Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 408: What Chances Did She Have?

Chapter 408: What Chances Did She Have?

"I should go in first," Islinda told Valerie as she untangled herself from his arms. She knew the effort was pointless, given that Queen Maeve’s people might have already caught them kissing, but she was not about to take any chances.

Valerie instead suggested, "We could go in together," and she gave him a murderous look that made him laugh.

"Alright, my love, whatever you say," Valerie said, his nose skimming across her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

Despite her emotions, Islinda was wary of their relationship, her gaze darting around like a thief who did not want to be caught stealing.

She had merely kissed him in that fleeting moment of vulnerability between them. Now Valerie thought their relationship was serious and it was all her fault. She should have defined their relationship and told him that this was not happening.

But even as she stared at Valerie, Islinda couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth and push him away. What was wrong with her? Was she that desperate for attention from both princes? In the end, she knew she was making a mistake and this would not end well.

"I need to go," Islinda hastily pulled away, weighed down by the guilt gnawing at her.

Disappointment flickered in Valerie’s eyes, but he quickly covered it up. He somehow sensed that Islinda hadn’t fully opened up to him and was holding back. However, he was patient and would give her time. Valerie was not letting go, not now, not ever.

He watched as she walked away, fighting the urge to take her hand and go in with her, proving to the entire realm that he had chosen her as his bride. It irritated Valerie greatly that she and Aldric were dressed similarly, giving off the impression that they were a couple. However, he knew deep down that this was a game played by Aldric and he would not allow him to win. He would fight tooth and nail to make Islinda his. Aldric would not win this war.

Now that her thoughts were better organized, Islinda followed the sound of the music and made her way to the ballroom. The party was in full swing, as if her presence didn’t matter at all; nobody would miss her if she were gone.

Feeling bitter inside, her eyes darted towards the spot reserved for the royal family and discovered Elena was missing from her seat. Her pulse raced and an ominous feeling stirred within her. She had seen the way the Fae had looked at Aldric. No, it couldn’t be. All the noble females avoided Aldric. She couldn’t be the exception, right?

Islinda was filled with eagerness to find Aldric and searched around for him since he wasn’t where she had last seen him. When her gaze finally landed on the dance floor, there they were, and what Islinda saw made her eyes darken with rage.

A wave of sickening dizziness shot through Islinda’s head as she watched Elena dancing in Aldric’s arms. The Fae was pressed against him in the same way Aldric had held her moments ago, if not more intimately. Unlike her, who had squirmed in his arms like a fish out of water, Elena looked relaxed and like she belonged there. They looked like a power couple.

Great possessive anger seized Islinda, and she stood frozen for a long moment with her temples throbbing. It took everything in her not to walk over there and wrench Elena from his arms. Aldric was hers.

No, no, no, where was that voice coming from? Islinda lifted a hand to her throbbing temple. Aldric would never be hers. He was someone who had killed his first love over a misunderstanding that could have been easily solved if he wasn’t consumed by anger. If Tatiana couldn’t survive him, what chances did she, a mere human, have?

She lifted her reddened eyes from rage to take in the scene once more, and it came to her attention that she wasn’t the only one displeased by what was going on. Queen Maeve sat down, her body rigid with tension, anger, and humiliation. She looked like she wanted to strike Aldric and Elena down, which explained why the temperature in the room was beginning to rise.

As if sensing someone watching her, Queen Maeve suddenly turned to her, her hardened eyes meeting Islinda’s, and her heart leaped out of her chest. She turned away at once, panicking inwardly. No! The queen must have seen her. So much for wanting to stay under the radar.

Valerie entered at that moment, and he too halted when he saw Aldric and Elena dancing together. Only the hardening of his jaw showed his discomfort, his face adopting a cold, snickered expression as he walked on.

Seeing that reaction made Islinda frown slightly. Fae had such primal, feral possessiveness towards those they considered theirs. Did it mean he felt nothing for Elena? Or was this how he planned to solve everything? Was he willingly pushing Elena into Aldric’s arms?

The thought didn’t sit right with Islinda, but she moved over to the bouquet table, turning her back completely on the scene. It was the only way to keep herself from doing something stupid. Her hands were still shaking from the earlier aggression, and she grabbed a plate, willing her mind to calm down.

With Aldric absent to guide her, Islinda loaded her plate with food, not caring whether it was enchanted or not. The gemstone would protect her, and if she were to die, then all of this would be over. She would have peace and be saved from the dramas of the royal Fae family.

Islinda attempted to distract herself by binging on food, not wanting to focus on the painful feeling in her chest. She was just a confused human who shouldn’t have gotten involved with two Fae princes. They had ruined her life.

After piling a mountain of food onto her plate, Islinda turned around to find a seat and settle down. Except that was when the attack happened.