Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 836: Last Of Them

Her mate was a mad Fae, that was the only thought that crossed Islinda’s mind as she stared at the beast Aldric had brought into the palace.

The dust finally settled, revealing the enormous creature, its scales shimmering like an oil slick under the sun. Its long, barbed tail thrashed with agitation, and its massive, bat-like wings were now folded close to its body.

The creature’s eyes, glowing a deep amber, darted around, filled with suspicion and tension. However it made no move to attack. Yet.

"What do you think of it?"

"What?" Islinda nearly jumped when Aldric spoke, her whole attention had been trained on the fearsome yet intriguing monster.

"It’s called a Ka’er. And the last of its kind seemingly." He told her.

"It’s large and scary." Islinda observed from the distance, her gaze moving from the weary beast to Aldric. "Why hasn’t it attacked yet?"

"Because I haven’t given the orders yet."

"What?" The blood drained from Islinda’s face.

Almost immediately, one of the soldiers that had been taken down by the shockwave the beast created when it crashed rose to attack it again.

"Throw that magic and I’ll swear to the gods, I’ll command it to swallow you whole." Aldric warned him, the dark look on his face showing he was not joking at all.

At once, the soldier lowered his hands covered with flames, knowing that it was a fight that he could not win. Aldric’s glare did not lessen until the flame extinguished entirely and he finally took his eyes off him.

"Aldric, what’s going on?" Islinda touched his arm, no longer comfortable with the tension in the air. Moreover, she had a lot of questions regarding the beast and where in the world had it come from?

But Aldric smiled at her and took her hands, gently tugging her along as he said, "Come on, let me introduce you to him."

"What?" Islinda gulped. Though she knew Aldric wouldn’t hurt her, the size of the beast alone was enough to cause her to fear. And for crying out loud, this was Aldric. She had no idea what her unpredictable mate was up to.

"Don’t worry, he won’t bite." He winked at her.

Islinda must be crazy for going along with his idea, but then he was her mate and she trusted her. The tension now had skyrocketed as all the soldiers were alert, waiting for the moment the beast made a wrong move so they could put it down. In one word, Aldric was the only thing standing between them and the monster.

Islinda came within ten feet of the beast when she stopped, unable to go any further. The Ka’er or whatever Aldric called it was a massive beast standing at about fifteen feet tall and stretching thirty feet in length.

It’s entire body was covered in thick, iridescent scales that shift between dark green, deep purple, and midnight blue. Staring into its fierce amber eyes revealed a primal intelligence, and its head was adorned with curved, menacing horns.

Not to mention enormous, leathery wings with feathered edges that span over fifty feet, probably allowing it to fly swiftly and silently through the skies.

Its long, muscular tail ends in a spiked club, capable of crushing rock and bone. And people.

The beast, had settled its massive head down on the ground, emitting a deep, rumbling sigh. It looked almost...content. Islinda couldn’t help but marvel at everything.

"Why is it so docile?" Islinda finally asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity. She had never seen a creature like this in the human realm, and common sense told her that such a beast was likely a force of pure destruction. Yet, here it was, behaving like a pet. Aldric’s pet.

Aldric smirked and tapped his temple with a finger. "Like I told you, I’m holding the reins in my head. You could too."

"What?" Islinda croaked, nearly taking a step back. What in the world of delusion was Aldric about to drag her into?

Ignoring her reaction, Aldric moved closer to the beast, his hand reaching out to touch its dark, scaly hide. The beast rumbled in response—a low, vibrating growl that should have been terrifying but somehow sounded almost like a purr. Aldric’s confidence seemed to soothe the beast even more, and he continued petting it.

Perhaps it was Aldric’s unwavering demeanor or the strangely calm aura around the beast, but Islinda found herself relaxing slightly.

Aldric noticed her hesitation melting away and said, "Did you know, long centuries ago, there used to be a lot of them?"

"What happened to them?" Islinda asked.

"The Ka’er are powerful, resourceful beast’s, especially in battle. Fae from all courts sought to capture them, if only for the honor of having one, as they were known to be untameable," Aldric began, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "However..." His eyes held hers with an intensity that made her shiver. "There was only one court that could do so with ease."

The answer dawned on Islinda like a cold, creeping realization. "The Night Court," she breathed.

Aldric nodded. "The Night Court’s prowess with mind abilities gave them a huge upper hand in taming these beasts. They could communicate with them, prove they were worthy of their loyalty, or..." His tone darkened, a shadow passing over his face. "Conquer them."

He shifted his stance, summoning his shadow magic and shaping it into a fine point. Gently, he began scratching behind the beast’s side, and its eyes rolled back in bliss. Islinda couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder watching the bond between the two.

Without breaking his concentration, Aldric continued, "So you can imagine what happened when the Night Court turned to the dark side."

"Destruction," Islinda muttered.

"Precisely. The Night Court, though smaller than the other courts, wrought havoc with the help of the Ka’er. They became so feared that the High Faeries began a great hunt to eliminate them. King Oberon, in his self-righteousness, declared them a threat to the realms and supposedly wiped them out...or so he thought."

Aldric smirked, his hand still scratching the now docile beast. "On a little trip to what remains of the Night Court this morning, I found this one in the wild forests. I don’t know how it survived, but its parents must have died protecting it or hiding it. I’d like to think it had siblings, since Ka’ers are known to be born in litters. If so, they are either far from home...or dead. This right here is what’s left of them. For now."

The fire in Aldric’s eyes was predictable. He would continue to search for its surviving kin. And why wouldn’t he? He had been tasked with rebuilding the Night Court. He was to be the King of the Dark Fae. Neither has Aldric being known to leave his own people behind.

"So it’s a straggler then?" Islinda said, stepping closer to him.

"Straggler...?" Aldric tapped his chin thoughtfully, and then a wicked grin spread across his face. "Is that what you’d like to call it?"

"What?!" Islinda spluttered. "No, Aldric, that’s a horrible name!"

But Aldric was no longer listening. He turned to the beast with a smirk. "You heard that, right? Your name is Straggler."

The newly christened Straggler gave a rumble of protest, but it seemed Aldric had already made up his mind.

He turned back to Islinda with a gleam in his eye. "Your turn," he said. "Try taming the beast."

"What?" Islinda shook her head. "No, that’s impossible. I can’t—"

"You can," Aldric insisted, his voice low and commanding. "You are my mate, a dark Fae. Whatever I can do, you can do more."

After a moment of hesitation, Islinda decided to trust him. She allowed Aldric to place his hands gently on the sides of her head, his presence guiding her. "Close your eyes," he whispered.

She did, and almost instantly, she felt herself drawn into Aldric’s mind. It was like being in a vast hallway filled with countless doors, each one hiding a secret. She could feel the temptation to explore Aldric’s secrets but she resisted, respecting his privacy.

Then, suddenly, Aldric was there beside her in her mind’s eye. He took her hand, and together they approached the beast’s consciousness.

She could feel it, a hot, aggressive energy that resisted them, like a flame burning too brightly. But with Aldric’s guidance, she reached out and soothed it, coaxing it into calmness. The beast’s mind softened, becoming as docile as it was in real life.

When Islinda opened her eyes, Aldric was grinning at her, his eyes alight with pride. "Now, touch it," he said softly.

Hesitantly, she reached out and laid her hand on Straggler’s massive head. The beast leaned into her touch, its eyelids drooping in apparent pleasure. Then, to her surprise, its enormous tongue darted out, leaving a thick, sticky trail across her hand.

But their moment of peace shattered when someone yelled, "What in the name of animosity have you done, Aldric?"

Islinda and Aldric turned to see Queen Maeve standing at the edge of the field, a horrified expression on her face. She wasn’t alone. Behind her, the other Queens, a crowd of courtiers, guards, and onlookers had gathered, their faces a mixture of shock and outrage.

A murmur spread through the crowd like wildfire, but Aldric only smirked, his grip tightening on Islinda’s hand as he stepped forward, ready to do what he was best at.

Causing trouble.