Music Recommdation: On Another Love - Tom O’Dell
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"Where is my mother?" Valerie hissed as soon as he spotted her handmaiden. He could see the entourage that had been sent to find him trailing behind, as if afraid he would try to escape after they had gone to such efforts to locate him.
His eyes darted towards the door, and he attempted to step forward, only to be blocked by the handmaiden, who shouted, "What in the cursed Fae do you think you’re doing?!"
Valerie raised an eyebrow, utterly perplexed by the Fae’s exaggerated reaction. He hadn’t done anything wrong other than trying to enter his mother’s chamber. Her response seemed to suggest she had something to hide.
"What do you think I’m doing?" he asked, his brow slightly furrowed.
The handmaiden spoke hurriedly, "Fae Queen Maeve has given me specific instructions. She ordered you to visit Elena and get to know her. Your mother has approved of her and expects her to win you over."
Valerie could see that his mother had chosen Elena to be his wife. As if he cared. One of the reasons he had come to see her was to make it clear that he had no interest in her matchmaking.
"Fine," he sighed. "I’ll talk to her then."
He approached the door, only for the handmaiden to spread her arms wide and stand defensively in front of it. "The Fae Queen wishes not to be disturbed!" she declared firmly.
Valerie narrowed his gaze. Although it wasn’t the first time his mother had issued such commands, there was something fishy going on. The handmaiden seemed nervous, with sweat on her forehead and an accelerated heartbeat. Something was not right.
However, Valerie chose not to push the issue. He let out a deep breath instead and casually stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Fine. Do as you wish."
He turned to leave, and the entourage was ready to escort him to ensure he didn’t attempt to escape the Queen’s orders.
Relieved that the young prince had given up, the handmaiden let out a sigh and leaned against the door. That was a close call.
But that moment of hesitation was a weakness, because Valerie had never intended to leave in the first place. He had merely tricked the poor Fae into lowering her guard.
Before she knew what was happening, someone pulled her away from the door, shoving her forward. Before she could regain her composure, Valerie had already entered and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
No, no, no...
Valerie strode into his mother’s spacious quarters with determination and kicked open the door to her bedroom, wanting to make a statement. However, he stopped short upon seeing his mother burying her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.
But it wasn’t her tears that shocked him the most; rather, it was the vulnerability he saw on his mother’s face. The moment of weakness, the pain, and the sorrow – it all stunned him. He had to blink several times to ensure he was seeing correctly.
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