Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 343: No Apology

Chapter 343: No Apology

Had it been other days, Islinda would have taken the time to admire the deep crimson gown that hugged her curves, the neckline embroidered with golden Faeish swirls she couldn’t decipher and plunged enough to reveal the creamy swells of her breasts. Her stomach coiled with tension and the body-hugging gown did her no good

None of the servants would talk to her even as they dressed her up and while they wore polite faces, Islinda couldn’t help but sense the resentment radiating off them. She could not spot Aurelia so far and her hands trembled in fear. She was filled with anxiety over what happened last night. She was completely left in the dark and it made her uncomfortable.

By the time they walked down the flight of stairs, Islinda recognized they were heading to the drawing room and that alone did nothing to calm her racing heart. Aldric told her he was going to put on a show and what better place to display it than the room to entertain guests?

Islinda stopped short the instant she stepped into the room because her eyes fell on Rosalind. A lump formed in her throat not because she was finally face to face with the Fae who betrayed her, but rather her horrifying appearance.

Rosalind stood in the middle of the room bound with heavy chains. Iron chains. They were draped on her body like a cloak and Islinda could tell from the bruising and burning marks on her body that it hurt like hell. She was dressed in an ordinary white slip that showed off evidence of the torture she had been through in Aldric’s hands.

Islinda didn’t need any evidence to point to the dark Fae prince as the perpetrator, she knew it. Those injuries hadn’t been on Rosalind the last night they met. Islinda shuddered at the images of the torture that flashed in her head and for once she was grateful for being so important to Aldric he wouldn’t risk laying a hand on her.

Rosalind stood deadly still with her head lowered so she was not able to see her face. A not-so-gentle nudge from the servants reminded Islinda she was frozen on the spot and prompted her to make a move. She walked on, her gaze never leaving Rosalind and their eyes met for a moment before she was led to her seat. The front seat.

The seating arrangement sickened Islinda. It was almost as if they had come to watch an... execution. Oh no, Islinda paled at once. She couldn’t do this. Aldric must have lost his damn mind. Islinda was just about to stand when the Fae of the moment stepped in.

"Hello, welcome to this history-making moment," Aldric made an epic appearance, Maxi on his side. There was no Issac.

Where was Issac? Why wasn’t he in this important moment? She needed to speak to him. Instead, Maxi covered the distance and took the seat beside her.

"Hello Islinda," She waved, assessing her, "From that panicking look on your face, I can guess that you’ve caught a whiff of what’s about to happen. Simple advice for you, do not interrupt."

Islinda bared her teeth at her, "Someone needs to tell Aldric to stop. He’s out of his mind if he thinks I’m going to sit here and watch him murder a fae —"

"Who nearly murdered you." Maxi finished up for her, although not with the information she was expecting.

"W—what?" Islinda’s blood ran cold, her face pale. She felt a wave of nausea and a faint throbbing in her head.

She rubbed her forehead, asking, "What are you talking about, Maxi?" Islinda was aching inside with so much curiosity.

Maxi leaned close, reaching out to tug Islinda’s loose hair behind her ear, "Haven’t anyone told you never to trust the Fae? No matter how innocent-looking we are, there’s always a motive, an incentive. It’s in our nature to want something, especially something precious, " Her dark whisper echoed inside of her enough to raise goosebumps on her arms.

In the blink of an eye, the strange intensity vanished as Maxi returned to her cheerful self. She said, "Good thing I was around and was able to stop Rosalind from abducting you from the castle. Perhaps next time you choose to make friends with a Fae, choose one that doesn’t have eyes for your lover."

Islinda’s eyes widened in surprise, "You knew Rosalind liked him?" She intentionally ignored the fact she called Aldric her lover. Eli was, not Aldric. But of course, she doesn’t know that, Islinda assumed Maxi was unaware of the personality split.

"What’s there not to know? There’s nothing to hide when you’re in love, not when it’s written all over your face. But love was obviously not enough for her."

"I don’t understand."

"Aldric suspects she might be working for someone. He caught a memory in her head but Rosalind had the great skill of blocking him out. For her to achieve that skill on her own means she had resources. Moreover, If Rosalind had abducted you out of jealousy as she claims, she wouldn’t have kept you alive that long. She tried to take out Aurelia, what’s a mere human then?"

Islinda froze, her heart nearly giving out from the shock. She looked Maxi dead in the eyes, "What did you just say?" Her hands were trembling and she had to place them on her lap.

"Aurelia tried to stop her from taking her, but she did not realize the extent of Rosalind’s ambition. With a clean stab to the gut with an iron knife, Aurelia was left bleeding out. She’s currently in the infirmary and in a coma. So if I were you, I’d steer clear because the Fae are out for blood." Maxi warned her.

With a stricken expression, Islinda slowly turned to meet Rosalind and the Fae stared back at her with no emotion. She saw it in her eyes. The Fae knew she was going to die.

And she wasn’t one bit apologetic.