Stolen by the Rebel King-Chapter 574: Long Journey

Home.

Daphne had enjoyed her time outside, but now that she had once again set foot into her quarters back in Vramid’s royal palace, she felt her entire body relax. She was finally home, after all, and no matter how comfortable her quarters were outside or how hospitable her hosts were, it would always be different.

Maisie had set down Daphne’s belongings — including the abundance of Nedish dresses she had purchased while visiting Cordelia and Jonah — before scurrying away. She would’ve loved to stay and listen to Daphne’s stories of Nedour as Daphne had promised to share, but with the way King Atticus was searing a hole in the back of her skull.

Now that they were finally left alone, Atticus shut the door behind him and cleared his throat.

"Has traveling worn you down?" Daphne asked, whirling around to meet Atticus’s eyes. She walked over and placed a hand over his forehead, wrinkling her nose when she realized there was no increase in temperature.

He had no fever, and other than that one subtle cough, Daphne hadn’t even heard a peep from him throughout their journey home.

"Yes," Atticus murmured. He reached up and held Daphne’s hand in his own, placing a soft kiss on her inner wrist.

She shivered at the sensation, a thrill running through her hand where his lips grazed her skin, all the way to the rest of her body. Atticus’s eyes twinkled when he noticed her reaction, grinning from ear to ear. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"I think I’ve had enough of traveling," he muttered, his lips still a hair’s breadth away from her skin. Every word he spoke caused flutters to soar through Daphne’s chest― she could feel his breath tickling her.

"What about Cordelia and Jonah’s wedding?" Daphne reminded.

After they had settled down the ministers, Cordelia had planned for a grand ceremony that would take place within the next year. She had eagerly requested Daphne to be her maid of honor, and Jonah would no doubt pick Atticus to be his best man.

"That isn’t until months later," Atticus said.

He finally let go of Daphne’s hand, only to reach down and grab her waist. Pulling her close, he slowly leaned in, making sure to leave extra time for her to react. If she didn’t want it, she would pull away, right?

Contrary to his belief, there was nothing to worry about. Daphne reached up, looping her arms over his neck before pressing their lips together, closing that last bit of distance between them. Both their eyes closed shut when their lips met, and they moved in sync, breaths mingling in a tangle of passion until they eventually had to break apart for air.

"What was that for?" Daphne croaked, her voice hoarse and her eyes laden with desire.

It had been a long while since she had her breath taken away like so, and to feel Atticus with her again was nothing short of blissful. They needed to spend time together, and yet, it felt as though every time they were about to, there would be something to come in between them.

"Nothing," Atticus replied. "I just missed you," he confessed.

They were in their less-than-quaint little home, and from now on, Atticus swore to never let Daphne out of his sight. She was his for now, and he would be more than happy to offer himself to her on a silver platter.

"Can we..." Daphne trailed off, biting her lip.

Her gaze fell onto Atticus’s mouth, remembering the sensation of his lips pressed against her skin. She craved his touch everywhere, and now that everything had settled down, the desire grew brighter and hotter than ever before.

"We should take a bath," she eventually said after a pregnant pause, and Atticus’s eyes widened just a bit. She took the chance to continue, "It would be a waste to wash alone when you have such a large bathroom."

Immediately, Atticus thought of the place she was referring to. The bathhouse that was originally his and his alone was where one of their first intimate encounters had occurred, and the thought of setting foot in there again with Daphne burned the spark of hope in his chest.

Without replying, he reached down and scooped her into his arms, marching straight out of their bedroom without looking back. He headed directly for the bath, and once in, he wordlessly used magic to lock the doors shut― there were to be no disturbances, and even though the greatest cockblock of the century was now being tormented by his future wife in a whole other kingdom, Atticus was not taking any chances.

His shoes were kicked off to one side as he placed Daphne onto the marble floor before quickly removing his clothes. Daphne instinctively veered her gaze to one side, only to be pulled back by Atticus.

"What’s wrong, sunshine?" Atticus asked with a smirk. "Why are you blushing?"

"Atticus―"

"It’s nothing you’ve not seen before," he continued to tease, and stepped closer to her.

Daphne gulped, and her line of sight inevitably fell down to―

Heavens. It had been so long that she had forgotten what it was like.

"It’s been a long day," Atticus continued. "Wouldn’t you want to wash up and rest soon?"

"I feel like I won’t be resting much tonight, contrary to your words," Daphne muttered under her breath. However, she eventually stilled her nerves and reached for the laces of her corset.

With a tug and a pull, the corset fell free, revealing her milky white skin under the dim lighting of the room. The light that reflected off the water’s surface bounced against her skin, shining ethereal streaks of silver across her body as her dress pooled around her ankles.

Atticus felt a certain body part twitch, especially when Daphne’s expression straightened with resolve. She stepped out from the puddle of clothing and closer to Atticus, trailing a finger down the center of his chest.

"It has been a long day indeed," Daphne muttered. She stood to the tips of her toes and pressed her lips by Atticus’s ear. "Won’t you wash me, dear husband?"