Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 249: To Control Aldric

Chapter 249: To Control Aldric

Note: There would be quite a bit of information dump in this Chapter but it’s essential to enjoying the rest of the story. Thank you!

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The feeling of dread filled Islinda’s stomach the more she thought about her accidental first meeting with Valerie. She refused to believe the deep-seated affection she felt for the summer prince was fake and it was Fae nature to compel a human to fall in love with them. They were predators after all, and like the moth to the flame, humans can’t get help but get intrigued until they’re woven tight under their control.

No way, she wasn’t bewitched by Valerie’s appearance, it was something more. Nor would Valerie charm and let her believe she loved him. He was not capable of that. Although Islinda had no idea what the summer prince was capable of anymore with what’s happened between them lately. The more she stayed in Astaria, the further Valerie’s flaws were revealed to her. He wasn’t the same kind, innocent, and handsome Fae she was enraptured with.

By chance, could it be she merely liked the idea of being in love with a kind Fae male and proved to humankind that a relationship with the Fae was possible, or had the prospect merely thrilled her? A shudder ran through her, that was impossible. Her feelings for Valerie were real.

Sure Islinda had to admit that these Fae creatures, especially the males, were breathtakingly handsome, and irresistible but she was not head over heels in love with any of them except Valerie. Her senses were still intact and she had the self-control to behave around them. Unless of course, they used some sort of charm on her, she wasn’t throwing herself on any of them, especially the seductive Andre.

Also, Islinda was positive she knew when in love or not. She would have gone to the ends of the world for Valerie, but he gave up on her first. That was love and not infatuation. Islinda hardened her resolve, refusing to let some piece of information from a book get into her. So even though Islinda was annoyed by the book, she still had no choice but to continue reading

Just as there were different human races, the same could be said for the Fae. Within the Otherworld, there are different factions, political "parties," and types of Faeries and creatures.

Not all the Fae live in the forest or woodland areas as naive humans assume. Some live in the sea, urban areas, the desert, or even in mines. There are so many different kinds of Fae; their living arrangements are just as vast and varied.

They also exist all over the human realm but may go by another name other than the Fae depending on the location and culture. Faeries belonged to courts and the most populated were the Seelie and Unseelie Fae. The Seelie are said to be blessed and often refer to the group of Faeries who are lovely, cheerful, friendly, and honorable. The Seelie are made up of the summer court, spring court, and dawn court.

While the Unseelie are a group of Faeries hostile to humankind and wicked temperament. The Unseelie are thought to enjoy torturing and harming mortals, are easily offended, and should be avoided. The Unseelie are the winter courts, Autumn courts, and the night court.

"By the gods, no....." Islinda groaned, rubbing her temples with the sudden overflow of information. It was enough she was dealing with four Fae courts, now there were more?

Aldric told her that King Oberon had married from the four courts to unite the Fae and create the kingdom of Astaria. Perhaps, it was a good thing that the king stopped at four wives. Islinda was curious about what made him stop at four though.

Were the four main Fae courts powerful enough to silence the minority courts? King Oberon could have pushed his luck one more time by marrying from the other courts - note the sarcasm - and creating more aberrations like Aldric. Perhaps, then, his greed would be finally satisfied.

With an eye roll, Islinda shifted her attention to the book. It was worth knowing that neither court was necessarily "good" nor "evil". Just as humans decide to be good or bad regardless of their background. The same could be said for the Fae. They’re just individuals. Every Fae acts differently, just like humans.

It is different for a mortal to understand the Fae because the creatures live by their own rules, ethics, morals, and etiquette different from their culture. Faeries don’t always understand things like sadness, empathy, or love in the way that humans do. Not to mention, many of the Fae are considered hedonistic. The emotions they feel are mostly steeped in passion and hence, they are considered intense creatures.

Their emotions are shallow and fleeting and most Fae, especially the high Fae, enjoy the pranks and self-gratification because it grants them a brief period of feeling. After the high wears off, they seek it again. Thus, they have little to no compassion and despise weakness more than anything.

A Fae could like a human or even develop a mating bond with one. Contrary to thoughts, the Fae are not incapable of feeling but rather control the urge to do so because they would react intensely to those feelings, especially among mates. Still, it was considered risky to fall for a Fae because love is considered a weakness and the Fae creatures would exploit it like a vulture on a corpse.

Islinda’s heart missed a beat at the Chapter, biting down on her lower lips. There was a frown on her face as this Chapter reminded her of Aldric. Was this why Rosalind was so scared of telling Aldric her feelings? Because he would exploit it? It sounded like something Aldric was capable of - and not, at the same time. What could he possibly gain from exploiting Rosalind? But then what does she know after all? Islinda was new to all of this.

At this same time, this was a wake-up call for Islinda. Whatever odd feelings she had for Aldric had to stop before it evolved into something deeper and dangerous. Aldric already made it clear he was not interested in emotions, hence it would be at her peril to fall for him.

This was another reason she couldn’t give in to Rosalind’s demands and sleep with Aldric. She was not a Fae and could not be intimate with a male without feeling an ounce of affection for her partner. It is not in her nature to have sex without feelings. Islinda was a romantic who dreamed of a happy home with a doting husband and obedient children. A happy family.

Sadly, it was a dream that could not be fulfilled unless she escaped from here.

With determination, Islinda flipped to the next page, and her brow raised in interest, "The power of a Fae’s hidden name?"

Humans are limited by physical laws, but not the Fae, and that includes their names. A human should never force a Fae to reveal their true name because it holds a lot of power. As a precaution, High Faeries are usually given three or more names against having their full name uncovered.

The first name is given by their parents at birth, followed by their family name or surname. However, their second or true name is given by the gods at the child’s dedication and the Fae instinctively grows up knowing it. To control a High Fae, one would have to know and speak all the names before a command. Usually, Faeries reveal their names to their true mates knowing they could never harm them, but others choose not.

"Interesting..." Islinda muttered, a gleam in her eyes. If she knew Aldric’s true name, she could easily control him. It would be a dream come true. However, Islinda was not stupid nor was the dark prince. Getting Aldric to tell him his true name would be more difficult than stealing the medallion. She was not his true mate, after all?

Islinda felt a pang of disappointment. Not that she hoped to be anything more to Aldric. Being Aldric’s true mate, It was utterly ridiculous! She must have listened to too many tales in the human realm. Moreover, of all Fae’s, she had assumed being Aldric’s mate, not even Valerie’s?! Haha! She must be out of her mind. Islinda would rather stab herself in the heart, than entertain the notion of being that monster’s mate.

The next page talked about brokering deals with Fae’s. Of course, Islinda knew that well, she already had a first-hand experience of it. Aldric was so skilled in bargaining and dealing in his own favor that she hadn’t gotten a chance to outwit him. A relationship with a Fae is give and take; nothing is ever given for free.

There was no going back once a deal was made with a Fae. A verbal deal is extremely important because of the binding magic. No, even agreeing to further negotiation is a deal of sorts. Backing out is never an option.

Nor could they lie either. While they will technically tell the truth, Faeries are experts at using wordplay to trick or avoid one’s questions. No, In the same line, a Fae is unable to break a vow or promise they make.

Outside the library, dusk fell, but Islinda was oblivious to the change because she took in the final Chapter, "How to Kill a Fae?"

Iron is the widely used weapon by humans to kill a Fae because it poisons them and sometimes the creatures can’t apply magic to their wounds quick enough to heal before bleeding out. While it seemed easy, a Fae would not sit around and be poisoned.

They would attack first.