Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 843: The Fae Who Escaped

Aldric’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the figure standing in their room, his features concealed beneath a hooded cloak. Islinda’s heart pounded against her ribcage as an icy chill ran through her veins, a cold sense of dread creeping up her spine. Who was this stranger? And what was he doing here?

"Who are you?" Aldric growled dangerously, his shadows already writhing around him, coiling like snakes ready to strike.

Islinda, however, had no patience for threats or words. The fight-or-flight instinct surged within her, and everything happened in a blur. Without even fully understanding what she was doing, she grabbed Aldric’s hand and instinctively drew on his power. Adrenaline surged through her, and

and with a burst of sheer willpower, she slammed a miasma of dark energy straight into the figure.

Aldric gasped, feeling the sudden drain on his magic as he watched, stunned, while Islinda unleashed his shadows, a move he never saw coming.

The force of the blast sent the intruder flying backward, crashing into the far wall with a sickening thud. He fell to the ground in a heap, his cloak crumpling around him.

For a moment, the room was silent, save for the sound of the intruder’s labored breathing. Aldric turned to Islinda, his eyes wide with shock.

"How did you do that?" he asked, his voice hushed with disbelief.

Islinda stared down at her trembling hands, equally stunned by what she had just done. "I... I don’t know," she whispered. "I just... felt this overwhelming need to protect you, and the next thing I knew, I was—" she gestured helplessly at the aftermath, "—doing that."

Aldric continued to gaze at her, his expression unreadable for a moment before a slow, wicked smile spread across his lips. Without warning, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her so tightly she could barely breathe.

"Aldric? What’s going on?" Islinda asked, her voice muffled against his chest, completely thrown off by the sudden change in his demeanor.

He pulled back just enough to smother her lips with a kiss, leaving her even more bewildered. When he finally spoke, there was a proud, almost triumphant tone in his voice.

"Being mates comes with its perks," Aldric explained, his voice filled with a dangerous kind of glee. "It’s different for everyone, but some mates can manifest, or in your case, borrow their partner’s abilities."

Islinda blinked at him. "Oh," was all she could manage to say. Her mind was still reeling from the whole revelation.

She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers as if she could summon the magic again, but nothing happened. The shadows remained dormant.

"It sure isn’t permanent though," she muttered, frowning in frustration.

"It could be, or it might not," Aldric said, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. His voice lowered, taking on a serious edge as he cupped her face with both hands, his gaze locking onto hers with such intensity that she felt a shiver run down her spine. "I’ll train you. You’ll be my equal, my Queen. And together, we’ll rule. No one will be able to stand against us."

His words should have thrilled her—he had finally said it, finally admitted that she would be his Queen—but instead, Islinda felt a cold knot of fear twist in her stomach.

Aldric’s world was full of darkness, of violence and power, and while she trusted him, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about what that training her might entail. Aldric’s ways were often... unconventional, to say the least. Moreover, what would becoming his equal truly mean? What would they do together? Would she at a point be corrupted by his darkness?

Before she could voice her thoughts, a groan echoed through the room. They both turned toward the figure on the floor, now stirring and struggling to his feet. Aldric’s expression darkened instantly, his hands clenching into fists as he summoned his magic once again, shadows swirling with renewed intensity.

But before Aldric could make his move, the intruder raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Wait, please—!" His voice was desperate, and he quickly pulled back his hood, revealing his face.

Aldric hesitated, his frown deepening as he studied the Fae. His power was still poised to strike, but something about the intruder’s sudden vulnerability made him pause.

"Please," the Fae said again, his voice trembling. "I mean you no harm."

Islinda took in his appearance, shaggy golden hair, tanned skin, and a set of pointed ears that were unmistakably Fae, though not of their court. His appearance screamed Summer Court.

"Who are you?" Islinda demanded, standing beside Aldric. "And what do you want? Why are you here?"

Aldric’s sneer returned, and he stepped forward, his shadows surging ominously. "Perhaps I should just pull the truth from your lips," he said coldly. "That would be faster." freёweɓnovel.com

"No, no!" The intruder panicked, stepping back as far as the wall would allow. "Don’t harm me! I know the truth about your mother’s accident!"

The room went deathly still. Aldric’s entire body went rigid, his eyes flashing with an emotion Islinda couldn’t quite place. When he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. "What did you just say?"

The Fae’s gaze flickered between them nervously. "I— I managed to escape the cold room," he stammered. "I knew this was a second chance given to me by the gods to set things right."

Aldric’s expression hardened, and the air around him grew thick and dangerous. "You said you know the truth about my mother’s accident," he growled, his patience thinning. "Get to the point."

The Fae swallowed hard, the oppressive aura pressing down on him like a weight. Even Islinda felt the tension thickening, making it hard to breathe. But the intruder knew he had no choice, he had to speak the truth or face a certain death.

"Your mother’s accident... it wasn’t a coincidence," the intruder said, his voice shaking. "Queen Maeve, she’s the one who leaked the details of Queen Nova’s travel to the Dark Faeries."