Chapter 944: Finders Keepers
Chapter 944: Finders Keepers
"You have the Cauldron of the Dagda, right? Give it to me."
Ethan's statement contained no room for negotiation.
His words were like a heavenly decree that must be obeyed no matter what. The power of Authority was also imbued in them, which made Princess Ariel's feel as if a great pressure had descended upon her shoulders.
"Your Highness, I obtained the Cauldron after suffering hardships on land," Princess Ariel replied. "I don't know how you knew about it, but this is something that I have risked my life to obtain. Even if it's your order, I can't hand it over so easily, right?
"Of course, if you truly force me, then I will have no choice but to obey. But this ancient artifact is already soulbound to me, so you will not be able to use it unless you end my life." Princess Ariel faced Ethan's gaze fearlessly, for it was true that she faced dangers in obtaining the Cauldron of the Dagda.
The trials she faced almost cost her her life, so she was very unwilling to part with it.
Ethan arched an eyebrow because he could tell that the Mermaid Princess had no intention of handing over the artifact to him.
Of course, if he really wanted it, he could force Princess Ariel to hand it over to him using the full might of his Authority.
But since it was already soulbound to her, forcefully erasing her mark on the Cauldron of the Dagda would damage her soul.
Ethan needed the artifact, but he wasn't that merciless.
Some artifacts in the world were destined to fall in the hands of the chosen ones.
The same could be said for Legacies.
There was also a very popular rule when it came to ruin explorations, and that was "Finders Keepers."
Because of this, Ethan felt a little troubled on how to obtain the Cauldron of the Dagda in a peaceful manner.
After pondering for a while, he decided to negotiate and settle this matter civilly.
"What do you want in exchange for it?" Ethan asked.
The only way to obtain a soulbound artifact and erase the mark left inside it was to kill their previous owners.
This was how Ethan acquired the Cauldron of the Twilight, which was soul bonded to the Twilight Witch.
"The Cauldron of the Dagda is a Divine Treasure of the Tuatha De Danann," Princess Ariel replied. "If the Prince will take me as your wife, I can give it to you as my Dowry."
"No," Ethan replied in a heartbeat. "I have no interest in marrying you."
An awkward silence descended in the surroundings.
The Kings and Queens, as well as the soldiers who were paying close attention to the discussion on the Round Table, couldn't help but look at Ethan in surprise.
Princess Ariel was one of the three Legendary Mermaid Princesses of the Sea.
She had countless suitors and admirers who wouldn't lose to those who sought for Illumina's hand in marriage.
And yet, the Prince of Atlantis rejected her proposal without any second thoughts.
'As expected of my son-in-law!' Prince Betram gave the young man a thumbs up in his heart. 'Hahaha! My daughter didn't wait for you in vain!'
Princess Ariel, who thought that Ethan would gladly accept her proposal, thought that she had just misheard his answer.
However, after seeing Illumina's triumphant smile, Princess Ariel knew that everything she heard was real.
"Then, I won't be giving you the Cauldron of the Dagda," Princess Ariel replied, doing her best to stop herself from trembling due to anger and embarrassment. "This artifact rightfully belongs to me, so if His Highness really wants to take it off my hands, then all you need to do is kill me!"
She was a very proud woman.
As someone who had been hailed for both her beauty and wisdom, she had always been treated with respect and admiration wherever she went.
Also, the blow of being rejected by the Prince was one that she didn't see coming.
She had thought that as long as she offered herself to Ethan, the latter would gladly take her in as his wife.
Even if she didn't become his main wife, she would at least still be number two in his life.
With enough effort, she believed that he would surpass Illumina's position in Ethan's heart, becoming the true Queen of the sea.
Below one man, but above everyone else.
That was the position she wished to obtain.
Princess Ariel even thought that if Ethan wished for it, she could drag Princess Wilhelmina into his harem so that the Prince would have the three Mermaid Princesses as his wives.
This was something that would solidify his position in the sea, becoming the envy of every man and woman among the Ocean Races.
A frown appeared on Ethan's face because the Mermaid Princess was over-reacting to his
rejection.
After pondering for a bit, he thought that there was no need to force the Mermaid Princess to hand over the artifact to him.
Chloe only wanted to gather all the four treasures of the Tuatha De Danann in one place.
Perhaps she needed to perform some kind of ritual, which would make the four treasures resonate with each other.
The Sword of Light, Claíomh Solais, belonged to the Kingdom of Wisteria, so he couldn't just take it and use it for himself.
Since that was the case, there was no need to force Princess Ariel to hand over the Cauldron to
him.
The only thing she needed to do was cooperate with him when the right time came.
"You can keep the Cauldron of the Dagda," Ethan said after organizing his thoughts. "But you will use it for my sake when I need it the most. Do we have an agreement?"
Princess Ariel reluctantly nodded. "Very well, Your Highness. If it is for your sake, I am willing to use it for the good of the realm."
"Good." Ethan nodded before shifting his gaze to the rulers of the Ocean Races. "My wife has already said that our wedding will take place two weeks from now. All of you may join the festivities, but it is not compulsory. However, know this... I am a very petty person."
Ethan smiled evilly, which made the hearts of the Rulers of the Sea shudder.
All of them believed that if they didn't attend the wedding, the Prince would use that as an excuse to bully them in the future.
Since that was the case, all of them would attend for the sake of appeasing the young man, who now ruled over the entire sea.
Princess Ariel and Princess Wilhelmina both looked at Illumina at the same time.
Illumina, who sensed their gazes, glanced in their direction with a sweet smile on her face.
The two Mermaid Princesses used to look down on her excuse in the past of already having a Promised One.
But now, she could tell that they were feeling envious of her because not only was her man a Prince of Atlantis, he was also very handsome, which made her a winner in life.
After the meeting ended, Illumina introduced Ethan to her family, making King Betram very
happy.
"Your Highness, please take care of my daughter," King Betram said as he held Ethan's hands. "She is a very valiant lady, and truth be told, I thought that there might not be a man who can tame her. But it seems that I am just worrying over nothing."
The Mermaid King then patted his chest with confidence.
"Leave the wedding preparations to me," King Betram declared. "Should we hold the
wedding here in the Kingdom of Saphirus, or do you wish to hold it in the City of Atlantis?"
"In the City of Atlantis," Ethan answered without a second thought. "Let's hold the wedding
there."
"Understood!" King Betram nodded. "Illumina, I'm sure that his Highness is very tired after traveling such a long distance to see you. Take him to the guest room so that he can rest."
Illumina nodded before holding Ethan's hand. "Come."
The Mermaid Princess pulled Ethan toward the Royal Palace, where he could take a rest.
Now that the adrenaline rush had already faded, Ethan finally felt that pent-up exhaustion that he had been enduring for the past few days of traveling in the sea.
After finding out that Illumina was in danger, he traveled day and night without rest so that he could be with her for even a second earlier.
Instead of taking him to the Guest Room of the Royal Palace, Illumina took Ethan inside her
room.
Just as soon as the young man entered her sanctuary, the Mermaid Princess sealed the door to make sure that no one would be able to disturb them.
A moment later, she wrapped her arms around the young man's neck and kissed his lips
passionately.
Ethan, who planned to take a short nap, was dragged into the bed by a very eager Mermaid Princess. She planned to service her lover, who had traveled thousands of miles just to reunite with her again.