Rescue the Princess!

Daphne didn't have the chance ― thankfully ― to reply. Before she could even gather her thoughts, a series of knocks thundered on the door that separated them from the outside world, sending Daphne jumping a little where she sat.

Atticus's head spun immediately to face the door, a scowl hanging on his face.

"Who dares to interrupt my wedding night?" he bellowed. If looks could kill, Daphne knew that nothing could save the person that had just knocked on their bedroom door.

"Your Highness!" A panicked voice could be heard from outside. "We have intruders in the castle!"

Atticus rolled his eyes at the door. "That's it? I thought it was an emergency."

Hope bloomed in Daphne's heart. Intruders? No, it must have been a rescue party sent to retrieve her after they realized she hadn't arrived on time.

She genuinely smiled for the first time since arriving in this wretched kingdom.

There were sounds of a scuffle at the door, but King Atticus merely looked irritated.

"This is a sign that our union is not blessed by the Heavens," Daphne couldn't help but point out smugly as she escaped from the bed, scuttling to the edge of the room with the candelabra still clutched in her hand. "You should have known that kidnapping a royal bride would have consequences."

"Get back here. It's dangerous," Atticus demanded, an actual frown on his face― a far cry from his smug expressions. It delighted her to know that finally, he was experiencing some sort of inconvenience after all he did to her.

"No thank you," she said primly, loving the sudden turn of events. Ever since she had arrived to Vramid, King Atticus was the one that had the upper hand. Finally, Daphne felt as though she was one leg ahead.

"Don't stand there," Atticus warned, but it was too late.

A loud crash reverberated through the room. A masked man had shattered the glass panel of the window and leapt through the newly created gap. His eyes scanned the room, eyebrows furrowed deeply until his gaze landed on Daphne's trembling figure.

Daphne screamed and flinched at the sharp sound of glass breaking, fully expecting to be showered by glass shards. To her surprise, the shards never made it to her.

She opened a wary eye, only to see multiple shards floating in the air.

King Atticus had his hand outstretched, a snarl on his face. The small obsidian stone embedded in his silver ring glowed, practically shimmering. That was the source of his power. And clearly, he was powerful enough to simply freeze objects in motion as if it was a feat no more difficult than lifting his finger.

Daphne was relieved he saved her from being cut, but then she reminded herself that she wouldn't be in such a situation if not for him.

Besides, that flashy display of power only once again confirmed what she had already assumed. Their power difference was so stark that there was nothing Daphne could do to escape him on her own. What magic he wielded so effortlessly could not even be done by her after years of futile training.

What a poor excuse of a princess she was. Even her own little charm had been crushed by his bare hands.

"Princess!" the masked intruder shouted. "We're here to―"

"You're here to what?" Atticus cut in, a sneer on his face.

With a mere flick of his wrist, he directed the glass shards over to the intruder. The shards obeyed, slicing through the air like a thousand daggers.

The intruder managed to evade some but he definitely did not escape unscathed. While it was nothing fatal, cuts had already peppered his skin, lines of crimson seeping into the dark fabric of his clothing.

Sensing that he was seriously outclassed, the intruder reached for something under his scarf. There hidden just under the thin fabric was a clear stone. When the man touched it, the stone started to glow brilliantly.

A shrill, high-pitched sound resonated, immediately causing Daphne to reach up to shield her ears.

Within seconds, three other masked men appeared. Their appearance caused Daphne to take an unsure step back. There must've been a piece of glass that had been missed out by Atticus because the next thing she knew, a sharp pain shot through her leg, originating from the sole of her foot. When Daphne looked down and was met with the scarlet of her blood, she knew she had been cut.

A hiss involuntarily left her lips, the sound caused by her pain. It immediately drew Atticus's attention as the king spun around until he laid sight on the cut on her foot. Instantly, his frown deepened.

"Princess," one of the intruders said, "we are here under the orders of Crown Prince―"

"What a fucking pest," Atticus spat out.

"What?" One of the intruders had dumbly spoken out of turn, quickly gaining Atticus's scornful glare.

"In case you four imbeciles didn't know," he said, "it's supposed to be my wedding night."

With that said, Atticus raised a hand, holding it out in the general direction of the one that had spoken. Immediately, the man's limbs tightly stuck onto his body as if he was held together by a tight rope. His body went rigid, under Atticus's complete control.

The next man raised a hand, a silver glint forewarning a blade. Noticing that, Atticus narrowed his eyes. He moved his hand sharply in the direction of the broken window, sending the first man flying out with a scream.

As soon as the man was gone, Atticus held his other hand out to the second one. The scarlet light from the second invader was quickly snuffed. This time, instead of flinging him out, Atticus started to clench his fist.

The man's body was crushed along with the king's hand motions, paired with Daphne's horrified gasp. Multiple cracks could be heard due to the shattering of the man's ribs, along with pained gurgles from the victim. Yet, all this while, Atticus remained unflinching.

"Get him!" The other two intruders let out a unified battle cry as they charged toward the king, their weapons in hand.

"Pathetic," was all Atticus murmured. "If you so wish to court death, I will bring you to hell myself."