The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 178: Broken Statue

Marinus blinked a couple of times, not quite understanding Queen Isoldea’s line of thought.

"If we send him back, we will be strengthening our bond with the kingdom of Vramid," Marinus said. "King Godwin would trust Nedour further, and the chances our kingdoms may eventually unite in a royal marriage will henceforth increase. Isn’t that a better route?"

"Are you questioning my judgment?" Queen Isoldea questioned. However, her tone made her words seem more like a statement. "Prince Consort Marinus, are you telling me how I should rule my own kingdom?"

"N-No, of course not, Your Majesty," Marinus quickly said. "I was just thinking―"

"Perhaps you shouldn’t think, then," Queen Isoldea retorted before giving Marinus a chance to say more. "Orion Elsher, criminal or not, was once a war hero who slain a dragon with his bare hands. Unless you’re able to boast a similar feat, he will not be sent anywhere." She then turned to her daughter and said, "Nor will he be allowed to go anywhere other than where the Queen commands."

Nessa’s eyes quickly widened. "Mother―"

"Princess Nessa," Queen Isoldea said, her voice sounding a little more tired than usual, "Orion Elsher is a valuable asset to have. You two have done well in bringing him here. He is now indebted to the Nedish court, and as such, there will always be a price to pay in exchange for his life. Do I make myself clear?"

With that said, she stood from her throne and left. Nessa could only stare at her mother’s retreating back, along with the servants who trailed after her figure before disappearing past the bend. Once they were left alone, Marinus quickly climbed up the steps to the throne, stopping only when he stood in front of Nessa.

But before he could say anything, Nessa spoke first.

"Are you seriously thinking of sending Orion Elsher back to Vramid?" she asked. "What’s the point of bringing him here for, in that case?"

"I wasn’t thinking straight back then," Marinus said through gritted teeth. "We needed to leave before we became criminals as well, Nessa. King Godwin was going to block all exits, and if he found out that Orion Elsher and Prince Reitan left with us, it could result in a war."

"And sending him back won’t tip King Godwin off?" Nessa said, rolling her eyes. "Do you think he’s an eight-year-old child?"

"No, but it can lessen our sentence," Marinus said with a frown. "Either way, it will be beneficial for Nedour to have Vramid as an ally. They are a powerful kingdom."

"Only because of Orion Elsher," Nessa reminded. "The battalion that he led was what made Vramid a great and formidable nation. King Godwin sent them all off to hang the morning we left, so what’s left are soldiers who cannot hold their own ground."

"In that case, you’ve said so yourself," Marinus said, folding his arms across his chest. "Orion Elsher is a valuable asset. Yet, you’ve been trying to convince your mother to let him leave to find Princess Soleia, and go to Raxuvia of all places."

"She is in danger," Nessa frustratedly said.

She had to remind herself that Marinus didn’t know why Princess Soleia was in danger― he knew not of Sir Ralph’s true identity nor Soleia’s secret magical abilities, both of which Nessa thought was better that Marinus was kept in the dark. This husband of hers hadn’t married her entirely for love, and she could see the growing ambition behind his eyes with every passing day.

"Sir Ralph is not a good man," she chose to say instead. "I consider Princess Soleia as a friend."

"You’ve barely known her for a week," Marinus pointed out. "And you’ve hated her for most of it."

"Things change," Nessa argued, but even she knew this was a weak stance. "I know her a little better than I originally did. Not to mention, I was previously hoodwinked by that no-good skank―"

"Which proves you are a horrible judge of character," Marinus said. "Nessa, darling, you are the future queen of Nedour. Our kingdom should be your priority, not your week-old friends."

Nessa’s tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip. She understood what her husband said, of course, but there was something that told her this wasn’t right.

However, she didn’t have much longer to ponder about it. The door quickly swung open, and in rushed a guard who panted heavily, his face flushed red.

"What is it?" Nessa snapped, her irritation quickly rising, fueled by the guard’s lack of propriety. "Don’t you know to knock before entering?"

"Your Highness," the guard greeted. "Pardon my intrusion, but I carry urgent news. Orion Elsher has broken into the vault."

"What?!" Marinus exclaimed, spinning around. "What did he take? Where are the men? Have they caught him?"

"No," the guard said. "He was too fast. By the time we arrived, he had already jumped out the window. We tried to catch him, but he shook off the guards easily and stole a ship."

"He cannot man a ship by himself," Marinus said with a scoff. "That fool will end up drowning himself trying to sail out of Nedour."

"What did he take?" Nessa asked, pressing back onto the topic. There were many things in the vault that a thief would love to bring home, but she had a feeling what it was that might’ve caught Orion Elsher’s eye.

"Just one thing," the guard answered. "He chipped a piece off of a priceless jade statue from Santok."

***

In the end, Sir Ralph worked his magic and somehow managed to find Soleia the most beautiful yet simple wedding dress. It certainly was no fancy ballgown that had layers of petticoats and jewels. Instead, it was made of simple off-white chiffon, with long bell sleeves and a square neckline. The dress flowed like water whenever Soleia took a new step, dancing in the wind behind her as she approached Ralph down the makeshift aisle.

She held a simple bouquet of flowers in her hands filled with an assortment of spring blooms, and there was no accessory on her other than the blood-red ring, Nessa’s larimar bangle, and her trusty selenite earrings.

Yet, she still felt radiant and infinitely more beautiful than the two other times she had walked down the aisle, for this time, her groom actually smiled at her warmly as she approached him. When she got close enough, she even spotted the redness in the corner of his eyes, laced with a small well of unshed tears.

He took her hand and helped her on the stage, where the priest they had found stood. They had begged him to help officiate their last-minute wedding, and thankfully, he was more than happy to do so.

"You look ravishing," Ralph said, leaning in to whisper into her ear. When his breath fanned against the curve of her earlobes, Soleia felt her body heat up instantly.

Ralph knew very well how her touch made her feel too, or he at least had a solid guess. His lips brushed against her skin when he pulled back, and proceeded to watch as she turned into the vermilion color of the setting sun behind them.

A sudden rush of boldness thrummed through her, and she decided to mimic his movements, leaning closer to him.

"In that case," she muttered right into his ear, "after our ceremony is over and done with, do you plan to make good of your statement and ravish me?"