Isaac knew that his life was over even before the royal decree was announced. He could tell from the way his fellow soldiers passed him sympathetic looks and some even shook their heads in pity. If he wasn't so positive, he would have thought that he had been given a death sentence.
He tried to remain positive until the captain had called him and told him the "good" news, he was no longer required to serve the king because he has been granted in service to another, the cruel prince, Aldric.
Isaac didn't know how to feel about the news. Perhaps, he shouldn't have asked for trouble in the first place by making himself known to the cruel prince if he couldn't handle the consequences. But then, he had thought it polite showing the cruel prince the way when others wouldn't.
Sure, the prince had a horrible reputation, well, who was he kidding? He was dangerous, but the cruel prince was still a Fae. And a prince at that. It was right to be kind. Well, look where the kindness got him. Now he got the rest of his life to be polite to the prince everyone detested and avoided like a stroke of bad luck.
The captain sent him away to his fate with a pat on his shoulder and Issac wouldn't be surprised if he said a silent prayer for him as well. None of them hoped to see him alive the next time they met, nor did he - Issac - have high expectations either.
Prince Aldric worked alone and for good reasons. His reputation precedes him and the prince has never had any companion except for his unruly horse, Maximus. Who in their right mind would want to come close to the madman but he, Issac was about to break such a record and make Fae history. Yeah, he was so excited! Note the sarcasm.
Before Aldric was done with his meeting with the king, Isaac had already received orders that he was to wait for him with his horse. And that's how Issac found himself standing a distance away from the creature in the field. The horse Maximus had black manes and had the same temperament as his master, and it was safe to say they seemed to be cast in the same mold.
Maximus should have been escorted into the royal stable but the last time they had introduced him to a herd, he ended up attacking the other horses. One could not tell if the horse was as mad as its master or influenced by the dark magics Aldric feeds it during battle. One thing was for sure though, the horse was a loner and didn't react too kindly to force. If anything, it had a mind of its own.
The guards left the both of them alone and stood in their duty posts which meant it was just Maximus and Issac standing in the hot weather and waiting for their master. Fresh hay was dumped in front of Maximus but the horse had not taken a bite. The horse almost looked proud.
Issac stood with his arms folded across his chest, his face a stony mask even though his thoughts were all over the place. But he minded his business and calmly awaited his fate when someone threw hay on him. There was a frown on his face as he looked around to check who had done such a thing but there was no one in sight.
The guards stood ramrod straight and focused on their duty, they didn't look like they would bother him. Thus leaving Maximus who was sniffing the hay with his tail swinging side to side and there was no way the horse could have done that. Perhaps, it was a mistake or something and the wind could have been responsible - even though he had not felt any wind.
Hence, Isaac did not think much about it and looked forward. However, not long after, he felt another set of hay thrown on his body again and this time his sensitive ears had picked up the sound and it came from the direction of the horse. Isaac turned back to Maximus with narrowed eyes as he studied him, but the sly creature was moving around the lawn idly.
No, it was not a Fae playing games on him and there was something intelligent about that horse. So he minded his business again, but this time Issac was prepared to catch the culprit. But unlike his expectations, the perpetrator didn't move immediately and took more time than previously as if trying to throw him off.
Isaac was almost close to giving up when he heard the slightest movement and turned immediately only to catch the horse Maximus with his heel lifted as if about to kick hay on him.
"A-ha! I knew it was you!" Issac explained, delighted to have caught him in the act.
Maximus nickered and though Isaac could not read horse language, he had a feeling the animal was looking down on him for not comprehending him faster.
"Seriously, that's all you have to say?" Isaac could not believe that he was talking to, well, a horse.
"And to think that I would have a hard time introducing you, it seems the both of you are getting along fine." A voice said from behind.
Issac nearly broke his neck whipping around to face the voice and wasn't surprised to see that it was the cruel prince. It was merely a day and he could recognize his aura.
Prince Adric was standing there, the usual fiendish delight gleaming in his eyes and in the grin that split his face. No wonder everyone was scared of him, he looked unhinged and the king just gave him away like that. What a great fate he had.
When he began to walk forward, Issac thought the prince was coming towards him and had already braced himself for whatever happened next only for Aldric to wrap his arms around Maximus, rubbing his face on its side.
"Who is my big boy? Of course, you are!"
Issac's jaw nearly dropped to the ground when he saw the public display of affection. The behavior was not expected of the cruel prince. He was a cruel emotionless Fae who felt no pain and delighted in people's misery, that was what he had been told. The prince was not supposed to feel any affection, but it seems it was a lie and the prince does have something he cherished.
Thus Isaac was left dumbfounded as he watched the prince's and Maximus' interaction.
"You don't like it here?" Prince Aldric muttered, running his hand through the horse's mane.
His head was tilted to the side as if trying to concentrate on the conversations between him and Maximus which actually wasn't possible. There are other special animals like the hellhounds who bound themselves to a Fae of their choice and their thoughts are projected to their masters, but horses just can't. But then, what does he know, considering no one knows the extent of Prince Aldric's powers.
"Ooh, don't worry. We find my brother, the chosen prince and then we can go back to ripping bones and flesh on the battlefield." His words were filled with contempt while speaking of the prince.
Issac practically winced at the conversation, was that really going on in the horse's mind? He had more than enough reason to be careful around Maximus.
"Do you see my new gift? He's cute, right? You always told me that I should have a subordinate Fae to help me out and I did. Do you like him or should I just end him and go on with the mission? Just the two of us as usual."
Wait a minute, Issac was dumbfounded. Were they just talking about him? How to kill him? He was right here you know.
"Oh, he's dumb." Aldric chuckled.
"I am not dumb!" Issac wanted to say out loud but he shut his mouth. This was not the time.
"Don't worry, we'll keep him for now."
And with that being said, the cruel prince turned to him with that piercing ice-blue gaze that almost seemed to stare into the abyss of his soul.
He said, "You no longer answer to the king from now on, but me. I don't do well with betrayals and there are no second chances with me. In one word, you're mine now, Issac."
And that would have been a heart-melting love confession if Isaac was into men and the man standing in front of him wasn't Prince Aldric. He was literally discussing with his horse how to end him minutes ago. Yes, his life just got super interesting, thanks to the gods.
"Understood," Issac said.
He was a soldier already used to orders and without complaints.
"Good." The serious look on the prince's face was gone, replaced now by his creepy smile as he announced, "Let's go find my brother dearest before it's too late, don't we?"
The prince grabbed him and pulled out the medallion and before Issac had the time to brace himself for the drizzling travel, the portal already sucked them away.
It was a miracle Isaac didn't faceplant on the floor when they arrived because he was not used to using the portals and only staggered in the end. He recognized the cobbled stone road they were on as the point where the crown prince had been kidnapped. The hot weather beating down on their backs was a tell-tale sign of the summer court - the crown prince's hometown.
"Let's see…." Prince Aldric murmured, crouching down as he began to examine something that Issac clearly couldn't see.
"My brother dearest's magical signature is weak but still traceable. Now all I have to do is wrap it with mine…." The prince muttered just as he flicked his hand and tendrils of black magic burst from his hand and began to form a trail and went on.
"Now, we follow," Prince Aldric said right before he mounted his horse with stunning agility for his size and Issac was startled when he saw his outstretched hand.
"What?"
"Are you not coming along? Something tells me this is going to be a long walk." He said, his hand still out.
Issac was tempted to say no, but he was going to be stuck with this madman who would probably kill him on a whim, perhaps it was time he tried to win him over.
So he took his hand and though Issac was not weak, he still appreciated his help in climbing up the horse. Then they were set and continued the journey. And just as the cruel prince guessed, it was a long walk because it took long hours and they had long left the summer court and were nearly approaching the human realm.
Well, not nearly, because it took them to the border between the Fae and the human realm. They disembarked from the horse and Prince Aldric walked up to the glowing walls of the Great Divider. The barrier was a warning meant to keep either side from crossing over and as well keep the human realm safe from the creatures that haunted their realm.
Prince Aldric turned to him with the creepy smirk that graced his features as he said, "This just got interesting."