Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 680: Kam, Kam

"Not a word," Islinda warned Ginger before she could say anything after they had caught up with her.

But the Fae persisted, "My lady, it’s not about the memory glass incident..." Ginger couldn’t finish because the glare Islinda sent her way was enough to vaporize her on the spot.

"I mean, you should eat." She gulped.

Islinda sighed, unable to make life difficult for the poor Fae merely doing her job. It was not Ginger’s fault that she summoned that memory.

What would others think of her now?

Only Aldric knew she had spied on him during coitus with Rosalind. But not anymore. Everyone knew. And more would know soon. Islinda knew how gossip worked in the Fae realm. Fae loved gossip as much as they loved sweets. She was about to become famous again — for the wrong reasons.

If truly the gods existed, then they must be having great fun with her.

Ginger, as usual, found a good restaurant, and Gabbi ensured the food was safe for human consumption. In one word, her own consumption, since her human friend had practically developed immunity against Fae enchanted food, having lived here her whole life.

It must be the magic in the air, and Gabbi had already inhaled enough of it from birth to no longer be affected by its effects. Islinda wondered when she would get the same immunity, only to catch herself at the last minute.

Was she really going to live the rest of her days in the Fae realm? Not long ago, she had been intent on escaping and hiding away from the Fae princes in the human realm for the rest of her life.

But then, it wasn’t like she had a life in the human realm anymore. Not to mention, she was actually trying to build something here with Aldric. Maybe, just maybe, she and Aldric might spend the rest of their lives in the human realm, away from the fight and violence for the crown, away from the scheming and drama of the palace.

Islinda knew this dream of hers was impossible, not with Aldric so invested in taking the throne of Astaria. But then, anything could happen. The future was vast, and change was constant. All it took was one move, and everything else could fall into place.

As they settled into the restaurant, Islinda forced herself to push aside her worries and enjoy the meal. The restaurant was warm and cozy, the food vibrant and fresh, each dish a small masterpiece.

"Try this," Ginger suggested, handing Islinda a plate of an oddly cooked mushroom. "It’s safe, I promise."

Having learned that nothing was as it seemed in the Fae realm, Islinda took a tentative bite. Her eyes widened in surprise at the burst of flavor. "It’s good," she admitted, though her mind still lingered on the earlier embarrassment.

Gabbi nodded approvingly. "See? Your day isn’t entirely ruined yet."

Islinda paused and looked at Ginger. Really looked at her and her efforts to make her day special.

"Thank you, really, Ginger. Thank you for trying to make me feel better."

At once, Ginger beamed, crinkles forming at the corners of her eyes as she relished the praise. "That’s what I’m here for, to make your day hot and sassy! And besides, once the initial gossip dies down, they’ll find something else to talk about. The Fae have short attention spans."

"Yeah, you’re right. They will talk about something else soon," Islinda replied, feeling a little down as it dawned on her that the next news the whole Fae realm would likely talk about was the death duel between Aldric and Valeria. An event where Aldric would have to kill or be killed.

Islinda took another bite, the food feeling like a huge lump in her throat before sliding down into her queasy stomach. Her appetite had vanished.

Islinda didn’t show she had lost her interest in the food, else Ginger would start to question her and feel guilty, assuming she was not impressed with the meal. Instead, she looked around, her gaze noting the others in attendance, and that was when it dawned on her that someone was missing.

"Where is Kalamazoo?" Islinda questioned no one in particular, only for her gaze to fall on the two new guards that had accompanied her on her journey. "Where is he?"

"He stepped out for a bit," one of the guards answered curtly, intentionally omitting the information she wanted.

Islinda fiddled with her spoon as she began to think carefully. Kalamazoo was too serious about his job to leave her side for even a second. Something was up, Islinda could feel it.

Meanwhile...

Kalamazoo had a guarded look on his face as he snuck out of the restaurant. The usually stoic guard was on edge, his instincts telling him something was amiss. From the initial start, he sensed they were being followed. He didn’t need to be told twice—Islinda was the target; she was the most important person being escorted.

Fortunately, Ginger had stuck to bustling marketplaces and avoided isolated areas where they could be easily surrounded and attacked. However, for presumed assassins, their pursuers made it too easy to be noticed, and Kalamazoo strangely could not sense any murderous intent from them. They were just following.

Hence, he calmed down. Now, he moved swiftly through the streets, his eyes scanning for any sign of them, his hand never straying far from the hilt of his sword.

He turned a corner when someone said with a lilting tone, "Hello, Kam, kam, took you this long to find us."

He looked towards the roof of the building and there Maxi sat, her leg swinging over the edge, looking like someone who had no care in the world. Of course, she had no care. To this day, he still didn’t understand her usefulness to Prince Aldric and why he kept her around despite her betrayals.

Despite now being a member of Aldric’s inner circle, he was sadly still not aware of Maxi’s secret identity as a dark Fae horse shifter. Perhaps, if he knew, he would show more respect to Maxi, considering he was a fan of Aldric’s war horse, Maximus.

And of course, where there was Maxi, Isaac was sure to follow. A cloaked figure came into view, and Kalamazoo’s eyes narrowed as Isaac approached, his senses heightened.

"What is this? Weren’t the both of you restricted from following Prince Aldric into the Winter Court?" he demanded in a low voice, his body tense.

Kalamazoo was wary of the two because trouble was sure to follow them.

"You’re right, we were intent on following the rule until we received a certain message." Maxi jumped down from the roof, landing gracefully on both feet despite the height.

"We need to talk at once, Kam, kam," she said to him.

"That is not my name." Kalamazoo scowled at her. "If you are going to start this conversation, call my name right."

"And why should I do that? You don’t decide what nickname I’m to call you."

"Maxi," Isaac called out, "behave."

"Fine. We have more important issues to look into than squabbling over name-calling like younglings." Maxi said it as if it were his fault they argued in the first place, and Kalamazoo’s mouth twitched, fighting the urge to retort. He sensed she was trying to get a response out of him, and he would not fall for it.

"We got a message from Islinda stating that our beloved Prince Aldric is in trouble and practically you all need saving, which is what we have come to do," Maxi said.

"Islinda sent a message to you?!" Kalamazoo was dumbfounded.

Maxi lifted a brow. "Seeing that you are more concerned that Islinda snuck a message to me than actually being concerned about Prince Aldric being under witchcraft manipulation, I can safely deduce that you are aware of what is going on." She saw through him.

Kalamazoo’s jaw hardened. "I have it under control."

"Yeah, the last time I believed a male’s words, I ended up being sold off. So sorry if I don’t believe your words."

At once Isaac turned to her. "You don’t believe my words too?"

"Of course, I believe your words, my love. You are the only exception!" Maxi winked at him.

Not that Isaac fell for it. He could see through his tricky mate’s antics.

"Now back to our conversation," Maxi faced Kalamazoo, all amusement leaving her face. She said, "The point is that Aldric cannot know that we disobeyed his order and came to the Winter Court, which is why we need your help..." She stepped closer. "You are going to help us sneak into the Winter Court and cover our tracks as we work on protecting Islinda from whatever evil plan that Summer Fae bitch has in store."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Kalamazoo snorted. "That is not happening—"

"That will happen, and you are going to make it so." Islinda stated authoritatively, stepping out from the shadows.