Stolen by the Rebel King-Chapter 514: A Gift or A Curse? II

The kelpie turned around, surveying his surroundings. With every passing second, his face paled even further, blood rushing away from his features when he realized the level of damage he had caused to the infirmary― and quite frankly, just the entire wing of the palace. The ceilings had caved in and the walls were torn down. Other than debris, there was nothing left.

"We would like to know as well," Atticus said, finally extinguishing the flame in his hand. He stepped slightly to one side so that his entire body was no longer covering Daphne from Nereus’s view, but still enough for him to leap in front of her if needed. "You went mad."

"My mind is foggy," Nereus simply said, reaching up to grab his head, frowning. "I don’t remember."

"I doubt you can," Sirona said, tossing the now-empty pail to one side. She exhaled loudly in relief, dusting her palms against one another as Jonah followed suit. "The pearl took control of you for a minute there."

Nereus’s frown deepened but he didn’t say a word in reply.

"How is that possible?" Daphne asked instead. "The pearl isn’t sentient, is it?"

"It’s not," Sirona replied. "But it is a national treasure for a reason. The pearl is connected to the waters of Nedour― the ocean. Kelpies hail from fresh waters like lakes and rivers. If there is a mix, something is bound to happen."

"So you knew this was going to happen?" Daphne hotly asked, snapping. "You could’ve stopped it easily, in that case!"

"No, I couldn’t have," Sirona replied. "Whether or not the salt content would mess with Nereus’s mind depends on his own bodily physique. The contingency plan is only for if it does. And you’ve already witnessed how quickly and efficiently he ripped through the palace. There was no time for us to act beforehand, but that didn’t mean that we didn’t have the solution prepared."

Daphne bit down on her bottom lip, maintaining her silence. Sirona was right― Daphne had been a little too quick to point fingers in a situation she didn’t completely understand.

Sirona and Prince Nathaniel were both experts in the medical field and potion-making. Even if Daphne found it difficult to fully trust Sirona again, she could at least believe that Prince Nathaniel would’ve prepared for the worst.

"How do you feel?" Sirona asked, directing her question at Nereus. He glanced up and down his body, nodding when her gaze finally landed on his eye.

"Good," he simply said. Then, he added, "Strong."

"Obviously," Atticus said with a snort and a raised eyebrow. "You tore down a portion of my palace in just one breath."

All of a sudden, Daphne remembered the warnings Atticus, Jonah, and even Prince Nathaniel had given her when they were in Raxuvia, where she first encountered Nereus after all these years. Kelpies were dangerously powerful magical creatures. She had simply forgotten because she was friends with one, and she knew that Nereus wouldn’t willingly cause her harm.

"Why did Nereus charge straight for Daphne, though?" Atticus asked, scowling. "If he had reverted back to his most primal instincts, it wouldn’t have been Daphne. She’s neither the most dangerous foe nor a person with whom he has a hatred towards."

"That I don’t know," Sirona admitted. She was just about to follow up with a theory when the sound of falling pebbles caught their attention.

All of them turned their heads in the direction of the sound, just in time to see Zephyr land, wobbly on his feet. He clutched his arm, wincing in pain.

Surprisingly, he said, "I think I might have a guess?"

Atticus’s lower eyelid twitched with irritation. "What do you mean you might?" he snapped. "You either do or you don’t."

"Atticus."

"It’s a fact!"

"Well, Zephyr?" Sirona asked, placing a hand on her hip as she leaned her weight on one leg. Completely ignoring the lovers’ squabble, she looked directly at the griffin, choosing to ignore Atticus and Daphne entirely. "What is it, then?"

Now it was Zephyr’s turn to shrink into himself. He looked back and forth between Nereus and Sirona, then sighed.

"The pearl is from Nedour, right?" he asked.

"A wedding gift, yes," Jonah answered. "From King Marinus to King Atticus as a blessing for his marriage with Princess Cordelia."

"Zephyr, are you implying that the reason is because of where the pearl came from?" Sirona questioned.

Atticus, hearing all of this, snapped upright. The annoying face that belonged to King Marinus suddenly appeared in his mind, quickly bringing a scowl to his lips. That old fool had planned this, so much so that he was even willing to poison his own kingdom’s royal treasures!

"He must’ve done something to the pearl," Atticus growled in conclusion.

"’He’?" Daphne asked. She stayed silent for a bit, wondering who it was that her husband could possibly be referring to. By the method of elimination, there was only one possibility left. "As in, King Marinus?"

"It could only be him," Atticus said with a growl. He looked worriedly at Daphne, his expression softening from fury to hesitance. Then, he sighed and continued, "The day we had dinner together, King Marinus wished to speak to me afterward, if you recall."

Daphne nodded, as did Jonah. Seeing this, Atticus continued to speak.

"King Marinus made a request that night," Atticus said. "He wanted me to make Princess Cordelia my queen."

"That is expected," Sirona pointed out. "After all, while King Rowan only had one queen, it was often theorized that even if he had multiple wives, only Queen Bethany-Anne, the rightful queen, would have powers that could match his. They were a couple recognized by the heavens, and thus, are blessed together as one."

"Correct," Atticus said. "And King Marinus wanted Princess Cordelia to have powers, possibly to aid Nedour’s development in the future."

"But how could you make Princess Cordelia your queen when you already have one? Especially when you are very much in love with your queen," Sirona said.

"The only way would be if I didn’t love her," Atticus said. "And this is where the pearl comes in."

It was a ridiculously complicated scheme, but it was something that when spoken, sounded entirely possible. It was King Marinus, after all, and this was a man whom even Queen Lavinia said had more than one trick up his sleeves. ’A sly bastard’ was what Queen Lavinia had so eloquently dubbed her brother-in-law. Daphne, too, hadn’t forgotten about how the older queen had pre-warned her of King Marinus’s plans back in Xahan.

"The pearl wasn’t just a wedding gift," Daphne muttered under her breath, connecting all the dots. "It was to slowly poison your mind so that you would eventually grow to hate me."