Page 39 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

“Yes, your lover.” The servant bared her teeth at me, hissing.

“But I don’t love her!” I growled.

“Your Highness, you don’t have to convince me,” the servant said. “What’s happened has happened. And nothing can be done about it.”

My eyes darkened as light leached out of the corners, my eyes glowing under the festering emotions. “We’ll see about that,” I said, determination roiling inside me. I whirled around and stalked down the length of the corridor.

First, I had business to attend to, and Rosalana, I feared, had something to do with it. I descended the stairs two at a time, veered left, heading straight for the med witch’s office. I rapped on the door. A melodic voice floated from the other side.

“You may enter.”

I opened the door and stepped into the room. Before me stretched a large room, shelving outfitted the back wall with numerous vials and bottles perched atop it. An operating table stood near the center of the room, and a desk to the far left. Sitting at that desk was a full-figured woman wearing a long white gown with gleaming black hair tied in a messy bun. She sat hunched over her desk observing files, when she swiveled around in her chair at hearing my entrance.

“How can I be of help?” Her eyes popped wide upon spotting me. She leaped to her feet. “Y-your majesty,” she stammered, dropping into a clumsy curtsy.

I waved her off. “It’s nice to see you, Mera, but I don't have time for pleasantries or formalities.” I stepped further into the room, closing the door behind me. I let my gaze rove over her form, assessing the questions that flitted across her gaze.

I had known the med witch since childhood…could I trust her with what I had to say? I sighed, sweeping a hand down my face. She had never betrayed patient confidentiality before, always swearing by it—and I needed to reveal all the details if she was to help me.

“Your Highness,” the med witch said, “you don’t appear to be well.”

“I-I think something has been done to me,” I told her.

Her brows furrowed. “Whatever do you mean?”

Quickly, I went over the events at the club and the subsequent encounter with Ember at the inn.

The med witch's gaze hardened. “You are correct,” she said. “Shadow fae are not easily intoxicated. It’s nearly impossible to get you lot drunk. And you say this all started when?”

My mouth turned dry as if I were unable to give life to the words. “When Rosalana started offering me drinks.”

The med witch's shoulders slumped, her eyes going dull, “Then I’m afraid that your friend may have very well spiked your drink with a potion.”

Bile rose in my throat. “Could you run some test to…to confirm what you say?”

“I would be more than honored to, my prince.”

She instructed me to lie down on my back on her operating table. I complied, watching as she began selecting bottles from the shelves and muttering to herself under her breath. She grabbed the bowl and the pestle and returned to my side, pouring the herbs, roots, and bright-colored liquid into the bowl. Then, she set about pounding it into a poultice.

“What will that do?”

“What you say means that the contents of whatever potion was used on you were very specific,” the med witch said. “If I were to guess correctly, and usually I am not wrong, the potion was a forbidden aphrodisiac meant to have you bonded to another outside of your fated mate.” She gestured at the bowl, a bright orange glow emanating from the contents within. “I will put this salve along your chi channels. If they glow blue…then that means it is the forbidden spell.”

I swallowed thickly and inhaled a steadying breath. “Let’s get this over with,” I said, my voice hollow.

The med witch nodded. She rubbed the salve along my forehead; the texture was that of butter. She then moved on to my inner wrist and the insides of my ankles. Then, she stepped back. And we waited.

I slammed my eyelids shut, hoping, praying, with everything in me that it did not turn blue. That Rosalana did not betray me. That would mean that she had maliciously tried to alter my mind, my will to her bidding. That she had attempted to forge a bond that didn’t exist between us left a raw bitter taste at the back of my throat. I had trusted her.

And if she was the type of fae to resort to such actions…then I feared I didn’t know her at all.

Behind my eyelids glowed the salve. I opened my eyes. Crystal blue light shone into view.

My claws sliced out. “Stars damn,” I hissed.

“It is as I feared,” said the med witch.

“Yes,” I growled. Dark shadows of flame wafted around my body. “Rosalana poisoned me with a forbidden aphrodisiac.”

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