The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 49: Blood Ring III

Soleia’s eyes widened with surprise, her body stiffening for a brief second before rationality quickly deployed back into her brain. She pushed and shoved, but Orion’s arms trapped her like an iron cage, keeping her locked still.

In the end, she did the only thing she could think of, biting down hard on his lip.

Instantly, Orion hissed in pain before stepping back, instinctively letting go of Soleia. She stumbled back into Ralph’s awaiting arms, and likewise, Elowyn was there to catch Orion when he moved away from Soleia.

His thumb ran against his bottom lip, the trail of red that was smeared across his fingerpad glistening against his toned, olive skin. Likewise, Soleia wiped the blood off her lips.

How ironic. For an action that should’ve been romantic, both of their kisses had to end in pain.

"Orion!" Elowyn called out, carefully checking his face. "Are you alright? Oh gosh... There’s so much blood..."

However, even with Elowyn shifting Orion’s face left and right, back and forth, his eyes remained on Soleia’s. She stared back, but what she saw quickly caused her eyes to widen with surprise.

Gone were the clouds in his eyes. Orion’s irises practically glittered, striking and vibrant, akin to flashes of lightning that cut through the storm of the night. It was no longer gray — not even oscillating between the two colors — but instead remained firmly a bright azure blue that was unhindered.

She swallowed, her heart falling in her chest. He had broken free from the magic somehow.

Soleia stepped forward, reaching out a hand. "Orion―"

But before she could go anywhere close, Orion had already turned and left, the snow crunching beneath his boot. Elowyn stared at his retreating back for a second, exchanging an equally confused glance with Soleia and Ralph before she lifted her skirt and rushed after the Duke.

As soon as they were gone, Soleia felt weak in the knees. She wobbled and would’ve crashed to the ground if it weren’t for Ralph’s quick thinking. He grabbed her by her upper arms, carefully supporting her weight, leaning her against him.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" he asked, worry coating his tone.

"I’m fine, thank you," Soleia said.

But she was anything but fine. Her lips were tingling, her cheeks felt hot, and her pinky felt as though it was damn near about to be suffocated by the blood ring that Ralph had put on her.

She looked down, staring at her finger. The red of Ralph’s blood was pulsing, as though the accessory itself was alive. And with the way it glowed, it didn’t seem too pleased.

"Maybe I shouldn’t―" Soleia said, preparing to take the ring off, only to find that she was unable to pry it off with brute force. Her finger turned slightly purple when she tried to pull it, and the more she tried, the more the ring seemed to latch onto her skin.

"Is it because of Orion?" Ralph softly asked, coming closer. His tone made Soleia think of a kicked puppy, thrown out of the only home it had ever known.

When Soleia said nothing, Ralph merely sighed. He came forward and slowly reached for her hand. His skin felt cool against her own, and when he grazed her finger, Soleia shivered ever the slightest.

In Ralph’s hands, the ring had just about the tenacity of sand. He easily pulled the ring off with no pain and no resistance, the small accessory lying in the palm of his hand as he stared forlornly at it.

"I understand," Ralph muttered with a sigh, his voice carried by the wind that rushed around them. "We are headed to the capital, after all. Tongues will wag if they see you with a ring that doesn’t belong to your husband but rather, a mere guard."

"No, no, it’s not that," Soleia hurriedly said. frёeωebɳovel.com

She wasn’t sure why she felt the pressing urge to clarify, but it was eating her alive. Maybe it was the way Ralph looked at the ring― it had been given with good intentions. How could Orion place such a heavy blame on them?

"I appreciate the thought, I do," Soleia said. "Especially since I know I cannot count on Orion or his men to keep me safe if we ever encounter any danger. It’s just that a ring..." Soleia trailed off with a sigh.

"It might not be appropriate," Ralph said with an understanding nod. "I get it. I do."

He clenched his fist, covering the ring that was nestled in the palm of his hand. Then he looked up, determination in his eyes.

"If it’s something else, Orion wouldn’t think too deeply into it, would he?"

With that said, more blood flowed from his hand and into his palm. Soleia’s eyes widened with alarm.

"Wait, Sir Ralph, what are you―?"

He unfurled his fingers before Soleia could finish her sentence. This time, instead of a small ring that was fit for her pinky, there was a red bangle. Its surface was surprisingly not glistening smooth― it had a fine layer of sparkles over it as if it had been brushed by stardust.

"This way, it shouldn’t be an issue any longer," Ralph said.

The bangle split into two in Ralph’s hands, but once it was placed on Soleia’s wrist, it sealed itself together seamlessly. No matter how much she shook or tugged at her hand, it wouldn’t come out.

"Your wound!" Soleia worriedly said, examining Ralph’s cut. "There’s so much blood..."

"It’s just a bit of blood," Ralph said with a shrug.

He then reached his clean hand up, brushing Soleia’s hair behind her ear. His fingers briefly brushed past her selenite earrings, the stone cold to the touch.

"Your safety is more important than anything," he said.

His fingers lingered, hovering right at Soleia’s cheek, causing her heart to skip a beat. They stood there in silence for a moment longer, only snapping out when they heard the sound of Orion’s men loudly shouting orders for the horses to be prepared.

Soleia quickly took one step back, clearing her throat.

"In that case, thank you, Sir Ralph," she said. Her eyes flickered back and forth. "We should head back before they leave without us." Then, she jolted. "The stones!"

Without another word, Soleia sprinted straight for the camp, leaving Rafael alone watching as her figure disappeared past the trees. As soon as she was gone, he looked down at his hand.

The tingle he felt when he touched her earrings. He was certain now― that wasn’t the same numbness as when magic was nullified by selenite.

But rather, amplified.