Alexi followed Art without a word after Moira gave him a sad smile.
He didn't have to search for his friend because he knew exactly where he was hiding. It was the same place he himself ran to when the world overwhelmed him. The past week he had practically lived in the small alcove. Walking through the secluded corridor he couldn't help but feel that time had run out on both of them.
When the war started he was whisked away to safety and his education as a Prince started. He very well understood Arts resistance to the fate that decided their lives for them. At least Art would find love once he surrendered himself to the mating bond. Although determined to marry favorably to secure the safety and freedom of his people, Alexi had to give up the prospect of following his own heart. Because unknown to anyone alive he had already lost it.
To an Angel.
Being the third son of a King came with a lot of privileges and little sorrow. Growing up he had all the freedom in the world. To his older brothers fell the responsibilities of ruling, advantageous marriages and procreation. His mother always compelled him to find his own way in the world.
"Whenever you find yourself in a situation you dont understand, just listen to your heart. It will tell you all you need to know."
In the summer of his eight birthday Queen Larissa had arranged for a horse to be delivered to the stud farm. Black Mane came from the neighboring Kingdom of Cho and belonged to the Kings stables. It was an extremely great honor that the horse was allowed to mate with someone outside the Kingdom. This beautiful creature would become the father of Stormrider. It was his mothers last gift to him before she died in the fall.
Along with Black Mane came a group containing handlers, a Royal representative, two guards and very unexpectedly, a young Prince. Alexi had heard tales of this Prince. Born to a werewolf servant the boy was never destined to rule. When they discovered that he didn't possess the werewolf gen, he was acknowledged by his father and raised as a Royal.
He still remembered the first time he had seen the young man.
At fourteen years old he already looked so grown up. With his black hair and deep blue eyes he was a vision of perfection. His name was Rafael, but everybody seemed to call him Prince Aeyel. Plagued by an embarrassing speech impediment, which he later outgrew, Alexi couldn't for the life of him pronounce this name. The older boy merely smiled at him and kneeled down.
"You can call me Angel, Sweet Cheeks", he had whispered in his ear.
A feeling, unfamiliar in his short lifespan, coursed through his veins. It resembled the joy he had felt in seeing Charlotte for the first time and knowing he had met a friend for life. But this was stronger, more vibrant. The only thing that came close to the feeling of utter exuberance were the descriptions he heard when werewolfs find there mate. The overwhelming sense of joy, the immediate connection and the desperation when they are forced to separate. Many blamed the depression that plagued him for years on the death of his mother only a few weeks later.
Alexi cringed when he thought back on his last conversation with her. He had asked Art if he could tell his mother about Charlotte and grinned brightly when he saw the surprise on her face. By this time they must have already known that Art and he were not mated. How then must she have taken the news of this new arrival and her sons immediate attachment. In his innocence he all but declared his love for the young man. And even despite the knowledge that she might have given up her life for nothing, she still encouraged him to follow his heart.
Alexi wondered if his Angel would be among the guests attending the Ball tonight.
'Did those precious feelings still exist?'
Arriving at his destination he put all his own worries aside and concentrated on his friend.
"Please just ignore him, Alexi. Hes acting like a baby", Charlotte said looking at the people down below.
"Charlotte, do you remember Prince Aeyel?" he asked before he could prevent himself.
She looked at him and he knew that he had gotten Arts attention.
"Why would you bring up someone we spent two weeks with nine years ago?" Art asked indignantly.
Charlotte huffed and poked Art for being so insensitive. He may not have noticed the way that the eight year old Alexi had looked at the handsome Prince Aeyel, but she certainly did. Art wouldn't understand the purity of Alexis feeling toward another boy that wasn't him. She had feared that the jealousy of Art would poison their friendship so she kept the secret for all those years.
The sheer stubbornness of Arts expression made Alexi rethink his course of action. No matter what he said now would make Art change his mind about how he felt. So he decided to take a gamble.
"You both know how important tonights Ball is for me and for the future of our Kingdom. With that in mind I would like to request your company as my official partner for the Ball."
Alexi smiled at the excitement shown by Art. All directed at the delicious buffet no doubt, but that didn't matter. Maybe the prospect of yummy food would soften the blow?
"The catch is that I'm not allowed to appear with someone who isn't partnered."
3..2..1
"What the bloody hell are you suggesting!" Art yelled standing from his comfortable seat.
Alexi raised his hands.
"I'm suggesting that you allow Charlotte to mate with Casper. This would create a strong enough bond to satisfy the outside world and provide you with time to sort things out between you and Captain Wren."
Art was stunned into silence. That his mother agreed to this plan didn't help at all.
"See it as a way to take the edge of, his mother suggested. You can use the courtyard of our old house. Your father let Cronos have a stretch ever so often when he didn't have the time to take him for a run in the woods."
The mention of his fathers wolf made Art feel like crying. Cronos had played such a big part in Charlottes development and the overall accepting of this unique pairing. What he wouldn't give for a private consultation right now.
Knowing that he couldn't avoid the inevitable forever, Art decided to follow the wishes of the people that loved him the most, but only after he laid down some rules.
"Ok, I'll agree to your terms under two conditions and they are not negotiable", he hissed, clearly showing his displeasure.
"First of all I don't want to see or speak to Wren before the deed is done. Secondly I explicitly forbid any of you to mention to Wren that I am a breeder. Never ever!"
A sudden burst of emotions coming from Charlotte overwhelmed him.
"I know that all of this is a blow to your manly ego, but would you for once consider the consequences to me? I might not be able to reproduce for my mate. To give him pups of his own", Charlotte cried softly. "Of course I will keep your secrets, Art, but please understand that with forging a mating bond there will be a shift in our alliances."
Art lifted his hands to his face and let out an aggravated growl. For years he thought that his unusual pairing might mean that he wouldn't have a mate. Now that he had one it seemed that things only got more complicated. The pairing might look like a match made in heaven, since Charlotte got her man and Wren got to have his. So was it true? Was the only thing between misery and happiness his foolish manly ego?
Suddenly the suggestion of Charlotte and Casper mating seemed like an excellent idea. It would buy him some time to get to terms withthings.
"Ok. Lets' do this before I change my mind."