Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 838: A Ka’er In Their Backyard

King Oberon strode in, his presence commanding the attention of everyone present. Queen Maeve, felt an overwhelming sense of relief at his arrival. She quickly broke from the small gathering, practically running toward him, her voice breathless as she spoke.

"Thank the gods you’re here, Oberon!" Maeve began, her voice trembling with urgency. "See what I was telling you about! You give a child a little freedom, and he thinks he can do anything now. Aldric brought a Ka’er into the palace—"

But King Oberon cut her off, raising a hand dismissively. "What is going on here?" he asked, not even bothering to look at her. His tone was cold and distant, as if she hadn’t been speaking to him at all.

Queen Maeve froze, her words dying in her throat. The abrupt dismissal made her feel small, as though she had been publicly slapped. She glanced nervously, catching glimpses of the courtiers and guards who were watching with avid interest. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, and her stomach turned with humiliation. Oberon hadn’t just silenced her—he had belittled her before the entire court.

The King broke away from his entourage of elite guards and sons, his eyes scanning the scene before settling on the captain of the royal guard. "What were you about to do?" he asked, his voice now carrying an edge of command.

The captain stiffened, caught off-guard by the direct question. He hesitated, his gaze flicking toward Queen Maeve, as if silently pleading for her guidance. But King Oberon’s eyes hardened.

"Look at me when I speak to you," Oberon barked, his voice cutting through the captain’s hesitation like a blade.

The captain swallowed hard, confusion rippling across his face. Why was the King so hostile? He was only following orders, orders from the Queen herself. "We were just... about to attack the Ka’er that had invaded the palace, Your Majesty," the captain finally managed to say.

Oberon’s eyes narrowed. "On whose order?" he asked.

"The Queen’s, Your Majesty," the captain replied, glancing nervously at Maeve.

King Oberon’s lip curled, a sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Since when did the Queen become responsible for the internal security of the palace?" His voice was quiet, but it carried a lethal edge.

The captain’s throat bobbed as he swallowed again, suddenly realizing that he might have been dragged into dangerous political waters. His eyes darted toward the Queen again, but her face was flushed with rage and humiliation. When the captain didn’t answer quickly enough, Oberon’s temper flared.

"Answer me, Captain," Oberon snapped.

The captain winced at the intensity of the King’s words. "No, Your Majesty. The Queen is not responsible for the palace’s security."

"So why then are you taking orders from her?" Oberon’s voice held the weight of a Fae used to being obeyed without question.

Queen Maeve opened her mouth to interject, her voice trembling. "Oberon—"

He silenced her with a single raised finger, his gaze never leaving the captain. Maeve’s face flushed even deeper, the public humiliation cutting her deeper than any physical wound could have. She felt like a child being scolded in front of the court, a cruel mockery of her role as Queen. And it was all because of one Fae —Aldric. Her hatred for him burned hotter with each passing second.

"Answer me, Captain," Oberon repeated, his voice as sharp as a blade.

"It’s not that, Your Majesty," the captain stammered. "Everything happened so quickly, and when the Queen ordered us to destroy the Ka’er, I wasn’t thinking. All I wanted was to ensure the safety of the palace—"

Oberon cut him off again. "Did the Ka’er attack?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Who was riding the Ka’er?"

"It was Prince Aldric, Your Majesty."

"Did Prince Aldric attack?" Oberon’s voice remained calm, but there was a palpable tension in the air.

"No, Your Majesty," the captain said, his voice barely above a whisper now.

"So why, then, were you preparing to launch an attack? And why did you feel it necessary to take orders from my Queen rather than alerting me?" Oberon’s gaze was withering.

The captain’s face was ashen now, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. "Your Majesty... I... I wasn’t thinking straight. I just wanted to protect—"

Oberon raised his hand, silencing him. "I want a new captain by the end of the day," he said, his voice cold. "This one clearly can’t be trusted to think on his own. I fear if swayed, he might even plot treason behind my back."

Though Oberon didn’t say it outright, the implication was clear: his words were aimed at Queen Maeve just as much as they were at the captain. And everyone understood that.

Maeve’s face twisted with fury, but there was nothing she could say. Not now. Instead, she shot Oberon a murderous glare before turning on her heel and storming out of the field.

As she exited, Maeve caught the gaze of her son, Valerie, watching from the side. His expression was unreadable, but a chill ran down her spine as she recalled the time he had nearly killed her. She shuddered involuntarily, but she pushed the thought away and hurried out.

Once Queen Maeve had left, King Oberon turned his attention back to the creature in the center of the field, his expression softening with awe as he regarded the Ka’er. He took a step toward the enormous beast, but it growled a low, rumbling warning.

Oberon stopped, recognizing the beast’s warning for what it was. He didn’t push his luck—he knew better than to antagonize a Ka’er, especially when so much blood of its kind was on his hands. Instead, he turned his attention to Aldric, who stood proudly next to the creature, his mate Islinda by his side.

"How did you find it?" Oberon asked, his voice more measured now.

Aldric smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Luck, I suppose."

Oberon raised an eyebrow. "You know you can’t keep it in the palace."

Aldric’s grin widened. "I know, Father. Don’t worry. I’ll have it moved." He paused, then added, "I’ll be sending it to the high lords who’ve been withholding lands from the Night Court. I’m sure they’ll appreciate a Ka’er in their backyard."

Oberon chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with approval as he recognized his tactics. "Very well, Aldric. Make sure it gets there safely."

While all this was happening, Valerie watched the exchange with a flash in his eyes, his hand balling into a fist. He had thought Oberon would punish Aldric, but here he was encouraging Aldric. His favorite son.