Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 829: Check It Again

Aldric felt the panic through the bond a heartbeat too late. Before he could fully register the sudden spike of fear and dizziness from Islinda, she was already falling. His Islinda was unconscious on the floor, her body limp and fragile against the cold marble.

For a brief, fragile moment, the room fell silent. The arguments, the tension, all of it was forgotten in an instant. Aldric’s heart hammered in his chest as he rushed to her side. He cradled her, his hands trembling as he lifted her head from the hard ground. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow. For the first time in a long while, Aldric felt a cold dread seep into his bones.

"Get help!" Aldric’s commanding voice cut through the silence, snapping everyone into action.

Valerie was the first to move, his legs carrying him out of the room before anyone else could react. He vanished down the corridor, moving faster than Aldric had ever seen him move before.

Queen Nirvana hurried over, her eyes wide with concern as she knelt beside Islinda. She reached out, intending to help, but Aldric snarled so fiercely that she recoiled.

"I’m just trying to help," she said defensively, her eyes narrowing in irritation.

"No! Don’t touch her! Don’t you dare touch my mate!" Aldric growled, his body poised like a cornered beast. There was no mistaking the raw, dangerous edge to his voice. He looked ready to strike at anyone who came too close.

"Aldric," King Oberon’s deep voice cut through the tension, calm yet commanding. "She’s trying to help."

"No!" Aldric refused, his voice shaking with a mixture of fear and rage. "I don’t trust her! I don’t trust any of them! What if she does something to her?"

"I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but you’re being unreasonable now, Prince Aldric," Queen Victoria interjected, her voice sharp but not unkind. "Whether you trust her or not, are you really going to stand there and let your mate suffer while there’s someone here who can help?"

Throughout the meeting, Queen Victoria and Andre had remained silent, their expressions indifferent. But seeing Islinda collapse had changed that. Now, everyone in the room was on edge, anxious about Islinda’s well-being.

All except for Queen Maeve, who sat back with her arms crossed and a satisfied smile curling her lips, as if she secretly hoped Islinda wouldn’t wake up. It would solve a lot of problems, she thought in her mind.

"She will not die!" Aldric snarled, his voice low and filled with menace. "She won’t die. Islinda won’t die." He repeated it like a mantra, more to reassure himself than anyone else.

Aldric’s mind raced, trying to understand what was happening. At first, he thought it might be Azula forcing herself forward, but there was no sign of her. The change usually happened in a blink, and yet Islinda remained still, unconscious and unresponsive.

Queen Nirvana’s voice broke into his thoughts, tinged with a hint of mockery. "So, am I helping or not? Or would you prefer Theodore take over? But I have a feeling you wouldn’t want a male around your mate right now."

Aldric’s glare could have cut stone, but he knew she was right. He clenched his jaw, fighting against his instinct to protect Islinda from anyone and everyone. Finally, he gave a curt nod. "Fine. Do it."

He shifted slightly to make room for Queen Nirvana, still hovering protectively over Islinda’s limp body. The rest of the family watched, a circle of anxious onlookers.

Queen Nirvana moved closer, her hands beginning to glow a soft green as she held them above Islinda’s body. She moved them slowly up and down, her expression growing more focused. "Her heart rate is stable," she murmured, but then her brows furrowed in concern. "But her blood rate..."

"What is it?" Aldric’s voice was sharp with urgency.

Queen Nirvana quickly masked her concern and replied, "Her blood rate is extremely low. It must be a human thing or something, I don’t know, but she’s fine otherwise."

Aldric wasn’t satisfied. "What can be done about it?"

With a sigh, Queen Nirvana replied sarcastically, "I heal wounds, not complex illnesses. Neither do I know a thing about humans. The physician will have to handle that. I’ll only ensure that she’s stable for now."

With that, she pressed her glowing hands onto Islinda’s chest, sending a wave of healing energy through her body. A moment later, Islinda’s eyes fluttered open, a soft groan escaping her lips.

Relief washed over Aldric like a tidal wave, and he immediately pulled her into his arms, holding her close as if she might disappear. "Are you okay?" he whispered, his voice filled with emotion.

Islinda blinked up at him, her face still pale but regaining some color. "I’m fine, I think," she murmured, her voice weak.

Aldric’s arms tightened around her, his breath warm against her ear. When he finally pulled back, his eyes met Queen Nirvana’s.

For a second, there was a strange camaraderie between them, a brief moment of understanding and gratitude. "Thank you," Aldric muttered, his tone gruff but genuine. freёwebnoѵel.com

Queen Nirvana merely nodded, a slight smile tugging at her lips. She knew this newfound understanding between them wouldn’t last, but for now, it was enough. Atleast the dark Fae bastard now owned her one.

With great care, Aldric helped Islinda to her feet. She wavered slightly, but he kept her steady, guiding her to a nearby chair.

The rest of the family gave them space, but not too much; they still wanted to be close enough to see what was happening.

Aldric fussed over Islinda, brushing her hair back and checking her over. "Are you sure you’re alright?" he asked again, his voice still thick with worry.

"I’m fine, really," Islinda assured him, squeezing his hand with a faint smile. "Just... a bit tired, I guess."

Almost immediately, Valerie returned with the physician in tow, his expression was full of urgency and concern. As his eyes fell on Islinda, awake but pale, he exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Relief washed over him. For a moment, his heart had nearly leaped out of his chest. Despite everything, Valerie genuinely cared about Islinda. He’d always believed the gods were wrong—that Aldric and Islinda were not meant to be together—but that didn’t mean he wished her harm.

Aldric moved aside, allowing the physician to approach. The healer, an elderly fae with a stern yet gentle demeanor, set down his box and began arranging his instruments.

Unlike Queen Nirvana, who possessed healing abilities, the court physicians were trained in both magical and practical medicine. They could identify diseases and conditions in both fae and humans with remarkable precision.

Silence filled the room as the physician worked, using a combination of magic and traditional tools to examine Islinda. The tension was palpable, a thick fog of unease settling over everyone present. The family watched with bated breath, each of them grappling with their own thoughts.

When the physician finally finished his examination, Aldric was almost in his face, his expression taut with worry. "What is it?" he demanded, his voice laced with anxiety.

The physician looked up at him, his face breaking into a gentle smile. "Congratulations, Prince Aldric," he said softly. "Your mate is pregnant."

"What?!" Everyone in the room shouted in unison.

There was a loud bang as Queen Maeve, who had been lounging in her chair with a look of indifference, shot up so quickly that her chair toppled over. The sound of the wood clattering against the stone floor echoed throughout the chamber. For a moment, everyone was stunned into silence, their jaws practically dropping to the floor.

The blood drained from Valerie’s face. If there had ever been a chance for him to challenge Aldric for Islinda’s hand, it was gone now. The revelation hit him like a punch to the gut, and he found himself staring blankly at the ground, his mind spinning.

But no one in the room was as stunned as Islinda herself. She stared at the physician, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum. This was impossible. It couldn’t be possible.

She had always thought that she was careful, but considering the number of times she and Aldric had been together, even before the mating haze, perhaps it wasn’t so impossible after all.

Wait a minute, Aldric...

Islinda’s gaze flicked over to him, trying to gauge his reaction. She needed to see his face, to understand what he was feeling. What was going through his mind right now.

But what she saw there made her heart stop.

Aldric’s expression was blank, his eyes wide and unblinking. She could see the shock in his face, but it was quickly masked by something else, something dark and unreadable. She should have known.

Aldric had never wanted children.

The emotion clogged in Islinda’s throat, her eyes blinking with tears especially when he said to the doctor. "Are you kidding me right now? Check it again, she might not really be pregnant."