The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 30: Strong Aura

"Your wish is my command. Pardon me for my impertinence, Princess, but we must be on our way." Ralph gave a theatrical bow and held out his hand, as though he wanted her to shake it.

Soleia stared at the faint tooth marks dumbly for a moment before she realized she was supposed to hold his hand.

"Princess, with how dark and winding the tunnels are, it’s best if we held hands," Ralph added when it seemed like Princess Soleia had frozen. "If I lost you in the tunnels, I wouldn’t know how to live with myself. If it pleases you, I can lose my hand after."

"Don’t say such ridiculous things," Soleia hissed out, quickly pressing her palm against his so firmly it felt more like a slap. However, the warmth of his palm seemed to flood through her body, like a river with a broken dam, causing her to stumble back at the sudden sensation.

Sir Ralph instinctively steadied her by grabbing her hand more tightly. His face was pale, and he stared at her with his mouth open. He was barely blinking, and if not for the sudden, quick rise and fall of his chest, Soleia might have suspected he simply died while holding her hand.

"Sir Ralph?" Soleia asked cautiously as she waved a hand in front of his face. "Are you alright? Breathe for me."

Surely her touch couldn’t be so overwhelming, especially not to someone who prided himself on knowing lots of women! Soleia would have found it hilarious, if not for the circumstances. If Sir Ralph had taken leave of his senses, she might as well drown herself in the sewage waters.

Had Sir Ralph never held hands with a woman?

She hadn’t held hands with any man other than Orion, but even she wasn’t this overcome with emotion. Soleia tugged at him, trying to get him to move.

"Sir Ralph, come on. I need you to lead us out."

Ralph let out a tiny wheeze.

"Sir Ralph?" Soleia repeated cajolingly. "I promise, I’m not going to lop off your hand for this. Come on, you’re making me feel like I’m taking advantage of a precious maiden."

That shook Sir Ralph out of his impromptu stupor.

"It’s just ’Ralph’," he said. "And I do squeal awfully well. But I must admit that my swooning could use much improvement."

"Don’t swoon, I can’t support you," Soleia said frankly. "You’ll probably crack your head against the grimy stones and die."

"Guess I will have to make a home in this dirty sewer then," Ralph retorted cheerfully, but he finally began to walk, leading Soleia out by the end.

Soleia narrowed her eyes; Sir Ralph was awfully cheerful for someone stuck in the sewers. There was a spring in his step as he walked, and if not for the need to keep quiet, Soleia could easily imagine him humming a jaunty tune as he strolled through the tunnels. His grip on her hand never loosened.

Meanwhile, Soleia was having a much less cheerful time. She held a handkerchief to her nose with her free hand in an attempt to stem the foul stench. Her nostrils were burning up, and she fought the urge to gag.

"It won’t be long, bear with it for a while longer, alright?" Ralph said, coaxing her as though she was a child. He rubbed her knuckles gently to comfort her. "We’ll be out soon."

Soleia let out a noise of assent.

However, they were soon met with a dead end. Ralph narrowed his eyes. "This wasn’t here before."

"Did we make a wrong turn somewhere?" Soleia asked worriedly. "The walls can’t be moving... could they?"

"No. It’s more likely that this is a makeshift wall that was very recently erected. If you look carefully, the stones here are a lot drier than the ones found on other walls. I’m guessing the insides will be hollow. The stone wall is just for show," Ralph said, lowering his voice as he tugged Soleia closer to whisper in her ear.

He cautiously knocked at the wall with his knuckles. The echo was soft and light, proving his point.

"Do you want to try it for yourself?"

Soleia shook her head, but she reached out a hand to touch the wall anyway, just to satisfy her curiosity. After all, it wasn’t every day that one found a false wall. But to her surprise, the moment her hand touched the grainy stone, she felt her head spin and she staggered, nearly slamming against the wall if not for Ralph’s quick reflexes.

"Princess, are you alright?" Ralph asked anxiously as he stared into her eyes. "Do you feel ill? Hop on my back, I’ll carry you out."

"No... no, I’m fine," Soleia said, as she pressed a hand to her temples. This sensation was all too familiar, and she understood what she was staring at, even when it was obscured by plain grey stone. "Sir Ralph, I think we stumbled onto the secret horde of crystals belonging to that old woman who dared to kidnap me."

At her words, Ralph immediately tugged Soleia away and stood protectively in front of her, like he half-expected the old crone to grab her through solid stone. Only when nothing happened, did he turn his head to address her.

"How can you tell? Don’t tell me... you can sense the crystals?" Ralph asked, his tone shocked.

"Is it? I’m not too sure," Soleia said with a sigh. "But I felt the same way when I entered her store. The aura of the crystals... they were a little too strong to handle all at once. Have you ever heard of that happening to anyone?"

Ralph Byrone paused for a long moment, before shaking his head. "No, Princess, I have not. But pardon me for asking, do all crystals cause you to have headaches? It seems to be an awful burden to bear, especially with your inventions."

"No..." Soleia pointed to her earrings, where the selenite crystals rested prettily in their silver whorls. "I’m fine with selenite."

"Unsurprising, considering the stone’s mild properties," Ralph said thoughtfully. "It can also help cleanse the mind."

"Exactly," Soleia said, grabbing his arm tightly. "That is why we need as much selenite as we possibly can. It’s the only thing that can snap Orion out of his drugged haze."

Ralph raised an eyebrow. "I don’t quite follow."

"I think Elowyn has him poisoned with magic," Soleia explained. "The old woman said that crushed amethysts could hypnotize the person that consumes them, and I don’t think herbs will create such a jarring contrast in Orion. It will explain how differently he behaved once I touched him. I was always wearing my earrings."

"And they contained selenite," Ralph said, following her train of thought. His face cleared and he beamed. "With them, Orion can be saved. Princess, in that case, let go of my hand and stand further back against the sewer wall."

"Why?" Soleia asked warily, even as she scuttled back, pressing her dress against the grimy wet wall on the other side. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"I’m going to commit burglary." He winked at her before he used his knife to slice straight through his palm.