Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 746: Honored Quest

"My Queen! My Queen!" shouted Queen Maeve’s servant who rushed into the room as if she was being chased.

Unfortunately for her, her voice abruptly disturbed the queen, who had been deeply engrossed in a game of chess. The sudden intrusion startled Maeve, causing her to knock over a chess piece.

Queen Maeve might not be a winter Fae but she might as well possess their ability as a frosty aura immediately enveloped her, and her piercing gaze turned icy.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop, and the maidservant trembled, realizing she had just made a grave mistake.

Her heart pounded as she stammered, "I-I apologize, Your Majesty. I didn’t mean to—"

"This better be important," Maeve silenced her immediately, her voice chillingly calm, sending a shiver down the maidservant’s spine.

The servant didn’t even wait a second as she revealed to the Queen Maeve, "Your majesty, the human, Islinda is in the palace."

"What?!" Queen Maeve shouted, abruptly rising to her feet. The chessboard nearly fell to the ground from the movement. Her cold demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a fierce intensity.

"Are you sure of what you’re saying?" Queen Maeve interrogated her, finding it hard to believe. How did Islinda even get into the palace in the first place? When did the palace become easily accessible to even the sewage rats? She would have a talk with the chief guard about the security of the palace.

"I heard of it at first, Your Majesty. The rumors have flown to every part of the palace. But I knew I needed to confirm it with my own eyes, so I went there. And guess what? She just arrived at the main gate, Your Majesty!" the servant announced with a note of distress.

Though they didn’t always approve of the Queen’s actions, Queen Maeve paid their bills, and they had no choice but to be on her side. Hence, she would give the Queen all the information she needed and say all the things she wanted to hear if it meant earning the Queen’s favor.

"Did she come alone?" Queen Maeve’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing with thoughts.

The human was never seen alone, Aldric was always stuck to her side like her shadow. Hence, it could only mean that Aldric was here too. Unfortunately, that would be a violation of the rules. Aldric was banned from the palace and could only come on official summons and purposes.

If that was the case, then she would not let this matter go. Perhaps it was carelessness on his part, but Aldric was making a lot of mistakes lately and there was only so much her husband Oberon could cover up. Aldric was a troublemaker and it was only a matter till he messed up. It was not just her, but everyone was waiting for the perfect opportunity to deal with the dark Fae prince once and for all.

"Not exactly, your highness."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She came with a chaperone, that’s all. There’s no sign of Prince Aldric."

"Really?" The Queen was disappointed by the news. She had been looking for trouble, but there didn’t seem to be one.

"Yes, your highness. However —"

"However, what?" The Queen’s gaze shot to her so quickly, eager for dirt on Aldric.

"They said it was the King who invited the human Islinda to the palace!"

"What?!" Queen Maeve suffered the second shock of the day. Her husband invited Islinda to the palace? Why would Oberon invite Islinda? Why was he so interested in the human?

Fear and panic clawed inside her, trying to tear her apart. Her composure wavered for a moment as she struggled to process the information. Usually, Queen Maeve shouldn’t be bothered about a minor visit from a nobody like Islinda, but it was her husband that she was worried about — she didn’t trust Oberon one bit.

The last time she had given her trust to her husband, he ended up bringing in another wife and her arch nemesis, the Winter Queen, Nova. She wouldn’t put it past Oberon to actually be interested in Islinda.

The thought angered and disgusted Queen Maeve. Even if Oberon wanted a human to take over Nova’s place, he could have done better by choosing atleast a human princess that could help foster relationship with the human realm. After all, that had been his agenda, taking princesses from the various courts to help build his beloved and uniformed kingdom Astaria.

It felt like a betrayal to Queen Maeve. She had given her all! Done so much to bring Astaria to the level that it was today yet he sullied the standards that she had set. How dare he?! This was a blatant slap on her face. She would rather face Nova who was her worthy opponent all day than a nobody like Islinda.

Also, what was so special about that human anyway? What was so special about her that had her son, Valerie, Aldric, and now, even her husband going head over heels in love with her.

Maeve was a proud and possessive Queen. She might endure her son being a fool for her, but not her husband. Oberon was hers. She would not work so hard only to have another woman reap the benefits out of nowhere. That was not happening. Not on her watch.

Clenching her fists to steady herself, Maeve took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain control. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Find out everything you can about this invitation," she commanded the servant. "I want to know every detail, keep me informed of Islinda’s movements at all times. Do not let her out of your sight."

The servant nodded, hurrying out to follow the Queen’s orders.

Maeve turned back to her chessboard, sitting down with a fierce look in her eyes. Her fingers hovered over the pieces, and she began to play the game with concentration.

Unlike before, when it was just for fun, she now viewed the game as a battlefield that showed the challenges she faced in her own court. To be precise, it was a reflection of the strategy forming in her mind regarding Islinda

Each move was calculated, each piece carrying a purpose. The board became a microcosm of her palace, and she envisioned her opponents as pawns in her strategy. Her mind raced, evaluating every possible counter-move, every potential threat.

Finally, with a decisive flick of her wrist, she cornered the enemy king, knocking it down with a sharp, satisfying click. She stared at the fallen piece, a smirk curling at the corner of her lips.

It seemed there would be a change to the plans she and her co-wives had orchestrated. Not that they would know of it. She would have to act alone, capitalizing on this unexpected opportunity to eliminate Islinda once and for all.

Maeve’s mind churned with new possibilities, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light. Her fingers drummed against the table, the victorious chess pieces scattered before her like the remnants of a conquered battlefield. Her co-wives, unaware of the sudden shift, would continue with the original scheme - the attack that would hurt yet spare Islinda’s life. Or so they thought.

They had already crafted the plan so meticulously that no one would be able to find and pin the evidence on them. The scheme was airtight, and even if suspicions arose, there would be no proof. The very thought filled Maeve with a cold, calculated satisfaction.

Islinda brought this upon herself. She shouldn’t have been greedy to take what was hers and should have remained in her lowly position. Now she would suffer the consequences of her greed. No one would blame her for putting a lowly bitch in her place.

**********

Islinda’s carriage came to a halt in front of the grand entrance of the palace and she stepped out. Or so they thought since it was actually Azula pretending to be Islinda.

To make matter worst, the paranoid dark Fae prince had convinced the officer to let Maxi chaperone her. In his words, he had to ensure the "wolves" in the palace left her unsullied. It was quite laughable to be honest, as if she hasn’t sullied herself enough with Aldric.

Aldric had underestimated his father’s invitation because she was met with a grand welcome. A line of palace guards stood at attention, their uniforms pristine and their expressions respectful. Flanking them were maids and attendants, dressed in their finest livery, holding bouquets of flowers.

As Azula walked down the carpet, she was greeted by the sound of a small orchestra playing a soft, welcoming melody. The air was filled with the scent of fresh flowers and the hum of whispered excitement. She could see the surprise in the eyes of the palace staff, as if they too were taken aback by the grandiosity of her welcome.

At the entrance, Prince Andre stood there, his face composed and regal.

"Welcome, Islinda," Andre said, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "We are honored to have you as our guest."