Mated To The Cruel Prince
Chapter 491: The One He Trusted

Chapter 491: The One He Trusted

Islinda left him. It was not the first. Everyone that he even felt the tiniest of affection for either betrayed or abandoned him.

Aldric shouldn’t have felt this way, but a deep hollowness gnawed at his chest. He knew it was the mate bond causing the ache. This was what he dreaded—the moment he surrendered himself completely to a female. Yet, fate was wicked and had tethered him to a human, whose life would flicker out in the blink of an eye, leaving him to wander this realm alone. Not that he expected to live long, anyway.

Perhaps, this was nature’s way of restoring balance. He was too powerful and they had to limit him through his mate. Damn it! Who were they kidding? This was the punishment from the gods above? The gods had bestowed Islinda upon him as a mate, not out of love or fate, but as a means of punishment.

Aldric was not a follower of any gods their people believed in and worshiped. If anything he looked down at them and found their worshippers’ devotion laughable. Where were the said gods when his mother was captured by the dark Faeries? Why were the said gods when his fate was altered? Where were the gods when his mother died? Why did they take the only thing that mattered to him?

He had loved his mother even though she despised his existence and blamed him for her misfortune. She had not been in her right mind. He had understood that and loved her even when she cursed him with his hidden name and shattered his mind. Where were the damned gods?

Yes, this was it. A divine punishment for his arrogance and mockery. As Aldric pondered this, bitterness welled up within him, fueled by the sense of cosmic injustice that seemed to dictate his fate. Congratulations, the gods won this time.

Islinda had departed, leaving Aldric alone. With her absence, Aldric found himself devoid of any remaining motivation to combat Issac and Maxi. He remained in a defeated state, kneeling with his head slumped, resigned to their hold over him. Not that he could put up much fight anyway. He could feel the iron poison making its way to his heart. He was weakened and possibly dying.

Perhaps dying wasn’t so bad. Except he would be paying for his crime in the netherworld. No, that was too soon. But then, the peace that washed over him was too sweet to let go.

"Aldric...." Maxi called his name, kneeling now in front of him with eyes full of concern. She clasped his face with both hands, saying something, but he couldn’t hear her because her words sounded distant. Distorted. However, the panic in her eyes was obvious.

Aldric was a little touched yet thrilled seeing the desperation in her eyes. She betrayed him so she deserved to suffer a little bit but he was glad to know that Maxi did not hate him. In the end, it seems his beloved Maximus was the only person at his side in the end. Hence with a foolish smile, Aldric succumbed to the darkness and it embraced him with open arms. So peaceful.

"Hey!"

Aldric was startled awake when he felt a sharp sting across his cheek, waking up to stare into Maxi’s annoyed blue eyes.

"Hello, sleeping beast. You scared me there for a second." She grinned at him before turning to someone saying, "Good work, he’s alive."

Aldric let out a groan, slightly disoriented. He worked his jaw where he felt the sting guessing his "Wonderful" horse shifter woke him up with a good slap. With a crick in his neck, he gingerly turned his head, wincing at the discomfort. A sharp muscle cramp shot through his leg as he attempted to stretch, causing him to grimace and carefully adjust his position. However, Aldric’s attempt to stretch out completely was abruptly halted as he realized he was chained to the wall.

"What in the damned Fae?" Aldric cursed under his breath as he frantically tugged at the restraints, only to find them securely fastened. He tried to summon his dark powers only to come up with nothing.

That was when Aldric looked around his surroundings and realized this was his special room. A special room he built with materials that could stripe a Fae of his powers. albeit temporary. As long as the Fae remained in here. The same material used in the dampening cuff that had silenced his ability back at the palace. Maxi dared to use his prison against him.

Only then did panic surge through him. Aldric hated the feeling of helplessness. He was all he was because of his ability. Without it, he was nothing but prey to be plucked off. Maxi has crossed the line this time. At this point, he had no idea what he would do to her once he was free.

When his gaze slid up, he realized that the Fae Maxi was talking to was Zaya the healer. She must have been the one who pulled him back from the claws of death. Now she stared back at him, unsure and hesitant over what to do. He couldn’t blame her, not with Maxi watching him with menacing satisfaction knowing she held all the power in this room..

He growled dangerously, "You better have a good reason for this, Maxi."

"Fulfilling my part of my bargain to Islinda. I made a promise and I can’t back out of it, can I?" Maxi hinted that she was bound to her words.

"By holding me hostage in my own home?" Aldric snarled, his eyes flashing with anger.

Maxi turned to Zaya, the healer, "You may leave us."

But Zaya was hesitant to leave, her gaze flickering between the both of them and she looked so guilty she might as well jump in and rescue Aldric. Not that Maxi didn’t notice.

"Now!" Maxi commanded and the healer nearly jumped out of her skin.

Zaya swallowed nervously. She gave Aldric an apologetic look and then ran out of the room as quickly as her legs could take her.

"Now, where were we?" Maxi turned to Aldric with an authoritative stance, folding her arms across her chest. It was safe to say that if Aldric was an unfeeling bastard, then Maxi learned from the best. It was as if the both of them were made from the same mold, because Maxi looked at him with a cold, unreadable expression.

Aldric was finally getting a taste of his own medicine and it was from the one he trusted so much.