Mated To The Cruel Prince -
Chapter 556: Islinda Would Never Leave His Castle
Chapter 556: Islinda Would Never Leave His Castle
And there she was.
His beloved mate, Islinda, finally emerged from the dingy abode where his brother Valerie had kept her hidden. Aldric couldn’t help but scoff at Islinda’s logic—she had escaped him in search of freedom, only to find herself confined in Valerie’s prison. And compared to his own spacious accommodations, this place was nothing more than a glorified shoebox.
Islinda must be blind if she found anything appealing about this place. It looked as though it had been designed by someone who had never heard of symmetry or good taste— an architectural equivalent of a headache-inducing eyesore. Aldric fumed inwardly at her choice, wondering how she could possibly stand it.
Despite Aldric’s harsh assessment, the house was far from a dump; it was simply small, humble, and cozy. But then again, who could argue with the notoriously nefarious dark Fae prince?
Perhaps he should consider relinquishing his castle for one of these "smaller" structures; perhaps then, she would love him, Aldric reasoned bitterly.
For hours, Aldric had been covertly stalking Valerie’s residence, biding his time. During his captivity, the dark Fae prince had meticulously planned this moment, envisioning kicking down the doors and forcibly taking his mate away. If Valerie dared to interfere, he would deal with him swiftly and decisively.
Unfortunately, reality fell far short of Aldric’s imagination. For hours, he had not yet stormed inside; instead, he paced outside in frustration. Maxi’s warning echoed in his mind, the reminder that pushing Islinda too far would only backfire on him. Why had he entertained her words in the first place? Now, he couldn’t shake them from his mind. What did Maxi even know? She was just a dumb horse who couldn’t get Issac in bed for months until he literally advised her.
He shouldn’t listen to Maxi. Islinda belonged to him. She was his mate. The mere thought of her being close to another male drove him crazy, especially knowing it was Valerie. During his captivity, the mere thought of Valerie seducing her was the most infuriating. In Aldric’s mind, storming in and claiming her would be the right decision. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The idea of seeing Islinda’s disappointed face tore at him the most.
But now that Islinda was out, Aldric felt as though the universe had finally aligned in his favor. Finally, they had rescued him from his torment, for Islinda was not heading back to Valerie’s abode; instead, she was headed straight to his castle. This was his chance to reclaim her, to kidnap her back to his rightful place by his side.
Following their ride at a safe distance, Aldric couldn’t help but resent his brother Valerie. However, he acknowledged the wisdom in having his guard Derek follow them discreetly. In essence, Aldric was now stalking the stalker. Yet, he knew he would need to find a way to deal with the interfering Fae if he wanted Islinda back home with him. Nothing and no one would stand in the way of him claiming his mate today.
Even from a considerable distance, Aldric could discern the laughter and lively chatter emanating from inside the carriage. His mate had companions—ones who brought her genuine joy. It had been far too long, but even Aldric had to acknowledge the soothing effect of Islinda’s sincere laughter, like a balm to the soul.
Unfortunately, he struggled to recall the number of times Islinda had laughed so carefree in his presence. Aldric’s brows furrowed with contemplation as he pondered his past treatment of his mate. And he couldn’t shake the uncomfortable sensation in his chest, a feeling uncomfortably akin to guilt.
They arrived at the marketplace, a strategic choice that worked in Aldric’s favor. It provided him with the opportunity to seamlessly blend in with the bustling crowd of Fae going about their daily tasks. Aldric donned a hooded cloak to avoid drawing attention to himself and causing pandemonium. Amidst the sea of Fae with midnight blue hair and runes adorning their bodies, he stood out as the singular figure. Only him.
Aldric never wavered in his focus on Islinda, keenly aware of the company that flanked her on both sides. "Valerie never changes," Aldric sneered to himself, knowing his brother had successfully planted his spies at his mate’s side. Once he had Islinda by his side, he would swiftly dispose of the others.
There was nothing particularly unusual about the scene, except for Aldric noticing how impressed Islinda seemed by nearly everything in the marketplace. A pang of guilt struck him. Islinda clearly enjoyed being outdoors, yet he hardly let her out.
Perhaps Maxi had been right to some extent; he had confined her too much. No wonder she had sought solace with Valerie, who allowed her the freedom to explore the Fae realm at will. And come to think of it, was that a bag of coins? He had never given her any money, and she certainly hadn’t stolen from him. It must have been Valerie.
A bitter taste filled Aldric’s mouth as he realized Islinda had never taken anything from him, despite his considerable wealth. Why had she never felt the need to?
It infuriated Aldric to see his damn brother gaining favor with Islinda while he lagged behind. At this rate, mate bond or not, Valerie might truly covet his mate. Well, Aldric vowed to step up his game once Islinda was back in his possession.
For starters, he would allow her much more freedom. He had been apprehensive about his wicked stepmothers targeting her, but now he realized he had overestimated their intelligence. They couldn’t possibly discern just how important Islinda was to him, and perhaps Islinda wasn’t as significant to them as he had initially feared... Hold on a moment...
A deep scowl marred Aldric’s expression as he spotted a hooded figure from the crowd, his gaze fixed on his mate. Islinda had stopped in front of a shop with her companion, unaware of the lurking threat behind her, a smile gracing her face as she examined the wares being sold.
As the self-proclaimed king of villains, Aldric’s instincts prickled with alarm, sensing the sinister intentions of the novice villain towards his mate. Judging from the dagger swiftly drawn from the figure’s side, his intent was clear: to harm his mate.
"Oh, damn him!" Aldric seethed inwardly, his protective instincts flaring. No one would dare lay a finger on his mate.
Aldric deftly manipulated his shadow, guiding it silently through the bustling crowd until it reached his target and deftly tugged at the knife in the Faerie’s possession. Startled, the Fae’s panicked gaze darted around in search of the source of the disturbance —ultimately meeting Aldric’s own gaze, as intended.
Their eyes locked, and in that moment, Aldric delved into the depths of the Fae’s mind, seizing control effortlessly. With a subtle command, he directed the Fae to a secluded alleyway, where he swiftly dispatched him. Normally, Aldric would relish the opportunity to savor the kill, but he couldn’t risk leaving Islinda unattended for too long. Thus, he neutralized the threat swiftly and returned to his covert surveillance of Islinda.
However, Aldric’s resolve nearly faltered when he discovered that, in place of the assassin he had dispatched, two more had taken his place, prompting a string of profanities to escape his lips.
In that moment, Aldric rescinded his earlier decision—Islinda would never leave his castle again.
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