Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 736: Entertainment

Aldric stood in the courtyard, staring into the distance. To anyone else, they would assume his intense gaze was directed at the staff diligently cleaning up the wreckage from the Raysin family’s attack earlier.

However, his blue glowing eyes were unseeing, clouded with a mysterious luminescence and perched on his shoulder was Number One, his favorite raven. While Aldric appeared to be watching the staff, his consciousness was elsewhere, intertwined with the raven’s.

Through their psychic connection, Aldric’s mind flowed seamlessly into Number One’s, experiencing the bird’s flight through the palace groundssupervising his staff, who were diligently cleaning up the aftermath of the Raysin family’s attack. The remnants of the skirmish lay scattered: splintered wood, overturned furniture, and patches of charred stone.

. Through the raven’s keen eyes, Aldric saw the palace’s hidden corners and eavesdropped on whispered conversations.

Scenes and conversations filtered through his awareness—secret meetings behind the grand hall, hushed whispers in the hallways, and fleeting moments of vulnerability among his father’s subjects. The raven’s eyes became his own, presenting him with a mosaic of valuable intelligence.

The Raven had gathered enough snippets of vital information and Aldric absorbed it all, his expression unreadable. This was his way of staying ahead, of knowing the palace’s every undercurrent.

The staff moved around him, oblivious to his distant stare, each of them too engrossed in their own tasks to notice the faraway look in their master’s eyes. Even those who noticed minded their businesses, knowing too well that Aldrc doesn’t take too well to being interrupted.

He continued to receive the steady stream of images and sounds until, suddenly, his eyes flickered. He blinked rapidly, the blue glow dissipating as he returned to reality, severing the connection.

The courtyard came back into sharp focus, the sounds of the clean-up effort flooding back into his awareness. He turned his head slightly, breaking the spell of stillness.

"Good boy," Aldrc murmured, reaching up to pat the raven on the head.

Number One cawed in response, ruffling its feathers as if to shake off the strain of the task. Aldric’s lips curled into a faint, satisfied smile as he scratched the bird’s neck. Number one nudged its beak into his touch with a sense of loyalty and affection. Not long after, it flew off having fulfilled its role.

With the bird gone, Aldric remained at his post, watching the workers meticulously clean up the evidence of the Raysin family’s attack. The courtyard buzzed with activity as servants hurried about, removing debris and attempting to restore order. The air was thick with dust and the acrid scent of smoldering debris - and flesh - remnants of the chaos that had recently unfolded.

His earlier defensive measures had protected the interior of his castle, leaving it relatively unscathed. The exterior, however, bore the brunt of the assault. His once-lush and cherished garden plants, now lay in ruins.

Scorched earth, trampled plants, and broken trellises bore silent testimony of the assault’s ferocity. The loss of his "useful" — and dangerous — plants gnawed at him. Each one had been painstakingly nurtured for its unique properties, both medicinal and lethal, and their destruction represented a significant setback in his work.

Aldric’s jaw tightened as he surveyed the scene. Rage simmered beneath his composed exterior, a cold and calculating fury directed at the Raysin family. The loss was a personal affront, and he vowed to pay them back dearly for this desecration.

Yet, Aldrc forced himself to push aside the desire for vengeance, at least temporarily. The immediate threat had been neutralized, and he had more pressing matters to attend to.

Azula.

With a final glance at the devastated garden, Aldric turned on his heel and strode purposefully back towards the castle. His mind was already at work, strategizing his next move in the unending game of power and survival that was his life. And to think he now had to add a certain demon to his plans.

The gods help him. Aldrc couldn’t help but pray this time.

The royal family were parasites, the palace a den of vipers, and Aldric didn’t plan to give them the opportunity to coil around him. Unfortunately, Azula’s presence was about to put his patience, ability and fate to the test.

His enemies were getting bolder and closer than ever before. What he needed right now was to consolidate his ambition for the throne, gather forces , and fortify his defenses against further assaults. Not babysit and potentially seduce a demon.

Yeah, seduce a succubus. This had got to be the joke of the century.

Issac was the first person Aldric saw when he entered the room where he and Maxi sat, babysitting the demon. Their eyes crossed briefly before he looked away, his jaw set.

Just because Issac and Maxi had intervened to rescue him in the Winter Realm, doesn’t mean he had forgiven them, their betrayal still stung. Their actions, driven by what they claimed were Islinda’s best interests, had marked them as unreliable rogues in Aldric’s eyes. He needed soldiers—loyal and unwavering—not wildcards who followed their own agendas.

The silence in the room was thick with unspoken words as Aldric’s gaze shifted to Maxi, who was quietly sitting with a nonchalant air. Maxi offered a nod, a subtle acknowledgment of Aldric’s presence, but Aldric’s attention had already moved on.

Azula was the next to catch his eye. Her face lit up with a genuine, childlike eagerness as she saw him. Still clad in his oversized tunic, which fell mid-thigh and clung alluringly to her form, she looked out of place but undeniably captivating.

However, any flicker of admiration Aldric might have felt was swiftly extinguished by the reminder that she wore Islinda’s face. The familiar features twisted with the demon’s soul were a bitter pill to swallow.

"You’re back!" Azula exclaimed, bounding toward him with an enthusiasm that felt misplaced in the grim atmosphere. Her energy was almost infectious, but Aldric remained stone-faced, his brow furrowed in irritation.

As she reached his side, Aldric took a step back, maintaining a cold distance. "I see you’ve made yourself comfortable," he said icily, his eyes narrowing as he looked her over. His tone was devoid of warmth, a clear signal that he was not swayed by her act.

Azula’s smile faltered, confusion flickering in her eyes as she took in his cold reception. She looked over at Issac and Maxi, searching for some form of support, but both Fae remained silent, their faces unreadable. They chose not to be part of their couple’s fight.

Aldric turned his attention to Issac and Maxi, his voice low and authoritative. "I trust there have been no complications while I was away?" His question was more a command than a genuine inquiry, his tone demanding a straightforward response.

Issac cleared his throat, glancing briefly at Maxi before answering. "No complications, just as you ordered, your highness, " he answered, the tension still lingering between them amid what happened so far.

"Good," Aldric replied curtly. He went ahead to say, "I received news from the palace. There was a hearing and its safe to say that the Raysin family would not be bothering me in a while. Andre handled it."

"That is a relief," Maxi began, only to narrow her eyes the next moment, "Although, I wouldn’t advise you to put your guards down. The Raysin family is just as cunning as their Summer Queen. They will lay low, waiting for the opportune moment to strike."

"Thanks for the advice. I know that. I am not stupid enough to lower my defenses!" Aldric snapped, his irritation clear.

Maxi’s gaze hardened. "You mean the same way you kept your defenses high around Elena?"

Aldric’s eyes flashed with fury, and he took a menacing step toward Maxi. A low growl rumbled from his throat, his intent unmistakable. But before he could advance, Issac interposed himself between them, his own snarl echoing in the room. The two men locked eyes, their aggressive postures mirroring each other, the air between them thick with hostility.

"You will not lay a hand on her, or we will leave for real and never come back," Issac warned, his tone a growl of its own.

For a moment, Aldric’s fury seemed poised to explode, and his retort was on the tip of his tongue: "Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Leave already!" But he hesitated, the truth anchoring him.

Despite the anger and the betrayal, he knew he needed Maxi. She was like the sister he never had, a bond forged in trials and shared battles. Issac, however, was another matter. Aldric could care less if he vanished to the ends of the Fae realm, but he knew Maxi would leave with him if it came to that. Their mate bond was unbreakable.

Aldric took a deep breath, the tension in his posture easing slightly. "I would never hurt her. At least not in the way she has hurt me so far."

"You were lost. Someone had to bring you back to your senses," Maxi retorted, her stance unyielding.

"Yes, by thrusting a sword through my heart." The memory of that betrayal still stung, a wound that had not yet healed.

Azula, who had been watching the exchange with keen interest, suddenly clapped her hands, breaking the heavy silence. "Well, this is interesting," she chirped, her eyes bright with amusement. "Go on, tell me what happened next? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m bored. Now indulge me."

Her voice cut through the tension, drawing the attention of the others. Aldric turned his icy gaze on her, his irritation barely contained. "This isn’t a show for your entertainment, Azula."

"Oh, but it is," she replied, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "The drama, the tension—how could I resist? You’re all so terribly fascinating. Who knows I might stay in this realm a little longer if this happens everyday."