Use Me, Royal Stranger (mxm)

Chapter 9 - The Battles Within (Part I)

        "Oi, your majesty?" He heard his trusted friend and powerful Warrior Guard Lance call out in his ever sarcastic tone. As opposed to feeling lighthearted when he heard the voice of his friend, Alaric felt even more irritated at this point.

        "Leave me." He grunted, nursing a headache that was slowly building. He was in no mood for the casual jokes that his friend has for him. His heart was still racing from both anger and fear of losing Carlen.

        "Oi, your majesty~ What's up man?" His idiotic friend asked through the doors, "I'm assuming you're in grave danger and entering your chambers to check yeah?"

        Alaric roll his eyes at his friend. Nothing could faze this idiot. He truly has no respect for the royal customs and rules. Alaric had to remind himself that it was exactly this trait of his that made him appoint Lance as his personal guard.

        "Yoohoo! Dead? What happened man? I thought we were going out for a run together? Our wolves need to bond man! It's the full moon~" Lance sang as he trudged into the room donned in his casual clothes.

        This man, his best friend, was the death of him. He lost count of the number of times he had to save Lance's sorry ass from getting royal punishments because he did not adhere to the rules of the castle. "I'm not in the mood Lance. Get out." Yet he had no heart to lose this friendship.

        Lance threw his hands into the air with a loud snort, "Royalty. What ever do we do with them? Always doing things according to their mood." He rolled his eyes and settled down on a nearby chair, "Tell Lance what's putting the royal crown prince in a bad mood. Come on." He egged, raising his brows and grinning.

        Alaric sighed deeply and closed his eyes. Should he talk to Lance about this? He worries that his best friend, although always looking out for his safety, would not be able to keep his mouth shut for long. Not that Lance was someone who liked to gossip, but he sometimes lets things slip because he doesn't think before he talks. Within the castle, it is always a good trait to know how to think before acting or saying anything.

        But this was his best friend. If he needed anyone to talk to about this. It would be Lance. Lance or Naomi. Clearly Naomi is out of the question. He can't imagine her reaction to this news. She would be devastated. Or she might just kill him. One or the other were situations he'd rather not put himself in.

        "It's- Complicated- And frustrating- And confusing-" Alaric groaned, "And I might have met my mate." The last part of his sentence came out as a mumble more than anything.

        "Whoa whoa whoa there mister royal crown prince, repeat yourself so I can hear you clearly this time because I think I heard something really important, but it doesn't explain why you're in this mood because you're supposed to be jumping for joy and all that. Sir, your majesty, come on man. Seriously? Wait, tell me." Lance stood straight up from where he sat and stared at Alaric with huge and curious eyes.

        "I met my mate." Alaric stated simply, staring at his friend's bewildered expression, waiting for the outburst that was sure to come. How was he going to begin to explain to Lance why he wasn't in a good mood from meeting his mate?

        Lance stood blinking dumbly at Alaric. Obviously he couldn't get why meeting his mate puts him in such a bad mood. "Why??" Lance asked dramatically as his hands flailed around him, "Is she hideous? Extremely old? Super young? What? Why? Why. Is. Crown. Prince. Upset?!"

        If the situation was less serious, Alaric could laugh at the way Lance was reacting. Clearly it was too much information yet too few information for the poor warrior to understand.

        "Alaric, help me here. I'm driving myself nuts in my head. Isn't this what we have been waiting for? The amazing magical moment where you meet your mate and claim her and get married and have children together and take over the throne when the King retires? Isn't this why we have been busting our nuts trying to arrange balls after balls, banquets after banquets. And mind you, putting up with snobby princesses is not in my job description. I hate it and I love that this is over. I need you to explain what the heck is wrong with my train of thought. Why are you so upset??" Lance went on, barely breathing between sentences.

        Well, this truly does explain why all these years of balls and banquets had not worked. All those eligible females including age appropriate females from royal family, nobles and commoners were sent his ways every full moon but he wasn't destined to meet a female mate.

        Alaric looked grimly at his best friend, "My mate is a man."

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Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you liked it!