quickly. Soleia gritted her teeth as well and spread out her hands. Instantly, the ice on the ground shifted into three sections― the guards were parted into two sections and sent flying to the two ends of the dungeon, while a path was created in the middle for the raft to pass through.

They had the upper hand with the element of surprise, and many if not all of the guards were unable to steady themselves before they crashed against each other.

As the soldiers’ hands were not weighted down by the ice, as the raft passed, some of them made attempts to grab at them, only to be caught by Nessa’s water bubbles and redirected to punch their own faces.

The momentum made it easier for the raft to speed up, quickly darting across the dungeons. By the time they reached the end of the passage and the stairs, Soleia stared down at her hands. They no longer tingled, and one glance over her shoulder and at her soldiers confirmed her suspicions.

Her mouth turned dry with horror.

The magic that was stolen from Florian was all used up.

Without magic to sustain the ice, it began to melt. As long as the soldiers used enough force, they would be able to wrench themselves free from the icy prison that had sent them flying. While some were a little disorientated, most were able to crawl back to their feet just fine.

"Uh..." Nessa said, glancing at the seemingly endless stairs that led up and out of the dungeons. "What now?"

Soleia did not know. Her throat went dry as she quickly thought of the list of her inventions, only to realize none would help― not against this many people at the same time. She barely had anything with her right now, and with Orion unconscious, Princess Nessa was the only one here who could hold her ground against the soldiers using her hydromancy.

Her heart thundered against her chest, and her eyes quickly scanned the room in search of something — anything — that could help their situation. However, before her eyes could see anything useful, her nose smelled something else.

A sudden whiff of copper wafted through the room, and Soleia’s eyes lit up with recognition. It grew stronger and stronger, and Soleia sucked in a sharp gasp of air through her teeth when several tendrils of red over her shoulders, snaking through the air like vipers.

Even the soldiers stopped in surprise, their eyes widening when they noticed the pungent scent of blood, which had grown severely more prominent all of a sudden.

"Is that..." Princess Nessa asked, wrinkling her nose, "blood?"

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