Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 444: His Fear Came True

Chapter 444: His Fear Came True

The palace was in complete chaos, and for once, Andre thanked the gods that he was not in Valerie’s shoes. As the crown prince, it was his responsibility to clean up the mess that their younger brother, Aldric, had created.

What was Aldric thinking? Andre knew that Aldric was a bit twisted, but this was the first time he had openly challenged Fae Queen Maeve, and he couldn’t understand why. Aldric had always been unpredictable, and no one could guess what was going on in his mind.

The infirmary was filled with injured Faeries, and Andre did his best to help, having picked up some healing skills while in the human realm. He noticed Theodore and his mother, Queen Nirvana, also assisting. Spring Fae were blessed with the power of healing, along with the dyrads and elves, who were master healers.

Andre was not foolish enough to believe that Queen Nirvana was healing out of compassion. No, this was a political move. Queen Maeve was not present to reassure the frightened and broken-spirited, so Queen Nirvana took up the role to gain favor with the people.

Prince Andre shook his head and moved on. Even though it was clear that King Oberon had not changed his mind about making Valerie the crown prince, Queen Nirvana still held hope and tried various tactics to change his decision. Not that she had succeeded so far.

Andre pitied Queen Nirvana and his brother Theodore for being dragged into this mess. But he knew that while they pitied him, they also pitied him for not having any political ambition. If only they knew.

Power called to every Fae, it coursed through their blood, which was why they craved blood and were so competitive. However, Andre desired his happiness and freedom over the pain and death his brothers subjected themselves to in their quest for power. Not to mention, nothing had motivated him thus far. Andre was content with what he had. Only time would tell if he would change his mind. After all, no one knows what the future holds, and change is constant.

However, Andre was not innocent either. He had ulterior motives for being here. He was his father’s spymaster in the human realm, and now he was using those skills to gather intelligence. Aldric was still alive, thankfully, and had been taken to the dungeons as Andre expected.

He had tried to visit Aldric to see his state, but Valerie had prevented him from entering. Valerie’s authority surpassed his own, and there was nothing Andre could do. There was no sneaking into the heavily guarded prison without a plan. So he left, holding onto faith that Aldric was fine.

Now he watched the Queens, including his mother. One thing he had learned about the royal family was that everyone was scheming and no one could be fully trusted, not even your own mother. Queen Maeve was in the drawing room, calming the nerves of the shaken aristocrats. Everyone knew that his mother was the diplomat of the family, just as he was good at diffusing tense situations.

His mother would not harm him, but her scheming might hinder him and get him into trouble. Someone was plotting to kill Islinda, and Queen Maeve was the most obvious suspect, but Andre could not put it past Queen Nirvana to attempt the same. Andre couldn’t fathom why his mother would want to harm Islinda, but if Queen Maeve and Nirvana recruited her, Islinda would have no choice. They would undoubtedly convince her it was the right move, a necessary sacrifice for the sake of peace. Not to mention, she was at their mercy.

First, Andre wanted to confirm if anyone had seen him leaving with Islinda. It had been chaos at that time, and everyone was focused on escaping for their lives. But anything could have happened, and he was grateful to be a prince. They would not be so disrespectful as to break into his place and abduct Islinda. Thankfully, the guards he had stationed at the entrance were experienced and would keep her safe.

Andre worked discreetly, not drawing attention to himself. However, he did not go completely unnoticed, as a message reached him. The presence of the royal family was required at the gallows. It was time to execute the dark Fae.

The presence of the royal family and courtiers at the execution was meant to ensure accountability and deter others from defying the law, asserting their superiority over others. Andre understood that this was a strategic move from his father. After the chaos Aldric had caused, a public spectacle was needed to quell the protests and anger. Aldric was lucky to have the dark Fae as a scapegoat.

The arena was packed, and Andre’s eyes widened with surprise when he saw Valerie climb up the platform. Aldric was supposed to perform the execution, but he was in prison. Now, it would be Valerie’s responsibility.

In the human realm, executions like this typically involved the condemned standing on a trap door with a noose around their neck. However, this one had a slight variation. The dark Fae stood with his hands and neck bound, while Valerie stared at him with an unreadable expression.

The Faeries gathered, humming with anticipation, as a guard handed Valerie a bow and arrow. Valerie wore special gloves since the arrow was made of iron and he tested the string’s tension. Then, with renewed determination, he faced the target, nocked the arrow, and drew.

With fire in his eyes, Valerie released the arrow, which was enchanted so that it became three arrows that flew towards the Fae. The arrows struck the dark Fae directly in the chest, and a roar of jubilation erupted among the Faeries. As long as the iron arrow remained in his bloodstream, the dark Fae would be poisoned to death.

To ensure the dark Fae stayed dead, Valerie swiftly decapitated him with an axe, causing another wave of celebration among the crowd. The headless body was then hung in the gallows as a warning to others of his kind.

By the time Andre could return to the palace, it was nighttime. He felt anxious to get to his living space. The fact that he had been away from the palace where he could easily protect her unsettled him. His fears were confirmed when he reached the entrance and found the guards unconscious on the floor.

"No, no, no..." Andre muttered as he quickly burst into the room, rushing into the bedroom. He noticed the balcony door swinging open and barely made it in time to see Islinda falling off the balcony.

"No!"