Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 138: He Missed Islinda

Chapter 138: He Missed Islinda

Back at the palace, Valerie was seen awake in his study, unable to sleep. Ever since that ball, he has not been able to relax, the memories of Islinda playing over and over in his mind without stopping. He had panicked and denied their relationship in front of his parents and the entire kingdom.

But what could he do? Everything had taken him by surprise. That bastard Aldric had intentionally put him in the spotlight and he couldn’t do anything. Even now that he thought about it, his fist clenched in anger only to relax when Islinda’s face came up in his mind.

He missed her. Valerie longed for her so much that he couldn’t breathe. He wondered how she was doing under Aldric’s care. His bastard brother must have hurt her already, Valerie closed his eyes and winced at the memory of Aldric watching her.

If he hit her.... If Aldric dared to touch a hair on her body, he promised to kill him with his bare hands. Valerie would have gone over to Aldric’s place by now, but he needed a plan. He couldn’t just go to the dark prince’s haven and drag Islinda away, especially if the both of them brokered a deal.

There was always a catch when dealing with a Fae, and knowing how evil Aldric was, he probably deceived her and now she was unfairly stuck with him. Either Islinda lived out the terms of their deal or he convinced Aldric to make another one with him.

Unfortunately, Valerie knew what Aldric wanted and it was his crown. It was never going to happen. Not to mention, his mother had her eyes on him and his movements were monitored. It seems that with his time away in the human realm, Derek had gotten close to the queen and he had no idea where the Fae’s loyalty lay for now.

However, Valerie was determined to remedy that. There was only so much the Queen Mother’s influence could reach and he would not let her control him. He failed to protect Islinda from his brother Aldric and brought her into this realm unprepared, the least he could do is keep her safe by his side. She protected him in the human realm, he had to return the favor.

The door to his room opened and in came Derek causing him to lower the parchment he hadn’t been able to concentrate on for a while now. As the next to the throne, King Oberon gives him a fair share of his workload and he provides a solution.

When it wasn’t about land disputes, unfulfilled deals, or attacks from their enemies, it was usually a Fae seducing another’s wife or husband, or worse stealing humans away from their homes. In one way, the Fae realm was not that different from the human realm considering the drama never ends.

"Your Highness," Derek called his attention, standing before him.

"What is it?" Valerie asked, shifting back an enclosed glass lamp that had lava fire floating inside of it, creating space where he lowered the parchment amongst the others.

"There is something you need to see," Derek told him.

And that was how Valerie found himself leaving his chambers to visit the spring prince’s residence. Unlike Aldric, each of the princes had their quarters in the palace and lived there. Valerie was a bit surprised about their abrupt visit to Theodore’s place considering his brothers were not around for the ball.

However, when he came into his brother’s chambers, he finally understood why Derek had brought him here. Theodore was present and he was injured. Not only him, but Andre was too as if they both planned to return at the exact moment.

But Valerie could not take his eyes off the commotion in the room. Theodore was sprawled out on the bed and about three healers were attending to him. There was blood everywhere, even on the sheet he lay on and he was bare-chested, revealing the deep wound below his shoulder blades.

Although the wound was healing, one other stood out and it was the long gash across his chest. It was oozing black blood and the wound felt familiar it made his brows furrow.

"What’s going on here?" He asked, finally drawing the attention of his brother Andre who had been staring out into space.

"Brother," Theodore gritted out, noticing his presence.

Andre stepped over to him, "You’re here."

"I wasn’t informed that both of you would make an epic return to the palace," Valerie said lightly even though the sight of the wound bothered him.

"It’s Aldric. He did this to me." Theodore informed him, wincing when the healer Fae pushed too much magic into the wound and he glared at her in warning.

"Aldric did this to you?" Valerie appeared shocked by the information, before his anger rose to the surface, evidenced by his pupils glowing golden with obsidian black rings.

The temperature in the room became hot and if one could look carefully, they would see steam emanating from his ears. How dare Aldric?! The bastard has been taking a lot of liberties lately. Not only does he trick Islinda into the Fae realm, but he also fights their brother. Fighting a royal with the intent of death was punishable and Valerie could not wait to exact that rule.

"Calm down, brother. It did not go as you’re thinking. Theodore was the first to lash out and fought him in his territory." Andre explained and the anger left Valerie, leaving confusion in its wake.

"What are you talking about?" Valerie asked with his brows narrowed, waiting for more details.

Andre started, "We visited our brother Aldric. He showed great displeasure with us stepping into his territory uninvited but welcomed us nonetheless. And then we saw the girl..."

At the mention of the "girl" Valerie stepped forward, his interest piqued. There was only one person Andre would refer to with that title and that was the human Islinda. Valerie was hungry for details and listened eagerly to his brother.

"We were supposed to have dinner with her, Aldric claimed it would be her welcome party. However, nothing went as planned, Theodore decided Aldric would forge her as his weapon and use her against you, so he deemed her unworthy to live."

"No, you didn’t..." Valerie’s heart dropped, having a sudden premonition of what his stupid brother might have done.

"He attacked her," Andre affirmed and that was all it took Valerie to unleash his fury.

Fire emerged from Valerie’s palm and he shot it at Theodore causing the healers to shriek and get out of the way. Thus, the spring prince was left all by himself and sadly, he was too roughed up to save himself.

Before the fire could touch him, a gust of wind blew over and completely cocooned it, the fire swirling inside of it as in a little controlled cyclone till it was extinguished and smoke filled the room causing the spring prince to cough.

However, Valerie was infuriated that his attack was not successful and flung his hands and they caught on fire, only for Andre to step forward and shove him hard on the chest.

"Now, that’s enough!" He added with a warning, "Unless you intend to carry on from where Aldric stopped and kill him."

Valerie stumbled back, realization dawned on him and the fire in his hand stuttered.

"I told you, he has been bewitched by her. That human would be the end of him!" Theodore still had the mouth to talk amid threading through the valley of death seconds ago.

Andre shot him a death glare, "Now you shut up."

The Spring prince shut his mouth, but there was an aggrieved look on his face as if he had been greatly wronged.

Andre told Valerie, still trying to control his emotions, "The human is safe. Our brother’s stupid move caused Aldric to attack him. Nor can we make a big deal out of this." He hinted at the fact they couldn’t report this to their father.

While King Oberon did not have much affection for Aldric, he was still a fair king and Theodore was at fault for attacking a guest in Aldric’s territory.

"I would have never reported it in the first place," Valerie said with a sneer in his voice, his gaze falling on his assistant Darek with threat.

The Fae looked away and Valerie believed deep down that the message had been passed. How could he let this news out, when it would affect Islinda? He couldn’t put her in the spotlight and bring danger to her. Theodore already wanted to get rid of her, who knew what the others would do?

"Aldric’s dark powers are more dangerous than I thought," Andre said, pointing out Theodore’s wound that healed slowly. The healers resumed treatment on their brother.

Valerie stared down at Theodore’s body nonchalantly, refusing to admit Aldric was formidable. The dark prince was nothing without those wretched powers and when he would be made king, he would end him once and for all.