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“Before you go, answer me something, my son: is it true?”
Daeron asked, not looking at Baelor but instead at the wall. His father had an unusual look on his face: worry and fear. The man sighed, his scent reeking of disgust. The younger alpha looked confused at his father, not understanding what he was asking. They were just talking about his new responsibilities.
“What do you mean, sire?”
Daeron looked down, shook his head and smiled, “Nothing, Baelor. You are free to go.”
Baelor chose to stay quiet and not ask anything about it. If his father had let it go, then he supposed it was nothing. And besides, he had another thing to worry about: how he couldn’t say it. Again.
A day later, curiosity was eating Baelor from inside. He wanted, he had to know what his father meant by asking him ‘is it true?’ What could it be? He sat down to think, trying to remember anything that could possibly be related to his father’s question.
The man couldn’t pin anything down. He rested his head on the table, tired.
“Brother?”
Baelor smiled, eyes closed. His little brother approached him and caressed his hair.
“You are balding. Four and twenty and you are balding!” the omega chuckled, messing up his brother’s hair.
“Please. Not this again.”
Maekar leaned down and whispered in his ear, “You better not pass this to our children, or I will kill you.”
The alpha chuckled and lifted his head, Seven, his baby brother was so cute! He held Maekar’s hands and kissed them.
“I’m sure they will have your hair. I know it.”
The omega became silent for a minute, until he touched Baelor’s face and asked,
“Did you tell him? Did you? What did he say?”
Maekar looked at him with so much expectation that it hurt Baelor to think of how he would react. His baby brother had asked him to tell their parents about them and tell him that he would marry Maekar.
But he couldn’t. Not yet and he had no idea what was holding him back. Maekar was already four and ten and had had his first heat, Baelor had even heard talks about marrying him to someone.
Perhaps he was a coward. A coward that was scared of how his father would react. When his answer didn’t come, Maekar’s smile turned into a frown. Where his scent was sweet, it got foul.
“You didn’t.”
“I will, I promise.”
“When, then?! I told you to tell them last week, days have passed and we are still unmated! Are you waiting for me to be married to another alpha? Is that it, brother?”
“No, just-” Baelor stood up and tried to hug him, Maekar stepped back, “It’s just that…”
“That?!”
“Give me more time, please.”
“Fine. One week.”
“I swear I will tell them,” Baelor kissed his cheek, “You can start thinking of what you will wear at our wedding.”
Maekar didn’t reply, but pulled him closer and kissed his lips. The alpha kissed him back, trying to ignore that terrible feeling on his body – the anxiety that gave him a lump on his throat and a knot on his stomach. He would tell his parents about it. He had to, the thought of losing his little brother to someone was unbearable.
“You are great at this, son. I appreciate your input on this feeding crisis – even if hypothetical. Of course, you will have the council and your Hand helping you, but a King needs to know what is happening inside his Realm and has to think of ways to solve problems.”
Baelor nodded, looking at the map.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Daeron shifted on his feet, and cleared his throat, “I am proud of the man you are becoming. You have potential, son. But I also think of how you need to strengthen your claim on the throne.”
Baelor felt a shiver running through his entire body, and that same lump and knot coming back. He didn’t reply, keeping his look on the map.
“You have the age to marry. You have been refusing this for years and I respected your wishes, but it is time, the small council is pressing me and we can’t risk another rebellion.”
“Sire…”
“I have a list of suitors, we can start arranging-”
“With all due respect, I already have someone I want to marry.”
“Please,” Daeron inhaled deeply, whispering, “Don’t tell me it is him- Who is it, son?”
Baelor’s body froze and he bit his tongue, considering what to say and how to say it. He ran to his chambers, leaving behind his confused father.
A coward. He was a coward. He wasn’t one when he kissed Maekar, when the boy was just asking him to play with him; he wasn’t one when he took his maidenhead or when he promised a million things to his baby brother, so why was he being one now?
At dinner, Daeron didn’t mention a thing.
Maekar didn’t come to his chambers that night, and when Baelor knocked on his door, he just shouted,
“You aren't my alpha, why should I let you into my personal room?”
Seven. He had to tell their father.
“Your Grace, can I have a word with you?”
Baelor walked into his father’s solar, hands behind him – much to hide that he was trembling.
“Son. I was just thinking about summoning you here, we need to talk about yesterday.
“We do.”
Daeron tilted his head, the same way Maekar would do.
“I was left confused. I thought you would give me a name, but you only gave me questions.”
“Excuse me, sire. I was…” scared? Anxious? “I don’t know what came to me.”
The older alpha only nodded. He pointed to the chair in front of him, inviting Baelor to sit. They sat quietly, Baelor opening letters and Daeron reading them – until Daeron stopped and looked at him.
“I know.”
“W-what do you mean, Your Grace?”
“You and Maekar. Since when, Baelor?”
The young alpha didn’t answer, looking at his hands in shame.
“Answer me.”
“It hasn't been long since we-”
“Gods,” Daeron closed his eyes, “Tell me you didn’t take his maidenhead.”
Baelor wouldn’t tell him that Maekar hadn’t even presented when it happened. Well, he had his first heat a moon later. But was Baelor really at blame there? How could he hold himself for more time when Maekar was so…
“You did,” Daeron chuckled, disappointed.
“Your Grace, I-”
“I heard the rumours and thought they were only gossip, that is all. I closed my eyes and made myself blind, thinking that you two only had an innocent brotherly relationship. I guess that was my own fault, for thinking something like this could ever be possible in a family like ours.”
“It is not your fault, sire.”
“You say that, but I am your father, I am supposed to know what is happening under my own roof. Your own little brother, Baelor!” Daeron stood up, pacing around the room, “How could you do that? How could you even look at him and…”
The man stopped, looking through a window and with a choked voice, he continued,
“I suppose I should be grateful that at least it was you and not someone else. I always feared for Maekar, you see. I worry for Rhaegal, yes, after all he was my first omega son, but Maekar…he may act tough, but I see that under this he is still a child. A scared child. I always asked myself, ‘How can I find someone good for him? Someone that will love him like he needs to be loved?’”
“I love him, sire.”
Daeron turned to face Baelor, looking at with teary eyes.
“And what type of love is that? I have watched what love does to people and what the lack of it does to a family. What a man with a heavy hand can do to another person and how his so-called love can destroy someone’s soul. You have seen this, too. With your grandmother Naerys.”
Baelor felt his body burn with the memories. He grew up with her loving, but sad presence.
He wouldn’t be like his grandfather.
“I will be a good husband to him.”
“You won’t stop being his brother, son. Your role as a husband will simply be added to your role as a brother, do you understand that?”
“I do.”
“Promise me that you will love and respect him. That you will always protect him and if he says he has no wish for something, you will respect that. That you will never force yourself on him and will love him as a good husband. That if he ever wishes to go back to living as brothers, you won’t deny him that wish. Promise me, Baelor.”
The older alpha had tears in his eyes, but even so, he looked at his son with his head held high.
“I promise, sire. I will love him as an alpha should, and protect him like a brother has to.”
“Good. Now go, please. I…I have to think. I tried so hard to keep our family from stepping back to the old ways, son. At least I know Maekar will be with a good man.”
Baelor didn’t waste time, he ran back to Maekar’s chambers, not even knocking and demanding the guards let him in. The omega was sulking in a chair, looking at his embroidery hoop with a complete lack of interest.
“Sweetling.”
“Say it,” Maekar spoke, not taking his eyes off the fabric he had on his hands, “Say you told him or I will kill you where you stand.”
Baelor opened his arms, “You wouldn’t kill your future husband, would you?”
Maekar dropped everything he was holding to the floor and jumped into Baelor's lap, laughing and kissing him.