Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 287: Her Dream

Chapter 287: Her Dream

The food at the restaurant did not taste better than the ones served at the castle, but for some strange reason, Islinda enjoyed it better. Perhaps, it must be because she was finally in the open and saw other faces other than the Faeries in the palace.

When she thought Eli couldn’t be sweeter, he went beyond her expectations. He gave specific instructions to the Fae waitstaff on how to serve her meal since she was human and the food sold here was enchanted. Also, she noticed the restaurant was racist towards humans. The disregard on the Fae’s face was obvious, one glare from Eli was all it took to get her ass moving anyway.

However, it was strange, how could there be two sides to one man, no, Fae. How could she hate one (Aldric) and adore the other (Eli) when they were one and the same? Islinda pushed that complicated thought to the back of her mind, having decided to just enjoy tonight.

At a small stage in the corner, Fae musicians played harps, and flute and sang in blissful harmony, which was a perfect distraction since they had not talked after their meal was served. However, while they dined, Islinda could not help but notice eyes on her.

At first, she had assumed that it was because of her earlier drama until it hit her that although Eli changed his appearance, he was still Fae and she was nothing but a mere human. Faeries of Astaria were still not open to interracial relations with humans. It dawned on her.

"Ignore them," Eli’s velvety voice broke through her daze, "They would give up when they have stared enough."

"O–okay," Islinda stuttered, focusing on her food.

Unlike her who absent-mindedly picked at her food, Eli devoured his and seemed to enjoy it even if his expression did not reveal so. He had a stoic face and it was hard to read.

"You must get that a lot," Islinda said, starting a conversation with him.

"Get what a lot, princess?"

"You know the looks and all. You are ...." She trailed off, looking around suspiciously as if trying to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. She leaned across the table, her voice dropped to a whisper, "A dark Fae, after all." Islinda didn’t want to ruin his cover.

Eli leaned towards her, whispering as well, "Of course, people stare at what they don’t understand and are afraid of," He smirked at her. Although his mimicking her action looked mocking, Islinda knew he was only joining in the fun.

Islinda straightened in her seat, seeing this as an opportunity to ask the questions that had been on her mind. "Tell me more about the dark Fae. Why is your kind so feared?"

As a response to that question, Eli gave her a long look that made her feel uneasy and Islinda fidgeted in her seat unsure. Perhaps, she was a bit hasty in asking about such a sensitive subject.

He picked up the drink served in a crystal goblet, his eyes fixed on her as he downed the shimmering liquid. Islinda couldn’t help but watch, entranced as his throat worked with each drink, the move somewhat erotic.

Her thoughts wandered and Islinda envisioned tracing the column of his throat with her lips, biting down playfully on his Adam’s apple, and hearing him moan. Fuck, he was effortlessly seducing him again!

"W-what?" Islinda was roused by his words, confusing her slightly, "You were saying?"

"I said," Eli repeated, his lips jutting out to lick his lower lips slowly and intentionally, knowing the effect it had on her, "I came on this date to know more about you, you can keep the questions for later."

"Oh." Islinda blushed hard, scratching the back of her head. He wanted to know about her. It made her giddy with excitement.

She asked, "What do you know about me?"

Eli leaned back into his seat, shrugging, "I don’t know. Probably, mundane things about you like your favorite colors, random fun facts about you?"

Islinda blushed harder, he wanted to know intimate things about her. She tucked her hair behind her ear, shy all of a sudden. However, Eli’s indifferent look made her snap out of it.

She cleared her throat, "My favorite color is white."

"Interesting, the color of a pure soul," Eli said, his lips curling wickedly, "Makes it satisfying for when I corrupt you."

Islinda was rendered speechless by his shamelessness, however, she attributed it to Eli being mischievous again, waving it aside.

She continued, "I didn’t have many colorful clothes while growing up, as far as I can remember. I loved being outdoors as a kid and followed my father around a lot, playing in his farmland and getting my clothes soiled. My stepmother thought it was a hassle washing my dirty clothes so she made my father get me darker ones, that way the dirt wouldn’t show and I could wear them for a longer extended time. As a child, I naturally got jealous of my stepsisters who wore colorful ones, wishing I had a brighter one that could outshine them all and that was where my love for white comes in. Funny thing though, the majority of my clothes are in black." She chuckled in the end.

Eli stared at her, captivated by the sound of her bubbly laughter, and didn’t even realize he was smiling too. However, he caught himself when she suddenly asked him, "What about you? What’s your favorite color?"

"Blue." He answered confidently and without hesitation, "It is the color of the winter court and reminds me of everything about my mother."

"Oh. So that’s the case." Islinda breathed. Her eyes darted around nervously as she battled with the burning curiosity to ask the question at the tip of her tongue, thankfully, Eli took the option from her by asking instead, "What’s your dream then?"

"To be free from you," The retort was there on her lips, however, Islinda bit back the words. She was on a date with Eli, not Aldric, and needed to cut him some slack.

Islinda picked up her fork and stabbed it into the mushroom, lifting it to her mouth without eating it, her brows furrowed in thought.

"At first, my dream was to be able to provide for my family. I wanted to be as rich as my father. That way, I wouldn’t have any issues giving into the hassles of my fake family until my sisters were married off and I would finally be rid of them, hopefully. But now, there is no more hassling and I am rid of them, forever. So I don’t know anymore." Islinda pushed the mushroom into her mouth and looked away reticently.