Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 436: Defend Yourself

Chapter 436: Defend Yourself

That was strange. It was the only word Islinda could mutter inwardly after Andre helped put the necklace on her. She felt him linger, and when he traced her neck, she nearly jumped out of her skin because it felt damn intimate and weird.

Islinda had felt comfortable around Andre before because she knew it was impossible for him to develop feelings for her. But after that little stunt, she had no idea anymore. Maybe it was a mistake, she told herself. It was better for her to dwell on that than to face reality because there was so much going on right now.

Andre stepped back once he was done, leaving a significant gap between them and a blank expression on his face. Islinda ignored it, glancing at the gemstone resting on her chest and holding onto it as if her life depended on it. At least now, she was safe. The necklace would protect her while Andre kept her safe.

Someone clearing their throat beside her snapped her back to reality, and she stared at the Autumn prince as he said, "You should change out of your clothes and settle down. Unfortunately, my clothes are all you have right now. There’s no way I can get you female clothes in the midst of this chaos, and there’s no one I can trust at the moment."

Islinda paused as soon as she heard "his clothes" and would have accused Andre of hitting on her subtly if she hadn’t listened to the rest of his explanation. After all, she hadn’t expected Andre to keep a set of female clothes as a souvenir or something. That would be even weirder as it would make her wonder who it belonged to and what they had done in it. However, wearing his own clothes still felt oddly intimate.

Nevertheless, Islinda brushed these thoughts aside, knowing that these were desperate times. Her hands were tied, and she honestly wanted to get out of this dirty and chaotic dress. Not to mention, it limited her movements, which would be a problem if she were to be attacked. So, yes, Andre’s clothes were a blessing in disguise.

Andre said, "It’ll be difficult, but I’ll try to send down some food somehow—"

"No, don’t," she interrupted. Her stomach was full of tension, and she wouldn’t be able to eat anything due to nerves. She had no appetite. She added, "Please don’t."

Andre straightened up, subtly nodding his head to show he understood. "I’ll have to leave then."

But as soon as he turned, Islinda grabbed his hand, and he glanced down at her gesture with a furrowed brow. Islinda thought he wasn’t comfortable with her touching him, so she quickly let go, not realizing that Andre was frustrated with how he was reading too much meaning into her actions.

"I have no idea," he confessed. "Aldric made a huge mess this time, and if I had to guess, I’d say he’s being held in one of the dungeons."

Her breath caught in her throat, and panic surfaced once again. Her hand reached for the gemstone, holding onto it like it was her lifeline, a gesture that Andre noticed but said nothing about. Her mouth opened to speak, but her tongue felt numb, as if tied not to speak. Fear and panic stifled her voice.

Frustration painted her face, and Andre quickly said, "He’s probably fine. No matter what, Aldric is still a prince, so as long as my father is the king of this kingdom, he’ll be treated as such. But I need to leave to find out what’s going on. The fact that I’m still here while the palace is turned upside down seems suspicious enough. I have to go, Islinda."

When Islinda finally found her voice, it came out as a croak. "H—how long?" She swallowed. "How long will you be gone?"

"I’m afraid I can’t give you a specific time," Andre answered sympathetically. "I heard Queen Maeve is seething with rage. She won’t let this go easily and must already be gathering the ministers to badger my father. This could go on until midnight or even the next day, I’m afraid. I need to gather enough intel, not just for my benefit, but for your safety. Also, here..."

Islinda watched in surprise as he bent down, pulling a dagger from his boot and handing it to her. "I know I said that the Fae outside would protect you, but if things escalate, at least you should have something..." He looked at the charm necklace around her neck. "Well, another item to keep you safe. You know how to use one, right?"

"Roughly," Islinda answered, taking the dagger from him and being surprised at how light it was. She swung it through the air, making a few moves, but her footwork betrayed her inexperience.

She stopped and turned, saying proudly, "I’m much more lethal with a bow and arrow."

"Nice one, but my kind would see you coming with that. What you need is a close-range weapon to create an element of surprise." He suddenly grabbed her arm without warning, pulling her closer to him.

Their bodies were pressed together, and Islinda’s eyes widened with surprise before narrowing with suspicion. But Andre continued speaking, grabbing her hand holding the dagger and bringing it up to his chest. "You must make no mistake, a stab through the chest would deter the enemy. It’s not made of iron, so it can’t kill my kind, but it would give you a chance to run. And when you do, run as if your life depends on it because we heal quickly."

Andre leaned in so close that a mere tilt of his head would result in a kiss. Islinda knew Andre was a tease, but there was something different and intense and darker about him now that made her heart race. Not in a good way, but as if she realized she was prey dancing with a predator that could consume her entirely.

He suddenly let go, and Islinda had to blink to clear her mind from whatever had just happened. However, Andre was back to his usual self and said with a hint of dread in his voice, "Hopefully, it won’t come down to that. Have a nice day, Islinda."