Grithda

It was a dream, a feeling like you couldn't control your body but you realize that this was only a dream, he knew it, but why did it come again and again? Jacob was in a training room, the sunlight reflected dark orange indicating that it was getting late, a big man was standing in front of him, taking a stance to attack. His father— sat on the side watching them as if it was amusing, not caring about his son who stood weakly covered in wounds.

How long? How long had he been in this room? it felt so vivid, his little body was trembling, but the big man in front of him didn't show any signs of exhaustion.

The big man was a madman, a famous criminal who had killed many people. He had no idea what madness had gotten into his father's head for him to hire this person to train with him. From the outside, it was obvious who was stronger— the big muscular man, three times his height, against a ten year old child.

'Let's fight to the death, brat. Are you really a crown prince? Your little legs are shaking.' his laughter echoed through the room, Jacob wiped the sweat from his forehead, body covered in blood and bruises.

'I can't— I can't father'

'Quit whining! Maybe if you unleash your pheromone you can kill him. And we can end this sooner.'

It had always been like this, practicing releasing alpha pheromones, but he wasn't mature yet, he was still a ten year old boy so forcibly releasing pheromones would be painful for him, he remembered the first time he tried it he threw up and passed out, but his father never heard his cries, in his eyes his son was a tool to show off his dominance.

'Perhaps your son is not a prime.' The big man opened his mouth, 'at this point I can kill him, and you will lose your dearest son, Your Majesty.'

The big man quickly jumped up and dashed towards him, Jacob saw his fists clenched tightly showing veins, he didn't want to die yet, he didn't want to die ridiculously like this.

Focusing his mind and body, trying to release the pheromone, his head hurt, his stomach hurt, his eyes were shaking, but he could feel how the pheromone was coming out little by little from his scent glands— hot, his skin felt like it was on fire

Jacob shook his head to clear his vision, the big man's steps staggered, his alpha prime pheromone finally filling the room. 'Stop.' he commanded, and the big man's body froze, Jacob pulled out his knife and stabbed the big man right in the chest, the smell of iron wafting in the air, blood gushing out like a fountain, red staining his clothes.

He stabbed, stabbed, stabbed the big man over and over until there was no sign of movement. Lying breathless, his blood covered the black floor of the training room.

Hand ached, squeezing the knife too hard, his stomach was churning and he wanted to vomit all the contents of his breakfast from his gut, maybe that would make his stomach feel better.

Loud laughter filled the room, Jacob frowned at that, turning his head to look at his father, 'Jacob, oh Jacob, my dear son.' his father, staggered slightly as he tried to stand up, apparently he was also affected by the pheromone. 'This is the best one, I can feel the power from your pheromone.'

'I'm proud of you, son'

Headache, please he didn't wanna see his father's face, no more, no more, if only he could kill him at this moment.

"Jacob!!!"

"Jacob! Wake up!"

"How long have you been asleep? Geez."

Jacob opened his eyes, his older sister Julia filled his vision, frowning at the uncomfortable feeling in his sweat-soaked clothes. He straightened up, massaging his forehead for a moment. Julia sat by the bed, one eyebrow raised. "Did you have a nightmare again?"

"Even after his death he still haunts me," he grumbled, leaning his head back, then he let out a long sigh. "Why are you here?"

"Did you forget? Today is the day you have been waiting for, I have already prepared the equipment for you to go to Grithda."

"Shit, what time is it?"

"Don't worry, it's still three hours before lunchtime, Barlow and Grithda are very close, we are basically neighbors."

Seeing her brother picking up the towel and heading to the bathroom, Julia said, "How about you eat first?"

"I'm already late, so I'll skip."

"You still have three hours left! If mom finds out you didn't eat breakfast she will nag."

Whatever, his steps stopped for a while, he suddenly remembered something, "You don't have to go with me,"

"Huh, even though the majesty beautiful woman Queen Yelan invites me too?"

"It'll be troublesome, I will tell her you're busy." Then he finally opened the bathroom door, ignoring his sister who grumbled disapprovingly. Today was going to be a long day but it was also the day he had been looking forward to for a long time.

Indeed, the journey to Grithda wouldn't take long but the border between Barlow and Grithda would pass through dense rainforest. Hopefully, the weather would remain clear and the ground remain dry so that their journey wouldn't be disturbed.

He had called Harris and ordered him to prepare the horses and carriage to take him to Grithda. Harris's face looked confused the first time he heard Jacob wanted to visit there, before he became a knight, Harris knew that King Jonas despised that area so his surprise when Jacob requested to go there was very reasonable.

'What's wrong Harris? Do you want to say something?'

'Jac— I mean Highness Jacob, I don't think it's a good idea to go there'

'Why? Also we've been friends since childhood, I said many times just call me normally.'

'There's no way I can Jac—, that would be disrespectful— I mean Prince Jacob.'

Harris scratched his cheek, he had indeed been Prince Jacob's childhood friend, from when they were small Jacob had often trained with him, he knew the nature and character of King Jonas so hearing Grithda's territory came out of Jacob's mouth made his body startled a bit, bringing back old memories when King Jonas told his citizens not to get too close with the residents of Grithda.

'Is it that strange for me to go there? Johan and Jeanette also had the same reaction'

'No, I mean, no. because I don't know what's your intention to go there and I don't have the right to ask for an explanation, so, okay..., I will order my soldiers to prepare themselves on Saturday, but Highness Jacob ...'

'Harris, I won't do anything that will damage my reputation as a crown prince. There's something important that I must have.'

The fierce cold look in Jacob's eyes made Harris's face turn pale, like a prey seeing a wild lion, so he didn't argue back, bowed and left quietly. Like a rabbit running away from a predator's area.

*

Everyone knew Queen Yelan was a reckless and courageous omega woman, every country knew that this woman wasn't just a woman of empty words.

The way she ruled her nation made areas that adhere to traditionalism shake their heads. Almost everyone knew that the position of leader should be filled by alphas, but Queen Yelan's existence— an omega, hit hard on such old-fashioned people.

Jacob remembered well when his father broke their royal alliance with Queen Yelan when he was a child, deeming that the Grithda region was a dangerous area that the citizens of Barlow should avoid interacting with, all ties were severed except for one connection— the bartering for silk fabrics from the Barlow region and medicine from Grithda territory.

Jacob didn't know why his father hated the queen from the omega dynamic, this oddity made young Jacob ask innocently, 'Queen Yelan accepts everyone to live in her territory as long as they don't break her rules, isn't that a good thing? I think she's amazing.'

Back then Jacob would never forget how his father punched him in the face so hard it bled, he screamed at him and said, 'Leadership isn't omega's nature, alphas are born to be at the top, remember this Jacob!'

Jacob swore that when he grew up, the first person he would kill would be his father, but it was a shame that his father died of a natural disease in old age.

He didn't shed a single tear when he heard the news of his father's death, and neither did his mother— Queen Helena, who married that man because of an arranged marriage— even though she married forcedly, the mother tremendously loved her children.

Becoming a mother was Queen Helena's dream, Jacob didn't understand why his mother didn't leave a jerk like his father and why that woman still lived in the kingdom but when he saw his mother who only smiled at the children and had a straight bitter face in front of her husband— it seemed Helena had other important priorities in staying in Barlow.