Mated To The Cruel Prince-Chapter 853: On Her Own

Back in Queen Maeve’s chambers, the atmosphere was heavy with tension. King Oberon turned to leave, but Maeve, still kneeling on the ground, grabbed his hand. Her voice was desperate, uncaring that the king’s guards and the other princes stood nearby.

"You have to help me, Oberon. You’re the only one I have left," she pleaded.

For a moment, it seemed as though a flicker of pity flashed in Oberon’s eyes. But then his gaze fell on Ramirez’s body—charred and burnt from the earlier fight between Aldric and Maeve. Despite the chaos and lingering smoke, Oberon’s sensitive nose caught the unmistakable scent of Maeve and Ramirez intertwined.

"So, you lose him, and suddenly I’m the only one left for you?" Oberon sneered. "What was I all those years you were with him?" freёwebnoѵel.com

The blood drained from Maeve’s face, and she realized she was truly doomed.

"You knew?" Maeve’s voice sharpened, the realization dawning on her.

He didn’t need to say more. His eyes flicked toward Prince Andre, who still remained frozen in place, clearly shaken by the revelations so far. Queen Maeve could almost laugh at the absurdity of it all. Of course, Oberon had known. He had eyes and ears everywhere, and Andre, eager to please his father, must have exposed her secret to him.

Maeve’s laugh was bitter, hollow. She felt exposed, not just in her shame, but in her helplessness. "Of course, you knew," she said with a sigh, her voice cracking. "You turned the other way this entire time."

She was right. Oberon had known about her infidelity, just as he had known about Queen Nirvana’s. His indifference hadn’t been because of ignorance. It had been a choice, an act of passive neglect.

He couldn’t remember the last time he graced any of their beds.

If there was anyone he requested her company, it would be Victoria and he could count the handful of times he was in her bed. Victoria was different from the others. He could call her a friend sometimes. She was understanding and he knew she could never manipulate him with that. Nor did she push him nor cross the line like Maeve or Nirvana.

Since Nova’s death, Oberon had withdrawn from them all. His grief had consumed him, so much so that he had abandoned his duties as their husband. In truth, he felt as if he were betraying Nova’s memory every time he touched another female. As if moving on meant losing her all over again.

In one word, he had been punishing them by not providing their needs. And they, in turn, had found others. Oberon had chosen to ignore it, as long as it didn’t lead to children or threats to his throne. Not that it was easy for Fae females to get pregnant else their kind would have grown massively and populated their realm like the humans.

Faeries, unlike humans, didn’t lose their desire with age, and it was not unusual for them to seek companionship elsewhere. He let them have their secret lovers as long as it didn’t disrupt the fragile balance of the court.

But now, Maeve had gone too far. Her affair was not supposed to come to light. But it already did.

"Did you really think I didn’t know?" Oberon asked, his voice cold. "I’m not a fool. Deep down, I think you suspected I knew. That’s why you flaunted them. You wanted to provoke me, to see how far you could go. Well, congratulations. Now the entire palace knows I have a cheating queen. That’s on you, not me. I hope you’re prepared for the aftermath."

"Oberon, please..." Maeve’s voice broke as she grabbed his legs, clinging to him desperately. "You have to save me. Just this once. Please."

Oberon closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were steely and unforgiving. His decision was made.

"How long did you think you could escape punishment, Maeve? Valerie will fight Aldric to keep your secret, but this is your doing. You made your bed. Now sleep in it."

With that, Oberon pulled free of her grasp and strode out of the room. Some of the king’s guards followed closely behind, escorting him to ensure his safety. The rest remained, taking Ramirez’s body to be disposed of without ceremony.

Maeve watched them leave, the weight of her failure crashing down on her. She turned toward Valerie, her son, her final hope. "Valerie, you have to help me. Please, my son—"

"Don’t touch me!" Valerie recoiled from her, disgusted.

Maeve felt her heart shatter into pieces. Even her own son, the one she had sacrificed everything for, was turning against her. How had it come to this? How had she lost everything?

One by one, the room emptied, leaving Maeve to wallow in her disgrace. Although Aldric had agreed to keep the truth from spreading in exchange for the duel, rumors had already begun circulating throughout the palace. While the official story could be controlled and spun into falsehoods, the damage was done. Queen Maeve would never regain the respect she had once commanded.

Meanwhile, Valerie stormed out after King Oberon. He had no intention of fighting Aldric again. Everything had finally settled into place—he was poised to become the king of Astaria while Aldric ruled his small Dark Fae kingdom. Why should he ruin everything now? Let his mother suffer the consequences of her actions. It wasn’t his problem.

But when Valerie reached the king’s chambers, Lennox, blocked his path.

"Move aside," Valerie growled.

Lennox stood firm. "The king is not to be disturbed."

Valerie, his temper flaring, roughly shoved Lennox out of the way and barged into the room. He was ready to launch into a tirade of complaints, but the sight that greeted him stopped him cold.

King Oberon was kneeling before a large portrait of Queen Nova, weeping like a child. His body trembled with each sob, his hands clutched together in front of the painting as if begging for forgiveness.

"I’m sorry," Oberon murmured, his voice breaking. "I’m so, so sorry."

Valerie stood frozen, his words dying on his lips. He had never seen his father like this, so vulnerable, so broken. The sight of the once mighty King of Astaria crumbling in grief for his lost love shook him to the core.

Without a word, Valerie slowly backed out of the room, his mind reeling. When he reached the hallway, Lennox was still there, his eyes meeting Valerie’s.

There was no need for words, the deal was communicated in one gaze.

He did not see his father bawling like a child.

He had not come here in the first place.