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Darkness engulfed the city of Trimetri. The skies were silently witnessing the atrocities of those made from earthen dust. The clangour of swords broke through the darkness and screams of slaughter growled from deep corners Trimetri. The dead lay still on the ground and the blood seeping from their bodies ran dark rivers as if they wished to paint the perpetrators in their crimes
In a distance, the castle seemed to wake to the growls of massacre and cries of their own people resounding in the stone-etched walls. Commands were given and for each word spoken, several bodies added to the garish pile of death. The god of mercy was nowhere to be found and the price to be paid was life.
When the sun rose the blood had burnt into stains and the experience had transformed into trauma.
Louis was unaware of how it came down to this. He knew the broad rosy painting which was splashed over the canvas of deceit but he did not know the nuances of this turn of events. It could have been avoided that was what Dani kept repeating. The arrival of the 'band of savages' as his father had phrased brought mayhem and now it was bringing the end of their lineage at the rate of the blood which had been spilt. And Louis was afraid. Afraid of whatever situation the future would hold for them, for his people, for him.
They had been in counsel since daybreak, it was an atrocity to even consider inviting the man who sanctioned the spillage of blood like it was water over the streets over a few coins of gold. The entire prospect of killing people irked him. He knew Omegas should never consider more manly situations of bloodshed and war but the slightest sigh of blood made Louis' stomach curl. He tried aimlessly to banish that feeling of dread but it had made a home in his stomach and repulsion was almost as easy as breathing. He had been told multiple times that even for an Omega, he was too sensitive and he needed to work on renouncing his emotional capabilities but that was exactly what was said when he asked to study the sciences and other intriguing Alpha prospects because he had an aptitude for it. So he didn't concern himself with those opinions anymore.
But this wasn't about his conservative upbringing. It was whether they were going to see the set of the sun on that very day.
Louis tried being calm about it, thinking positively and pray dearly to whichever God who listened to them.
"Your Highness," Dani whispered into his ear, "Your mother requests for your presence."
Louis was quick to bow and leave from the prayer hall as his eyes emotionlessly preyed upon the woman initiating her to speak.
"It's appropriate that if you spoke to her yourself."
Louis' heart purged with a certain heaving, unable to string it together. Something was dreadfully wrong. Hastening his speed, he used the staircases reserved for him in particular and quickly moved to the destination.
His mother's face screamed with displeasure and that tipped off the cliff he was lurking over. "Louis."
"What is the matter mother?"
His mother had been there. She didn't do anything but she was there, she persisted. Her concern always revolved more around his younger Alpha brothers, adding that he remained in a convent for Omegas did not ease his relationships with anybody in his family. He was just an extra pair of gloves who nobody would notice if he did not have the title of a Prince. Initially, it hurt but eventually, it did not matter.
"Your father was in conversation with the savages," she addressed, as Louis took his seat beside her, listening keenly. "and they have arrived at a very fragile compromise."
* * *
When the breeze directed them towards the mainland of Trimetri, Harry was inherently pleased. The place was rich enough to be raised and strong enough to withstand a raid as well. He was interested in leaving it after plundering it so with a minimal amount of bloodshed.
Except that it didn't happen that way.
They were quiet with their ships and quieter with their tents. Harry had given an order to refrain from transforming into their wold forms until he gave the explicit command. His wolves complied. The Alpha in him was careful and thoughtful when it came to deciding which wolves would comply with the journey which stretched extensively. And the ones he chose had a firm command on their wolves, they were hardly slaves to their bodies or their dynamic and bore that fact with an armour of steel.
Even with the addition of these facts, they had been attacked. More specifically, an Omega had been attacked and Harry's blood boiled into red hot iron when he informed of it. Fortunately, nothing of an untoward nature had occurred because his wolves were fierce enough to kill anybody who disrespected their mind or person. The Beta, however, by a stroke of luck, escaped but left enough clues for them to slaughter him immediately. And that was when the bloodshed began. Harry's only command during any fight was to refrain from attacking if not provoked and they stood firm on it.
And provoked, they became.
Now the ruler had begged him to reconsider the bloodbath he assumed Harry was going to indulge in. That was the most interesting development which occurred, the Alpha abstained from correcting him and let the course of events run. The Alpha relished in getting what he wanted with the minimal amount of efforts and now, they were willing to accede to all of Harry's terms. The Alpha in earnest was content with the conditions but he was unaware of the impression which was carried off of him to the ruler sitting across him. That being the reason as to why he was so intrigued by the proposition given.
"We would do anything to prevent the implication of a war, Alpha Harry," The man whose name he forgot declared.
"That depends on your definition of everything doesn't it?" Harry retorted back, poison draped on a knife were his words.
"I have a son," he declared, there was a very thinly veiled layer of hesitation.
Harry was unaware in the direction which this conversation was heading but chose to stare at the man instead.
"He is an Omega," he dropped the pivotal piece of information.
Harry's attention was hooked now.
"He has been raised in an Omega convent all his life, he hasn't been in the presence of any Alpha who isn't his immediate family."
"I am still waiting for you to make a point."
"You could take him as an Omega."
Harry did not react, his face remaining perfectly free of betrayal of any sort of emotion and leaned back upon his chair, his leg crossed upon his knee. "You're selling your son to me?"
"Louis is amenable, he will learn to adjust."
"Interesting that Louis is the only one who doesn't have a say in this."
"I'm his father, I certainly have a right over his decisions."
Harry chose not to comment on that absurd statement because it went right over his head, instead he chose to test the man before him.
"I want to meet him."
The Beta before him blinked. With that brief of an expression, Harry knew he had placated him in a situation where his own decisions would play out in linear reference to his well being.
"I'll arrange for it."
Fuck.
The Beta stood up from his place and marched out of the tent causing Liam to look at him with the most sceptical gaze he could manage. "Why do you take pleasure in stressing people out in that regard?"
Harry did not deign it necessary to respond to the Alpha but just tipped his head to the side and gave a nonchalant shrug.
As Liam listed out the other necessities before they set sail back to their homeland, Harry carefully set out an ordered list of the said items. He then engaged in other conversations pertaining to the sail and directed Liam. When he settled down for lunch, a messenger came through to inform him that his intended had arrived.
"Ask him to wait," Harry responded and focussed back on his food.
"Sir, Highness Louis is relatively susceptible to cold, we would kindly as you to consider the timing."
Harry glared at him, his eyes refuting any sort of attempt at sympathy, as he levelled with the soldier. His decision was abundantly clear, it wasn't required to voice it out explicitly.
The man pleasingly left the tent to allow Harry to be in peace with his own presence. The west was too vain for his liking and the Alpha knew regardless of the claim of this Omega's lack of promiscuity, there would be some pride hidden in the submissive. And Harry disliked vanity went it wasn't earned. An armour without dents signalled a man without honour and nothing infuriated him more. Pride was supposed to be earned not given.
Those were the thoughts which were on a loop in his head when he made his way to the tent and the omega awaited him.
On discarding the flap flippantly, he quickly entered the tent and noticed the man's back turned towards him. The next thing which came to his ministrations was the smell of salty tears, there were faint traces of them but they were present.
The Omega took a moment before turning towards him and for a very brief moment, Harry was rendered thoughtless. His brown hair seemed to be layered one after the other like autumn had descended on the lands, his skin remained seemed to be stained pink because of the evident crying. Draped in a pale blue robe, he did not possess an additional cloak to protect him from the burning cold.
And Harry was oblivious of what happened, suddenly the Alpha did not know why his wolf was roaring in victory at the back of his mind, as if it had found an endless field to run through or la damp forest under his paws, the luxuries of nature amalgamated in one and he felt all of this while looking at him.
Realisation came slow, like the sun rising on a winter morning defeated by the cover of the clouds but forcing a few rays to pass through. Imprinting. This Omega was his, created by Gaia for him as he was in return.
Harry, for once was unaware of how to approach this matter sensitively. So he didn't.
"I am not in the favour of emotional outbursts, Omega," he began, discarding the greeting, "restrain your tears until my absence."
He nodded meekly.
"What is your age?"
"Seventeen."
"How long before you turn eighteen?"
The Omega' eyes seemed plastered to the ground, as they continued answering, "A week."
"I am eight years your senior," Harry revealed, hoping for a reaction but receiving nothing, "Does that bother you, Omega?"
He remained quiet and Harry felt it was necessary to remind him that he possessed a voice. He scaled across the room and firmly held his chin, lifting it up harshly, "I asked something, do you intend on disrespecting me by refusing an answer?"
"What do you want to hear, Alpha?"
"So you do have a tongue," Harry mocked, his eyes still boring into Louis', "I thought the famed convent training made you bite it off."
"Are you afraid, bird?" Harry questioned him, his lips pursed in quiet silence.
And that was the moment Louis' eyes glared into Harry's greens and he felt he saw the ocean, a calm ocean which contrasted deeply to the storm in his own.
"Do I need to be so?"
"Maybe, you will find out after the wedding."
Harry could smell the displeasure on the Omega and it did hit a vein on his throat, he did not approve of it but was mildly pushed away by the Omega's response. "So you do acquiesce on taking me."
"I will take you," Harry affirmed and gave an appreciative look to his person, relaying the meaning, "in many ways."
The blush on his cheek reddened at the implication and Harry was strangely placated and eventually nodded his head, "Do you have any questions for me?"
He shook his head and turned his attention to the floor again. "I will see you in the evening then."
Harry felt deeply insulted by the abundant apathy which was being shown by the Omega but he feebly attempted to push it away, justifying it with this marriage or whatever was being propositioned, was done without the Omega's consent. Although, the fact did not heal his bruised Alpha pride.
As he turned to leave, a hand paused his advent, firmly wrapped around his arm. His gaze hesitantly looked up from his eyelashes which shadowed his freshly stained cheeks, "Do you have another Omega back home?"
Harry rose and eyebrow, interest piqued, "Why would you want to know that?"
"I do not want to violate someone else's claim on you."
"If that is truly your concern, you can ease your poor heart," Harry snapped, his wolf was raging that the Omega wasn't validating his concerns, his heart, the attraction both of them collectively felt.
"You cannot do that to me," he retorted back in a hiss, "I did not know I would be wedded off to a man from lands I haven't even known of, I am not a broodmare, regardless of how much the people around me want me to be."
"I could attack your city for speaking back to me, assuming you know better than I do," Harry's hand had firmly gripped his arm and he knew he was digging into his flesh.
"I will not care if I am dead so go ahead and slaughter the city because at least then this land could have a cleansing."
Harry was seething at the response. This Omega was his and even the thought of separating him temporarily was an ache to his heart and this man had the audacity to believe that Harry would allow him to permanently discard his life. "You will not give up your life, Omega. Is that clear?"
"I am being given to you," he snapped back and retrieved his arm, "I did not choose you, your decisions do not affect anything more than my biology."
"You can make your decisions, Alpha," he declared, "I cannot bring myself to care."
* * *
The wedding was charming if a little gauche.
But that was to be expected of it. Their families did not know one another. Everything took place in the span of one day and there was the concern that there would be some sort of veiled attack upon him. The latter evidently did not take place and neither did the threat which Louis had alluded to.
Harry was so stringed up with the possibility of his mate's death that he momentarily forgot that they had been married albeit not with the customs of his lands which made the entire concept invalid but in everyone else's eyes they were.
After the Omega had stormed out, Liam had spoken with Harry in great detail about the expectations he held for Louis since he was truly his mate. It was deeply upsetting that the fellow Alpha had some very reasonable bouts of logical leaps he had made and he placed advice before him which saddened his wolf. All him and his wolf desired from his Omega was acceptance not any majestic claims of blind love or baseless promises of eternity.
After accounting for most of the lists Liam had generously provided for him, he showed up at the wedding with a layer of fear wrapped on his person dusted with his armour of indifference. Louis came down in dull white robes which have rhinestones stitched on the embroidery. He looked breathtaking but what he also looked was unnaturally imitated, he was smiling and pretending as if they had known one another since a lifetime. As much as Harry seemed in fervent agreement with the idea of knowing Louis before their lives truly embarked upon, he could see that he was lying through his teeth.
All those events eventually lead to Louis waiting for him in his own tent for their wedding night. The entire notion of the wedding night seemed so warped from this stance of life. He wasn't of the nature prepossess expectations for events which had not given him discreet values, it seemed foolish to indulge in that sort fallacies but now he was unaware of what he truly desired out of this.
When he reached the teepee, he sighed and entered the tent. The adequately lit tent still seemed ridiculously cold regardless of the number of lamps lit throughout the place. Louis remained on the golden striped fur carpet with his fists curled, as hesitance and worry drifted off in loud enunciations.
Sighing, he felt no need to change his clothes immediately which is why he tried to make a little conversation.
"Did you eat?"
"Yes," he nodded meekly. Evidently lying but before Harry could reprimand him, he shifted his answer, "not a lot though, my stomach did not permit an appetite to persist for an extensive-time period."
"Would you desire anything now?"
"If it isn't too much work, yes."
Harry ordered for a bowl of fruits and Louis ate after he declined the invitation to take a bite. It seemed as if Louis was trying his best to make sure that he elongated the eating process. And Harry seemed to get a hint as to why but he prevented from commenting anything which vaguely alluded to it.
Eventually, when the bowl of fruits did inevitably grow void, Louis tried to ease his discomfort which only made it more crystalline.
"Do I undress, Alpha?" He put forth, unnerved.
"I would do that instead," Harry proposed, Louis meekly nodded and turned to allow his back to face Harry, fragile golden threads holding the robe.
He noticed Louis' eyes shut forcibly anticipating for the worst and he shook his head in dismissal. His arm looped around his waist and trailed down to his lap, intertwining their fingers together.
Louis' fingers felt dead on his skin as if they did not desire to be there.
"I must beseech your forgiveness, Omega," Harry began, gently. "Our circumstances are the most strange and expecting you to understand my affections despite of it is inhumane on my part."
Louis did not relax but his eyes did open in intrigue, he was listening and the slight reaction enabled Harry to continue.
"I have no intentions of indulging in any sort of intimacy without your consent," Harry went on, "my tribe places the will of an Omega above and beyond any sort of Alpha pride."
"And I realise the entire marriage has been placed beyond your consent for that I cannot sincerely ask you to forgive me," Harry stated, "I had been entranced by your beauty and my wolf recognised you as an ideal mate, I couldn't let you go."
"As much as I desire your body and soul, I do not intend to take it without your consent," Harry went on and then painfully suggested, "so I would leave the tent for you to sleep and situate my person in another."
"My father's guards are spying on the tent if I do not convince you to spend the night with me, my dear friend, Dani would be executed by dawn," Louis admitted, his voice croaked but it did not waver, "please, do not do so, Alpha."
"Why would she be executed?"
"My younger brother heard my intentions of killing myself and informed my father, they kept me locked in the dungeon cell for the entirety of last night."
Harry's eyes felt a dreading cold approaching them, his grip tightened by a very tiny measure but firm nevertheless.
"They told I could die after I married you and was at sea instead."
Harry was growling wild at the truth of it all, he was raging at all the facts presented before him, "Do you wish for their heads, petal?"
Louis was quiet, hopefully contemplating his idea, the proposition seemed wonderous to him, "No, Alpha. I think I would pass this opportunity."
"That is a saddening fact, I would be willing to do it for your honour."
Louis was quiet but his sniffed and questioned with words laced with poison, "What is the worth of an Omega in Alpha and Beta's world?"
"Why is it that we are capable to be sub-par human beings, I am just asking why do we not receive the same opportunities as any other gender would receive?" Louis threw out.
Louis was hurt and profoundly so. And Harry knew that this wasn't a problem which confined itself to a certain time of the day. The inequality was inbred into generations which passed by and the Alpha was aware that regardless of how much he protected his pack from the clutches of this construct, he couldn't abolish it thoroughly.
And his poor Omega had been a victim to the most heinous atrocities from his very brief account what seemed.
He gently turned the Omega and pulled him onto his lap and manoeuvred him onto his chest. Louis slowly relaxed into the touch and very tentatively, almost at a snail's pace, returned the embrace. "Forgive me for bursting out in that manner, I should not-"
Harry's thumb placed itself on Louis' lips, "Perish the thought, I am grateful you speak your mind, petal."
"Not often enough, trust me on that."
Harry smiled and rubbed his hand gently down his back, "I harbour he same view, I feel you are undoubtedly innocent and very much of what we would term as a damsel in distress?"
Louis snorted at the comparison, "Does that make you my knight in shining armour?"
"It depends," Harry mused, "if you want me to be, certainly."
Louis chuckled and bent his head causing Harry to question him further. "What is it that you desire, Louis? Do you wish to be a warrior or anything different from what you are?"
"I do not desire to be anything different from what I am, I am perfectly content in being an ordinary Omega who nurtures his children and is besides his Alpha," Louis told him, "What I do wish for is to people to not see me as capable for solely that exact situation. My dreams aren't ambitious but just because they lack ambition doesn't disqualify them does it."
Harry's wolf was purring within him and for a moment the Alpha chided his spirit. Purring wasn't something he was accustomed to but neither was feeling so he did not know if it was in the capacity to truly judge the wolf.
Louis was wise beyond his years, an old soul if he would use his mother's terminology. His simple demands of base things showcased how closely he sieved through society and its strata. And the desire to have them made Harry ache with the misery of the shame brought upon by his gender.
"I can't assure you that I will ease your pain, I will, however, promise you that you will never feel this way again," Harry vowed, "but I need you to confirm that you would never think of bartering your life away."
"I do not boast, Omega but my pack is above these restraints, you will be cherished, you will certainly be respected," Harry assured, his fingers trailing through his hair, "my pack sees above these boundaries. Come with me."
For the first time in that very evening, Louis' eyes turned to look at him, his blue eyes shadowed with something tragic and beautifully annihilating.
"Why would you want someone who isn't like you? Who isn't a wolf?"
Harry was confused. "Not a wolf?"
"We don't transform anymore," Louis admitted, "my grandfather had all the books on transformations and publicly executed the ones who desired to do otherwise. I haven't been taught either."
"There is a possibility that our children might be humans with the dynamics inflicted upon them."
Harry had not heard of a more revolting thing in his life. He knew the westerners had differing beliefs but this was an absurdity. Forsaking the truth of your existence just enforced that you weren't worthy of that existence.
"Are you positive that you do not desire a bloodbath? It seems very appealing as an option."
And for the first time in that very evening, Louis let out a laugh and suddenly he realised why any sort of music couldn't appease his mind.
"Can you transform into a wolf?" His eyes shining with the interest similar to that of a child.
"Yes."
"Whenever you want?"
"Most of us can, petal."
"May I see?"
"I will have to strip my clothes off."
Louis' cheeks were dusted with a pink blush as he thought of an appropriate answer, "I'll close my eyes and promise not to peek."
"I don't mind you peeking at all," Harry grinned, revelling in the fact that the innuendo was having the desired effect, "In fact, I'd encourage it."
Louis reddened further at the innuendo, as his eyes closed shut, "Go on, Alpha."
Harry was pleased with the Omega's demands and tenderly placed him on the beautiful rug before going about his business. Stripping himself away with ease as Louis's eyes remained shut. Sinking down to his subconscious and summoning his wolf wasn't a tiresome job, it was as easy as breathing for a wolf like him. It took him a second to turn into his wolf form and it took his wolf less than that to purr at Louis.
Louis' eyes opened to see the prettiest creature he had ever had the opportunity to bear witness to. His fingers reached out to pet the wolf almost instantaneously. His hands gently rubbed on the side of its jaw and Harry leaned in naturally, the wolf certainly did not seem as deadly as it portrayed him to be. This wolf seemed more like an overgrown puppy with fur.
"Are you sure you are as deadly as they seem you to be, Alpha?" He inquired, his eyebrow-raising in intrigue which made the wolf look at him sceptically as he let out a low rumble.
"That seems like a bark."
Harry growled at that and Louis yelped, jumping away which caused his heartbeat to rise and fall dramatically. Looking at the wolf he noticed his eyes seemed very amused and he was ironically giving the Omega a wolfish grin.
"Not funny, Alpha," Louis chided with a pout which deepened the Alpha's pleasure but then ran his fingers through the fur regardless. "Your coat is so beautiful, pure white. I thought Alphas generally leaned towards darker colours."
The wolf nodded his head.
Louis hummed, as his fingers scratched through his mane. The action initiated Harry to shake his head and allow it to situate himself in Louis' lap which was more than acceptable to the Omega.
"You seem nice, you know," Louis instigated, "except for the fact you definitely do not know how to voice out your attraction in an acceptable manner."
The wolf was silent, he listened and surprisingly Louis was willing to talk, "If you were kinder in the first meeting, I wouldn't have been as intimidated."
Harry's eyes looked at Louis with something akin to sadness but Louis continued regardless, "But I think you have always been this way and it has taken a lot of effort on your part to talk to me the way you did."
Harry nodded.
"And you might be this standoffish on multiple occasions again in the future," Louis predicted and then thoughtfully added, "because it's in your nature."
Harry pouted. How even could a wolf pout? But he nodded nevertheless.
"Then promise me, you aren't going to violate me any manner whatsoever," Louis asked from him. "You won't abandon me and you will protect me."
Harry's ears perked at that and lifted himself from the Omega standing back up to glare at him as Louis continued, "I promise to never leave your side no matter what the situation, I vow to stand before you during our hardships and behind you during our joy."
"Promise me this," Louis demanded, his blues lingering towards worry and dissatisfaction.
Harry's paw placed itself upon the back of Louis' hand. And Louis felt himself breathe for the first time in seventeen years.