Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 808: No Interruption

Islinda stood in the bathroom, her hands gripping the edge of the sink as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her breath was shallow, and her heart pounded in her chest, the events of the last few hours replaying in her mind like a nightmare she couldn’t wake from.

She had taken the risk to summon Azula, desperate to know what the demon inside her had done in her absence—what words she had whispered to Andre, what actions she had taken to manipulate the situation. But Azula had remained silent, dormant, like a snake coiled in the dark, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Her face was still wet from splashing cold water on it, the droplets clinging to her skin like tiny beads of dew. She stared into the mirror, at the features that seemed so foreign now. The white-blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders wasn’t hers. It was Azula’s doing, a twisted mockery of her former self. Beneath the glamour that masked her true form, she knew there were marks etched into her skin, a constant reminder that she was forever changed.

Frustration gnawed at her insides, a festering wound that wouldn’t heal. Her life hasn’t been so perfect but just when everything seemed to be turning around, just when she thought she might find some semblance of peace, everything was collapsing back into chaos.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she stared harder at her reflection, the anger building within her like a tidal wave.

"Just come out already, you bastard!" she snapped, her voice echoing off the walls.

She ran her hands through her hair, tugging at the strands in frustration, her breathing ragged and uneven. She continued to stare at her face in the mirror, willing Azula to appear, to confront her directly instead of lurking in the shadows of her mind. But then something strange happened—something that made Islinda’s heart drop into her stomach.

Her reflection stared back at her, but instead of mimicking her expression of frustration, it smirked—a twisted, malevolent grin that sent a shiver down her spine.

Islinda’s blood ran cold as she realized what was happening. It wasn’t her reflection anymore. It was Azula, toying with her, mocking her. The anger that had been building within her exploded in a rush of adrenaline, and before she knew it, she had slammed her fist into the mirror.

The glass shattered under the force of the blow, cracks spiderwebbing out from the point of impact. The twisted smirk disappeared, replaced by a distorted, fractured version of her own face.

Islinda stared at the broken mirror, her chest heaving, her hand throbbing with pain. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the terror that gripped her heart. Azula was indeed toying with her.

She quickly washed the blood from her hand, watching the crimson liquid swirl down the drain. The wound would heal soon enough, but the fear—the fear would linger. She couldn’t afford to let Azula win. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.

Islinda forced herself to leave the bathroom, returning to her room where she found Maxi waiting for her. The moment she saw the expression on Maxi’s face, Islinda knew that she had heard the news. Since the fight where she had been injured, this was the first time Islinda had seen the dark Fae horse shifter.

"Have you lost your mind?" Maxi’s voice was low, but there was no mistaking the anger simmering beneath the surface.

Islinda opened her mouth to explain, but Maxi cut her off, her eyes blazing with fury. "How could you? How could you agree to marry Prince Andre? Is this who you really are? The moment Aldric is in trouble, you run off to the better prince?"

The accusation cut deep, slicing through Islinda’s defenses like a knife. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them back, refusing to break down. "Do you think I had any choice?" she shot back, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Everyone has a choice," Maxi retorted, her tone unforgiving. "And this was yours."

Unable to hold it in any longer, Islinda shouted, "I made a deal with Andre!"

Maxi frowned, the anger in her eyes giving way to confusion. "What?"

Tears spilled over Islinda’s cheeks as she confessed, "Andre covered up my identity, and in return, I owed him a favor. But now he’s called it in, demanding that I marry him."

Maxi stared at her, frustration and disbelief warring on her face. "How could you be so gullible? To make a deal with a Fae? Hasn’t Aldric taught you anything?" fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"I trusted him!" Islinda cried, her voice breaking. "Andre seemed different from the rest."

Maxi’s expression softened slightly, but her voice remained firm. "No Fae can be trusted, Islinda. You should have known that."

Maxi’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing. "Then we’ll have to find a way to tell Aldric. He needs to know."

Islinda shook her head, her face pale with fear. "We can’t. If Aldric finds out, he’ll kill Andre. And if that happens, the kingdom will be thrown into chaos. Aldric will be hunted down, and he’ll ruin his own future."

Maxi clenched her fists, frustration and helplessness radiating off her in waves. "Then what are we going to do? I can’t just sit back and watch you marry Andre against your will."

A sudden idea sparked in Maxi’s mind, and she looked at Islinda with a glimmer of hope. "What if I take you away from here?"

Islinda frowned, not understanding. "What do you mean?"

Maxi’s eyes gleamed with determination. "You’re bound by magic to marry Andre, but if I take you away from here, you won’t be the one breaking the deal. It would be on me, not you."

Hope flickered in Islinda’s eyes, a light she hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever. But just as that hope began to grow, the door to the room was abruptly thrown open. Prince Andre stepped in, flanked by two guards who immediately seized Maxi.

Maxi’s heart pounded in her chest as she struggled against their grip. "What the hell are you doing?"

Islinda rushed to Andre, her voice filled with panic. "What is the meaning of this?"

But Andre ignored her, his cold eyes fixed on the guards as he gave a signal. They dragged Maxi out of the room, her protests echoing in the corridor.

Islinda tried to push past Andre, to stop them, but he grabbed her arm, holding her back until Maxi was out of sight. When they were gone, she wrenched her arm free and turned on him, fury burning in her eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Andre’s eyes narrowed, but he took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. "I’m making sure nothing comes between us, Islinda. I don’t trust Maxi around you. She’s too unpredictable. But don’t worry, she’ll be fine. She’ll be released after our wedding tomorrow."

Islinda wanted to scream, to lash out, but she knew that any further resistance would only make her situation worse. So she bit her tongue, swallowing her anger and fear, and remained silent.

Noticing her silence, Andre’s gaze drifted down to her hand. He saw the wound, still red and raw, and gently took her hand in his. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles, the gesture sending a shiver down her spine—a feeling that was anything but pleasant.

"Don’t worry," he murmured, his voice soft and deceptively kind. "Everything will be alright."

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Islinda standing there, more worried than ever before.