Mated To The Cruel Prince novel Chapter 828

Chapter 828: Family Meeting With Aldric —3

"Of course, there’s a catch. Haven’t you learned enough? Nothing comes free in the Fae realm." King Oberon’s voice carried a hint of pride as he spoke. Had it been his other sons, they would have eaten this up—Theodore especially—without thinking it through. freeweɓnovel~cѳm

But Aldric wasn’t like his brothers. He had foresight and shrewdness, qualities befitting a king. Oberon let out a wistful sigh. Aldric would have made the perfect ruler for Astaria, but such a move would tear the kingdom apart. Not that Valerie was a bad choice. In fact, he would have been perfect if he could overcome his doubts and be more open-minded.

Aldric, however, possessed a hunger for achievement and a certain streetwiseness. It was the same hunger that had laid the foundation for Astaria— the unification of the Fae realm.

Valerie was born to rule it, to maintain what had already been built. But Aldric? Aldric was born to lead, to conquer, to unite in ways he couldn’t. And Oberon could see the dark Faeries becoming part of that unification.

The dark Fae had been a terror in the past under their previous leaders, but Aldric was not like them. He could lead them, control them. No dark Fae was stronger than him now, a child born of light and darkness.

It was amazing how a change in perspective could alter everything. Once, Oberon had thought of Aldric as a curse. Now, he couldn’t help but wonder if Aldric wasn’t, in fact, a perfect orchestration of the gods, a messiah who could unite them all.

Oberon exhaled deeply, his thoughts weighing heavily on him. If the others knew what he was thinking, there would be accusations of treason and protests across his kingdom.

"Fine. What is the catch, then? Say it, let’s all hear it," Prince Aldric demanded, his voice tinged with irritation.

"Swear to me you will not go to war with the light Faeries. Not one single court will you lay a hand on," King Oberon said, his tone serious.

"What?" Aldric was dumbfounded.

"You heard me," Oberon continued. "Swear that once you are crowned king, you will keep your people under control. When Valerie is crowned king, the two of you will rule side by side as allies, contributing to the success and growth of Astaria for all Faekind."

Valerie let out a groan, his face twisted in a restrained protest, but he said nothing more.

Aldric, however, wasn’t so easily convinced. "And if I agree to this rule, what happens when Astaria itself turns on me? I’ll be bound, helpless to defend myself because of this pact. How is that fair?"

King Oberon nodded, acknowledging the point. "There will be rules to tackle that. Just as you couldn’t attack Astaria, Astaria wouldn’t be able to attack the dark Fae as long as both sides adhere to these rules. They will be drafted once you agree to the offer." He gave Aldric a pleading look. "I know I haven’t been the perfect father, but this is the perfect way to prevent my sons from killing each other."

Two kings cannot rule one kingdom, and to prevent such tensions, once Valerie is crowned king, the other princes would return to govern their respective realms. Unless invited for special occasions or royal meetings, they would have no place in the palace anymore.

Aldric glanced around the room, his eyes scanning the faces of his family. "Do I have to make a decision immediately?" he asked, his tone cautious.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify