Chapter 3 - The Wolf Broods

His Highness, Second Prince, Xiao Zai was having a terrible day. His usually clear phoenix eyes held a thousand grievances in their dark depths, and his fluent lips had been pressed into a thin line the entire day. His usual aura of overflowing competence and authority was dimmer, like a fire banked by heavy snowfall.

In truth, he was having a terrible week -- ever since he caught wind of his royal father's plans he hadn't known peace.

And today the edict announcing his upcoming marriage to that Xin fox had been read, sealing his fate.

Xiao Zai was currently in his private inner courtyard, doing what he knew what to do best -- brooding. The small porcelain wine cup between his fingers had withstood two outbursts, but it probably wouldn't survive a third.

Xiao Zai closed his keen phoenix eyes in concentration, and inhaled the calming scent of pine and morning dew wafting around the courtyard. He exhaled slowly, remembering the breathing exercises his dam-father had taught him.

Above all, Xiao Zai worried about what would happen to his dam-father(1) once he moved out of the royal palace, and into his own household.

Half of his motivation to covet the Zui throne was the desire to see his dam-father elevated from his current position. To finally put an end to all the humiliations he suffered his entire life at the hands of Xiao Zai's royal father.

The Crowning Moon royal palace was the jewel of the kingdom of Zui, but for Xiao Zai it would always the place where he spent his childhood and youth fighting for his life, his dam's life, his younger sister's life.

These grand walls, these verdant courtyards, they were like grasping fingers, reaching for him hungrily, trying to tear him apart.

Xiao Zai heard the sound of his bedroom door open, and then the sound of footsteps approaching the courtyard.

He didn't need to look to know it was his dam-father. Moments later, Gu Wei took a seat in front of him, pouring himself a cup of wine and downing it in a single swallow.

"That fucking bastard," Gu Wei said, his fine features pinched with contempt.

Xiao Zai raised his own cup in honour of the bastard that sired him, and drank with the dam that birthed him.

Gu Wei smiled at his son's gesture and some of the light returned to his beautiful face. He was young when he married the king, and even now, several years and two children later, many still considered him the most beautiful omega in all of Zui.

Xiao Zai had spent most of his life in awe of his dam, so where others saw the cold beauty the Zui wolves valued so much in omegas, Xiao Zai saw only an indomitable spirit and outstanding resilience. Even now that he towered over him, Gu Wei had always seemed to him larger than life. It seemed impossible that anyone had ever dared to raise a hand towards him in violence.

Yet someone did, and Xiao Zai was there to bear witness more times than he cared to remember.

"We should have seen something like this coming," Gu Wei said, pouring another cup for Xiao Zai. "He would try everything in his power to remove you from succession."

Gu Wei's usually limpid eyes were overcast. Xiao Zai tried to reassure him.

"I can always take a concubine after the wedding."

Gu Wei shook his head. "He's not marrying you to any random Zui noble. It's not a coincidence that this is a marriage between Xin and Zui. He'll remind you at every turn of how important this alliance is to the kingdom's future stability, how you can't risk offending your future consort's family."

Xiao Zai could hear Gu Wei's words in the king's own curt tone. Could even imagine the swoop of disapproval of his thick eyebrows.

His dam was right, it would be a long time before the king allowed him to take any concubines. Even if he brought the matter up with the courts all the judges and ministers would undoubtedly side with the king.

That of course, didn't solve the matter of legitimacy. Even if he did have children with concubines, they would never be the child of his first spouse, and therefore would have no legitimate claim to inherit his title.

Xiao Zai's birth alone made his claim to the throne a dubious one, since he wasn't the son of the late Queen Consort. If he was also unable to produce a legitimate heir of his own, who would support him? He couldn't be king without at least a few ministers on his side.

Gu Wei rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Of course we're ignoring the most important detail. How can you be King, with an alpha fox from Xin as your Consort?" His slender hands shook on the porcelain cup, bellying how much this matter was affecting him. "The people would never allow something like that. All kinds of accusations about Xin trying to worm their way into our kingdom would be thrown at you."

Xiao Zai reached across the stone table under the courtyard's gazebo, and held onto Gu Wei's wrist. "We'll think of something."

His dam had suffered enough. Xiao Zai would be king, no matter how, and Gu Wei would finally be treated with the dignity and respect he deserved.

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(1) - Dam is the opposite of a sire. A sire impregnates, a dam gets pregnant.. It's usually used for animals, and dam does have female connotations, but I figure the animal related background makes sense considering the setting. And dam is an unusual enough word that it won't be too jarring to see it applied to a male character (let me know what you think tho!)