The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 175: The Condition

"I do not have hard evidence, if that’s what you mean," Princess Nessa said.

Her glance fell to the bed where Prince Reitan was still fast asleep, the rise and fall of his chest the only thing to confirm that he was still alive, albeit not yet conscious.

"But the signs match, don’t they?" Nessa continued. "Blood manipulation and healing are both magical skills belonging to the Raxuvian royalty. You fought against Prince Ricard in your... amethyst-controlled state. You should know better."

"He could be a bastard child with a relation to royalty generations ago," Orion said.

"It wasn’t too long ago when King Rowan Verimandi shared magic with the world," Nessa reminded. "The furthest that lineage can stretch would still make him cousins with Prince Ricard― still giving him a claim to the throne."

"And why isn’t that the first line of thought?" Orion asked. "Why would a prince want to serve another kingdom?"

"Because he isn’t a trueborn heir," Nessa said, coming forward. She tapped a spot on the parchment where the illustrations of Prince Ricard and Prince Raziel were, along with several of their other siblings. "He needs a way to get into the running, especially with such a volatile and powerful brother like Ricard."

Orion made a face that showed his confusion, only causing Nessa to roll her eyes with a scoff.

"Seriously," she muttered under her breath. "You are truly all brawn and no brain."

That statement had Orion’s eyes snapping over to Nessa, scowling.

"Ralph had always been in charge of tactics when it came to our battles," Orion said. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"I see that," Nessa said with an unladylike snort. "That’s why he’s got the best thing that has ever happened to you snatched from right under your nose."

"What?" Orion asked. "You said so yourself, he escaped with Soleia with nothing more than the clothes on his back and maybe some pocket change."

"You’re a moron," Nessa said. Perhaps the saltwater had rusted his brain and turned Orion Elsher into something as worthwhile as a piece of driftwood. She all but threw her hands out in exasperation. "Soleia! Princess Soleia is the best thing that has happened to you!"

She held out her own hand and showed her missing bangle.

"Princess Soleia borrowed one of my bangles from me right before she got captured by Florian at the docks. Soon after, I realized I couldn’t use my magic. The ability didn’t return for a few hours at least." She sighed. "You know that your wife is a nullifier, right?"

Orion’s lips were tightly pinched together. He could only give a stiff nod.

"She got rid of Elowyn’s magic," he muttered. Then, he looked at her, confused. "But why would she need to nullify your magic when you two are on the same side?"

"Exactly," Nessa said, clicking her fingers together. "There’s no need. Unless, she wasn’t nullifying it. She was, for the lack of a better term, stealing it. That was how she used cryomancy too, I would bet. She probably borrowed the power from either her sisters or from Prince Florian when he wasn’t paying too much attention."

Nessa watched as the dots began to connect in Orion’s head, and slowly, his eyes lit up with realization. Horror blanched his face white as his face snapped over to look at Nessa, who returned the grim expression.

"Rafael probably needs something to give him a shot at becoming the crown prince of Raxuvia because he isn’t the Queen’s son, hence disallowing him right to the throne as long as his brothers are alive," Nessa said. "So if he isn’t going to kill Prince Ricard and Prince Raziel just yet, that means―"

"That Soleia," Orion slowly said, finishing Nessa’s sentence, "is the key to the throne of Raxuvia."

"Bingo."

***

For a festival that celebrated the coming of spring, there could never be enough flowers. Every inch of the village square was decorated with fresh spring blooms, strung across lampposts and buildings.

The stalls that were set up specifically for this event were also aptly decorated, and Soleia and Ralph strolled through the town to have one last final look to make sure everything was as it should be.

As the event had been held for countless years before Soleia and Ralph took part in the planning, most of the villagers already knew what they had to do. The only thing that was jarringly different this year was the dance.

Once he found out about Soleia’s plans to organize a dance, Duke Kinsley had decided that a prize ought to be handed out, and the dance could be a friendly competition between the townsfolk. It was a way for them to hand out rewards to the people without it being a blatant donation.

Of course, on the condition that Soleia and Ralph had to join as a competing pair.

"If everyone registers with a designated partner, you won’t have to worry about Ralph getting stolen away," Duke Kinsley had said a few days ago, with a twinkle in his eye. He looked at Ralph right after, earning him a nod of appreciation.

Soleia had spent a good long time staring at the two of them, the cogs in her head spinning wildly.

The dynamics between Duke Kinsley and Ralph were just too weird. As the days passed, she was starting to see more and more of it― Duke Kinsley... did not act in any bit like a proper noble should.

But she chose to keep silent. After all, she had no hard proof that Duke Kinsley was a fraud, and if he wasn’t, slandering him like that could mean Soleia and Ralph would be thrown out to the streets with no roof to shelter them.

"The dance begins at sundown," Ralph said, glancing at the sun. It was almost dusk, and the amber light that spilled across the streets only added to the romantic atmosphere. "We still have time. Would you like to go home and take a bath first? We’ve been out the whole day running errands."

"That sounds wonderful," Soleia said. "My dress is back in our bedroom too. It will be a good time to grab it―"

"Miss Leia, Ralph," a stern voice suddenly said, causing Soleia and Ralph to abruptly halt their steps. They turned to see Duke Kinsley standing before them with a furrowed expression. He played with the hems of his shirt, his face grave.

"Duke Kinsley," Soleia said, her eyebrows rising to the top of her forehead. "It’s great to see you! The festival is coming along wonderfully, and―"

"Yes, yes, Miss Leia," he said, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Soleia’s lips remained parted as she looked at the man before her. All of a sudden, it felt as though her chest was being weighed down with a stone.

"Is there something wrong, Your Grace?" Soleia cautiously asked.

"Well..." Duke Kinsley said with a sigh. "You’re a good woman, Miss Leia, and Ralph has been a friend of mine for a long while. But I am... sorely disappointed in you both. I am afraid... I am afraid you will have to move out of the estate at once."

"Move out?!" Soleia exclaimed, her eyes widening. "M-May I know why?"

"I’ve mentioned before when you two first arrived," he replied with a sigh. "I will only allow you both to stay in the estate if you two are a married couple. It has come to my attention that... you’re not."