Chapter 5 | Fool's Mate

The sound of the clanking of the chains awoke me from my uncomfortable slumber. Mother made sure I could sleep like I was in my room, but she could not, not in my status of becoming overthrown, when I do not even want the crown for myself.

"Woah. Do I get the same treatment as you too? I'd give Canidae Kingdom a six-star rating." A female voice interrupted my clouded mind.

"Unfortunately no. I'll be exiled later in the morning."

"So basically you're receiving a farewell gift."

"Yeah, basically," I repeated her words, my sight in a trance, looking at my feet.

"I'm Jayla Finian, roomy."

"I'm Xavion Silverfate, roomy." I smiled.

"You got a nice name. Like why do I feel the reverberation just by the sound of your name? Are you that powerful?"

I am not.

"Thank you. And no, I'm just existing."

"Existing? For whom?"

For no one.

"May I ask what happened to you?"

"Oh, I was enjoying my newly healed paws. When I got here, they thought I was some sort of unidentified species. But I'm a liger like a black sheep in my kingdom. My father was a lion and my mother was a tiger. They were both mate-less, and when my father was traveling up the north, he smelled my mom and the rest was history."

"And then they gave birth to me, a hybrid. They ought to kill me, that's why I injured my paws, I lost the claws on my left paw."

The pain and sadness were evident in her tone of voice. I can sense we came from the same tragedy. "So, we left the kingdom. And started to live on our own on the Rhodes."

"What's the Rhodes?"

"It's where all travelers in the kingdom live. It's a growing community, you can work, have fun, sell things, create guilds, dance through the night, meet new people, and influence or get influence. It's like a market, but the market of all markets."

"Don't you get attacked by outsiders?"

"Rarely. The Rhodes is full of soldiers, it's governed by a mayor, so every species is welcome there. As long as you don't start chaos, and follow the court order, you'll be fine."

"If you left your kingdom, aren't you supposed to turn into a rouge?"

"What's a rouge?"

"Turn rabid."

"Rabid? Tch, Xavion dear we don't have rouges in our kingdom. Every species in the Felidae Kingdom has its territory. It's very different from your kingdom. We just left the kingdom and became unregistered, the downside is, whatever happens to us, we won't be rescued and we can never come back. But we occasionally--oh wait. I did encounter rogues of your species. They're very scary."

"We don't lose our minds as you guys do, what we lose are privileges and a good life. But we do sometimes get into conflict with other species. We're not united as you can see. Werewolves have packs, but felines just mind their own business."

"I see." I guess I need to find that Rhodes when I get out of here.

"Where is it located?"

"Just follow through east. You'll get there in a week."

"A week!? And you've managed to get into our kingdom?"

She let out an awkward smile. "I was spending time with my mate alright!"

I nodded, "Where is he?"

"Well, he's in the Aves kingdom. I mind-linked him that I'm in your kingdom."

"He'll come get me, do you want him to break you out too?"

"I'm afraid there's no need to do that." My neck almost snapped when I heard my mother's cold voice.

She looked at Jayla disdainfully, her smirk evaporated due to my mother's undeniable dense tension.

"I got your book." One of her warriors opened my cell and gave her a chair to sit on.

"The kingdom is preparing for a run. They'll be running starting from the entrance of the palace, up to the mountains, down to the fall, the clearing, and then finish at the court. That'll take an hour."

Her eyes met mine, they were slightly red.

"Mother..."

"I have alerted my parents, your matriarch and patriarch that you will be staying with them." She sniffed.

It was the first time; she showed her vulnerable side. The first time in years after Levina's passing.

"Do you remember them?"

"Yes, we used to travel, following the streams and we were greeted by Bubb-- matriarch's homemade pecan pie, and when I saw a cloud of smoke coming off, I knew we were close to their domicile. Patriarch's newly weeded garden would always call the three of us and run around it." I bittersweetly reminisced.

"And Levina would have had a flower crown by the time the three of you come inside." She added, the corner of her eyes, for a moment lost its venomous gaze.

"Here's the map to their cottage. They will be waiting for you there. Please get there safely. And I hope you can come home sooner." She kissed my forehead and held my hands as she passed me the map. She tightened her hold, her eyes shaking wishing me that this wouldn't have happened.

"I will get there safely, Mother."

"I'll pray that to King Lycaon... I-I have to go..." Her voice broke, fighting the tears that threatened to come out of her dark red eyes.

Her warrior closed the cell, and the clanking of her heels gradually decreased as the doors of the dungeon closed.

"Well, that's pretty dramatic." I forgot that Jayla was here, she overheard everything.

"You know what, what's the stupidest thing that you can do to make the whole kingdom hate you?"

Be-friend a rogue.

"I brought danger to my family, to my kingdom."

"Okay..."

"My brother's still in the infirmary."

"Well, you should be in the infirmary too. You're in a worse state too. Besides, you forgot to tell me that your royalty, roomy."

One corner of my lip tugged upwards. "I was royalty, roomy."

"You know what, f*ck the crown. You just have to find yourself a mate."

I never once wanted the crown. I just want how things were, back then. Before Levina was gone. I shouldn't have gone to play with her.

"I don't think I have a mate."

"You f*cking kidding me? Is she dead!? Did she die? Did you see her die?"

"No, I..." I stare at her worried face. "I assumed."

"Tch. Everyone has a mate, Xavion. Don't be a d*ck and go find her. Your life will surely change, I tell you."

Why do I enjoy her being vulgar? I guess because this was the first time, I met a liger. Someone who's not scared of me, being royalty.

"How do you find a mate, Jayla?"

"You don't need to find her, silly. The God's will intertwine your fates and be together. You probably met her or not yet."

"How do you know that he's your mate?"

"You'll feel it Xavion. And then you'll just find yourself doing things for them that you thought you were not capable of doing."

She laughed. "I remember, being a spoiled brat, and whenever I'm with him, I'd share anything. Even food, even my favorite food, I'd share it with him."

"And how would you know, if she's gone?"

"Oh... that's the feeling I've been dreading to not feel. Ever."

"Come here..." She said, I walked towards the edge of my cell and she did the same.

"I only heard this from older people. There are signs, you know that the mating range starts from 20-35, right?"

I nodded.

"Well, it could either start earlier than twenty but if you reached thirty years old, with no signs of your mate, you should worry. Many things could happen. They're either mated to another person, killed, hunted by humans, or detained by them. For your string of fates to intertwine, the other must be free. Free to roam, free of illness, free of status."

"If they're locked somewhere else, it'll be hard for the two of you to cross paths with each other. You need to be at least near to where she's kept for you to feel the connection. If she's ill, then there's a problem with her string of fate. It might be weak, slowly fading if she's nearing her death, there's just so many factors."

"And you know how we have a string of fates intertwined with our family members right?"

 ☾ 𓆰𓆪 ☽

"Xianne!" Garett shouted in my ear. I woke up wet like a duckling. My bed splashed with cold water.

"It took me an hour to wake you up. Are you alright? What happened inside the dream?"

Flashes of my dreams replayed, and I cried loudly. Scared for me and scared for Garett. He put me on his shoulder as he rubs my back.

"The day where I lost them, the rogues, the carriage destroyed, my legs stuck on it. I couldn't call for help, no one was listening! I had to hide my pain because there were rogues nearby, I didn't want them to kill me, to kill us." I screamed.

It was all so vivid. Surreal, like it just happened a while ago. Even my bedroom looked so foreign.

"You have to calm down. You're chilling, and your hair is standing." He rubs his warm hand on both of my upper arms, up and down. Gradually calming me down.

What does this mean? For me?

"What's happening, Garett? It's the first time in years."

"Do not worry Xianne, it is just a dream. Sometimes, our minds trick us." He tries to assure me but it doesn't work. It'll never work for me.

I stayed silent; my eyes deeply concentrated on the blanket of my wet bed.

"You have been probably thinking about Xavion, I'll just make you a stronger potion. And I think I've got a sign to my that jukebox."

Xavion!

I stood up, his next sentences were distorted.

"His verdict will be announced later in the afternoon. They're preparing for the run. You should sit on the grandstand."

"Are you going to run?"

"Yes. I'll run for you." He tapped my once-injured legs. "You'll see my gray hairs in my wolf form. I hope you can count them."

"I'll pick those gray hairs once you get home."

"Very good, they do not look appealing to my mahogany wolf hair."

"You should go to the grandstand, save me a good seat." I nodded and went to wash myself, I couldn't believe waking me up now was getting harder and harder.

Should I not fall asleep? Or should I sleep every hour?

"Xianne, see you later!" I heard him shout and then closed the shop. I'll just be using the back door.

Walking to the grandstand, I saw a few familiar faces including the old man, from the hospital. Well, he doesn't look sick, nor does he not look good either.

"Sir Akolyn, how are you?"

"Should you be asking me that question?" I turned quiet. I do not even know how to answer that question. I cannot help but think about the prince.

"Time is running out, Xianne. You must do something for yourself now."

"What do you mean?"

He smirked—an eerie smirk. "You must've known now what it is Xianne. Staying in oblivion is different from being oblivious. You want to serve your prince, correct?"

Serve the prince? Is that what I have been doing all this time?

"Think about yourself, child. Which is more important your life or his?"

H-his?

I stayed silent. I do not know why I'm having a hard time answering his question. And do I seriously just answer, his life? I may be unsure but the only reason I'm troubled by his question is because I'm considering that my prince's life is worth more than my life.

Of course, because he is royalty. And I'm just an omega.

"How's the novel going?" I dodged his question.

"She's going to perish if she doesn't make up her mind."

What's with the bored tone?

"What?"

"Stay hungry; but not foolish."

Then he turned his back and walked away, I thought he was going to watch the trial. Or he just doesn't care. He should revise his novel, he doesn't look so good either, if she changes the plot, it would be healthier for him.

My head started to ache as I walked my way to the grandstand. His voice kept ringing, inside my head. I feel like it's tearing me into a million pieces, it feels like losing my mind and myself at the same time. 

"She's going to perish..."

 "Think about yourself, child. "

"If she doesn't make up her mind."

 "Which is more important..."

"Your time is running out!"

 "Your life or ...?"

"Child!"

 "Yourself!"

"You must do something for yourself now."

 "Hungry!"

"She's going to perish..."

 "Which is more important..."

"Your life..."

 "Think"

"Do something!"

 "Time is running out!"

"Child."

 "Make up, your mind!"

"Your life..."

 "Perish"

"Now!"

 "In time"

"DON'T!" 

 ☾ 𓆰𓆪 ☽

"DON'T!"

"WHAT!? WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING!?" 

I blinked more times to silence the thoughts inside my head. 

Why would he let him perish Lycaon!? I thought wolves lived a long time. At least for my elders. They're at least a thousand years old. 

"I'm sorry. I just got carried away, reading." I waved the book at her. 

"Goodness, Xavion. I just want a peaceful nap!" 

"How long do your species live?" 

"Hundred years at least." She answered, her back still facing me. 

I handed her my thick bedsheet as she said the stone floor wasn't comfortable. 

"Why'd you ask? How long do you guys live anyways?" 

"A thousand, but they died because of war not of natural death." 

"So you guys can live more than a thousand? Are you implying that you want to live more than a thousand years?" 

"No..." 

I could die right here for all I want. 

"It's just that, if Zeus turned Lycaon to punish him for the rest of his life, why would he let him perish in time?" 

"Well, that's deep." She thought to herself. "I don't know who Zeus is, by the way, or Lycaon." 

"Lycaon is our God, the same way Bastet is your Goddess." 

Her neck snapped to face me. "You know about our Goddess?" 

"I always read in my spare time." 

"Exactly how many spare times, do you have?" 

"My life is a spare time." 

She gave an awkward smile, not knowing what to say to me. 

The doors opened, and heavy footsteps of the warriors with the jangling of their iron armor echoed through the stone walls. They opened my jail cell and cuffed me with an iron block. It was heavy but I can manage it. 

"Xavion Silverfate, the second prince of Canidae Kingdom, you are to be escorted to the tribunal; to receive the queen's verdict of your frustrated murder of your brother, Crowned Prince, Prince Alaric Silverfate."

Jayla gasped; her eyes darkened in disbelief. Her hands flew to her mouth as soon as she gasped loudly. 

"I guess, I'll be going, Jayla." I turned to her, the warriors patiently 

"I hope to see you again, roomy." 

"You were a nice company, roomy..."

"Ah, I paused in my tracks. Please, give my belongings to Jayla until she's freed. I won't be needing those."

"Thanks, Xavion..." She said and with heavy steps, we walked to the tribunal. 

The grandstand was filled with roars and howls. They made a lot of noise, banging their sticks, spitting my name like it was a piece of gum, screaming for me to get lost, cursing my name as I put them-- the whole kingdom in danger. 

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BORN!" 

"You'll always be the second prince, the first loser, the prince that'll be forgotten and will always stay in the shadow of his family!" 

"You're not even worthy to be called a prince, nor a wolf." 

Amidst the screams, I can only hear one voice, I can only see one person and I can feel her emotions. 

Her eyes were filled with worry and pain, her eyes threatened tears to fall, and she wasn't looking at me with pity. She's looking at me, questioning why I have come to this, why my fate delivered me such disgrace, such unfortunate. 

I remembered, why Lycaon also suffered. He tested Zeus' divinity, mocking him on the table and serving him a meal that wasn't even a meal. 

For once in my life, have I mocked my brother? 

Have I tested my father's divinity? 

Have I challenged my mother's dignity? 

Did I once think less of my kingdom? 

And is it true? That I am the reason why Levina's dead? 

Am I doing it now? 

I think...

I am doing it now. 

As I have thought, if we were a pack, if our kingdom reinforces unity, acceptance, and respecting the hierarchy, why would every virtue turn against me?

I can't help but question, I can't help but feel betrayed. I do not want to be the bad guy, I just want peace, I want the old times back. 

But I feel that it's too late now.

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