Chapter 219 - The other brother

"Oh, thank heavens!" Reighley called out as she ran out into the gardens to meet the kids as they walked hand in hand through the main gates of the palace. She threw her arms around Cam's small frame in a tight embrace before holding her out at arms-length and looking her over. "You can never run away like that again, dear. You had me worried nearly to death!"

Ales rolled his eyes at his mother's dramatics. "It was Fern's fault. He got mad and yelled at her and even hit her!"

Reighley's concerned eyes moved from Cam to Ales then back. "Is this true, dear?" When Cam nodded, Reighley's worried expression deepened, and a frown overtook her beautiful features. "Ales, why don't you take Cam into the kitchen and have Cookie make the two of you a treat while I find your father and have a word with your brother."

Ales nodded, tightening his grip on Cam's hand. "You will like Cookie. He may look big and scary, but he makes the best sweets in the entire world!"

Cam smiled. "Better than the shaved ice?" She asked recalling the first thing he'd told her was the best ever in the town.

Ales stroked his chin thoughtfully with his free hand. "Well... yes but no... Cookie can make great sweets, but he can't make shaved ice quite as tasty as Mr. Ginio."

Cam giggled again as he continued comparing the men as he led her through the palace. Reighley watched them intensely as she followed behind them until she came to the large, closed door of her husband's office. She tapped lightly before opening it. "Ah, great you are both here." Her eyes moved from her husband to her oldest son's. "Has your son bothered telling you why his intended stormed from the palace earlier? And that his little brother was left to search for her?"

Fern crossed his arms over his chest. "He may as well be the one to look for the winch. I have no use for such a disloyal bride." He bit out.

Reighley arched her brow moving her inquisitive gaze between the two. "Shame on you for speaking so poorly of the girl. What reason could you possibly have?"

Fern sent his father a glare before growling. "She fancies herself in love with Ales, and he has been sneaking into her room and she to his. It's disgraceful, and I won't have it!"

The king let out a long sigh. "The boy has a point. It opens the palace up for scrutiny and gossip, even at their ages."

Reighley crossed her arms under her heavily corseted bosom. "And that gives him the right to strike a princess? What if she writes to her parents and tells them of her mistreatment here? Are you willing to go to war over your son's hot temper and irrational behaviors? It doesn't matter if she has a crush on Ales or not. The marriage is already arranged, and she will be wed to the next leader of our kingdom. To break that alliance after all these years would be a declaration of war for sure."

The king nodded. "Your mother is right. You will apologize to the girl and shall leave early to return to university. I will see that an extra tutor is sent to deal with your outbursts, to see that these actions are not repeated." He turned his attention back to Reighley. "Does this appease you, wife?"

She let out a heavy sigh, "I suppose I have no other option than to be."

"Good, then I also want you to speak with the girl. I need her to understand what her role in being in this palace is and what behaviors will not be accepted." As his wife turned to leave the room he added. "Send Ales up so that I can have a word with him."

Reighley's eyes turned quickly to her husband. "What business do you have will Ales?" She asked heatedly.

He let out another long sigh. "Send the boy up. It's about time he learned his place as well."

Reighley clenched her jaws and fists that hung by her sides as she nodded reluctantly. "As you wish, Your Majesty." She found the kids enjoying pastries at the large wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. Letting out a heavy sigh she approached them. "Your father requests your presence in his study. Finish your treat then run on up, alright." She then turned her attention to Cam. The adorably beautiful girl had a smudge of filling on her cheek making her look every bit the child that she was. "Cam, dear, why don't you and I take a stroll through the gardens as we wait on Ales?" Reighley waited until they had entered the gardens before she spoke again, taking the path that wrapped around the sea-side cliffs. "Being in a position of power comes a great deal of duty and often sacrifice. It is hard for me to give you this speech because in truth I love both my sons and wish them both happiness... But part of the sacrifices a queen of a wolf clan has to make is forcing herself to favor one child over all the rest." She turned sad eyes to Cam. "I understand how you must feel right now, dear. I went through a very similar thing when I was young. I had fallen in love with a very charismatic boy in my hometown." She smiled wistfully out toward the ocean. "He was very much like my dear Ales... kind, energetic, great at everything he set his mind to... but he was human..." Her smile fell and her sad eyes moved back to Cam. "It is our duty as the noble females of our people to maintain pure, untainted bloodlines in order to keep lineage strong. It may be the males who are alpha, but it is the female wolves that carry the DNA for the alpha genes."

Cam's bottom lip quivered as the queen stroked her cheek. "But what if Fern didn't inherit the alpha genes? What if Ales did? Would I be his then?"

Reighley's pale troubled eyes studied the girl for several long minutes before finally shaking her head. "It's very rare, almost unheard of that the alpha genes pass over the firstborn and are inherited by the second son instead. So rare in fact that often queens are cast aside once a first son is lost, for the kings have little hope of a second son being born with the traits making her useless." She patted Cam's head before turning her attention toward the palace. "It is a sad world we live in, but it is ours and we must do our duty. Not for our own wellbeing but for the good of the people who depend on us. It's important that they always have a strong leader."

Cam frowned as she followed the queen's gaze over the expansive palace. "What's to say someone would be a strong leader simply because he was born an alpha?" Cam asked in defiant frustration.

Reighley let out a long sigh. "It is imprinted in their DNA. They are natural-born leaders, ten times as strong as other wolves, more cunning, and they have the added bonus of the werewolf form which is more useful and efficient in a fight with non-wolves. Once the genes take hold, there is little that can stand in the way of an alpha. They are a power to see and cherish." A new expression lit her features. It wasn't loved exactly, but it was something akin to it. She lowered herself to a squat in front of Cam. "You may not love Fern now, but eventually you will grow to respect him and that respect will blossom into other stronger feelings." She leaned forward and gave the child a light kiss on the forehead. "Let's head back inside, Ales should be meeting us in the music room soon."

Cam reluctantly followed the queen inside, all the while thinking over her words. {Could I ever learn to feel the way I feel for Ales... for Fern? I don't even really know him, and I've only seen him a handful of times... One of those being earlier when he stuck me and ripped up my journal. Some born leader he seems to be... born bully more like it... He's probably jealous of Ales's good looks and charming personality.} Her angry thoughts continued even after she was asked to practice the piano as they waited.

"He hasn't even shown signs of being an alpha and he's nearly eighteen already!" Ales barked out as his father lectured about overstepping his place and crossing too many lines with the young princess.

The king slammed his hands down on the heavy mahogany desk he sat behind. "That's enough Ales! Do as you are told for once! Your brother has obligations and duties to focus on. He has no time for a fumbling child underfoot. See that she is properly educated and accustomed to our people and culture AND nothing more! Nothing more! Do I make myself clear? I do not want to hear of sneaking into her room or her to yours again! I will not have your inferior blood taint the line and offset the dealings I've made with her kingdom!" He waved toward the door. "Now be gone." The king clenched his fists against the desk and gritted his teeth. He hated speaking to Ales in such a way, but it was past time the boy was put in his place. He and his wife had allowed him to get by with way too much over the years, giving in to the boy's easy cadence and bright personality.

"Serves him right." Fern growled from the armchair opposite the desk, his eyes still trained on the thick door his brother had left through.

The king's heated glare turned to Fern. "Your brother is right. It is long past time for your alpha traits to start presenting themselves. Yet you've shown none."

Fern's brows knitted in irritation as he sulked in the chair. "Then it is mother's ill-doing and not mine." He murmured.

The king slapped the desk harder. "You will not blame your shortcomings on your mother, do you hear me. Now out of my site! I've dealt with enough disappointments for one day." The king watched as his oldest son's eyes narrowed in anger as he pushed himself up from the seat.

"Always a pleasure speaking with you, Father." He let the title roll off his tongue like acid. "I will be a disappointment for university. As much as I'm sure my presence will be missed, until next time." He growled as he lifted his hand in a half-hearted wave.

True to his word, Fern did not return to the palace for another three years.

***

"It was an entire speech followed by several lessons on propriety and proper etiquette." Cam slapped at the water with her feet as she set on the rock where Jos was fishing. "And the worst part is, Ales acts like none of it ever happened. I've tried to bring up what he said on the beach that day..." Her sad eyes moved from where her foot splashed the water over to Jos. "Jos, he avoids the questions like the plague! What do I do?"

Jos let out a frustrated sigh as she finally gave up on catching dinner. She wiped her wet hands on the dry part of her dress as she straightened and walked over to the young wolf-girl that had become her only other friend on the island. She gave the girl a gentle smile. "I would love to help you with this, I would... but trust me, I'm the last person you want to be asking for love advice."

Cam met her gaze from pale veiled lashes. "You know, I've been told talking about it helps..."

Jos let out a nervous chuckle. "Trust me, no amount of talking will help with that." Jos made her way back to the beach and began gathering her things. "I would invite you to join me in town as I try purchasing food, but it's probably best you don't."

Cam tilted her head, studying her friend as she climbed down from her rocky perch. "Why is it the town people treat you so poorly?"

Jos chuckled again. "I'm just lucky I guess... call it a curse if you'd like..."

Cam thought over her puzzling words for a few seconds but couldn't piece it together. "Well, maybe I can buy it for you then? Surely that would work right?"

Jos thought about it for a second as she gathered the last of her things. "I guess it could, but there's no need to trouble you with it. I can figure out something."

Cam straighten placing her fists against the thick padded material at her h.i.p.s. "Nonsense, I will one day be crowned queen of these people. If there's anything good that can come from being forced to marry the wrong brother, then what better than to make the place more bearable for my new best friend!"

Jos covered her mouth as a giggle escaped. "Trust me, I know all about being in love with the wrong brother!"

Cam skipped over and laced her arm into Jos's. "This sounds like an intriguing story! One you should tell me as we march into town and demand they let you buy supplies!"

Jos laughed at the young girl's gusto. "We can march whereever you'd like but as long as it's on this island, you can forget friendly hospitality where I'm involved."

Cam shrugged, "If it doesn't work, I'll shift and catch you a rabbit or duck..." She held out the hand not laced around Jos's arm. "Deal?"

Jos shook her head in amus.e.m.e.nt as she took the girl's hand. "Alright, but I'm telling you they aren't going to be happy about it even if it does work..."

Cam laughed. "They don't have to like it and frankly they don't have to like you. It's only smart business pleasing a princess of the land. Besides, I've watched Ales deal with the shop owners enough it should be a breeze." She forged seriousness. "Now, you must tell me all about your wrong brother mix-up."

Jos shrugged. "There really isn't much to tell. I thought I'd finally met a ma... boy who was different than everyone else... who actually cared about me as a person and who I cared about... but he turned out to be just as much of a liar as the rest."

Cam arched a brow. "I'm not sure how that equals the wrong brother, but it most definitely seems to have left you in a way." She tilted her head. "How long ago was it? Was it a local boy?"

Sadness fell over Jos's expression darkening her mood as she shook her head. "No, he wasn't from around here." She shook her head as she tried to thank back to the man she'd fell in love with all those years ago. "The pain and hurt of losing him feels like it was still only yesterday, but when I try to recall the exact details and work out his leaving, it's as if its only a distant memory for a time long, long ago."

Cam held out her palms as raindrops began to fall around them. Her brows bunched together. "Hum... that's odd. It was as clear as a bell just a while ago." She looked around at the distant clouds rolling in. "Must be a storm moving in."

Jos forced her sad, troubling thoughts away pushing them back to the deep dark depths where she had kept them for the past 300 plus years. "It's very likely. That's the problem with living on an island, especially this one." She ran her hand through her braided hair as she glanced nervously up at the sky. "The weather is always so moody." She turned her attention back to Cam. "What do you say about a raincheck on the shopping? I'll just pick some fruit on the way home." She shrugged. "Great thing about being so small, it doesn't take much to fill me up."

Cam frowned as she watched some of the thicker clouds dissipate. "Alright, but only because I don't want you left walking home in a storm if one should come." She cheered up slightly as a smile returned to her lips. "Same place, same time again tomorrow?"

Jos giggled at the girl's enthusiasm. "Sure, see you tomorrow!" She patted her back as Cam pulled her into a hug before skipping off toward the palace. Shaking her head, she turned toward the path leading away from town and the people who despised her so much.