A Fate Worse Than Death

"Your Highness, are you sure the prince is here?" Isaac asked as he stared at the abandoned wooden cottage ahead. 

"If my magic led us here, then he is there or don't you…." Prince Aldric turned to stare at him, "Trust my ability?" 

Issac swallowed as he was pinned by the prince's unwavering gaze. If this was a test, he was as good as dead if he failed. 

"Of course, I trust your ability, my prince." He said, making sure to imbue some amount of truth into his words else the prince sees through his flattery. 

"Good." The grin was back on his face now and his suffocating aura subsided so Isaac was able to let out a breath of relief. He almost thought he would die. 

Prince Aldric was back to staring at the cottage without making a move and Issac wondered what was going on in that mind of his. 

"What of the human?" The question slipped from his mouth. 

"What about the human?" Prince Adric arched a questioning brow at him and that gave him the confidence to continue. 

"If the prince is in there? What if the human did something to him? We both know the human realm is not safe for a Fae, the same way our realm is not welcoming towards them. His majesty, the king would not -" 

"Shhh, you talk too much," The prince suddenly pressed his finger against his lips as an indication for him to shut up. 

Isaac stopped speaking at once, watching with intrigue as Prince Aldric closed his eyes tight with concentration and listened. It wasn't until his ears twitched that he realized that the prince was tracking down sounds. It was no news that the Fae senses were far more heightened than the pathetic humans. 

With his eyes closed and his head tilted, Prince Aldric announced, "I'm picking up a strong heartbeat in the cottage and it's Fae, I'm guessing it belongs to our lovely prince. The human's scent…." He sniffed deeply, "Is almost far gone now. I don't know what happened, but the human was by no means a threat to my brother. If anything, I think he welcomed her presence else she would have been a pile of roasted meat by now. We both know it's not easy to capture royal Fae." 

The look Aldric gave him was smug and felt superior. 

"Oh," Issac muttered, scratching the back of his neck and feeling stupid for reasoning poorly. 

"Your Highness, we should go rescue your brother then," 

"We?" Prince Aldric pointed out and Issac almost did a double take at the look on his face. Did he just make a mistake here? Weren't they here to rescue the crown prince? 

Issac blinked up at him in confusion, "Aren't we going to…. ?" He trailed off. 

None of this made sense anymore. Suddenly, Issac wished he was paired with a normal prince. This was not acceptable! He was walking on eggshells around the cruel prince, afraid to piss him, and met his demise. This was a fate worse than death! 

Prince Aldric tilted his head and smirked wickedly, "Aren't you going to rescue your prince?" 

"Huh? But the king… " Issac gulped down a lump in his throat. He could feel it, the cruel prince was up to one of his games again and he was going to drag him into it. 

Issac stood ramrod his hands behind him, "Of course! I have to rescue the crown prince!" 

"Good. You pick up faster than I thought." Aldric grinned, his white sharp teeth making him look more fiendish than he was supposed to look. 

It took everything in Isaac not to run away when the cruel prince approached him till they were standing face to face. 

"Now, this is what you are going to do…." 

Oh boy. 

Prince Adric began, "You would go in there and tell my brother dearest that you have come to rescue him. By no means should you bring up my name, rather you are one of the search parties sent by the king and you were lucky enough to stumble into the human realm and find him." 

He narrowed his gaze at the prince, "Just that?" Something told him there was more to these instructions. 

"Of course, that would be all, unless my brother has unfinished business in this realm. If he chooses not to go with you and instead, sends you back to the Fae realm with the message of his well-being to our daddy dearest the king, then you get back to me."

"A-are you going somewhere?" Issac inquired out of curiosity. 

Adric shook his head at him and tutted, "You ask too many questions," Only to answer the next minute, "Of course, I have somewhere to go." He beamed at him. Only Issac knew that the smile can't be anything good. 

"Where are you going then? If I'm to return to the king, how would I know how to find you?" 

"You don't need to find me, Maximus would," He dipped his head in the direction of the horse. 

Maximus in question rolled completely out on his side and lay still, looking almost relaxed as if knowing that he was in the human realm where he was an apex predator. 

Issac sucked in a sharp breath at the thought that he would be left alone with the bloodthirsty horse. 

As if that was not enough, Aldric added more fuel to the flames by saying, "Maximus is well acquainted with my scent and we're bound, but the same can't be said for you. You would have to prove to him that you're worthy of being by my side and you can come find me afterwards." 

Kill him now. 

"Now, get on with your duty while I go on with my hunt." 

"Hunt?" Issac didn't mistake that. He heard it clearly. 

Aldric grinned at him sheepishly, as if that was supposed to assure him. 

He said, "Don't worry, nobody will die yet. Now don't betray me and you would live long enough to watch my plans unfold. Good luck Isaac." He pulled out the medallion, closed his eyes, and vanished. 

Issac was left reeling as he stared at the space and then back at the black horse that snorted at him. 

"Better stay hidden and don't ruin this for me," Issac warned him, having realized the gravity of what he got himself into. He was entangled with a mad prince and it was his death if he failed this mission. 

May the gods help him.