The Hidden King's Stolen Wife

Once again, Rafael lied without hesitation. "Nope. Maybe she went into the town’s market. Soleia and I saw a lot of women in the stores― apparently, there are new vendors from other kingdoms selling rare silks and the like."

And some of them sold crystals that were used to hoodwink their future husbands.

"Why didn’t she tell me?" Orion frowned. "I could have accompanied her."

Rafael wanted to laugh. After his blood needles, Orion would not have listened. "Maybe she thought you wouldn’t be interested. After all, you never showed any interest in the feminine arts."

Orion nodded, conceding the point.

"More importantly, it’s time to treat Soleia," Ralph said, his head nudging in Soleia’s direction. "Are both of you done with the prescription?"

The physicians nodded, and hastily pressed a few bags of wrapped herbs into their hands. "Boil these with a cauldron of hot water. When it’s cool enough, make sure the princess drinks as much of it as possible. Once the princess is lucid and able to eat solid food, get the kitchens to make a simple warm stew for her. She should recover in a week."

"Thank you, we’ll remember this," Rafael said, as Orion merely nodded in acknowledgment. He went to his wife’s prone body and easily picked her up.

Rafael pressed a finger to his lips, wordlessly reminding the physicians to keep their mouths shut. The bloody whip made one last circle around them before it landed back into the jar, as though it hadn’t moved to begin with.