The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 233: Meeting The Fae Crown Prince.

Chapter 233: Meeting The Fae Crown Prince.

~Flashback

A month ago...

Reneira sat on her balcony, watching the fiery leaves of autumn drift from the trees like glowing embers.

Suddenly, a strange bird appeared in the garden, circling once above the old apple tree before settling gracefully on a branch. Its color matches the leaves.

Ren jumped to her feet and spun around, only to crash straight into Arkilla’s chest.

"Whoa, my Luna! Where are you rushing off to? Did you think of something that might help His Highness?"

Ren shook her head briskly, already storming toward the door.

"Arkilla, don’t follow me. I need some time alone in the garden. Don’t let anyone into the apple grove."

The startled guard opened her mouth to protest, but her words caught in her throat as Ren closed the door firmly behind her.

Ren raced through the hallways, ignoring the vassals who paused to stare. At the garden’s exit, she spotted the Fire-Bird waiting for her, and an exciting smile flickered across her face, making her eyes twinkle with hope after weeks of mourning.

She exhaled sharply, her breath trembling in the cool air, and strode toward the creature, bowing her head with reverence.

"I see my uncle has sent a Fire-Bird."

The Fire-Bird, a sacred beast of the Fae, was no larger than a hawk, with a tail that streamed behind it like a living flame, delicate yet full. Its eyes were as black as a starless night, deep and unreadable, glassy, she could see her own image in them.

This little bird had the power to reduce the entire land to ash.

"Follow me!" the bird spoke.

Ren nodded, unstartled. The best part of her beast-taming gift was that she could hear their voices, understand their words, and speak back, no matter how strange the creature.

She couldn’t take her eyes off it. As the Fire-Bird flapped its wings, a shimmering aura danced and sparkled around it, like a levitating flame drifting effortlessly through the air.

It led her through the winding paths of the Seraphina Garden, straight to its heart, where the main roots of the Rose and the Vine intertwined, these ancient lovers.

And then, her steps came to an abrupt stop.

She had written a message to her uncle, Lucieth, nothing more than a plea for guidance. But instead of sending a reply... he came himself. Good gods!

His long, silken hair was white as fresh snow, cascading down his back like a waterfall of moonlight. He wore a black robe, richly embroidered, that flowed all the way to his feet, hiding them from view.

And holy heavens...he was so tall, slender.

His hands were clasped behind him as he stood, silent, admiring the colorful roses in bloom. Ren could only see his back, but even from that single glimpse, she could sense how ethereal, and devastatingly beautiful, he must be. The best creatures of the gods were The Fae.

"Uncle Lucieth!" Her voice trembled. He was her uncle... right?

The Fae, cloaked in a soothing yet powerful aura, turned to face her. He shone like a star that refused to fade, radiant both in daylight and in darkness. He was the morning star but made of flesh.

And when she saw his face, her breath caught in her chest.

His eyes were the same shade of vivid blue as hers, his skin luminous and fair. His features were sculpted, masculine, yet impossibly refined. No one else looked like this. A true Fae wasn’t just otherworldly, they were the other world. There was no comparison to be made.

The aura that surrounded him stirred something in her. Her human side felt overwhelmed, almost humbled by his presence, but her Fae blood recognized him instantly. It was as if the source of light itself had reached out and brushed against her soul.

And that pride, so often spoken of when people whispered about the Fae, radiated from him, unbidden yet undeniable. He was the statue of pride if one would ask.

She stepped forward, unsure how to act. She had expected a written reply, nothing more. But here he stood, in flesh and spirit. It was... astonishing.

"Reneira, you are," he said, and gods, that voice.

It was deep and rich, yet soft as the wind that stirred trees and coaxed leaves from their branches.

The Fire-Bird perched calmly on his shoulder. In the old Fae legends she’d studied, there was only one being who could tame such a creature, the Crown Prince of the Fae.

And now, standing before her were two living legends. And one of them was her uncle.

She bowed her head. "This is so unexpected... You are very welcome here."

Despite the radiant beauty that clung to him like a second skin, he was cold. Not a trace of emotion reached her, not warmth, not curiosity. Or perhaps... he was simply very skilled at hiding it.

"I can see your shades of magic," he said, eyes locked on her.

Suddenly, his round pupils narrowed into slits. A chill surged through her, charring her insides with fear.

"Yes," she replied, forcing her voice steady. She would not stammer. She would not shrink. After everything she had endured to survive this cruel life, she would not let her own kin, Fae or not, intimidate her.

She had made one promise to herself long ago: she would live. And now, with the children growing inside her, that will to survive had only sharpened.

The air thickened, pressing against her lungs. But just as suddenly, it eased. Was he testing her?

"You don’t attack under my dark influence," he observed, and then, surprisingly, he chuckled.

Ren offered a careful smile, even though she didn’t understand what he meant.

"Should I be afraid of you, Your Highness?" she asked, her tone respectful, choosing the more formal title to avoid provoking him.

"Yes. We are rivals. So I don’t see you as my niece, only as another contender for the Fae throne. A weak demon rival," he said, his voice devoid of feeling.

He didn’t care that he’d just insulted her. Not even a flicker of concern. Uncle Agara had been right, Lucieth saw half-bloods as lesser, as demons. The same way he looked at Agara and Kai, with neither passion nor loyalty.

"I’m no rival!" Ren snapped, clarifying immediately. "I would never set foot in the Fae realm to claim the throne. Maybe a short visit someday... to see my grandfather."

"What do you offer in exchange for this oath?"

An oath? She hadn’t spoken of any oath. But she understood his meaning instantly, vividly.

He wanted her to promise to stay away from the Fae Realm. From its power. From its throne.

Not that she ever intended to go there. Gods, even an average Fae was stronger than her. She had no delusions.

He stepped closer. His tone was cold and flat, like the water that flowed through the garden’s narrow, spiraling ditches.

"You want me to swear I will never lay claim to the throne? Fine. I’ll do it. But know this...if one day you need me... I’ll return this favor."

Prince Lucieth smirked.

Smart girl.

"Fine. Stretch out your hand. Bind the oath with your power."

Ren hesitated. Binding it with her power meant something deeper, something permanent that her children would inherit. But if she wanted to prove her honesty, she had no choice.

Ren stretched out her arm, releasing all three shades of her magic. The dark thread pulsed thicker than the others. The strands wove themselves into a glowing sphere in the air. Across from her, the Fae prince conjured a red sphere of his own, letting it merge with hers, swirling into a single globe of shimmering power.

"With this," he said, "you need only summon me. I will help you capture those lords and sorcerers. But make sure they’re all in one place because I won’t come twice."

Ren watched as the completed orb floated toward him, a glowing sign of their sealed pact, and dissipated above his palm. Where did it go?

"I’ll do my best. Before you leave... May I ask a question?"

"Ask, little demon."

The title stung. She loathed it. And now, perhaps for the first time, she truly understood how it felt to walk in her husband’s shoes. To be seen that way, to be called a demon.

"While crossing the Shadow Route, I had a dream about Lutherieth’s mother, Lilliana. She held a crystal blade and threatened me. Said: if I killed her son, she would take everything from me. Was it real? What does it mean?"

The prince narrowed his eyes.

"You’ve made enemies among shadows. Don’t linger in the realm of wandering spirits. And learn to make a Fae portal, your husband’s portals are deadly for you. You’re pregnant."

Her mouth opened to ask how she could possibly learn such a thing, but before the question formed, a voice rang through the garden.

"Your Majesty, where are you?"

It was Master Biken, the librarian.

Ren turned her head and called out, "Please stay where you are!"

When she looked back... her uncle was gone. The Fire-Bird, too. There was not a single trace that remained behind them that she could track.

Ren was amazed. She was barely distracted, and he vanished. How? She couldn’t stop her curiosity from boiling inside her guts.

~*~

Present~

Oak Village.

Reneira slipped down Ogain’s back, "Oagin, take a high place and watch the surroundings, we don’t know if there will be another attack."

She hurried to the infirmary. She had seen how large the line of wounded soldiers was.

"Get ready, we have many injured patients." She ordered the healers.

Taking off her helmet, she stopped next to the shelves, checking the vials and herbs. She could not heal all those people by using her magic.

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