Chapter 97: The Fifth Edict
Rhydian;
"I didn’t spend the night with him. I just stayed in his room because he was having nightmares and couldn’t sleep." I explain, and he looks back at me.
He slowly raises a brow, but even he’s trying to act like it’s okay. I can tell this is sour information to him.
"Oh... Glad he could sleep." He replies, and my heart skips a beat. I don’t miss the soft tremble of his lips like he’s biting back emotions.
He hugs his knees tighter and looks away from me as he presses the side of his face against them, and I gulp.
He’s not going to look at me?
I hurt him that much??
I didn’t mean to scold him like that. I only spoke that way because he was being unkind to someone in need of help.
I know he has feelings for me, but that shouldn’t get in the way of doing what is right.
How do I pacify him now?
I take a deep breath and walk over to the bed. I sit in it and stay quiet at first.
Not knowing what to say. I hate seeing him like this. It makes it worse that I’m the reason he’s like this.
I need to fix the mess I made, but how?
"Elián... I’m sorry for..." I begin, but stop when the door to the room suddenly bursts open.
"Alpha Rhydian!!" Alana screams, and I turn to her in confusion.
Elián looks up too, and we both stare at the breathless young woman who’s pointing out the door like she just saw a ghost.
"Ki... King Wilhelm and Alpha Koda are here!" She pants, and I shoot to my feet.
"What!?"
"They’re truly here. I saw them. King Wilhelm has demanded an audience with Alpha Liandria. They’re all in the throne room right now." Alana replies, and I stand frozen.
Father is here!? He hardly ever comes here.
In fact, he never visits unannounced. And... he never said he’d come here. He said he’d send word when it’s time for Elián and me to return.
Something has definitely happened. I need to find out what it is. Has Father gotten evidence against Mother!?
I turn on my heels and without a second more, I dash out of the room.
There is trouble. I can feel it in my bones.
****
Elián;
I stare as Rhydian dashes out of the room, but I remain frozen on the bed.
King Wilhelm and Alpha Koda are here. So? What should I do?
It’s not like they came to see me. It’s none of my business.
I adjust myself, lie down and pull the covers over me.
I turn my back on Alana and shut my eyes. They sting in response. In protest of being over-stressed, I let out a breath.
"Master Elián... are you okay?" Alana questions, and I sigh.
"No," I reply, and there’s silence for a while.
"Don’t you want to see the King and Alpha Koda?" She questions, and I sigh as I adjust my head deeper into the pillow.
"No. They’re not here for me anyway." I reply, and there’s silence again. However, I can feel Alana’s eyes drilling holes into the back of my skull.
"Do you maybe want to have your bath... or eat? It might help you feel..." she begins, but I cut her off.
"You usually vanish around this time of day. Please go wherever you usually sneak off to. I just want to be alone. Please." I speak, and silence follows again. But this time heavier.
"Yes... Master Elián. I’ll leave you to rest now." She finally speaks, and I listen to her footsteps pat against the ground as she walks away.
The door shuts, and I let out a sigh.
Rhydian’s words flood my mind, and I shut my eyes tighter in agitation.
"I didn’t spend the night with him. I just stayed in his room because he was having nightmares and couldn’t sleep."
He was busy helping that bastard sleep when I couldn’t even get a wink of sleep. He didn’t even bother to check up on me.
I’m such a joke. Hoping on him like a fool when he’s busy falling for someone else.
*******
Koda;
Rhydian rushes into the room, and although I’m glad to see him after so many days, I can’t help but look behind him, expecting to see Elián tagging along, but no one comes in.
Where is Elián? Doesn’t he know we’re here?
Rhydian rushes over to Father and me and bows.
"Father! Brother... what brings you here?" He questions, and I look up at Father, who’s the orchestrator of this whole trip and is the reason we’re here to take Elián.
"You’ll find out soon enough, son. Has your mother been good to you?" Father questions as he lifts Rhydian’s chin to examine him, and Rhydian pulls his face away from Father’s hand.
"I do not need my mother to take care of me." He grumbles, and Father looks over at Alpha Liandria, who’s sat on her throne, watching us.
She has the usual arrogant glint in her eyes, and her flawless chocolate skin catches the light as she yawns... An act of mock boredom. Oh, how I’d love to acth her stumble off her high horse.
"I take it that she didn’t, then. As expected." Father replies, and Rhydian looks back at me as Father walks past him and steps forward towards Alpha Liandria.
We both watch as she gets off her throne and bows to Father. An action I can tell she’s doing begrudgingly.
Our travelling party is in here with us, and she’s trying not to look like a bad wife, even though it’s no news that she’s the worst partner Father ever married.
"Husband... It’s good to see you again." She says with a courtesy, but how pointy her wolf ears are is a dead giveaway that she’s on edge.
She hates that he’s here. And she was right to, because Father had brought nothing but trouble for her. Trouble she well deserves.
"Liandria, what law stands out under the Fifth Edict regarding ABO medical procedures?" Father questions, ignoring her pleasantries, and Alpha Lindria freezes.
She looks over at Rhydian and doesn’t shy away from her gaze. He glares back even though he’s not the person who told Father about her atrocities.
Father has eyes everywhere, and Alpha Liandria wasn’t smart enough to hide this heinous crime from him.
She stands up straight and brushes wrinkles off her dress as her grey eyes stare at Father.
"Why, I don’t know, Wilhelm... managing the kingdom has been quite exhausting. I can’t possibly keep all of our many rules in my head." She replies, and I roll my eyes.
She is so painfully confident in her viciousness.
Father claps, and his elderly aide, Arman, walks over to him. The fifth aide Father has had in the past three years.
Father doesn’t like anyone getting close enough to him to be a liability or a weakness to him, so he changes his aides ever so frequently.
A habit I do not understand how he can maintain.
Arman hands Father a scroll, but Father points at Alpha Liandria. Indicating that Arman hands the scroll to her instead.
He climbs up the stairs and does so, and Alpha Liandria stares at Father with her hands trembling ever so lightly.
"What is in this?" She questions, and Father folds his arms behind him.
"You tell us. Read it out." He replies, and Alpha Liandria looks down at the scroll in her hands.
She looks back up at Father, and a small laugh escapes her.
"What? You want me to make some kind of public announcement?" She jokes, but even from here, I can tell Father is not in the mood for any of her antics.
"Read the scroll, Liandria." He demands coldly, and her smile vanishes.
She stares back down at the scroll like it’s poison she’s been asked to drink, and I smirk... because that is exactly what it is.
She pulls the ribbon holding the scroll close, and as it falls to the ground, her eyes scan the words on the page.
Her face visibly loses colour, and I have to remind myself not to make it so obvious that I’m enjoying her horror. After all... she’s still my brother’s mother.
"Liandria?" Father calls, and she looks up at him from the scroll.
"Read." He commands, and she swallows.
"According to the Fifth Edict regarding ABO medical procedures, the individuality of every designation is to be respected. Alphas are to remain Alphas, Betas are to remain Betas, and Omegas are to remain... Omegas." She begins, and I raise a brow.
"Go on." Father’s cold voice urges, and she takes a deep breath.
"Under no account should anyone withi the walls, and under the protection of BeastHeaven attempt to change their birth designation. If caught... such an individual will either face exile... or life imprisonment. Including the medical practitioners who carried out... or attempted to carry out the procedure. This is to ensure that our society remains sane, our people remain safe from medical complications, and every designation is allotted the respect they deserve." She concludes, and Father sighs.
"Offence number 1: The illegal alteration of a person’s birth designation", Father states, and the hall goes pin-drop silent while Liandria’s face goes pale.
She wasn’t expecting us to find out, was she?