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Ravio loved Lorule, but he had to admit he didn’t like it much.
He had known from childhood that things were bad and getting worse. Children in Lorule did not get to have the luxury of innocence for long, certainly not an omega. It was explained to Ravio very early on that his biology would leave him vulnerable at times, and that unless he had someone he could absolutely trust to keep him safe, his best option was to hide away. He could hardly be blamed for being terrified when he presented, the physical discomfort nothing compared with the terror of what might be coming in his future. At least he had his pack to look out for him, small though it might have been. His aunt was a no-nonsense alpha, one of the castle guards, while his grandfather taught him the basics of magical crafting and the art of speaking to customers. Maybe they could not shield him from the reality of their world, but at least they gave him the tools to survive it.
He needed those skills soon enough. His grandfather did not see him turn fourteen, taken down by an illness they could not afford the treatment for, but his aunt’s position at the castle allowed him to continue his studies in the royal library. This was how he came to know Princess Hilda, the two of them often studying side by side for all that their subjects were quite different. She confided in him about her doubts, fearing whether she could save the kingdom from literally falling apart. He could offer her no solutions, but was determined to help her in any way he could. After all, he did love Lorule, for all that he did not like it.
He wanted Lorule to be better. He wanted a kingdom where he didn’t have to view everyone with an air of suspicion for his own safety, where people didn’t have to struggle for food and shelter. He wanted a world where young omegas didn’t have to fear their heats, didn’t have to hide who and what they were just to feel a little more safe. A world unlike the one where he had to grow up.
His aunt fell in the line of duty when he was seventeen, before his first mature heat hit. Perhaps he might have risked it had he still had her to watch his nest, but all alone, he really had no choice. The castle paid him a small pension as her only remaining family, and the first payment went into securing a supply of the strongest suppressant potion he could get his hands on. It was not ideal, but in his current situation it was the best he could do.
Ravio learned more magic, while Hilda learned more about politics. Neither of them could find any way to save Lorule from its inevitable decay. It was understandable that when Yuga approached, promising a solution, Hilda was desperate enough to listen to him.
While no less desperate, Ravio could not bear the thought of dooming another kingdom to save theirs. However, his attempts at convincing Hilda failed. Worse, Yuga’s plan sounded like it just might succeed. It would take a true hero to stop the scheme, and Ravio was no hero.
Clearly he needed to go find one.