Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 102: The Party Is Over

Chapter 102: The Party Is Over

"She’s my savior, nothing else."

Islinda forgot how to breathe when Valerie said those words. It was almost as if he had ripped open her chest and rent her heart into pieces. He had denied her right in front of his family. Right in front of everyone.

Was the time they spent together a lie? Was she the one deluded all this while? He was ashamed of her. Islinda remembered Valerie telling her that a fae and human relationship were not encouraged, but denying her in front of everyone? It was too much.

He ruined her.

He ruined her heart.

What was the use of being here? The thought of seeing Valerie had strengthened her so she endured Aldric’s games. Islinda had actually believed that Valerie would be able to save her. After all, he was the reason she was going through this. His psychopathic brother was after her because he assumed he - Valerie - was head over heels in love with her.

But that does not seem to be the case anymore. She was disposable, Valerie just proved that. He couldn’t fight for their love. He had cowered like a coward and left her alone. Valerie abandoned her. He abandoned her to Aldric. And that alone was a fate worse than death.

Islinda suddenly did not want to be here. She wanted to stay as far away as possible from Valerie. From Aldric. From everyone. From the Fae realm. She did not ask for any of this. It was too much. It was overwhelming and she felt sick to the stomach. Islinda wanted to lick her wounds in secret. Her pride couldn’t allow her to break down in front of everyone. They cannot see her in her weakest moment.

However, Islinda couldn’t move when she wanted because Aldric, the demon, had made her the center of attention once again.

"Apologies, your majesty," He said, "my brother has a problem with wordings so allow me to restate his words accurately."

He added immediately, "The human was merely the first to get to him while I watched over the both of them else how would my brother have fended off the humans in his then injured state? Moreover, I had to test the human’s motives and it was clean. In one word, I’m the reason your honorable crown prince was not captured by the hunters." Aldric bowed dramatically, "I rest my case. "

All eyes were on her again and unlike earlier when they had given her judgemental looks, there was a hint of surprise and awe now. Of course, Islinda shied away from the attention. She has been ripped open and wanted to be left alone.

"That is a lie!" Valerie accused him only for his devilish brother to huff,

"Really, brother? Or have you forgotten that our kind is incapable of lying? "

Valerie spat out, his eyes flashing, "And yet that makes you a master of manipulating your words, purposely omitting words that would have you castigated."

"If that was the case, aren’t we both the same brother?" Adric smirked, an implied meaning in his words that had Valerie turning his face the other way.

The brothers held a secret over each other that could potentially ruin them and unless one of them made a move, it seems they would remain on neutral ground.

"Or perhaps, you’re just sore that your beloved human is now my slave?" Aldric revealed and an instant hush fell over the hall.

For a moment, no one said a word until Valerie asked tensely, "What are you talking about?"

"The first rule of the accord states that unless invited or otherwise stated in a contract, any mortal that crosses the divider and is caught by a Fae belongs to him. I caught her trespassing and that makes her property of my court." He had a vulpine smile, revealing rows of serrated, white teeth.

Valerie did not retort, rather his horrified gaze shifted to Islinda as if to ask her the truth. But Islinda wouldn’t look at him, lowering her head instead as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. The princes were intent on humiliating her tonight and they succeeded. They trampled on her pride as if it was nothing. After all, she was nothing but a human, an ordinary pawn caught in the games between two apex predators.

"No...." He breathed, shaking his head furiously, refusing to believe it, "This is not true! You must have tricked her or something!"

Valerie lost his cool as he blasted an arc of fire towards Aldric, the faeries close screamed and dived out of the way. However, Aldric reacted timely and released a wave of his own darkness that was a match for Valerie’s flames, if not stronger, as they swallowed the flames up till nothing was left.

The fire prince was about to pick up the fight from where they had stopped when his father’s voice echoed across the room.

"Valerie! Stop this madness this instant!"

He had his fists drawn back for another swing of his magic but the flames in his fisted palm stuttered and he stopped, heaving. However, his enraged eyes didn’t leave Aldric and promised revenge. This was not over.

"Guards!" The king commanded and the armored Faeries reacted immediately, "See that the crown prince is escorted back to his chamber."

"Father..." Valerie protested and the king shot him a cutting look that silenced him.

The Fae guards approached him and signaled him to move. But before Valerie left, he gave Islinda one last look and she met his gaze this time but her expression was pained and his heart clenched painfully.

He hurt her, although he didn’t mean to. Nor did he wish for them to have met in this circumstance. Everything was his brother’s fault. Aldric was going to pay for this, Valerie closed his fist tightly.

A Fae guard gave him a small push in the back and he made a move, tearing his eyes off her.

"Guards," The king commanded another set of Fae guards his way, "See Prince Aldric and his human out."

"Oh don’t worry, Father," Aldric’s eyes twinkled, "We were just about to leave, the party is over, after all."