Captain of the Guard. Legend of the Four Kingdoms. Book 1 bxb ✔️

19. Origins

Alexi let out a catwhistle as he took in Arts appearance.

"Don't you look smart in your new clothes", he said admiring him from top to bottem.

Standing from his seat he added:

"I will leave you two to talk."

Moira raised her hand and gentle placed it on his arm. The boy she helped raise for twelve years looked down at her with love and respect.

"Please stay. Your stories were linked together even before birth."

Alexi sat back down and saw the frown on his friends face. Clearly this was also news to him.

"Then continue, Moira. I'm all ears."

She scraped her throat.

"We never told you this, Art, but I'm not your fathers true mate. She died with her family during a raid. Despite never having met, he mourned her loss and devoted himself to the life of a soldier. By the time King Dimitri was crowned he had climbed to the rank of Captain of the Guard. When he had accumulated enough money he bought the house his mate had lived in."

She looked at Art and smiled.

"Now Captain Wren's."

Arts eyes widened in surprise and he held his tongue with great difficulty.

"I arrived in this Kingdom two years later as part of the servants the Queen brought when she married the King. All the girls, including myself, swooned over the handsome and dashing Captain of the Guard. Although I was a human he singled me out almost immediately and pursued me with earnest intentions."

"You were probably his second chance mate", Alexi grinned looking at her deep blush.

Moira nodded.

"We were mated and married within two months and planned to fill the house with the fruits of our love. I so longed to give him a son, but ten years past and still no baby."

She turned and looked at Alexi.

"This is where your story begins."

He nodded and gestured her to continue.

"The Queen had been feeling ill and all sorts of doctors and healers were called to the Palace. None of them seemed to know what ailed her. When her condition worsened the King in all secrecy turned to find help in the most unusual place. With every royal birth a powerful seer is consulted and a blessing is bestowed. He sought out the seer who had blessed the Queen at birth and brought her to the Palace in an ultimate attempt to save her life.

At that time I was still a personal servant of her Majesty and was there when the seer arrived. She seemed to know exactly what was wrong with the Queen and within a day produced five tonics to restore her health.

After four were taken she requested a private audience with the Queen. On the womans orders I was the only other person allowed in the room."

Moira bit her lip and wrung her hands.

"The next part will be difficult to hear, Prince Alexi, but I want you to remember how much your mother loved you."

Taken back by these sudden words, Alexi frowned and moved with unrest. Only after the calming embrace by his best friend did he feel calm enough to refrain from commenting.

After taking a deep breath she continued:

"The seer told us that if the Queen took the last tonic she would be completely restored and life to a ripe old age, but if she gave the last tonic to me then we would both be blessed with strong healthy sons."

Alexi and Art gasped in unison.

"You mean to say that my mother gave up her life for me?"

"Within a heartbeat", Moira said with a sad and equally proud smile. "She loved you even before you were born. Her beautiful heart fulfilled my dream of conceiving a child. So I drank the tonic."

Both Art and Alexi looked back at the empty vial that lay on the dresser in the bedroom.

"Does father know?" Alexi asked.

"We had to tell both of them. Using magic always comes at a price", Moira said.

Alexi swallowed hard still looking at the sudden panic in Arts eyes.

"You mean the prophecy?"

"Yes, among other things. Suddenly we were both pregnant and delivered the babies on the same day. I once asked your mother and I'm almost certain that you were born within minutes from each other.

The firstborn boy of an Alpha is almost always an Alpha too and we had no reason to assume otherwise. Even when Arts wolf didn't present at birth we didn't worry. A wolfs first incarnation takes a little longer to manifest. However your father knew something was up when he noticed the seer at the designation ceremony. The moment Charlotte appeared both your father and my husband knew they had to protect you from the outside world until the words of the seer could be fulfilled."

Alexi proved how smart he was by remarking:

"So that's why father changed the law allowing same sex marriages", he grinned at Art. "They must have thought we were mates."

Moira smiled.

"Only for a few years. You proved to be true brothers and best friends from the start."

She rubbed over the crest on Arts shirt.

"About your designation. I'm sure you want to know about that."

Art sat up a little straighter and pursed his lips together.

"You know how protective I've always been about Charlotte because of our Omega status."

"Her Omega status", Moira corrected. "You are an Alpha."

Art was shocked. Although Wren so much as accused him to be an Alpha, he never considered it to be possible, but after probing Charlotte he found her agreeing.

"My status remains the same. The change comes from you."

Art raised his hands in disbelieve.

"How can I be an Alpha and an Omega? That's impossible."

"It's unique", Moira said with an admiring smile. "Spirit wolfs only come to those who are special."

Something in her voice made Art squint with suspicion.

"Special how?" he asked almost dreading the answer.

"Have you forgotten the prophecy already? After mating with Wren, you're going to give me grandbabies."

Art jumped up from his seat.

'After hearing that he was an Alpha, and therefore master of his own decisions, he still had to bow down (bend over) to whatever Wren had to say?! Hell no! Last time they went one on one it was he who had placed the mark on Wren. In his mind he would be the dominant partner in the relationship.'

"You mean that Charlotte is going to give you grandbabies", he corrected her.

"Sorry, but no I don't", she said shaking her head. "I wasn't exaggerating when I called you special, Art. You are the first breeder in a thousand years."

He shook his head in disbelieve.

'No! This is not the life I had in mind.'

"This..."

He grabbed his stomach.

"Fuck this!"

And he ran.