It took several days, but Niven finally got better and left his room.
The academy had strangely gone quiet during one night and it seemed like everyone went back to their usual routines without too much of a fuss. It amazed Niven for a moment, thinking how the twins and the Wolves managed to get things under control without another fight. Of course, he didn't know it was due to Vasili who managed to control everyone.
Niven had gone down to meet up with Mirren, who lacked enthusiasm when they spoke. The blond didn't know why he looked a little listless, but Mirren gave a small shrug and placed a hand on the boy's waist as usual.
Mirren was just tired of having to deal with everyone the past few days. Vasili certainly worked his magic quick and everyone didn't go against whatever the professor did. Not even Arien had a clue as to what Vasili used to make the academy quiet.
Niven went through his classes as usual, but the stares kept on coming as whispers about his brothers came nonstop. The blond kept quiet, not wanting to start a commotion and was uncomfortable the whole time.
Of course, Mirren wasn't the type to let things go so easily and kept messing around with those students, slightly using his magic to use dirty tricks. Anytime they wanted to point fingers at the brunet, Agustine came up and stared at them through his mask. They instantly backed down, feeling a sudden shiver go through them because of the demon.
But that made Niven feel a little better, knowing at least Mirren and Agustine were there to keep him company.
And although Niven wanted to visit his alpha, the beastman was busy dealing with the matters of getting the school ready for their upcoming event with Silas, so they didn't have much time to meet with each other. But that was alright with Niven, he planned to spend the rest of his time with Levi and Simeon anyways.
Right now, the boy sat beside Levi as the male drank his second glass of wine. Niven scrunched his nose up, not liking the smell before returning his gaze over to Simeon, diligently working on a new arrangement of flowers.
Simeon was completely focused, trying to carefully cut several stems and leaves off while picking out a yellow ribbon to tie the flowers together. When he was done, he proudly showed his work off to his brothers as he sat the flowers down in a vase.
Levi looked over it once, not exactly interested and kept drinking his glass while Niven beamed. He always liked watching Simeon do his hobbies despite knowing the fact Simeon wasn't really into it too much.
"Can you make another one?" Niven asked. "I want to give the next one to my familiar."
"I'd gladly give one to you, but I'm afraid I can't this time, sweetheart." Simeon handed the vase over to the blond. "We're starting to get even more busy with the preparation of having our families come."
"Do you know who's all coming?"
Simeon pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "Well, your alpha has some of his tribe members coming, and I heard they're also checking up on Grim. Agustine and Silas' parents will be attending, but I'm not so sure about Mirren. He hardly ever shows up to these events. It's not like anyone comes for him anyways."
Niven's smile faltered a little. "What about the vice-principal?"
"As far as we know, they're only family on paper and hardly see each other," Simeon replied. "You worried about him or something?"
"He's a good friend of mine so of course I worry," Niven said as he thought about Mirren. "I think I can even consider him as my best friend, but I'm not so sure."
Simeon glanced at Levi, noticing the male taking a larger sip. The dark haired student gave an amusing smile to Niven and simply responded, "It's... good you have friends in this place. I always worry for you."
"I know, but I can handle myself now," Niven quipped. "Simeon, do you think I can also help with the-"
They were interrupted by the sound of the blond's phone ringing. Niven sent an apologetic smile to Simeon before quickly accepting the call, a little surprised to hear it was from Remiah Westworth.
"Yes, Mr. Westworth?" Niven took notice of his brothers' expressions turning a little darker and annoyed.
"I have to apologize in advance since you're probably spending the rest of your day with your brothers, but I'm afraid I need to see you in my office right. Like... now." Niven was a little startled, feeling himself get nervous for just a second. He wondered if he did anything wrong, but he couldn't seem to recall a thing if he went against one of the school's rules.
"A-Am I in trouble?"
"No, of course not. There's a small... surprise here waiting for you."
Niven muttered, "Alright, just give me a minute."
After he hung up, Niven noticed Levi giving him a strange look. The dark haired student pressed his lips into a thin line before setting his glass down, silently asking Niven what was wrong and if he actually got in trouble with something. As far as the twins knew, their little brother hardly did anything against the school. If there was some sort of misunderstanding then Simeon would leave it up to Levi to sort the mess out.
But the boy gave Levi as comforting smile as he stood up, straightening out his tie. "I've been called to the office. It seems there's a present waiting for me."
"You know where it came from?" Simeon questioned.
Niven shrugged. "I have no clue. Anyways, I'll be back soon so don't go anywhere just yet. We still have a lot to talk about."
Simeon gave him a small smile as the boy began to leave. "Sure, we'll be here waiting. Don't take too long though, I'm not a very patient person, sweetheart."
Niven gave a grimace at his advice and hurried out of the sanctum, already knowing Simeon wasn't joking.
By the time he finally arrived to the headmaster's office, Niven made sure to give out small greetings to Caesar and Caspar and left the guards to their duties before slipping inside.
Niven had the idea of the vice-principal sitting behind his uncle's desk with a large box, waiting for the boy to come over and help him, but he didn't expect to nothing there. There wasn't a present anywhere. Not even Remiah was inside the office.
Niven wandered around the office a little more, trying to see if there was actually a gift and he probably missed it, but he really didn't find anything. By the end of it, Niven stopped and simply sighed at the sight of the empty desk.
"What a waste of time," he mumbled under his breath. If the vice-principal was the one who called him in the first place then how come Remiah wasn't even here? Niven figured to just forget about the whole thing and return to his brothers, who were probably still waiting for Niven back at Zenith Sanctum.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know my arrival would be considered a waste of your precious time."
Niven jumped at the voice, turning around with a spark already forming in his hand as reflex before he quickly stopped and stared at the person at the entrance of the door, staring right in front of him.
He knew him. Niven recognized those pale lavender eyes anywhere, and the usual smile on the male's face.
"A-Alessio?"
Snapping himself out of his stupor, Niven's little ball of fire died out from his hand immediately as he placed a hand on his chest to greet the male.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince... I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be arriving-"
"It's your surprise!" The prince gave a mirthful chuckle before stepping in the room. With long strides, the male stood in front of Niven and placed a hand on the blond's shoulder. "I thought we agreed to leave those greetings out. You don't need to bow in front of me every time."
"Yes... o-of course."
The person standing inside the room with Niven right now was Crown Prince Alessio of the Titurean Empire, once his childhood friend.
When they were young, Niven started befriending a few more children around his age after Levi and Simeon were adopted into the family. Since the grand duchess decided it was time for Niven to finally socialize with other kids, Uriel couldn't refuse and went ahead to arrange a small play date with one of the emperor's sons, which was Alessio.
But all in all, their relationship with each other was great. More than that, actually. Niven was almost smiling up at the male, finding himself relieved to see a familiar face.
The crown prince tilted his head and sent another grin to the boy, gentle and gorgeous. "Were you that startled?"
"I-I just... it's been so long," Niven replied as he raised his hands up to cup the prince's face. "Almost too long... you've grown a lot."
"It's been almost a year, hasn't it?" Crown Prince Alessio mused at the boy's antics.
Niven didn't reply, still a little lost as he continued to stare at the prince. Alessio didn't mind and kept quiet, only humming as Niven took his time before the boy realized what he was doing and finally let go.
"How have you been? How did you even get here? And what about Her Highness Roselia? I-Is she doing fine? Is she well?" Niven couldn't stop the endless amount of questions coming from his mouth.
Alessio laughed a little and replied, "You really haven't changed at all. That's nice to know."
If it were anyone else, Niven would've probably turned red from embarrassment, but he only gave a playful scowl in return. "I'm serious though."
"Well for starters, I've been doing just fine at the palace. Roselia is also good, she's been getting a lot stronger with her abilities. And as to why I'm here-" The prince stopped for a second, bringing in a small envelope with an invitation. "-I've received this. Turns out, Mr. Westworth was kind enough to send us an invitation to visit Kingston Academy. I must say, I'm a little surprised you're here. You're never one to leave your home."
"Wasn't really my choice," Niven responded with a bit of a sigh.
Alessio only smiled. "I know exactly what you're talking about, but this is good for you, isn't it? It'd be nice to know you're enjoying your time here at the academy."
"I am... somewhat." Niven couldn't help but think about his pack mates who were sometimes hostile to each other and his lunatic of a professor. "This place is really... something. Even I get speechless."
Alessio leaned back a little, looking extremely relieved. "I'm glad you're having fun here. Before, you only used to follow me around since you were too afraid to speak with other children."
Niven scoffed, "Please don't bring those memories up. I'm fully capable of handling things myself now."
The prince gave him a knowing look, his smile stretched out a little further. "Really?"
Niven nodded. "I am! I've participated in two Ludos tournaments already and won."
"If we compare them to Levi and Simeon's tournaments, those little victories aren't much to brag about are they?"
"Shut up," Niven scowled at the male laughing.
"Still, it's good you're okay," Crown Prince Alessio murmured out after his laughter died down. "It's really... been a while since we last saw each other. I was worried you'd struggle in this place. Perhaps you should've came to the empire's academy instead, I would've watched you from over there."
Niven frowned a little at the male's expression. He's forgotten about how concerned the crown prince was when it came to Niven. It wasn't like the boy didn't understand why, he clearly remembered the times when he stuck close to Alessio just because he was shy and more afraid of approaching anyone else.
The crown prince didn't mind it back then and thought it was funny, but seeing Niven all grown up and hearing how he's having fun in this place made him somewhat stunned.
Remiah Westworth told him plenty things about what Niven's accomplished so far, and even if it didn't add up to what the Kingston Brothers have done in the past, it was certainly a feat for Niven to have bested forty students of different schools.
"So what are you really doing here, Alessio?" Niven interrupted the male's thoughts. "As far as I'm concerned, the crown prince of a great empire such as Titurean should be stuck in the palace due to official duties. You hardly had any time to yourself when I last visited the crown princess and the empress."
"Like I said, it's been a while since we last spoke so I was blessed to receive such an invitation to meet with you again."
Niven felt himself smile at that. "You really took time out of your day just to come and see how I was doing? Alessio, I'm sure there's better things for you to do."
The male shrugged. "I saw this as an opportunity to avoid work and came as fast as I could. And of course it's important I come to see you, the two of us will become-"
"Your Highness? I'm so sorry to disturb you, but I'm afraid I'll need this office back," Remiah Westworth interrupted as he peeked inside the room with a smile. "We have to get ready for the event."
"I understand. Thank you once again for the invitation," the crown prince thanked him.
"Niven, I'm sure you won't mind showing His Highness around the place, yes?" The man looked over at the boy with an expectant gaze.
Niven nodded. "Of course. Is there anything you'd like to see first, Alessio?"
"I heard you've gotten your very first familiar. Would it be alright if I greet him first?"
And here they were, standing inside of the boy's dorm room as Niven watched the crown prince hold onto King's flippers with a happy gaze.
Alessio wanted to get on the penguin's good side and spent half an hour helping King with his chores. Although the penguin wasn't too sure on who he was, it wasn't long until King was informed by Niven Alessio was actually a prince.
His familiar took one good look at the male, expecting him to be like that annoying jaguar or insane professor when King was blinded by such a gorgeous smile. The penguin nearly fell on the ground, a little surreal at the image of a prince bending down to greet him.
At that moment, King was immersed with the human and looked over at his master, almost thanking him for finally bringing a decent friend over before waddling as fast as he could to the crown prince. He wrapped his flippers around the male's legs and honked happily, not minding Niven to awkwardly laugh at his familiar's peculiar actions.
Alessio didn't think too much of it though, he was glad his little plan worked and was pretty happy to play around with an adorable penguin.
After that, Niven began to drag Crown Prince Alessio around the academy grounds. He pointed at some structures and explained a couple of his own classes before they stopped in front of the student council building.
"I'd like to meet with your alpha," the prince said absentmindedly. He turned to Niven, still giving him a charming grin. "I want to thank him for watching over you when I couldn't."
"Unfortunately, Alpha Arien is busy. He doesn't like being disturbed so much."
Alessio's smile faltered a little at that. "Really? I... heard how much he's taken a liking to you. If you step in there, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if it was you bothering him."
Niven hummed in response, "That's only because I'm the academy's omega. There's really nothing else to it."
The blond glanced at the male, noticing the small relief in Alessio's eyes.
"I see," the prince said. "Still, I'd like for the two of us to talk sometime soon. There's much I'd like to discuss with him."
"About?"
Crown Prince Alessio gave the boy a knowing look. "About us, of course."
Niven took a moment before realizing what the prince meant. And then he gave a large smile to Alessio, almost beaming.
"Yes, I'll make sure to inform my alpha later," he chirped. Alessio's smile returned quickly, finding the male even more amusing.
Niven was soon focused on happily chatting with the prince that he didn't even notice the hours passing by. It was always nice speaking to the crown prince without any worry, and he was quite comfortable being around with Alessio. His father always prohibited him from speaking to the royal family of Titurean, but he managed to finally get a small play date with the princes and the princess once he was eight.
He met with the princess first, knowing just how much the grand duchess have always wanted them to meet and was surprised to see the empress greeting him as well. But Crown Princess Roselia and Niven hit it off pretty well before Niven eventually met with Alessio, who was a bit distant in the beginning.
Alessio was always too busy with palace duties and having to meet with Niven Kingston was considered to be a huge honor, according to his father of course. He expected the boy to be spoilt since Uriel Kingston was infamous about his doting love for his son, but he was pleasantly surprised to spend his time with Niven without any hardships.
Niven ended up liking Alessio too much and would hesitate to speak with the other princes, and that memory made Alessio chuckle.
Niven glanced at the male beside him. "What is so funny?"
"It's nothing," Alessio replied. The crown prince gazed up at the sky, noticing it turning purple. "It's getting quite late, huh? I'll walk you back to your dorm room. It was nice seeing everything in the academy."
"Yes, Your Highness."
They planned on turning around and walking back to Niven's place when the blond was startled at the sight of Levi and Simeon, standing in front of them with irritated expressions. But as usual, Levi had a blank gaze, even though he was in the presence of Alessio.
"Your Highness," Simeon murmured out with a fake smile. "It's a pleasure to see you again... the fuck are you doing here?"
"Simeon!" Niven snapped. "Don't be so crass. He's here for a small visit."
"No, it's alright." Alessio gave the Kingston Brothers a small bow, acting courteous. "I've been planning to see the two of you as well, who would've known I'd run into you?"
Simeon ignored the male and looked over Alessio's shoulder to Niven with a glare. "Sweetheart, did you seriously forget about us?"
"What? When did I-" Niven paled when he remembered leaving his brothers back at the sanctum. He was so consumed with the thought of spending time with Alessio, he completely forgot about them. He quickly averted his gaze to the floor and stammered, "I-I'm sorry, I forgot..."
"So?" Simeon went ahead, deciding to speak with Niven later. "How come you're here, Alessio?"
"Mr. Westworth was kind enough to send me an invitation. I know everyone is planning the event for your families to come pretty soon, but I just couldn't wait to see Niven," Alessio remarked. "I was worried he wouldn't be comfortable here, but it's good the two of you kept him safe... along with his position as a Royal. But to my surprise, Niven became a Wolf instead."
Niven glanced at the prince, wondering if he was intentionally provoking his brothers.
Alessio continued on with his usual smile, "So, what about the two of you gentlemen? How does it feel to keep your hold on his seat of power? Isn't it Niven's right to be the sole Royal in this place?"
"Alessio," Niven hissed and grabbed at the prince's arm, trying to yank him back. "Do not speak to my brothers that way."
Once again, Niven has forgotten the bad blood between the crown prince and the twins. Simeon has never liked Alessio and while Levi had no particular interest in actually disliking or liking someone, he followed Simeon as usual and stood against Alessio. The crown prince never did anything to retaliate, but it wasn't like he didn't show off his hatred for the twins either. They merely stayed away from each other in the past.
Simeon only snorted and ignored the male's small comment. "I'll be generous for once and try not to rip your head off your shoulders. Niven, let's go. It's time for bed."
"I... don't have a bed time."
"King always makes sure you're asleep by eleven and he checks to see if Gabriel asleep by twelve," Simeon responded without hesitation.
Niven rose a brow, finding the information a little creepy. "How did you-"
"Your familiar gave me your nightly routine and expected us to have you back by eight. I don't want to get on King's bad side," his brother muttered lowly. "But that's not the point. Niven, we're going."
"Yes, brother..." Niven hesitantly looked up at Alessio, finding the prince smiling down on him.
"I'll see you in the morning, my prince," Alessio quipped.
Before he could respond, Niven was being dragged away by Simeon. He looked back at Alessio, who kept his gaze on the boy before waving him off.
As soon as the prince was out of their sights, Levi and Simeon shared a knowing look with one another. Simeon felt a sudden anxiety rise up within his chest as he hurried a little bit more to Niven's dorm room, almost surprising the blond.
They didn't expect for Alessio to come. Not once did they actually think any member of the royal family would come to Kingston Academy just for a small visit to see Niven. It turns out they were wrong, and it set a bitter taste in both of the twins' mouth. And it wasn't like they could tell Niven to stay away from the male, the blond was much too eager to see Alessio again, knowing just how much history they had with each other as young children.
They grew to regret letting Niven be afterwards, watching the boy happily stick to Alessio for the next few days.
Niven was in such high spirits, a lot more cheerful than Mirren and Agustine had ever seen before. The blond quickly introduced the crown prince to them, noticing Agustine awkwardly bowing his head as Mirren gracefully placed a hand above his heart and bend down properly with a small mutter... a little hint of Absolute Charisma in his tone.
While Mirren gave out a charming smile to the blond and Crown Prince Alessio, both the beastman and demon had a million thoughts running through their heads.
Agustine looked at Niven, watching the boy turn to him with expecting eyes, thinking the demon would also be happy to meet Alessio. Agustine stayed quiet of course, not really knowing how to interact with the prince until Alessio spoke to the jackal masked student in a gentle tone.
Alessio was already aware of the fact how Agustine was mute and told the demon not to worry about anything, but it still didn't help calm Agustine down. Not when Niven was so happy because of Alessio's visit.
But Silas was more surprised by the prince, noticing the way Alessio and Niven interacted with each other. They seemed comfortable and quite ecstatic with one another, it almost made the angel snort in return. He had no clue Niven could be this excited, not counting the fact the boy was in love with Vasili not too long ago.
While Niven's friends seemed amusing to Alessio, the male was truly more entertained by the alpha's expression as he sat down in front of Arien in the student council's office by himself.
Arien was... intimidating. Much more than Alessio realized. The crown prince made a strange smile at the beastman's daunting features.
The crown prince has heard small stories about Arien and his large accomplishments during his time here at the academy. At first, he was merely impressed with Arien's abilities and how he managed to keep this school under control with the help of his pack mates, even if they weren't completely stable in their own abilities. But now as he looked at Arien, Alessio found himself to be incredibly irate.
"It's an honor to have Your Highness come visit me," Arien began in a low tone. "Is there anything you'd like to know in the academy?"
Alessio chuckled grimly, "It's quite alright. I know just about everything I need to. In fact, I mostly came to this school not only to see Niven, but I'm here for you as well."
Arien couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"I'd like for you to keep an appropriate distance away from Niven," Alessio spoke with his usual smile, but his eyes gave off a hint of a warning which made the alpha immediately alert. "I don't like you near him."
Arien held a snarl back, taking a moment to himself before growling, "Pardon? I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."
"Oh, I'm sure you do. Like I said, I know enough about this academy and the people inside of it. You, on the other hand, managed to pique my interest the most when it came to Niven." Alessio's lips curved down into a sneer. "I know those eyes anywhere. You... don't look at Niven like a regular alpha should."
Before the blond dropped Alessio off, Arien had come outside of his office for a quick chat and noted a different scent outside. It was only for a brief moment really and the prince could've mistaken the incredibly gentle look in Arien's eyes for something else, but Alessio couldn't bring himself to ignore the way Arien spoke to Niven. It was tender, more than that and filled with slight affection.
"I suggest you maintain yourself as a proper alpha and only that," Alessio warned.
Arien didn't say anything. In fact, one of his ears drooped over his head as his eyes widened at what the prince said.
Alesssio quickly took notice of the male's surprised look. "Hmm? What's that look for? You don't even know yourself?"
"I..." Arien's voice dropped. He didn't really know what to say. "I don't..."
Well then... Alessio's thoughts took a bit of a darker turn. But then his smile came back as the prince suddenly stood up, looking down at Arien with an unknown emotion in his eyes.
"I should get going then since I really have nothing else to discuss with you," Alessio began. "I truly hope you take my words into account and stay away from Niven."
"He's... my omega. I can't exactly do that," Arien replied curtly. It made Alessio stop and look at the wolf beastman, watching Arien's dazed eyes turn into something predatory.
It didn't mean anything to the prince though. Instead, it made him chuckle.
"Sure," Alessio almost mocked, "whatever you say then. Since you can't stay away from Niven, I hope to see you tomorrow when my family arrives. Have a good rest of the day, Alpha."
Arien couldn't stop thinking about that even after Crown Prince Alessio walked away. He found it incredibly odd, and he sensed a foreboding feeling coming from nowhere. He almost didn't want to come to the event tomorrow, but he quickly shook his head and tried to continue with the last of his documents.
Still, the beastman bit his lip at what Alessio had said about him. About the way he stared at Niven the way an alpha like him shouldn't have.
But no matter how much he thought about Alessio's warning, tomorrow arrived all too quickly and elite families of wealth and aristocracy began to pour into the academy without end.
Arien stood in the ball room, dressed up lavishly in a three piece suit as Silas stood with him. The angel had a halo floating on top of his head, not minding the way some guests whispered about him being an actual angel.
The alpha would've liked Mirren to be here, but the brunet hated coming to these events since no family member would come for him. Not only that, the vice-principal also called Mirren into his office, stating something about a small gift for the boy.
There was also no way for Agustine to come due to his Jinx, so everything was left for Arien and Silas to take care of. So really, the only member left for them to wait on was Niven, who was running late it seems.
And while the beastman talked amongst a couple of noble families, everyone in the room almost ceased their chatter when they noticed Crown Prince Alessio and Bennett Kingston coming in.
They parted quickly, bending down to bow their heads at the two and quickly left Arien and Silas just as the pair approached the two Wolves.
"Thank you for arranging everything once more," Bennett Kingston sighed in relief as soon as he reached Arien. "I really don't know what I'd do without you, Arien."
"It's a pleasure to help you, my lord," Arien responded in a polite tone, not missing the way Alessio's smile grew.
"Silas, I also heard you're faring a lot better with the help of my nephew," the man commented to the angel.
Silas nodded. "I am... he's helping me a lot."
"That's good. Soon, we'll be able to figure out a way to break that small curse of yours."
Silas felt himself smile a little. "Yes, thank you, my lord."
"Oh, that's right!" The headmaster gestured a hand over to Alessio standing at his side. "Since you gentlemen have already met, I'll leave His Highness here with you. I have to speak with the professors for just a second."
After the man left the crown prince alone with the Wolves, Alessio took a glass of wine from a nearby servant and took a sip, never taking his eyes off of Silas and glanced at the halo as well.
"Niven did tell me you were an angel. He spoke about how cool you were," Alessio said softly, making Silas raise a brow at Arien. The beastman grunted in response. The prince kept going, "I'm awed by you if I'm being honest."
"Thank you, Your Highness..." There was something off about the prince with the way he looked at Arien and him with a dark gaze.
They kept a small conversation going as Arien excluded himself from it. The angel had a feeling his alpha was in no mood to speak with the prince, so he made sure to keep Alessio distracted while Arien downed himself a full glass of wine.
And just when Silas almost ran out of things to say, Niven finally came over to the small group with a large smile.
"Hello, Silas!" Niven said. The boy looked over at his pack mates, finding them looking more refine in their suits. "You look great, Alpha."
Arien murmured, "Omega..." He felt himself wanting to reach out and grab the back of Niven's neck like usual to run his nose down the male's throat, but he couldn't in such a public place like this. Especially with the crown prince narrowing his gaze at the two.
"You're late," Silas commented.
"It took me a while to get all dressed up. Gabriel had to help me," Niven sighed as he gestured a hand to his outfit.
Silas couldn't help but frown at the regal outfit Niven wore. It wasn't that it made the boy look bad, it was because of the the small crest imprinted on white cape which was draped over his shoulder. The crest of the royal family.
"I knew you'd look good in those clothes," Alessio chuckled.
"You lent him that?" Silas questioned.
"It's a gift," the prince replied shortly. He turned his eyes over to Arien, who kept his gaze settled on Niven. "Well, Alpha? Does your omega look good?"
Arien averted his eyes instantly and muttered, "Of course."
Niven suddenly felt like he came in at the wrong time. He looked toward Silas for a little help, but the angel merely shrugged and didn't know anything himself. The only thing he got from this whole thing was how Arien disliked the crown prince, even if their alpha never said anything ahout Alessio.
Before Niven could ask, Arien's ears twitched once more as gasps rang around the room and whispers began to emerge. Alessio seemed to have noticed the small commotion and grinned as a reaction, finding himself pleased.
The group turned around to see three people walking down to the ball room. A couple and a girl.
At first, Arien wasn't so sure what all the commotion was about in the first place when he saw how familiar they were. And then he felt Alessio's hand on his shoulder as the prince leaned in with a whisper, "I'd like you to stay for another moment, Alpha. Please... won't you meet my family since you want to stay with your omega?"
Arien almost released a loud snarl at the prince's malicious smirk when he saw the newcomers approaching them quickly. And then he realized why they looked familiar.
These people were the relatives of the crown prince, the emperor and the empress along with their daughter.
Niven left Arien's side, bringing the alpha back to reality and to witness his omega embracing the girl with a gentle smile.
The girl almost resembled the crown prince. With luscious silver hair and pale lavender eyes, she could easily be named as a gorgeous woman. She carried herself a bit differently too, something not every prince at the academy had.
"Niven! My dear, it's so nice to finally see you!" The girl squealed. She pulled away immediately and asked, "How have you been? I wanted to come earlier to see you, but Alessio vanished before I could even say anything! He even took the invitation without me knowing."
"I'm doing well. I... honestly didn't expect you to be here," Niven responded, still holding onto her tightly when the couple stood in front of the pair.
Niven glanced up for just a second, meeting eye-to-eye with the emperor. The man tilted his head, giving Niven a dour expression before he gave a nod to the boy.
"Niven..." The emperor called. "It's been a while."
The student smiled. "It's a pleasure to be able to meet with you again."
This emperor wasn't much for words and could only nod back so Niven settled to give his greetings to the empress, a person he even called his aunt since they had a close relationship with each other.
He looked at the emperor's partner, another man who couldn't stop smiling with eager lavender eyes. "Your Majesty the Empress," Niven grinned. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me, truly."
"Of course," the man said. "My daughter couldn't stop fussing about you. We made sure to come a little early to surprise you. Is that alright?"
"Of course it's fine. I wanted to speak to my beloved for months now," Niven replied as he looked back down at the crown princess, who couldn't contain her squeal and threw her arms around the boy's neck.
Silas' face grew white from that and unconsciously stepped back, almost bumping into another person. He immediately looked at Arien, who was also stunned until the crown prince laughed a little in the beastman's ear. "Dear sister?" Alessio called out. "Could you come here? You should pay proper respects to Niven's alpha."
The girl glanced over at the Wolves, her smile instantly dissolving into a contemptuous pout. "Hmm?"
Alessio chuckled, "Mind your manners. This is Arien of the Ortu Solis tribe."
With permission from the royal couple, Niven led the princess over to his alpha and held her waist as she looked him up and down. Arien was still a little shocked, not really knowing what to say until the girl huffed and placed a hand on Niven's chest to draw him in closer. The blond looked down at the princess, nudging her a little to introduce herself.
The girl rolled her eyes before eventually bowing. "Crown Princess Roselia of the Titurean Empire," she stated dryly. When she rose back up again, she had a bit of malice in her eyes.
"I'm Niven's childhood friend... and his fiancé."