by Zoey Ellis
“No,” Duke Aldous said, bluntly. “This is something we should all decide.”
The king’s expression soured further. “My daughter is not up for open discussion, Aldous.”
“That isn’t the only topic to be discussed, Your Majesty,” Duke Milo interjected. “For example, how did you fail to mention that there was an unidentified man who aided you when you were attacked?”
“No. It is more important we discuss what will happen if Maddoc is indeed owed the promise.” Duke Everard of House Goldfrost said. “And what the implications of that will be.”
“The implications will be disastrous!” one of the dukes from House Redcrest called out. “If he is allowed what he wants, it will undermine the years of effort and careful planning that has gone into maintaining the royal line.”
“Are you suggesting that he will impregnate her?” the king asked, his tone tense. “Because there are ways to prevent that.”
“If he lays with her at all, it is an insult to royal line,” Duke Aldous pointed out. “He’s not just a criminal and a commoner, he is also a bastard. His tainted blood and seed should not go anywhere near the princess.”
Ana forced herself not to wince at the man’s words, but she was inclined to agree.
“Besides which,” he continued, “she is an Omega. Our most precious dynamic. She must be protected from this obvious attempt to damage our ability to progress the royal line.”
Yes, of course, that was also a concern. One of the expectations that weighed heavily on Ana was for her to uphold the reputation and traits of Omegas. Since Omegas were only ever born to royals, there weren’t many who existed—most of the population consisted of Alphas and Betas. Even though she wasn’t the only Omega in the kingdom, she was expected to set the standard in everything she did since her family was currently the ruling royalty. She’d met only two other Omegas born to two of the royal houses when they joined her lessons on the Omega dynamic. It had been nice to meet other girls her age who were also considered unique, but she hadn’t seen them again. As Milly explained in her lessons after, neither of them were truly in her position, since she was the only Omega who was part of the ruling family. And that made her more important.
“Then we break the Royal Promise?” a woman said from the other side of the hall; it looked like she sat with House Villemore. “Is that what you’re suggesting? Do you know what kind of problem that would cause for us?”
“Tell me,” the king said, but the tone in his voice suggested he was well aware.
The woman rose to her feet. Ana tried to remember her name as she spoke—she had studied all the royal houses and members of the families within them, but this woman didn’t speak often at court events. “The commoners do not think of Maddoc as we do,” she began. “Some of them agree with his intentions, even if they don’t agree with his actions. If they know he saved your life and you didn’t honor the Royal Promise, it will destroy their belief in the crown.”
“So we let him fuck his way around the royal family to appease them?” Aldous shot out sharply. “Is that what you are saying? Who will he ask for next? My daughter? Yours? The quee—”
“May I ask that my daughter be excused before we continue to discuss this any further,” the queen said stiffly, rising to her feet.
Ana’s face burned hotter at the various expressions that turned her way; pity, curiosity, indifference, muted glee… She rejected all of them. All she wanted to know was if her father was going to allow it. She stopped fidgeting and sat up straighter.
The duke nodded, his eyebrows raised as he looked at Ana “Of c-course, m-my apologies, Princess Ana.”
Ana forced herself not to shrink into her chair and inclined her head. “No need to apologize, Aldous. I have no intention of leaving.”
The queen shot her a look. “Ana, it is not appropriate for you to be here while we discuss—”
“My virginity?” she interrupted. “I am the only person here who is appropriate to discuss it, Your Majesty.”
“Ana,” her mother said sharply, the warning imbued in her tone and the flash of her eyes made Ana even more resolute to stay. But then the king spoke.
“Wait in your chambers, Ana,” he rumbled. “You will be addressed separately.”
Ana wanted to scream at him, to demand that he tell her she would not be given up, but the sudden tears that threatened clogged her throat. They were going to make this decision about her and she didn’t even have a say. The injustice of it was too much, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to speak without sobbing. So she pressed her lips together and rose, avoiding everyone’s eyes as she made her way out of the hall.
3
Ana paced in her bedroom, waiting for her father to come and speak to her. Hours had passed but she hadn’t undressed since the court assembly. Milly had arrived to assist her, but Ana sent her away. She’d tried hard to ignore the looks of pity she’d seen on her way back to her quarters—everyone was clearly talking about the hearing, and although Milly didn’t act differently, she would have heard it all. It had been drilled into Ana that royalty didn’t bow to scrutiny or pressure. The monarch had to be dependable and unflinching in times of distress. So she held her chin up and avoided as much eye contact as possible in the corridors, but in the privacy of her own quarters, she didn’t want to pretend.
Her mind replayed everything said at the hearing, thinking through all possible arguments and options that would save her from the outlaw. She’d studied a wide range of topics, even the modern history of Allandis, and read almost every book in the royal library, which was the most extensive in the kingdom. Ana spent as much time there as she could, sometimes to research for her studies, other times, like this morning, it was for the pure pleasure of reading and getting lost in the excitement of adventures she’d never have. Surely she could think of something? But the more she tried to find a solution, the more frustrated she became. Clenching her fists, she swore loud and hard, and immediately felt better. Reluctantly, she began to nibble from the platter of food Milly had brought for her.
It was another hour before her door opened and her mother step through, still in her court wear. Although the queen was always composed, with an amenable smile, she wasn’t able to hide the worry in her eyes this time.
“So Father is really going to let him have me?” Ana blurted out, her horror erupting.
“It’s not like that, Ana.” She spoke carefully. “There is more going on here.”
“Like what?” Ana cried. “What is so important that I have to suffer him for three nights?”
“Calm down,” her mother said sharply.
Ana clamped her mouth shut and forced the horror back down, her breathing heavy until she calmed.
“Where is Millicent?” her mother asked looking around. “You shouldn’t be in here on your own with your thoughts.”
Ana’s mouth tightened. “I sent her away. I don’t want to have to pretend to be all right about this in front of anyone.”
The queen sighed. She sat down on Ana’s bed and patted the space next to her. “There is nothing more important to your father than you, you must know that, Ana,” she said softly as Ana sat down. “He suffers greatly at the thought of you being involved at all. But the Royal Promise is of great magnitude to the rest of the kingdom. It has never been broken, and cannot be twisted or modified to circumvent what a non-royal is owed. The Allandis people hold it in high regard because it is the only time where a royal is beholden to a commoner, even the ruling family, like us. If it is known that we broke that promise, it could have disastrous repercussions across the kingdom.”
Ana swallowed, trying to stay calm. “And is it really applicable here?”
“The Royal Promise is awarded to anyone who saves the king’s life. In this instance, there is no doubt that your father is alive because of the intervention received in the ambush. That was never a secret.”
Ana clenched her jaw. It had clearly been a secret from her. “But was it
really the outlaw? Could he be lying?”
“The men who attacked your father wore an insignia that is not formally recognized in this kingdom. It seems they may have been sent from outside Allandis to assassinate him,” her mother said quietly. “But the examination of the outlaw’s rag confirmed it was saturated with your father’s blood, and it matches the other piece your father had with him when he was brought back to the palace.”
Ana stared at her. “No,” she whispered.
The queen’s mouth twisted. “I don’t want it to be true either. But it was pointed out after you left today that no one else has come to claim any reward for saving him these past four weeks. Your father thought the man had been one of his guards who’d died.” She sighed. “It is unlikely that anyone would avoid claiming the Royal Promise.”
“Then why did he wait so long?” Ana scowled.
“Probably so that your father would recover and be of sound mind to award him what he wanted.”
Ana lowered her gaze, blinking as she tried to understand it all. “But the Royal Promise doesn’t mean he can ask for whatever he wants, does it?”
“Normally, no. Only if the ruling king’s life is saved, can the claimant ask for anything at all.”
Ana squeezed her fists tight in her lap. “It’s a stupid rule.”
“It is. We have just been examining it for the last few hours, and it is very clear on this point. This is why the commoners like it so much, and why all ruling kings have very strict policies around protection and their guard training—to avoid a commoner having this kind of power.”
“He’s not just a commoner, Mother. He is an outlaw. Why can an outlaw be awarded such a powerful promise like that? It doesn’t make sense.”
“This law has been in place for a long time, Ana, with only one previous recipient. Outlaws like Maddoc didn’t exist when it was passed—the ones that were around were considered redeemable. Including outlaws and criminals as part of the promise made the crown look lenient and accepting of those who may have stumbled upon a life of crime. I doubt anyone expected a criminal as notorious as Maddoc to exist, let alone do anything of such great benefit to the kingdom.”
Ana exhaled harshly. “He could have killed Father.”
“He could have,” her mother agreed gently, taking her hand. “And that is one of the three things I want you to remember about having to deal with this situation. Your father could be dead now.”
Relief and annoyance fought for dominance in Ana’s chest. “What are the other two things?”
The queen was silent for a moment. “This situation goes beyond you, Ana. The houses will be disrupted by this. The ones who are aligned with us could withdraw their support and then we are at risk of losing our claim to rule.”
“Why would they do that?”
“You are the key to a couple of the houses gaining more power. Being betrothed to Duke Ryden ties Redcrest more closely to the crown. Your children could also then be paired with potential children from House Thorneshaw. But if you are made to lay with this disgusting excuse for an Alpha…” She shook her head and then shrugged. “This has never happened before. Prince and princesses have taken lovers before their arranged marriages in the past, yes, but never something like this. You are the kingdom’s most precious individual, and he is the noxious stain Allandis has to bear. There is no telling how the kingdom will respond. We are trying to see if this outrageous request can be carried out as privately and discreetly as possible within the palace, but as you are aware there were many people, including commoners, in the assembly hall today.”
Ana’s mind swam as she took in what her mother was saying. Ana and her future children had already been tied up in agreements with two of the other houses. She’d known of the allegiances, but not the extent of them, nor the damage to the crown if they were to fall through. “If we lose their support, what happens?”
Her mother patted the back of her hand. “Let’s not worry about that right now, Ana. Let’s focus on the third thing I want you to remember. Do you remember some of your lessons on being an Omega?”
Ana nodded. Her lessons about the different dynamics had been some of the most interesting and had led her to do further reading. Each dynamic had specific qualities that were consistent among them, which typically predisposed them for certain roles, such as Alphas tending to be stronger rulers, leaders, or soldiers.
“And you are aware of the sexual compatibility between Alphas and Omegas?”
Ana nodded again, resisting the urge to drag her eyes from her mother. This was no time for bashfulness
Her mother’s eyes were tortured as they gazed at her. “You must be mindful of any… reaction you have with this outlaw.”
Ana inhaled sharply, closing her eyes for a moment. This was getting worse and worse. “I thought I would be compatible with Ryden,” she said, opening her eyes. “I thought that’s why our marriage was arranged.”
“Yes, you are. But that doesn’t mean you won’t experience something with this man, Ana. He is an Alpha, after all.”
Ana clenched her fists under her mother’s hand. Arranged marriages were supposed to protect Omegas.
“You are not due for your heat, so that is good. We are looking into a way to prevent you from having any reaction to him at all—but it may be impossible... and unkind.”
Ana frowned, but her mother continued. “The point is, you must not confuse any reaction as true feelings for this man. He is an outlaw and a criminal, and he has targeted you specifically to find a way to hurt your father.”
“Mother, I won’t forget. Arranged marriages are only for fated mates, aren’t they? Like you and Father. How can anything that happens compare to what it will be with Ryden?”
“It can’t.” The queen nodded in agreement. “But it will be your first experience, Ana. You won’t know what to expect.”
Ana nodded. That was true—but at least she would have her time with Ryden to look forward to.
“Which is why it’s so hard for Ryden,” her mother added.
Ana’s stomach dropped. “Do you know what he thinks of this?”
“As soon as you left, he spoke very passionately about this issue. He is furious. He’s trying to find a way to stop you from having to go through with it, but he won’t find one.”
Ana was silent for a long moment, her heart sinking. Maddoc was trying to hurt her father, but he’d already had the chance to kill him and he didn’t. “This hurts me the most, not Father,” she mumbled.
“It hurts your father in multiple ways, Ana,” the queen said. “The idea that his daughter would be subjected to the unwanted attentions of such a man is torturous for any father, but particularly that it’s because he owes this man his life makes it especially distressing. It also hurts his reign and ability to remain king. You are the king’s only child. Maddoc is trying to damage and end his reign by tainting you. If you are no longer a viable option to be his heir, your father will be succeeded by extended family. But in the history of the crown, the royal houses have never allowed a childless king to remain on the throne.”
From what she remembered of her studies, that was true. A childless king had always been replaced with a royal from another house. “So I will be tainted by this?”
Her mother inclined her head. “Not necessarily. As I said, princes and princesses have taken lovers privately in the past, and many have lost their virginity to those lovers before their arranged marriage. Unfortunately this is not private and the man is a bastard outlaw, the lowest possible creature that exists in our society. But it’s also not of your own doing, and you are still an Omega. So it’s a matter of perception. Some of the houses will certainly argue it, regardless, because the potential for personal gain. But there are different ways to cast light on the same issue.”
“And how do we do that?”
“”Let me and your father worry about that, Ana,” the queen said. “You just need to do everything we say, and tell us everything that happens.
” Her gaze drifting to the window, her expression mournful. “The one thing that has been established is that the outlaw is owed the promise. If there had been any way to deny him that, then none of this would matter. But that is the one definitive thing.”
The queen drew her into her arms, squeezing her close. “Don’t worry about it right now, Ana. There are still a few hours until dusk. Get some sleep and let us think about it. If any solution comes to us, we will stop it from happening, but even if we can’t, we will protect you the best we can.”
Ana awoke to a knock on the door.
She lay still, waiting for the person to go away—she’d already told her mother that she didn’t want any visitors—but when the knock repeated, she padded to the door and cracked it open.
Duke Ryden from Redcrest stood outside. He inclined his head. “I apologize for the interruption, Princess Ana, but I could not let dusk arrive without speaking to you.”
Ana tried to glance behind him for her guards, but it wasn’t as though he was a small man. Large and wide with thick, curly black hair, bold, refined features, and the most beautiful blue eyes, Ana had always felt Ryden embodied everything an Alpha should be. “How did you—”
“Your mother permitted me to visit.”
Ana nodded and let him in, discretely fixing her clothing and hair. Ryden was an established hunter and swordsman, and had well established himself in his dealings with the court, the king, and the commoners. He ensured that he made efforts to inflict change and was bold in making his presence known in political and royal matters. It was clear he was going to be a powerful political force in his own house, and it didn’t hurt that he was also extremely good-looking. Even if they weren’t fated mates, he was a smart choice as Ana’s betrothed. However, today, he swept into her room with an agitation she hadn’t seen in him before.
“Today’s court hearing was a fucking disgrace,” he growled. “They didn’t kill that animal when they had the chance, and now they are trading away your virginity! None will fight for it.”
