The Hidden King's Stolen Wife

"I refuse."

Everyone present in the throne room collectively sucked in a gasp of air through their teeth. Their eyes were wide as they stared at the audacious man, the newly titled Duke Orion Elsher. His bright red hair shone like a halo under the lights as he stood proud and tall before the king with an unwavering gaze.

At that very moment, he seemed more like royalty than King Godwin despite his lack of noble blood.

Meanwhile, Princess Soleia could only hide a grimace at her father's reaction. Her father also had red on him, but it was all over his face, making him look like a rowdy drunkard.

"You―"

"I will not marry Princess Soleia," Duke Elsher said once more, rudely cutting in before the king could say anything. "If I marry, I will marry for love."

"General― I mean, Your Grace," the king's advisor, Aldous, said nervously. "With all due respect, this is a blessing offered by His Majesty. Princess Soleia is a fine young woman."

"If she's as fine as you claim, then I am the one unworthy of her hand," Duke Elsher said without sparing her a second glance, his voice flat with disinterest. "I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."

Princess Soleia stared at Duke Elsher with a faint look of hurt in her eyes. She wasn't as beautiful as her sisters, and her lack of magical ability was common knowledge, but it was still humiliating to be rejected without a second thought.

Especially by a man who wasn't even born into nobility to begin with!

Duke Orion Elsher was previously known as General Orion Elsher. Her father had granted him the title of Duke after General Elsher had slayed an incoming dragon protecting the kingdom's borders, but his lands were poor and remote, and his coffers were empty.

Such a man should have jumped at the chance to marry a princess no matter how powerless, instead of rejecting the king's kind offer.

If everyone had been shocked before, they would have been at their wit's end. Soleia's eyes darted to her father, who seemed two seconds away from executing the newly titled duke for his blatant disrespect.

She had to stop that at all costs. If her father killed Duke Elsher, there would be no peace among the commoners.

Soleia stepped forward and stood next to the duke. This close, she could feel the heat radiating off his body. She chanced a quick look at his face, her heart racing at the sharp line of his jaw.

He was a very handsome man. It would be a shame if his head were to roll because of his impudence. Out of all the choices she had for a husband, he wasn't the worst. Besides, royal weddings took months of planning. She had time to savor her freedom.

"Father, I'm sure the Duke is simply overwhelmed with your offer and spoke without thinking," Soleia said demurely, "Duke Elsher had been used to life at the border, giving his life to fight for this kingdom. Matrimony must not have crossed his mind, but I believe that he will be glad to embrace wedding life― if not for himself, then for his loved ones."

She then turned and looked at him. "Isn't that right, Duke Elsher?"

Orion Elsher's eyebrow twitched violently, and he gnashed his teeth as he turned to glare at Princess Soleia.

Everything from her luminous skin to her blonde hair and sweet green eyes raised his hackles. This close, he could smell the sweet scent of her hair, enticing him to step closer. If they had met in other circumstances, he might have been tempted to court her.

But she was the king's daughter, one of those spoiled princesses who did nothing but embroider all day while thousands were slogging outside the castle walls. She probably never suffered a single hardship in her life. This woman was simply a tool for her father to use, in a bid to keep him obedient.

He would rather die than agree to be shackled to one for the rest of his life. He hated women like her― pretty dolls who were good for nothing but spitting out sweetly venomous words.

And her words were venomous as they were polite. She had brought up his loved ones. While Orion had long been ready to walk into hell, he would never drag his family down with him.

His ailing mother still wanted a cute grandchild to dote on, while his younger sister wanted to marry well.

With that in mind, he could only give a sharp jerky nod of acquiescence. "I had misspoken earlier. I believe Princess Soleia would be an... adequate wife."

Perhaps he would die before the royal wedding took place.

Soleia also pasted a beatific smile on her face. Adequate. Such high praise from her future husband.

King Godwin's face soon returned to its original color. "In that case, the wedding shall proceed immediately. We have wasted enough daylight. Summon the Holy Priest!"

Soleia's eyes bugged out in surprise, and Orion was equally stunned. Both of them had not expected their marriage to happen so quickly.

"Father? How could this be―!" Soleia exclaimed, but her words fell on deaf ears. She was forced to change into one of her sister's rejected wedding gowns, while her maid Lily frantically styled her hair.

In no time at all, she was ushered to the church, and in front of her stood Duke Orion, clad in a new cloak.

The Holy Priest began to speak.

"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of hearts and minds..."

Under the candlelight, Orion Elsher's harsh features almost looked softer, more tender. Perhaps this marriage wouldn't be awful, Soleia thought to herself. They had their entire lives to get to know each other. Maybe she could share some of her ideas with him...

Lost in her musings, she failed to notice when the priest prompted her.

"Princess Soleia? Princess Soleia? Do you wish to take Duke Orion Elsher as your husband?"

"...Yes, I do," Soleia said hastily, the back of her ears burning with embarrassment, shooting her new husband a sheepish smile.

Orion's eyebrow twitched with irritation.

This princess was the one who pushed for the marriage, but she couldn't even pay attention to him during their blasted wedding ceremony!

Meanwhile, uncaring of the couple's emerging turmoil, the guests erupted into boisterous cheers. Her father thudded his cane on the floor in approval.

"And now I pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Soleia stepped forward. However, she subtly raised an eyebrow when she noticed that instead of matching her pace, Duke Elsher had stepped back instead. It was small enough a step to not be noticeable by those who were seated a distance away, but people who were near - such as the king - could clearly see him retreat as though she was a vicious beast.

Some snickered, hidden behind their hands and fans, while others looked on with mockery in their eyes.

Nevertheless, Soleia held her head tall. She took an even bigger step forward and cupped the back of the Duke's neck, bringing him down to her height while she stood on the tips of her toes.

As he was stunned by her brazen actions, he was surprisingly easy to move, causing the newly wedded couple's lips to meet in a kiss.

While Soleia wished some sparks flew between them much like her sisters had told her, there was none. Duke Elsher's lips were cold and unmoving. Quickly enough, Soleia felt a sharp prick on her lips, causing her to drop her hold on him and stumble back in pain.

She touched her lips gently, withdrawing them to see that there was a small red stain on her fingertips.

Blood.

Orion Elsher had bit her!

Some of her blood still coated his lips, lingering just at the corner. He was unfazed, meeting her gaze unflinchingly as she clenched her fists by her sides in anger.

This idiot of a man was making an enemy out of her just because she agreed to the wedding. If only he had known that her father would've killed him if anything other than their marriage happened! She would like to see if he could still be so cocky then.

Blood looked so natural streaked across his rugged features. Paired with the hatred in his eyes, Soleia wondered if this was how the dragon felt in its final moments before getting slain by this brutish man.

"Wonderful," King Godwin said with a hearty laugh, his spirits ever lifted now that Orion Elsher was tied down to the royal family in matrimony.

However, by the glint in his eyes, Soleia knew that her father was far from done with his schemes.

Just as she thought, the doors soon burst open and a messenger sprinted down the halls. He carried a scroll in his hands, waving it left and right frantically as everyone turned their attention to him.

"Your Majesty!" the messenger wheezed. "Reports have come from the south-eastern borders! The Levielens are attacking! They've brought fifty mages with them!"

Immediately, gasps rippled through the crowd as the attendees looked at each other in panic. Everyone knew that Vramid was at war with the kingdom of Leviel, but none had thought they would attack the kingdom's borders so soon.

And with fifty mages! Where did they even manage to find so many? Magic practitioners were rare and a few, mostly limited to royalties and the children born to them out of wedlock.

"Send the northern troops to the borders!" King Godwin ordered, slamming his fist against the armrest of his throne. "They must've employed the help of allied kingdoms to garner that number of magic users."

"The northern troops?" Soleia echoed, alarmed. That was her new husband's battalion. "But Father, they will take days to reach the battlefront―"

"Do you have a problem with the arrangement, Duke Elsher?" King Godwin asked, ignoring his daughter's words. "Need I remind you that before you are a duke, you are a general in service to the kingdom of Vramid?"

Orion's tongue darted past his lips, licking off the blood that stained the corner. He met the king's gaze unflinchingly, and without blinking, he said, "Of course, Your Majesty. My duty is to the people and the kingdom's safety."

King Godwin laughed heartily. "Good. Very good." He then waved his hand, gesturing for Duke Elsher to leave.

The latter placed his fist over his heart, bowing before retreating with a flutter of his cape.

"Wait―"

But it was too late. Orion Elsher didn't even turn back to look at Soleia. In fact, he all but rushed down the steps and out of the room, the doors closing behind him. All Soleia was offered was a pitiful look from the man who trailed after him, whom she assumed was Duke Elsher's right-hand man.

But even so, that was short and fleeting.

***

"Father, what is the meaning of this?!" Soleia asked once they were alone, pulling the veil off her head.

The guests were gone, no doubt eager to gossip to their neighbors and the rest of the capital about the way Princess Soleia was thoroughly embarrassed by her new husband who did not love her, and by her father who was only using her as a pawn.

"I am married off to the Duke in a hurry, and right on my wedding day you send him away to war?" Soleia's face was red as she tried her hardest to suppress the indignation she felt. "And to the south-eastern borders?"

King Godwin leaned back in his seat, lazily resting his chin against the back of his hand.

"Is there a problem, my child?" he dared to ask.

The skin under Soleia's eyes twitched. "You're sending him there to die!"

At her words, the king said nothing. That was when Soleia felt her blood turn cold as she stared at her father in realization. Her shoulders drooped back down and her knees suddenly felt weak.

She repeated, muttering to herself this time, "You're sending him there to die..."

Standing at the bottom of the steps that led to the throne, Aldous sighed.

"Your Highness, Duke Elsher comes from... humble beginnings. His surge to popularity could mean good and bad for the kingdom and the royal family."

Soleia turned her gaze to the middle-aged man, staring in disbelief as the king remained silent. His advisor spoke the words the king thought.

"If he returns, he will bring glory to the royal family as the prince consort," Aldous continued. "If he doesn't..."

Aldous needn't finish his sentence for Soleia to guess her father's intentions. If Orion Elsher died in war, there would be one less thorn in his side.

"If he returns―"

"When," Soleia corrected, meeting her father's gaze. "When he returns."

King Godwin gave a sarcastic smile.

"When he returns," he corrected himself, "you are to be a faithful wife to him. But before that, you must be a faithful daughter. Do not forget your title as a princess of Vramid. Everything and anything Duke Elsher does should be under your control."

"You want me to spy on him?" Soleia asked, horrified.

"Princess," Aldous said, "for a man to rise from a mere soldier to a general, then to a duke all in three years is not a common feat. Whether or not Duke Elsher's intentions are righteous, we must remain wary of a man capable of such accomplishments."

"Did you think I married you off to him from the goodness of my heart?" King Godwin scoffed. "If so, you're more foolish than I remember you being."

Before Soleia could craft a response to his cutting words, her father delivered another blow.

"Pack your bags. You're leaving for Drakenmire tonight. With your husband gone, there's no point in you staying here any longer. Make sure you entrench yourself in his estate so that he cannot live without your absence."

"This is our new Duchess? What garbage are you talking about?!"

"Kindly hold your tongue, Young Killian," The old servant scolded with an aghast expression. "You are speaking to Princess Soleia of Vramid, the current duchess of Drakenmire."

Soleia stared at her new husband's relatives― no, they were her relatives now, and all of them looked at her with various degrees of distrust and dislike. Drakenmire was a cold and dreary place, made worse without her husband's presence.

Her husband, the newly titled Duke Orion Elsher. Born from a commoner family, he had slain a dragon in the army to save hundreds.

And so he was rewarded with Soleia's hand in marriage― an offer made by her father, who wanted her to spy on her new husband. But it was hard to spy on someone who had been packed off to borders mere hours after their wedding.

All she had of Orion Elsher were his relatives. Just looking at them made her heart sink.

"Yeah, and I'm the fucking King of Vramid!" Jeers filled the air as they agreed with his statement.

"There's no way my cousin would marry someone like her! Isn't she the useless princess, the one that everyone says has no powers?" One of the young women complained. Her name was Lucinda, and she enjoyed her status as Orion's favorite cousin.

"No powers? Then what is she good for?"

"So, are you going to do anything for us? You're not planning for all of us to serve you while you sit around and look pretty, are you?"

"That's right!"

"We can't feed you for nothing!"

"Shush, all of you," the most elderly of them all cleared her throat. Soleia focused her gaze on Orion's mother. The hair at her temples was beginning to go gray, yet there was a shrewd look in her eyes that set Soleia on edge.

"Princess Soleia is it? Forgive us for not recognizing you. I am Orion's mother, Elisa. After all, my son has never spoken of you to me."

The room burst into ugly titters while Soleia tried to smile. "Yes. Our marriage was done in haste."

"While that may be the case, I believe every member of the Elsher family must contribute in some form or another. Since you are a member of the royal family, you must be wealthy. Kindly hand your dowry over to support this family."

"I..."

"You are unwilling?" Elisa arched an eyebrow.

Everyone else began to complain.

"I knew it! She's just a haughty bitch that doesn't want to share!"

"If she's not sharing her wealth, then she can scram!"

"It's not that..." Soleia said hesitantly. Their words have brought up something she had forgotten. "I... don't have any dowry to give you."

Her father had given her nothing, as he packed her off to this godforsaken place. After all, she was only one of his many daughters.

"That's nonsense! You're lying!" Lucinda exclaimed, and the others agreed with her. "What kind of princess has no dowry?"

"This is a grave insult to my son," Elisa noted with grim disapproval. "Does your father think so little of my Orion that he assumes that he'll be desperate enough to wed any woman without offering anything else in return?"

"Dowager Duchess Elisa, this isn't just anyone. This is Princess Soleia," Jerome said weakly, trying to remind the old woman. Royalty were bound by different rules.

Elisa scoffed. "So? If she was royalty, she ought to have the dowry to match her status. Even the poorest commoner families prepare dowry for their daughters when they get married. Is she truly a princess, or an illegitimate bastard daughter of the king?"

"I am not!" Soleia exclaimed, nearly shaking with rage at her insinuation.

"Are you sure?" Lucinda chimed in. "I've never seen a royal family member appear without heavy escort. Horses, knights, fancy carriages... you name it. You appeared alone today. If you're royalty, the king must not think anything of you."

"Hey don't say that," One of the men chimed in, a wicked grin on his face. "I saw a cute lass standing outside our gates, with a few trunks. Maybe that's her escort! One extra maid for us to use!"

Cruel laughter filled the room. Soleia sucked in a breath, trying to calm herself down. It was true that her father had sent her away with nothing more than a carriage, a few foot soldiers, and Lily, her personal maid. The foot soldiers had left with the carriage, the moment they had deposited her on the estate. She could not stop them.

Elisa spat on the floor at the news. The glob of spit hit the hem of Soleia's dress, and she scooted back in disgust.

"After all my son has done for the kingdom, they saddled him with a destitute, useless princess! He could do so much better than you, but now your father has sent him off to the borders. I'm telling you right now, if he showed up with another woman, I'd be the first person willing to help him toss you out!" Elisa raged at her, vitriol in her voice.

Soleia's face paled, especially when she caught sight of the many expressions of disgust on her new family members. No one even wanted to know her, the moment they realized she had no money to offer.

"In fact, they shouldn't be staying in the main estate. Escort them to the servants' quarters. Didn't you say you wanted company?"

Jerome spluttered helplessly. Making a princess, the Duke's lawfully wedded wife, stay in the servants' quarters? It was an insane idea!

"If she ends up anywhere else, you'll be sleeping outside instead!" Lucinda added threateningly as she wagged a finger in his direction.

With one last mocking laugh, she turned away and flounced off, her skirts swishing delightedly in the cool breeze. Soleia couldn't help but notice how fine the fabric was, in comparison to how poor the living conditions were.

In fact, all the other family members were dressed to their station. Only Jerome's outfit was weathered and patched at certain parts.

The other family members began to follow suit, in twos and threes. Since Jerome was a servant, educating new servants was his job. Newly titled nobles like them didn't have to care!

Besides, they would be more than happy to bully the young princess when she entered the castle. She would be scrubbing floors until her hands bled!