Stolen by the Rebel King-Chapter 524: Whispers From Afar I

Magic was a useful thing.

Daphne hadn’t realized that they had barely even scratched the surface of discovering what else it could be used for. All that she dreamed of being able to do — light things with nothing more than the power of her mind or throw out icicles with a wave of her hand — was nothing more than mere parlor tricks in comparison to the real deals that she could perform now.

She admired the small rose quartz bracelet that sat on her wrist. It wasn’t anything fanciful but it definitely helped a ton.

In comparison to Atticus, Daphne had yet to master all forms of magic, and that included the alteration of her physical appearance. Hence, while Atticus could do so with just the power of his mind, Daphne needed this rose quartz to help her maintain a face that wouldn’t glitch every two seconds.

As they walked past one of the stalls in the bazaar, Daphne couldn’t help but admire herself in the mirror. Her pale long blonde hair was gone, replaced with brown locks, and her eyes were now a soft green shade. Even the shape of her face was slightly different― if someone she knew saw her, they would most likely find her familiar, but not recognizable.

It was definitely a handy thing to be able to do, and Daphne could only imagine the chaos if criminals had gotten their hands on such a craft before Atticus confiscated magic from the rest of the world.

Now, Daphne and Atticus were nothing more than a pair of rich merchants, going by the names of Allison and David.

"What would you like to do?" Atticus asked eagerly. "Does anything strike your fancy? Perhaps a stick of beef gravy?"

"I’m not too hungry," Daphne replied, her eyes more preoccupied with the wider variety of stalls available.

Trade between different kingdoms had been accelerated and strengthened with their marriage, and now that she and Atticus were the only two people in the world with magic — or at least, that she knew of — kingdoms far and wide had spared no expense in ensuring only the finest of their wares would enter Vramid’s markets.

One such kingdom was Nedour.

Daphne looked at one of the stalls, fashioned in the shape of a boat selling various kinds of exotic dried seafood, shells, and tiny pearls. She couldn’t help but sigh, missing her dear friend. Even the exotic lingerie on display reminded her of Cordelia. Knowing her, she might be wearing that very piece now to seduce Jonah. freewebnøvel.coɱ

Meanwhile, Atticus scowled when he caught sight of what she was looking at, arriving at a similar train of thought and being none too pleased about it.

"Damn that woman... she’s infiltrating my kingdom!"

"Lower your voice," Daphne chided with a soft pinch to the inside of his elbow. "You’re not a king now, remember? You’re David."

Atticus was so surprised by her initiating contact that he didn’t even complain.

"Yes, dear Allison," Atticus said, stressing her new name. "Whatever you say. Now, do you want to buy souvenirs from Nedour? I am but a humble merchant, but I’ll certainly be able to afford this supposedly authentic saltwater pearl necklace."

"Excuse me, Sir! This is an actual authentic pearl necklace!" The vendor hurried over, overhearing the disparaging tone Atticus used for his wares. "They are blessed by Princess Cordelia herself!"

"I’m sure." A scowl decorated Atticus’s handsome face, and Daphne elbowed him once.

"Darling, I would like those pearls," Daphne said imperiously. "I am a great fan of Princess Cordelia."

"My dear―"

"Mister, you should listen to your wife! She has excellent taste!" the vendor declared fervently. "Missus, would you fancy pearl earrings or a necklace? Or perhaps a hair clip inlaid with pearls? Feel free to take a look, we even have custom services available if you have a design in mind!"

"How interesting. Do you have anything to recommend?" Daphne asked as she picked up a brooch in the shape of a bird that had a pearl as its eyes. It reminded her faintly of Zephyr.

"Currently, roses are the most popular among ladies like yourself after the announcement of Princess Cordelia’s matchmaking tournament!"

"The what? Are you making things up?" Atticus burst out, and Daphne was also surprised.

Cordelia had not made any mention of this in her letters― she only said she had a plan to get the whole nation to accept Jonah as her husband. From her words, Daphne inferred that Cordelia planned to make an announcement to her kingdom, after solidifying her rule.

Either that or get caught in yet another compromising situation.

But a matchmaking tournament?

"Yes! It’s a Nedour tradition, mainly used by kings to pick their queens, but now Princess Cordelia will be using it to pick a Prince Consort. I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it, since you claim to be such a big fan of Princess Cordelia," the vendor said, giving Daphne a suspicious look.

"Word travels slowly to this part of the kingdom," Daphne explained, making sure to sound plenty aggrieved. "I always get news months later. Can you tell me more?"

There was a chance that this vendor was simply making stuff up for sales, but every rumor consisted of a grain of truth.

Meanwhile, Atticus was plunged into darkness. "Prince Consort..." Atticus echoed faintly to himself under his breath. "Oh god, no, this cannot be happening to Jonah!"

"Why, of course I can!" the vendor said, clearing his throat as he began to speak, ignoring the mad ramblings of the other man.

"This tournament will take place in spring, and anyone can participate. Last I heard, the contest was open to everyone, regardless of status. As long as they are not married to someone else, they have a chance to win Princess Cordelia’s hand!"

The store vendor didn’t seem to notice how Atticus’s face had already turned as pale as the silk bedsheets on display the next stall over. Rather, light danced in his eyes as he clapped excitedly.

"The new Prince Consort could theoretically even be a stableboy! And I heard that the most favored contestant rumored to be in the running right now is none other than a foreigner― from Vramid!"