Chapter 3 - Father In Law

The day of reckoning came a week after his return to his home city of Ilaridge.

In the early hours of the evening, a carriage pulled up in front of their humble abode after a message came the night before.

His mother and sister had spent their morning scrubbing him within an inch of his life so he would leave a good first impression.

Skye gathered up his new clothing and what few possessions he wanted to take with him before leaving his family behind.

He didn't know what to expect, none of them did.

The King had been close-lipped about what his own son planned and for all he knew, he could just as well find a station in the palace and get to see his family on the morrow as he could leave to never return.

It was all up to his mate and his whims.

Arranged matings weren't unusual even amongst the common folk but his family had been formed on love.

His mother was a big advocate of free-will and ‘trusting in your heart’ kind of thing.

A strange sort of calm had settled over Skye in the week since he had heard the news. It's like he had spent so long being worried about it in the first few days that he had reached a point of zen-like acceptance.

If only his mother and sister could be so accepting.

Just when he had forgotten his fate, losing himself in his time with his family, one of them would remind him and his calm would waver.

It might seem callous to force him to meet his mate on his own, but Skye was glad of it.

He didn't do well with long drawn out goodbyes and the thought of the mating and bonding taking place tonight had his stomach in knots as it was.

He had not been with anyone before, all his attention was on his healer training. That, and alphas his age were usually arrogant and forceful. Nothing he wanted anything to do with.

But he was not innocent too. Knowing such things comes with his healer training. They were taught on the human body and how couples reproduce. It was part of their basic lessons.

After a tearful farewell, he clambered aboard the carriage, ignoring the stares of onlookers.

Carriages weren't uncommon in the poor district, but they still drew attention if they stopped outside a residence.

Hopefully it wouldn't cause his family any unwanted attention. It was a simple yet well-made carriage, nothing that screamed nobility.

His family had told curious well wishers that he was mating into a well-to-do merchant family to squash any problematic rumors.

*****

The trip to the castle was quiet except for the pounding of Skye's heart.

He couldn't stop the nervous jitters in his limbs but his mind was curiously blank. It was as though he had reached a level of anxiousness that his body could not compute and instead of a wreck, he was oddly composed.

The clatter of the city seeped through the wooden carriage doors and Skye closed his eyes, soaking in the familiar noises. Clattering of hooves, the yelling of street vendors, the general hum of conversation.

By the time they rolled to a stop, the omega was as mentally prepared as he was going to get. The brown haired sweet omega servant who had seen him to the tailor met him at the palace steps as he exited his ride.

She curtsied then giggled as he stammered in response.

“Am I supposed to do something in return?"

“It's fine, Your Highness," she said softly, a smile lighting up her face.

Skye gaped at the title. 

“Oh, I'm not..." he trailed off, unsure how to correct her.

“Not yet," was all the reply he received before she hurried him into the palace, leaving another servant to grab his bags.

The grandeur of the palace was lost to him in a blur of people, sparkling decor, and twisting hallways. How many flights of stairs it took to get to the door they stopped in front of, Skye wasn't sure, but they were deep in the building by the time they reached their destination.

The omega girl knocked before opening the door just enough to announce Skye's presence.

A deep voice that set him on edge approved him to enter. The powerful tone of command in a simple ‘Enter' had his jitters returning tenfold.

Cautiously, Skye stepped into a richly furnished room.

For all its elegance, it had a warm, almost homely feeling to it. If only he could say the same of the alpha that dominated the room with his presence alone.

The grey wings at his temples and the weary lines around his face were the only things that announced the alpha as being past his prime.

He stood by the window ramrod straight, shoulders back, and feet apart in a stance that suggested he was ready and willing to take on the world at a moment's notice.

“Ah, Skye Lavender. It is nice to finally meet the one I chose for my son."

“I- it's nice to m- meet you too," the omega stammered in response, overwhelmed.

It was hard to think with the imposing presence in front of him.

The alpha chuckled and seemed to force himself to relax, his intimidating aura lessening somewhat.

“Come, sit. We will have a few moments to talk before my scoundrel of a son arrives. I imagine you'll both leave soon after he arrives. We have never seen eye to eye and rarely spend much time in the same room."

The King, Skye realized belatedly, had followed his own advice and took a seat, gesturing for the omega to sit opposite him. “I see the tailor has done an excellent job as usual."

Skye glanced down at his attire, appreciating the sturdy make and snug fit.

“Y- yes," he replied then paused, unsure how to address the man.

Should he say, ‘Your Majesty'?

He wasn't familiar with the titles and airs of royalty.

“Thank you for the gift," he went with instead.

“You can call me Dad."

The omega choked on air and stared wide eyed up at the alpha.

The King barked out a laugh, giving Skye a glimpse of the boy he once have been.

Sparkling turquoise eyes with soft blond hair winged with grey, an easy laugh, and a handsome, intimidating face. He must have been quite the sought-after alpha in his youth.

Skye wondered if his mate-to-be would resemble the man in front of him. If he did, at least he would be easy on the eyes.

“It was worth a try. Everyone always calls me ‘Father’ or ‘Your Majesty',” the King explained, still chuckling. “It gets rather boring after a while. I was hoping with your upbringing, I might have more luck with you, but don't stress yourself over it. Linus, your mate-to-be, doesn't care for titles either. In fact, he would rather have been born to anyone else, I think. He's as obstinate as I was at that age, so perhaps his stubbornness is my fault. I confess I do not know if he will leave you here or take you with him, but I sincerely hope it's the latter. You may already know that I picked you for your healing capabilities."

Skye nodded, not sure that he trusted his own voice to say anything coherent in reply. Even relaxed, the alpha was leaving him a bumbling mess, and he didn't want to seem a fool in front of his new father in law.

“Being a mercenary is not what I would have picked for Linus but strangely, it suits him. He was never good with the rigid structure that is required of our formal soldiers, and he has never suffered fools well. As far as tactics and the military go, he has a brilliant mind but his solutions are rather unorthodox. Being a crown soldier would have only stifled him. And with your help, I hope he can live a long, fulfilling life even with his dangerous profession. I imagine this is all very overwhelming for you, and Linus will not make it easy, but I hope you will learn to love each other in time."

The omega tried to find the words to respond but failed again.

Whatever he had expected from the King, it was not to speak of love.

Duty perhaps, or children.

But not love.

Something must have shown in his expression as the alpha smiled at him, a soft expression that caught Skye off guard.

It felt strangely intimate as though that smile should only be shown to the King's closest family, not a common born omega he's meeting for the first time.

“I am of the opinion that there are two types of love; the feeling of love that is in the songs and dreams of youth. It is passionate nights and ballads of flowery feelings. It is a fleeting thing that is gone with the wind. The other type of love is the conscious choice to love someone, to put aside their faults, to reach compromise, to stand beside them and love them through all of life's hardships. That is the love I wish for you both. It is the love I feel for my mate, the flames in my heart strong even though she no longer walks this earth."

Skye stared up at the alpha, speechless. The feelings he spoke of shone in his eyes for the briefest of moments and his heart ached at the flash of sadness that replaced it.

He had never heard of love spoken in such terms and he filed away his father-in-law's words for later inspection. It was a perspective he would have to examine in his thoughts on his own.

It gave him a flash of hope though, perhaps it was not a dream that his arranged mating could end with love.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

“Your Majesty, Fourth Prince Linus Blaise Eli Featherine has arrived."