The Alpha King's Claim

The Alpha King’s Claim chapter 74 by desirenovel

Aero

“We agreed there would be no girls here,” my twelve-year-old self cried out in disappointment when I saw my long-time friends Adamar and Adaen approach me with a tiny creature in tow. A pipsqueak. So easy to crush, so frail-looking. Wearing a white ankle-length dress and sporting a short hair, she hid behind the twins who obviously towered her.

My fae friends and I decided we wouldn’t admit a girl into our circle, much less into our hangout spot, but look at them now. They had broken their promise and I was left complaining about it.

Adamar, the older twin, tossed an arm over my shoulder and flashed his pearly whites at me.

“Let Ysanna be an exemption, Prince Aero.”

“Yeah, she’s our future boss,” added Adaen.

I lifted a brow at them, disgusted at the sudden idea in my head and disgusted at the tiny creature with saucer-like hazel eyes with bits of green and purple still looking at me.

“Why? Are you two going to marry her?”

“What?” the two chorused.

“No! Yuck,” cried Adaen.

Adamar on the other hand laughed, releasing me and doubling over. They sure know the idea of marriage despite their young age and well, I was the same too and this was one of the reasons why we clicked, turning to friends immediately despite us as different species.

“She’s too fragile to become our wife,” Adaen explained. “Plus, she can’t marry. She’s to become the High Priestess of our realm.”

“A priestess eh? That’s weird,” I remarked, then left it at that, transferring my attention to the box I brought with me still lying on the grass.

“What do you want to do now?” Adamar asked, following me.

“Father brought this game from Earth. You want to try it?” I told him, raising a board game called ‘Snakes and Ladders’ high up in the air.

“Sure! Let’s play!” Adaen butted in, leaving the pipsqueak behind a tree trunk, alone and staring at us. It was freaky, but I just ignored her…

The images blurred gradually and I was brought to another memory of my childhood. This time, I was two years older, growing taller than my fae friends. My mother still continued her illicit affairs with the male servants in the castle and father was either trying to keep a blind eye to it or he just wasn’t aware of her immorality. I frequented Salviste Lake to escape my mother and her crazy group of handmaidens. I considered myself lucky to be able to escape them even. This place was my only solace. I could play around the golden lake and be myself. Be at peace.

“Why are you here? Where’s Adamar and Adaen?” I asked, looking down at a crouching form behind a cotton shrub next to the biggest tree in the lake. Ysanna glanced up but didn’t answer me. I could see her sobbing though, nonstop tears streamed down her flushed cheeks.

“I hate girls. I hate crybabies. I hate crybaby girls,” I announced, sneering at her.

I left her alone, but since she was hiding in a spot where I loved to take a nap, I wasn’t able to truly leave her.

Two hours later, she was still sobbing. It somehow hit my conscience.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, peeking through the leaves and stems.

She wiped her eyes dry and nodded slowly.

loaf of bread that

smile leaking from the corner of my lips, I turned around and left her spot.

Not until now.

I heard a soft voice

rounded and my

you really can

“Are you afraid of

Instead,

need to be afraid of me. Yes, I hate girls but I

big hazel eyes, I saw a flicker of

her and gazed at the calmness of the lake. “You’re harmless so you’re good. In fact, you look so weak

asked softly, still chewing

first time I showed kindness to

didn’t reply. Silence reigned around us until I decided to change

“Do you have parents?”

she muttered whilst shaking her

mean you don’t have a

she explained, her eyes starting to show

too late for me

father?” I

anything, but she didn’t anymore. Again, silence was her constant answer. This should have irritated me,

continued to sit next to her as she observed the

routine for the next week until

an orphan but she’s a special orphan because of her mother. She’s the queen’s

she even allowed to go outside?” I

We just took the liberty of giving her a chance to see the

two weren’t here?”

don’t know how she does it, but she escapes.” He scratched his head and glanced at Ysanna who was happily playing with some rainbow-colored species of bug I had never seen before in the lake. She was with a feline-looking creature too, with midnight blue fur and coiled tail. The twins, as its owner,

the first time I was concerned for the welfare of a girl,

know, actually,” they answered, lowering their heads,

bruises on her face,

that tower,” Adamar announced. I sensed worry in the twins too and a certain degree of acceptance. Acceptance that they couldn’t do anything

replaced it was another which really hit me hard. It was the last

Adaen?” I asked, sitting next to her

me, she was also growing, but I just couldn’t imagine what she’d look like when a fully grown woman. Probably, she’d turn out to be the most beautiful fae I’d ever

sorry,” she answered,

I showed her a smile. “I like it when it’s just

it was the best damn sound I had

never told me why you keep on coming here,” I stated, still watching Sprint doing its usual playful activities with the bugs along the

stared at her pet. Since she liked Sprint so much, Adamar and Adaen

all?” I asked over my shoulder with some kind of hope bubbling inside me. Hope for what? I