"Where is she?" Aldric demanded from the dinner table, his gaze falling on the Fae who returned alone.
Marimar’s nervous gaze darted across the hall, desperately seeking another Fae to take her place. She had been thrilled when Prince Aldric promoted her to Aurelia’s position, but now she felt trapped in a precarious situation. She feared losing a limb or worse, her head, all thanks to Lady Islinda.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Marimar answered, "My prince, Lady Islinda has expressed her desire not to join—"
Before Marimar could finish her statement, a crashing sound echoed throughout the hall, causing her to nearly jump in fright. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Prince Aldric’s eyes, but she could sense his burning fury. The room suddenly grew colder, her own breath forming mist in the air. As if the raging storm outside the castle was not enough, Marimar, being a spring Fae, found the temperature deeply unsettling.
Marimar dared not move, especially with Prince Aldric’s impending steps drawing nearer. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, silently praying to the gods that this wouldn’t be the end for her. Why did Islinda have to put her in this position?
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she only exhaled when she saw Prince Aldric storm past her, her head still securely attached to her neck. He stormed out of the dining hall, leaving an air of tension behind.
"By the gods!" Marimar gasped in relief, her legs nearly giving out from under her. Her neck ached from bowing her head for so long.
She wasn’t the only one relieved by the prince’s departure. Every other Fae in the hall seemed to release their breaths, realizing they could once again breathe more easily. None of them dared to breathe carelessly in Prince Aldric’s presence, especially not when his expression was so grim it seemed like he was capable of summoning lightning from the sky.
Marimar stared at the door, a foreboding feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. While she may have escaped Aldric’s wrath, the same couldn’t be said for Lady Islinda. The dark Fae prince, consumed by negative energy, was on his way to confront her, and there would be no one to save her. Islinda wouldn’t be spared from his anger.
Meanwhile, all Aldric could see was red, his head pounding with the weight of his anger. He had run out of patience and could no longer tolerate Islinda’s tantrums. He refused to let her starve under his watch. Either she would join him for dinner, or he would force-feed her. Maxi’s advice about giving her space be damned.
Aldric had thought that his visit the previous night would change her mind, but he received reports that morning that the food left in her room remained untouched. He had hoped the hunger pangs would teach her a lesson during breakfast, but Aldric had forgotten one crucial detail. Islinda had grown up with little to no food in the human realm, so fasting was of little consequence to her.
Although Aldric’s duties kept him occupied for the rest of the day, his mind kept going back to Islinda, and he believed this time she wouldn’t reject his food. Unfortunately, he was proved wrong when Marimar returned empty-handed. No Islinda. No food.
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