The Strings of Fate Were Worn Out

[NOUR]

"Took you long enough to come back home, kid," Ferhat greeted. when he saw Nour. He didn't hesitate to pull the kid into a hug, one that spoke so many words. Both Ferhat and Nour knew that Grant was a nuisance — that he was not in this wholly. 

They knew that the man wasn't to be trusted and yet somehow even then they were letting him into the palace, ready for a dinner with the king and in the presence of the werewolf prince. 

"I think you're about to break my bones," Nour said with a laugh as he patted Ferhat's back gently. He understood what the man was feeling but then he needed them to trust him. He needed his father and Ferhat to let him do this.

"Are you okay? Is everything alright?" Ferhat asked, his voice shaky as he stared at the kid he had sworn to protect, he had grown up well for a boy who was hidden in plain sight. He had grown so beautifully and Ferhat wasn't about to let Grant fuck that up.

"Yeah, of course. Come along, let's go back there. We need to keep the charade going. Someone has to be the weaker one and see what it takes for the man to change. Who knows, he might probably choose me this time," Nour said, adding the last bit softly.

He wasn't sure what the future looked like but if there was one thing he was sure of, was that a lot of things would change. He could feel the shift and he hoped that it would all be okay with them. 

Maybe at the end of the day, they wouldn't have to sacrifice much, and maybe they wouldn't have to pretend with each other anymore. 

Love was a complex construct of life and the sense of the world in love was different from everything that life was working out for him and the people around him. He just had to wait, no matter how long it would take.

"We're proud of you son, I hope you never forget that," Ferhat said to Nour as he hugged the kid one more time. He had missed the prince a little too much and had been worried for him more times than he could count on one hand.

Ferhat hoped that there would come a day when there would be no secrets, but until then he, just like the king, was choosing to trust the young prince. Maybe then it would be easier for him to come home sooner, right?

"I'm sorry I have to break my promise for a while, Ferhat," Nour said and Ferhat looked at him worriedly. The prince had always kept his promises to his father and if this was happening then it had to be serious.

"Is this about the diner?" Ferhat asked.

"No. I couldn't care less about dinner that the bastard wants to join Father for," Nour said angrily before he looked into the mirror on the wall in the washroom. He was losing his mind and Grant was frustrating him.

Noru had wanted to be patient. He had wanted to see how this would go but the fact that Grant was just another little shit that would forever be pinning in the hope that Alanor would come for him, when Alanor had long made his choice, was sickening.

"Your majesty…" Ferhat said softly and respectfully, as he looked at the prince.

"My apologies, Ferhat. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I really am sorry. Just… Please tell Father that I cannot make the biweekly palace visits. I have to get back out there and do what I do best.

"I cannot lie in wait for him to look at me like he would my best friend. It is more than obvious that he won't ever choose me no matter how hopeful he wants me to be. I want to be his good mate and be patient with him, but I'm at my wit's end.

"I will not tolerate disrespect from him anymore, so it might truly be hard to see me, and at the same time, there might be more cases of troublemakers disappearing. So, you need to also be ready for that.

"The reports I got from Farah last month, I assume have been updated. I won't ask for them at the moment, I will work with what I have, and I can only ever ask one thing of you, Ferhat… please take care of Father for me," Nour said earnestly.

He was done playing the game of loyal pretense with Grant and he wasn't going to take it anymore. No matter what the world could bring them, he was going to be back to doing his business. 

Besides, if he had to keep pretending to be the good mate, he could as well get back to causing trouble for the royal enforcer, right? 

Grant was praised to be the best so he needed to be ready for what Nour would bring to him, because it was definitely something that would drive Grant to the edge.

"I will, your Majesty. You do what you must. Just please check in with me once in a while, so I can at least know that you are doing okay, alright?" Ferhat said and Nour nodded before they walked out of the washroom, their hands wet.

It was the perfect cover for the long-ass conversation they had had there and the way they walked out with smiles on their face was nothing to be worried about, right? After all, it wasn't like they were planning to do worse than was possible, yeah?

"Are you okay, my butterfly?" Grant suddenly said, rigging toward Nour. He had been in the washroom a little longer and Grant was worried — probably about his reputation after being mated to the wild omega who had one too many loose screws in the head.

"Yes, of course. I'm okay. Ferhat was just telling me how huge the palace is, and I think that there are higher chances that we wouldn't be able to explore it all today. He said we could come back and see it after today—

"If it is okay with you though," Nour said with a smile plastered on his face like he didn't want to wring Grant's neck. He looked submissive and while Grant knew he was wild, Grant was counting on Nour being scared of messing up in front of the king.

"We can think about that later, sweetheart. For now, we have to be at the dinner table. Delbert is there and I want to make sure the king has a good impression of you, seeing as you're my beautiful mate and all.

"I want to introduce you to the world and let them know that you are mine to love and hold. I want to let them know that I am the luckiest man alive, Grant said a little too loudly and Ferhat heard them and just smirked.

This enforcer was walking himself to the lion's den and he didn't even know it. Perhaps he would eventually figure it out, but what was the chance that he would never be able to recover from the truth he would find in that time?

"Well then, excuse me love birds. I have to take my leave now. Nour, I hope to see you around often" Ferhat said and Grant just gripped Nour's hand tightly as he dragged the prince to the dining room.