Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 137: Keep Her Alive

Chapter 137: Keep Her Alive

"My prince...." Aurelia gasped sharply when she came in to see the prince in Islinda’s room, her hand resting on her chest from the fright. She had not expected that the prince would be around with the time it took her to find the healer.

However, the prince was not fazed by her presence, looking no more than a silhouette in the pale light. No, he almost seemed to be cloaked with darkness and his unyielding gaze rested on a figure on the bed.

Aurelia’s heart almost leaped to her throat when she saw Islinda with her eyes closed and thought the worst. However, she picked up the soft rising of her chest with her sensitive ears and she breathed in relief.

For a moment there, she thought the prince had killed her. He was not incapable of that considering the human has brought him nothing but trouble since her arrival. Just like now, Prince Aldric stared creepily at the poor girl as if he wanted to strangle her in her sleep.

Just what does he want with her? Aurelia had no idea and was smart not to ask either. She might have known Aldric the longest but he doesn’t play favorites and would discard anyone who crosses the boundary in a twinkle of an eye - if he doesn’t kill the person. The dark prince doesn’t take kindly to anyone snooping into his business. Although why he kept indulging the human was above her, she would simply treat Islinda kindly as he wanted.

"The healer is here, my prince." She announced, and he finally tore his gaze away from Islinda and faced her.

"She’s asleep." He informed her.

"Did you put her to sleep?" Aurelia was tempted to ask but bit back her curiosity. Not knowing too much was better.

His eyes shifted to the healer beside her and she saw when he showed a flicker of recognition.

"It’s you again." He remembered her.

"Yes, my prince," Aurelia answered for the healer who had lowered her head and wouldn’t look him in the eyes. Unlike the first time she had been trembling like a leaf, the Fae was able to endure his presence a little longer this time.

"Doesn’t she have a mouth to speak, Aurelia?" Aldric’s lips pressed into a thin line showing that he was displeased with her interposition.

"My apologies, my prince," Aurelia said, stepping back and nudging the Fae forward.

The healer Fae came forward and Aldric’s intense gaze scanned her from her hairline to the sole of her feet.

"What’s your name?" He inquired.

"Zaya, my prince."

"Zaya," He murmured her name as if committing it to memory.

"You have come here a second time." Aldric pointed out with suspicion in his tone since most Fae tend to avoid him and his castle in general.

Zaya swallowed, "I need the coins and you pay handsomely," She confessed.

"Hmmm," Aldric breathed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully without taking his eyes off her.

"Heal her."

"W-what?" The Fae had not heard right and peered up at the prince in surprise.

"I want to watch you heal her. Come on now, get the job done or your head will be the one looking for a healer to stitch it back." His threat was not subtle, causing the Fae’s eyes to widen in fear. He told her, "My mind changes quite quickly."

Zaya looked between Aurelia and the Fae dipped her head, gesturing her to do as the prince wanted.

With a deep breath, the Fae walked over to Islinda’s bed and sat at the edge of it, lifting her hand only for the prince to warn her,

"Don’t wake her either. We did something naughty and I’m sure she would have a hard time processing it, hence the sleep."

Aurelia’s ears rang once she heard the prince’s words, nearly choking on her saliva while Zaya’s face was as red as a tomato.

Aurelia stared at the dark prince and back at Islinda’s sleeping figure with suspicion. What has the prince done to the poor girl? She was not ignorant of the prince’s lascivious appetite, hence the reason why Rosalind was there.

At first, she had disapproved of Rosalind’s entanglement with the prince but years serving Aldric has changed her opinion about him. But even at that, she had always warned Rosalind, who she took as a daughter, to be careful. Aldric might be eye-catching, but he was still a dark Fae and he would only hurt her in the end.

However, now that the dark prince has his eyes on the human, it has her worried too. Islinda could not handle him. Aldric was too much for her. No, the dark would chew her and spew her like ground paste. Not to mention she was a human with her raging emotions, no, this was going to be a disaster. Aurelia rubbed her aching head, she would grow old at this rate.

This was not the first time Zaya was called to treat injured Fae and she kept a straight face as she worked, although her hands shook nervously under the scrutiny of the dark prince. She has heard of his scary reputation and he had not been present the first time she was called to treat the same human. Perhaps, that was why he wanted to see her work, and while that should be assuring, it left her distressed for some other reasons.

Under the ministration of Zaya’s magic, the bruise on Islinda’s neck vanished, however, something else happened. Aldric watched as the scars that had once been on Islinda’s body appeared on exact spots on Zaya’s for a while before vanishing as if they were never there.

Aldric lifted a brow, "Aren’t you supposed to be Fae of the spring court?" They were the ones blessed with the healing ability.

"I should, but my lineage also pointed out I’m from a long line of forest Fae, thanks to intermarriages between our kinds, the ability got watered down. My magical power is not as efficient as the others."

"Thought as much," Aldric said, rubbing his jaw. No powerful healer would grace his dreaded castle for a second time, they were haughty and looked down on him. At least, he had nothing to be suspicious about.

"Get your things and move into the castle, I’m claiming you exclusively as my healer."

"What?!" Both Aurelia and Zaya shouted in a chorus. None of them had seen that coming.

Zaya said, "Your Highness -"

"Do you want me to repeat myself?" He blinked innocently even though his look was far from kind, "I don’t like to repeat myself."

The healer Fae stood rooted at the spot realizing there was no negotiating with the crown prince.

"I know that it might seem unfair on you but I have a stubborn human under my care and the gods help me, I don’t know where she would be injured next" Aldric sighed dramatically.

He then took the Fae’s hand in his palm without warning and the Fae would have withdrawn her hand if she didn’t know better. He cajoled her, "Please help me keep her alive. "

For a fleeting moment, the prince sounded sincere until he commanded,

"Move in as soon as possible. Aurelia would have you settled and I promise to compensate your services heavily."

"And who knows..." He threw in the final bait, "I might help you improve your powers. You would be useful to me after all." He grinned devilishly.

Zaya couldn’t resist the offer, she fell on her knees and bowed her head to him, "Zaya, obeys your word, my prince. I promise not to disappoint you!"

The forest Fae had been mocked all through her life for her poor healing ability, and if there was the chance of making even the smallest difference, she wouldn’t mind serving the devil.

Aurelia saw a satisfied smile curl the prince’s lips and she couldn’t help but wonder if the prince was creating his own royal subjects. First was Isaac, now her. Not to mention he seems to have much more interest in misfits, those of the lower class rejected by society. She did not know whether to be happy or cautious about his move.

Zaya continued to thank Aldric even as he left the room, his work here already done. He walked down the hall and entered his room only to realize that someone invaded his space. He was not on alert having recognized the familiar scent and he walked in further to find her lounging on his bed, the bed sheet covering her body.

"I don’t remember inviting you tonight," He said, beginning to take off his overcoat.

"You didn’t seem to have a problem with it in the past," Rosalind answered, trying hard to hide her nervousness. She was pushing her luck here and it could backfire on her.

However, this was something she had to risk. There was one thing Aldric could not resist and that was sex. Their kind seems to get high on the feeling and something about the way Aldric carried Islinda left her feeling threatened. She had to validate her place in his life.

"Did I?" Aldric frowned, thinking as he took off the rest of his clothes till he was only in his pants.

Biting down on her lips, Rosalind lifted the cover and revealed the fact that she was naked beneath the sheet.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Aldric drawled, his eyes turning dark with desire. That foreplay with the little human left him ravenous and here was someone he could take it out on.

He licked his lower lips, "Let’s begin then, shall we?"