Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 260: Crossing His Territory

Chapter 260: Crossing His Territory

"My Queen, this is the list of eligible females, mostly from the Summer Court, that would be present at the ball." The handmaiden handed the list to Fae Queen Maeve whose hairstyle and makeup were being done by two other female Fae’s.

She received the list and gestured to both females and they halted at once, giving her space to go through the list. Queen Maeve’s face was a mask of intense concentration as she went through every name, careful not to make a mistake as if it would come back to haunt her later.

"Good." She curtly gave her approval, returning the list to her handmaiden without even looking as her eyes were trained on her reflection in the mirror. The handmaiden took the list while both Fae went back to doing her hair without saying a word.

Queen Maeve took in the elaborate hair braid being done, a smile on her face. The fishtail braid resembles the shape of a fishtail - with a pattern of woven strands like a herringbone stitch. The braid is tight and carefully crafted, allowing each strand of hair to stand out with its own natural texture. It was styled with flowers to add an extra element of sophistication.

As a trendsetter, Queen Maeve looked elegant and timeless, and that only stroked her ego. As someone who loved garnering attention, this was sure to turn the heads of her co-wives and leave them seething in jealousy considering she was about to meet his majesty, Oberon, their husbands.

The king requested she spend some time with him in the garden. In one word, it was a date and by the gods, she was so excited. It was no wonder the queen went all out in dressing up. Sure, she spent time with King Oberon for more hours of the day than with his other wives, however, it was usually for official duties.

Whatever affection Oberon held for his wives ended the day Queen Nova died and even when he spent time with them, it was of duty. Maeve couldn’t even remember the last time they had been intimate. No, she did. He stopped visiting her bed the moment the winter Queen arrived in the palace. Good thing she birthed Valerie timely she would have lost out

"My Queen," Her attention came back to the Fae now staring at her, "Are you okay?" She asked tentatively.

Queen Maeve let go of her skirt that she had been holding onto till her knuckles turned good.

"Everything is all good," She answered with a self-confidence that could only come from a royal.

Queen Maeve jutted out her chin, "Are you done?"

"Yes, my Queen." Both Fae answered and stepped back. Although one of them bent down to smooth the slight crease on her skirt.

"Perfume, your majesty?" The other one suggested, lifting a bottle but she shook her head.

"No," She answered, scrunching her nose. King Oberon hated perfumes and in the garden with the flowers in bloom, the scent was bound to become heavy and overwhelming.

Queen Maeve wore a sleeveless red gown that hugged her body and touched down to her knees, the color matching her hair, and a white furry coat was draped on her shoulder, to complement the assemble and protect her from the cold. A necklace rested between her cleavage and earrings adored her pointed ears. Wearing a high heel, she looked much younger than her age, regal and powerful.

Her handmaiden appeared in front of her, saying, "I forgot to tell you earlier, my queen, but Prince Valerie held court today."

The Queen’s mouth twitched at the mention of her son, however, she quickly composed her expression.

"Good for him."

Soon, all of this would come to an end. Queen Maeve believed once Valerie settled down with a wife, he would understand his role as a prince and would be focused on it.

"Let’s go."

Queen Maeve departed with her entourage and to be honest, it was quite a disappointment when she didn’t bump into any of her co-wives, Nirvana to be precise. She would have loved to witness the smile robbed from her face. Although she believed Nirvana would be seething wherever she was.

The fresh blooms of flowers wafted into her nose as soon as she arrived at the garden and she spotted King Oberon already seated on the bench and waiting for him. A huge umbrella was set in place to shield them from the light snow.

Queen Maeve’s face distorted at the sight of the frozen ground and trees, this date would have been much better if that damn son of his hadn’t started his season.

"Your majesty," Queen Maeve curtsied when she reached him.

"Fae Queen Maeve," Oberon addressed her and her face fell at the formality in his tone. Couldn’t he have been a bit casual? This was a date, wasn’t it? Maeve pushed the disappointment away and tried to remain positive.

"Sit." He told her and Queen Maeve did so, intentionally walking across slowly so he could notice how much effort she put into this date.

If Oberon noticed anything, he did not say a word and went ahead to ask, "How was your night?"

"Pleasant."

Whatever excitement Queen Maeve had towards this date vanished when their conversation began and it drifted toward politics in the palace and the welfare of their kingdom.

Hence the sudden break was refreshing because she was served chamomile tea that calmed her nerves; Queen Maeve was close to exploding.

"I heard you are organizing a matchmaking ball for our sons?" King Oberon asked out of nowhere and she paused momentarily.

Queen Maeve lowered her cup, a bitter taste in her mouth. So this was why he requested to see her in an informal setting, she should have known.

"Yes, I did," She resumed, sipping her tea, "Our sons are old enough to raise heirs, don’t you think so?"

The king hummed, his expression indecisive as he drank from his cup as well. He put it down.

"Don’t mess with Aldric."

Queen Maeve scoffed, "I don’t see a simple invitation causing problems?"

"Wild animals don’t strike until their territories are invaded." His eyes held her with a warning in them.

But the Queen looked at the king with a challenging smile, "What to do? I think I crossed the territory already."