Mated To The Cruel Prince novel Chapter 734

734 /921

Chapter 734: The True Heir

Valerie’s mind raced as he followed the handmaiden through the palace corridors, his agitation mounting with every step. He didn’t need to be told what awaited him. His mother, Queen Maeve, had summoned him, and he knew her wrath would be fierce. It always was.

They reached the ornate doors of his mother’s chambers. Valerie took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as the handmaiden knocked softly before pushing the doors open.

He stepped inside, a storm of cold fury brewing within him. His face was a mask of hardened resolve, hiding the turmoil beneath. "Your Majesty, he’s here," the handmaiden announced, her voice tinged with apprehension.

Queen Maeve stood by the window, her back to them, but the tension in her rigid posture was unmistakable. Her voice, sharp and unforgiving, cut through the silence. "Leave us."

Valerie barely registered the handmaiden’s retreat. In the past, he might have inwardly pleaded not to be left alone to face his mother’s wrath, but now, anger drowned out any trace of fear.

The door clicked shut, and Queen Maeve spun on her heel, striding toward him with a fury that seemed to vibrate in the air. The sharp crack of her palm against his face echoed through the chamber, the force of the slap turning his head to the side. Valerie tasted blood, a metallic tang that only fueled his rage. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, his eyes flashing red at the sight of the blood.

Before he could fully process the stinging pain, he saw his mother lifting her hand to strike him again. Instinctively, he caught her wrist mid-swing, his grip ironclad. Queen Maeve’s eyes widened in shock, her expression a mixture of disbelief and fury.

Valerie shoved her hand away with such force that his mother stumbled back. Queen Maeve lifted her shocked face, unable to believe that her son would have the audacity to retaliate.

"I deserved the first slap," Valerie spat, his voice low and seething, "but not the second. I will not stand still and take your abuse anymore." His hands clenched into fists, his gaze burning with a fierce determination that left no room for compromise.

"You—you!" Queen Maeve’s voice rose to a near shriek, her eyes blazing with rage. "You sat there and did nothing as they made a mockery of Elena’s memory! You did nothing as they made your fiancée into something she wasn’t. Like a coward, you let them taint the name of your house! They insulted the Summer Court—"

"Enough!" Valerie roared, his voice reverberating through the room with such intensity that Queen Maeve recoiled. He reached for the nearest object, a delicate vase, and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall, a cacophony of broken porcelain and unspoken fury.

Queen Maeve yelped, stepping back further, her eyes wide with fear and disbelief. She had never seen him like this, never seen him so close to losing control.