Mated To The Cruel Prince novel Chapter 869

Chapter 869: Selfish Prince

The next morning, the sun had barely kissed the sky when Islinda and Aldric left the king’s palace. Aldric had reverted to his usual paranoid self, his sharp eyes constantly scanning their surroundings as though expecting an ambush. He spoke very little as they moved, but Islinda could feel the tension radiating from him.

It didn’t surprise her though. Aldric was always this way — quick to suspect danger at every turn. To the point he hadn’t even allowed them the comfort of a carriage ride back to the castle. It was clear he suspected Queen Maeve would plan something, an attack probably, on the road, something that would hurt them.

Or, more accurately, hurt her.

Aldric wasn’t afraid for himself. He was too confident in his abilities for that. But Islinda was different. To him, she was his weakness, the fragile piece of his life that could be exploited by anyone looking to harm him. A weakness at his side that he couldn’t stand to lose.

Except she wasn’t that same weak helpless human. Shame, Aldric would still not test that theory.

They had barely crossed the boundary of the palace grounds before Aldric conjured a portal. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and pulled her through it, the world around them twisting into a blur of colors and shapes.

Islinda’s stomach churned as the familiar sense of vertigo washed over her. But this time, she recovered quickly, no longer the unprepared human who had first stumbled through this magical transport.

When the spinning stopped, they landed in the familiar confines of Aldric’s castle.

Islinda stood there, catching her breath, her eyes adjusting to their environment. It felt strange being back here. Even though she had barely been gone for a week, it felt like years.

While she was still trying to reorient herself, Aldric had already discarded his royal coat, slipping into a simpler tunic.

He looked back at her, his expression unreadable, as he said, "I’ll tell the servants to move your things into my room. You’ll stay with me from now on. We’re mated, Islinda. That’s as good as married in our world."

Islinda didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she watched him carefully, noting the way he moved about the room, rifling through his things as if searching for something — or checking if anything had been tampered with. His paranoia ran deep, always assuming the worst, always ready for betrayal.

When he finally turned toward her, empty-handed and distracted, Islinda’s patience snapped.

"So what now?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.

Aldric furrowed his brows, clearly annoyed by her tone. "What do you mean by that?"

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