Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 415: In Cahoots

Chapter 415: In Cahoots

"Isn’t this amazing?" Aldric said with a mischievous grin. "The two of us spending time together like normal siblings should. All we need now is some laughter, food, and beautiful women, and it’ll be a party."

Prince Valerie glared at the dark Fae prince before focusing his attention on the ornament he had been inspecting. The Fae guard had brought a container of confiscated items, and although they hadn’t found anything suspicious on the guests, Valerie had suggested going through the enchanted objects.

King Oberon had put them both in charge of the investigation, but he hadn’t spoken to Aldric nor gone over their findings. Only the gods knows what had been going on in the king’s mind to come up with this idea.

Aldric remained undeterred by Valerie’s cold attitude. He stuck close, observing as Valerie spoke to the guard, purposely ignoring him.

"I highly doubt you’ll find anything in there," Aldric suddenly interjected. "The dark Fae wore a powerful glamour that none of your competent palace guards could see through. Everything fell apart when he attempted to attack Lady Elena."

Valerie sighed deeply by the time Aldric finished speaking. He turned to face Aldric, his expression cold as he harshly said, "Can’t you read the room?"

Aldric smirked. "The room has been evacuated."

Valerie swore under his breath, muttering inappropriate words that wasn’t for innocent ears. When he shifted his gaze back to Aldric, anger flashed in his eyes. He hissed, "Do you think this is a joke?"

"I think that’s a question I should be asking you," Aldric replied, stepping closer. "Do you think I want to be near you or breathe the same air as you?" He flared his nostrils, a dangerous warning in his eyes. "So I suggest you stop being a prick and let’s get this over with. The sooner we finish, the better it’ll be for me."

If it had been any other Fae, they would’ve been frightened by Aldric’s menacing presence. But this was Valerie, the crown prince of Astaria, and he refused to back down. If anything, his fists clenched at his sides, and he longed for bloodshed. He wanted so much to lay his hands on Aldric.

Valerie let out a dark laugh, though his eyes narrowed. "Are you kidding me right now? I can’t comprehend what father is thinking, because if it were me, I’d have you arrested immediately. What are the chances that a dark Fae attacks Lady Elena of the Raysin family at the matchmaking ball that would never benefit you?"

The accusation hung heavily in the air, causing unease among the soldiers in the room. They glanced at each other, unsure of how to proceed. It was common knowledge that both princes couldn’t stand being in the same place.

To everyone’s surprise, Aldric remained calm as he replied, "In that case, I’d say you’re an idiot."

"What?!" Valerie’s expression changed. He had expected a physical retaliation, not an insult.

"If I wanted Elena dead, would I risk waiting until the ball?" Aldric clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Dear brother, don’t let your hatred cloud your judgment. From the attack alone, I could tell that the dark Fae was working alone. Dark Fae are known for causing a certain level of destruction, but this one’s plan was sloppy. He wanted to make a statement, and Elena seemed important enough to use as an example..." He trailed off, leaving Valerie to piece the rest together.

Valerie’s expression became taut with contemplation as he considered Aldric’s theory. It seemed to make sense, but his features hardened. Giving Aldric a suspicious glare, he sneered, "Only a suspect would know all of this."

"No," Aldric leaned closer until they were eye to eye. "Only a desperate Fae would recognize the methods of a fellow desperate Fae. Try being a dark Fae for a day, and maybe you’ll understand the true meaning of oppression."

Having made his point, Aldric turned to leave.

"Where are you going?!" Valerie shouted after him, stunned by his actions.

Aldric halted and glanced back. "I’ve figured out my part of the investigation. But you haven’t, obviously. So feel free to search through the boxes." He paused for a moment before adding, "And you know where to find me if you’re ready to work together."

The dark Fae prince left the ballroom, leaving Valerie flabbergasted. By the time he regained his composure, the guards were looking at him with uncertainty. They didn’t know whether to continue or stop. This was supposed to be a joint operation.

Clamping his jaw shut, Valerie commanded, "What are you waiting for? Keep searching!"

The last thing he would do was believe his bastard brother. Aldric was cunning, and who knows, maybe this was all a ploy to distract him while covering his own tracks. Valerie was determined to expose Aldric’s crimes once and for all. He can deceive others, but him!

While this was happening, the Fae guard from earlier approached Valerie and reported, "Your highness, there is something you should know."

"What is it?" Valerie asked, intrigued, hoping the guard had found some evidence. He was getting tired, but did not show it else he affected the morale of the guards he was working with.

The guard scanned the room cautiously for Aldric before speaking in a lower voice, "It’s about the humans."

Valerie’s pointed ear perked up at the mention of the humans, particularly Islinda. Anything concerning Islinda concerned him deeply. Although he felt a foreboding feeling, he prayed that Islinda had nothing to do with the attack.

The guard continued, "Earlier, when you were occupied with the search, the human was wearing an enchanted gemstone and claimed it was for protection. I tried to confiscate it, but Prince Aldric intervened."

Valerie furrowed his brows. He had heard some commotion during the search, but it quickly died down before he could inquire. So this was what it was about. As for the gemstone, he had noticed it around Islinda’s neck, but it hadn’t been his priority at the time. Now, he could only hope it truly was for her protection and Aldric hadn’t deceived her or used her. The thought terrified him.

"I’ll look into it," Valerie replied with a tight smile.

The guard nodded and left. Valerie’s expression fell. Time was running out, and he needed to find a way to free Islinda from Aldric’s clutches.

Meanwhile, Aldric had arrived at his sleeping quarters. It was hard to believe that there would be a place for the feared prince of destruction in the palace. However, he was now confined to the palace, held hostage like the others since he had to investigate the attack. Nor could he return home without Islinda.

Speaking of Islinda, Aldric realized he hadn’t checked on her since the attack. He suppressed his panic, knowing she would be safe now that the king was directly involved. However, that didn’t mean he could let his guard down. After the safety of his son, Queen Maeve’s other obsession was her husband’s attention. Unfortunately for his little human, she had violated two of those obsessions. Islinda was now on Queen Maeve’s radar more than ever.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted Aldric’s thoughts, and his eyebrows raised as he turned towards the sound. Had Valerie changed his mind so quickly? The pompous fool of a brother was usually more stubborn than that.

"Come in," Aldric called out.

But it wasn’t Valerie who entered.

"Elena," Aldric breathed, scrutinizing her closely for any signs of corruption. She seemed well. The palace healers were skilled at their craft.

"Why are you so hard to find?" Elena asked, closing the door behind her and walking towards Aldric.

"I’ve been busy investigating your attack," Aldric replied, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, you shouldn’t be in here?"

"You saved my life," Elena said, dismissing his question.

"You’re welcome. Now, go back the way you came. Valerie might stumble in here any moment, and I wouldn’t want any misunderstandings—"

"Shhh," Elena silenced Aldric by placing her finger on his lips.

Aldric looked at her in surprise. He still couldn’t fully grasp her intentions. He found it hard to believe that a Fae of her standing would be willing to give up everything just to be with him. It seemed too good to be true. Although if she wanted a good time with him, he could grant.....

"Valerie knows I wouldn’t choose him. I made it clear to him before the ball, and he understands that it’s you that I want," Elena confessed, staring at Aldric with adoring eyes as she cupped his face with her hand.

Wait a minute... Aldric’s brows suddenly furrowed. Did she just say "before the ball"? His eyes darkened. These two fools were in cahoots.

Unaware of the subtle change in Aldric’s demeanor, Elena tilted her head and moved to kiss him, but their eyes met and locked in a fierce gaze.

"Sleep," Aldric commanded.

Elena heard the single word echo in her mind before losing consciousness.