Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 391: Broken

Chapter 391: Broken

Music Recommdation: On Another Love - Tom O’Dell

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"Where is my mother?" Valerie hissed as soon as he spotted her handmaiden. He could see the entourage that had been sent to find him trailing behind, as if afraid he would try to escape after they had gone to such efforts to locate him.

His eyes darted towards the door, and he attempted to step forward, only to be blocked by the handmaiden, who shouted, "What in the cursed Fae do you think you’re doing?!"

Valerie raised an eyebrow, utterly perplexed by the Fae’s exaggerated reaction. He hadn’t done anything wrong other than trying to enter his mother’s chamber. Her response seemed to suggest she had something to hide.

"What do you think I’m doing?" he asked, his brow slightly furrowed.

The handmaiden spoke hurriedly, "Fae Queen Maeve has given me specific instructions. She ordered you to visit Elena and get to know her. Your mother has approved of her and expects her to win you over."

Valerie could see that his mother had chosen Elena to be his wife. As if he cared. One of the reasons he had come to see her was to make it clear that he had no interest in her matchmaking.

"Fine," he sighed. "I’ll talk to her then."

He approached the door, only for the handmaiden to spread her arms wide and stand defensively in front of it. "The Fae Queen wishes not to be disturbed!" she declared firmly.

Valerie narrowed his gaze. Although it wasn’t the first time his mother had issued such commands, there was something fishy going on. The handmaiden seemed nervous, with sweat on her forehead and an accelerated heartbeat. Something was not right.

However, Valerie chose not to push the issue. He let out a deep breath instead and casually stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Fine. Do as you wish."

He turned to leave, and the entourage was ready to escort him to ensure he didn’t attempt to escape the Queen’s orders.

Relieved that the young prince had given up, the handmaiden let out a sigh and leaned against the door. That was a close call.

But that moment of hesitation was a weakness, because Valerie had never intended to leave in the first place. He had merely tricked the poor Fae into lowering her guard.

Before she knew what was happening, someone pulled her away from the door, shoving her forward. Before she could regain her composure, Valerie had already entered and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

No, no, no...

Valerie strode into his mother’s spacious quarters with determination and kicked open the door to her bedroom, wanting to make a statement. However, he stopped short upon seeing his mother burying her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

But it wasn’t her tears that shocked him the most; rather, it was the vulnerability he saw on his mother’s face. The moment of weakness, the pain, and the sorrow – it all stunned him. He had to blink several times to ensure he was seeing correctly.

What was going on?

Without speaking a word, Valerie stood rooted to the ground.

"H-how... W-what... W-why..." he stammered, so many questions on the tip of his tongue but unable to voice any of them. He was simply frozen in shock.

Valerie had never witnessed his mother shedding tears before. Emotions were something she deemed reserved for humans. She had always been confident, strong-willed, and cold, leading him to believe she didn’t have a heart. But now, this display was a complete shock. He was still processing it all when his mother’s stern voice snapped him back to reality.

"What in the Fae are you doing here?!" she thundered.

Valerie was rendered speechless. Even in her moment of vulnerability, she remained cold and harsh towards him. Couldn’t she cut him some slack? Couldn’t she see how miserable she was making him? Why couldn’t she just be a normal mother?

But Valerie knew there was nothing normal about him. He was a prince, next in line to the throne of Astaria, and Queen Maeve wouldn’t hesitate to be tough on him, even in her own pain. He was her only reason for living and she had to secure the future she thought he deserved.

"M-mother," he stammered.

The moment shattered as his mother’s handmaiden rushed in to prevent him from bothering the Queen, followed by the entourage who believed they were doing the right thing by pursuing the prince.

They all stepped in and froze at the sight of the teary-eyed queen. Queen Maeve, in turn, went rigid, her spine straightening as she stared back at them. Then, her gaze darkened, and Valerie swallowed hard, witnessing the mix of pain, humiliation, and anger cross her expression.

"Get out!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, the shrill sound jolting everyone into action as they realized their mistake. They shouldn’t have witnessed the queen in such a vulnerable state.

In fear for their lives, they hurriedly scurried away, seeing the fury in Queen Maeve’s eyes and praying she wouldn’t take their lives for their intrusion. They had only been concerned about her when Valerie burst in unexpectedly.

"Mother..." Valerie was the only one who remained, looking at her with pity in his eyes. He had no idea what had upset her, but he had a feeling it had something to do with his father—and his own stubbornness. He wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the crack in their relationship; he knew his mother loved him deeply.

"What are you still waiting here for?" Queen Maeve’s voice was chillingly cold, her eyes turbulent like a raging storm. She despised the pity in his eyes. She wasn’t broken. She wasn’t weak. She didn’t need his sympathy.

"But, mother—"

"I SAID LEAVE!" Her powers erupted in an outburst, directed towards Valerie. He instinctively raised a protective hand in front of his face, causing the flames to sputter out. He extinguished them unconsciously.

Valerie was horrified as he finally looked at his mother, unable to comprehend that she had just tried to harm him. He stood there in utter disbelief.

"LEAVE!" she insisted, almost hysterical.

And so, he granted her wish, heartbroken more than ever before.