A MOMENT OF TRUTH

Alaric's hand pressed harder against Kael’s mouth, silencing him. The air in the room crackled with unspoken tension, thick with Alaric's barely restrained anger and Kael's rising fear. The moonlight filtering through the window cast long, distorted shadows, mirroring the turmoil brewing within them.

Alaric’s voice, when he finally spoke, was a low growl, barely above a whisper, "What precisely do you find so…pleasant about Aaron? What makes him so friendship-worthy, in your estimation?" His eyes burned into Kael's, searching for an answer, an explanation for the bond he clearly saw forming between Kael and the visiting prince.

Kael ripped Alaric’s hand away, gasping for breath, his chest heaving. "I will tell you exactly why, Alaric! He doesn't think of me as just a servant boy. He sees me, perhaps for the first time in my life, as me." His voice trembled, echoing the raw emotion that threatened to spill over.

Alaric scoffed, stepping closer, invading Kael's personal space. "And you think a prince, a man of Aaron's standing, would truly desire a genuine friendship with a servant?" He spat the word 'servant' like a curse. "Don't be naive, Kael. He has ulterior motives. They all do."

"Maybe he does," Kael retorted, a spark of defiance flickering in his eyes. "But at least his ulterior motives don't involve treating me like I'm less than dirt."

Alaric’s jaw clenched. “That's enough," he snarled, stepping even closer. "You don't understand the dangers you're inviting. Even if he is genuine, this is going too far! Gallivanting around the city, spending all your free time with him... what made you so comfortable, so careless, that you forgot your sense of self-preservation?"

Kael's voice rose, laced with a bitter edge. "He knows, Alaric! Aaron knows I'm a male Omega."

The words hung in the air, heavy and charged. Alaric visibly recoiled, as though struck. "He... knows?"

"Yes, he knows," Kael confirmed, his voice trembling but firm. "And he doesn't think I'm an abomination. He knows what my real scent is like and he doesn't find it repulsive. He thinks it's... precious. Amazing. Graceful." Kael’s eyes filled with tears. "He's the first person who hasn't looked at me like I'm a walking plague."

The vulnerability in Kael's voice was a physical blow to Alaric. He saw the hurt, the years of suppressed fear and self-loathing, etched onto Kael's face. He wanted to reach out, to pull him close, but the weight of his own actions held him back.

"He's my first friend, Alaric," Kael continued, his voice cracking. "Do you even know what that's like? To have a friend? After spending my whole life as the palace punching bag, it feels like a breath of fresh air. It feels great to have someone who doesn't think being a male Omega automatically makes you bad luck."

He took a shaky breath, his eyes blazing with suppressed anger and hurt. "But you wouldn't know, would you? You're a prince, Alaric. Your feet aren't meant to touch the ground. While I'm just a servant who is meant to tear his garment and lay it on the prince's path so the prince's feet don't touch the ground!"

He paused, the dam finally breaking. Tears streamed down his face, unchecked. "While you're up there, what do you know about Kael? All you see is the servant following you around?"

Alaric's anger seemed to evaporate, replaced by a profound sense of shame and regret. He reached for Kael, his hand hovering hesitantly. "Kael, please..."

But Kael flinched away, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and disgust. "Don't. Don't touch me."

Alaric's hand fell to his side. "I... I'm sorry," he stammered, his voice raw with emotion. "I was wrong. I was cruel. I... I didn't mean it."

He dropped to his knees, a prince humbling himself before his servant, his mate. "Please, Kael. Forgive me. I was scared, selfish, and blind. I rejected you because I was afraid of what others would think, afraid of what it would mean for my throne, for my duty. But that doesn’t excuse what I did. It was unforgivable and I am so sorry."

He reached for Kael's hand, his voice pleading. "Please, Kael, give me a chance to make it up to you. I know I've hurt you, but I swear, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to earn your forgiveness."

Kael watched him, his face a mask of conflicting emotions. He saw the sincerity in Alaric's eyes, the desperation in his voice. But the hurt was too deep, the wounds too fresh. He couldn't simply forget the rejection, the way Alaric had looked at him with disgust, as if he were a stain on his perfect life.

"I don't know if I can," Kael whispered, his voice barely audible. "You rejected me, Alaric. You rejected the bond. You made it clear that I was…unacceptable."

Alaric sobbed, his grip on Kael's hand tightening. "I know, I know. And I regret it more than anything in the world. Please, Kael, don't give up on us. Don't give up on me."

But Kael couldn't breathe. The room felt suffocating, filled with the weight of their unspoken feelings, their regrets, their impossible situation. He needed to escape, to clear his head, to find some semblance of peace.

"I can't do this right now," he said, his voice trembling. He gently pulled his hand away from Alaric's grasp and turned to leave.

"Kael, wait!" Alaric called after him, his voice filled with despair.

But Kael didn't stop. He reached the door, his hand trembling as he grasped the handle. He took one last look at Alaric, kneeling on the floor, his face buried in his hands, a picture of utter devastation.

Then, with a sob caught in his throat, Kael turned and fled, leaving Alaric alone in the oppressive silence of his room. The image of the broken prince burned in his mind as he ran back to his room, the pain overwhelming. He knew he couldn't stay. Not now. Not when every breath he took reminded him of the man he loved, the man who had rejected him so cruelly. He needed to find a place where he could be himself, where he wouldn't have to hide his true nature, where he could finally be free. And he deserved to find it.