The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 197: Between Silver and Gold

Soleia’s ribcage felt close to shattering with the intense speed at which her heart was racing. Her eyes widened and her lips parted. Even the oxygen in the air felt scarce, her head quickly growing light as she zoned in on the dangling purple crystal.

It sparkled in the light of the candles, glittering almost mockingly at Soleia. This stone was brighter, bigger, shinier, and all around of a higher quality than any other amethyst she had ever seen. But it was still that― an amethyst.

And there was only one other person she knew who so loved these purple semi-precious gems.

"You..." Soleia muttered in disbelief, her throat feeling dry.

The woman who stood before her looked much more familiar now that she noticed the amethyst she wore. Although there were still some differences in her appearance, Soleia could perfectly picture Elowyn’s face, overlapping with that of this woman’s.

They were the same person. Elowyn was here, alive and well.

She could only assume that the only reason why she couldn’t recognize her immediately was because Elinora did not use magic to conceal her natural appearance like Rafael did. Elinora’s features were a lot sharper than Elowyn’s, more refined, more elegant.

And much more sinister.

Soleia staggered where she stood, knocking against a side table before clutching onto it desperately in an attempt to steady herself.

"Now, there’s no need to be so excited to see me," Elowyn― no, Elinora, said. Gone was her weak, meek pretense. Elinora Wynsler was a woman of power, and she could only wish that the entire world knew of her prestige and nobility. "I can’t reciprocate your feelings."

"How are you here?" Soleia asked, her question spat out as something no more than a whisper. But she heard her all the same.

Elinora laughed.

"How am I alive?" Elinora asked, "Or do you mean how am I in Raxuvia?"

"Both," Soleia said through gritted teeth.

Last she heard, all of Orion’s household was to be punished for his folly against King Godwin, from his men present at the royal palace, all the way to Orion’s unsuspecting relatives back in Drakenmire. Lucinda and the others should already be arrested or dead by now, much more Elowyn, who was in the royal palace during that period of time, and the direct reason for Orion’s rebellion.

"His Highness Prince Ricard appealed for me," Elinora replied smoothly. "And Prince Raziel, of course. They’ve guaranteed my ticket home to Raxuvia."

"I am surprised my father let you go," Soleia said.

She took in a deep breath, trying to regain her calm. She couldn’t let Elinora shake her again, but one look out the window and Soleia was reminded that she was in Raxuvia, not Vramid. If she had no backing in her own kingdom, what power did she possess here in a foreign land?

"He’s more interested in wanting you back home to become his heir’s wife than care about a nobody like Elowyn Golsyn," Elinora answered with a laugh.

She walked forward, circling Soleia as she smirked. Soleia tensed up, her hands clenched into fists as she carefully eyed Elinora’s steps. If she dared to even so much as touch her, she was prepared to sap every inch of her powers out of her blood vessels before making a run for it.

"I am surprised Prince Rafael would choose you to be his play-pretend wife," Elinora said, tutting. "But I suppose he needs someone to warm his bed before returning home. As his fiancée, I can’t say that is unheard of for royalty."

"Excuse me," Soleia said with a scoff and a shake of her head. "What did you just say?"

"Oh, didn’t you know?" Elinora mused. However, the sparkle in her eyes told Soleia that she had fallen directly into the pit Elinora wanted her to be in. "I suppose you have yet to hear the news. But I can’t say I am surprised. I only just found out myself."

"Know what?" Soleia said, her temper quickly rising. Warning bells were ringing in her head, and while she already had a guess on what Elinora had to say, she refused to come to that conclusion until she heard the words spat out of Elinora’s mouth.

"I was once engaged to Prince Rafael," Elinora smugly said. Then, she chuckled and smiled, leaning in. "That would be Sir Ralph Byrone, in case you have yet to connect the dots."

Soleia merely scowled, earning her a brighter grin from Elinora.

"That engagement is a thing of the past," Soleia said.

"Is that what he told you to coddle you into his bed?" Elinora said, using a tone that was akin to that when speaking to a child. "How cute. I suppose he did have to turn to pitiful sob stories to gain your trust. Can’t blame him. I did that too, with Orion."

"What’s your point?" Soleia snapped.

"Well," Elinora beamed, "that engagement is now back on track."

"Rafael is already married," Soleia said, "to me."

"Uh uh!" Elinora shook her index finger back and forth. "That’s not right. Ralph Byrone is married to Leia Sevor. But Rafael Biroumand is very much unmarried."

Soleia’s knees felt weak. The words she had thrown into Rafael’s face were used against her, and she would’ve buckled and fallen to the floor if she hadn’t been gripping onto the side table for her dear life. Her knuckles turned white, and a bitter taste quickly filled her mouth as she exhaled heavily.

"Surely you know that the whole reason why Prince Rafael even went to Vramid was that he was looking for a way to prove to his father he was worthy of becoming the heir to the Raxuvian throne," Elinora continued, seemingly not noticing Soleia’s state.

"Soleia!" a voice could be heard coming from the corridor, and Soleia looked up immediately when she heard her name called out. Even though it was faint, she could recognize his voice anywhere.

Elinora’s smirk merely widened.

"But to become king, the crown prince will need to marry me," Elinora continued.

Her eyes practically glittered with malice as she leaned down, a finger placed under Soleia’s chin to raise her fallen gaze so that their eyes could meet.

"Between you and the throne, which do you think your precious Sir Ralph would pick, Princess Soleia?"