Although Islinda glared at him with fiery intensity, Aldric saw the resignation in her eyes and his grin widened knowing that he won in the end.
He faced the Fae guards and Islinda tried to create more space between them, only for him to pull her flush to his body and she wasn’t able to wriggle out of his strong grip. He was loving this cat-and-mouse ga between them.
"We asked you a question, Prince Aldric and you have been keeping us waiting?" The guard said, eyeing him warily.
And by "Us" he ant the other Faerie guests who have been patiently waiting for the prince to be done, from a distance. While others stayed away because they feared him, the other Fae simply assud him a nuisance and didn’t want the trouble.
"Really? Because the last ti I rembered I was only given a residence outside the palace, not restricted from visiting the palace whenever I wanted."
The two guards exchanged troubled looks knowing that he was partially right. The dark prince was banned from staying in the palace, but not restricted from making visits. However, Aldric spends the most ti on the battlefield, not to ntion he has nothing to do in the palace. He had no one to visit nor one to invite him, hence his move into the palace was considered "critical". All eyes were always on him.
The other Fae stepped in, "This is the crown prince Valerie’s party and everyone knows. -"
"Crown Prince Valerie... " Islinda noted, her expression pale.
The human looked like she was about to faint from all the shocking revelation and Aldric unconsciously tightened his grip on her, making her lean into him.
"Don’t worry, I have an invitation to this wonderful party," Aldric lifted a brown paper with tiny wings and it fluttered over to one of the Fae guards.
The Fae went through the invitation before passing it to his partner, asking Aldric, "How did you get the invitation, Prince Aldric? You are the initial owner."
"Well...." His mouth quirked, "A certain high Fae relinquished his invitation without a fight and asked to have a good ti."
With the gleam in his eyes, Islinda knew Aldric was saying nonsense. The monster Fae couldn’t have acquired that invitation without violence. It was in his nature to break or spill blood.
The guards did not believe him either because their brows were almost touching their hairlines now, yet they did nothing.
"And who is she? She doesn’t seem to be from around here?" The other Fae queried him, his gaze scrutinizing her.
Aldric frowned, "Why are you interested in her? I didn’t see you interrogating the other Fae and their female partners. Isn’t this obviously discrimination?"
Islinda almost spat blood at this point, shocked at Aldric playing the victim here. She was the victim instead and If anyone deserved to be questioned, it was him. His intentions were always questionable.
The guard let out a grunt," Do not make this hard, Prince Aldric. We can’t let you cause chaos in the crown prince’s party. "
"Causing chaos?" Aldric huffed, insulted, "I was the one who looked after your precious prince in the human realm. If there’s anyone who is to be thanked it should be or have you forgotten that so easily?"
"What the...." Islinda let out a sharp breath, her gaze colliding with Aldric’s and he subtly warned her not to say a word.
She scoffed and looked away.
The bastard was also taking away her glory as well? Of course, she shouldn’t be surprised he was. What was he not capable of doing?
He went on, "Fine, if you want to know so much, then she’s Isle of the winter court. A very, very, very, very distant relative of mine."
Aldric said with a taunting tone, "So pretty please, could you finally let us in..." His expression darkened, "Or need I remind you that I’m still a prince and could end your pathetic Fae life for this disrespect."
A pulse of dark power radiated off his body to prove his point and though the other Faeries except from the guards were too far away to be affected, they still scread in fear and stumbled away.
Strangely, aside from the tingle of power, Islinda did not feel any ill intent or harm. It was almost as if Aldric had aid to frighten, not hurt anyone. Just what was his intention, she wanted to understand.
"I apologize if I had overstepped my boundaries, my prince," The Fae bowed his head in apology, "I was rely doing my job of preventing chaos. But you may pass through."
"Shall we?" Aldric flashed a sickly sweet smile at Islinda and she matched it with a look of her own, their arms linked with each other. They passed through and anyone who saw them at that mont would have thought them a perfect couple if they weren’t faking it.
They walked a while, almost approaching the grand hall when she asked in a low tone, conscious of the Faeries around, not that any paid attention,
"I thought you said Fae’s don’t lie, yet you told the guard that you looked after Valerie in the human realm."
"Oh," He feigned ignorance, "Didn’t I?"
Anger flared inside of her.
"Don’t give that pretense Aldric, the both of us know I looked after Valerie." She argued.
"And I looked after the both of you, didn’t I?" He responded and the blood drained from her face. Aldric just reminded her that he had his eye on both of them from the very beginning.
He mumbled, "I told you, Islinda, always be careful of your clauses."
Of course, Islinda rembered Faeries couldn’t lie, but their nature was deceptive.
Not that she gave up.
"What about this? You lied about my na too, I’m not Isle of the winter court but Islinda, a human."
"Your persona," He smirked, "You’re wearing a glamor, Islinda, and he asked for information about the glamoured Fae, not the human form he can’t see."
Islinda gave up, he was too good at this.
Aldric faced her, his expression darkening as he said, "Trust , Islinda, I have played this ga for a hundred years and you could never beat even if you tried. So I suggest you behave and try to get what I want, tonight."
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