Mated To The Cruel Prince novel Chapter 831

Chapter 831: Fear

"Valerie, stop right there!" Queen Maeve’s voice cut through the corridor like a whip, her footsteps echoing as she stormed after her son the moment she stepped out of the meeting room.

Valerie, however, was in no mood to heed her call. He strode ahead, his body tense, his hands balled into tight fists. His jaw was clenched so hard that it was a wonder his teeth didn’t shatter under the pressure. Rage burned through him like wildfire.

But Queen Maeve wasn’t the type to back down. She kept up her pursuit, her voice growing sharper. "Stop right there, Valerie Huxstabel! Don’t make me chase after you!"

Valerie’s pace faltered for a moment. It wasn’t every day that his mother called him by his surname, and when she did, it meant trouble. He wished his quarters were closer so he could slam the door in her face and lock her out. Unfortunately, his wing was still a long way off. Realizing he couldn’t avoid the confrontation, he turned the corner and reached for the first door he could find.

When he opened it, he found himself in a storage room where four maidservants were busy arranging supplies. Their heads whipped around at his sudden intrusion, confusion plain on their faces.

"Get out," Valerie commanded, his voice low and dangerous.

The maids stared at him, wide-eyed and frozen like deer in the headlights. His patience snapped. "I said get out!" he bellowed.

They jumped at the intensity of his voice, whimpering in fright as they scrambled to exit the room. Valerie slammed the door shut, but a hand caught it at the last second, holding it open with surprising strength. Queen Maeve stepped in, her face twisted in fury.

For a split second, a flicker of fear entered Valerie’s eyes. He could tell from the cold fury on her face and the way she stalked into the room like a predator that she was more than ready for a confrontation. But the rage boiling inside Valerie was stronger than any fear he felt. For the first time, Valerie didn’t care about the consequences.

He didn’t see it coming, but he should have. Queen Maeve’s hand lashed out, and Valerie’s head whipped to the side from the impact of her slap.

"You fool!" she raged, her voice raw with anger and emotion. "See what your foolishness has caused?! If only you had given up on that Islinda girl and went along with my plans, Aldric would be out of the picture by now! You could have been king already, with a wife and probably a child! But no! You let it all go to waste! Even with the blue flame, you accomplished nothing! Had I not intervened during the death duel, you’d be dead now!"

She threw her head back and laughed dryly, her laughter filled with contempt. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you. You’re nothing but a fool, a disappointment—"

"That’s enough, Mother," Valerie cut her off, his voice cold and filled with bitterness.

He didn’t need her constant reminders; he already knew he was a failure. He had failed to win Islinda, failed to defeat Aldric, and now his mother was rubbing salt into his wounds. freeweɓnovel~cѳm

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify