Chapter 2: Marriage for Fools

ENZO

“Dad,” I sighed. “I don’t want to get married yet. I’m young. I still have so many things to do for myself!”

King Mason, my dad, shook his head. “Son, you’re already 22. And I, too, am getting old. Now that your mom wants to retire from being the queen, I don’t have anyone to rule the kingdom with.”

“Then, give me the throne,” I said with confidence. “I can handle it all alone. You know I’m more than capable of doing that.”

“You know that I can’t do that, son. There’s a process we need to follow before you become the king. I know that you are more than capable of handling the kingdom all alone, but other kingdoms would interfere if they discovered this. If worse comes to worst, I have no choice but to give the throne to your cousin. He told the royal family that he is willing to get married, even if it’s not to his mate.”

I snapped my head toward him, shocked at his statement. “You’re willing to give it to Miles?”

“I have no choice, Enzo. Only Miles is the same age as you. Your other cousins are either too young or are not willing to take the throne.”

I massaged the bridge of his nose as I thought about my cousin. I've never been fond of him—and rightfully so. Miles definitely has a superiority complex. For some reason, he has this one-sided beef with me, and he always wants to prove that he’s better than others. 

He’s definitely going to send the kingdom into shambles if he takes over the throne, and I can’t bear to watch the fall of my father’s empire. 

I frowned and bit my lip, pondering if marriage would be better than Miles’ reign. 

Yes. 

It’s definitely better. 

‘It’s just marriage,’ I said in my mind, trying to convince myself that getting married isn't all too bad.

A lot of werewolves marry for convenience since the mate bond isn’t taken too seriously these days. 

As times progressed, werewolves realized they wouldn’t want to be tied down by the mating system, and are now willingly rejecting their mates for no good reason. 

“Enzo,” my dad said, snapping me out of my thoughts. “What are you thinking about, son?”

“Marriage,” I muttered under my breath.

“All good things, I hope.”

“I’m considering it,” I said. “Will marriage really determine my fate?”

My dad nodded his head. “It’s your one-way ticket to the throne, basically.”

I sighed and massaged the bridge of my nose. “Fine,” I said, caving in. “But I don’t want an omega for a wife.”

He pursed his lips together. “Is it because of what happened to your mate? It’s better if you already move on from that, son. It’ll only rot in your heart if you don’t.”

I scoffed in disbelief. “Are you saying that you’ve already accepted my mate’s death? She’s gone, dad—forever. All because of that fucking omega.”

“Not all omegas are like that.”

“Whatever,” I stubbornly said. “I’ve already made up my mind.”

He sighed in defeat and brought something out of his drawer. He slid the folder toward my way. 

“This is a file containing a list of single princesses in the country. They are all amicable with being married to you, so it’s all your choice.”

I flipped through the pages, not even bothering to look at the princesses’ pictures and descriptions. As soon as I see the word “omega,” I immediately flip through to the next page. Fortunately, most of the princesses were Betas, so I stopped when I suddenly saw that one of the candidates was an Alpha. 

“Princess Isabelle?” I muttered under my breath. 

My dad hears this and hums. 

“Ahh, yes. Isabelle Diane Lockhart of Belmont. Their kingdom is located right next to ours, so it wouldn’t be too hard to reach her.”

“Is their kingdom established?” I asked. 

He tilted his head to the side. “I believe they were more prosperous ten years ago, but they’re still doing okay right now. They’re not quite successful, but they’re well-known because of a tale of a blind princess hiding among their castles.”

I scoffed and closed the folder. 

Blind princess, huh? Must be some bullshit.

“I choose her,” I said, pertaining to Isabelle.

“Are you sure?” King Mason asked. “You’re not going to look through the different candidates?”

“There’s no need.”

I believe it’s better to have an Alpha as a wife because I, too, am an Alpha.  I guess she wouldn't be too hard to understand. 

“Alright,” my dad said. I know that he was willing to support any of my decisions either way.

“Then, when shall we meet them?” I asked. 

My dad smirked. “Tomorrow.”

***

“Are you letting me go in there all alone?” 

He nodded. “We’ll be right outside waiting in the car. Frankly, I’m not in the mood to interact with anyone. Besides, I know you can decide on your own.”

I clicked my tongue before nodding my head. “I’ll be right back then.”

I walked into the castle, and every person I came across bowed at me. Pride swelled in my heart as I appeared to be well-respected in this kingdom. Well, it wouldn't be too surprising. I am the most famous Prince in the country at the moment, after all. 

I stood in front of the dining hall door and waited for the servant to broadcast my arrival. 

When I heard my name being called, I confidently entered the room. I got ready to greet the royal family and, potentially, my future wife. 

As the door opened, I felt the admiring stares of the people inside. I elegantly walked into the room when I suddenly felt a light body hit my chest. 

I frowned as I glanced at the woman right in front of me. She was wearing a light blue dress, and her entire face was hidden by a sheer cloak of the same color. For a second, I felt like I could see through the cloak and into her eyes, but it quickly vanished when I smelled a sweet scent coming from the woman. 

I pursed my lips together. 

An omega. 

“Prince Enzo!” I heard someone exclaim. 

And before I even knew it, the mysterious woman was already being pushed away from me. 

I dusted my clothes off to get rid of the sweet scent, but it only spread through the cloth. My frown deepened as I was engulfed by her scent. 

“Servant!” Queen Grace shouted in rage. “I am so sorry, Prince Enzo,” she bowed her head. “Our servant disrespected you the moment you came in. Do not worry. We will punish her as soon as possible.”

“It’s alright,” I brushed it off, trying to keep it cool. “You do not have to punish her. But, I would appreciate an apology coming from the servant.”

I didn't know the exact reason why, but I somehow wanted to see the face hiding behind the mysterious woman’s cloak. 

“Such a kind man you are,” Queen Grace smiled. “Indeed, a perfect match for my daughter, Isabelle.”

I merely smiled and turned my attention back to the woman, who was still sitting on the ground. 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Grace exclaimed in a harsh tone. “Apologize to the prince.”

She cast her head down and muttered a small apology.

My eyebrows raised in surprise as I heard her voice. It was soft and light—like she seemed kind. However, I quickly shook my head to get rid of such thoughts. 

This woman is still an omega, no matter how kind she may sound. At the end of the day, that is what omegas are most known as—weak and pretentious. 

“I don’t accept your apology,” I said in a cold voice. “How could you apologize to a prince with your face covered with a cloak?”

The servant froze.

“Remove your cloak, then apologize to me, servant.”