Music Recommendation for this Chapter - Lovely ~ Billie Eilish, Khalid
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Valerie thought she was dead.
But she wasn’t.
Aldric changed her identity to Isle and forced her into Valerie’s arms.
What happens when Valerie finds out that she’s Islinda instead?
What happens when he loses control?
What happens when a Fae prince loses control?
"I see that you have met Isle, my dearest brother."
"Oh no..." Islinda flinched and Aldric smirked.
He wanted to make Valerie lose control in front of all the guests here, she realized. Islinda didn’t know Fae culture, but common sense told her losing control was not a princely decorum.
She whirled around, facing the Fae with a twisted smirk and pushing at his chest, "Aldric, no..." Islinda gave him a pleading look.
He can’t do this. Not here. Not now.
But Valerie grabbed her hand, tugging her forward and distracting her.
"When I heard a female Fae accompanied Aldric to the party, I couldn’t believe it and thought it a lie. Tell me, what has he got on you? Did he force you? Threaten you to accompany him tonight?" He asked her with a tight expression.
Islinda was dazed and somewhat touched that he cared about the welfare of a Fae he had no idea about. But this was not the time for this and unless she wanted a fight - that would likely lead to death - to break out in the royal grand, she had to get out of here.
She tried to wring her hand out of his grip, but he was too strong.
"You have to let me go," Islinda begged him desperately, but Valerie had always been stubborn and didn’t move an inch.
And Aldric struck with that opportunity.
He ripped the necklace off her neck before she knew it, her eyes widening while her mouth opened with a silent scream.
He ruined it all.
A loud shocked gasp echoed across the hall as the transformation was instant. The platinum blonde color of her hair receded until it was her natural brown left in its wake. Her glossy skin lost its Fae shine while her once tipped ears became rounded. Her purple eyes became brown. Islinda became a human.
Valerie dropped her hand.
At first, Islinda thought he was disappointed with the result - she was no longer the beautiful mysterious Fae - until she saw the shocked look on his face.
"Islinda...?" He stared at her with wide, unbelieving eyes, "H-how? You are..."
"Dead?" She completed the words for him.
Valerie swallowed, the shock of the revelation slowly easing.
"I’m not dead. It’s me, Islinda." She smiled dryly, "You didn’t really think you would get rid of me that easily..."
Islinda didn’t get to finish the rest of her words because Valerie pulled her into his hard chest, knocking the breath out of her. He hugged her so tight, robbing her of all breath, and while it was uncomfortable, Islinda did not want to miss a moment between them. She was back in the arms of the Fae that she loves.
They hugged for a minute, even though it felt like hours. However, Islinda was the first to break away when she felt the uncomfortable stillness in the air. That was when she realized all eyes were on her - all the Faeries in the room were looking at her intensely. And some of the looks were not friendly.
She felt self-conscious and took a step back, not that Valerie let her. He didn’t seem to care, instead, his hands were all over her face, checking if she was real and not an illusion. She had been glamoured earlier. If this was another prank from Aldric, he was going to kill him.
"H-how? I returned for you, Islinda. The villagers.... " He tensed at the memory, "They said your entire family was killed. I thought... I thought.... you were one of them. How did you survive? How did you come.....?"
Valerie trailed off, everything finally making sense and when his gaze locked onto his brother, it was fiery and deadly.
"Valerie, no -!" Islinda wanted to hold him back from doing something stupid, but red angry flames raced up his arms and she jerked away from the scalding heat.
He lunged at the smiling Aldric who effortlessly sidestepped the blow that was aimed his way, having seen that coming.
There was an instant commotion as the guests at the party cowered away from the fight, none of them wanting to be a victim. They were still confused as to what was going on considering it had been one surprise after the other - first the human, now this.
"Valerie!" Islinda screamed his name but he was far gone, consumed with his rage and need for revenge. It didn’t help matters his elemental power was passionate and fire did nothing but fuel the anger inside of him.
The fight picked up with Valerie launching balls of flame at Aldric but he did not counter it with his power, and dodged it with ease, taunting him more. Nor did the fire prince realize he was laying destruction to the hall.
The party was ruined, and there was pandemonium everywhere as the Faeries ran for cover. However, the fight did not go on for too long because a voice filled with power boomed across the room.
"What is going on here?!"
Islinda shuddered at the raw power that washed over her and she wanted to hide away from the owner of the voice. It seems she was not the only one who felt the oppressive force because the Faeries still in the room had wide eyes and froze as they discovered the owner of the resounding voice.
Well, all except the fighting princes.
Valerie and Aldric were hell-bent on bringing the roof down on their heads until a stream of ice was blasted both their ways, literally freezing the both of them and they became ice statues.
The grand ballroom went deadly silent.
Islinda did not dare to move or breathe carelessly. However, there was one question in her mind as she stared at the frozen Valerie and Aldric,
Were they dead?